MUSIC Balla gears up for bluegrass festival

ON THE BILL?Brother and sister Hubie and Sarah MacEvilly, members of the Rocky Top String Band, which will kick off the Balla Blue Grass Festival on October 24.

Balla gears up for bluegrass festival


Henry McGlade

The sixth annual Balla Bluegrass Festival takes place over the October Bank Holiday Weekend, from Friday, October 24 to Monday, October 27. With a jam-packed line-up, this year’s festival promises to be a true feast for bluegrass lovers.
The fun starts in Mannions’ at 8pm on Friday with The Rocky Top String Band, featuring Tommy Lyons (Prizon, Balla) on banjo and mandolin, Rob Thornburgh (Carracanada, Swinford) on fiddle, John Flatley (Partry mountains) on upright bass and Killawalla siblings Hubie and Sarah MacEvilly on guitar and autoharp respectively. This band has long been delighting audiences throughout Mayo with their renditions of bluegrass standards and tunes from ‘new’ bluegrass bands.
Later that night, at 10.30pm, The Down and Out Band will play in the Olde Woods. One of Ireland’s finest bluegrass bands, the line-up features musicians from counties Armagh, Antrim, Down and Dublin. Expect traditional bluegrass straight out of the foothills of Tennessee and North Carolina.
The next day, the music starts in the afternoon with Demolition String Band featuring Elena Skye and Boo Reiners, who will play in Mannion’s at 3pm. (See ‘Demolition String Band visits from US’.)
Hickory Wind will play in The Olde Woods at 8pm, followed by the Clew Bay Critters in Mannions’ at 10.30pm. Hickory Wind are a four piece group based in Athlone. Formed around four years ago, when Alan O’Neill (guitar and vocals) and Michael Byrne (fiddle, mandolin, vocals), who were performing regularly together at the time, were joined by multi-instumentalist Neil Fitzgibbon. Since then, the trio have been gigging constantly around the country, playing a blend of country, folk and bluegrass.
A couple of years ago, Hickory Wind decided to expand their sound with the addition of a double bass player, a role which has since been shared by both Brian ‘Bean’ Dolan and Dave ‘Sammy’ Rohan.
The Clew Bay Critters, formed in Westport in February 2010, playing a good-timey mix of old-time songs, wild fiddle tunes, acoustic swing and bluegrass standards.
The Critters were hunted down and tamed by Tim Rogers, originally from New England in the US and previously known as the fiddler for the Rough Deal Stringband. In this combo, Tim plays fiddle, five-string banjo and mandolin. He’s joined by husband and wife, Dan Delaney on fiddle and Dearbhla Ryan on string bass. Rounding out the sound is Brian Lofthouse on guitar and mandolin. All of the Critters sing.
Sunday will see the John Nyhan String Band take the floor at 8pm in Mannions’. Well-travelled singer/guitarist/impresario John Nyhan is a rock of the festival, who always brings with him the best of musicians, from the Rebel County and beyond. At 10.30pm it’s back to The Olde Woods for a session with  The Breadwinners.
The festival will go out with a bang on Monday, October 27, when Colonel Bullshot Rides Again play in Mannions’ at 7pm.