Go on admit it; if you're of a certain age, you either aspired to look as smokin' hot as Leslie Dowdall - or you fancied her!
Mike Hanrahan and Leslie Dowdall have taken their 'Heart of Gold Tour' on the road and, judging from the reviews from a recent performance in Mick Murphy's BAG, they're wowing the audiences with a collection of new songs and some some interesting interpretations of diverse works from artists such as Nick Cave, Antony and the Johnson and Jefferson Starship along with a few hits from In Tua Nua and Stockton's Wing.
On Friday, 17 May, they will perform in the old Nun's Chapel in McAuley Place, where the acoustics are fab and the atmosphere is certainly different, but in my book, peculiarly intimate!
The duo have written new songs for a series of gigs in 2019. A visit to the recording studio is planned for the early summer. The gigs will feature Leslie on vocals/keyboard and acoustic guitar with Mike on guitars and vocal. Highly recommended, tickets are €15 and available from Jam Music and McAuley Place, Naas and online from www.ticketstop.ie. Call 045 883 599 for ticket information.
LESLIE DOWDALL: One of Ireland's leading female vocalists and singer songwriters, first came to prominence with In Tua Nua, a 7-piece outfit fusing Celtic Tradition with Rock. With Leslie as lead vocalist, In Tua Nua recorded 4 Albums, and over a seven-year period they played and toured with bands like, U2, Simple Minds, Bob Dylan, and The Pretenders. Leslie also enjoyed some success as a solo artist in her own right and recorded two Albums, "No Guilt No Guile" and "Out There". She was voted Best Female Artist at the Heineken Hot-press Awards in 1997. She has recorded and performed with Paul Brady and collaborated with Ronan Hardiman on many recording projects.
MIKE HANRAHAN: Songwriter and guitarist Mike Hanrahan began his professional career with Maura O Connell in a duo called TUMBLEWEED touring the Irish Folk Circuit and appearing at the first Lisdoonvarna Music Festival in Clare. Joined Stockton's Wing in April 1980 and toured extensively throughout the world. Wrote all songs for Stockton's Wing including the songs from their groundbreaking and critically acclaimed Album LIGHT IN THE WESTERN SKY which featured hit songs BEAUTIFUL AFFAIR and WALK AWAY. Beautiful Affair has since been voted into TOP 75 IRISH SONGS in the history of RTE radio and Number 7 in a Today FM 25-year poll. He has produced for Ronnie Drew and Eleanor Shanley along with two solo projects "Someone Like You" and "What You Know".
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