Project '06 in Galway

Project '06, the alternative festival coinciding with the regular Galway Arts Festival, was launched by the mayor of the city on Sunday 16 July with an evening street party. The festival website lists the following old-time/ bluegrass/ blues/ Americana/ related events, some of which are now unfortunately past. Thanks to Tom Hanway for making it known to us that Project 'O6 is going ahead with such vigour.

At the Crane Bar:

The Badbelly Project (blues): Friday 21 July 8:00 p.m. €10
Singer/guitarist and New Yorker Tom Hanway (New York) and blues harpist Michael O’Connor (Limerick) deliver haunting, howling delta blues.

The Rough Deal String Band: Sunday 23 July 8:00 p.m. €10
Banjo Bill Whelan leads this exciting group of singers and pickers. Along with other band members Tim Rogers (fiddle, mandolin, vocals) and Ben Keogh (guitar and vocals) the band perform a mixture of fiddle tunes, western, hillbilly and other lively traditional fare.

Clive Barnes (blues/contemporary): Friday 28 July 8:00 p.m. €10
Wexford man currently playing with the Joe Cocker Band. With his throaty, guttural, Tom Waits-like voice and breathtaking guitar style reminiscent of J.J. Cale and Ry Cooder, conjures up a spell-binding bluesy vibe.

Wildwood (bluegrass): Sunday 30 July 8:00 p.m. €7
An eclectic group of musicians: Ruth Dillon (guitar/vocals), Pete Lamb (guitar/vocals), Ivor Ottley (fiddle), and Tom Portman (dobro/guitar). They combine wonderful vocal harmonies with outstanding musicianship to create a soulful down-homey feel.

Around the Town:
Ruth Dillon, Town Hall Bar, Tuesday 18 July 9:30 p.m. €6
Promoting her excellent new CD Woken, Ruth's sweet solemn voice complements her trademark poignant lyrics.

OGMA sessions:
Tuesday 18 July: Imperial Hotel 9:30 p.m. Free
Friday 21 July: An Pucán 9:30 p.m. Free
Monday 24 July: Richardson’s 9:30 p.m. Free
Thursday 27 July: Monroe’s Tavern 9:30 p.m. Free
Open instrumental acoustic jam sessions around the city: traditional Irish music fused with jazz, bluegrass, blues, and roots. Bring your instrument if you are reasonably competent!

Live at the Warwick:
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Wednesday 19-Thursday 20 July 8.30 p.m. €20
From Tchaikovsky to Nirvana via Otis Redding, a concert by the Ukulele Orchestra is a funny, virtuosic, twanging, singing, melodious light entertainment. Sitting shoulder to shoulder in a semi-circle, the seven Ukes dress in black tuxedos like a Symphony Orchestra, reworking classics of rock 'n' roll, punk, jazz, and classical music. 'Plucking brilliant' Sunday Times; 'They are among the great entertainers' London Evening Standard
[BIB editor's note: the UOGB's dates in the UK are regularly publicised by FOAOTMAD (the Friends Of American Old Time Music And Dance)]

Project 06 Ball with Máimín Cajun Band, Sunday 30 July 8.30 p.m. €15
Ireland's most sought-after cajun band bring their infectious mix of Lousiana swamp amd Irish music to Galway. The Máimíns swing from Irish, French to English; waltzes, two-steps, and tex-mex.

At the Roisin Dubh:

Mozaik, Tuesday 25 July 9:00 p.m. €22.50/20 Members
Marrying Irish traditional music with American old-time and eastern European styles, Mozaik have created a magical and breathtaking sound. These multi-cultural, multi-talented troubadours are the real deal [included Bruce Molsky on one of their earlier Irish events].

Hayseed Dixie, Saturday 29 July 9:00 p.m. €20/17.50 Members
A group of four eccentric bluegrass folk musicians [including the two younger sons of Don Reno] who've dug up lots of 80s rock music (AC/DC, Kiss, Aerosmith) and transformed it into their own special blend of contemporary bluegrass.

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