Omagh memories on video from Dangem

Thanks to Derek Lockhart of Dangem Quality Instruments for the news that six videos of concert appearances at the recent Omagh Bluegrass Festival 2010 can be seen on the Dangem website.

These include performances by Blackjack (above), Blue Flint, the Broken String Band, Cedar Hill, Dale Ann Bradley, and the Gibson Brothers. All of them can also be viewed among the twenty-five videos now on Dangem's YouTube channel.

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Dangem's next bluegrass get-together after the summer break will be on Saturday 30 October 2010, from 9.30/10.00am to 12.00 noon, at the Lagan Valley Island Civic Centre in Lisburn, Co. Antrim BT27 4RL. Practice tabs can be found here.

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BIB editor's note: During the Omagh festival I bought from the Dangem stand a new Gold Tone BC-120 clawhammer banjo. This is the budget member of their Bob Carlin 12" pot line, good-looking with no frills (except that I took the planet pegs option); it came straight out of the box in tune and with a good setup; and it can be thoroughly recommended as a banjo designed for clawhammer playing.

I'm also glad to have this opportunity of recording what a pleasure it was to deal with Dangem. Gold Tone banjos can now be found at a fair number of stores throughout Ireland; it is less easy to find storekeepers who thoroughly understand banjos (and the other bluegrass instruments) and will be positively helpful to the banjo-playing customer. Derek and the rest of his crew have built a strong role for Dangem in the bluegrass scene here - supplying good instruments and accessories, running monthly sessions and an annual banjo workshop, and supporting the Omagh festival (not to mention the much younger festival in Moniaive, Scotland); and Dangem well deserves support in its turn.