Visits by country artists: UPDATE

Thanks to Gerry Fitzpatrick for the news that the alt.country band Kevin Montgomery & the Road Trippers will tour Ireland in early January, playing at Whelan's, Dublin (3 Jan.), the Moving Stairs, Boyle (4 Jan.), Barry's, Sligo (5 Jan.), the Spirit Store, Dundalk (6 Jan.), and the Errigle Inn, Belfast (7 Jan.). For more info, see this link. Gerry adds: 'The band will feature a star-studded lineup including Grammy-award-winning Al Perkins, pedal steel (Emmylou Harris & the Nash Ramblers); Robert Reynolds and Paul Deakin (the Mavericks), bass and drums; and Mike McAdam, guitar (Steve Earle & the Dukes, Radney Foster).'

Special guests appearing only at the Whelan's show on 3 Jan. will be the Dublin-based acoustic folk and country outfit, the Sick and Indigent Song Club: Gary Fitzpatrick, vocals, guitar; Angie McLoughlin, vocals, ukulele; Shane McGrath, vocals, mandolin; Christian Volkman, harmonica, bass; Sheila Sullivan, fiddle; and Gerry Fitzpatrick, dobro.

You can hear the Sick and Indigent Song Club perform a selection from their eclectic repertoire of songs from 9.30 p.m. every Monday at the Ha'penny Bridge Inn, 42 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2 (admission free).

Thanks also to Roger Ryan for the news that country artists Diercks Bentley and Jace Everett play at Whelan's, Dublin, on 16 Jan. as part of a tour of these islands. Roger also reports that Cork city has a new country music venue: the Deanrock in Togher presents Tony Stevens and his band on 'Women's little Christmas' (6 Jan.), and leading Irish country bands every Thursday from 9 Feb. to 6 Apr.