Sligo silver lining
Sligo Live promises to be one of the highlights of the summer.
Greg McAteer, 13 Jun 2006
Sligo Live will be competing against the Smithwicks Cat Laughs festival for the June Bank Holiday crowds and the gateway to the West is nailing its folk colours firmly to the mast. The festival runs from Friday evening through to Monday and in addition to the three major gigs in the racecourse marquee there are also upwards of 50 sessions planned. The Sligo Sessions will involve top traditional musicians from all over the country and the US, including present and former members of leading groups such as Dervish, Solas, Teada and Danu.
Sligo Live has just released details of more than 40 musicians in the line-up and many others are expected to arrive for impromptu sessions over the weekend.
Those mentioned so far include Solas members Mick McAuley and Winnie Horan, who have just released a new album together; Shane Mitchell, Brian McDonagh and Michael Holmes of Dervish; Oisin McDiarmada and Damien Stenson of Teada; and Noel Ryan of Danu.
All in all, the list is like a Who’s Who of the traditional scene and also features Peter Carberry, Siobhan Peoples, Tola Custy, Paul McSherry, Liz Kane, Declan Sheridan, Bernadette MacGabhann, to name just a few.
Local players include the piper Jarlath McTiernan, who has toured with Lord of the Dance; his father Kevin, an outstanding flute-player; the accordionist Kevin O’Brien; and Gerry Harrington, the Kerry fiddler living in Sligo who recently recorded an album with legendary flute-player Peter Horan.
The marquee at Sligo Racecourse is where the main action will take place. Sligo’s home team Dervish headline the first night’s show with a bill that also features Declan O’Rourke, Ron Sexsmith and Duke Special. Saturday night’s headliners are The Proclaimers, though for many the high point of the evening will be an appearance by the re-formed Midnight’s Well featuring Thom Moore, Janie Cribbs, Gerry O’Beirne and Mairtin O’Connor. Bringing up the rear in a crammed evening of music will be Kate Rusby, The Border Collies, Seamie O’Dowd and Rick Epping, the Nocros Quartet and Colin And Nicola Gillen. Sunday Night is headlined by Sinead O’Connor and again the bill is laden with great acts including Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, Solas, Mairead and Triona Ni Dhomnaill, The Guggenheim Grotto and Peter Horan. As well as individual daily tickets there is also a weekend ticket available. The sessions continue through to Monday for those who can’t drag themselves back to the real world.
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