Lesley Kane is the General Manager of MIDI (Musical Instrument Distribution Ireland), the major players in the distribution of musical instruments all over Ireland.

The initial impetus for Music Ireland, she says, “came from Pioneer Shows in the UK who were in Dublin with another show and spotted a gap in the market. Obviously getting the first one off the ground was the hard bit. It could have had a higher profile, but it worked very well and laid the groundwork for the future, and there’s a terrific buzz about Music Ireland ‘06.”

She also expressed her support for the Hot Press-led Support Your Local Dealer campaign which we initiated a couple of months back to encourage Irish musicians to buy their instruments from their at home dealer rather than going overseas.

“It’s really beginning to have a nationwide impact now,” she enthuses. “I suppose it’s a matter of re-educating people in the trade. Letters have been sent to dealers telling them how they support the campaign with the posters they’re being supplied with, but after that it’ll be up to the dealers to do their bit. I don’t think we can expect Hot Press to do much more than they’ve already done.”

Despite the colossal workload it necessitates, Kane is looking forward to Music Ireland ’06.

“Obviously pulling together all the equipment you want to display takes time, but there’s lots to attract the general public. Apart from the great line-up of live acts, it’s important to remember that there can hardly be a household in Ireland where there isn’t at least one person who plays music, so this is a real national event.”

As for the MIDI stand, Kane says it will showcase key products from the Pearl, Sabian, Ashdown and Line 6 range, but she adds, “We’ll also be launching the new Vintage Modern Marshall stack. It’s their flagship stack and this will be the first time anybody outside the UK has been able to see it, so we have a treat in store for Irish musicians. Music Ireland is the kind of event we should have been running years ago, but there might have been a tendency to wait for somebody else to do it. Now that it’s up and running, it should be something that all musicians put in their diaries every year.”

Jackie Hayden