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news
2006
UPDATED 24TH DECEMBER’06
Just a quick note to say have a fantastic Christmas. We’ve had a great year and we’re looking forward to more of the same in 2007.
We’ve some clips of the new album and a promo video online here, so feel free to have a look. And if you have the telly on New Year’s eve, check out RTE’s Celebrity Jigs and Reels around 11.30pm, where you might hear more music from ‘Mischief’, expertly accompanied by the professional Irish Dancers.
UPDATED 3RD DECEMBER’06
Sorry we ain’t been in touch for ages, hope you weren’t worried. We had some computer problems and it took some time to sort them out. But we’re up and running again and there’s lots of changes planned for the website over the next couple of months.
The big news is we’ve finished recording our second album. We had a photo shoot for the album yesterday and are pleased that Damian’s tan almost looks convincing in the shots. Without being biased Eamon would like to stress that this album is the best most awesome creation ever… EVER! He is also delighted that his two year living nightmare has ended, as he managed to wrestle the coveted triangle slot off Soggy... Yes folks, Soggy does not play triangle on the new album!
With all his time living abroad and playing around Limerick, it was felt that he has inadvertently picked up more of a west Clare style of triangle playing, not in keeping with the northern style of the group. Eamon doesn’t get things all his own way on the new album however and Liam would like to draw attention to his fine castenet work on track one (south derry style).
The new album is entitled ‘Mischief’, and as with ‘a lovely madness’, we’re lucky to have had some very talented guest musicians joining us on a few of the tracks, not least the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra! We’ll be officially launching the cd with several Irish concert dates beginning late Feb/March. Full list to follow soon. For those of you living in Holland, we’ll be doing a three week tour there in February, along with the Fureys and Davey Arthur and we plan to bring Mischief along there with us.
But for any hardcore Beoga fan(s) who can’t that long... as a special Christmas present from us to you, check this website on 25th December day for a sneak preview...
24TH JULY’06
Hey folks. We’re writing to you from Homestead studios in Co. Antrim where Niamh is singing her wee heart out. Yes, it’s day one in the ‘Big Beoga’ recording house and already we can see the housemates fighting over who is on tea and coffee duties!
The lads and Niamh have arrived with a trailer load of new tunes and songs. Huggy’s bodhrán is stretched tight, ready for 10 days of severe punishment and Soggy has had his triangle polished every night for the last three months - it’s sitting gleaming in the corner (along with Liam’s baldy head!). Damian has munched his way through 15 bags of crisps this morning alone and has the tan topped up lovely for the big recording…
We’re just back from a tour of north Italy, where the World Cup celebrations were in full swing. The mosquito’s took a particular liking to Soggy and Liam, leaving them looking like wart infested armpits for the most part...! They were so badly disfigured with bites that some of the Italians didn’t recognise them, and in fact many mistook Liam for Zinedine Zidane...
In other news Soggy and Huggy have been witnessing some amazing young talent recently, while teaching at the Meitheal summer school in Limerick and the Craiceann bodhrán week on Inis Oirr respectively. Time to start the practising again lads!
Aside from recording we’ll be filling the rest of the summer with a few Irish gigs and a couple of big European festivals including the renowned Tonder festival in Denmark. See you there. Gotta go... Niamh needs water...
The lads.
16TH JUNE’06
Beoga will be playing a few sets live on BBC Radio Ulster, Tuesday 20th June on the Gerry Anderson show for the official launch of Belfast’s Open House festival programme.
UPDATED 3RD APRIL’06
Seán Óg here writing from a snowy Sweden. Myself and Niamh are continuing our studies here at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm until the end of May before the Beoga summer plans get underway. Hup! So it’s my turn to update you on the recent happenings.
Two birthdays have passed (me - 21st, Damian - 47 I think!) and we visited two countries in March. We played at a great festival in Luxembourg in the town of Dudelange to a very lively ‘luxembourinish’ (I’m sure there’s a better word yes, but it’s late!) audience. Then for St. Patricks weekend it was off to sunny Italy, where Eamon met the love of his life... every 10 minutes... (very attractive race the Italians!). Niamh, on the other hand, wanted to eat all the men (she later settled for pizza though).
On St. Paddy’s night we played in Firenze, where we had the chance to relax after the gig, and as the music continued into the early hours we met some newfound American/Italian friends, who had us up dancing jigs within 4 pints… or was it 7? Anyways, a good night was had by all and I’m sure St Patrick would’ve been proud! The other Italian gigs were much more relaxed (thank God says our heads) and we had a chance to visit two beautiful cities, Florence and Verona. We return to Italy in July, and we’re looking forward to that.
Good news is... plans are underway to record our 2nd Beoga album. So if all goes well, we’ll have the new album ready for Jan 2007. And Niamh will be joining the four lads on the album this time... watch this space...
Signing out,
Soggy
(PS in other news I have bought 2 new guitars and myself and Damian both have new squeezeboxes on the way… and we’re VERY excited!)
2ND JANUARY’06
A lot has been happening in the Beoga camp since we were in touch last. We spent an amazing 6 weeks in Germany, Switzerland and Denmark on Petr Pandula’s Irish folk festival tour in the company of Alan Burke, Kevin Burke, Ged Foley and Solas. What a time we had too… fantastic venues, audiences, food, drink, craic, drink, music… and drink!
One of the highlights was the concert venue in Merkers which is in a salt mine 800 metres under the earth. It’s officially the lowest concert venue in the world. The tour also included the prestigious Koln Philharmonie and the famous Circus Krone in Munich, another tour highlight. After this gig Damian was offered a job in the circus as an elephant, Eamon was mistaken for a clown and Niamh reluctantly declined the position of popcorn lady! We had loads of fun with the Solas crew on the tour, an amazing bunch, and hopefully the German Government will let us all back in soon...
We got a few days rest at home before we were away again for a three week tour of Austria with the Red Hat Band for the Guinness Irish Christmas Festival. Baltic temperatures… -16C at night, which was bad for Eamon as he left home without his coat (a sheepskin, of course). Dietmar Hasslinger (Hasi) was the man responsible for bringing us out to Austria and he looked after us fantastically. We had some amazing gigs and absolutely crazy nights in Austria so thanks Hasi and all the legendary Red Hats. Plans are afoot to make it back to both Germany and Austria for solo tours in 2007, if we’re allowed, so watch this space!
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So that’s all from us at the moment, Happy New Year guys, hope to see you out and about soon.