MacD on Music: Coming soon, to a venue near you …

Gig season has well and truly begun. Last week saw the incredible night of music that was Femme Sesh 2024, as well as Selador’s gig with support from The Suite (soon to be featured in a column near you) and (in their last gig under this identity) White Lighter.

This week, I’m going to be looking at some of the other brilliant gigs that are taking place throughout the city (but mostly in Sandino’s and Bennigan’s).

Polar Bolero

Let’s start things off chronologically (although it may not stay that way). This Thursday sees the brilliant Polar Bolero take the stage in Sandino’s for their first ever headlining show. Polar Bolero have been making quite a name for themselves in recent times, releasing some great singles, playing Stendhal, being nominated for Live Act of The Year at the NI Music Awards and winning Battle of the Bands in Bennigan’s. This show is a full band gig and features support from Tessio and Rachel Craig and promises to be a great night.

Cora Harkin

A name familiar to regular readers of this fine column, Cora Harkin has been a part of the Derry music scene for a few years now, beginning with a show-stealing rendition of ‘Let It Go’ when she was just six. The past year has seen Cora release three singles, all self-penned originals, and play alongside some of the best bands currently on the scene, including Parker, TRAMP, Hard to Explain, Levengro and Virgins.

Next month, Cora will be playing a headlining gig with long time collaborators Boy M5 in the Nerve Centre on April 13th. As anyone that was at her single launch last year will tell you, this is going to be a gig not to be missed so get your tickets now.

Gweedore Reunion

April 1st sees the return of Willie Barrett’s Gweedore Reunion. This is the third such event and features a line up of some of some of the finest acts to ever grace the Gweedore stage over the years (quite possibly before anyone in the previous two sections were even born), including Tie The Boy (featuring D:Ream’s Peter Cunnah), Bam Bam and the Calling, the Runbacks, Declan McLaughlin and more. I’ll be writing more about this gig closer to the time so be sure to keep an eye out.

Punk Rocker’s Reunion

Derry, throughout history, has shown itself to be the home of the best Irish punk acts. We of course have the Undertones, writers of one of the greatest songs of all time (later tragically massacred by One Direction, a crime against humanity if ever there was one) and, the icon’s icons, the single greatest punk band in human history, Dick Tracy and the Green Disaster.

May 25th this year sees Sandino’s hosting the Punk Rocker’s Reunion in the big bar, featuring Suspect Device, The Moondogs, Damaged, Ventura Highway and DJ sets from Micky Bradley and Alan Giff. This is sure to be a sell-out gig so grab your tickets while you can.

The Rest

The above gigs are really just scratching the surface of what’s to come this year. I only have so much space here so I can’t mention everything. I can, however, give some more highlights of the months ahead.

St. Augustine’s has proven itself to be one of the best venues in Derry for smaller, intimate gigs and the next few months have got plenty coming up, all put on by Music Capital. First up is Kieran Goss and Annie Kinsella, following on from their sell out show last May. They’ll be returning on April 5th so grab your tickets now.

Also, in April we have the duo Campbell Jensen, made up of Ashley Campbell (daughter of Glen) and Thor Jensen. Ashley began her career playing with her legendary father (who also played Derry in the past) and has since branched out into a successful career of her own.

She and Thor have been playing together since 2021 and have released an album, ‘Turtle Cottage’. They will be playing St. Augustine’s on April 12th.

Also playing St. Augustine’s is Duke Special (3rd and 4th May), Brian Kennedy (31st May and 1st June), Donal Lunny and Paddy Glacken (27th September) and Mary Coughlin (4th October).

Other gigs from Music Capital are Bob Log III in Sandino’s on May 19th, Eddi Reader & the Alan Kelly Gang in Christ Church on July 26th and Back to the 80s in Ebrington on August 25th, featuring China Crisis, Nik Kershaw and T’Pau. More information about all these gigs and more can be found at musiccapital.org.

Finally, social time. Polar Bolero can be found on Instagram @polarbolero, Cora Harkin @coraharkinmusic and Music Capital @musiccapital. More information about the Punk Rocker’s Reunion can be found on Sandino’s Facebook and Instagram pages @sandinosbarclub and the Gweedore Reunion can be found on Facebook in the group Gweedore Reunion 2024.