Bands to do battle for Townlands slot

ORGANISERS of the 2018 Townlands Carnival in Macroom are giving aspiring new musical acts the golden opportunity to appear on the same bill as some of the biggest new names on the Irish music circuit.

Across May and June music venues and pubs across Munster will be given a flavour of the Townlands experience with the Rising Sons TLC’18 ‘Battle of the Bands’ set to come to locations across the region.

Festival director Sam Beshoff said bands, artists and producers with original material across all genres are invited to apply for a spot in one of the heats.

The north and mid- Cork heats will take place at Cheers Bar in Fermoy on Friday, May, 18, Ocanas in Mallow on Sunday, May 27 and at JC’s in Macroom on Friday, June 1. Other heats will take place at venues in Youghal, Skibbereen and Limerick.

Qualifiers from the regional heats will then go head to head at the final, which will take place in Cork’s Poor Relation bar on Monday, June 18.

The winner will get a slot on the new Rising Sons stage at the festival alongside established acts including electro artist and composer Bantum, altfolk rockers Orchid Collective, hardcore rockers BAILER, Cork rapper/producer Spekulativ Fiktion and Leeside hip-hop legend Stevie G.

They will also win a full day of recording at Cork’s worldclass Whitewall Studios.

Sam Beshoff said he was delighted to be introducing the Rising Sons stage to this years Townlands, which take place from July 20-22 and will also include headline slots on the main stage by the likes of Sister Sledge, Leftfield and King Kong Company.

“We often gets asked why we call the event at Rusheen Farm a carnival. My answer is that a carnival has participants, where a concert or festival has spectators,” he said.

“In a nutshell, we create a space for the acts, crew and customers to come together, enjoy the gathering and explosive energy of the Carnival. Rising Sons is a key part of this, creating a space where up-ancoming acts have the chance to get their voices and music heard,” he added.

For more information about the Townlands Carnival 2018 and how to enter the Rising Sons Battle of the Bands visit www.townlandscarnival.com.