Pierre Bensusan

Today it was a privilage to chat with world renowned guitarist Pierre Bensusan before his upcoming gig in The grainstore Ballymaloe Co Cork. If “World Music” is music that pays tribute to the spirit of a collection of human beings through distinct rhythms, traditional instruments and harmonic colors,

French-Algerian guitarist, singer and composer Pierre Bensusan can be recognized as one of the most eloquent and diverse world musicians of our time. Born in Oran, French-Algeria, in 1957, when France was decolonizing its Empire, Pierre Bensusan's family moved to Paris when he was 4.

The Mandolas

Today I had the pleasure of chatting with some members of the group The Mandolas, they are a 4-piece folk/pop group based in Cork, Ireland. The band make use of a wide range of acoustic instruments (mandolin, mandola, acoustic guitar, bouzuki, banjo and viola) as well as incorporating lavish 4-part harmonies into their music. The Mandolas perform original material and combine Irish and English folk traditions with a unique blend of contemporary pop.

 The group consists of Michael Grace (Kilkenny), Colm Hayes (Cork), and brothers Paddy & Dorian Kelly (West Cork/ originally hailing from Yorkshire). Drawing inspiration from the likes of Planxty, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Fleet Foxes,

Willie Collins

Well this week in the hot seat in studio was singer songwriter Willie Collins from Fermoy. I have known Willie for a long time now and about 2 years ago he sent me on a CD of some songs he had written himself and recorded in Fiona Studios in Fermoy. Between his busy schedule and mine it took that long to get him into the station. Today was a nice day looking back over previous times, talking music and having a chat about the scene today.

John Blek & The Rats

On this occasion I was joined in studio by members of the John Blek and the Rats band, in the hot seat were John and band member and fellow musician Robin. This week we were talking about their upcoming gig in Coughlans Bar in Cork a new venue for bands songwriters and musicians which Cork musician Edel Curtin has taken on herself to run in association with Coughlans, its for bands to preform in a new warm venue. While in studio the lads preformed a few songs and for those that have not heard from them "John Blek and the Rats are a six-piece folk and country group from Cork City whose infectious brand of Americana influenced balladry has travelled up and down the roads of Ireland, the UK and Europe for the last two years."

Tommy Tiernan

Tommy Tiernan October 2012 World Tour of Cork
Shakespeare once wrote "All the worlds a stage and we are merely players", well in Oct 2011 the county of Cork will be the stage for the peerless Tommy Tiernan as the multi award winning comic embarks on his ‘World Tour Of Cork 2011’.
(Scrol down to bottom of page to listen to interview)

11/10 DOUGLAS Rochestown Park Hotel – SOLD OUT
12/10 YOUGHAL Walter Raleigh Hotel
13/10 MITCHELSTOWN Firgrove Hotel – SOLD OUT
17/10 BALLINCOLLIG Oriel House Hotel – SOLD OUT
18/10 BALLYMALOE The Grainstore – SOLD OUT
20/10 CHARLEVILLE Charleville Park Hotel

Fearless, inspiring and armed with a breath of comic abilities rivalled by no one in stand-up today, Tommy is able to expertly write and perform jokes born from every corner of the mind, politics, sex, family relationships, international observations, religion and drugs, it’s all there.

The Rivets

This week in studio I had two very talented guests who have been in the studio with me before on separate occasions, David Blaize was on talking about his own song writing and Che Horgan was in with the group The Wall St Thieves. The Rivets however are a second project that David and Che work on when not busy working with other bands and writing songs, They are a Dynamic Acoustic Duo who guarantee to give you a show to remember, performing Classic 50's & 60's Rock’n’roll songs you all know & love. With rhythmic guitars and melodic harmonies, this band will have you singing and dancing along to every song.

Rob Carlile

Rob Carlile was the guest this week. I have to say meeting Rob for the second time was great fun, The last time I spoke with Rob he was on the show as part of the group "The Buachaills" In his own time Rob writes songs, and plays with different bands. In his own right Rob Carlile is a talented singer songwriter who is going places.

Fintan Lucy

This week Fintan Lucy form Cork took the hot seat in the studio and we spoke about music, his songs and of course where it all began. Fintan is a songwriter who writes from the heart. After all his first song was written in Dingle as a poem about a broken heart, I think it was his own broken heart he was writing about. His style varies most of his songs start out as poetry and over time becomes a piece of music which is added to or changed as it goes through the process.

Frantic Jack

Frantic Jack are one the most exciting new bands to emerge from Ireland in recent years. The band consists of Daragh Fitzgerald on vocals and guitar, Mark Kelly on guitar and vocals, Pauric Hurst on bass, James Kearney on keyboards and finally but never least Ricky Byrne on drums and vocals. With influences ranging from Matchbox20 to Dave Matthews Band, they have seamlessly molded their own unique sound and captured the attention of audiences both at home and abroad.

Dirty Voodoo

I met with local band Dirty Voodoo (and yes thats the way they spell it) and we had a chat and talk about music the local scene and the aspirations of the band. The band consists of David (Dom) Mulcahy who has been playing guitar since he was 16. Dom met Sean in 2004 and through the love of the guitar and the music, they struck up a friendship. Tommy Collins knew Sean while they were in another band and another friendship was formed. The lads had heard of Colin and decided they needed a contemporary soulful singer to compliment their band, so they asked vocalist Colin Lee to join Dirty Voodoo. Colin, Sean. Tommy and David met up for a jam one night, where the final member to join Patrick Rusty Gleeson sat in on drums, Rusty decided to sit in with the lads on drums for a bit of fun and Dirty Voodoo was complete, since then they have never looked back.

Jaded

This week I had the pleasure of chatting with Jaded, a four-piece rock band from Youghal on my radio program, we got a chance to talk about music, their smash hit video and life as a young group growing up in East Cork. I started with the usual questions following on from their success with their new video on Youtube. In a little over 2 months the video Jaded - a story so far directed by an uncle to one of the lads, has amassed a little over 110,000 hits, now that’s a lot of likes and most of them from foreign countries. So what’s the secret behind the success of this group?

Flower

Local film makers Ger Thompson and Eileen McCarthy get to show their new film “Flower” on Friday September 14th at the prestigious Dun Laoghaire underground cinema film festival.

Ger Thompson and Eileen Mc Carthy met while attending a three year theatre studies course at Inchicore College Dublin. They worked on various productions together and individually, writing, acting and directing. They went to Australia for a year where Ger proposed and wedding plans, secure jobs, house and babies were on the menu. They moved to Co. Waterford where they managed to build a home, have 2 children and create a very happy home life. In October 2009 Ger was made redundant as a site foreman. With no prospect of work and depression setting in, his wife Eileen took him aside while out walking in the woods and asked him what he would love to do in an ideal world. His response, “I’d love to make a film”. She said “Ok, let’s do it.”

Ken Cotter

This week I also had the chance to chat with Ken Cotter, singer & songwriter based in Cork. Ken is noted for his strong voice, captivating melodies and astute lyrical composition. His live performances are steered by a confident guitar and a well-honed stage craft. Ken started playing guitar at the age of 12, and over the next few years found himself penning songs in the style of his heroes, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Bragg. But it was in the songs of Jimmy MacCarthy, Paul Brady, Luka Bloom and many other Irish Singer Songwriters, that Ken began to feel most at home. These great Irish performers helped him shape his sound and acquire the confidence to sing in his own voice about his own experiences. As a teen Ken was also listening to The Jam, The Who, U2, Big Country, Echo And The Bunnymen, as well as Irish homegrown rockers, Something Happens, Light A Big Fire and Cactus World News. Radiohead became a big influence. However, gradually Ken began to discover his own style.

Darragh Lee

Darragh Lee from Youghal Co Cork was my guest this week, Darragh who was involved in the recent Sacred Roots all ages Busking Competition which took place on Saturday August 11th in conjunction with the Tag Rugby Festivities in Youghal Co Cork, where  14 acts took part and despite the rain showers, braved the elements and played some wonderful music for everyone. Bands, Magicians, rappers and singer songwriters partook in the event that boasted a €1500 euro prize fund thank to the Vintners of Youghal. There were four categories Overall winners were Colin Turner & Georgia Theresa from Co. Wexford, Best under 16 winner went to the very talented Daniel Ryan from Youghal, Best Group went to the dance gurus Synergy from Youghal and Co Waterford and Best Individual Performance went to Darragh Lee.

Des Collins

This week we spoke to local Cork singer songwriter Des Collins. Des was born and raised in Douglas, Cork, Ireland. He first took up the guitar as a teenager and played in various bands around Cork city during the 1960's & 1970's. Then in 1977 he gave up music to concentrate on business.Des is married with 5 sons and 14 grandchildren, the most recent grandchild Lucy only coming into this world last week, and after a lifetime in business working hard, Des decided to return to his roots in music in 2009. It was only then, he began writing songs for the first time.

Brendan Shine

Music was in Brendan’s family from an early age. His father, the late Paddy Shine, had his own Country Band, with whom Brendan made his musical debut, playing twice a week, at an open air dance called the Maypole in Summerhill. Whilst still at secondary school, it became clear that Brendan had a unique singing voice, and was a very talented musician, and it was only a matter of time before he was to become one of the biggest stars Ireland has ever produced.

Brendan joined “Kieran Kelly’s Ceili Band” along with school friend, Johnny Dawson, (who, to this day, is still playing drums with Brendan, in the “Brendan Shine Band”). He stayed with the ceili band for six years. By day, Brendan ran a successful market garden farm, and had a tremendous name as a carrot producer. Brendan later made his own traditional song, “Carrots”. By night, the van became his first tour bus. He then formed his own band, which included Johnny and Brendan’s younger brother, the late Owen Shine on keyboards. Playing pubs and clubs around his hometown of Althlone most nights of the week, it was time then to move on from the farming job to concentrate on his musical career.

Art Supple

Art Supple didn’t grow up with the ambition to be a professional singer. He was quite content to work on his father’s farm in the East Cork village of Gortroe, Art started life singing in the local village hall with a local talent group called The Barony Aces and as he grew a little older he started singing with a semi professional group led by local musician Pat Irwin. He might have continued to do this for a few more years but a new professional band called The Victors were starting. Acting on a tip from a local ballroom owner the Victors manager Terry Louge decided to ask Art to join as lead vocalist. Art & the Victors first hit single was a number called “Showbands on Parade” and it was the biggest selling single on the Irish Decca label Rex in 1965. It was a also year which saw Art voted in the top 10 Showband Singers of the Year, top ten personalities of the year and The Victors were listed as one of the top ten Favourite recording show bands in The New Spotlight Music Magazine.

The Great Katie Taylor in song

The Great Katie Taylor - Gold London Olympics 2012

Its not an interview so relax . I was watching the fight at home yesterday and when it was over I put pen to paper sat down with the guitar and recorded it onto my Tascam DR7 hand held recorder so the quality is not the best . Anyway its just my way of acknowledging a great moment in Irish history, Sport and Times. A fantastic person, a fantastic achievement. The great Katie Taylor, I didnt get into the studio just recorded it in the kitchen , Hey when the mood strikes ....what can I say.. Well done Katie

Arkadia

Arkadia , not your typical band.

This week was a busy week, but in the middle of it all I had the chance to chat with the members of the local group Arkadia who took a break out of recording their new promo, behind the scenes documentary DVD with Blue Shed Productions in Claycastle Recording studios to come into the studio and talk to me.  Arkadia are a powerhouse group who play in local venues in East Cork and at many corporate, wedding and dance functions and festivals around the country on a regular basis.

Linda Welby

Linda Welby a native of Loughrea in Co Galway, Linda, is many things, singer, songwriter, radio presenter but first and foremost a mother of eight children. Her first album 'A Story to Tell' as the title suggested was a collection of self penned songs which she sang herself, Due to the success of the first album she went on to record her second 'The Best of Times' a collection of contemporary songs and music again, written and composed by herself. On meeting Linda she is very quite, almost shy, very unassuming, and very much un aware of her gift in writing songs. When you hear Linda sing there is no pretence, she sings with a natural voice, her native Galway accent strong. She has no airs or graces and sings from the heart. One of the reasons why she has become so popular over the last few years and one of the reasons why she has travelled to so many countries singing her own songs in her own style.

The Wall St Thieves 3

Well I had the lads back in studio today, after their last visit its been mad with the amount of calls from listeners asking "when are they coming back on" to keep everyone happy we got them back into studio again.  The Wall Street Thieves are a four piece rock group. The band was started by Che Horgan and Eric Doherty in 2008.  There has been a couple of changes in the bands line up since then, having had Colin Morgan drumming to be replaced by Dereck O Shea who was later replaced by James Zinkant who is currently with the band. The lead guitarist, Eric Doherty, has been replaced by Dave O Callaghan. The line up is completed by the solid Shane Norberg on Bass who is also doubling on harmony vocals. Ranging in age from early to mid twenties, the members invoke an era when songwriters had something to say and music had substance. 

The Hard Ground

Speaking to Marlene Enright, singer with the Hard Ground, this week we discussed their debut studio album, Broken Conversations, which was released on Friday the 13th of July, we talked about the band and how things are progressing in recent times. She said that “Thank fully the national stations have play listed some of their songs and all the local stations are playing their songs as well. She went onto say that part of the reason for this was their video Pawn which was filmed and edited by Maurice Supple from Blue Shed Productions, got a fantastic response on Youtube from many of the people involved in those stations.

Jimmy Crowley Stephen Leeson

Irish Folk at its Best with Jimmy Crowley & Stephen Leeson. Music lovers are in for a real special magical treat on Friday 3rd of August when two very different but fantastic Irish Folk Singer/Songwriters; Jimmy Crowley and Stephen Leeson come together in a production of “Irish Folk at its Best” for one night only, at The Mall Arts Centre, Youghal, Co. Cork. Before the gig on the night Shane Supple had the pleasure of interviewing these amazing people.

Daniel Ryan

This week I was joined in studio by 15 year old Daniel Ryan from Youghal, Daniel who was a runner up in the recent busking competition in Youghal and a current finalist in The Perks Talent Competition is a young musician who loves to play his 2 row button accordion.

What makes Daniel special is the fact that he writes a lot of his own songs in a traditional style with a fusion of new ideas and styles. He played one song for me in studio which I have to admit left me breathless. The song called Determination was a fast self composed song, what was extraordinary about it was the speed with which he played it. It was musically, one of the most complicated pieces I have heard in a long time and he breezed through it, his fingers flying from note to note, calm collected and concentrating on his music I could just sit in awe as I watched him play.

The Buachaills

This week I had the pleasure of spending some time in the company of The Buachaills which comprises of Eoin Murphy, Aaron Dolan, Paudie O'Brien and Rob Carlile. The fifth member Eamonn Mulholland, in Canada on holiday, is due back any day now according to the lads. I asked the lads where it all started and how did they form the band. Paudie the elder statesman of the group replied that himself, and Eoin have been playing ballads together since 1992 when they were both members of the Castlelyons pipe band.