Üritus: DAMIEN DEMPSEY - Mandela Hall, Belfast

Üritus: DAMIEN DEMPSEY - Mandela Hall, Belfast

Up Close and Personal Promotions by arrangement with Spirit Music Management Presents:

DAMIEN DEMPSEY – Irish Band Tour
8PM, FRIDAY 8TH APRIL 2016
MANDELA HALL, BELFAST

Tickets on sale now priced £18 (+BF) from www.ticketmaster.ie

Damien Dempsey is a singer and songwriter who has never shied away from politics or history. The songs contained on his six studio albums and numerous live releases are essentially songs about people, the human condition, the Irish identity, if you like. For this special performance Damien will draw upon the repertoire you would likely hear at his infamous Christmas shows but with the addition of specially chosen songs that will reflect the occasion the entire country is marking, in tribute to the men and women of the Easter Rising.

Easter 1916 was a seminal moment in the evolution of Ireland from an oppressed society to the celebrated multi-cultural country it is now. It was a turning point of sorts, a strong-willed change in the direction and destiny of the Republic.

In more oppressed times, song and oral tradition was a means of communication and radical thought that could bypass the censorship of the ruling classes. Song, of course, has remained one of the most essential forms of documentation of our lives.

In his songs, Damien examines everyday struggles that affect us all, such as depression, poverty, addiction, but more broadly how the weight of history has burdened the mood and confidence of a creative society – not just in Ireland, but around the globe and throughout history. But as much as he faces up to the grave consequences of these subjects what he ultimately manages to do is celebrate the spirit of defiance and freedom with huge, emotional, boisterous heart-lifting songs. Damien’s sense of empathy, love and community all conspire to create an atmosphere of optimism. His voice is booming and proud. His band bring together the ancient and the modern in a rock-steady groove. Musically, Damien’s journey is one of diversity and collaboration, uniting folk, traditional Irish music, rock, Jamaican music and rap into a melting pot that reflects the journey he has seen his own country embark upon.