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“a masterpiece” John Renbourn
“beyond beautiful… it’s PERFECT!” Tommy Emmanuel

To find a unique voice on so ubiquitous an instrument as the acoustic guitar is quite an achievement: to do so within a centuries old idiom where the instrument has no real history is truly remarkable.

Tony McManus has come to be recognised throughout the world as the leading guitarist in Celtic Music. From early childhood his twin obsessions of traditional music and acoustic guitar have worked together to produce a startlingly original approach to this ancient art. In Tony’s hands the complex ornamentation normally associated with fiddles and pipes are accurately transferred to guitar in a way that preserves the integrity and emotional impact of the music.

Self taught from childhood, initially through listening to the family record collection, McManus abandoned academia in his twenties to pursue music full time. The session scene in Glasgow and Edinburgh provided the springboard for gigs around Scotland and a studio set for BBC Radio, frequently rebroadcast, began to spread the word.

Tony’s first self titled recording in 1996, followed by Pourquoi Quebec in 1999 led to worldwide recognition. However, it was with the release of Ceol More in 2002 that Tony’s stature as a first class musician reached a new level. Critics hailed the focussed, spell-binding nature of the music, from the plaintive Jewish hymn “Shalom Aleichem” to the ingenious arrangement of the Charles Mingus classic “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”. Having been nominated as Musician of the Year by both the BBC Folk Awards and The Scottish Traditonal Music awards, in 2002 “Ceol More” hit the Critic’s Album of the year list in Acoustic Guitar magazine and named “Live Ireland Awards” Album of the Year.

Tony’s work has come to represent Celtic music in the guitar world, making regular appearances at guitar specific events where just a few years ago jigs and reels would be unheard of. He is invited annually to the Chet Atkins Festival in Nashville, has appeared at Guitar Festivals in Soave and Pescantina, Sarzana and Francacorta Italy; Frankston, Australia; Issoudun and Bordeaux France; Kirkmichael, Scotland; Bath and Kent, England; Bochum and Osnabruck, Germany. In 2004 he appeared at the famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in the “All Star Guitar Night” featuring Steve Morse, Bryan Sutton, Muriel Anderson, Béla Fleck and Victor Wooten and headlined by the legendary Les Paul.

His ability to reach audiences unfamiliar with traditional music is remarkable- he is quite comfortable at predominantly classical events such as the Dundee and Derry Guitar Festivals (appearing six times between the two) the Uppsala Guitar Festival and even The Bogotá International Guitar Festival where he followed virtuoso Eduardo Fernandez.

Today his live work ranges from intimate solo performance through his trio with brothers Gary and Greg Grainger to the quartet Men of Steel (with fellow guitarists Dan Crary, Beppe Gambetta and Don Ross). He is an enthusiastic collaborator both as a leader and as a sideman having worked with, among many others Dougie McLean, Phil Cunningham, Mairi MacInnes, Liam O’Flynn, Martin Simpson, Kevin Burke, Alison Brown, Martyn Bennett, Natalie MacMaster, Patrick and Jacky Molard, Mairead ní Mhoanaigh and Dermot Byrne, The Nashville Chamber Orchestra, John Jorgenson, Jean Michel Veillon, Catriona Macdonald, Seikou Keita, Xosé Manuel Budiño, Ewen Vernal and Andy Irvine.
He is also in great demand as a studio musician having contributed to over 60 albums. In addition to his solo output Tony has worked with both singers and instrumentalists providing his distinctive sound on many successful projects.

His 2009 release “The Makers’s Mark” saw him showcase 15 of the finest luthier built guitars available. Recording a solo piece on each instrument, the project caught the attention of the mainstream rock guitar press in a way that acoustic work rarely does.

The following year, a chance hearing on Irish radio led to an invite to contribute music to the soundtrack of Oscar winning director Neil Jordan’s film “Ondine” starring Colin Farrell.

Never one to be typecast, Tony’s new album “Mysterious Boundaries” is his most ambitious to date. An encouraging challenge from mandolin virtuoso Mike Marshall to learn the Bach E Major Prelude on guitar led to an exploration of classical and baroque music – seemingly very different to the jigs and reels that he grew up with. By examining the boundaries between genres and sticking to his steel string guitar (rather than the conventional classical guitar) McManus has produced a work of great originality and beauty, hailed by his peers as
“a masterpiece” (Renbourn), “beyond beautiful… it’s PERFECT!” (Tommy Emmanuel) and which contains a truly remarkable rendition of Bach’s colossal Chaconne in D Minor – one of the greatest compositions of any age.

Whatever work McManus brings within his scope the listener is assured a journey into the depths of the music in the company of a great talent.

My Fellow Sponges come from Galway on the salty west-coast of Ireland. The band is the creative union of two singer-songwriters. Donal McConnon with his lyrically-led folk ditties and Anna Mullarkey with her lush and elegant synth-pop sound. The two started a band together after performing together as actors on a number of theatre shows in university. They were later joined by David Shaughnessy (drums) and Sam Wright (bass). 2013 saw the release of their debut album Bonne Nuit. Mostly focused on a more rural sound, the single from it which received the most attention was This Dream Song, mainly for the highly-ambitious, surrealist backwards video which accompanied its release. The follow up Something Like Light (2014), displays a much more reflective, piano-driven sound from a band ever-willing to explore new possibilities with sound. Last year’s single, The Cold Hand, has been the band’s most successful release to date, gaining nationwide radio-play and convincing music lovers to flock to their shows during the festival season.

My Fellow Sponges have collaborated with story-tellers, comedians, dancers and brass-ensembles. They have played entire shows improvised, under the moniker, Community. Their live concerts are lively, unpredictable and intimate. They comfortably switch from eerie-electronica to hip-shaking-bossa-nova all with a dramatic flair that stay with Donal and Anna from their theatre days.

LUMINOS take a no holds barred assault to the deafening soundscape of rock! Surrender your ears and witness the revelation that blurs the line between intoxicating music and criminal intent.

Sam Clague is a musician and songwriter from Clonakilty, Cork. He lives and works in Cork City, playing primarily as a jazz guitarist and also his own unique brand of original music. Jazz and folk influences blend together to make a form of kaleidoscopic chamber music, driven by intricate guitar arrangements and accompanied by psychedelic orchestral sounds. His debut EP “Balloons” was released in 2015 at the Clonakillty Guitar Festival. He plans to release his follow up E.P. at the festival in september this year.

“Sam’s writing is unique. He writes from the heart and creates his own world – his own sound world and lyric world. As well as that his musicianship is beyond reproach – capable of capturing many genres with multi instrumental abilities” – Carl Corcoran (former Presenter of The Blue of the Night)

“The EP is a gorgeous slice of harmonious pop music that touches on the big themes of getting older, love, home, death and friendship, and played out and ruminated on over a delicately struck acoustic guitar”
— The Point of Everything

The Clonakilty Jazz Collective are a mix of young and old jazz heads, along with one or two new guys to jazz. They will be playing songs by the greats, like Miles Davis and Duke Ellington, along with some Bossa nova numbers, and even some funk! It is a full jazz band featuring saxophone, flute, clarinet, trumpet, bass, guitar, and drums. As it is an Open Jazz Session, the stage is free to welcome visiting guests – so expect some great guitarists! Free admission. See you all there!

CLONAKILTY JAZZ COLLECTIVE W/ POET DAVE LORDAN

https://youtu.be/0RYUKkL8pAk

PADDY DENNEHY & THE RED HERRING

2015 was an amazing year for Paddy Dennehy & The Red Herring. A personal invitation from Glen Hansard to perform with him in the Everyman Theatre in Cork, two wonderful performances at Electric Picnic and the release of their debut EP “Once Upon A Night” has seen them touted as “ones to watch” for 2016.

Paddy Dennehy & The Red Herring are a group who draw influences from as far back as the early 1900s right up to the present day. You can hear hints of Tom Waits’ theatrical warble; feel the passionate intensity of Louis Armstrong’s delivery; and be stirred by poignancy reminiscent of that of Hozier and Mick Flannery. A variety of influences then; all of of them blended together to form a live performance that is at once unforgettable and utterly unique.

QUOTES:
“I was just f**king knocked out” – Glen Hansard

“Hearing Paddy Dennehy for the first time I was almost knocked out of my boots. A powerhouse voice & classic songwriter in every sense of the word” – Ciaran Lavery

https://youtu.be/fXnXydTbL4E

Australia’s finest purveyor of emotional psychedelic dystopian comedy and social satire, Dan Kelly is much-garlanded songwriter whose fourth album ‘Leisure Panic was recently released on ABC records to national acclaim.  Expect extravagant melodies and lyrics that mix a Delphic sagacity with the sardonic observations of a globe-trotting dilettante.

EUGENE BROSNAN & THE INNOCENT BYSTANDERS

When singer songwriter and guitarist Eugene Brosnan moved back to Clonakilty in 2015, after an 18 year absence from the place he had called home in the ‘90s, he contacted bassist Martin Kingston and in their first conversation it was mooted that they might get a band together, mainly, as a vehicle for the songs of the late great American songwriter and composer, WARREN ZEVON, as they both share a love for his music.

They soon assembled a group of musicians, with equal enthusiasm for the INNOCENT BYSTANDER project and in the 18 months so far, they have played a number of full house gigs and a handful of festivals. The band has also extended their set to include some original songs that sit happily and snugly among the Headless Thomson Gunners, identity thieving Gorillas and the colours of Georgia O’ Keeffes……

EUGENE BROSNAN (Guitar & Vocal) has performed over 2500 shows in Ireland, the UK, Europe, Scandinavia and the USA. He has released 3 albums, mainly of his own material, to critical acclaim and has appeared as a guest vocalist on various other productions. His guitar style features a number of different tunings and ranges from delicate finger picking techniques, to a full on, funky folk, almost punky, and strum style.

MARTIN KINGSTON (Bass & Vocals) ran the now legendary, Kilty Stone pub and live music venue in Clonakilty’s Pearse Street. In the 90s, it was home to many great music sessions and musicians, which included the proprietor, as bass player for the house band and many of the guest artistes that appeared there during his tenure.

STEPHEN HOUSDEN (Guitar & Vocals) is regarded as one of the finest guitarists in the world. Well known as guitarist with Little River Band for more than two decades, he has also played and recorded with such music legends as Warren Zevon, Glenn Frey, Dr. John, Christopher Cross, John Entwistle , P.F Sloan, Albert Lee, Steve Cropper,  Noel Redding and many others.

JERRY FEHILY (Drums) came to prominence as the drummer with Hothouse Flowers, touring the world with them and drumming on their Top 10 hits and a No.1 album. Apart from the Flowers, he has also played live or recorded with: Tim Finn, Michelle Shocked, Luka Bloom, Midnight Oil,  Ronnie Wood, Joe Elliot, Sinead O’ Connor, Ray Lynam, Interference and Celine Carroll.