Ireland’s favourite contraband debut at Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival

Thanks to Karen Cheevers of B2B Communications for this new release on this year's Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival (22-25 Aug.) in Co. Waterford:

The Blue Light Smugglers are a bluegrass/ country/ folk group which began as a resident band for the Blue Light Pub in the Dublin Mountains. The band began playing on Monday nights in the pub with the panoramic view of Dublin in October 2015.

The pub, the Blue Light, was associated with smuggling in previous times. A blue light would be shone from up the mountain to let boats in Dublin Bay know that the Customs and Excise officials weren’t on duty. A shebeen grew up to service the men providing this ‘service’ which later became the ‘Blue Light’.

So, the name ‘The Blue Light Smugglers’ was a pretty obvious one.

Since then the band have played all over Ireland and completed a short Canadian tour. They released their debut album Record in June 2019. The album contains ten original tracks and one cover – Tom T. Hall’s ‘That’s how I got to Memphis’.

The band consist of members Niall Hughes (double bass, lead guitar, vocals) and Terence Cosgrave (lead vocals, guitar), along with Luke Coffey (banjo, fiddle, vocals).

When the group first got together, the Blue Light seemed the ideal place for acoustic music. There was a room with a fire and a low ceiling where it was just about possible to play with any amplification, much as music used to be played before the invention of recording.

Their album features the eponymous song ‘The Blue Light Smugglers’ which claims the group sing ‘songs of death and longing, fear and loathing, youth and age’. Another song, ‘Defenestration blues’, recalls the jibes of unappreciative audiences, while ‘As I went out one evening’ is a murder ballad that is both horrific and chilling. ‘Time in love’ is a love song, but also - claims lead singer Terence Cosgrave - the only and first example of someone singing in lowercase.

'Sometimes when we have a falling out with the pub, I think of the Blue Light as the "blue light". And it works in the song. So, I’m actually singing in lowercase, which is an achievement', Terence says.

The Blue Light Smugglers will appear along with the 19th Street Band, Liz Moriondo, Whistle, Lands End, Alfi, Mons Wheeler Band, Raglan Rodeo, Charlie Reader, Kiss My Grass, and Pilgrim St, playing forty free gigs throughout the festival.

The 25th Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival, Co. Waterford, kicks off on Thursday 22 August at the Strand Inn, Dunmore East, Co. Waterford, and heralds the start of four days of free gigs at the Strand Inn, the Spinnaker Bar, Azzurro Restaurant, Power’s Bar, and the Ocean Hotel.

For more information visit www.discoverdunmore.com or keep up to date on the Discover Dunmore East Facebook page.