Sligo Live

Held over the October Bank Holiday weekend, the fifth annual Sligo Live drew record crowds to the north-west.
And no wonder. Promoters Rory O’Connor and Shane Mitchell, the latter of Dervish fame, had assembled an enticing line-up, backboned by headline acts, including The Saw Doctors, Imelda May and Martha Wainwright. The Canadian folkstress, currently seven-months pregnant, proved to be a trooper, raising the emotional temperature and adding a couple of Edith Piaf songs for greater effect. Master fiddler Frankie Gavin, the night’s support, was in great form leading the audience a merry dance, however you view the controversy over his decision to commandeer the name ‘The New De Dannan’.
The variety of what was on offer over the weekend was impressive. Comedian PJ Gallagher, brought his famous Jake Stephens character to life, in the process keeping the giggles flowing at The Hawk’s Well. Josh Ritter and Imelda May both wooed sell-out crowds at their respective gigs. Wallis Bird was heart-warmingly impressive. Tony DeMarco, an American fiddle-player whose style is based on Sligo’s fiddle-playing legends, gave us a new insight into the old Bringing It All Back Home trope. And Sligo rocker Tabby, a one-time X Factor contestant and still an enigma waiting to really flourish, proved that he could mix it very effectively with the big names.
The highlight, though, was provided by The Saw Doctors, who showed lesser mortals how to work a crowd as they adroitly belted their wonderful array of genuinely Irish hits. They really are a superb live phenomenon – and that, after all, is what Sligo Live is all about. Here’s to next year...