Hard Working Class Heroes – The Grand Social
Hard Working Class Heroes Festival is on this Thursday, 2nd of October at The Grand Social.
Eoin Dolan
7.30pm - 8pm The Grand Social
Galway native Eoin Dolan blends the sound of an endless summer with all things nostalgic to create a repertoire of seaside pop melodies.
Ciaran Lavery
8.10pm - 8.40pm The Grand Social
Hailing from the small Northern Irish village of Aghagallon, population 824, alt-folk troubadour Ciaran Lavery has found a way to channel the quiet despair of isolation into timeless songs of beauty and heartache.
The long-awaited follow-up to last year's Not Nearly Dark (which has grabbed almost 1,000,000 hits on Spotify) , Kosher, represents a decidedly commercial turn for the Northern Irish troubadour Ciaran Lavery who has already found considerable success in the folk world. Previews of Kosher's five tracks have already succeeded in generating media buzz, with BBC Radio 1, Hot Press, BBC Radio Ulster and the Irish Independent offering early support for the record.
Stuart Bailie, BBC
“Ciaran Lavery speaks many languages. He is fluent in heartache and lonesome. He can do pleading and empathy and even a smattering of hopeful. All of this is conducted in the most remarkable voice. It comes from the deeps of his soul and it reaches yours without much ceremony”
MKAI
8.50pm - 9.20pm The Grand Social
You can’t choose your family but you can choose your band-mates. Sometimes they’re one and the same.
Cian and Conor MacSweeny were born into a house where the air was so thick with music, their family had a special word for it: ‘mkai’. They spent their childhoods jamming together and with other friends and as life led them down separate musical paths, they never lost that shared musical intuition and understanding. When the brothers decided to form a band in 2013, they thought back to that special family word and MKAI was born.
MKAI found the atmosphere they needed to begin writing together in the inspiring surrounds of Ballintubbert House. The birthplace and home of poets and artists, it is a place that exudes creativity and inspiration. More importantly, there are no neighbours nearby. The brothers could make as much noise as they wanted at any time of night, cut off from the distractions of the outside world. What emerged was a unique set of songs that would form the bands debut EP.
Old Hannah
9.30 - 10pm The Grand Social
Old Hannah are a country-roots band from Sligo who launched their debut EP “Irish Boys” earlier this year. The EP showcases exceptional songwriting and musicianship that has captured interest and imagination around the country - the title track “Irish Boys” was recently playlisted on RTE Radio 1.
Recent accolades include being featured on the Other Voices Music Trail, TG4’s Ceol ar an Imeall, and performing on the Breaking Tunes stage at HMV Grafton St. In the past they’ve opened for the likes of The Duke and the King and performed with Lisa Hannigan.
This summer Old Hannah will take their unique blend of traditional and contemporary influences on the road as they hit the Irish Festival circuit, performing at Body & Soul, Vantastival, YouBloom and the Omagh Appalachian and Bluegrass Festival amongst others.
The Loafing Heroes
10.10 - 10.40pm The Grand Social
The Loafing Heroes are a constantly evolving band, led by Irish vocalist, guitarist and composer Bartholomew Ryan. This indie-folk band represents an international meeting of musical minds: João Tordo (Portugal) on double bass, Giulia Gallina (Italy) on concertina, vocals and percussion, Judith Retzlik (Germany) on violin, xylophone and backing vocals, and Jaime McGill (USA) on bass clarinet. They have just released their latest record CROSSING THE THRESHOLD (2014) - their three previous albums (Planets, Chula, and Unterwegs) were all products of their years in Berlin. The songs of The Loafing Heroes tap into a variety of musical and literary interests in wandering through myriad fractured cities and landscapes filled with elusive characters, revolutionaries, ancient books, and lost loved ones.
Elephant
10.50 - 11.20pm The Grand Social
Elephant has rightly garnered much praise on the live front of late, becoming established as one of Ireland’s finest exponents of the current burgeoning avant-garde folk scene.
The musical vehicle of Dundalk based multi-instrumentalist Shane Clarke, Elephant offers an intriguing live show that ranges from intimate acoustic guitars and subtly looped layers to glorious full band forays of colourful melody and enchanting harmonies.
These original creations wander from an Instantaneous summery folk pop reminiscent of Badly Drawn Boy and Elliot Smith, to more mature meandering pieces with a deliberate deconstructed nature, akin to say... Broken Social Scene, Justin Vernon or Joanna Newsom. Despite the various styles explored, there remains a constant meticulous deliberation, evident in every corner of the soundscapes as we’re confidently led on a varied adventure through modern acoustic music. The songs are tied together by Shane’s earnest vocal delivery and unique lyrical style further enriching the melody and inviting the listener to become lost in the diverse compositions.