THE NITTY Gritty, the DJ night of northern soul, funk, 50s rock’n’roll, rockabilly, swing, ska and R&B, and jump blues, has returned and hits Monroe’s Backstage Bar on Friday October 14 at 11pm.
The night is run by Galway DJs Dave Barry and Kit Kola. The glamourous Kit has been playing rockabilly, swing, and jump blues in Galway for a number of years while vinyl obsessive Dave DJs northern soul, 1960s ska and reggae both locally and around the country.
“We play music aimed at the feet and the dancefloor,” says Dave. “Music policy loosely is vintage but basically it must be something that makes you want to dance.”
However The Nitty Gritty is about celebrating vintage styles of fashion as well as music and both DJs encourage people to wear 1950s gear to the nights if they like.
“We want the Nitty Gritty to be a night that people will look forward to going to, to dance and wear their vintage gear,” says Kit. “And, as an extra bonus for our guests, we have free mix CDs for the best dressed!”
Kit says people going to The Nitty Gritty can expect to hear Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Willie John, Janis Martin, Etta James, Roy Brown, Stevie Wonder, Toots & The Maytals, Otis Redding, The Skatalites, and of course Elvis Presley, as well as new rock’n’roll wonders Kitty, Daisy & Lewis.
“The night is very enjoyable for all age groups, because we play a lot of different vintage styles,” she says. “Dave and I love a lot of different styles, and they complement each other when we play.”
The Nitty Gritty began in February 2010 as a result of Dave and Kit’s first gig together the previous New Year’s Eve.
“We’re not sure why the night went so well - possibly just because it was New Year’s Eve but we like to think it was because the music was really good,” says Dave. “We’re pretty sure you couldn’t hear this kind of music around Galway and certainly not this kind of mix. Since then we’ve had five or six packed nights in the Cellar and a great New Year’s Eve bash to see in 2011 in The Office in Salthill.”
Now the night is moving to Monroe’s in Dominick Street and the public can look forward to a great night of vintage sounds.
“The idea behind The Nitty Gritty is to bring something you can’t get anywhere else in Galway or beyond,” says Dave. “We get a wide range of people at our gigs and there is always an up-for-it vibe.”
The night will run monthly at Monroe’s. Admission is €5. For more information find us on Facebook.
