Pierce Turner to play Dublin and Wexford gigs in December and January

Pierce Turner has announced a headline show at Wexford Arts Centre on Thursday, 23rd December and Whelan's in Dublin on Thursday, 7th January.

With two special guests backing him, Pierce will perform a cross-section of the Turner show-stoppers, and preview of his forthcoming album Terrible Good. Produced by Gerry Leonard (Bowie and Rufus Wainwright), the project is due for release on February 25th, 2022 via StorySound Records.

SOLD OUT.
Wexford On dec 23rd is sold out, but if you would like to go, put your name down, there is always someone who will bring tickets back. (Be advised BYOB) Also Wexford will will be streamed on Facebook. Whelans, Dublin on Jan 7th is still happening too, limited to 150 tic

— Pierce Turner (@PierceTurner) December 6, 2021

Pierce Turner might be described as an Irish-American musician in the truest, and most literal, sense. He lives half the year in his hometown of Wexford, Ireland, and the other half in his long-time adopted hometown of New York City. Both places are reflected in his songs, which frequently move between these two different worlds. Since he began his solo career in the 80s, he’s worked on a broad range of projects including writing for opera, scoring movies, and composing a contemporary Mass.

His genre-bending song-writing has led Turner to collaborate with legendary producer John Simon (The Band, Leonard Cohen) on 1991’s Now Is Heaven and composer Philip Glass on projects such as 1986’s It’s Only a Long Way Across and “Yogi with a Broken Heart.”

Turner's parents ran a record store in Wexford. As a child, he sang in the church choir and played in a brass and reed band. During his teen years, Turner performed in various beat and folk groups, and, at 18, he had a short stint in the popular Irish showband The Arrows. When he was 22, he left for New York City with his pal Larry Kirwan. As Turner and Kirwan of Wexford, they played around the city during the '70s, eventually recording one album, 1977’s Absolutely and Completely, which inventively mixed folk music with prog rock. By the start of the 80s, the pair started a synth-y new wave dance group, Major Thinkers.

In the mid-80s, a solo Turner composed music for modern dance and hung out in NYC’s downtown art scene, where he got to know composer Philip Glass. Glass wound up co-producing Turner’s first solo album, It’s A Long Way Across, which received a New York Music Awards Best Debut nomination.

Turner’s Now Is Heaven (1991), helmed by legendary producer John Simon (the Band, Leonard Cohen), was voted a top 5 album of the year in Ireland. Hot Press Magazine voted him Solo Performer of the Year and later Maverick of the Year. His album, 3 Minute World, ranked among Ireland’s top 100 records of all time and his song 'Wicklow Hills' made the list of Ireland’s all-time top 25 songs.

Book tickets here for Pierce Turner's Wexford Arts Centre and Whelan's performances.