News from Nigel Martyn - and a note

Thanks to Nigel Martyn, organiser of the imminent Special Consensus (USA) tour, for news of artists in the Americana and acoustic fields who will be playing shows in Ireland in the near future.

Justin Townes Earle, with special guest James Walbourne, will be appearing at Whelan's, 25 Wexford Street, Dublin 2, on Tuesday 25 January. Doors open 8.00 p.m.; tickets are now on sale at the usual outlets. Earle, whose new CD Harlem River blues is now on sale, is attracting a lot of critical acclaim. A recent article on him is here.

A week later (Wednesday 2 February) at the same venue and times, Andy Irvine and Dick Gaughan will be performing together for the first time since their 1983 album Parallel lines. They will also be playing the following night (3 Feb.) at the Baby Grand, Belfast, as part of Féile an Earraigh. Dick Gaughan will then be playing six shows around Ireland between 5 and 12 February; full details are on his website.

Update 14 Jan.: Tom Stapleton writes:

Happy new year to all. Here is a gig to take us out of our lethargy.

Dick Gaughan, Leap Castle, Roscrea. Fri. 11 Feb. 9.00 p.m. Tickets in advance; please call/text Tom Stapleton 0872238040 and I will hold for you.