Shoreside Lough Conn, Co. Mayo will be the location for a new music festival this coming August holiday weekend.
The generally serene waters on the picturesque eastern side of the lake at Cloghans, Ballina will be stirred and shaken by the sounds of eight live bands next Saturday, August 3.
Lining up for the inaugural Conncert at the 120-year old lakeside pub The Lodge are acts from all four provinces.
A pair of musicians are promising to ‘bring the noise’ to the shores of Lough Conn as they prepare to launch this new music festival.
The seeds of what promises to be a unique day first germinated when Ballina Punx legend, Conor Hickey, realised that two of his friends had independently, and unknowingly, been planning the same event.
The pair, John Breslin and Patrick Hallinan, both wanted to bring some fringe sounds to their home county, with a day of boundary-pushing music from alternative artists, a space to celebrate the DIY values shared among those artists, and a chance for some good craic while doing so.
The Conncert crew all spent their formative years in the local underground and punk community in nearby Ballina, with each bringing this influence to other musical ventures – Community of Independents in Dublin and Cushty Gamut in London (John Breslin), Ballina Punx (Conor Hickey) and Inner Ear and The Voice & the Verse in Galway (Patrick Hallinan).
In keeping with the spirit of co-support and independence, the gig is arranged so that all proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the artists and sound engineer on the day. Sound will be monitored and engineered by Patrick Cullen of The Altered Hours.
“We’ve such a rich vein of interesting music in Mayo and beyond, so it feels good to do something supportive and to bring folks together to enjoy this,” said Patrick Hallinan.
John Breslin, who went to primary school only a stone’s throw from The Lodge, said: “It feels great to bring these brilliant and weird acts so close to home.
“I’ve done a bit of touring around the DIY community in Europe and the US and have always been blown away by how well we’re looked after.
“So the plan is to bring a bit of that to the Conncert and hopefully show the players and attendees a fantastic time,” he added.
Sligo’s Poor Creature is comprised of Cormac MacDiarmada and Ruth Clinton, from the bands Lankum and Landless respectively. The pair perform new interpretations of old songs, accompanied by viola, guitar, synth and theremin. Drawing inspiration from Irish and American traditional music, their music has dark and dreamy undertones and features themes of love, loss and the supernatural.
Ballina’s Yop and the Ballina/Dublin act John of the Apocalypse will represent local talent.
A solo show from Cork improv master Dan Walsh, aka Fixity, Belfast-based quartet Junk Drawer, Hands Up Who Wants to Die, Dublin’s Cobra Truth and Rún complete the diverse and exciting line-up of acts.
The Conncert takes place at The Lodge, Cloghans, F26 XY81 from 3pm. Tickets can be bought here for a very reasonable €20. Camping will be available beside the pub.
