Tag: live

Feedback makes it worth it.

I started a post doing a “2011 in review” sort of post, but quickly realised that my entire focus for all of last year was in getting the album recorded and released. So, in lieu of a rather repetitive reflection on the past year, instead I’m going to look at the effect that all that work has had on other people by posting some of the rather lovely things folks have said to me about my record.

Gathered together like this, it really makes me smile when I get worked up about trying to make a living from music work. Getting these unsolicited little messages really makes my day, and they come from the various corners of the internet that I hang out in. Some are friends, some are long time internet acquaintances, some are newer connections struck up on twitter, others are complete strangers. These are just some of the ones that I saved and stuck in a little document that I open up and peek at when things are stressful. I didn’t put all the messages in this, just a few random ones that made me smile tonight.

So, thank you for listening and for supporting my music last year, and thank you so much any of you who took the time to send me a message like this. <3

Some of the Feedback from friends, strangers, unfers and others:
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post-launch gigs roundup

Firstly, thanks so much to everyone who turned out on the wet, windy night in Galway last Wednesday, and everyone who showed up in Dublin on Thursday for the gig in the gorgeous, intimate venue upstairs in Twisted Pepper. It brought a smile to my face to see so many familiar and unfamiliar faces coming out to help celebrate the album getting out into the world.

Secondly, thank you to “The Meadhbhs” and “The Sullivans” for adding their voices to the shows. I named the two little groups after Meadhbh Sullivan, who provides most of the additional vocals on the album, but unfortunately wasn’t able to be a part of the launch gigs due to a show she is acting in this week in Cork. (It’s in The Granary in Cork all this week. Go see it.)

The Meadhbhs (Galway choir): Deirbhile Ni Bhrolchain, Elise Karlsson, Fionnuala Connolly, Kevin Brett.

The Sullivans (Dublin choir): Jo McNamarra, Dearbhla Kelly, Sally O’Dunlaigh.

That idea worked out pretty well. I had one rehearsal with each group before the show, and I’d emailed them the parts and the tracks they were singing, and I was just hoping that it would come together pretty easily. But it really did, and they added so much to the songs they were singing on.

The album got a little mention in The Ticket section of The Irish Times today, and yesterday on Jim Carroll’s “On The Record” blog too, which was rather lovely to see, to be honest. I nicked a copy of The Ticket from a café today after I spotted it.

Little mention in the Irish Times.

Today my album went live on iTunes

I’m not gonna lie – that brought a big smile to my face. It’s about €1 more expensive than it is to buy it direct from Bandcamp, but iPhone users can download it direct to their phones through the iTunes store, if that’s something that you wanna do, whereas with Bandcamp, you do really need to be at your computer, and not on your phone, to download it.

If you are enjoying the record, and use iTunes, then please consider rating the album and writing a little review that people can read on the iTunes store page. That would make me very happy indeed.

There are delays with the physical CD, and it’s looking more and more like it won’t be ready for the actual launch days. But sure, I’ll still play the gigs and celebrate this album going out into the world. If you’re around Galway or Dublin next week, drop in and listen to me playing songs from this record live.

At each of the gigs, there’ll be a small little choir group singing with me for a few of the songs. It’s different people in each city, and they’re basically friends and acquaintances, and strangers and twitter followers, who all said yes when I asked if they’d like to sing with me. I’m really looking forward to getting them up on stage with me. It should be a lot of fun.

I’ll also be playing some songs that aren’t on the new album, which I held over for the next one, or which have been written since this summer. And I’ve reworked some of my favourite covers too.

mister ebby on RTE Radio 1 – Arena arts & culture programme

Tune into RTE Radio 1 tomorrow from 7:30pm GMT, as I’ll be playing a song live in studio as part of the Arena arts & culture programme. You can stream it online from the website or you should be able to listen back to the show later as well if you miss it live.

I’m playing along with a few other performers who are going to be involved with the Trash Culture Revue diy festival in Cork the following weekend. I’m playing as part of the Mutant Cabaret night on Friday 25th.

So, tune into the radio/stream tomorrow evening, and if you’re in Cork, come along on Friday week to the Mutant Cabaret.

four live songs from limerick

Here’s a four song video from that little set I did in Limerick recently at a songwriters session down there.

Set list in the video:

  1. The Bliss Returns [Starts at 0:08min]
  2. Water Phoenix [Starts at 3:40min]
  3. Is This What They Call Romance? [Starts at 9:45min]
  4. The Best Of Me [Starts at 13:38min]

The Guinness was good there, that’s all I’m gonna say, and thanks to the guys behind the Limerick SongWriters night for recording the video!

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