Clonakilty native, Anthony Noonan has over the years recorded, performed and toured with a variety of artists such as UK folk legend Roy Harper, Bill Shanley, The West Cork Ukulele Orchestra, Interference & Glen Hansard and Dog Tail Soup.
A feature of many Cork artists’ rhythm section, Anthony has previously been seen drumming for the likes of Ian Whitty & the Exchange, Fred, Mick Flannery, Lerner, FirBeag & Gavin Moore to name a few.
Releasing a first album of his own music in 2003, the follow-up second album in 2008, ‘Honeycomb Moons’, garnered some favourable national Airplay and attention in the press. TV features on The Last Broadcast with Dave Fanning, and The View with John Kelly, coupled with live appearances at Electric Picnic solidified this album as one of the best in 2008 with it featuring in Paul McLoone’s top 100 releases of the year.
The following period saw Anthony focus more on his drumming career. With appearances on Other Voices, to supporting Glen Hansard in Radio City Music Hall New York as drummer for Irish legends Interference, Anthony left song writing behind, until remerging under the moniker Q.U.I.E.T.
Q.U.I.E.T.’s debut album Somnambulist was released in 2023
Long time friends and former bandmates The Bones Below write and perform in a wide variety of musical styles. After a brief stint in metal band Heavywait in the mid 2000’s the band reformed in 2018 with the addition of piano and harmony vocals, and have been writing, recording, producing and releasing their own material ever since. There’s no limits, so anything goes.
Hailing from West Cork, Cork city and Laois, this four piece brings very different influences to the table. Taking their musical markers from rock and death metal to blues and folk, there is no area off limits when it comes to musical expression. The full band sound is often high energy rock with thrashing drums and soaring harmonies. But equally the bones below will strip back to allow for the gentle acoustic side of the band to flourish. Whatever incarnation of the band you encounter, you’ll be guaranteed to find four people playing for the love of the song.
George Lowden is a luthier based in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland. He constructs steel and nylon string acoustic guitars by hand without any UV finishing as well as solid-body electric guitars.
The Lowden Story:
In the late 1980’s George Lowden accepted an invitation to visit the main Lowden dealer for Switzerland, Servette Music in Geneva. Upon his arrival, co-proprietor Yves Imer thanked George for coming, because some of the Lowden customers he was to meet had not realised he actually existed – they thought “George Lowden” was merely the figment of some marketing man’s imagination – a leprechaun, in fact!
This served to enlighten George to the principle that an ‘information vacuum’ will always be filled – sometimes benignly, sometimes bizarrely.So, for the record, HERE is the complete story of George Lowden and his guitars.
2pm // €15 // Clonakilty Community Resource Centre , 21 Western Road, Clonakilty. P85 RW35
Tickets on the door or contact
One of the most accomplished songwriters in the country today, award winning trad/folk poet John Spillane continues to redefine musical boundaries with his own unique style of playing and songwriting which he likes to call ’Sean Nós Blues’.
“At my workshop we write songs. We do not theorise or talk about songwriting but we work, and follow certain steps to make a song. We lock out criticism and negativity and create an atmosphere where people can make something grow.” – John Spillane
Áine Duffy (born in Bandon, Co. Cork) is an Irish singer, songwriter, guitar player and performer with a well-established reputation as one of Cork’s finest vocalists. She sings in her own very unique style combining guitar riffs and energetic performances on stage and her lyrics have an honest and unique point of view
Don’t divert your eyes, as the Evening Echo reports, this Cork-based song-writer is no stranger to international performances. Taking her Irish beacon around the world, Áine Duffy has played in New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, London, Dubai, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Belgium, and beyond. When she sang in front of the Swiss, they picked their jaws off the floor, handed her two beautiful guitars by Patrick Eggle, then took her to where they were made and asked her to play again. Of course, Áine Duffy being who she is, couldn’t refuse them.
After being invited to record with Roger Greenawalt, the very same who worked with Bruce Springfield and Sophie B Hawkins, Áine Duffy built a large following. This was thanks to the fact she stayed true to her heritage and didn’t change who she was.
Not only this, it’s never been all about her, either. Áine Duffy understands and loves that music culture relies on itself to stay afloat. She’s made a name for herself and has been given a platform, so in her natural way, this is also made to benefit all musicians. An involved part of Airplay as a music advocate, the voice of the under-represented has been heard. Supporting up-and-coming and hard-working musicians in her local area and around the world, plenty of people are in the upper leagues thanks to Áine Duffy.
Known for her homely Irish accent that spans across an impressive range, the voice, talent, and persona of Áine Duffy is in hot demand. With her trusted guitar, festivals such as The Electric Picnic and The Body and Soul Festival have all enjoyed her crowd grabbing appearances. She’s also been on stage at world-class venues such as the Cork Opera House, The Theatre Royal in Waterford, Whelans, Riverbank Arts Theatre, The Middleton Arts Festival, The Irish Animation Awards, and Madam Claude’s Berlin. A true professional with a resume stoked with laurels, the road is long, wide and open for this piece of history in the making.
As well as her prolific home performance diary, she’s performed at BB Kings in LA, The Cat Club, Club Europa New York, and Fat Baby. .
She shared a stage with Kila, Imelda may, the lost brothers, Mick Flannery, Jack Lukeman, Philippe Cohen Solal of Gotan project.
Most recently, Áine Duffy has converted an old donkey box into a camper which doubles up as a stage. This upcycled contraption, known fondly as the Duffbox, will be the source of many impromptu and pre-booked live shows that can literally take place wherever there’s a patch of land.
“The world needs more Áine Duffy”Cormac Ó hEadhra RTE Drivetime
“Áine Duffy is an innovator and horsebox hero.” Todayfm
Bandon-born singer-songwriter Áine Duffy has done it again in her catchy new single ‘Tits Up’ where she shows off her quirky style and belter of a voice. It’s a high-end funk-infused track and features a bouncy beat and repeated lyrics that would have even the most sullen listener nodding along. Hotpress
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…
Hailing from Clonakilty, Ireland, Eve Clague is a singer-songwriter who draws on the rich variety of music she grew up with in her home and community to create a highly personal and direct style of song writing.
With a band made up of well known players from Cork’s jazz and neo soul scene and featuring some of her own string arrangements, Eve’s debut EP Young Naive Me crosses genres very naturally in songs which centre around Eve’s acoustic guitar and deeply honest vocal style.
Since its release in April of 2019, the EP has received national radio play in Ireland as well as airplay on regional stations at home and in the UK, with reviews from a number of prominent blogs including Ireland’s nialler9.com, praising her distinctive voice and a timeless quality to the songwriting and arrangements.
Having left school at the age of 15, Eve has clocked up more hours as a working musician than most artist in their early twenties, touring nationally with a number of Cork based bands as a vocalist and sax player. However it was her enrolment in Corks school of music in 2014 which really gave Eve the time and space to develop her songwriting and collaborate with a huge range of like minded musicians. Having
graduated in October 2018, Eve wasted no time as she immediately began
work on recording Young Naive Me with her band at Wavefield Recording Studios.
Sam and Les are a father and son guitar duo from Clonakilty. Les, originally from Liverpool, is an accomplished ragtime fingerpicking style guitarist and composer. While crafting this artform gigging and busking in Europe and living in Antwerp, he later moved to Clonakilty to settle down and started to study Flamenco.
When Sam was 11, he started to steal his fathers chops and started shredding his first electric guitar busking on the streets with his Dad in Cork and on family camping trips in France. His Jimmy Page obsession soon turned to Django Reinhardt and thus the Clague Brothers started to craft their own sound.
SurfSide 61 is a celebration of the golden age of instrumental guitar music.
Surf Music, as it was called in the USA, originated in Southern California in the early 60s along with the booming surfing craze.
In The UK a similar sound was happening led by The Shadows, who were hugely successful across the world with no less than 5 number one hits between 1960 and ’63.
Stephen Housden formed SurfSide61 to present authentic versions of the music that inspired him and a generation of guitarists.
Stephen toured the world for many years as a member of Little River Band. He has also has played along side many music greats including; Glen Frey, Christopher Cross, Dr. John, Warren Zevon, John Entwistle (The Who) and Albert Lee.
SurfSide 61: Stephen Housden; guitar, Dónal O’Sullivan; guitar, George Hart; bass guitar and Brian O’Higgins; drums.