Mike the Pies have announced the release of a special charity CD for Christmas, the first in the Mike The Pies Unplugged: Live In Listowel series. The album features some of Ireland’s hottest young acts, including Touts and Emma Langford – both of whom feature in a brilliant round-table on the state of the music scene in Ireland in the Christmas issue of Hot Press – as well as SON, Orchid Collective and Hot Press fave, Stephanie Rainey. Stephanie was among the artists who recorded a special live video track for the Now We’re Talking campaign on mental health, which Hot Press spearheaded this year with Lyons Tea.

The album will go on sale directly from the venue in Listowel, from next Wednesday, and makes a great value Christmas present at €10. All profits from the sale of the CD will be donated to the Listowel Branch of Kerry Hospice. The CD is dedicated to the late Eamon O’Connor - who is the father of Mike The Pies owner Aiden O'Connor.

The full list of artists involved in the project reads: Columbia Mills, Orchid Collective, Touts (who do a rambunctious version of The Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York’), Raglans, The Hot Sprockets, Mark Geary, SON, Tim Chadwick, Stephanie Rainey, Waldorf & Cannon, Cronin, The Riptide Movement, Emma Langford and Mundy, who contributes a fine version of his classic ‘Mexico’, featuring Keith Farrell.

"All of the artists, have given us permission to put the song they recorded for Mike the Pies Unplugged onto this CD,” Aiden O’Connor tells Hot Press.”My dad spent the last two weeks in Listowel Hospice before he passed away, so I know all about the great work they do there.”

Mike The Pies is the leading light among the increasing number of new regional venues to have emerged over the past few years in Ireland. Having snaffled the Live Music Venue of the Year title in the IMRO Awards, and received a special commendation from Hot Press, the venue is well on its way to achieving legendary status. Widely loved by musicians and bands, it has been a real shot in the arm for music – and for music fans – in the Kerry area.

In a note giving the background to the CD release, Aiden extended thanks from Mike The Pies to Michael Pixie O'Gorman, Ger O'Donnell, Fergal D'Arcy and Dutec Ltd for their help in producing the CD. Volume 1 will be available in Mike the Pies next Wednesday for €10. It is a cause well worth supporting at a venue that has really made a difference.