Barry Barnes plays the acoustic music of Rory Gallagher

Rory Gallagher was renowned for his powerful acoustic work and Barry faithfully recaptures the passion and excitement of his performance. Playing acoustic and steel guitar and mandolin, and with a voice that closely resembles the late Rory’s in pitch and tone, Barry brings all the great acoustic numbers back to life. The extensive repertoire includes all Rory’s acoustic material, along with unplugged versions of some of the most popular electric numbers and a fascinating selection from the work of artists who influenced Rory such as Son House, Ledbelly, Muddy Waters etc. All this is interspersed with colourful anecdotes from a man who really knows and loves his subject.  Listen to “ Out on the Western Plain”, “As the Crow Flies”,  “ Pistol Slapper Blues” and many, many more including a steaming mandolin workout on “ Going to my Hometown”.

Barry first saw Rory play with Taste in 1969 and Rory has been his biggest influence and inspiration from that day to this. After the death of his lifelong hero in 1995, Barry resolved to do his best to keep the music and memory of the great Irish bluesman alive and went on to form Sinnerboy, the undisputed top Rory Gallagher tribute band in the world. With his solo acoustic show Barry has now brought another part of Rory’s great musical legacy back to life and getting enthusiastic receptions from audiences the length and breadth of the country..

HENRY MCCULLOUGH WAS BORN IN PORTSTEWART,N.IRELAND.HE IS A GUTARIST,SINGER-SONGWRITER WHO HAS PLAYED IN MANY WORLD REKNOWNED BANDS-INCLUDING ‘SPOOKY TOOTH’,'WINGS’ AND ‘THE GREASE BAND’.HE IS ALSO THE LEAD GUTARIST ON THE ORIGINAL RECORDING OF LLYOD-WEBBER AND RICE’S ‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’.HIS EARLY CAREER STARTED IN IRISH SHOW BAND ‘THE SKY ROCKETS’ AND ‘GENE AND THE GENTS’,MOVING ON TO ‘EIRE APPARENT’ AND ‘SWEENYS MEN’.HIS CAREER HAS ALSO SEEN HIM WORK WITH ROY HARPER,FRANKIE MILLER,ERIC BURDON,MARIANNE FAITHFUL,DONAVAN,PETE TOWNSEND AND HE WAS ALSO A TEMPORARY MEMBER OF ‘DR FEELGOOD’ AFTER WILKO JOHNSON’S DEPARTURE.

HENRY HAS A PEDIGREE THAT TAKES IN JUST ABOUT EVERY FACET OF BLUES,ROOTS AND ROCK AND HIS CAREER HAS SEEN HIM THERE AT SOME OF THE MOST GLORIOUS MOMENTS IN MUSIC,INCLUDING AN APPEARANCE WITH JOE COCKERS ‘GREASE BAND’ AT THE LEGENDARY ‘WOODSTOCK FESTIVAL’ AND HENRY STILL HAS THE LES PAUL GOLD TOP HE PLAYED ON THAT DAY.DURING HIS TIME IN PAUL MCCARTNEY’S ‘WINGS’ HE RECORDED WHAT IS REGARDED AS ONE OF MUSIC’S GREAT SOLOS ON THE SONG ‘MY LOVE’.

IN THE 80′S AN ACCIDENT WITH A KNIFE SEVERED THE TENDONS IN HENRY’S HAND,NEARLY COSTING HIM HIS CAREER,BUT HIS ROAD TO RECOVERY STARTED WHEN HE SAT IN WITH THE ‘FLEADH COWBOYS’ ON THEIR LEGENDARY SUNDAY AFTERNOON RESIDENCY IN THE ‘LOWER DECK’,DUBLIN.

IN RECENT YEARS HE HAS WORKED AND APPEARED ONCE AGAIN WITH MANY LEGENDS AND YOUNG BANDS,ALIKE.HIS SONG ‘FAILED CHRISTIAN’ IS AN ABSOLUTE CLASSIC AND ON HIS 2008 CD ‘POORMANS MOON’,A NUMBER OF SONGS WERE CO-WRITTEN WITH ‘HORSLIPS’ EAMON CARR.HIS RECENT BAND LINE-UP INCLUDES:JAMES DELANEY,CHRISSY STEWART,CHRIS PROBST AND TONY PHILIPS.

HENRY REMAINS ONE OF ROCK’S MOST LEGENDARY FIGURES.

ANDY POWELL WAS BORN IN LONDON’S EAST END,BUT GREW UP IN HEMEL HEMPSTEAD,ENGLAND.HE FIRST STARTED PLAYING GUITAR AT THE AGE OF 11,BUT UNABLE TO AFFORD A NEW GUITAR,MADE HIS OWN ‘LES PAUL’ STYLE COPY.HIS FIRST BANDS INCLUDED LONDON BASED BANDS ‘THE DEKOIS’ AND THE ‘SUGAR BAND’

IN 1969 AFTER ANSWERING AN ADD IN THE ‘MELODY MAKER’ HE JOINED ‘WISHBONE ASH’,AT THE SAME TIME AS FELLOW GUITARIST TED TURNER AND SO THE TWIN GUITAR SOUND OF ‘WISHBONE ASH’ WAS BORN.’WISHBONE ASH’ ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE MAJOR INNOVATORS OF THE TWIN HARMONY GUITAR FORMAT AND ANDY HAS BEEN VOTED ONE OF THE TOP 20 GUITARISTS OF ALL TIME.AS WELL AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GUITARISTS IN ROCK HISTORY.HE IS ALSO CHIEFLY KNOWN FOR HIS USE OF THE ‘FLYING-V’ GUITAR.

DURING HIS CAREER FROM 1969 TO PRESENT,WISHBONE ASH RECORDED MANY,MANY ALBUMS SOME OF WHICH ARE REAL ‘ROCK’ CLASSICS,INCLUDING ‘ARGUS’,'THERE’S THE RUB’ AND ‘NEW ENGLAND’.TO THIS DAY ANDY CONTINUES TO LEAD,RECORD AND CONTINUALLY TOUR ‘WISHBONE ASH’.WHO IN 2009 CELEBRATED 40 YEARS OF ‘WA’ WITH A DVD FILMED IN LONDON,DURING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT.A NEW CD IS DUE FOR RELEASE.

Eleanor McEvoy has just been confirmed to present a songwriters master class with Mundy at this years festival on the Sunday t 2pm. Book online at www.theTLT.ie

A musician and songwriter of note, the real deal, possessing all of the qualities that go to make up the complete artist. In a world where the word star and the gift of talent are often devalued, Ms McEvoy is neither an overnight success nor a four-week wonder.  Her career began at the age of four when she took piano lessons. Eleanor’s passion for classical music came a little later when at the age of eight she took up the violin. Upon finishing school she attended Trinity College in Dublin where she studied

music by day and worked in pit orchestras and music clubs by night.  Eleanor graduated from Trinity and was accepted into the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland where she spent four years before finally taking the plunge to concentrate on her passion for song writing.  After a long hard slog, the girl who spent the year of 1988 busking in Union Square, New York had come a long way, a route that took her through the disciplines of classical music, Irish traditional music and contemporary music to a point where she finally found success in 1992.

It happened when one of her songs “Only a Woman’s Heart” inspired the title for, and appeared on, the

“A Woman’s Heart”Anthology album. It has since gone on to become the best selling album in Irish history. “A Woman’s Heart” stayed in the Irish Top 10 for over a year.  Since then Eleanor has gone on to become an artist and performer known throughout the world.  Her critically acclaimed canon of work spans five albums, several singles and appearances on numerous compilation albums and is today recognised as Ireland’s most successful female singer songwriter having enjoyed personal chart success and numerous cover versions of her songs. (Emmylou Harris, Mary Black and Mary Coughlan amongst others). Her song “All I Have” featured in the HBO cult series “Six Feet Under”.

Her sixth album  “Out There” won ”ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2007” from the influential British magazine ‘Hi-Fi Plus’. Later in the year Eleanor also picked up the Big Buzz award for Best Female vocal.  Eleanor will be touring the UK, Australia, Spain and Ireland with one off dates in the Far East and Europe in 2008, and will be bringing out a new album  “Love Must Be Tough” featuring 12 songs including McEvoy co-writes with the legendary Johnny Rivers, Rodney Crowell, and Dave Rotheray (Beautiful South).

Daily Telegraph “Bags of class,  ‘Out There’ has several striking track.  McEvoy earns plenty of respect for her multi-instrumental skills & also her writing gets better & better”.

MOJO “massively underrated Irish singer/songwriter…immaculately tuneful, lyrically potent tales of love and life”

Q Magazine “warm sensual vocal idiosyncrasy that brings in a sense of danger and vulnerability in tandem”

Irish Times “McEvoy still surprises with her jagged-edged personality that celebrates rather than suppresses dissonance.”

HOT PRESS “in Eleanor McEvoy, we have an incomparably assured performer and a composer of consummate wit and intelligence”

Mundy has been confirmed to perform a song writers master class with Eleanor McEvoy on the Sunday of this years festival at 2:00pm. Book online at www.thetlt.ie

Mundy (born Edmund Enright, 12 February 1976, Birr, County Offaly) is an Irish singer-songwriter. ‘Mundy’ is a nickname given to Enright, as it not only refers to his name Edmund, but it is how he pronounces the word “Mundy” (Monday).

He released his debut album Jellylegs in 1996 on the Epic Records label. The album included the song “To You I Bestow”, which was featured on the bestselling soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation Romeo + Juliet.

In 2000, Mundy was dropped by Epic while working on his second album, The Moon is a Bullethole, which was about to be recorded. Although a four-track EP of that title was released, much of the material for the cancelled album was eventually incorporated into 24 Star Hotel, Mundy’s 2002 album.

24 Star Hotel was released on Camcor Records – a label Mundy himself set up, primarily funded by his royalties from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack. Camcor Records is named for the Camcor River, a popular fishing spot, which runs through the town of Birr. The album contained the song “July”, an ode to the joys of the Irish summer, which gained heavy airplay throughout the summer months, and is, for Irish audiences at least, Mundy’s signature tune. Along with ‘July’ the album contained ‘Mexico’ and with both receiving extensive radio play and some huge Irish festival appearances, 24 Star Hotel has gone on to triple platinum status in Ireland and he guested with Lucinda Williams in Ireland.

In 2003 Mundy also contributed to Afro Celt Sound System’s album Seed, and to Even Better than the Real Thing Vol. 1 with a cover version of the Shakira song Whenever, Wherever, only with the two words in the title switched around.

In May 2004, Mundy released his third album, ‘Raining Down Arrows’, recorded in Austin, Texas, entered the Irish album chart at number 1. The album has since gone platinum in Ireland. He toured the UK with songwriting legend Jimmy Webb and continued to win over Irish audiences whilst making UK appearances with Richard Hawley and gaining Irish support slots with The White Stripes and Oasis.

In 2006 Mundy recorded a live album and DVD called Live & Confusion at Vicar Street, Dublin. It contains all his best known songs such as “Gin & Tonic Sky”, “Mexico”, “July”, “To You I Bestow”, “By Her Side” and “Love & Confusion”. The album also contained an encore of “Galway Girl, a Steve Earle penned song that Sharon had recorded with the author years before. The live version became a download hit in Ireland, and eventually a studio version was released, after it was popularized in a television and radio advertising campaign for Bulmer’s cider.^[1] The studio version of the track reached number 1 in the Irish Singles Chart in April 2008 and stayed there for five weeks. It became the biggest single in Ireland two years in a row in 2007 and 2008.^[2] Mundy also recorded an Irish language version of the track, entitled Cailín na Gaillimhe, for Ceol ‘08, an Irish language compilation album released in 2008 to raise money for several Irish charities. Two years before, Mundy recorded an Irish-language version of his song “Mexico”, entitled “Meicsiceo” for Ceol ‘06.^[3] Ceol ‘06 reached the Top 10 in the Irish Album Chart.

In 2008 Mundy continually guested with Sharon Shannon’s Big Band alongside Damien Dempsey and Shane MacGowan, turning up at The Glastonbury Festival as well touring Ireland and the UK.

In 2009 Mundy recorded his fourth studio album, Strawberry Blood, with Irish producer Joe Chester, and mixed a number of tracks with UK producer Andy Bradfield. The album featured contributions from Shane MacGowan and Gemma Hayes and was released worldwide on iTunes with a bonus download video

Richard Gilewitz creates lively journeys topped with laughter and sparkles of mood mastery and wonderment with his use of banjo style picking patterns, classical arpeggios, tapping and harmonics, along with his rhythmic and percussive touch. His tales are spirited stories into the world of a touring musician and his tunes are adventures as their instrumental wanderings reveal surprises with each note.

Whether playing solo, conducting guitar seminars and school programs, or sharing the stage with various artists, Richard constantly fascinates his audiences with colorful samples of originals and covers, turning the performance into a magical instrumental excursion. His shows are laced with sounds of acoustic fingerstyle guitar of the Americana and traditional, folk and blues, Spanish and European classical, and somewhere in between as this veteran performer captures a history of fingerstyle guitar.

As a youngster, Richard embraced artists such as The Beatles, Andres Segovia, Leo Kottke, Arlo Guthrie, John Fahey and Flatt & Scruggs. Soaking up the wealth of inspiration supplied by the diverse acts featured on the “Dr. Demento Radio Show” and “The Midnight Special”, Richard welcomed the challenge of mastering and adapting many styles of music for the acoustic guitar – a trait that continues to mark his signature 6 and 12-string sound today.

Headlining festivals such as the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival (Ireland), the Miami International Guitar Festival (USA), the Ullapool Guitar Festival (Scotland), the Erupt Festival (New Zealand,) and others around the globe, Richard brings a sense of preserving the style of fingerstyle guitar.

Richard has appeared in concert with: Brooks Williams / The California Guitar Trio / Richard Thompson / Warren Zevon / Mose Allison /John Fahey / Leo Kottke / John Prine / Norman Blake / Kenny G / Adrian Legg / The Little River Band / David Bromberg / Taj Mahal / Greg Brown / John Hammond / Steve Morse / Patty Larkin / The Indigo Girls / Joe Ely / Rory Block / America / Mike Cross / Sonny Landreth / Maria Muldaur / Jane Siberry / Loudon Wainwright III / Lucinda Williams / Jorma Kaukonen and other fine artists.

He is a contributing writer for Mel Bay Publications’ webzine and L2P (formerly Singer and Musician Magazine), Acoustic Guitar Magazine, as well as a number of trade magazines. His recordings are aired frequently on public radio stations worldwide and his instructional videos and collections of solo guitar compositions are popular among dedicated fans and newcomers alike.  Collaborating with Mel Bay Publications, Richard’s book “Acoustiic Fingerstyle Workshop” contains the same insights and humor shared in his live presentations, together with an ample selection of his music. More on Richard at www.richardgilewitz.com.

“Gilewitz fingerpicked with such graceful facility and improvised so intelligently that he is a guitarist to follow here.” Geoffrey Himes, The Washington Post, Performing Arts

“His concerts are like a nice, iced chai latte: smooth, cool, but with plenty of spice.”  Entertain Me, Cheri Harris, Chronicle

“His quick wit and twisted sense of humor has made him an entertainer as well as a fine guitarist.” Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine

“A powerhouse of eclectic guitar styles and genres, Gilewitz wears his influences well.”

20th Century Guitar Magazine

Book your master class with Richard Gilewitz today at www.thetlt.ie

Richard will also appear in the Guitar Festival All Stars Concert on the Sunday evening (17th) at 5:30pm.

Paul Moore has been playing electric bass since the age of 14 and Upright Bass from the age of 16. He comes from a very musical family and  lives in Dublin.

He has recorded with such artists as Mary Coughlan , Declan O’Rourke, Juliet Turner, Katie Melua, Cafe Orchestra,The Chieftains , Colm Wilkinson, Donal Lunny, Ronnie Drew, Mark Knopfler and Van Morrison.

He worked exclusively with Riverdance for 4 years between 1998 and 2001 and was the Musical Director for 2 of those years.

He has also performed live with Andrew Strong, Frances Black , Jimmy Mc Carthy, Paul Brady, Alex Chilton , Eivør Pálsdóttir , RTE Concert Orchestra, Rita Coolidge, Moving Hearts , Jon Lord, Solomon Burke, Lalo Schifrin, Bernard Purdie , Michel Legrand and Van Morrison. He is first call Bassist for Brian Byrne’s Big Band and also the Dave Gold Big Band.

He has recorded movie soundtracks with Mike Batt ,Frank Patterson, Conor Mc Pherson and Irish Film Orchestras, Recently he has recorded albums with Andy Irvine and Van Morrison.

He has performed in numerous musicals including West Side Story,Beauty and the Beast, The Wedding Singer, Bugsy Malone, Seussical ,Honk ,Singing In The Rain, Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, 42nd St, Les Miserables, Meet Me in St .Louis, Seven Brides,The Hot Mikado,Carousel,Chicago, Oklahoma!, Slice of Saturday Night , Crazy For You, Into The Woods, The Snowman, Wicked,Little Shop of Horrors.

He has taught Bass and Musicianship with The Making Music Workshop based in the North of Ireland and has performed Electric Bass Masterclasses at the Ballyfermot Rock School in the early 1990’s.

He has also been “House” Bassist on numerous TV shows and has played on various advertising jingles.

He endorses Lakland Basses, Acoustic Image amps and Eminence Upright Basses.

Paul will host a master class on Sunday (17th) at 2:30pm. Book your place in Paul’s master class here MASTER CLASS BOOKING FORM

Irish born drummer Jason Duffy has been playing drums since the age of 11. Jason has toured extensively with artists such The Corrs, Michael Flatley with Lord of the Dance, Celtic Tiger and Feet of Flames, Bono, Sharon Shannon, Donal Lunny, Picturehouse, Jeff Beck, Stockton’s Wing, Niamh Kavanagh, The Waterboys, Imelda May, Paul Brady, Mundy, Shane McGowan, Damian Dempsey, Declan O’Rourke, National Concert Orchestra, Donal Kirk Band, Sharon Corr, Andrea Corr, Tara Blaise and many more.

Jason is well renowned internationally as one of the greatest drummers to come out of Ireland, and his master classes are a unique and fascinating experience for any drummer – young or old!

Jason will host a mater class at this year’s festival on Sunday (17th) at 2pm. Sign up here MASTER CLASS APPLICATION

The winner of our draw for €1,000 worth of musical instruments from the Sound Shop, Drogheda which took place over the weekend at the Guitar Fest is Alex Mc Govern from Dundalk!! Well Done Alex!

Damon Chivers - Appearing at the Irish Guitar Festival

Damon Chivers has worked as Fender’s Product specialist and demonstrator for 7 years. He has been playing guitar for 28 years, and played on the BBC 1, CNN ,Channel 4 , adio1, plus he also played at Glastonbury, Phoenix festival, T in the Park, Namm Show, Frankfurt Music show. He has racked up 100’s of gigs ,tours, sessions, taught guitar for over 20 years, done various instructional DVD’s and Books. If you need to ask anything about fender guitars, you can bet Damon will be the man with your answer!