Ger Thompson performing “Meet me under the Clock Gate” LIVE at Youghal Community Radio on 25th March 2011.
Written and Performed by Ger Thompson
Guitar/Vocals: Ger Thompson.
Lead Guitar: Alan Reid.
Interview by Shane Supple.
Camera: Peter Thompson and Genevieve Castonguay.

 

Singer/Songwriter Stephen Leeson, former lead singer with The Dublin City Ramblers is guest artist on the popular Shane Supple’s “Yawl ready for this” on Youghal local radio CRY this Friday (18th March 2011) at 12 noon. Shane will be talking about himself, his new album and the launch of his solo career which takes place in The Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh Co. Cork on Friday March 25th.
By Carol Noelle Rice.

Stephen Leeson former lead singer with the well renowned Irish folk group “The Dublin City Ramblers” will officially launch his solo career in The Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh Co. Cork on Friday March 25th.  Stephen will use the fabulous Dublin based group “Whiskey Still” as his backing band on the night to electrify the stage with a repertoire of folk, trad and a bit of bluegrass.

Support on the night will also be provided by Cork based contemporary singer, Darren Andrews who may be new to the Cork scene but is going down a storm in the last few months he has been performing here.  Tickets for the event are priced at €12 but with a superb line up, it guarantees to be a great night of Irish music and talent.

Stephen Leeson is a really talented singer/songwriter who was a former member of Dublin Folk Band “The Dublin City Ramblers”, whom have a lot of famous tunes to their credit, which includes the classic hit, “The Rare Auld Times”.  Joining the Dublin City Ramblers as their lead singer at the tender age of 21 years, Stephen played with the band for a number of years.

An enchanting young man who sings with great passion, heart and soul, Stephen Leeson, is best known for his unique voice, his impeccable stage presence and his versatility as a musician, with the capabilities of playing:  The Guitar, Five String Banjo, Bodhran, The Harmonica, Bones and Spoons.  Currently working on his second album, this Irish Folk Singer is back on the road once again, as, he returns home to the Emerald Isle to officially launch his solo career in The Sirius Arts Centre on the 25th, March 2011.  Stephen Leeson is currently gearing up for his Irish gigs which commenced in mid January and will see him travel to many parts of Ireland throughout the year and looks forward to releasing his second album in the forthcoming months.

Stephen Leeson was born and raised in Tallaght which is situated on the southside of Dublin.  With one older sister and a younger brother, Stephen was an active young child who was involved in various sports ranging from:  football, hurling, soccer, basketball, Thai boxing, Tae Quando, surfing amongst others.  However, with a family that is stepped in Traditional Irish music, it wouldn’t take long before the sounds of various musical instruments would encapsulate his heart.

“Since I found out that I could sing….all I ever wanted was to sing and play music and that is all I’ll ever what to do….that is, play music and entertain people”.

Stephen learnt the craft of his trade at a very young age, as his father is part of the long established Dublin Folk Band “Whiskey Still”.  Stating that his father and Paddy Sweeney of the band Barleycorn, are his biggest influences, Stephen has had the privilege of performing with many great artists himself in his young life so far.  He took on the role of lead front man and singer with Irish Bands “Dublin Legacy” and “Porter Black”, as well as, playing alongside the talents of:  Finbar Furey, Sean Og McKenna, Barney McKenny (Dubliners), Philip McCaffrey, Brian McCormac (Barleycorn), Paddy Sweeney (Barleycorn), Donal White, George Murphy (You’re a Star), Mike Hanrahan (Stockton’s Wing) and Maurice Lennon (Stocktons Wing), amongst other talented Irish musicians whilst sharing the stage with Tommy Flemming.

Stephen has performed in various venues both at home and abroad and spent three years playing numerous festivals throughout Ireland, other European countries, as well as, America and parts of Asia with the Dublin City Ramblers.

During Stephen’s time with the Ramblers, this well renowned Irish folk band were presented with a gold album from “Dolphin Records”, for sales of their CD’s and continued to play in many venues throughout the world, with Stephen loving every minute of it.  Stephen learnt quite a bit when he was touring with “The Dublin City Ramblers” and it clearly shows in his professionalism, mannerism and his on stage presence.  The way he can captivate his audience and carries them away with his angelic voice that is deepened with emotion throughout each and every song he performs.  With an ability to work the stage and engage with his fans, his performance leaves an impressionable impact that is not only memorable but special for everyone that has had the opportunity to experience his live shows, leaving him in huge demand both at home and abroad.

Looking forward to officially launching his solo career in The Sirius Arts Centre Cobh on March 25th, Stephen Leeson will have the fabulous Dublin Group “Whiskey Still” as his backing band on the night and you will hear him perform numerous well loved Irish Ballads ranging from “The Ferryman, Carrickfergus, The Contender, Freemantle Bay, Hard Times, 19 Arches, Galway Girl”, the list is endless.  Stephen also plans on incorporating some of his own new material from his forthcoming album on which he is currently putting the final touches too.

One of Stephen’s main ambitions is to keep recording both his own tunes, as well as, a few cover versions of classic Irish traditional songs and to keep entertaining with live shows as much as possible. An incredible young man with an extraordinary voice, with big achievable goals within reach, Stephen Leeson no doubt has a long and prosperous career ahead of him.

For more information on Stephen Leeson:

Please contact Carol Rice @ (+353) 089 4384175

c.ricemanagement@gmail.com

www.stephenleeson.com

www.shanesupple.com

Australian Singer/Songwriter Grayson along with with his full band will perform his last gig in Ireland to be held at The Gate Bar, Youghal on Friday the 15th of January 2010. Two support acts will also feature on the night from a very talented young lady from Poland and an up and coming songwriter from Cork City.

The night will also hold the first launch and screening for the music video of the single “Stand Clear” which was filmed, produced and edited in Youghal over the past few months by local Kieran McCarthy and co-produced with Grayson.

The single “Stand Clear” reached No. 1 in the Indie download charts in Ireland and also reached the top 40 commercial charts on release receiving major airplay. Come along and give Grayson a good send off before he heads back to the land of Oz to play the tail end of the Summer Festivals.

For more info visit:
www.grayson-music.com
www.myspace.com/graysonau

Tickets are on sale at Scott’s, 137 North Main St, Youghal [Tel: 024 90333] and the Tourist Office, Market Square. Price €18 / €20 at door.
mick-flannery-to-play-at-st-marys-collegiate-college-youghal

Kate Walsh is making a special appearence at Mick Flannery’s gig on Thursday 26th of November in St Mary’s Collegiate Church, Youghal. The Essex singer/songwriter will support Mick Flannery in what is sure to be an entertaining evening following  the recent success of the John Spillane gig.

Calling Kate Walsh a singer songwriter is like saying Van Gogh was a cartoonist. Kate is, er, different. A 26-year-old from a sailing town in Essex who’s been likened to Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush and Jane Austen, she’s ferociously independent…in every sense. She adores Debussy, studies cello, listens constantly to Classic FM (and little else), bemoans the demise of vinyl and CDs (she finally got an iPod when iTunes gave her one after her last album ‘Tim’s House’ knocked Take That off the top of the download chart but rarely uses it), is entertainingly scathing about the conventional music industry (”it’s fickle, selfish, impersonal and backstabbing”) – and has established her own cottage industry to do it her way. And when she sits down to write a song you’d better lock up your hearts for you instantly become Kate’s close personal confidante as she bares her soul with shocking candour.

You almost believe her. She’s currently single, lives in Brighton, though ’stupid men,’ do still run amok on her beautiful third album ‘Light and Dark’ (”yes, I do have a light and dark side – we all do, don’t we?”) The title track is particularly poignant, a guilt-ridden reverie on a love triangle that opens enticingly…’I left you for another man and he doesn’t deserve me…’

“It’s the saddest song I’ve ever written. It’s about two men and they both heard it independently and knew it was about them,” she grimaces. “There was a lot of trouble…it was awful going through it, but it’s a great song! I think it’s one of my best songs ever.” One of the first times she sang it in public – at London’s Union Chapel – it upset her so much she barely made it to the end. It happens. “When you’re singing it makes all the sentiments so real again. I sing mainly with my eyes shut and I feel every word. I try to make an instrument of my voice, like playing a wonderful, emotive piano piece, lilting on certain words and phrases…”

Listening to the very real pain and fragility of her music you imagine the author must be a quivering wreck permanently teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Far from it – chattering away ten to the dozen like she’s known you all her life, Kate Walsh is warm, funny and likeably self-deprecating, fully recognising the self-indulgent nature of the confessional songwriter’s art. “Nooooo, I don’t think I’ve had a terrible life at all,” she giggles. “I just mope and wallow more than anyone else. Maybe a part of me deliberately creates havoc so I’ve got something to write about – we like a bit of mayhem us songwriters. But now I’m changing all that and other things are becoming more important to me than some man who’s done the dirty on me. I’m not giving stupid men the time of day any more.”

She insists she’s not ambitious for fame or glory, but is immensely proud of the bigger sounds that characterise ‘Light & Dark’. And, now writing songs on piano rather than guitar, insists that ’stupid men’ will no longer be tolerated in her songs… or personal life. “For the first time, I feel happy about myself. Do you know what? I think I’m growing up…”

HALLOWE’EN night in Youghal promises more treats than tricks this year when Grayson launches his debut album with a special gig in the Gate Bar. Hailing from Australia, the tall likeable singer songwriter has made Youghal his home for the last couple of years. He’s recorded an album in the local Claycastle studio and used the town as a base for touring Ireland and Europe. Report: Eanna Dowling Email: news@youghalonline.com

The debut single from the album “Stand Clear” was released on October 23. It’s a tribute to the legendary Bus Eireann announcement when the automatic doors open – “Stand Clear, luggage doors are operating”. Funny and catchy, “Stand Clear” has all the makings of a classic. Already it has received critical acclaim from the music industry and you will be hearing it on your radio. Grayson has been seen chasing buses all over the place making a video for the song.

Grayson has toured Ireland supporting Aslan and been all over Europe performing solo. He played in 14 different countries and made many radio appearances. One of the highlights came when Ray Heffernan, the man who wrote Robbie William’s Angel, invited him to open a show in Arona, Italy. Ray saw Grayson on Youtube singing an original song “Change” and immediately made contact and offered him the show.

No stranger to TV, Grayson has appeared on Balcony TV, the quirky hit internet phenomenon. It started in Dublin’s Dame Street with artists playing an acoustic song on a balcony overlooking the traffic. The idea caught on and spread to other cities and in December Grayson will become the first artist to play on all of the Balcony TVs in the world when he performs on London’s version.

Grayson’s debut album “Somewhere In The Night” features his pop/rock songs and is out now. He released an ep in Australia in 2007 which got a lot of radio play and led him to be nominated for Musician of the Year at the ABC Newcastle Music Awards. But this is his first album proper and he’s honed his songwriting and found the right production to highlight his powerful emotive vocals.

Grayson has thoroughly enjoyed his time in Youghal but early next year he will head home to Australia. Numerous festivals and media appearances await his return and he’s thrilled to be bringing his new songs on a well-produced album with him. He’ll be back this way in 2011.

Hopes are high locally in Youghal that “Stand Clear” will be all over the national airwaves and become a hit. You can witness the launch of the album at the Gate on Hallow’en night, Saturday October 31st 10:30, when Grayson plays with a full band.

http://www.myspace.com/graysonau

Stand Clear released on October 23 -
Text music 4078 to 57501 to download and help chart the song!!!!

Somewhere In The Night – available from online outlets and at the launch gig.

“Stand Clear” – Grayson’s track out now

Bus Eireann customers will be queuing up to download Youghal based Grayson’s debut single “Stand Clear”. This bright slice of pop rock perfection tells the story of the singer and a girl on a bus getting to know each other but having their moments interrupted every time the bus stops by the announcement of “Stand Clear – Luggage Doors are Operating”.

Grayson’s about as far from home as an Australian can get, but he’s recorded a gem of a track in Youghal and is optimistic about it doing well. He’s been chasing buses all over the place to make a video for “Stand Clear” which will soon be online.

“Stand Clear” is the first single off Grayson’s debut album, “Somewhere In The Night”. The album will be launched at a Hallowe’en night gig in The Gate, Youghal. He also plays Crane Lane in Cork City on Friday November 6.

http://www.myspace.com/graysonau

Stand Clear released on October 23
Text music 4078 to 57501 to download and help chart the song!!!!

Tickets are on sale at Scott’s, 137 North Main St, Youghal and the Tourist Office, Market Square. Price €18 / €20 at door.

JOHN SPILLANE 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, 10,000 or 100,000, John entertains, charms, and mesmerizes.
John is a native of Cork, the County he lovingly describes as “the centre of the universe”, and it has been a huge creative influence on him. Vocally, he is quite unique with an almost sean nós-like element in his singing and he is said to have a voice “full of honesty, commitment and sensitivity”.
Two-time Meteor award winner, John is one of the most accomplished songwriters in Ireland today. Among those who have covered his songs are Christy Moore, Karan Casey, Pauline Scanlon, Cathy Ryan, Sharon Shannon, Sean Keane, George Murphy, to name a few. He performs to audiences large and small everywhere.
From his heart-warming visit to Senegal to film a “musical visit” for an Irish television series (where he met and played music with, among others, the legendary Baaba Maal), to his 2008 Australian tour where he sang the Irish National Anthem before 45,000 people attending the Australia v. Ireland Ozzie Rules Football, to singing for the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese (by invitation), and so on ad infinitum …
John’s performances shimmer with the magic realism that permeates many of his songs as he effortlessly flits between beautiful poetry tinged with melancholy to roguish, irreverent Cork humour. If you are looking for a night of good ‘craic’, a John Spillane show should not be missed.
VERY NICE QUOTES, INDEED:
“ … some of the most skillfully crafted, vividly realized songs anyone has written in Ireland over the past dozen years.” Earle Hitchner, premier writer/reviewer for Irish Echo and The Wall Street Journal.
“ … funny, quirky, massively entertaining. John is a story teller, a shanachie.” Dan Regan, Founder, Kansas City Irish Festival.
“Why isn’t John Spillane a major star? [John] writes catchy, heartfelt folk-pop songs with the bonus of actually meaning something.” The Sunday Business Post (My Dark Rosaleen & The Island of Dreams).
“He’s carved a niche writing melodic, compelling, simple songs. Spillane is at his best when his delivery is unforced and lyrical.” Oliver P. Sweeney, The Ticket, Irish Times (”My Dark Rosaleen & The Island of Dreams).
“ … glorious technicolour hues that transcend linguistic boundaries; world music for a new world.” Siobhán Long, Irish Times (The Gaelic Hit Factory).
“ … these tracks exhibit Spillane’s remarkably prolific output of gorgeous, peaceful tunes.” Lisa Coen, Hot Press (Hey Dreamer).
“[John Spillane] delivers the goods yet again. “Hey Dreamer” is a stunner.” Steve Cummins, Hot Press (Hey Dreamer).

Youghal singer/songwriter Steve Whelan plays some live tracks from his album “The Last Walk” on the very successful radio show “Green On Red” on RedFM 104-106fm on Sunday 2nd November 2008 at 9:00pm (approx) Steve will be joined in studio with fellow Youghal musicians Tony Kiely (guitar) and Kieran McCarthy (percussion)

Steve Whelan has a very down to earth approach delivering his music with a spirit of honesty presence and grit. His smoky vocals married with his simple but poetic and addictive melodies produces a musical honesty and edge possessed by few writer composers. His influences range from Ben Harper, Cat Stevens, The Beatles to Gospel and Spiritual music.

>> CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE <<

The “Green On Red” radio show is presented by Ashley Keating, on Sunday’s from 7 to 10pm, featuring the best of Irish music.

The show is the soundtrack to Read more

YoughalOnline.com will broadcast a live gig from Claycastle Recording Studio, Youghal. This will be the first time a live gig will be streamed live from the studio.

An interview and live music performance with James McGrath & Band will start @ 9:00pm for 45 minutes (approx). This will be the first of many live web casts planned for artists & musicians that will feature on www.YoughalOnline.com

Filming & Web Streaming by Youghal Online Productions, Audio & Recording by Read more

By: Kieran McCarthy

Bobby Lee a well respected and talented musician from Youghal, Co. Cork, Ireland has launched his album titled “The Future History” it has 9 tracks and is available for preview, mp3 download or cd at Cd Baby

Here’s one review describing the album:

Mark Mc Clelland – Backstage Traffic

“The Future History ” Bobby’s current album is a collection of beautifully crafted songs that will take your soul, look after it for a few hours and then hand it back with a smile that says, “Yes everything’s going to be alright.” And you know what? You believe it.

Live @ McDaids, Midleton, Co. Cork, Ireland – 16/12/07 – Photo by: Kieran McCarthy

 

Of his many achievements this is a very memorable one:

Read more