ENTERTAINMENT: John Spillane on Westival line-up

John Spillane is set to perform in Westport Town Hall Theatre on Friday, October 25, at 8pm as part of this year’s Westival, Westport’s festival of music and the arts.
Spillane is a musician, songwriter, performer, recording artist, storyteller, poet and dreamer. Rooted in people, place and story, his music transports the listener and his live performances captivate audiences around the world.
As an artist, his music appeals to listeners across many genres and generations. His vocal style has a unique almost sean-nós like quality and his performances shimmer with the magical realism that permeates many of his songs as he effortlessly flits between beautiful poetry tinged with melancholy to roguish, irreverent humour.
A native of Cork, the county he lovingly describes as ‘the centre of the universe’, Spillane has the ability to charm, mesmerise and entertain in equal measure. His music is inspired by and encapsulates Irish traditional music in its contemporary form – a reflection of Ireland today. A two-time Meteor award winner for Best Folk/Trad Act, Spillane has an extensive back catalogue, beginning with the 1997 album ‘The Wells of the World’. His songs have been covered by Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon, Seán Keane and many others.
For tickets, visit westporttheatre.com or call the Westport Town Hall Theatre box office on 098 28459. For more on this year’s Westival, which runs from October 23 to 28, see www.westival.ie and next week’s Mayo News.