2007
21th December 2007
Hey there everyone. Damian here… Yes, I’ve finally been allowed to write a news page. It’s only taken 5 years. (Damian began writing this in 2002!). This is probably a great opportunity for me to get Eamon back for all the abuse he showers on me on stage, but we’ll leave that for another day. First of all I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. On behalf of the band I would like to thank all of you who came out to the gigs and supported us in 2007. It’s been a great year for Beoga and 2008 is shaping up to be even busier again, so keep an eye out.
Well, we’ve just got back from a hectic weekend in Switzerland, where we were provided with an ‘always dangerous’ free bar! We had amazing hospitality and craic all weekend from Roli and his team, and good company, namely - Niamh Parsons, Graham Dunne, Cara, Kieran Goss with his wife Annie and Gareth Hughes, along with the lads from Lunasa. Our original plan was to come home on the Saturday following our Friday night gig, but after a swift visit to a neighbouring Casino, we realised our luck was in and we stayed all weekend! A great time all together! Check out some of the evidence online in our 4th video diary.
Anyway, the band is all finished up now until after the New Year where Glasgow’s Celtic Connections will be our first port of call. Eamon and Seán Og however, will be performing in the Market Place Theatre Armagh on the 7th of January with Brian Finnegan’s “Singing Tree” project, which features some of Ulster’s finest musicians and singers. They should have a blast!
In other news, the Boston Globe has included ‘Mischief’ as one of the best cd’s of 2007. We’re extremely honoured to feature among some very distinguished company!. And we’ve just heard that Mischief has also received a nomination for the German Music awards, taking place in January.
And those of you able to receive BBC2 N. Ireland, look out for Beoga on the BBC ‘Proms in the Park’ programme, playing with the Ulster Orchestra, to be broadcast on Sat 29th December at 6pm.
Festive wishes from all the Beogas! See you all in the New Year.
Damian
15th October 2007
Hi Folks,
How goes it? Eamon here, just filling you in with what's going on in Beoga world. Firstly, while I remember, tune into BBC2 on Monday night (15th Oct) at 10pm. Beoga will be appearing on 'Blas Ceoil'. We recorded a few sets a couple of weeks ago in the Crosskeys Inn in Toomebridge Co. Antrim. They'll be shown on Monday night so happy times!
We’re also recording a few numbers at the BBC NI studios on 27th Oct for the Blackstaff sessions. To reserve a place in the studio audience, click here. The show will go out on the BBC early in the new year.
As you know we had a hectic summer and the video evidence is now online. So far there are 3 video tour diary entries on www.youtube.com/beogamusic for your viewing pleasure. Liam had to edit them drastically to cut all the controversial stuff out, as words like B@%*$ and D*&^%$* have no place in good clean family entertainment. The footage includes our tour of the U.S, with highlights like the fun had in Boston, Milwaukee and L.A and also the down times like when our hired van was smashed up by a large lorry. There's something there for everyone including some semi-naked shots of Damian in California.........for the ladies of course, (we know how you gals love the magoo).
We have a busy couple of weeks ahead with several upcoming gigs in Germany as well as Sligo Live Festival, a flying visit to Milan and back to sunny Ireland for a ‘Ag Seinm Traditional Arts weekend’ in Cavan.
Anyway, that's pretty much you guys up to speed, oh... our debut album ‘A Lovely Madness’ Is also now available from Compass Records. Check out both albums online at www.compassrecords.com or www.itunes.com
Cheers,
Eamon.x
8th September’07
Hey guys. Here’s some info regarding our concert tomorrow night with the BBC Ulster Orchestra if you want to catch iton radio or TV... Highlights of all five BBC Proms in the Park events will be included as part of the live coverage on BBC ONE and BBC TWO. Digital TV viewers can choose between watching the concert inside the Royal Albert Hall and the various Proms in the Park events taking place across the country. The Carrickfergus event will be transmitted live on BBC Radio Ulster 92-95FM & 1341MW, DAB Radio, Freeview Ch719, Satellite Ch0118 and for digital viewers on BBC Interactive Television (through the red button on your remote control). A special highlights programme will be broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland Television at a later date.
24th August’07
We’ve been filming a video tour diary of our travels over the summer for Compass Records, check out www.compassrecords.com or www.youtube.com - first instalment is online now. Martin Scorcese is directing it and we’re hoping it will sccop at least 7 Oscars, including best soundtrack, Best male actor- Liam Bradley and Best female actor- Sean Og Graham.
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It’s Eamon here, writing from Maine in the sunny states. We arrived a week ago after playing the Ballyshannon folk festival with 4 men and a dog. Great night. From there we went straight to Germany for an outdoor concert in Bonn marketplace. The weather was beautiful and we had a ball playing there! Next stop was Boston, for the ICONS festival. It was an unbelievable weekend of music and mayhem, we played to a great crowd on Saturday just before Nanci Griffith, and on the Compass records stage on Sunday just before the Uncle Earl gals, (pictured above - how hot do we look?)
A big thanks to all of you who came along and made some noise, and to Brian O’Donovan and the ICONS festival committee for having us in Boston again, and also to the Compass records team who took good care of us.
At the moment we are sitting backstage in a place called East Dixfield, a unique venue, full of character, in the middle of nowhere in Maine. From here we go to the ‘Disneyland’ of Irish music, Milwaukee Irish Festival. We will be heading home from the states early September just in time for a peformance at the BBC Proms in the Park at Carrickfergus Caslte along with the Ulster Orchestra... tha’ts right; a freakin’ full orchestra! So overall a packed few weeks ahead.
Cheers, behave, Oh by the way, any ipod owners, check out our stuff on itunes.
Eamon.
24th July’07
Hi all,
Just to let you know that our concert in Carrick-on-Shannon has been postponed until later in the year due to exceptional circumstances. We’ll let you know the new date asap.
20th June’07
The last few months have been good and busy here in the Beoga camp.
Eamon celebrated his 21st birthday in April (Happy b’day Huggy!) and it coincided with our concert at the Roisin Dubh. Galway. So we had a merry couple of days partying in Galway and there were some very sore heads after the trip!
Afterwards, Niamh and Seán Óg rushed back to complete their final music exams at the University in Limerick. Within an hour of their very last test, (‘Colour in the crotchets’, I think it was) we flew to Italy for the Montecchio Precalcino festival, where we witnessed approx 18 million sword fights round a fire... and we drank almost as many beers. Eamon was unable to join us for the gig, due to a minor injury (wee crying girl!) so our good friend, the great Chris McGlone stepped in on bodhrán. Chris provided a new aspect to the Beoga show with a dazzling display of freestyle dancing that would have Justin Timberlake quaking in his welly-boots! Some footage can be found on www.YouTube.com, we hear!
More recently, Beoga played a few gigs across the water in Wales and England. We started with Gower Folk Festival, in a lovely little setting, where there were lots of little furry animals for Niamh to play with. She was particularly impressed by the baby shetland pony, and would disappear off for hours at a time… Then we journeyed north, stopping off for an adrenaline-filled 3 hours at Alton Towers! At closing time, Damian had to be forcibly removed from Rita, Queen of Speed! Two gigs in England followed, one in Middlesbrough and the second in the Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle. Two great night’s craic were had and some crazy new friends were met along the way.
We’re getting our bags ready now for an action-packed summer. After a couple of dates in Ireland, including the famous Craiceann bodhran festival in Inis Oirr, we return to Austria for a 3 week tour and the USA for most of August, with a couple of trips to Germany and a few Irish dates thrown in between. For all the dates see http://www.beogamusic.com/html/tour_dates.html. Hope we see you along the way...
Have a great summer! beoga
21st March’07
Hi Everyone,
It’s been an exciting few weeks here. In February we were on a tour of Holland with the Fureys and Davey Arthur and Mary Partlan with Garry O’Briain and Eddie Lynch. We had 17 great gigs and craic and witnessed some strange things in Amsterdam, most of which should never be spoken of...! Look out for our video footage from the trip, which Liam is in the process of editing.
We’re just back from a whirlwind trip to Boston for St. Patrick’s day. With a blizzard forcing Boston airport to close on the 16th night, we were lucky to make it just in the nick of time for our first concert, with only half an hour to spare. 3 of us were diverted to Detroit for the night of Friday 16th, while Soggy and Niamh were diverted to a small airport in Bangor, Maine where they endured a cold hungry night on the airport floor, followed by a 6 hour bus ride to Boston early next morning. But they both managed to stay awake for our 2 Paddy’s day gigs and even to enjoy the lively late night party afterwards, kindly hosted by Brian O’Donovan and family.
We’re looking forward to returning to the states this summer and beyond, for a few more festivals. The band has just joined up with Pat Garrett of RGM Booking agency, who represent some fine Irish groups in the states.
Thanks to all who’ve already bought the album. ‘Mischief’ has been getting a fantastic response so far, including a 9.5/10 in Hot Press and 4/5 in the Irish Times and soon the album will be available from Compass Records. Nashville-based Compass are currently the leading Irish record label in the US and they will be looking after Mischief for us worldwide.
So we’ve been playing a few dates around Ireland to promote the new album and the audiences have been incredible. We had back-to-back gigs in Limerick, Ennis and Dublin, all of which were great... but the Dolan’s warehouse audience in Limerick were particularly amazing... mad eejits... completely buck daft! It was awesome. We’ve a gig right on our doorstep this weekend at Bryson’s Magherafelt, followed by Longford (Mon 26th) and we’re looking forward to our first ever gig in the Roisin Dubh in Galway on 17th April.
UPDATED 26TH JANUARY’07
Hey folks,
MISCHIEF IS HERE! Hope you’re all well and fully recovered from the holiday celebrations. The second album is finally in our hands and we’re very pleased with it... just in time for our 3 week Irish Unplugged tour of Holland, in the fine company of the Fureys and Davey Arthur and the Mary McPartlan band.
Following that we can’t wait to get home for the Irish gigs. Eamon is particurily excited and as a result we’re slightly concerned about what he might be planning. We’re looking forward to the craic and seeing a few friendly faces.
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