Once described as: “a young Irish ensemble who look like a punk band and sound like The Chieftains,” we at The Duncairn get a real buzz out of Skipper’s Alley. It’s their contemporary Irish folk with an old-school approach. And the mix of influences, from folk revival bands like Planxty and The Dubliners, to experimental solo players like Tommie Potts and Séamus Ennis. And don’t forget that full-fisted grasp of raw, high-octane Irish dance tunes on uilleann pipes, flute, whistles, fiddle and banjo as well as those gritty, passionate renditions of traditional songs. They’re presently working on a second album, due for release in winter 2019, so this is gearing up to be one hell of a show.
VARO
Lucie Azconaga and Consuelo Breschi are a fiddle and vocal duo. They arrange traditional tunes and songs, by weaving around the melodies with harmonies, drones, and countermelody, to create new avenues for the tunes to go down. They are now often in collaboration with mandolin/bouzouki player Frank Tate, and singer/fiddle player Helen Diamond.