The music is Clon its way
Cork’s official guitar town is tuning up to stage two special live shows in the build-up to the 18th Clonakilty International Guitar Festival.
Ahead of this September’s festival, music lovers will have their appetites nicely whetted when Berlin based trio Yonder Boys, and Cork’s own Dogtail Soup, roll into town.
The Yonder Boys will foreshadow the musical trail of the Festival, performing an acoustic set in DeBarras from 6pm tomorrow evening, 3 June. This will be followed by their full live set-up in Shanley’s at 9pm.
Yonder Boys are an Americana band who, while performing on traditional folk instruments, show great depth in variety of influences they bring to the genre. They can be found mixing traditional old-time sound with rock, Latin, pop and psychedelic influences.
The band features the singing duo of American Jason Serious and David Stewart Ingleton from Australia. Joining them is multi-instrumentalist Tomás Peralta. The Yonder Boys come from different continents and all met and live in Germany. Their self-titled debut EP came out in 2018 on Blue Whale Records, and their first LP ‘Acid Folk’ was released on 25 September 2020.
On 12 June, the luxuriant Dog Tail Soup will perform a ticketed outdoor show in Spillers Lane on with special guest Mide Houlihan as CIGF partners with Cork County Council and the Department of Culture for the event. The group describes itself as an eclectic and flavourful musical stew made by carefully simmering Camilla Griehsel (Swedish world music diva) with Maurice Seezer (twice Golden Globe nominated film music composer), adding a pinch of Paul Tiernan (international troubadour, pillar of West Cork’s favourite band, Interference), a sprinkling of Anthony Noonan (drummer for Roy Harper with extra dulcet tones), a cupful of John Fitzgerald (bass and all known instruments) and an occasional splash of James O’Leary (founding member of Interference on electric guitar).
The two shows will set the stage for the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival (CIGF) which will return for the 18th time from 9-18 September.
CIGF is an award-winning celebration of all things guitar, with the majority of the festival’s shows free across the week. Run by a not-for-profit voluntary organisation of music lovers, the festival has many facets underscored by an ethos of sustainability and inclusivity.
Organisers Ray Blackwell and Kevin McNally said: “Over two weekends in September we attempt to create a musical nirvana within the boundaries of our beloved Clonakilty. For these ten days our whole town becomes the stage, where small venues and re-imagined public spaces facilitate encounters with great music and great people!
“We’ll also endeavour to extend the joyous affirmations that music and communal gathering brings to those most marginalised in our community as we continue to grow our REVERB programme, bringing performances and special gigs to our local community healthcare groups such as nursing homes, community groups and hospitals, our schools and those in Direct Provision.”