Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival line up complete!

After 18 years of banjo pickin', mandolin' pluckin', step dancin', fiddle playin', double bass clawin' sessions in the picturesque fishing village of Dunmore East – 2013 promises an even more jam packed, foot tappin’, barnstormin’ weekend for the 19^th Guinness International Bluegrass Festival.

The line up is complete and the countdown has begun to this summer's ultimate Bluegrass festival.

So, if banjo pickin', mandolin' pluckin', step dancin', fiddle playin' and double bass clawin' sessions are your thing, Dunmore East is the only place to be from August 22nd to 25th.

For full band and venue details check out www.discoverdunmore.com

Hard Station to debut at Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival, in memory of founder, Vinny Baker

Hard Station, the Midlands based bluegrass and new grass band will make their Waterford debut at the 19^th Guinness International Bluegrass Festival in Dunmore East.

The decision to perform was a heartfelt one for band members Johnny Gleeson, Joe Meehan and Roy Brennan, following the untimely death of founding member Vinny Baker who died last week.

An exceptionally talented musician, Vinny skillfully mastered many instruments and was involved in a number of renowned bluegrass bands including The Tennessee Breakdown Band and Bending the Strings before founding Hard Station six months ago with a group of like-minded and talented musicians.

Johnny Gleeson who played with Vinny for many years said the decision to perform at the 19^th Guinness International Bluegrass Festival was a difficult one, but one that Vinny would have wanted.  “He was so proud of how far Hard Station had come in the last six months.  He loved the music we made and we know he would have been to first to say to us ‘the show must go on’”.

“We are determined to honour his memory by continuing to make music.  Performing on the stages at the Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival is probably one of the most fitting tributes we could give Vinny.”

Lovers of bluegrass and new grass can look forward to a wide assortment of bluegrass fiddle tunes, new grass, swing, jazz, gypsy jazz and plenty of acoustic music with Johnny Gleeson on dobro, guitar and vocals, Joe Meehan on mandolin, guitar and vocals and Roy Brennan on double bass and vocals.

Mick Daly, Festival Founder and Organiser, is happy that a band of Hard Station’s calibre will be debuting at the Co. Waterford festival from August 22^nd to 25^th.

“I know it was a tough decision for the members of Hard Station to perform at the Bluegrass festival, but we are privileged that Johnny, Joe and Roy have decided to play in August and honour Vinny’s memory.”

“Vinny was such a huge influence on the Irish bluegrass and new grass landscape and the whole community is shocked and saddened.  His loss is felt deeply by musicians and music lovers alike who respected his astonishing talent, desire and energy that went into making great music,” he added.

The 19^th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival commences at 7pm on Thursday, August 22nd at the Strand Hotel and features three days of dozens of bands, playing almost 50 gigs in throughout the Co. Waterford coastal village.

For more information about the 19^th Guinness International Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival in Co. Waterford visit www.discoverdunmore.com.

19th Guinness International Bluegrass Festival makes welcome return to Dunmore East

Fans of bluegrass, honky-tonk, blues, country, rhythm ‘n’ roots are in for a musical treat as the Guinness International Bluegrass Festival returns to the South East this summer.

Now in its 19^th year, the festival takes place in Dunmore East, the picturesque Co. Waterford seaside village from August 22^nd to August 25^th and the festival organisers are delighted to announce headline act, Mary Jean Lewis and the Low Men.

Mary Jean Lewis grew up in a family of musical royalty.  Her mother Linda Gail Lewis has recorded more than 20 albums, and her uncle, Jerry Lee Lewis, an early pioneer of rock and roll, shot to fame with “Great Balls of Fire” in 1957.

Mary Jean Lewis, an established singer / songwriter hails from Louisiana, but now resides in Scotland.  Drawing on a wide range of country, blues and rock ‘n’ roll, her powerful voice and soulful lyrics are testament to her remarkable musical legacy.

According to Mick Daly, Festival Founder and Organiser, this years’ festival promises something special for all music lovers.  “Mary Jean Lewis and the Low Men have left a lasting impression in any of the venues they have played. Their set is a roller coaster of fast paced rock ‘n roll, rockabilly and pop, with a tempo altering segue into country and bluegrass.  Dunmore is going to love her.”

The festival will also feature the return of Land’s End, who debuted at the festival in 2012.

The band, made up of members from Cork, Galway, Dublin, Munich, Liverpool and Canada, perform music strongly embedded in the bluegrass tradition, but each member brings a distinctive sound of their own musical tradition to the musical arrangements of the band.

Dublin based four piece Well Enough Alone, who appeared in 2011, are back to deliver a mix of original bluegrass songs to classics to hot instrumentals.  Tin Box Company, The Pilgrims and the Down and Out Bluegrass Band are just some of the other names on the line up for the country’s favourite bluegrass festival.

The local hostelries; the Strand Inn, The Ocean, The Haven Hotel, The Spinnaker, Powers Bar and Azzurro, will play host to dozens of gigs throughout the weekend. 

Mick added, “All of the gigs are free over the three day festival, with the exception of Mary Jean Lewis and the Low Men.”

“The line-up is top quality and the three day festival will see some wonderfully talented musicians performing throughout the village.  There is also a wide reaching appeal to the acts, playing an eclectic mix of bluegrass, country, swing, blues, rhythm and rock ‘n’ roll.  So you don’t have to be a bluegrass fan to enjoy the festival, you just have to like good music,” Mick added.

The 19^th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival kicks off at 7pm on Thursday, August 22nd at the Strand Hotel and heralds the start of three days of dozens of bands, playing almost 50 gigs in the villages’ pubs, restaurants and hotels.

For more information about the 19^th Guinness International Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival in Co. Waterford visit www.discoverdunmore.com.

A Picker's Paradise - 19th Guinness International Bluegrass Festival set to return to Dunmore East

The Guinness International Bluegrass Festival returns to Dunmore East, Co. Waterford for its 19^th year.  The festival will take place in the picturesque fishing village from August 22nd to August 25^th.

As with previous years the local hostelries; the Strand Inn, The Haven Hotel, The Spinnaker, Powers Bar and Azzurro, will play host to dozens of free gigs throughout the weekend with local, national and international bluegrass names playing a variety of traditional and contemporary bluegrass music.

Full details of bands and artists performing at the 19^th Guinness International Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival in Co. Waterford will be announced soon on www.discoverdunmore.com