NTB news

As announced in the immediately preceding post, Niall Toner (left) will be presenting the first of a new series of 'Roots Freeway' on RTE Radio 1 at 11.00 p.m. on Saturday 5 Dec., with a Gibson SG Zoot Suit guitar as the prize in a competition to mark the occasion. Niall reports:

Although there is no all-bluegrass radio show on our national radio station, 'Roots Freeway' and its presenter are firm 'grass fans, as you know, and I will certainly be including plenty of that stuff during the new run. 'Roots Freeway' will replace Sandy Harsch's 'Country Time' for December, January, and February, when Sandy will return for another three-month slot with 'Country Time'.

On another subject, the recent NTB gigs with Peggy Seeger and Charlie McGettigan were a great sucess. The Unitarian Church in Stephen's Green was a tough sell, but on the night there was a great turnout, and a superbly well-behaved listening crowd enjoyed the show. The following night we repeated the same deal in the Docks Arts Centre in Carrick-on-Shannon. It's a superb venue, and the show was sold out well in advance. The organisers said that they could have sold a second show, but Peggy was due to travel back to the US the following morning. I'm sure we will be back there in 2010!