Things seem to be starting to get up and running again music-wise, and what better way to return to gig-going than in the company of Andy Irvine and Paul Brady performing their most celebrated collaborative recording live?
Andy Irvine and Paul Brady will perform at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast on October 25
Robert McMillen14 May, 2021 01:00
THE boys are back in town. Yes, Andy Irvine and Paul Brady are heading to Belfast’s Waterfront Hall on October 25, to again celebrate their eponymous classic of Irish folk song and music.
In the same way that nearly every household in the free world had The Eagles Greatest Hits, Bridge Over Troubled Waters and, er, Tubular Bells in their LP collection during the 1970s, folk fans had the ginger mop of Brady and the toussle-haired and bearded Irvine look out at them from the famous blue cover with a “wait till yez hear this” look about them.
Indeed, the pair had created new clothing for the Irish repertoire, taking classics like The Streets of Derry, Mary and the Soldier and, of course, Arthur McBride, turning them into something that chimed with the mood of the nation as it was back then.
In May 2017 the duo decided, due to the album’s still immense popularity, to do an Irish tour of live shows marking the 40th anniversary of its release. So successful was it that it was repeated in 2018, taking it to sold-out events in Ireland, London and Prague with other performances planned for 2020.
However, a certain pandemic got in the way but 44 years since it first came out audiences are still hooked on the fabulous songs, beautifully adapted and passionately performed; so much so that, by popular demand, Aiken Promotions have just announced that the duo’s performances which had been planned for March 2021 in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast and in Vicar Street in Dublin are now being rescheduled to October. They’ve even added an extra date at the Cork Opera House.
The show features songs and tunes from the album and many other musical masterpieces that Andy and Paul have performed throughout both of their illustrious careers and, as on the previous tours, they will be accompanied by Dónal Lunny and Kevin Burke, both of whom were players on the original album recording, with Dónal also producing the record.
Tickets for the Waterfront gig cost £38 and are now on sale from waterfront.co.uk or you can call the Box office at (028) 90 334455.
The revised dates are Cork Opera House – Sunday, October 17 2021; Vicar Street, October 21 and 22 and the Waterfront Hall, Tuesday October 25 2021.
Andy Irvine is one of the great Irish singers, his voice one of a handful of truly great ones that gets to the very soul of Ireland. He has been hailed as “a tradition in himself.” Musician, singer and songwriter, Andy has maintained his highly individual performing skills throughout his over 50-year career. From Sweeney’s Men in the mid 60’s, to the enormous success of Planxty in the 70’s, his duo with Paul Brady in the later 70s and then from Patrick Street to Mozaik, LAPD and Usher’s Island, Andy has been a world music pioneer and an icon for traditional music and musicians.
As a soloist, Andy fills the role of the archetypal troubadour with a show and a travelling lifestyle that reflect his lifelong influence, Woody Guthrie. To quote The Irish Times, “Often copied, never equalled”, his repertoire consists of Irish traditional songs, dexterous Balkan dances and a compelling canon of his own self-penned songs.
He returns to New Zealand for a full tour, including a very welcome return to the Auckland Folk Festival, exactly twenty years since his last visit to the festival. His tour sees him visit iconic venues, The Bunker and the Mussel Inn, and ends with an appearance at the New Edinburgh Folk Club in Dunedin.
Don’t miss a legend in intimate venues all over Aotearoa.
Monday 20th: Auckland – Devonport Folk Club – The Bunker
Wednesday 22nd: Taranaki – Kakaramea Hall
Thursday 23rd: Tauranga – House Concert
Friday 24th – Monday 27th: Auckland Folk Festival
Wednesday 29th: Palmerston North – The Globe Theatre
Thursday 30th: Masterton – Aratoi Museum
Friday 31st: Otaki – House Concert
February 2020:
Saturday 1st Feb: Wellington – Meow
Monday 3rd: Onekaka – Mussel Inn
Wednesday 5th: Nelson – House Concert
Saturday 8th: Cardrona – Cardrona Hall
Sunday 9th: Dunedin – 50 Dundas – New Edinburgh Folk Club
Its been more than 40 years since its release, and fans still can’t get enough of Andy Irvine and Paul Brady’s iconic album.
By popular demand, Andy Irvine and Paul Brady are touring Ireland to celebrate their classic album of folk songs and traditional music. The record’s enduring following has not dissipated in the years since its 1977 release, when it was hailed as an essential document of Irish culture. Irvine and Brady are set to bring their timeless songs to Kilkenny, Mayo, Dublin and Belfast in March of 2020. Tickets are priced at €46.50/£38.00 and are inclusive of the booking fee.
Last time they decided to do an Irish tour, back in 2017, it was met with such great success that it was repeated in 2018 with sold-out shows and additional gigs in London and Prague. The show features songs and tunes from the album and many other musical masterpieces that Andy and Paul have performed throughout both of their illustrious careers. As on the previous tours, they will be accompanied by Dónal Lunny and Kevin Burke, both of whom were players on the original album recording.
Check out the tour dates are as follows:
14th March: Kilkenny TradFest, The Hub, Kilkenny
16th March: Royal Theatre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
18th March: Vicar St., Dublin
19th March: Waterfront Hall, Belfast
