A new gig next month!

Dear Reader –

A couple of different Theme Night announcements today!

Firstly - a new type of video went up on our YouTube channel this week…here was the challenge…

Put five musicians in a room...only I know who the others are.
They can't see each other and none of us are allowed to talk.
Plus - only I know what the song we’re recording is - can I (non-verbally) explain what’s happening to the others so we come up with some sort of half-decent arrangement??

Full story in the vid below...

The Big Thing

Secondly - and I’m really excited by this - announcing the first ever Theme Nights Unplugged gigs.

Two before the end of 2023 for now but hopefully this will develop into something more regular.

I always think it’s a shame that once a Theme Night is done it’s done, and we don’t get to play any of the great songs or arrangements written for the show again.

But that’s all about to change…these Theme Nights Unplugged gigs will bring together smaller groups of Theme Night regulars to make some Theme Night magic in a different way.

Upstairs in Lillies. 8-10pm one Thursday each month - all details below.

Tickets only €10 - available here (November gig) and here (December gig). Available from 6pm this evening (Tuesday). Capacity is small though - so get on it quick to avoid disappointment!

Where else but Sligo?

Schools are off this week, which means a well-earned break for all of our piano students (and teachers)!

We’re six weeks into term and I’m delighted with how all has gone. Our new teachers have settled in well, students are enjoying the 80 (!) new songs now available to them, and my colleagues Sorcha and Annette are playing a blinder in making sure that people are looked after wherever possible if they can’t make a lesson.

A few short anecdotes from the term that you might enjoy…

One of our new students (who shall remain nameless) has learned to look for the teacher’s approval not after playing a song, not even after playing one line of the song, but after playing each note of the song!

Three adult students came to me the week after Theme Night #32 looking to learn the Cinema Paradiso Love Theme after Niamh Crowley’s amazing rendition of it in the show.

And my favourite - about Ben, whose Mum told me that piano is the only activity about which she doesn’t have to fight with him to go.

What’s New?

1. FURTHER DOWN THE LINE: I have been listening to Seamie O’Dowd’s latest offering - his first fiddle album if I’m not mistaken - and it’s great. Available in local music shops - or I’ll put you in touch with Seamie to get one!

2. TTN #30: Check out this playlist put together by our Teenage Theme Night Committee to showcase some setlist possibilities for next weekend’s shows…

3. LETTER TREE (AUTUMN VERSION): She’s looking well today…

Finally…

I ain’t afraid of no ghosts!

Till next time - Kieran.

Living someone's dream...

Dear Reader –

Two HUGE events this weekend…and both couldn’t really have gone any better. Glory days indeed.

The Big Thing

We were giddy as we arrived to Ballyshannon on Saturday morning.

Excited by the prospect of getting the theatre ready for the show that night. One of the lads said he would do this every day of the week if he could. But there was also a healthy set of nerves about presenting the show to a new crowd. And meeting the dozen or so local musicians who were going to be performing with us.

The day moved on and the challenges presented themselves as they always do, but one by one we figured them out and managed to finish our marathon rehearsal a full 20 minutes before showtime!

There were magic moments as there always are, but it was the strength of the applause received by Drew Maitland and then Seamie O’Dowd straight after when I knew it was truly working. Sinéad Conway got her now usual standing ovation (!) for her rendition of I Will Always Love You and all of a sudden the show was over, and I was meeting smiling faces in the foyer just like in the Hawk’s Well.

“You’ll be back?” I was asked (or possibly told) by many audience members afterwards - and I’d say there’s a very good chance of it. As always, letter readers will hear first.

Thanks so much to all the musicians, theatre staff and audience members who made us feel so welcome in Ballyshannon. As a friend said to me - “you’re certainly living someone’s dream”!
See the bottom of this letter for a video from the show.

Where else but Sligo?

“One day Tourlestrane won’t win. Maybe it will be us who does, or maybe someone else. But one way or another a county final is a big thing. And it’s nice to know it still feels that way”.

I wrote this a couple of years ago. It was the closing paragraph of a blog about the 2021 county final. And finally, for the first time since 2015, Tourlestrane didn’t win. And…it was us who did.

You can get the match report elsewhere, but it’s the individual stories that are always more interesting to me.

I got a picture during the celebrations with two of the heroes of Sunday - Niall Murphy (left) and Keelan Cawley (right). I played with both in the 2011 final (which we lost), and the two lads also lost finals in 2019 and 2021. So they were feeling pretty good about life, having finally picked up that elusive championship medal.

It was no coincidence that they were the two men that scored the points that started our comeback in the second half. Add the equaliser by another elder statesman of the team Barry O’Mahony and it was clear that the leaders of the team were determined that they weren’t going to lose again.

Talking to them afterwards the overriding emotion was relief and a deep sense of satisfaction. There was a great pic going around of Keelan as a 16 yr-old on someone’s shoulders watching us win the 2005 final, and Niall spoke of similar formative experiences as a child.

Joint-manager Adrian McPartland summed it all up in a message - saying that the part that he enjoyed most about the win was seeing the many children of the club around to witness it all. The bonfire, the cavalcade, the trophy presentation, the sense of elation and general madness around the whole thing. Inspiring. Lighting their fire. Letting them know this is something that can be done as a player from this club. Magic stuff.

Enjoy the feeling lads.

What’s New?

1. THIS IS THE LIFE: My favourite sports book of the year so far. Written by Ciarán Murphy of Second Captains, it’s a witty and provocative look at grassroots GAA in Ireland. Available from your local bookshop.

2. TTN #30: The first Teenage Theme Night of the year is on the horizon. Anyone looking to get involved should get in touch ASAP.

3. BEHIND THE SCENES: This video got a huge reaction. It’s so well put-together, and provides a feel-good glimpse into what goes on backstage at a Theme Night.

Finally…

Here’s one from Ballyshannon - brought to you by John Meehan and the Theme Night crew.

Till next time - Kieran.

I Wanna Be From Somewhere...

Dear Reader –

A theme of Home running through today’s letter…partly inspired by this morning’s incredible sunrise!

The Big Thing

As many of you will know, part of the joy of the Theme Nights is the local nature of it. Seeing people we all know from our daily lives up there giving it socks with the band. A sense of pride in seeing what people from our home town can achieve.

And this weekend’s show in Ballyshannon will be no different. Because sprinkled in the below line-up (among some familiar names) are 12 Donegal musicians who will be joining us on stage in the Abbey Arts Centre this Saturday night. And there may well be more recruited in the meantime!

It will be similar in some ways to the Sligo shows but very different in others. Still some tickets left here - please tell your friends!

Where else but Sligo?

This beautiful Sigrid song is all about the restorative powers of home and the people who live there.
Singer Drew Maitland made his Theme Night debut last week and will also be performing this in Ballyshannon this coming weekend.

It’s the latest video on our new Theme Nights YouTube channel - and one of the most powerful yet.

What’s New?

1. COUNTY FINALS: There’s nothing like a county final to make you proud of where you come from. Congrats to the Coolera-Strandhill ladies team who won a Junior county final last Sunday, and best of luck to the men’s senior team in their final this coming Sunday..

2. STATS CORNER: The ten richest men in the world have had a cumulative 13 divorces between them. Read into that what you will…

3. ESCAPING: Despite all the love for our home place in this week’s letter - sometimes an escape is good too! The In The Lamplight crew of Rory, Luke, Mícheál and I took a trip to Glasgow last week and discovered Escape Rooms! Great fun…especially when you escape!

Finally…

Part of the reason for the trip to Glasgow was to see this man live. He closed with this - a love song to home.

Till next time - Kieran.

God Only Knows What I'd Be Without You...

Dear Reader –

Lots of reflections on Theme Night #32 below - but first - if you’re looking for Theme Night #33 tickets….letter readers get first dibs on them - from 10am today (Tuesday) - find them here.

The Big Thing

Sinéad Conway and I were chatting after Friday night’s show. Sinéad’s performance of I Will Always Love You had got a real standing ovation from those of you who were there that night and we were enjoying the feeling. After a while we got to discussing the rest of the night’s events and we found ourselves simultaneously saying the word ‘Leah’!

So many of you told me how much you loved this performance…check it out again below.

Where else but Sligo?

It was a week of hurdles big and small. A week where I was extremely thankful for the strength in depth of musicianship that exists in our town.

Sam Purcell answered an urgent phone call from me on Sunday and managed to learn 30+ songs in 3 days.
Ken ‘Tonto’ McDonald returned to us after serious heart surgery and Dave Flynn and Luke Devaney covered the various guitar parts after we heard that Seamie O’Dowd couldn’t make it along.

At least we had recorded this video the previous week however….this is classic Seamie.

What’s New?

1. THEME NIGHT #32 IN BALLYSHANNON: We’re coming to the Abbey Arts Centre on Sat 21 Oct! Last chance to see this show - please tell your friends…

2. EMILY AND JACK: What a duo! Check them out here…

3. MORE NEW THEME NIGHT VIDS: Here’s Cathy Jordan with the Theme Night band on the old John Hartford song Gentle on my Mind. Check out our YouTube channel here.

Finally…

One of my favourite moments from the show - when you guys sang back to me at the end of this performance..

Till next time - Kieran.

The best week of the year...

Dear Reader –

It’s Theme Night week! And we’re back in the Hawk’s Well as of yesterday. I can’t wait to see many of you over the next few days at the show. It’s that nervous time of the week where you’re hoping that all the various plans and ideas you have been cooking up over the last few months actually work! We’ll know very soon I guess…

The Big Thing

But first today - some memories of Theme Night #31. Our new Theme Nights YouTube channel officially launched on Sunday night - and here’s our first video!

Sarah Crummy with a simply stunning version of Don McLean’s Vincent…

Where else but Sligo?

‘Steve Wickham is a rock star’.

This is a common reaction to Steve’s Theme Night performances. The combination of his presence, his voice, the way he gives himself entirely to a song and of course his fiddle playing really works for audiences. He performed his own song Pascal at Theme Night #31 and it was without doubt one of the highlights from the show.

I first heard the song over a decade ago. Steve brought myself and Ken ‘Tonto’ McDonald out to a studio out beyond Bunninadden to record it with our Odd Couple bandmate Eddie Lee and the rest of the No Crows crew. It was the first time I had been asked to play on someone else’s song in a studio setting and I was nervous. Especially because of whose song it was.

But Steve was great. It was clear he had been in the studio all his life, and he knew how to elicit performances from us. It wasn’t so much about the notes you played, but the way you played them. Huge lessons learned that day.

Connect with the song.
How does it make you feel?
How do we get the story of Pascal across best through our music?
What’s best for the song?

January’s Theme Night performance (below) was quite different from that studio recording, but the same principles applied for Steve. It’s magnificent - take a look…

What’s New?

1. THEME NIGHT #32 ON TOUR: Remember that if you don’t have tickets, the only place you can get to see Theme Night #32 is in Ballyshannon on Sat Oct 21…

2. NEW SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS: You can find us now on Facebook, Instagram or our special Italian TikTok account! All the Theme Night news still available here first every Tuesday though!

3. MORE NEW THEME NIGHT VIDS: We’re taking a breather tonight, but from tomorrow (Wednesday) on, we’ll be releasing five videos on consecutive nights - the first three of which were recorded in McLynn’s recently - thanks to Darragh and the gang there for having us. What a beautiful spot…

Finally…

Sarah has come up with many great arrangements over the years - here’s one from Theme Night #17 - her version of To Win Just Once by The Saw Doctors.

Till next time - Kieran.

Big Friday news...

Dear Reader –

The time for thinking is over - it’s now the time for action! Some really exciting news today for you…

The Big Thing

Our brand new Theme Night YouTube channel launches this weekend.
Below is a trailer of what you can expect to see over the coming weeks…and we release our first video this Sunday 1 Oct at 7pm.
Subscribe to the channel to get all our news and videos first.

Where else but Sligo?

This project has been in my head for years, and we have been actively working on it since February.

Anyone following the Theme Nights over the years will have seen some of the great videos that Kris and Dominika Manulak have produced of the shows, and they will continue to do so long into the future I hope. However through no fault of theirs (or anyone's), the sound on the videos doesn't do justice to the great live sound we produce on the nights, and so I have been looking at other ways to showcase what we do. So much great music comes out of these shows, and I have long felt that it's a shame that they haven't been documented at their best.

So I have been looking into other ways of doing this and came to the conclusion that a dedicated Theme Night (and Teenage Theme Night) YouTube channel was the way to go. This channel will feature many different types of performances - some live, some recorded in the Hawk’s Well, and others recorded in various locations and under various conditions (!) around Sligo and beyond.

I have been working with a great team over the last few months on getting this channel ready. We have a few videos in the bag and ready to release, and we will be recording more in the coming days during Theme Night week. I can’t wait for you to see them - hopefully your appetite has been whetted by the above trailer!

What’s New?

1. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: All the theme night news will now be found on our new social media channels. But fear not dear letter readers - you will still hear all the big news here first every Tuesday.

2. SCARY POCKETS: Here’s what a great YouTube music channel looks like…

3. NEW BRANDING: I’m delighted with our new logo - you’ll hopefully get used to the sight of this over the coming days and weeks. And - we’ll have brand new t-shirts (and stickers!) at the shows next week for anyone who wants to bring home a piece of us…

Finally…

The most viewed Theme Night video on YouTube so far…and it’s not hard to see why. Gorgeous stuff from Niamh and Seán.

Till next time - Kieran.

Something else that was...

Dear Reader –

So much happening at the moment….it’s hard to fit it all in to one letter!

The Big Thing

Music Club 2023-24 is go!

All details here - please get in touch if you’re interested…

And…our Theme Night posters are ready - thanks to James McManus and Joy Feehily for the great design!

Where else but Sligo?

An amazing weekend - and it had nothing to do with music! Or Sligo for that matter - so please forgive me telling the story here…

I was down to have a small medical procedure on the Friday so I had the weekend booked off. On Wednesday I was contacted to say that the procedure had been postponed. OK great - a free weekend - nice to have it I guess. But then on Thursday afternoon another phone call came in - this one from a friend of mine…he had two last minute cancellations and was wondering would Sinéad and I join him in Paris for the Ireland match.

You what?! Eh…yes I guess we can…can we?? Cue huge excitement and an elaborate childcare operation - but we made it. And what a match - definitely one of the top three sporting events I was ever at and the only one of those three in which my team came out on top. The game, the sense of occasion, and WOW the atmosphere. Incredible. We felt so lucky to be there.

Another friend of mine (and regular letter reader) was in Paris too last weekend. We didn’t get to meet up, but I texted him the next day expressing my incredulity at what we had experienced the night before.
His reply took me by surprise however - it read simply ‘something else that was’.

And he was right. For all the buzz and excitement, on Sunday morning it was firmly in the past. Something else that was. The Irish team had another game for which to prepare and the rest of us had a brand new day full of promise ahead of us.

Something else that was. Rearrange the words however and you get ‘that was something else’!

Both true.

What’s New?

1. I’M HIRING: A reminder that if you’re interested in working with me on all things Theme Night, there is currently a part-time job on offer and the deadline to apply is this Friday. Details here.

2. BONUS LETTER THIS FRI: Big news (unrelated to the above) coming on Friday, so much so that it warrants a bonus letter - so keep an eye on your inboxes…

3. NIAMH IS AT IT AGAIN! You know showtime is near when Niamh starts using every spare minute she has to arrange Theme Night songs…

Finally…

Luke Devaney and I wrote this song together a couple of years ago - I was reminded of it by today’s title…

Till next time - Kieran.

Is there any greater insult?

Dear Reader –

A lot of you asking about this term’s Music Club recently - I promise news on it in next week’s letter…

The Big Thing

But first to last Thursday night in Dublin - my first time to play in The Olympia! Some highlights below.

• Tonto’s first gig back with us in five months - congrats on your return Ken!

• Eddie almost getting hit with a bottle of water thrown in mock anger by Paul Kimmage.

• More Piano Man with George Hamilton.

• Loads of great nostalgia BBC sporting theme tunes.

• And a special shoutout to Luke - who was off loading the gear while we enjoyed a post-gig pint.

Thanks to Second Captains for having us - happy 10th birthday lads - and congrats on an amazing body of work over the last decade.

Where else but Sligo?

Ballyshannon!

The town of Rory Gallagher, the steep hill, and a swimming pool we trained in as children because it was bigger than anything in Sligo.

Yes folks - for once I am actually answering the question posed in the title of this section.

If you don’t have tickets for our upcoming Sligo run of Theme Night #32, you may ask where else can you see the show - and this time we have an solution for you - Sat 21 Oct in The Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon.

More details in the coming weeks, but for now I am on the hunt for musicians and performers in the South Donegal area who would be interested in joining us on stage that evening. Please get in touch if you or someone you know fits this bill…

What’s New?

1. HEARTBREAK STORIES: Thanks so much for all the entries so far…I just need ONE more!
   Use this online form if you wish to guarantee anonymity, or just reply to this email. Read the Where Else But Sligo section in this letter if you need a reminder of what I’m asking for.

2. “WE’LL TRY IT WITH 10” - shoutout to the unfortunate soccer player I heard about this morning who was substituted in a game recently. When he said ‘but we only have 11’ , his manager replied ‘We’ll try it with 10’…

3. TERM IS UP AND RUNNING! So good to see students and teachers alike back in Strandhill and Rathcormac yesterday. Here’s to a great term and lots of learning in the weeks ahead.

Finally…

Has to be my favourite sporting theme tune - have a listen and you’ll recognise it…

Till next time - Kieran.