The more musicians the fuller the sound, due to the additional
instruments. The added benefit is that a duo or band can also perform
Irish Jigs and Reels. But, the solo show is also very popular and
perfectly adequate for bars and small functions.
Essentially it's Irish but I can also
perform a
mixture to suit a more varied audience where needed. Best thing is to go
to my song-list to see exactly which songs can be included in my show.
With the duo and band we can also play traditional tunes, Jigs, Reels,
the Siege of Ennis etc.
ONLY when that's specifically requested by the person who books me. I definitely won't do
them in any environment where they will offend people. I can sing lots
and lots
of them including Kevin Barry, Sean South, Grace, Four Green Fields, Joe McDonnell, etc, To see
the songs I can do live, go to my song-list.
Certainly, as long as it's
on my song-list. Just let me know at the time
of booking your preferences, but you can also let me know on the night. If you have a song
NOT on the list and it's a special song wanted for the night, let me
know at the time of booking and I'll do my best to learn it for you. Within reason of
course! Bohemian Rhapsody, Eminem numbers or Dancing Queen need not apply!
No, not really.
If I'm doing a solo it's very acoustic based and of course the melody
instruments on the albums are missing. It still works really well
though. When it's a duo or my full band it sounds fuller and closer to
the recordings.
My normal gig is between 2 to 2.5 hours with a break. Weddings are
sometimes up to 3 hours. Working abroad is normally a minimum of 3 x 45
minutes sets. This is all clarified and written into your booking
contract at the time of booking.
Hmmm, not really. I can do lots of country songs by Hank Williams,
John Denver, George Strait, George Jones, Garth Brooks, etc and a few
contemporary numbers by Rod Stewart, Bob Dylan, Oasis, Simon and Garfunkel,
Neil Diamond, The Eagles, etc, but apart from that it's mainly Irish. I
also offer a Disco add-on option for a reasonable fee for
weddings and
parties for music after the live show. >Top
It depends on where, when, how long,
etc. Best thing is to give me all the details via the
enquiry form and
you'll get a reply with availability and a quote very quickly. My solo
act is obviously the least expensive option.
Again, it depends on where, when, how
long, etc. Best thing is to give me all of the details via the
enquiry
form and you'll get a reply with availability and a quote very quickly.
The more musicians I get to to work with me, the more it costs, but the
solo or duo is fine for the vast majority of gigs that I do.
As long as the terms are right I will travel anywhere on the planet from
Kilburn to California! I love what I do and I'm always up for new
experiences.
Yes, I
love to travel and always welcome enquiries from different countries. If
it's say, a bar in Lanzarote or Southern Spain, I'll need an in house pa
and accommodation provided. It's all negotiable so put the information
into the enquiry form and I'll get right back to you.
Never. I do not plan ahead at any gig and work hard at playing to
the crowd on the night. Every night and every crowd is different. You
can win or lose an audience very quickly with the right or wrong songs.
I like to think that I have plenty of songs to vary the material each
night.
If I am doing an open
gig yes, of course, just go to my news-gigs section to see where you can
hear me next. Most of my gigs these days are private, weddings, wakes, etc. If
the date is near, I can't of course guarantee that I'll still be free
for your date at the time you come along and perhaps want to book me.
The easiest way to hear me is to go to my samplers page
or view my live video.
Yes. I bring my own pa
to gigs except when the venue has one already, or I'm playing abroad. I
recently invested in the top notch BOSE L1S system with a B1 Bass
module, the power and quality is astonishing and more than enough for a
crowd of 300 or more. Click on the image below for the full details and
a video.
You can use the
enquiry form and I promise you
a speedy reply. You can also contact me by calling me via the number
provided on the contact page.
WhatsApp me
using the link below.
Well
sometimes yes, but generally no. I only allow singers up on
very rare
occasions. It can be problematic for all sorts of reasons and I tend to
body-swerve it. If it's a wedding or private function where that's a
specific part of the bookers requirements, then it's not a problem.
Yes. I normally play alone with my acoustic guitar at the graveside or
at the service. I also play with my duo or band at functions afterwards
too. For more information visit my
funerals and wakes page.
When you book me it's contracted to include all of the details,
date, times, format, (even the songs required can be included) fee, etc.
I usually email the contract for you to sign, scan and return by email,
or if you like, you can sign and post it back to me. A deposit for
weddings or private functions is normal (approx 25% of the fee) with the
balance of the fee payable on the night. Deposit payment is usually by
BACS.
They're available from lots of retail
websites and shops but the easiest way is to get them via my online
shop. You can also get lots of totally
FREE downloads!
What's a typical gig for you thesedays?
The Drumshanbo Exile is one of the most requested of
my own songs at gigs and the lyrics are available
here along with lots of my self penned
recordings spanning the years.
My
work has changed a lot over the years.
I started out at a time when the
Irish population in England was much larger.
Once upon a time there were
scores of Irish music pubs across the country, with London seemingly
having one on every corner.
There were also lots of Irish social clubs
and Catholic clubs that had live Irish music too.
Over time, as my old
mate WB Yeats quite rightly once wrote, "All changed utterly".
We had some unexpected boom years in the 1990's with the surge of
Irish 'Theme' bars and that was certainly a great time too, gigs galore
all over the country, combining with an atmosphere that
was making Irishness trendy and avant garde.
This gave Irish music a broad
and hungry audience, alas, with all trends that kind of fizzled out too.
So, thesedays I ply my trade mainly at private parties, weddings and corporate events.
I'm busier than ever with funerals and wakes, a somewhat sad by-product of our ever shrinking Irish community in
Britain.
Fortunately for me I've been doing this a long time and have a
lot of contacts out there and referrals are a big source of my work.
I've also been very lucky to have expanded my work levels abroad over
the past few years too. Cruise work in Sweden and Finland along with
festival gigs in Spain, Germany, Belgium, Norway and Canada, that have prised open new doors for
me.
My most recent work abroad was with Riverdance in Singapore in
January 2020.
Who performs with you?
I am very fortunate to have a really great bunch
of musicians to call upon for working alongside me at my duo and
band gigs.
I tend to mix and match musicians to suit the occasion.
Weddings
work well with the fiddle and accordian and wakes and funerals lend
themselves to the Uilleann pipes, with the ever trusty banjo, suited
to
all events.
I'm always happy to consult with bookers to get the best
line up to suit their needs.
Where are you next?
I regularly post my upcoming open gigs on my 'news
gigs' page. An open gig is where anyone can come along, usually
pubs, clubs and festivals.
Most of my live appearances are private
parties, weddings, wakes, funerals and company functions.
IIn the absence of an open gig to come and
hear before you book, I'd suggest listening to my
samplers and checking out my
song-list.
Shamrock & Thistle
This
super value double CD pack of all of Shamrock & Thistle's recordings
is available for only £2.99 including UK mailing costs.
CD's from £1.99
Shamrock
& Thistle CD's featuring myself along with Archie McPherson are
available from the shop from £1.99 including mailing costs.
The Thatcher Song
Get
all of my hit singles on this popular double CD pack which
also includes a copy of 'Great Irish pub songs' for just £2.99
inclusive of UK mailing.
This
super value double CD pack of all of Shamrock & Thistle's recordings
is available for only £2.99 including UK mailing costs.
My
work has changed a lot over the years. 
Shamrock
& Thistle CD's featuring myself along with Archie McPherson are
available from the shop from £1.99 including mailing costs.
Get
all of my hit singles on this popular double CD pack which
also includes a copy of 'Great Irish pub songs' for just £2.99
inclusive of UK mailing.