Festival News: New Acts Hitting The Westport Festival

Exciting news for those Mayo-bound* this summer. More diverse and delightful acts have been confirmed for the Westport Festival Of Music and Performing Arts, set for Saturday June 23rd/Sunday June 24th. Also flaking it to the stage are the legendary Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, rockabilly and glamorous hair-roll sensation Imelda May, towering diva Macy Gray, Irish punk legends The Undertones, Dublin rockers Royseven, weirdly attractive Northern hipfolksters The Lost Brothers, and Californian singer songwriter Rocco DeLuca, who. Is. Amazing. And very cute, in a scruffy kind of way. Like myself, shure. For more details, shunt yourself back to last week’s update, or check out the festival’s homepage. *Doesn’t “Mayo-bound” sound like a posh way of describing a sandwich? Ah it does.

Brendan Benson on the Road

One of Brendan Benson‘s life ambitions is to see all of Ireland. With a name such as his, it’s probably owing to some Irish lineage within the former Detroiter’s family tree. So, this September to October Brendan is hitting the road with his hardy crew and playing a 15-date tour of Ireland. Which, considering Benson’s other outfit, the Raconteurs, have only played here twice (one being a festival appearance) is very impressive indeed. The tour kicks off in Mullingar and will reach to such backwaters as Clonmel and Tullamore. With a gig sure to be within reasonable distance from wherever you are, you should really make the effort to go along and check out one of the great song-writers of our time.