Fanning at Whelan’s is set to return for its fifth season at 10pm Virgin Media 2 on December 7, with David Gray and Cork songwriter Chubby Cat among the names set to feature in the first episode.

Other acts set to perform in the intimate Whelan's setting include Dublin band Big Sleep, Wicklow artist Cohsa and Amragh's Conchúr White.

There will also be a special guest dropping by for a chat and a pint every week too, with multi-award-winning elbow frontman Guy Garvey kicking off proceedings. Elbow have released ten albums since 2001, with half of them heading straight for Number One on the UK Top 40 charts, including 2024 album Audio Vertigo. Garvey is set to discuss how he attributes his guitar playing skills come from being ‘Irish via City Centre, Manchester’.

“I think I was in my 30s before I realised folk music is in my DNA. It’s literally in my bones,” he says.

Guy also tells Dave about being a fan of Fontaines D.C., even offering to work with them for free on a song.

“We played with them in Dublin which was satisfying, on their first album – and it was raining, so that worked. And after they played, they - very gentlemanly - paraded into our dressing room and thanked us for having them and shook our hands, and I said, ‘I like the cut of their jib.’ And I got really into their music.”

“Art at the moment that feels like Pixies did back in the ‘80s? They are the band,” he adds. “They’re going from strength to strength, their artistic freedom is leading the charge, having worked with them they have such an amazing brooding energy but they push each other to be more artistic at all times.”

Tune into Fanning at Whelan’s every Saturday night at 10pm on Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Play from December 7, with each episode repeated on Thursday nights at 11pm on Virgin Media One.