Bushmills are joining forces with Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody and his Third Bar artist development company colleague Davy Machett to establish a Legacy Fund, which will run side by side with the Bushmills Live handcrafted whiskey and music festival.
The £10,000 pledged by Bushmills has been matched by Gary and Davy, which is great news for Belfast artists David C. Clements and VersusChorusVerse, AKA Tony Wright, who are the first two beneficiaries.
“It’s no secret that I’m a passionate supporter of the Northern Irish music scene,” Gary reflects. “Davy and I have been friends since school and we set up Third Bar together to help advise up-and-coming artists in the music industry, which is why I think it is brilliant that the Bushmills brand is prepared to get involved at this grass roots level and put their money where their mouth is.
“I’m a big fan of both David and VerseChorusVerse, having watched them both live – they have incredible stage presence and fantastic material, they just need a platform to make it big.”
Both acts will get to line up alongside Of Monsters And Men, Jake Bugg, Sons And Lovers, Willy Mason, Bear’s Den, Iain Archer and Foy Vance on June 19 & 20 when the latest invite-only Bushmills Live bash takes place in their home Antrim distillery.