21 Outs v Music For Dead Birds, at Bar Ritz this St Stephen’s Night (Mulroy’s Bar ) in Castlebar as part of the Finbar Hoban presents series, is the big face-off everybody has being waiting for as Philip Cassidy’s band (21 Outs ) goes head to head with Jimmy Monaghans’s group (Music For Dead Birds ).
In the left cornor are 21 Outs. This band are a truly energetic group, they are an honest to god rock group. Hugely talented Ballina native Philip Cassidy fronts the band. Philip is only 23 and yet has been gigging around the west for the past 10 years. He has gained a real reputation for his outrageous live shows which ended recently with a support slot to Redneck Manifesto guitarist Jape in Dolans Warehouse in Limerick. 21 Outs have played just about every venue in Galway and have headlined a major outdoor show in France.
In the right corner are Music For Dead Birds, who got together in 2006. The band have being fine-tuning their sound on tape and stage. Constant home recording sessions have seen the folk-pop duo collect an entire body of almost 100 songs. Their live shows are often energetic and they have so far shared the same stage as Lite, Angus, and Julia Stone, The Ghostwood project, and Super Extra Bonus Party. The band released their recent EP And Then It Rained For Seven Days earlier this year on the Rusted Rail label. From the catchy punk track “17” right through to the brilliant track “The Sex” you cannot help but tap your foot to this group.
Who will win this face-off? The only way to find out will be to be at Bar Ritz on Saturday December 26. Support on the night will come from three of Mayo’s finest bands. The Zen Yetis from Claremorris will be making their annual Christmas return to Bar Ritz. The band have recently returned from a hiatus in the wilderness, while the band’s lead singer went travelling to Norway. Mayo’s finest Pink Floyd tribute act The Surrogate return to Bar Ritz bringing their own unique take on tracks like “Money”, “The Great Gig in The Sky”, and “Breathe”, The Surrogate band will be a must see for fans of Pink Floyd.
The first band to take to the stage on the night will be HotRock. HotRock were formed in 2007 and have being gigging constantly around Mayo, playing cover versions of some of the best acts in the music industry today, including White Stripes and The Presidents of the United States of America. Remember folks this show will have an early start at 8.30pm. Finbar Hoban would like to thank Westcoast Audio and the staff of Mulroy’s Bar for their constant support throughout the year, and also to his loyal customers for supporting live original music in Castlebar.
