Irish Trad Music Blog

(Photo credit: Wikipedia )  Saturday 26 April @ London Irish Centre, London, GB We're delighted to welcome John Spillane back to The London Irish Centre. JOHN SPILLANE is a musician, songwriter, performer, recording artist, storyteller, poet, dreamer - a canvass filled with color and brilliance. His music transports the listener; his live performance captivates the audience. In a world filled with strife and upheaval, a time-out with John Spillane is enough to ease the load a bit on anyone lucky enough to bask in his light. The man and his music are pure magic. What makes John special is that he is an artist who knows how to deliver all that he has to offer to anyone of any age, male or female, no matter the musical preference. Place him in the genre of folk, acoustic, traditional, world or pop - that’s fine with John. He’s a man who is very comfortable in his skin. Whether performing solo with guitar, with gentle accompaniment or with full band before 10, 1...

Cover of John Spillane John Spillane - musician, songwriter, recording artist, storyteller, poet and self-confessed dreamer – is chatting from his home town of Passage West in Co Cork. It’s a place that’s now enshrined in musical history as the title of one of his hit records. When asked to write a song about this small town outside Cork city, he produced what must be regarded as a modern day classic in the Irish song tradition. The simply named Passage West is a beautiful love song with a haunting refrain, which cleverly interweaves poignant images of the famine years and the emigration theme omnipresent in Ireland’s history. It’s just one of many gems in the John Spillane hit factory. Others include comical, anthemic yarns Johnny Don’t Go To Ballincollig and Dunnes Stores Girl, the wistful Hey Dreamer, songs of love and hope A Rock to Cling To and Love is King.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Spirit of Folk, Ireland’s newest festival ‘celebrating all things folk’, today announced the line-up and addition of an extra night for this year’s festival, once again taking place in the idyllic surroundings of Dunderry Park, Co Meath. Returning this year from 21 – 23 September, Spirit of Folk 2012 will see musicians and storytellers from all over Ireland and the UK come together for a weekend of music, arts, craft, spirituality, philosophy and folklore. This year’s family-friendly festival line up boasts an impressive mix of traditional Irish music, folk, bluegrass and country; from established Irish singer songwriters to emerging acts, the beautiful and bespoke three-day event will truly embody the spirit of all things folk. Festival Director, Natasha Duffy, commented: “We are delighted and proud to announce the fantastic line up we have planned for this year’s Spirit of Folk festival. In our sophomore year, we aim to truly celebrate Irish folk in a r...

Friday 22nd October @ 8.30pm Bookings see www.passionftuittheatre.com