One Take Sessions

FRIDAY MARCH 26th is the start date for the 2010 One Take Sessions series. We’re currently prepping a new version of OneTakeSessions.com due to be released this weekend. At that stage we’ll have the registrations opened for the 2010 series and we’re hoping to see many old and new acts join us in Cleere’s Theatre for this year’s run of gigs.

As with previous years we’re taking a maximum four acts per night, 25 minutes per act, and slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis on availability of your preferred dates. After that we’ll be shortlisting acts for availability throughout the year.

Keep an eye on KilkennyMusic.com and here at OneTakeSessions.com on Saturday for the launch of the new portal.

The One Take Sessions return for their July outing this Thursday night in the recently re-decorated back room of Cleere’s Theatre, bringing along four acts for the night including Fia Rua, Roy Shiels, Walkperson and local band, South.

A newcomer to the One Take Sessions, Eoghan Burke aka Fia Rua, sings his own songs, usually with people playing along. He likes “having a big sound live, but also really enjoy the intimacy of doing it alone or with a fiddle player.”

Originally from Kildare and a drummer in a former life, he took a holiday to Kinvara in Galway some ten years ago, and never returned, instead turning to writing and performing on guitar, drawing on influences between the lines of the Pogues and Nirvana.

“My songs are about all sorts of things, usually the story or feeling comes very suddenly then builds, sometimes a song could evolve continuously, with other people adding their pieces. I believe this music is the only thing that I know will never leave me while I’m alive and well on planet earth.”

Roy Shiels is a 28 year old multi-instrumentalist & songwriter from Rush, north Co. Dublin. He draws upon influences such as Smashing Pumpkins, Beach Boys, Slint & Talking Heads and has honed his craft as a songsmith in various cover bands as a professional musician since the age of 22.

His live shows are represented as solo acoustic and electric band performances, with accompaniment from Charles Byrne (bass) and Declan Doyle (drums). His intimate Dublin shows feature french-born cellist Sofiane Mebarek and Róisín Dexter on violin. For more on Roy, visit myspace.com/royshiels.

He’s spent time in London, lived in France, lived in Canada, recorded an EP in Quebec, performed with Socialite (Sligo), Thy Swan Army (Galway) and last year he made his OTS debut. So it’s a welcoming thing that Pearse McGloughlin, plying his trade as Walkperson, makes a return to the back room of Cleere’s to promote of the release of debut album, Busy Whisper.

Native of Sligo and now resident in Dublin, Pearse McGloughlin
creates beautifully haunting songs of forgotten moments and quiet reflection. Dreamy and atmospheric, his work has an organic aesthetic reminiscent of Mazzy Star or Grand Salvo. He’s already released the single, Changeling, from the new album earlier this year and according to his critics, great things are both promised and expected from him. You can sample Walkperson in advance of Thursday night by visiting myspace.com/walkperson.

Topping the bill at the ‘Sessions are Kilkenny’s own South. Winners of last year’s Battle Of The Bands, the three-piece have cut their teeth in the studio over the past few months, the result coming in the form of debut album Insula, set for release later this month. The band (Thomas Donoghue, Ken Farrell, Alan Dawson), perform an acoustic set in preparation for their full electric appearance in the same venue on Saturday July 25th alongside The Lions Mane.

In advance of Insula, they’ve also released The Making Of Insula, an episodic fly-on-the-wall look at the making of the album, produced by local photographer Ross Costigan. The episodes are available by visiting myspace.com/southkk.

Doors open at 9:15pm with the first act taking to the stage at 9:30pm. The cost of admission is a recession-busting zero Euro and more details on each act are available on OneTakeSessions.com and KilkennyMusic.com.

After our unexpected break three weeks ago, we’re back in action next week with South, Walkperson, Roy Shiels and Fia Rua. Full details on the acts shortly.

Cleere’s Theatre, Parliament Street, Kilkenny.
Thursday July 16th.
First act 9:30pm.
Admission free.

Contrary to what we published in local media this week, the One Take Sessions scheduled for Thursday June 25th (tomorrow night) in Cleere’s will not be taking place.

Apologies to all, but we’ll be back on Thursday July 16th for the next night of the ‘Sessions.

The One Take Sessions is back again this week as four more acts take to the recently redecorated back room at Cleere’s on Parliament Street.

In a previous life Neal Byrne was an athlete, rowing his sport of choice. Winning a couple of World Championship medals and racing at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 gave him a passion for life that he now uses when writing and performing his music.

In 2002 the water-sports stopped and Neal moved to Canada to make the transition from athlete to musician. Writing and playing music in every shape and size of venue that would let him through their door provided him with the outlet to find his style and his voice. This is where he wrote his debut album Booth Avenue, which was recorded on his return to Ireland in Elusive Studios, Temple Bar, Dublin by the creative force behind Halfset, Steve Shannon.

Originally from Dublin, Neal now resides in Waterford and has found a new and exciting musical space for himself. As well as his solo project he has joined up with fellow musical entrepreneurs Curly Bert.

Making a solo debut at the ‘Sessions is Wexford’s Bobby O’Keeffe, though he has made an appearance already at the One Take Sessions this year alongside Chaser at the most recent outing of the ‘Sessions.

Playing guitar four years, O’Keeffe released a low-budget eight track EP (online) at the start of the year featuring some choice acoustic numbers along with the vocal talents of Eithne O’Connor. Bobby, along with Chaser, was also involved in the latest round of the Kilkenny 400 Busker 2009 competition. The tracks, including New And Old, Waiting and I Was Told, show a much mellower side to that portrayed by Chaser, showing good versatility in a young performer looking to make his mark as a singer and songwriter.

Colm Gray, aka Dubh Ban, also takes to the stage this week. Resident in Kilkenny, Gray was involved in the revival of the music club in Ryans which sparked back to life earlier in the year after an absence of two years or so. Both a guitar and mandolin player, Colm is joined by drummer John Murphy and sometimes guest musician Idolde Proud on vocals.

They’ve played Oxegen and toured with The Blizzards, Director, Paddy Casey, Aslan and more. Their single Maria enjoyed two weeks at the top of the independent music charts via DownloadMusic.ie and it is said they play “hard rock with confidence, style and a punky attitude”.

It’s been a great few years on the road for Tipperary’s Jester who return to the One Take Sessions for their second appearance in as many years. As comfortable on the festival stage as they are in the back room in Cleere’s, the band bring with them a full and rounded sound that has been tried and tested with some of the top acts in the country, in some of the best venues in the country.

The band (Colly Dempsey, Tommy Maher, Mark O’Dwyer, Eoin Ryan and Johnny Gleeson) are continually playing live shows, working their live sound and persona but have also managed to get to the recording studio of late to work on their debut album.

All acts can be found in Cleere’s this Thursday night from 9:30pm, with admission free. Local acts interested in performing at the One Take Sessions from September onwards should also register in advance on OneTakeSessions.com or via KilkennyMusic.com where you can also find highlights in audio, photo and video of previous nights from the gig series.

This week’s One Take Sessions brings you three top acts

RICH WYMAN

Versives

Chaser

all live at Cleere’s Theatre, Kilkenny, tomorrow night (Thursday June 4th) from 9:30pm. Admission, as always, is free.

Join us tomorrow for the One Take Sessions at Cleere’s. For more, visit KilkennyMusic.com.

KKM

A trio of acts lay in store for you tonight at the One Take Sessions as Stace Gill, Wayne Brennan and Ken Bolton take to the stage in Cleere’s Theatre from 9:30pm.

While Stace was down with us before to open the 2008 series, Wayne and Ken will be making their One Take Sessions debuts later tonight.

Come down, enjoy the music and the comfort of Cleere’s and take in the One Take Sessions from 9:30pm.

The 32nd night of the One Take Sessions takes place tonight in Cleere’s Theatre, Kilkenny and features Valentine Black, ODi, Chucky’s River and Star Crossed Enemies (Dublin). It all kicks off at 9:30pm with free admission.

You can read all about the acts here or see them in the flesh from 9:30pm tonight.

The third installment of the KilkennyMusic.com One Take Sessions series for 2009 takes place this coming Thursday night in Cleere’s with four more top-drawer acts on the cards. Now in its third full year, the ‘Sessions have already played host this year to Bill Coleman, Bailer, The Resistance, Jimi Cullen and more.

The lineup for April 23rd includes three debut acts in the forms of Star Crossed Enemies, Valentine Black and Chucky’s River along with a very welcome return for ODi, one of the highlights of the 2008 series.

“We aimed to bring new music into Kilkenny”, says organiser Ken McGuire “and that’s what we continue to do. We’ve already seen a number of debut acts this year as the reputation of the night continues to grow and this week we’re delighted to continue the trend of bringing fresh acts to Kilkenny, for free.”

Hailing from Dublin, Star Crossed Enemies are the first of three new faces to the next round of the ‘Sessions. A semi-acoustic pop duo, they’ve been gigging around Ireland “giving away free biscuits” to those going to their gigs, along with their debut EP offering of D.E.P. Currently in the midst of an Irish tour, the duo take to Scotland later in the summer before recording and releasing their debut album, Mercury & The Painted Sky.

Valentine Black writes and plays music in the alt-country/folk-rock vein. Having spent a long time playing in original rock bands and various cover bands in the clubs and pubs of Ireland and beyond, Peco Mc Loughlin grew a bit disillusioned with ‘the music business’, more so the business than the music! He decided to take some time off, go back to basics and make the music that was most natural for him to do. So he borrowed his grandfather’s name and began to do just that. ….

During a break from playing in rock band Bright Light Fiasco (previous guests at the One Take Sessions) over the summer of 2008 he recorded a number of songs for his debut album, due for independent release in early 2009. Songs on the album are about everything from the scene outside a small town nightclub at 3am, to teenage suicide, to the old chestnuts of love and loss. The music is influenced by artists like Ryan Adams, Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, Springsteen and bands like James, Wilco, The Band, and The Clash to name a few.

Chucky’s River have been in the making quite some time. Frontman Diarmuid Comerford appeared at the One Take Sessions in 2007 and 2008 and returns with a new band for 2009. From Wexford, the group entered the studio yesterday (Thursday) to start work on their first EP.

The charismatic personalities and diverse musical attitudes of three musicians (Diarmuid Comerford, Conor Stafford and Cupie) are amalgamated to form the musical force that is Chucky’s River. The sheer driving nature of the songs coupled with the real life observational lyrics of Comerford make the band’s music both compelling and arousing.

On the back of singles including Crawl and A Superman, ODi returns to the One Take Sessions as a fan favourite of the 2008 series. Described as “a singer/songwriter who manages to blend elements of Joan Armatrading’s pathos, Beth Orton’s eye for the quirky and deep with a touch of Dido’s bedsit romance”, she arrives back in Kilkenny in advance of the release of her debut album this September. A recording session over the Easter break also saw her link up with Colm MacConlomaire of The Frames / Swell Season to add some string arrangements to the new recording, the first single from which will be released in June.

The One Take Sessions are a free night of music and the organisers at Kilkenny Music are hoping people can join them on Thursday night.
“It’s a rare thing to get one or two bands for free these days, but to get four acts for free is another thing altogether”, continues Ken (McGuire). “We’ve a lot of established acts on the horizon, like ODi, and some new acts as well right up to December so we’re hoping that people will come along, support independent music and perhaps broaden their own musical horizons at the same time. We’ve got 14 free shows this year but such is the demand that if we get one act in, you might not see them again for another year – don’t miss out.”

Tracks from each act can be heard all this month on the Playlist Mix podcast, an award-winning online show based here in Kilkenny, going out every Sunday night online at PlaylistMix.com.

Highlights too from previous nights including tracks from bands over the last three years and videos from recent nights at the ‘Sessions are available on our parent site, KilkennyMusic.com.

It all kicks off on Thursday night next at 9:30pm in Cleere’s and admission is free.

Following the announcement earlier in the week that we’ve got five acts playing this Thursday night, that number has been reduced to four with Chucky’s River aka Diarmuid Comerford and band now playing on Thursday April 23rd.

This Thursday night you’ve got Bailer (band), The Resistance (band), Johnny B and Jimi Cullen. First act to the stage in Cleere’s Theatre at 9:30pm with seating limited. Do come down, support independent music and enjoy a great night with some of Ireland’s rising independent acts.