Father Ted will be the order of the night next Saturday night, July 16, as Finbar Hoban Presents... Father Ted fancy dress party with live music coming from The Minutes with support from Dead School and C O Neill and Co. Prizes will be held for best dressed Father Ted character and there will be a mock Mass to entertain everybody with Father Ted and Father Dougal and Father Jack presiding over the ceremonies. Mrs Doyle will also be on hand to offer you a nice cup of tea and Marc Conway will provide the soundtrack for the evening with Ghost Town.
Hands up who likes rock and roll and Father Ted all rolled into one?
And by rock and roll we mean proper rock and roll, born in the ‘50s, dragged kicking and screaming through the late 20th century, a ragged flag passed from generation to generation under the stewardship of true believers – Chuck Berry, John Lennon, Phil Lynott, Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen.
Channelling the primal surge of rampant garage rock 'n' roll with elements of the blues and gospel, The Minutes have honed their craft on the Irish gig circuit and beyond. Support slots along the way with Mona, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Supergrass and The Von Bondies have helped introduce them to audiences hungry for something more immediate and direct. Eleven gigs in three days at 2010's SXSW festival cemented The Minutes’ reputation as gig-thirsty tour monsters with the tunes to match the swagger.
The Minutes' debut album Marcata takes its name from the upstate New York recording studio where the band nailed the record in a five day blow-out, under the watchful eye of Kevin McMahon (The Walkmen, Titus Andronicus ). James Felice of The Felice Brothers guests on a couple of tracks. Further contributions to the heady brew came from John Goodmanson (Jaguar Love, Fight Like Apes, Catheters ), who mixed two tracks, and Ireland's own Rocky O'Reilly, who produced the searing 'Heartbreaker'.
Support on the night comes from Cork band Dead School. Having spent an intense few months holed up, writing songs and honing their sound, it is clear that these guys have managed to create their own full-on sonicscape; dark and unsettling, but by no means sedate.
First band of the night are C O Neill and Co. Ciarán O Neill and his band are about to release their debut album this summer which features guest appearances from a host of talent from Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim and beyond. So make sure to mark Saturday July 16 in your diary as one of the best fancy dress parties comes to Castlebar at Bar Ritz. For more info check out Finbar Hoban Presents on Facebook and Twitter.
