News Archive
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Ringing in the new... (Dec '02)
At
another year's end, The Creggies have good reason to celebrate, happy
with an exciting year of music behind them. 2002 saw the band scale new
heights visiting many more top-class festivals and making their first
trip as a band to the USA. Photos from some of these festivals will be
up on this site shortly!
The coming year has much in store kicking off with a week's recording
before the band make their second visit to the prestigious Celtic
Connections festival in Glasgow. Shortly after they will undertake
the first of many planned visits to England over the course of the year.
Many other exciting trips are lined-up, one of the highlights being a
return visit to the Milwaukee
Irish Fest where they will perform alongside La Bottine Souriante,
Altan, Liz Carroll and many more.
The band plan to release their third recording in early Summer with recording due to begin in January. The new album will feature their highly acclaimed new vocalist, Fiona Kelleher. Fiona has already been heard with the band on a compilation album released as part the 2002 Tønder Festival.
Keep an eye on this space for regular updates...
Summer time... (May '02)
As the first month of summer comes rolling around again, North Cregg
are set for another season full of new festivals, places and people. The
festival circuit kicks off with a spot at one of the premier festivals
in Ireland in the scenic town of Baltimore in West Cork. The annual Fiddle
Fair (now in it's 12th year) held in McCarthy's Bar, brings fiddle music
from all over the world for nine days and nights. Performers this year
include Lunasa, Tim O'Brien, Dezi Donnelly & Mike McGoldrick, Beginish
and a whole host of others. North Cregg take the stage on the Friday night
of the festival.
A week later sees the band take their first trip to The Orkney Folk Festival
on the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland before embarking on a
summer cruise taking in Sidmouth International Festival, England, The
Milwaukee Irish Fest, USA, The Tønder Festival, Denmark and more
besides................
Visit the band's tourdates
page for full details on the summer schedule...
The times they are a changin'... (Dec '01)
Well, after five years, hundreds of songs, thousands of miles, millions
of bars (of music), John Neville has decided to call it a day with North
Cregg...
Having successfully juggled work and family committments alongside touring
and recording with the band up to now, the increasing touring schedule
of North Cregg for the coming year has forced John to make the difficult
decision to leave the band.
But, as they say, the show must go on and North Cregg are now deleighted
to announce the addition of Fiona Kelleher on vocals:
Fiona, who comes from an Irish-speaking area in West Cork, rich in traditional
music and song has guested previously with the band. She is equally at
home singing the sean-n�s songs of her local area as she is singing contemporary
or jazz material. Her quite exceptional voice is set to create quite a
stir!
North Cregg in the UK... (Oct '01)
Good news for fans of Norh Cregg in UK is that the band have recently
been signed to England's leading folk music agency, Adastra. With
acts such as La Bottine Souriante, Patrick Street and Martin Hayes on
the agency's roster, North Cregg are now set to play some of the UK's
premier festivals and venues over the coming year. Confirmed dates already
will see the band perform at the Celtic Connections, Glasgow on January
26th and 28th and The Phoenix Arts Centre, Leicester on January 24th.
Check out the Adastra
website for full details on upcoming gigs.
Tønder Festival 2001... (Sept '01)
The Creggies found themselves in the middle of a musical
feast last August as this year's Tønder Festival lived up
to it's reputation as one of the finest music festivals in the world.
Notwithstanding
the loss of three luggage bags, some
colourful shirts and a precious guitar en route, the band played two concerts,
two live radio recordings, millions of sessions as well as some impromptu
on stage sets with Tim O'Brien, Dirk Powell, Darrell Scott, Karan Casey,
Danú, Ron Kavana, The Oysterband, John Sheehan and a whole host
of others during the five-day gathering.
The band have already been invited to return to next years
festival!
North Cregg at Cambridge... (Aug '01)
Under searing temperatures in south east England, North Cregg made their
debut appearance at The Cambridge Folk Festival on July 28th last. Now
in it's 37th year and regarded as one of the largest acoustic music festivals
in Europe, it's 10.000 tickets sold out well in advance. This years bill
included Suzanne Vega, Bill Wyman, Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright
lll and Capercaillie along with a host of others. North Cregg played three
concerts in all for the weekend. Their first gig at midday on Saturday
afternoon on Main Stage 1 was broadcast live on the internet and their
final show on the BBC Radio 2 stage on Sunday night, was recorded for
future broadcast on the station.
(Photo by David Granville)
mi.da:za launched in style... (May '01)
The
brand new album by North Cregg was launched in The Beamish & Crawford
Brewery, Cork on May 1st 2001 by journalist Paul Dromey, before the band
embarked on their most successful tour of Ireland to date. Highlight's
included a memorable night in Dublin's excellent new venue, The Shelter@Vicar
St. along with The Humours of Bandon festival where the band headlined
the Saturday night on The Guinness Gig Rig.
mi da:za on the way... (Apr '01)
North Cregg's new album goes on general release on May 1st 2001. The long awaited second album, which will be launched in Cork and Dublin during the month of May, is packed to the brim with high-octane sets of dance tunes interspersed with some tasty original, contemporary and traditional songs. Highlights include a lively set of newly composed polkas by the band's accordionist, Christy Leahy, a reel by Paul Meehan, which won 1st prize in the inaugural UCC Tradfest Tune Composing Competition, and the first ever recording of a traditional Irish piano duet! Listen and find out...
'BEST TRADITIONAL NEWCOMERS 2000'... (Dec '00)
North
Cregg were honoured at the Irish Music Magazine Millennium Awards as "Best
Traditional Newcomers" for the year 2000. At a gala concert held
in Dublin's HQ Hall of Fame last December, where music legends such as
Mary Black, Steve Cooney, Matt Molloy, Donal Lunny, Sharon Shannon, Mike
McGoldrick, Paddy Maloney and Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn performed,
Altan's Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh presented Christy and Caoimhín
with the award - a specially commissioned piece of Waterford Crystal.
This honour is certain to propel the band into the higher echelons of the Irish and Folk music world.
Creggies confirmed to play major European Festivals... (Nov '00)
North Cregg have now been confirmed to perform at two of Europe's leading folk festivals this coming summer.
On July 27th and 28th they will perform at the Cambridge Folk Festival, England's premier folk music event of the year as well recording a session for BBC Radio 2 at the festival.
From August 23rd to 26th they will play the number one folk festival in Europe - the Tønder Festival in Denmark alongside some of the world�s leading folk artists - La Bottine Souriante, De Danann, Mary Black, Tim O'Brien, Dirk Powell, Darrell Scott and many many more...