Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
WHISKEY & WATER
There’s something happening around our coastline. A swirling of mystical forces, perhaps, a shift in the tectonic plates, a giant stirring from his ancient slumber. Or maybe it’s less fantastical than that – a coming together of musically minded people tapping into strong local resources.
Whatever the cause, the effect is a positive one. We’ve seen the Atlantic Sessions take hold in recent years and from a lowkey beginning it has grown in confidence and stature to become one of the biggest events on Northern Ireland’s music calendar.
Open House are doing incredible things in Bangor – PIL anybody? – the Portico Sessions in Portaferry, though small, are bring some of that spirit to the Ards Peninsula. Now arts organisation Snow Water has teamed up with Bushmills to present a series of mini-festivals dotted around Northern Ireland’s coastline including Newcastle, Whitehead, Cushendall, Ballycastle, Rathlin and Portrush, a celebration of the best of our music, literature and film.
The first of the monthly showcases is at Newcastle’s Anchor Bar next Saturday and features singer-songwriter Matt Mcginn and his long-time pal and collaborator John Mccullough on keys. It’s a sort-of home gig for Matt whose warm rasp could only have come from the Mournes – and he’s in top form with the critical acclaim garnered for third album The End Of The Common Man. They’re to be joined by Derry rockers Wood Burning Savages, themselves surely still on Cloud 9 after a surprise double at the Northern Ireland Music Prize this year – winning Best Live Act and the big one, Best Album. There’s also a DJ set by the great Joe Lindsay and a screening of acclaimed documentary The Irish Pub – plus a Bushmills reception, whiskey tasting and stew.
Joe, an artistic advisor at Snow Water, explained what the festival is all about. He said: “We wanted to put together something that shared the things we love, the things we enthuse about, the things that keep us going.
“More than enough for memorable days and nights away. We say ‘away’ because we eat to take the best of nusic, spoken word, film and dancing to some of the most special places in Northern Ireland.
“This isn’t ‘pop-up’ this is a ‘drop-by’ thing. A series of unique, curated events in venues where music and good times are the very foundations of the building.
“Music and great times – we’re really great at that here.”
The Anchor Bar, January 26, from 6pm. Tickets £25, from eventbrite.co.uk.