The Pat McManus will play the Irish Guitar Fest

Pat McManus is prehaps best know for his previous band Mama’s Boys,which he formed with his brothers John and Tommy in the eighties. Mama’s Boys, although very young, soon proved to be a great success in the Rock World and were one of the greatest rock bands to come out of Northern Ireland,with Pat being the writing and driving force behind the band. In Ireland the band are prehaps best known for their No.1 hit ‘Needle in the Groove’ and during the eighties and nineties toured the world working along side such acts as BonJovi, Sting, Ratt, The Scorpions, Hawkwind, Thin Lizzy, Wishbone Ash, Deep Purple, Marillion, Rush,Twistered Sister and so,so many more. They held the house record for the prestigious Marquee Club in London and were the only unsigned act to play the Reading Rock Festival. During their career the band recorded eight albums and scored hits both at home,as well as in America and Japan.

After the untimely death of Pat and John’s Brother Tommy from Leukaemia in 1994, the brothers were not sure if they would continue. After a break and some time of reflection they got back together and formed Celtus, producing a sound which blended their early traditional roots,with a strong rock feel and dance beats.They were quickly signed by Muff Winwood to Sony Records and went on to record four highly acclaimed CD’s. As Celtus Pat and John quickly made their mark in the music industry, receiving awards for their music and scoring chart hits.

In 2001 Pat chose to return to Ireland to live and at this point was mostly writing for other artists, film and television across all genres of music. During this time Pat returned to his roots, having once been the youngest ever fiddle player to win the ‘All Ireland’ in the adult category. Pat recorded with many Traditional artists and was involved in the ‘Hidden Fermanagh’ and ‘Erne Rising’ projects with whom he represented Ireland in both Europe and America.Culminating in representing Northern Ireland at the Prestigious ‘Smithsonian Festival’ at the White House in Washington.He also wrote,recorded and performed with Sligo based band ‘ Indian ‘ during this time.

By 2006 Pat was ready to get back to ‘Rock’n'Roll’ and form his own band, writing and releasing his first solo CD.The Blues/Rock CD ‘In My Own Time’ was released in August 2007 and shortly afterwards the present line-up was settled.Gordon Sheridan was first recruited on Bass and shortly after Paul Faloon on Drums.Gordon and Paul have provided a strong,driving ,rhythmic force which backs up Pat’s incredible guitar skills perfectly.Indeed it has been said in the press,with the furiously energetic Gordon and the phenomenal Paul on drums that prehaps Pat can take it easier.Yet Pat never takes it easy and lives up to his nickname ‘ The Professor ‘ everytime.

In November 2008 the band recorded the live DVD/CD ‘Live and in Time’ in France, responding to the request of many fans and it has proved more than popular since it’s release. In April 2009 Pat and the band started recording the new CD ‘2PM’ , whilst still filling a busy Summer’s touring !The CD was completed at the end of August 2009 and was released in September 2009 at a launch in Paris. For ‘2PM’ Pat wrote fourteen new compositions,which all showcase his truely exceptional talent as both a writer and multi-instrumental player. Such tracks as ‘Rough Diamond’, ‘Chasing Away the Blues’ and ‘Law of the Jungle’ have already become firm favorites with the fans.

So with a full schedule ahead well into 2010,another live DVD to be released beginning of March 2010 and the next new CD expected in Autumn 2010, recording again for the third time with producer and friend, Shaun ‘Mudd’ Wallace.The band continue to entertain everywhere they go playing their brand of Blues/Rock with a hint of the Celtic,but always with the philosophy of giving and having a real good time!!!

Recent journalistic quotes/soundbites include:
“A master virtuoso of the six strings” Metal France
“Mo-nu-men-tal” Blues Magazine
“Don’t miss him” Sensation Rock
“Indispensable” Paris What’s On Magazine
“A ‘concert shaped’ breath of fresh air” Rock Hard
“He seeks notes you might not expect” Guitar Magazine/France
“Infinitely fresher than half the hack blues ‘prodigies’out there, It works!” Classic Rock Magazine/UK
“An album with a huge sound,which breathes the most efficient of blues rock” Blues Magazine
“The Professor is back and what a pleasure” Volumenbrutal

More info on the Pat McManus Band and Pat’s Discography,can be found on www.patmcmanus.co.uk
Also at http://myspace.com/patmcmanus

Ed Gerhard

From Tokyo to Rome and venues across the US, Ed Gerhard’s music has touched audiences all over the world. Performing on 6-string, 12-string, slide guitar or Acoustic Hawaiian Lap Slide, Gerhard captivates his audiences with virtuosity, generosity and sly humor. Known for his gorgeous tone and compositional depth, Gerhard can move a listener with a single note. Scott Alarik of the Boston Globe said it best when he wrote “Gerhard does not write instrumentals. He writes songs only a guitar can sing.”

“Breathtaking, exquisite, gorgeous- even the strongest superlatives barely seem adequate when describing the guitar music of Ed Gerhard. This man is a major talent…”

John DeAngelis, Record Roundup

Gerhard’s relationship with the guitar began at age 10, when he happened upon classical guitar master Andrés Segovia on TV. “I’d heard all the pop music on the radio and maybe a little of that 60’s folk stuff, but this was the first time I’d ever heard the guitar all by itself and the sound just instantly got me,” he remembers. Ed finally got his first guitar at 14. His initial interest in classical guitar changed dramatically when he heard the music of bluesman Mississippi John Hurt. He quit lessons after the third one. He took some informal lessons with friends and learned by ear, slowing down LPs to half-speed to pick out the tricky parts. At fifteen, Ed was already beginning to perform in local church basement coffeehouses, playing solo and jamming with friends.

In 1977 Gerhard moved to New Hampshire where he has resided ever since. Joining a thriving folk and acoustic music scene proved invaluable for the young guitarist. “There seemed to be no limitation on places to play back then, or more importantly, what you could play” says Ed. “You could play anything you wanted as long as people stayed around and drank.” When Gerhard was not performing solo he could often be seen sitting in with other musicians. “I loved to play, it didn’t matter if I was solo or sideman.” During this period Ed began composing and arranging music for solo guitar, using a staggering array of alternative guitar tunings.

Based truly on the quality of his work, Ed built his considerable reputation, beginning with his debut album “Night Birds” in 1987. It garnered a spot in the Boston Globe Critics Poll Top 10 Albums of the Year.” Shortly after the album’s release, Windham Hill Records included Ed on its Guitar Sampler (Vol.1). One of the highlights of the three hundred thousand unit selling Sampler, “The Handing Down” introduced the world to the beauty of Ed Gerhard’s music. “That one piece made me a lot of friends around the world,” Ed says.

Ed has released his eighth CD “Sunnyland” in homage to his early blues heroes. He was awarded a GRAMMY® for his inclusion on the CD “Henry Mancini; Pink Guitar.” Warner Brothers released Ed Gerhard; The Guitar Songbook. His guitar work can be heard on recordings by Arlo Guthrie, Jorma Kaukonen and Bill Morrissey and in the Ken Burns film “Mark Twain” and “ The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” Ed’s CD “Luna” is featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s 20th Anniversary list of the “240 Essential Albums.”

Along with players like Ben Harper and David Lindley, Gerhard’s unique approach to the Weissenborn (an acoustic Hawaiian lap slide guitar) is playing a significant role in reinvigorating interest in this somewhat esoteric but beautiful instrument. Ed’s style of Weissenborn playing is unique in that he composes and arranges music for solo Weissenborn with beautiful melodies, complex chords and moving basslines, unusual for an instrument that normally serves an accompaniment role. Ed is featured in the book “Lap Steel Guitar” alongside legendary players like Greg Leisz, David Lindley, Jerry Byrd and more.

In a true collaboration of guitarist and guitar maker, Breedlove Guitars released the “Ed Gerhard Signature Model” guitar. The guitar became one of Breedlove’s best selling guitars and won the “Player’s Choice Award” by Acoustic Guitar Magazine. Breedlove has just released a Gerhard Weissenborn copy in collaboration with Gerhard.

Here they have combined traditional design with innovative features and contemporary wood combinations.

Ed Tours in the US, Europe, Japan & Korea.