We missed you Steve!

Dear Reader –

What do the following songs have in common?
Hotel California (The Eagles), Come Together (The Beatles) and Baker St (Gerry Rafferty).
*Answer in the Where Else But Sligo section below…

The Big Thing

I’m afraid that this week all the big things are still in the oven.
A HUGE few months of big things coming up though - they’re nearly cooked!

Where else but Sligo?

The last time I was in the Iveagh Gardens was as a student playing an illicit early morning game of soccer after a night out. So it was nice to return legitimately and at a reasonable time of the evening to see The Waterboys last week.

My friend is a massive fan and spent most of the gig either with his eyes closed, excitedly pointing out things we could all see or singing raucously, so his analytical powers were possibly limited on the night! He asked me on the way home what I thought of the gig.

I told him three things - it was lovely to hear Mike Scott’s lyrics so crystal clear, James Hallawell on piano and keyboards stole the show, and Fisherman’s Blues is one of those rare songs (like the ones listed above) which contains an instrumental section that is possibly more important to the song than the vocal melody. Steve Wickham I hope you are enjoying your summer in Sligo but we missed you!

Oh and one more thing that amused me - they played This is the Sea early in the set and when I heard the chorus line ‘That was the river, this is the sea’, I immediately thought of the classic GAA distinction - ‘That was league, this is championship’!

What’s New?

1. MICKEY’S JAZZ CLUB: Every Sunday 5-7pm in The Dunes. We had another great gig there last week and host Mike Nielsen has some great musicians lined up for the next few weeks. Go support!

2. WHAM! “An irresistible pop nostalgia trip” - so says Variety magazine - but it’s also a heart-warming tale of friendship and musical success. This new documentary is available on Netflix.

3. NEW CRANKIE! The latest video from Cathy Jordan and Peter Crann on their mission to create an audio visual archive of one traditional Irish song from all 32 counties using Crankie.

Finally…

George Michael went on to have a stellar career after leaving Wham of course, and this is my favourite footage of him - I love the intensity at which this rehearsal is conducted. You can feel the power of the drums even through the medium of a screen. And Bowie is looking effortlessly cool as ever.

Till next time - Kieran.

Leaving It All Behind...

Dear Reader –

That’s exactly what I have been doing over the last little while. I’ve enjoyed doing lots of reading - so some of my favourite books and quotes below for you today…

The Big Thing

Firstly the books…the first five are fiction and the last four non-fiction.

• Tara Westover - Educated

• Tom Hanks - The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece

• Jeremy Denk - Every Good Boy Does Fine

• Khaled Hosseini - A Thousand Splendid Suns

• Barbara Kingsolver - The Poisonwood Bible

• Seth Godin - The Song of Significance

• Susan Cain - Quiet

• Guy Spier - The Education of a Value Investor

• Mason Currey - Daily Rituals

Where else but Sligo?

Big news this week from one of our Theme Night favourites - this coming October Sandy Kelly will not only release her first studio album in 30 years (sharing a title with this email), but also a self-penned autobiography.

Sandy was on our podcast in March 2021 (the only guest so far for whom we needed two episodes) and told some amazing stories about her life and career - so the book in particular is something I’m very much looking forward to. But Sandy’s unique way of connecting with a song means the album should be special too - the first single from it is featured further down this page.

What’s New?

1. QUOTE 1: “Some people are more certain of everything than I am of anything”.

2. QUOTE 2: “There’s no limit to what you can do if you don’t mind who gets the credit”.

3. FUNDRAISING GIG THIS THURSDAY: Musicians and poets see below…all for a great cause!

Finally…

Answers to last week’s questions first…

a) C, D.

b) Bb major.

And for this week’s song - it’s Sandy’s new single - also featuring her 8 yr-old grandson Frank - who is already making his second appearance in a music video! Regular readers might remember his first…

Till next time - Kieran.

Blue-Sky Thinking

Dear Reader –

Part of the reason to write this letter is to share with you the best thoughts or ideas I come across each week…and last week there were lots!

The Big Thing

6 of the best one-liners from last week’s reading list - not all meant to be taken seriously!

“People will always stop you doing the right thing if it’s unconventional”.

“Never lease a car unless you're rich or the manufacturer is subsidizing the lease”.

“I began to experience the most powerful advantage of money: the ability to think of things besides money.”

“Hold your hands like you've just dropped a marble”.

“When something is cheap, buy the best, it's much more satisfying”.

“You can miss a person every day, and still be glad that they are no longer in your life.”

Where else but Sligo?

I always think of 2002 when All-Ireland football Quarter-Final weekend comes around, and last weekend was no different. The 8 best teams in the country going at it in Croke Park - as a footballer it’s where you want to be.

These highlights are neither clear or comprehensive, but they do give a glimpse into the fervour that swept Sligo that year when we could genuinely compete with the best teams in the country. Hopefully a return to these days is not too far away.

What’s New?

1. TABBY CALLAGHAN joined us on In The Lamplight last month and my does he have a story to tell. Fighting with Liam Gallagher, a cameo as himself on Hollyoaks and the tricky transition he faced after life in the X Factor goldfish bowl. This was a fascinating chat. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

2. THE 24 CAUSES OF HUMAN MISJUDGEMENT: By Famed investor Charlie Munger. So many great insights in it. Read it here, or listen to his speech here.

3. NILS KAVANAGH: Teenage Theme Night Graduate and Irish Young Jazz Musician of the year Nils Kavanagh is embarking on his first tour this summer. Includes a Sligo gig as part of SJP on July 25. Tickets here.

Finally…

Fantastic vocal on this from Aoife Grennan at the Francie Lenehan gig recently. I hadn’t heard the song since it was released in 1996 and it was interesting to experience it again through the ears of a musician rather than a fan. A few tricky chords and key changes.
For anyone interested here are two questions on it - the first one is easier than the second…

a) In what key is the verse in? And the chorus?

b) What is the 7th chord in the chorus? Happens for the first time at 0:45.

Answers next week.

Till next time - Kieran.

Hawaii Slig-O

Dear Reader –

There was fierce competition for the breaking ball in the HWT last Saturday night…

The Big Thing

Backstage competition turned to on-stage collaboration however. Everyone was there for Francie and the Hawaiian shirts were out in force. There was a beautiful energy in the room and it was lovely to be a part of it.

Old songs. New friends. Guitar solos and great stories.

My favourite part of the night?

Well although the music was great and Francie was in top form on guitar (especially when playing with his brother John), what I enjoyed most was the lovely people I met - the people with whom Francie spent his working days.

That’s a legacy in itself.

Where else but Sligo?

We are so used to great musicianship in Sligo that we can sometimes begin take it for granted.

So I always enjoy the occasions when professionals from outside the county come here to do some work and are blown away by whatever musician happens to be involved that day.

It was Sinéad Conway yesterday - and Pat and Mike (pictured below) and the entire production crew were so obviously impressed with what she brought to the session. As were we with them - a great Monday morning!

You’ll all be able to judge for yourselves later in the year when the song is released - I’ll keep you in the loop on these pages.

What’s New?

1. OLE: More football (and music) in the HWT this Thursday - looks like a really interesting night in advance of the Women’s World Cup this summer.

2. FELIP CARBONELL AND EDDIE MACFARLANE: A quick mention for the two lads. We did a gig in Donegal on Sunday and playing with them feels a bit like I imagine surfing would (if I was any good at it). Their rhythm and tone make it so easy to play on top.

3. TEENAGE OPEN MIC: The Cairde Sligo Arts Festival runs from July 1-9 and first up is a great event for up-and-coming teenage musicians. Email info@cairdefestival.com to sign up.

Finally…

Here’s Francie on top form in Theme Night #14 from back in January 2016…

Till next time - Kieran.

What it's all about...

Dear Reader –

An uplifting week! I hope it was similar for you…

The Big Thing

People often ask - “How’s work? Are you busy?”

And usually they are genuinely interested, so they deserve an honest answer. Recently however I noticed myself regularly saying that thankfully work is great, but I’m just not playing enough.

So this month I decided to change that.

Put aside an hour a day for just myself and the piano. Learn new tunes. Write. Play with friends - like Gerry last night and Niamh/Felip/Eddie Mac later in the week. The big one with Francie this Sat. Fun gigs too with Sinéad and Mike Nielsen (see below).

And I’m a new man. Happy out!

Musicians need to play. What do you need to do?

Where else but Sligo?

Summer 2005. My first residency. Tuesdays in The Strand with Dublin classmate Peter O’Grady. Finish training, pick Peter and his guitar up from the train and head to Strandhill. Glory days.

One week Mike Nielsen came in for a pint. He even got up for a tune. And we couldn’t believe it. Mum reminded me this week that I wrote her a note to tell her about it - that’s how excited I was.

Because Mike was one of those names. He taught in our college and people spoke about him in whispers. He had studied in Berklee and had played with everyone.

And so I couldn’t help but think of my younger self when last Sunday, just up the hill from The Strand, Mike and I played opposite each other for the first time. We had done bits and pieces over the years - with Seamie, and on a few Sligo Jazz gigs, but this was just the two of us.

And it was magic. I have been smiling since. Trading solos. Listening. What was that chord he played?! Over and back. The buzz of trying a new song. Messing. Playing a few of my own tunes. Mike making everything sound better. And the hush for Over The Rainbow at the end. One of those moments.

Thanks to all of you who came. And for everyone else, Mike is in The Dunes every Sunday from 5-7pm and has a great line-up of guests for the summer. I’m back with him on July 16th - and I’ll try and remember to bring some paper for our setlist that day…

What’s New?

1. FRANCIE: More playing this weekend - an all-star line-up in the Hawk’s Well this Saturday to celebrate the career of the Boss himself - Mr. Francie Lenehan - who by the way showed Mike Nielsen his first guitar licks in the Baymount many years ago. Well deserved.

2. SERVING THE SONG: A concept of which I was reminded this week. A great question for any musician to consider. Is what you’re playing serving the song?

3. PERGOLA: I also learnt a new word this week - congrats to the Sligo Park Hotel on their new (sometimes) outdoor area! Sinéad and I had great fun at a wedding there on Saturday and the state-of-the-art sliding roof played its part when the blue skies changed to thunderstorms in a matter of minutes.

Finally…

Mike Nielsen does a great version of this - we had a laugh with it on Sunday. It also features one of the great keyboard parts of all time. I’ll always remember the man who approached me at a gig in Castlebar in 2007 and told me I wasn’t bad but needed more Ray Manzarek in my playing!

Till next time - Kieran.

Theme Nights On Tour!

Dear Reader –

We’re bringing the Theme Nights across the county boundary!! Read on for more…

The Big Thing

Theme Night #32 - The Power of Love.

Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo - Wed 4 to Sat 7 Oct.

AND (just announced) - Sat 21 Oct in the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon. With loads of exciting collaborations between your Theme Night favourites and the finest local Donegal musicians.

Tickets on sale at 11am this Thursday (June 15) from the Abbey Arts Centre - online, in person or over the phone (071-9851375).

And - still a small number of tickets available for the Sligo shows (Wed night only) - get them here.

Where else but Sligo?

Monday morning down at Micky Downs’ shed. Delighted with life, telling the lads about the cocktail of medications that seem to have suddenly eradicated my hay fever.

Until one of my slightly more senior colleagues pipes up - “Hay fever - since when did that become a thing? I grew up in the 70s and the only fever we were worried about was Saturday Night Fever”.

Boom!

If any of you wonderful letter readers do suffer, (from hay fever now not Saturday Night Fever!) please get in touch if you wish to know more and I’ll send on any details you want…

What’s New?

1. GIG THIS SUNDAY: I’m really looking forward to playing with Sligo guitar legend Mike Nielsen this weekend. Sunday 18th June, 5-7pm in The Dunes, Strandhill. Admission free.

2. LEBRON: Anyone interested in American sport and in particular one of its most compelling characters will love this Jeff Benedict biography. Available from your local bookshop.

3. ALL-TIME CLASSICS: This tweet from music commentator Rob Abelow was fascinating. “To make the list pre-2000, you have to be an all time classic. Post-2000, you can simply be a hit.”. You can find the full list here, as well as some notable omissions.

Finally…

Dave Grusin is my latest piano crush!

If you’re a West Side Story fan, you’ll love his big band interpretations of the music from that show. But he also wrote the soundtrack for the 1993 Sydney Pollack/Tom Cruise film The Firm - including the main title, a fantastic solo piano blues stomp, and this beautiful romantic theme below… 

Till next time - Kieran.

The best country in the world...

Dear Reader –

My year usually breaks up naturally into three chunks - Jan-May, Jun-Aug and Sept-Dec. It often takes a few days to change pace from one to the next. This weather is certainly helping though - hope you’re getting to enjoy it!

The Big Thing

There’s a gang of us working on something new at the moment. Like all new things, it’s full of potential and we are full of ideas. At some stage these ideas will be corralled and put into a plan, but we’re enjoying the freedom of not being quite there yet.

Anyway here’s something we put together in the last few weeks. It’s a fun eye-witness account of the various shenanigans that happened backstage at the last Teenage Theme Night. It’s full of personality and mini-stories. And while we can see the flaws in it and will make it better next time, we’re also kinda proud of it!

Where else but Sligo?

“Sure if you were guaranteed this weather you’d never go anywhere”.

Ah but you would…

“Ireland is the best country in the world when the sun shines”.

Perhaps - but the things we don’t like about it still exist - even when the weather’s decent.

“Isn’t everyone in a good mood when the weather’s like this?”

Really? What about hay fever sufferers? Look at the people near you today and see if that is actually true…

However - maybe the point of these statements isn’t to state matters of undeniable truth, but rather to add to the buzz of positivity and excitement that is certainly around more when the sun shines.

And who can argue with that?!

What’s New?

1. NEW IN THE LAMPLIGHT: Brand new podcast episode from Luke, Rory, Mícheál and I - where we go into more details on last week’s exclusive dance competition revelation (among other things)! Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

2. SUMMER PIANO LESSONS: One more shout for anyone looking to try our way of learning piano over the next few weeks. No commitment required. Email me for more.

3. NEW MUSIC FROM TABBY: Our Theme Night audiences loved this song when Tabby performed it last January so it was great to see Tabby release it last week. A rocking summer singalong number - have a listen here. 

Finally…

The first performance video from our recent Teenage Theme Night #29 - an amazing vocal here from Orla.

Till next time - Kieran.

Glory Days

Dear Reader –

Summer is here and the ‘letter tree’ (as one reader has christened it) is in full leaf…

The Big Thing

We have some availability for summer lessons starting next week. No commitment required. Come week-to-week or book a small block of lessons. It’s a great time of year to try it out - to give yourself a gentle introduction to playing piano, or indeed to ease yourself back into it after a few years.

Email kieran@kieranquinn.ie for more details.

Where else but Sligo?

An evening out in Bunnanadden for the family last night. Coolera U-12 girls vs St. Nathy’s. I met a friend who broke our hearts in the county final 23 years ago. We weren’t friends that day, but had great times together on football pitches all over the country after that. His daughter comes to me for piano now. She’s a lovely player. But you never forget these days. Even when they end in defeat. Glory days.

And the girls may never forget last night. They lost by 2 points to 1. Yes you read that correctly. One of the strangest games I have ever seen. Our girls must have had 25 wides. The ball just wouldn’t go over. But how we were proud of their spirit, their heart, their courage to keep shooting and trying even when the ball kept finding a way to go wide. Tears in defeat but character built. And that character will stand to them long after the match is over.

Chatting with the referee. We first met in a bar in New York after a match in 2002. Now he’s refereeing my daughter on a Monday evening in South Sligo. We have come across him a few times now. He’s excellent in fairness and is very good with the girls.

A glorious evening. Best of the year so far. Shorts and flip-flops. Watching the game with friends on the sideline. Younger siblings messing and playing football together beside us. “Daddy will you go in goals?” Ice-cream in Ballymote on the way back. Trying to comfort and also trying to give space.

Glory days. Don’t let them pass you by.

What’s New?

1. THE POWER OF LOVE SONG SUGGESTIONS: Thanks so much to everyone who sent in these. I have a HUGE list of songs and singers to consider in the month of June now. Any more please send them in ASAP.

2. GREAT FOLK GIG: Slow Moving Clouds are a post-folk band that mixes Irish and Nordic folk traditions. They've just released their third album, Kolmas, and will be coming to The Dock on Friday June 9.

3. GROOVELINE: Listen to this - what a groove! And the horn lines…it’s actually a great summer tune. Maze - the new single from last year’s Teenage Theme Night graduates Grooveline.

Finally…

This is why they call him The Boss. What a performance…

Till next time - Kieran.