'Bluegrass on the Walls', Derry city, 1 Aug. 2009: UPDATE

Frank Galligan reports on the bluegrass section of the Maiden City Festival in Derry city:

The final list for Bluegrass on the Walls (Sat. 1 Aug. 2009) is now complete. Groups performing on Saturday afternoon on Derry's historic walls and within the city are the Broken String Band, Woodbine, Niall Toner, Knotty Pine, and Acoustic Grass. That night there will be a concert in the Junction featuring Broken String, Niall Toner, and the wonderful Josh Goforth, who played with Appalachian Trail in the early days of the festival.

The Junction is a community relations resource and peace building centre established through a partnership between community relations organisations throughout the North-west and is located in Derry's Bishop Street. The Festival is delighted to welcome Josh back... his solo performances are a mix of traditional, bluegrass, swing, original and acoustic music. He will play numerous instruments, including guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, bass, piano, and even some surprising rhythm instruments. Josh is also an excellent storyteller and will delight audiences with tales about his ancestors and heritage living in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, and to that end he will be giving a talk in the Verbal Arts Centre on the Saturday.

Update: Josh Goforth is also a member of David Holt & the Lightning Bolts.

Thanks to Sharon Loughrin, who sends the address of the Maiden City Festival website, where the full programme complete with maps, booking details, etc., can be found. Sharon adds:

The lineup is very varied; Frank's post is probably of most interest to bluegrass fans, but it is worth noting that there are also performances by Janet Holmes, Eilidh Patterson, and the Henry Girls (who really got the stage lit up at Westport this year, they were amazing). I hope this is of interest, and maybe we can attract a few visitors up north to enjoy a taste of our heritage.