Magno's hosts the mighty White

Magno’s hosts the mighty White


Local Scene
Henry McGlade

Castlebar’s newest live venue, Magno’s (above Hog’s Heaven Bar in the Mayo Leisure Point Complex), was officially opened last Thursday night, April 30, to the sounds of the Rod Stewart Tribute Show. Over the past few weekends the venue has featured such acts as the Coldplay Tribute Band, ’80s star Hazel O’Connor, Mickey Harte and George Murphy.
Anyone who has yet to visit the new venue should be sure to do so on Thursday, May 14, when Freddie White will take to the stage. Whether interpreting songs by his favourite writers, such as Randy Newman, Tom Waits, John Hiatt and Guy Clark, or performing his own classy compositions, Freddie’s live performances are nothing short of legendary.
Freddie has been part of the fabric of the live music scene in Ireland since the 1970s. Born in Cobh, Co Cork, into a musical family, by age 13, he was playing in school bands. By 17, he was playing professionally. He moved to London when he was 19, cutting his teeth there by busking in subways. It was during this time that he developed his unique voice and guitar style.
A founding member of Scullion, he later formed The Fake, one of the seminal Irish bands of the late 1970s. In 1978, The Freddie White Band was born, and it hit the ground running, touring with Eric Clapton that same year. Since then, Freddie has regularly toured Ireland and Europe.
For the past year, Freddie has been hard at work with his latest recording, collaborating with songwriters Jimmy MacCarthy and Jim Barrett. His latest CD, ‘Stormy Lullaby’, is a collection of eleven songs. Some are newly written, while others have proven their worth by becoming firm favourites with his live audiences. None has been recorded before.
A stunning collection of moody tracks in which Freddie White’s musicianship and voice shine through, the album has an acoustic feel thanks to the input of a small, tight group of musicians from his native Cork. Freddie’s keen ear for quality songs and exemplary song-writing skills, stand out in this, his most-intimate offering to date.