'Love Haiti' this Sunday in Bentley Barker's

SOME OF THE best and brightest local bands, DJs and entertainers, are to gather together this Sunday to participate in a fundraiser for Haiti, which will take place across five floors of the Brazen Head complex on O’Connell Street.
‘Hurt for Haiti’ takes place this Sunday from 3pm and will feature a huge number of local bands, DJs, actors and comedians, while Limerick’s ethnic population will be well represented, while specially prepared food will also be available at the all day event.
The organising committee of the event are keen to emphasise that they are working “hand in hand” with the Irish Red Cross, who will oversee and take responsibility for all of the money collected.
The event will seek to raise funds for the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti, which devastated the country and left thousands dead and many more without basic provisions or homes.
The organisers are appealing to the people of Limerick “to give something that hurts them a little bit”.
The main stage will be set up in the Courtyard of Bentley Barker’s, with the Downtown Dixieland Jazz Band kicking off proceedings at 3pm. They will be followed by The O'Malley's, The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra and Walter Mitty and The Realists throughout the day, with Jon Kenny, Myles Breen and Mike Finn acting as ‘ringmasters’ for the day.
Bands such as Joe Browne and The Durty Dawgs and The Half Yards will play in the Brazen Head from 6pm, while local pianist Nick Carswell will open proceedings in the upstairs piano bar in Bentley's from 7pm.
The Roots Factory crew, Paul Tarpey, Tokin’ White Boy and Jon Greenwood will all take to the stage downstairs in Issac's Bar from 9pm.
The top floor of Bentley’s will also act as a relaxation room throughout the day, featuring massage therapists and sitar players.
Specially prepared foods will be available all day, including a barbecue buffet and a pig on a spit. Various auctions and raffles will also take place on the day, and the organising committee wished to thank everyone who has helped so far, particularly Doras Luimni, Limerick City Council, the Red Cross and Bentley Barker’s.
“Everyone we have approached was keen to be involved, we haven't had to knock on any doors, they have all been open to us, people have been more than willing to help. This thing has touched people in a way that hasn't been seen before,” added the spokesperson.

Line-up and more details below:

Bentley's Courtyard:

3pm The Downtown Dixieland Jazz Band
4pm Live Magic Show with Terence Andrews
5pm The Varadys,
6pm Shannon Bangla Group
7pm Drea
8pm The O'Malley's
9pm The Funk Junkies
10pm The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra
11pm Walter Mitty and The Realists
12am DJ Tom Fitz


The Brazen Head
From 6pm, The Brazen Head will open its doors and house more great bands, such as The 54 Club and Joe Browne and The Durty Dawgs and The Half Yards. .

The Piano Bar
From 7pm, The upstairs piano bar in Bentley's will open up, Nick Carswell will kick start proceedings and give way to Steve Hanks and many other Jazz cats throughout the night.

Isaac's Bar
From 9pm, Issac's Bar downstairs will start hopping to the sound of Limerick most well respected DJ's, The Roots Factory crew, Paul Tarpey, Tokin White Boy, and Jon Greenwood to name a few.

The Board Room
On the top floor of Bentley Barkers, there will be a space dedicated to relaxing in a calm environment with complementary massage therapists on hand to guide you to full relaxation, and even a Sitar player to keep the mood nice and vibey.

Emmet Scanlan and What The Good Thought play October Belltable Sessions

OVER the course of a genial chat with Newcastle West man Emmet Scanlan, the singer-songwriter expresses some regret that he never formed his band in Limerick, instead choosing to pick up sticks and relocate to Galway, where his band ‘What The Good Thought’ were formed in 2004.
Casting an ever so slightly green eye over the buzzing music scene in his home town, he subtly displays a slight hankering for the connections between the various acts in Limerick.
However, the strength of his band lies in the fact that he has assembled an international cast with members hailing from Italy to Sweden, leading to a dynamic and diverse sound that is ear-catching.
“Limerick is a place that has a really good music scene, I was almost envious that I didn't start the band here because there seems to be a lot of really good bands and there is a good connection between them,” says Emmet.
He cites the recent ‘Tonelist’ collection of local artists as proof of this “connection”.
“That sort of thing doesn't happen in Galway as much, in Limerick people seem to come out and support bands and I would love to be able to play at home more often,” he adds.
Formed in 2004 around the Tig Neachtain pub in Galway where the Newcastle West man found himself after a period of travel, Emmet Scanlan and What The Good Thought are a delightfully diverse five-piece featuring Alan Preims, percussionist from Italy, classical guitarist Peter Akerstrom from Sweden, Scottish cellist Nicola Geddes and Irish bass player Cathal Doherty. The group released debut album ‘Hands’ in March, a collection of evocative soundscapes filled with lush instrumentation.
Think Spanish guitar fused with light fingered tabla percussion, gorgeous cello parts infused with Scanlan’s Anthony Keidis-esque vocals. In a word, the international scope of this band has transformed and moulded Scanlan’s undoubtedly strong songs; think of One Day International and you wouldn’t be far off.
“I played in bands over the years with guys that I grew up with, but we all grew up listening to the same stuff - so the ideas were coming from more or less the same source,” says Scanlan.
“But all the lads in the band now, the type of music and artist that they would be into would be quite different from what I would ever have heard of and it has opened me up to new music and opened up a lot of ideas and styles, which is great.
“The formation of the band was all very much coincidence and when it seemed to be turning out that way I was delighted. I was working in a bar in Galway and I had been travelling for a year and writing songs, but I wanted to get an original band together to showcase the songs - I didn't know what I was doing really, except that I wanted to get a bunch of musicians together. I got to know these guys through working in the bar and bombarded them and that is how it all began,” he explains.
The result has been tours of the States with the Saw Doctors, invitations to the International Folk Alliance Festival in Memphis and positive reviews of their eclectic debut album.
This summer also saw the band play support to Femi Kuti in the Big Top in Galway and as part of the Volvo Ocean Race.
The band are now gearing up to play nearly 20 dates from here to Christmas and are hoping to record some new material for release early next year.
First, they play at the Belltable Sessions this Thursday night - a rare hometown gig for Emmet to get his teeth into.
“The idea of the Belltable sessions seems to suit our style, it will be nice because we have worked over the last while on having our set to cater to the environment we play in, so it is nice to be able to do both larger, louder venues and smaller, intimate venues. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Emmet Scanlan and What The Good Thought play the Belltable Sessions this Thursday night, with support from Kev Fox, Sí and Beautiful Rooms. Doors at 8pm.