Up close to performers

How close can you get to perform than your local lounge bar when on a homecoming tour? It is so special in many ways.

Ask Brian Holmes and he will definitely vouch for it. He played with his band “La Bonne Heure” at the Neptune Bar in the village over Saint Patrick’s weekend where he spent many happy hours not least when he met up with his partner Elaine Bastible, also from the village.

This happened on a Christmas Eve and turned out to be a watershed in his life. Elaine living in Paris encouraged Brian to go to France. He duly did to teach English and music being the holder of a degree in music and ended up forming a country and folk band. The two other members, Hugo who plays the ukulele and Madalina the violin are from Romania and France. Like Brian, who plays a number of instruments, they also sing and also possess music degrees. .

Initially Brian and Elaine played music together, but have a more precious bond with a two year-old son Milo.

The band took off and in the year and a half the trio has been together has performed in Belgium and Italy, and has received great reviews. Brian with his busy schedule now teaches when he has the time with the band with a big following in France where they perform at a lot of festivals.

However, it is always nice to perform in front of a home audience, and a tour earlier this month afforded Brian this opportunity, as the band engaged on an Irish tour during which the trio performed in venues in Abbeyleix, Galway, Dublin.

The highlight for Brian was performing on local soil at four different venues, starting with the Clermont Arms in the village and taking in over the Saint Patrick’s weekend the Market Bar and Toales Bar in Dundalk with the grand finale in the Neptune Bar, where essentially it all began for Brian. It also provided the opportunity for his family to meet up and attend the gig.

From a professional point of view the packed audiences and the enthusiasm shown for their music and singing was highly satisfying. Their signature song “Run, Run Run” is ideal to educe participation by audiences.

The band is planning a repeat tour to Ireland at the same time next year, with a visit to Cork and concluding again in Blackrock