Following the success of February’s free music concerts with Cillian Hill, Colin Fahy and Paul Gurney in the Dean Crowe Theatre Bar, the June offering promises some more top class talent with Rob Irwin performing live on June 16, Brian Mac Band on June 19 and David Dockery on June 23.
The Dean Crowe Local Music Platform is a new initiative hosted in the refurbished Dean Crowe Theatre Bar. This reconfigured space is designed with flexibility and equipped to accommodate intimate gigs. The Dean Crowe Local Music Platform is intended to support musicians from Westmeath by providing the gig space for rehearsal followed by a live performance with full support from theatre staff and crew.
Rob Irwin is a 26 year old Irish indie singer songwriter from the Midlands aiming for honesty and authenticity through his music. Exploring themes of heartbreak, euphoria and redemption with a heavy emphasis on self reflection Rob has been carving a name for himself with his strength and control of his falsetto singing voice. Recently his single 'Puppets' featuring Leah Maloney has been played on RTE Radio One, 2fm, Midlands 103 and Flirt fm. Rob is currently recording his next release, 'Before the Rain Began' due to be released this summer.
Brian McCormack is a professional guitarist and singer from Athlone who has been writing with, recording and performing with some of Ireland’s best independent artists and now he’s bringing his own show to audiences around the midlands. After the successful debut release of his EP 'Zest' in March 2022 he will be recording a second EP in August which he’ll be performing and transforming new ideas into new songs in front of live audiences this summer with his eponymous band. His first single 'Andromeda' is due for release in mid July.
David Dockery is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Athlone. He has worked as a session drummer and guitarist for the past 10 years and currently tours with Moncrieff and Síomha. He also runs a youtube music channel with over 145 thousand subscribers. His music is a mix of alternative rock and singer-songwriter, drawing influences from the likes of Paul Simon, Beck, Alice in Chains and Foo Fighters. He records and releases music under the artist name ‘Beechpark’ and is releasing his first single in mid-June, as well as an album later in the year.
“The space is getting a great reaction – we are hearing it being referred to as a ‘mini Whelans’ and we’re investing more and more to develop it further. We want to give as much opportunity as possible to emerging and established local musicians with every support we can offer," Theatre Manager, Killian Collins, stated.
The Dean Crowe Local Music Platform is kindly supported by Westmeath County Council and The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media as part of the Local Live Performance Programming Scheme. In October 2021, Minister Catherine Martin announced an additional fund to the €50m suite of Covid-19 measures to support the commercial live performance sector earlier in the year.
This project is designed to support those working in the professional arts and culture sectors by developing events that engage the services of local professional artists, musicians, technicians, producers, and other professional practitioners involved in live performances. The Westmeath LLPPS has proven extremely successful, supporting numerous artists and arts workers through multiple live performance events across the county throughout April, May and June. More information on the Westmeath Local Live Performance Facebook page.
Information for all Dean Crowe events is available through the theatre website www.deancrowetheatre.com
