Three Limerick musicians make a return to the stage this August 28

Three Limerick musicians make a return to the stage this August 28

Three Limerick musicians Donnacha Toomey, Mark O’Connor, and Ger Lane make their return to the stage for the first time in over a decade this August 28

Limerick’s Donnacha Toomet, Mark O’Connor, and Ger Lane are set to bring music to the city’s stage on Thursday, August 28, marking more than a decade since the three artists last performed on stage.

Live music will return to the Blue Room piano nobile of the People’s Museum of Limerick No. 2 Pery Square, with a special performance from the three acclaimed Limerick musicians.

Blending fingerstyle guitar and baritone vocals, Donnacha Toomey has what Hotpress calls a “richly honeyed voice”. Having played in numerous bands in Ireland and Italy Donnacha’s first solo efforts crystallised in the EPs Pedalboat (2003) and Reasons (2005). Toomey’s debut album ‘Carnival of Colours’ was released in 2009. The album was followed by an extensive promotional tour—culminating at Ireland’s premier music and arts festival ‘Electric Picnic’. The sophomore ‘Level Crossing’ (2012) saw Toomey push the boundaries of his sonority a little further featuring ‘Nine Lives’—familiar to listeners of RTÉ Radio One and BBC.

advertisement
advertisement

advertisement
advertisement

advertisement
advertisement

advertisement
advertisement

Recently returned from London, Limerick singer and songwriter Ger Lane will join Donnacha at the Blue Room, performing songs from his latest release “The New Revolution in Love” for his first Limerick appearance in many years. He’s looking forward to sharing the evening with his fellow music-making compadres from bands in the past.

Personal music delights include Talk Talk, Kate Bush, Talking Heads and Arvo Part. Lately, the colours of Sufjan Stevens and the minimal William Basinki. Wider reading references would be Walt Whitman, Milan Kundera and Charles Eisenstein. Ger formed the band Veneer with fellow University of Limerick friends in the nineties. Despite various line up changes, their EPs and singles gained national airplay from the well known Dave Fanning and John Kelly and they did a few 2FM radio sessions. 

They were one of the winners of the inaugural Green Energy Festival in Dublin, headlined Whelan’s and the Sugar Club there, Dolan’s in Limerick and supported Whipping Boy, Nina Nastasia and also the Cranberries. “They contain elements of Red House painters, American Music Club and Joy Division. Great keyboards, use of sparse atmospherics and wide open spaces,” said Debbie Schow, Hot Press.

Actor and multi-instrumentalist musician Mark O’Connor caps off the trio of performers. Mark has performed in bands and in Limerick since the 1990s and released 3 solo albums, 2002 – ‘Actions’, 2007 – ‘Robin’s Egg Blues’, and 2011 – ‘Espero’. 

He has been a member of many Limerick bands over the years including Fingal’s Cave, Veneer, Moonboot, Tooth, Golf and Headgear. He ran a recording studio for many years and represented Ireland at the Tape Op Conference in 2002 and 2006. From those connections he had the top 100 Rolling Stone guitarist of all time, Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis perform on his 2011 release ‘Espero’. Following time overseas and returning home in 2017 ‘in time for Dolores and Liam’, he has headed the Limerick Arts Office Funded ‘Piano for Dolores’ and ‘Piani Luimní’ projects. He has been working on new material and will premiere some of these new works at this concert.

His 2008 recording of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Help me’ has just been featured on JoniMitchell.com as one of the many artists who have covered her work. “This is Mark from Limerick, Ireland, who we’ve met at a few TapeOpCons and I once spent a crazy night in Barcelona….It’s a cool record,” said Larry Crane, Tape Op Magazine.

The trio will perform in the Blue Room piano nobile of the People’s Museum of Limerick, No. 2 Pery Square, with doors at 8 pm on Thursday, August 28.