Well, here’s something a bit different for us – on a Thursday anyway.
A bluegrass quintet from Vancouver, Viper Central, start an Irish/UK tour tomorrow.
The five-piece is made up of guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, slide and a multitude of strident harmonising vocals. They’re just about to release their new album Thump and howl, which draws on a few unexpected influences, like Métis fiddle, Klezmer and rockabilly. And, refreshingly, they sing songs about shotgun weddings and unsung midwifes.
So if there’s too much “Mum” in Mumford & Sons for your liking, if you pine after the kind of singing around the one mike made popular by The Soggy Bottom Boys in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, if you prefer hoedowns to ho(e)s, this is for you.
Full Irish Tour Dates
June
Friday 22, Miltown Malbay, Tom Malones Pub & Market House, 9.30pm www.tommalonespub.com
Saturday 23, Buttevant, The Muintir na Tire Hall, Market Green, Co. Cork, 8pm (087-7921771)
Sunday 24, Carrig-On-Bannow, Colfers, Co. Wexford, 8.30pm
Wednesday 27, Cookstown, House Concert, Co. Tyrone
Friday 29, Westport, Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel, Free, 9.30pm www.facebook.com/WestportFolkAndBluegrass
July
Sunday 1, Castletown, Canada Day at Ulster American Folk Park (Afternoon Show), Omagh
www.nmni.com/uafp
Sunday 1, Castlewellan, Co. Down, Celtic Fusion Festival – Lodge Cultural Centre, 8pm
www.celticfusion.co.uk
Thursday 5, Skerries, Co. Dublin, Raff’s On The Corner, Free, 8pm www.raffsonthecorner.com
Friday 6, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal, Balor Arts Centre, 8.30pm
www.balorartscentre.com
Saturday 7, Groomsport, Nr. Bangor, Co Down, Eagle Wing Festival – Groomsport Harbour
Free, 7pm
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Viper-Central/109607075773783?sk=app_2405167945
