Dear Reader –
I wrote a piano instrumental with this title once. It’s mainly sad and even a bit dark but resolves every so often to a major and more hopeful melody. It sets the mood nicely for this week’s letter - maybe take some time and have a listen before reading on…
*All hyperlinks in bold.
The Big Thing
Now this is more like it. No sooner have we finished one run of gigs than tickets are available for another.
And it’s soon. Sat Oct 2 with a huge line-up of local musicians. Tickets free but you will need one to get in.
Available as of 10am today so secure them now - here.
Where else but Sligo?
I could write a week’s worth of letters about everything that happened last week when we returned to the Hawk’s Well stage. I think this story sums it up however.
It was Saturday night, and the closest thing we’ll get to a full theatre for the next few weeks. 200 people in - 60% capacity as per regulations. I had set up the show so that we would make a low-key entrance while the lights were still down and launch straight into Anthony Newley’s Feeling Good. Jazz drumming legend Adam Nussbaum was in my head - he gently corrected me one year on the Sligo Jazz Project ago when I introduced it as a Nina Simone song.
Anyway, last Saturday we did Michael Bublé’s version and Sinéad Conway did more than sing it. She lived and performed every word of it, and the audience responded with a reaction worthy of one ten times their size. It wasn’t the time for talk, so we started pretty much straight away into The Boys Are Back in Town. I could see grown adults writhing in their seats with excitement, others with mouths open, arms in the air, excited with anticipation. Jamie Callaghan strutted out to sing it, and even his most powerful of vocals wouldn’t have been heard until the huge welcoming roar that the audience gave him died down, so we were glad of every one of the 16 bars Phil Lynott wrote in the Intro.
And my heart soared. This crowd, just like those who came to see us on Wednesday and Thursday, knew what it meant to us to be back on stage, and seemed determined to give us a huge welcome. The energy we felt from them then added to our enthusiasm, making us more determined to put on a show they would enjoy. The perfect communion between performers and audience, and the way we dreamed that we would make our return over the last 18 months.
Here’s a taste from Thursday night’s show.
What’s New?
The first Teenage Theme Night of the new school year will take place in The Model on the weekend of November 26&27. Email kieran@kieranquinn.ie if you are interested in taking part.
Brendan Tierney’s Sligo Comedy Festival runs nightly until Friday. All details here.
And in a real sign of things returning, the Sligo Festival of Baroque Music also takes place this week - artistic director Nicola Cleary was interviewed about it in the Irish Times recently, and you can find out more about the festival itself here.
Finally…
One that captures the mood we’re all feeling after last week’s live music. Eddie Fitzpatrick with the finale of last week’s Teenage Theme Night #23.
Till next time - Kieran.
