Paul Noonan and Brian Crosby of Bell X1 announce a joint tour across Ireland

Paul Noonan and Brian Crosby have announced a joint tour across Ireland, beginning April 8.

As two friends and musical collaborators, this marks their first project together in 16 years. Both artists worked as members of rock band Bell X1, before Crosby’s departure in 2008. They released their first single together in November of 2024, titled ‘My Bones a Scaffold.’

“We haven’t just worked with each other, we’ve lived with each other as well,” Crosby told Hot Press in December of 2024. “Myself and Paul almost have our own language together. We’ve developed this way of double guessing each other in a strange way.”

Their latest release was originally an instrumental piano track intended for Crosby’s debut solo album, Imbrium; however, after hearing the track, Noonan was inspired to write accompanying lyrics. The two continue to work on new music together, and plan to give the audience a first listen at their live shows.

Their set will kick off with Crosby on piano, followed by Noonan’s solo projects like Printer Clips. They will also perform songs from Bell X1, ending the night with their new music.

Noonan and Crosby first met as students at Salesian College. While in school, they formed their first band Juniper.

“There’s something very intense and formative about that: falling in love with music together, discovering music that we loved and then getting to make it,” said. “I think it’s all downhill from there in some ways. There’s a purity and fire there when you first start making music, and we were both going through that together.”

Now, Crosby also composes film and TV scores, including for the movie Ghosts of Baggotonia and documentary-series In Our Own Words. Noonan continues to perform with Bell X1 and collaborate with musician Daithí on their joint project HousePlants.

“Music is about connecting with the metaphysical. It’s about stepping outside the everyday corporeal experience and connecting with something magical,” said Noonan.

See Noonan and Crosby’s tour dates below, and purchase tickets here:

April 18, Spirit Store – Dundalk

April 19, Greenacres – Wexford

April 25, Connolly's – Co. Cork

April 26, The White Horse – Ballincollig Cork

April 30, Pavilion Theatre – Dublin

Read more about the making of ‘My Bones a Scaffold’ here.