DAVID LOOKS FORWARD TO SPIRIT STORE GIG

DAVID Keenan is looking forward to starting a nationwide tour with a gig in The Spirit Store on March 16.

He’s just returned from New York where he performed a number of gigs with the legendary Glen Hansard of The Frames as well as some solo shows.

‘It was incredible’, he says. And it wasn’t just the opportunity to perform alongside one of Ireland’s great musicians to an audience of 2,000 people in Brooklyn but the chance to walk the streets where the whole singer songwriter genre emerged in the ‘sixties.

‘I played with Glen in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island and New Jersey and did a couple of gigs of my own,’ says David.

‘It was my first time in New work and it was wondrous. I went straight to Greenwich Village and walked all over the Lower East Side.

‘I checked all the old ghosts, heroes of mine, and walked in their footsteps.’

He pays tribute to Glen for giving him the opportunity to play in New York and for supporting him, and other young Irish musicians, down the years.

‘Glen is a great supporter of Irish artists and giving them opportunities. It was very humbling to be with him.’

David also found time to write some songs while soaking up inspiration from the city that never sleeps.

‘I tried to turn the whole experience into songs and I think I got some good ones out of it.’

He will be airing there songs and other new material at the gig in The Spirit Store.‘I’m starting the tour in Dundalk and I hope people can come out and share it with me.

The tour is called ‘ Strip Me Bare’ and is based on a collection of demos which were recorded in Whelans in Dublin.

‘I will have my full band with me; Graham Hopkins from The Frames, Harry Hoban on piano, Joey Lynch from the Dublin band The Hot Sprockets and David Bellew who is also from Dundalk on guitar.’

‘ This will be my first gig with this band at home, so it will be special, going back to the scene of the crime where it all began years ago,’ he says.’ The Spirit Store was my playground, where I went to test out songs, so it’s really good to be able to come back and kick off the tour here.‘Harry Hoban and the Brothers Kane and local band Orwells 84 are also playing so it will be a special night.’

With another visit to New York beckoning in June when he finishes this nine week tour, local music lovers are well advised to go along and see David play the much loved quayside venue when they can.

Having worked so hard over the last few years to get to the position where he is now, David is proud that he wasn’t afraid to follow his dream .‘You have to find a path in life and take no prisoners. The universe looks after you if you take that decision.’ DECLAN Breathnach, TD for Louth and East Meath has called on RTE to re-establish a Correspondent for the NorthEast in the wake of the current storms sweeping over our country, particularly the East.

‘Louth was under snow before it reached Dublin and other parts of the East, yet RTE have failed to mention the county in their coverage,’ said the Louth TD

‘You would think that Louth did not exist going on RTE’s news coverage. We are hearing from Paschal Sheehy, Cathy Halloran, Ciaran Mullooly but RTE has no voice from the North East.’

RTE have a studio in Dundalk lying vacant for some time now, and I will be calling on RTE Director General Dee Forbes and Head of News Jon Williams to re-establish a correspondent for the NorthEast.’

“‘This will be my first gig with this band at home, so it will be special, going back to the scene of the crime where it all began years ago,’