New Documentary About Unsigned Irish Acts

A new documentary called Back To Basics Tour, which is about a group of unsigned acts trying to make it big in the Irish music scene, will be screened at Dublin's The Sugar Club, on 6 November (Doors 7.45pm).

The ground-breaking documentary follows musicians Greg Clifford, Barry Jay Hughes and Ian N. Brennan on a self-booked and funded 17-date tour of Ireland.

The documentary was made by one the musicians and his father. Greg and his dad Dave Clifford run Clifford Clifford Productions together, a Dublin-based father-son duo that works primarily on videos with Ireland’s leading musicians and spoken word artists. The Back To Basics Tour is their debut documentary.

According to Dave Clifford, the film captures the "struggles" that ensue within an unsigned music scene and the self-motivation required to "persevere and survive".

He tells Hot Press: “A film like this has never been produced before, thus giving it an edge and making it newsworthy. The tour aesthetic was one of grassroots DIY graft, with an emphasis placed on pure, honest and stripped back acoustic performances”.

“Identifying and working sensibly within limitations and parameters was imperative throughout, both in bringing the tour to fruition and film to life. The whole project was created void of any funding.”

Greg Clifford, who holds a masters in contemporary composition, explained further: “We have created a modest yet important original film that not only documents new music and live performances but also reveals humour and traits indigenous to the people of Ireland in the various counties we visited.

“The documentary offers a true, unfiltered representation of Ireland and captures a snapshot in time of Irish society within this cultural context.

"Ultimately it serves as a source of inspiration for aspiring independent musicians in Ireland. It gives the unsigned scene a voice.”