1. hobbies and interests
2. guitar

Bringing the old city to life
MONDAY 4 AUGUST
Marny
Marny is a two piece acoustic blues, jazz,
soul, funk, rock, reggae band consisting
of Anne-Marie Martin (rhythm guitar &
vocals) and Graham McKinstry (lead
guitar & vocals). Marny is a blend of
original songs and guitar instrumentals with interpretations
of classic covers from Ray Charles to Jimi Hendrix.
Venue: Austin’s Department Store, top restaurant
Suzanne Savage
Described as ‘one of Irelands hidden
music heroes’ (Belfast Telegraph)
Suzanne Savage, from Belfast, is a
critically acclaimed singer, songwriter,
violinist and performer and has worked
with musical royalty across jazz, singer-songwriter, choral
and classical music. Her performance highlights include
SXSW; supporting Van Morrison; Jimmy Cobb (of the Miles
Davis Quartet); sax legend Ernie Watts; backing vocalist for
Paul Brady, Elenor McEvoy and BBC N.Ireland.
Venue: Bloom’s Cafe
Brian Hassan
Strabane born singer-songwriter. Has
opened for The Overtones, Drifters,Dr
Hook, Smoky, The Beachboys, Jose
Feliciano, 10cc, The Fureys, High Kings,
Frances Black, Sharon Shannon, Tommy
Fleming. Play and write a diverse and eclectic mix of music as
can be seen from the support slots. Opening for Dr Hook on
five dates in October. Joint founder of Strabane Un-plugged.
Venue: Café Del Mondo
Michael Thomas
Michael E. Thomas from the New Jersey/
New York City/Philadelphia music scenes.
He has toured the east coast of America
to England and Ireland. Michael performs
solo/duo acoustic and full band shows
locally and throughout the whole of Ireland and UK.
Venue: Café Nervosa
Johnny Cordner
Johnny Cordner is firstly a poet and fits
into the singer/songwriter genre with
influences of Van Morrison, Leonard
Cohen and Bob Dylan leaking out of his
well penned lyrics. However his music
has been described as ambient poetry music, experimentalindie rock, anit-folk and pop, so it’s hard to pin him down. He
treats each song as its own entity and therefore crosses many
music genres.
Venue: Café Soul
Damien McCaskie
Omagh-born songwriter Damien McCaskie
is making a welcome return to music,
after a too-long hiatus. As part of the
Maiden City festival he will be showcasing
new songs and new arrangements of
some of his older and much loved tunes. His music style is
difficult to pin down as he has played guitar, bass, mandolin
and uilleann pipes in bands ranging from folk to punk and
back to traditional again.
Venue: Claudes
Ruairi O’Hare
Ruairi O’Hare is a Singer/Songwriter from
Ireland. His main influences are Blues,
Rock, Folk, Indie, Grunge. He plays mostly
acoustic guitar and his singing style has
been compared to the likes of Newton
Faulkner and Ben Howard.
Venue: Java
Mawsdorgan
Mawsdorgan was formed after a chance
meeting at the Sore Fingers Summer
School (April 2013) - combining 2 multiinstrumentalists, traditional music from
a variety of cultures is approached from
a free thinking and creative point of view. They are currently
writing material for their first album and plan on playing all
13 instruments featured between the two of them, although
there may be a bit of a fight for the banjo.
Venue: Molly’s
DANI
DANI is a singer songwriter and guitarist
who enjoys playing a host of different
instruments. Inspired by the sounds of
blues, trad and the showbands she was
raised with, her vocals fabricate a blend
of bluesy coarseness with lullabies that tell you more than
what meets the eye. This coupled with her unmistakable folk
style of guitar playing and mismatched riffs that ring out with
sincerity; creates an atmosphere of unpredictability.
Venue: Sandwich Co.
TUESDAY 5 AUGUST
Caoimhin Ceol
Award winning songwriter, Caoimhín Ceol
won 1st prize in the Belfast/Nashville
singer songwriter competition in 2006
for best love song and has performed at
numerous festivals and venues including
The Edinburgh Fringe in 2012 and at Electric Picnic in 2012.
Caoimhín Ceol has also performed at ‘Féile an Phobail’ and
many other venues and festivals throughout Europe. His
multilingual set includes songs in Irish, Manx, Basque, English
and Scots. In Julym Caoimhín Ceol will put the finishing
touches to his début album due for release November 2014
and to perform at the Mondgluet Festival.
Venue: Austin’s Department Store, top restaurant
Neil Burns
Named after a moniker given to him
at school in honour of his Soviet-style
hat, Comrade Hat is the songwriting
pseudonym of Derry-based musician
Neil Burns. An eclectic, evolving sound
brings together atmospheric acoustics, jazz-tinged piano
balladry and off-kilter pop; both tongue-in-cheek and hearton-sleeve, operating variously as a solo concern and a band.
He has released 2 albums and EPs and made a Glastonbury
appearance in 2010. Comrade Hat operate a busy gigging
schedule including an enthusiastically received headline slot
at the Revelry, Letterkenny and supporting the renowned
Henry Girls on their recent Irish tour.
Venue: Bloom’s Café
Shazdel
Adele and Sharon can sometimes be
spotted playing in Wookalily, a female led,
bluegrass influenced, roots, Americana
band. They both feature on this year’s
‘Daughter’s of Bluegrass’ album in
Nashville alongside bluegrass IBMA award winning legends
such as Laurie Lewis, Dale Ann Bradley and Sierra Hull.
Together as a duo they could be your musical cup of tea.
Venue: Café Del Mondo
Aidan Logan
Influenced by the great American
performers, such as The Killers, Billy Joel,
Bruno Mars & Garth Brooks, Aidan Logan
is a songwriter at heart, who’s gained a
real taste for performing. He has spent
years honing his skills on the local circuit, playing in The
Empire to the Mandela Hall, sharing the stage with artists as
diverse as Southern, Conor Scott & The Late Two’s. His style
is acoustic pop, but is known to incorporate other genres in
his writing.
Venue: Café Nervosa
Scorpion Jack
Scorpion Jack are a high energy acoustic
folk rock group. They tour throughout
Europe, UK and Ireland and are
comprised of David Preston and Rohan
Young. With the cross over sound of hard
rock and trad combined with their own acoustic sound they
are a formidable duo.
“Sounds a bit Pirates of the Caribbean.” Scott Mills, Radio 1
Venue: Café Soul
Sons of Caliber
Sons of Caliber is actually just one
bearded son with a pocket book full of
songs and bunch of friends who help him
make them sound right. Andrew Farmer
and his troupe endeavour to lead you
in a dance of stories and ruckus that’s both pleasing to the
heart and the ear. Raised on a farm, Farmer often sings of the
land and it’s nature and shares secrets of his world. Sons of
Caliber are an ever evolving sound.
Venue: Claudes
Mandy Bingham
The eldest daughter of renowned
singer songwriter David McWilliams,
Mandy started to pen her own songs a
couple of years ago. She is out gigging
regularly, accompanied by her husband
Graham who sings harmonies, plays acoustic guitar and
lap steel guitar. She recently supported Bap Kennedy at his
album launch and also at the closing concert of The Belfast
Nashville Songwriters Festival 2014. Mandy has performed on
BBC Radio Ulster as part of Colm Sand’ s Folk Club, and also
took part in a recent BBC live broadcast from Flowerfields,
Portstewart, hosted by Ralph McClean.
Venue: Java
Tracy Dempsey and
Conor Scullion
Multi-instrumentalists Tracy Dempsey
and Conor Scullion are members of You,
Me & the Sea, as well as soloists in their
own right.Tracy has performed at events
around Ireland and Europe. She’s the creator and performing
host of arts cabaret show the Sofa Sessions. Conor has been
writing, composing, performing and recording with artists
across the UK and Ireland for many years. He’s supported
acts such as Van Morrison, Brand New Heavies, Bentley
Rhythm Ace, Declan O’Rourke, Foy Vance and the Ozric
Tentacles.
Venue: Molly’s
The Acoustic Collective
Acoustic duo performing instrumental
originals and covers incorporating
percussion and finger style guitar
techniques with a mic of blues, felmenco,
rock, trad and experimental influences.
Venue: Sandwich Co.
WEDNESDAY 6 AUGUST
Michael Kerr
Michael Kerr is a singer/songwriter
from Belfast. Influenced by the likes of
Lou Reed, Van Morrison, Cat Stevens,
Paul Simon, John Martin, Tom Petty and
the Heartbreakers, his songwriting has
evolved to form melody driven songs on a foundation of
swelling guitars and heartfelt lyrics. A prolific songwriter,
Michael is now truly starting to establish his own sound and
will regularly stream new songs on youtube.
Venue: Austin’s Department Store, top restaurant
Jamie Brown
Jamie Brown is a 17year old female
singer/songwriter from Belfast. Her
biggest inspirations are Adele, Nina
Simone, Etta James and she has written
at least 30 songs and recorded and
released 18. She has gigged in the Crumlin Road Gaol, The
John Hewitt Bar, The Alleycat, Belfast city hall, The Hudson
Bar and Cuckoo Bar. In 2014 she entered Britain’s Got Talent
and progressed into the second round of auditions. She is
currently waiting on a reply from the X Factor and has been
invited to audition for The Voice UK in July 2014.
Venue: Bloom’s Café
Kate O’Callaghan
Kate O’Callaghan is an Irish indie singer/
songwriter who combines evocative
melodies with intelligent considered
lyrics in a refracted version of ‘Alt. Folk’.
Since the release of her debut album
last year Kate has been busy performing in music venues
and theaters across the country, with husband and musical
partner Seamus Devenny - “Donegal natives with stunning
vocals and deft guitar and violin interplay; the type of act
who’d be right at home beside a crackling fireplace in your
local pub or gracing a much bigger stage at the next big folk
festival” - Folk & Tumble (2014)
Venue: Café Del Mondo
Mandy Bingham – see Tuesday
In Your Bones
Soul, Blues, Rock and Pop from the centre
of the universe, Northern Ireland. “A fine
clutch of tunes and a very strong voice.”
(ATL Review, April ‘11). “At first cue it
appeared that he was right at home on
stage… A hearty enthusiastic performance, which would
inspire young unique artists such as himself to pursue.”
(Carrie Aber, May ‘11)
Venue: Java
Anna Nolan
Performing a mixture of original material
and standards, Anna Nolan blends a
folk sensibility with an eclectic mixture
of jazz, blues and soul. As co- musical
director and conductor of the highly
successful Inishowen Gospel Choir, Anna has led the choir
to acclaimed festival performances at Glastonbury, Electric
Picnic, and Body and Soul.
Venue: Molly’s
Louis McTeggart
Louis McTeggart is a singer/songwriter
originally from Enniskillen, Co:
Fermanagh. He has played throughout
England and Ireland for the last 18 years
in bands and as a solo artist and had his
songs featured on TV, radio and film. In recent years he has
made Derry his new base as he concentrates on finishing his
degree and continuing his music career.
Venue: Sandwich Co.
THURSDAY 7 AUGUST
Brigid O’Neill
Café Nervosa
Fia Rua
Fia Rua is an alt-folk act based in Galway
who will release his 3rd album this
summer. He has played regularly in
the continent where he has gathered a
significant following as well as playing
festivals around Ireland and the UK. The songs of Fia Rua
carry a punk energy with a nod to the folk tradition.
“a folking great album” (Hotpress).
“Possibly the most important folk act in the current Irish
scene” (nessymon.com).
Venue: Café Soul
Gavin Ferris
Belfast’s own Gavin Ferris has been
performing live for a number of years
now and has been wowing audiences with
his unique take on acoustic fingerstyle
guitar playing. His unique blend of rock,
classical and flamenco coupled with his traditional roots and
percussive techniques make for an amazing sound that Gavin
is fast becoming known for.
Venue: Claudes
Co. Down singer songwriter Brigid O’Neill
blends great contemporary country with
folk and jazz to produce a sound that
delights her audience. Together with
fellow musicians she creates a special
sound fuelled by her own heartfelt, strongly crafted songs,
telling tales of lives, loss and renewal - at times jaunty, upbeat
and full of jazzy swing and at others heartbreakingly melodic
and soulful. ”Sweet vocalism” (Culture NI)
Johnny Cordner – see Monday
Venue: Bloom’s Café
Lyndsay Crothers
An exciting new musical duo hailing
from Belfast, Northern Ireland, featuring
Lyndsay Crothers (vocals, acoustic guitar,
percussion). A unique brand of funktinged Americana looks set to become a
familiar sound for music fans in Belfast, and wider afield.
Venue: Café Del Mondo
Damien McCaskie – see Monday
Venue: Café Nervosa
Ruairi O’Hare – see Monday
Venue: Café Soul
Rodney Cordner
In over 2 decades Rodney has released
15 recordings on vinyl and CD, made
dozens of TV/radio appearances and has
appeared with such artists as Pete Seeger,
Johnny Cash, Stocktons Wing, Luka
Bloom, the Incredible String Band, Barry McGuire, Tommy
Makem and Tommy Sands. “Lyrically sharp and steeped in
social commentary. A talented songsmith he possesses a
manic sense of wickedly black humour” (Irish Music mag)
Venue: Claudes
Juma
Currently promoting their debut album,
Seven Songs, Juma draw their eclectic
sound from blues, rock, folk and gypsy
jazz. With influences of Portishead, Cream
and Ella Fitzgerald, Juma’s streamlined,
two piece show mixes original material with high quality
covers sure to keep your feet tapping and your ears singing.
Venue: Java
Nina Armstrong
With lyrics that are honest and emotive
and a voice that is clear and at times
hypnotic, Nina Armstrong is a delightfully
unique artist. Her vocal style and lyrical
content have been likened to that of
Suzanne Vega and Joni Mitchell, however, anyone who hears
her music will have difficulty finding a box to put it into.
Guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer.
Venue: Molly’s
The Elliott Duo
The Elliott Duo are a brother and sister
from Strabane and have both been
involved in music their whole lives. The
band creates is a blend of acoustic rock
and American country. Summer 2013 they
started playing together regularly, and since then they have
made a substantial influence on the music scene in Northwest of Ireland.
Venue: Sandwich Co.
Stuart Lunn
With over 10 years gigging experience
Stuart has established himself as a truly
diverse artist. His debut album received
critical acclaim likened to Tracy Chapman
and described as ‘husky and heartfelt’.
With a wide range of influences his overall sound can be
likened mostly to American Folk with a twist. Always lively
with powerful melodies he excels in his live perfomances.
Venue: Austin’s Department Storie, top restaurant
David McKervey
David McKervey sings from the ‘Crazy
Dave’s Jukebox’ songbook from Neil
Young to Radiohead and his own
originals inbetween. David’s wacky and
wonderful character shines through in
his performances.
Venue: Bloom’s Cafe
Sara Dylan
Sinber/songwriter Sara Dylan has
performed in a number of bands over the
years and now works mostly as a solo
artist. Her songs range in influence from
jazz and blues to reggae and pop and
include a mix of ballad and uptempo numbers. Sara usually
throws a few classic and contemporary covers into her set.
Venue: Café Del Mondo
Lorcan Falls
Lorcan Falls is a singer and multiinstrumentalist. Growing up music
provided a welcome escape from rural
drudgery and sectarian bigotry, and his
influences became as broad as his accent.
He taught himself guitar, piano, harmonica and tambourine.
His songs are a blend of wry observation, honest emotion,
and occasionally a good tune. Venue: Café Nervosa
Owen McNulty
Acoustic-guitar-slinger and singersongwriter, Owen McNulty has been
performing all across Ireland with his
own brand of folk and restyled pop gems
for many years now. Owen has a strong,
memorable voice and is always sure to make an impact.
Venue: Café Soul
Matthew Malcolm
Matthew has been playing and writing
for 11 years, playing acoustic guitar
exclusively in the last six years. His
influences are John Martyn, Pearl Jam,
Tommy Emmanuel and Jeff Buckley.
Grunge, fingerstyle, and good old fashioned rock typify his
music with gritty low chords, unusual vocal melodies, and
clean fingerstyle breaks. inner of Banbridge Buskfest 2014.
Venue: Claudes
Maddie Mew
Maddie Mew is an acoustic singer-song
writer, who plays guitar and sings. She
likes small intimate settings and usually
busk around Belfast in the entries where
the acoustics are good. Venue: Java
Brendan Monaghan
A singer songwriter from Co.Down
Brendan is signed to European label
Brambus Records and has released
several albums. His next is due for release
in the Autumn. “Brendan’s music evokes
the best elements of classic folk rock, singer songwriter
artistry and Irish folk sensibilities.” (John O’ Regan)
Venue: Molly’s
The False Lashes
Rozi & Elfi (Mother/Daughter) are The
False Lashes and have been playing &
singing together since as long as they
can remember. People remark on their
vintage, old school sound and their close
harmonies. Their emphasis is on getting a great song and
doing it their way. Venue: Sandwich Co.