Many would claim that it was Joe Dolan who put the county on the musical map. And for sure, he s filled more dancehalls to bursting point than most boybands can ever dream of. But Dolan s only part of Westmeath s musical montage. There are rakes of other eh, rakes, with their own particular tale to tell, and more importantly, their own particular tune to play.
Joe Dolan certainly raised the stakes in the music business way back in 1964 when The Drifters made their debut. A veritable Liberace for the midlands, Joe Dolan whooped and hollered with the best of them, and basked in the glories of such hits as Good Looking Woman and The Girl Who Lived In The House With The White Washed Gable . Now to be found as often on the golf course as on stage, Dolan cuts quite a figure as he continues to re-invent himself for the new millennium with covers of Pulp songs and more. Perhaps a measure of his indefinable agelessness can be found on his unofficial website (http://web.ukonline.co.uk/rananim/jd) which boldly makes the claim that (Joe has) a touching respect for women, toning down his language and jokes when in their company .
There s little doubt but that Dolan s seed, breed and generation will continue to thrive in the home county, with his brother, Ben, playing sax in Joe s band, and Joe s niece, Sandra Dolan and nephew, Ray Dolan both touring locally with their own bands. Sandra is currently putting the finishing touches to The Sandra Dolan Band, which gigs locally.
Ray is the fourth member of the Dolan dynasty, and founder member of the classically named Flatlanders. Not that inveterate trio of Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock and Joe Ely, but a bluebottle spitfire of a combo that gigs incessantly locally. Ray has had numerous incarnations prior to his current one, including a debut with Ace Triplex, (Westmeath s answer to Mama s Boys), RAG, and later, Beyond Words. Rumour has it he s finally got the name thing right, so his attention is firmly set on getting his home-produced tape, The No Net Tape into punters pockets after his gigs.
Soul Worx are a 10-piece soul band with a full five-piece brass section and an appetite that Berry Gordy would ve sated 20 years ago. Previously known as The Blues Band, Soul Worx is, according to founder member Paul Whelan, as fine a soul covers band as you ll find anywhere.
There are a rake of young bands staking their claim to the bright lights in Westmeath. Sean Lynch of the Mullingar Arts Centre is enthusiastic in his praise of the county s current supply of young local musicians.
We ran a Westmeath version of the Battle of the Bands competition last year, he recalls, and we had 9 local bands taking part. Not bad for a county of Westmeath s size.
Participants included Jupiter Scream who have also taken part in the Hot Press Homefront Competition and were finalists 2 years ago. After the success of their white label release Frenetic they are now releasing a new CD called Ocean Flower. The CD was recorded with Paul Thomas in Sonic Studios in Dublin and it will be launched in Mullingar in April. The band s webside address is http://jupiterscream.csn.ul.ie
Catalpa Bloom are another local outfit with big ideas. Just a year old, this Mullingar quintet has a rake of original material which they re champing at the bit to unleash on an unsuspecting public. Citing Stereophonics and Oasis as their influences, Catalpa Bloom can be heard regularly playing in The Yukon Bar.
Keel are another nascent local group. Purveyors of what they describe as epic, tender verse (rising to) an explosion of climatic, spine-tingling sound during the last chorus , Keel have already secured a support slot to Blink in The Stables (Mullingar s answer to Whelan s) and are hopping on the publicity bandwagon as we go to press. Armed with a lead singer, Keith Aherne, who blithely declares that his love for music can only be surpassed by (my) desire to become famous , Keel must surely be destined for great things.
Brando are the babes of pirate stations such as Phantom FM these days. With Elton Mulally, their lead vocalist, from Athlone, they ve cut a swathe through the early stages of band life by throwing themselves at every opportunity that came their way. They were named Virgin Megastores/Tennants Unsigned Band of 1998, performed their TV debut on Networks 2 s Echo Island show, and recorded a Fanning Session for 2FM. Their latest laurel has been taking first place in the 2FM/Eurodisney Band of the Year, in March 1999, as part of the Celtic Festival in Paris, France. Brando have already headlined their first national tour, and record company interest is said to be intense. Definitely a band with a mission, Brando can be savoured in all their multimedia glory on their own website: http://www.brandoland.homepage.com
If it s the roots of Westmeath s music you re after, then the players to seek out are the renowned accordion player, Frank Gavigan and local trad guru, Colmain Moynihan. Gavigan, from Rathconrath outside Mullingar, is long revered as a player with finesse, and his numerous stories are much sought after throughout the county. With enough experience under his belt to power up an entire ceili band, Gavigan is philosophical about the effects of the aging process:
I m no longer a young man you know, he offers, and when you get to my age, the speedometer takes off!
An All Ireland winner since 1952, Gavigan is still caught up in the fulcrum of the local music scene, which is as healthy or healthier than it s ever been, he avers.
Traditional music has become very popular, not like in my day, when they thought you were from the dark ages if you played it. Oh, for sure there s a hellish lot of young people playing these days.
Westmeath boasts a long tradition of fine musicians and instrument-makers. There were the famous Kenna pipemakers, whose sets of pipes are highly prized. Then there are the players: John Joe Gannon, R.L. O Mealy (piper) and William J. Mulally (concertina). The first Fleadh Cheoil was held in Mullingar in 1951.
Interestingly, venues are a tad more plentiful in Westmeath than elsewhere in the country. The Mullingar Arts Centre is a trailblazer of a venue, hosting everything from MOR concerts to Brush Shiels Cabaret nights, operas and ceil s. Its taste is catholic and its palette broad, so it s a venue well worth checking out when visiting the county.
According to Ronan Casey, Mullingar s answer to Phil Spector and Jim Aiken rolled into one, The Stables is the live venue in the county. Taking risks, always entertaining and not a home for the hasbeens in Irish music today. Slowly but surely, the venue has become an integral part of the Midlands music scene with many major Irish performers and a smattering of international acts gracing the stage, including Mary Coughlan, Freddie White, and Tom Pacheco.
According to Casey, The Stables has played midwife to all manner of creative ideas.
Monday nights became legendary with the Monday Night Blues Club pulling in huge crowds, he says.
The brainchild of Joe Dolan band members, Tony Newman and Joe Meehan, alongside noted American sax player, Bob Bordman, (a native of Woodstock), the club was probably the only place in the country where you d find up to 16 people on stage at the one time.
Upcoming gigs in the Stables include Paddy Casey and Watercress. In another of its many incarnations, the venue plays host to Martian Arts every Friday night. The concept of Martian Arts is to offer a musical alternative to the people of the midlands. As well as offering a platform for local talent, it promotes dozens of hugely successful one-off dance nights, with guest DJ s coming from as far afield as Vancouver (Decks of Hazzard, featuring Gavin McDonagh), Kent, Cork (Bass Odyssey), Galway and Dublin. Tapping into the wellspring of the dance music industry, Martian Arts plan more one-off specials in the coming months.
Tommy McManus, the venue s owner is no stranger himself to the music business, as Casey explains:
In 1972 he held Ireland s first major open air rock festival at the now defunct Mulllingar Race Course, with a line-up that included Skid Row. A sprightly Brendan Grace was the MC, and the festival was also the launching pad for the Sunday World newspaper! 1974 saw the second outdoor festival at the same location. This time, Marmalade headlined. They were there on the back of their no. 1 hit, a Beatles cover: Oh Bla Di Oh Bla Da .
The Stables funky website can be found at: http://thestables.virtuallove.net
Casey also pays due regard to The Oliver Brothers who, as well as playing a Monday night residency, are the driving force behind a number of highly successful covers bands.
Finn s Generosity is the latest musical project for Mark and Jeremy Oliver. With new recruits Andrew Byrne on bass and Howard Moss on guitar, Finn s Generosity are currently polishing their instruments with a major Irish tour in the pipeline for September.
Taking their name from an old Irish poem about a rare show of generosity from folk hero Finn MacCumhall, the band will release their first single in August and then will hit the road. For a sneak preview of what Finn s Generosity have in store, you can catch Mark and Jeremy do a schmoozy blues, folk and rockin set in The Yukon Bar, Mulllingar, every Monday night, according to Ronan Casey.
Westmeath s music scene would be much the poorer without the contribution of Noel O Farrell. Currently chief of Midlands Radio 3, he s still a regular live acoustic performer.
With his first taste of band life with Decisions Decisions, O Farrell went on to another outfit, Different World, and proceeded to fill the Baggot Inn every Monday for quite a while.
O Farrell s brother Declan used to play in the renowned Some Kind of Wonderful (who had the added distinction of playing at Bob Geldof s wedding), but more recently the two brothers have started playing acoustic shows together locally.
A word here too, for Peter Carroll, vocalist with Beyond Words, one of the finest blues vocalists, according to Noel O Farrell. Peter s band came within a hair s breadth of signing a major record deal, but they ve since disappeared without trace.
Dun Na Sz is an interesting innovation in Moate. A teach ceoil which is FAS-sponsored, it runs classes as well as a much-valued genealogical services, tracking down traditional and folk players.
For anyone with a memory that stretches to the 70s and early 80s, The Tarry Flynn Folk Club will probably conjure more than a smile or two. It was one of the most successful music clubs of its time, and legend has it that people came from all around the country to savour its manifold delights. These included all manner of sounds from trad to folk, jazz, rock and country. The famous French guitarist, Pierre Ben Sousan played there a couple of times, and Don Baker was a stalwart of the club. Long gone, The Tarry Flynn Folk Club certainly lives on in local lore.
So there you have it. And that s but a smattering of what can be found lurking inside the borders of Westmeath. (What about the Swarbriggs, for example?) Jettison any thoughts of a musical vacuum in the midlands, and explore it for yourself.