The Waterboys, The High Kings & The Hot Sprockets added to Westport Festival of Music & Food

May 06, 2013 News 0

The Westport Festival of Music & Food is delighted to announce that The Waterboys will be returning to the stunning grounds of Westport House this year for the two day multi-stage festival which takes place on 29 & 30 June. They will be joined by Irish folk band The High Kings and Dublin band The Hot Sprockets as well as a host of international and Irish acts including Christy Moore, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Imelda May, ABC, Squeeze, Blind Boys of Alabama, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club and Martha Wainright.

The Waterboys were formed in 1983 by Mike Scott and became famous for their powerful live performances and majestic alternative rock albums such as A Pagan Place and This Is The Sea, which included their biggest hit The Whole Of The Moon. After the recruitment of Irish fiddle maestro Steve Wickham, the band created their million-selling album Fisherman’s Blues, on which Scott’s original and unusual song-writing was merged with older musics – country, trad, blues and gospel – to electrifying effect. Since then The Waterboys have continued to make genre-busting records and have matured into one of the world’s finest live acts.

The High Kings are Ireland’s folk band of the year and include Brian Dunphy, Martin Furey, Darren Holden and Finbarr Clancy. Coming from accomplished Musical pedigrees, The High Kings grew up in households soaked in the Irish Musical tradition and each member of the band witnessed first-hand the power of well-crafted Irish music on an audience.   Since The High Kings started, they have sold out hundreds of shows, in Ireland and the US, made numerous TV appearances, and achieved platinum status with both albums.

The Hot Sprockets are five friends who came together with a shared love of Rock N’ Roll music…The kind of Rock N’ Roll music that is haunted by the ghost of country and blues. A phenomenal live band, recent years has seen these smart blues-rockers play over 200 gigs including support slots with The Zutons, The View, Divine Comedy, Ida Maria, Peter Hook, Republic of Loose and BP Fallon. The Hot Sprockets are living up to their early promise and stunning debut album (Honey Skippin’) by recording a mighty (yet unnamed) second album which is described as an album “to be listened to in the spirit in which it was made”. This album was recorded in Grouse Lodge, Windmill lane & Orphan Studios, it was produced by Gavin Glass and mixed by Declan Gaffney (U2) & Dougal Lott (Ray Davies).

The Westport Festival of Music & Food promises a fantastic fun filled weekend of entertainment with music from international and Irish musical acts, comedy, amazing food village, quality on-site camping, beer tents and wine bars in a truly relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The eclectic line up for the two days is as follows:

Saturday, 29th June
Christy Moore with Declan Sinnott, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club featuring Eliades Ochoa & Omara Portuondo, ABC, Blind Boys of Alabama, The Grand Parade, The Stunning, Alabama 3, The Waterboys, The High Kings, Hayseed Dixie, Gavin James, Julie Feeney, New Sunset Hotel, Le Galaxie, Daithi, Tieranniesaur, Funeral Suits, Sleep Thieves, Elaine Mai, In their Thousands, The Depravations, Stephen James Band. Bernard O’Shea, Karl Spain, Barry Murphy, Danny Dowling and Joe Rooney.

Sunday, 30th June
Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Imelda May, Squeeze, Martha Wainright, LAPD (Donal Lunny, Andy Irvine, Liam O’Flynn & Paddy Glackin), Sharon Corr, I Draw Slow, Jack Lukeman presents Jack’s Duets with Special Guests, Damien Dempsey, The Clew Bay Pipe Band presents “Pipe-Versity”, Ryan Sheridan, The Riptide Movement, Cry Before Dawn, Hermitage Green, The Silver Seas, Delorentos, The Hot Sprockets, Squarehead, Kid Karate, Not Squares, Mojo Gogo, So Cow, Dott, Doghouse, Colin Murphy, Joe Rooney, Phil Jupitus, Barry Murphy and Danny Dowling.

Westport Festival Day & Weekend Festival Tickets are on sale now from www.westportfestival.com.
·                     Adult Day Ticket – €75.00
·                     Adult Weekend Ticket – €130.00
·                     Teen Day Ticket* – €40.00 (13-17 years old)
·                     Teen Weekend Ticket* x €65.00 (13-17 year olds).

NB Children under 12 are free, once accompanied by a person 18yrs or older – Limit of 2 children per adult.     *Teens must be accompanied by an adult, aged 18 years or older.

Weekend tickets including camping and/or campervans and car parking tickets are available from www.westporthouse.ie.