Roots 2024 May 3rd to 6th

Two Time Polka

Late Night gig with Bar And extension Sunday May 5th Tickets only

It’s Irish-Cajun, bluegrass, rockabilly neo-folk with requisite Swamp sizzle.” - No Depression Magazine USA

“A seamless mix of Irish/American/French idioms.” - Rock N Reel Magazine UK

Award winning Irish group Two Time Polka play a fiery mixture of Cajun, Bluegrass and rock ’n roll music. They are not unknown to spice up their live performances with flavours such as Argentinian tangos, Brazilian and Puerto Rican dance tunes.

With five albums to their credit, Two Time Polka has proven popular with radio stations receiving both national and international airplay. In 2005 they toured the US which led to the release of a compilation CD there.

In 2011 Two Time Polka were winners in the Best Musical Act category, awarded to them by AOIFE, the governing body of festivals in Ireland.

Two Time Polka have played many festivals including the following:-

International

Irish

Glastonbury (UK),

Electric Picnic

Omagh Bluegrass Festival (UK)

Waterford Spraoi

Armagh 7 Hills Blues Festival (UK)

Kilkenny Roots

Limavady Blues Festival (UK)

Cork Folk Festival

Munich Stadtgrundungsfest (Germany)

Cork Jazz Festival

Folkest (Italy)

Cork St. Patricks Day Festival

Skagen International Folk Festival (Denmark)

Dunfanaghy BAND Festival

Zydecozity Cajun & Zydeco Festival (Netherlands)

Caherciveen Celtic Music Festival

Paulusfeesten, Ostende (Belgium)

Clashmore Strings n Things

Ham Folk Festival (Belgium)

Kilkee Che do Bheatha festival

Deerlijk Folk Festival (Belgium)

Caherciveen Mountain Roots

Gentse Feesten (Belgium)

Peoria Irish Fest (USA)

Discography:

From Pana to Louisiana (1999)

About Time Two (2004)

The Very Best of Two Time Polka (2005)

All Roots (2008)

Fourth Time Round (2012)

New Road (2016)

Hank Wedel in Concert 

50 years singing and songwriting 

Saturday May 4th

in concert in Shebeen Back Room Venue

Tickets on sale soon €20

Singer-songwriter Hank Wedel

was born in The USA in the 1960's,

grew up in NYC and Mallow, Co. Cork in the 1970's, lived for awhile in NYC in the 1980's and 1990's

but is based in Cork City, Ireland

 

He is well known for his involvement

in the live music scene in that city,

and, in the past, with bands such as

"Princes Street" and "Open Kitchen",

as well as a long-standing Monday night residency at Charlies Bar, Union Quay with mandolinst Ray Barron...

 

Hank has also performed with Irish music legends

Kila, Declan Sinnott, Shane McGowan, 

Philomena Begley and Bono.

Irish folk-singer legend Christy Moore

recorded Hank's song "Listen"

and made it the title track of

his best-selling 2009 album

on Sony records...

In 2016, Hank released an album

“Living In The Land Of Love”

produced by well known Cork City producer Christian Best featuring

a bevy of well known Irish musicians

and singers…

Since 2021, Hank has released

4 singles produced by Declan Sinnott…

and hopes to release an album of the work he’s done with Declan in the

latter part of 2024

 

The video for Hank's latest release 

"(We Are) The Rakes of Mallow" 

released in 2022, has received tens of thousands of views online

And garnered awards for production

from global film festivals 

Stuart Wilde & The BirdMen 

with Guest Hank Wedel 

Late night gig with Bar Extension 

Saturday May 4th Tickets only

Stuart Wilde and The Birdmen
are a West Cork 4 piece band
They deal a very danceable hybrid of Blues/Folk/Rock & Hip Hop.
Without doubt, one the hardest working bands on the circuit…
The Birdmen are:
Stuart Wilde, Herbie Macken,
Dan Thornhill & Wally…

Dizzy Blues Band


The Dizzy Blues Band has been rolling down the dirt track that is the Blues since 1989.The band was formed in Cork, Ireland and has performed at many festivals in lrelandincluding the Harvest Blues, Blackstairs Blues and Castlebar Blues as well as touring theUK and Holland. There have been a number of albums including 'Time Is The Ruler',which showcases the band at its best performing all original tracks recorded live instudio.
For many years the band has anchored the monthly session for the Lee Delta Blues Clubin Cork.
These road worn warriors continue to perform over 100 gigs every year entertainingaudiences with a mix of original tracks and well loved blues covers.
Come see us on Facebook www.facebook.com/dizzybluesband

Fiona Kennedy & Band

 

Singer-songwriter and IRMA Award nominee Fiona Kennedy  is a truly versatile artist. The success of her recent album ‘Find Me’ along with a sell-out nationwide album tour places her firmly back where she belongs, in the top drawer of Irish female artists. Find Me was made Album of the Week on RTE Lyric Fm and a single release ‘All Together Now’, featured on the RTE Radio 1 Recommends List , reaching no.4 on the Irish & U.K. airplay chart. Two further tracks from the album reached no. 1 on the ITunes chart.

“Fiona has such a beautiful voice” Crystal Gayle

Kennedy has had her own one hour TV special on RTE, and has supported international artists such as  Carole King, Kris Kristofferson & John Martyn.  Her unique voice won her lots of radio airplay & many TV appearances including several  onThe Late Late Show stage. Shes a regular performer in The Cork Jazz Festival & The Clonakilty Guitar Fest & has played in international festivals also including the Americas Cup in Auckland N.Z. As a songwriter, Fiona has co-written songs with Robin Robbyns of Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band (‘Beauty Queen’ Single), worked with Bill Shanley (Mary Black) on her album “The Beach’ & Christian Best (Mick Flannery) and many more top musicians and producers.

Fiona’s exciting new show ‘Natural Woman’ launches this yearin the Cork Arts Theatre & is a celebration of exceptional women in songs & stories that will lift the heart & send audiences home singing.

Joining Fiona in is superb guitarist Billy Kennedy . The duo, of the same surname but not related, create magic onstage with their warmth & musical craftsmanship. They’ve delighted audiences in venues from Cork to Belfast since the latest album launch, and are frequently joined by Fionas top class band.  Every show promises great songs & stories following the life, loves and career of a musical warrior.

“This talented Irish lady has the ability to change mood at the drop of a hat…. More earworms than you can cope with”   Progradar U.K

Ger Wolfe

Ger Wolfe is an established Irish Singer-songwriter, a multi instrumentalist and a poet who, sparkling with life, composes and performs ”carefully-crafted vignettes of song” (Irish Times).

Releasing nine full albums of his highly original work on indie label ‘Raggedy Records’ “Word & Rhyme” (1998), followed by ‘Ragged Ground’ (2000), ‘Heaven Paints Her Holy Mantle Blue’ (2002) and ‘The Velvet Earth’ (2005). ‘No Bird Sang’ (2009), ‘Fréamh ; Root’ (2011) and  ‘I Have Been Loved’ (2014), ‘Melody Bright and The Favourite Sparrow’ (a compilation) (2019) and “The Morning Star” (2020) Ger has toured extensively both solo and with his band ‘The New Skylarks’, mainly featuring Paul Frost (double bass), Edel Sullivan (violin) and Martin Leahy (Drums) over the last 20 years.

Primarily working in the broad world of folk music, he draws influence from many corners of the world, the child of a musical universe, Ger is currently working on a project of lesser-known traditional songs in Sean-nós(traditional old style acapella)  called ‘Ar Imeall’.

The Morning Star, Ger’s newest album release, was recorded and produced by Amhlaíobh Mc Sweeney in Ger’s studio last Summer.  Enjoying some great national radio airplay with the first single ‘Hello Gorgeous’ (a song originally commissioned by Music Network for their ‘Butterfly sessions’) this new album has been welcomed by many listeners and deejays alike.

In other news there is a short 25 minute video piece containing 6 brand new songs available on YouTube called ‘The Bright Girl Laughing at The Sea’. The piece was commissioned by the Art’s Council as part of their Covid Response fund earlier last year. Ger composed all of the new work in response to forced migration through the ages and in particular recent mass movements of people from the Middle East and surrounding countries due to war and strife.

Don’t forget to tune in to the weekly  Friday night livestream , available on Facebook and Instagram at 7 p.m., and Wednesday lunchtime songs at 12.30, both running since April 24th 2020, another creative response to our locked down times.

Be part of a growing listenership from as far away as Pennsylvania, Germany, New South Wales, Montreal, Leeds, Italy, Massachusetts, West Kerry , Newfoundland and Macroom for songs and banter- hear the work of this ‘gentle, surefooted and astute’ musician.

 

Reverse The Hearse 

 

Reverse the hearse consists of singer/songwriter Brendan Guerin vocals guitar harmonica George Franklin bass Liam Carey drums Mick Power mandolin fiddle and lap steel guitar gigging mostly in the Limerick Tipperary Kerry North Cork area playing rock country and folk

 

 

These guys really blew us all away... the word went around like wildfire last year as they rocked out The Fertha. Delighted to have Mick back again ... We were well 'Told' by all to make sure and do so... so here we go!!! 
Mick Power has been a staunch supporter of the Roots and can be heard playing at many sessions over the weekend 

Ardú: Rosaleen and Peter Mullarkey

 

Ardú

Peter Mullarkey

Is a traditional fiddle player who lives near Cahersiveen. He and his wife Rosaleen are the founder members of the traditional group Ardú’. He is the curator and custodian of the Binneas Collection. In 2007 he initiated the Binneas Project under the auspices of Comhchoiste Ghaeltach Uíbh Ráthaigh, The aim of the Binneas project is to collect the musical heritage of the South Kerry area, preserve it in an accessible archive and make it available to the general public.This archive is ‘The Binneas Collection’. The project is ongoing, and to date numerous concerts and workshops have been held showcasing and teaching the song and music of the area. The Binneas collection contains over five hundred songs of the area in both English and Irish and more than fourhundred and fifty tunes. In addition to this, the archive contains archive sound recordings, photographs, dance steps and music for local sets, stories and memorabilia. A lot of the material contained in the archive cannot be found anywhere else. The Binneas Collection website was re-launched in 2022 and displays some of the collection. (www.binneas.ie) The work of the collection is ongoing. A new initiative he created is the formation of local ‘meitheals’ that meet in person or in on-line forums to research and discuss the material of the collection and re-seed it back into the community.

Rosaleen Mullarkey

Rosaleen Mullakey is a traditional singer and accordion player from Filemore near Cahersiveen. She became immersed in the musical tradition of her area from a young age. She is a founder member of the traditional music group Ardú, formed in 2004. She performs regularly in the area and further afield at concerts and local events. She is an Irish speaker and plays and sings regularly at sessions and promotes the music and song of the area.

Strunky 

Strunky is a trio from Cork playing a wide range of styles with music from the 60's to the 90's which have always been popular. The band features Dave, John & John and are Cork based & who have been playing together in a number of bands since the early 90s, but formed Strunky around 2006. The band played a wide range of venues weekly around Cork city & county - but also ventured to Cahersiveen on many occasions (where The Anchor has always been a favourite place to play!) Keep an eye out for some special guest appearances on the night!

Vinny and Wally

Multi instrumentalist Wally Desmond and singer/guitarist Vinny Hyland have been playing music together for the past 12 years. Joined by fiddle player and singer Aoife Desmond their sound is rich and varied.

 

 

Based in Castlecove, Co. Kerry theirs is a mix of trad, jazz, folk and rock played in their own inimitable style. Influences include the Bothy Band, Planxty, Sean O'Riada, Grover Washington, George Benson, Talking Heads, John Martyn, Neil Young and Spirit. 

John Nyhan

John received an award last year for his amazing commitment to Roots music performance, sharing of knowledge and involvement with bringing many many Bluegrass performers to come and play, not only in Kilworth, but assisting them to go on nationwide tours as well. There is only one John Nyhan and his dedication to Roots Music is commendable.