The legendary blues singer, Robert Johnson may have reckoned that "the blues is a low-down achin' heart disease . . . killing me by degrees", yet the party to announce details of the Guinness Blues Festival at the HQ Hall of Fame on Wednesday night was a fairly light-hearted affair. The programme of events for the festival, which takes over the city from July 23rd to 25th this year, was released just before a performance by Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges, who cut a striking figure in his pristine white hat. Among those talking to him was Mary Stokes who's playing with her band at The Forum in Temple Bar during the festival.
Also there was Shona O'Neill from Guinness Ireland Group who has been involved with the festival since its inception and is particularly looking forward to a brunch session with The Blind Boys of Alabama at HQ. Lisa Tinley from Carpe Diem Productions who, along with Una Johnston organised the festival, was in good form, especially after having landed Nina Simone to headline at the Point.
Among those kicking back to enjoy the music was Maki, the drummer from the Fun Lovin' Criminals, who was taking time out in Dublin before heading over to play in Oxford and Glastonbury. He was in the company of Gary Cohen from the Larkin Partnership and his brother Nicholas Cohen of Shine Nightclub in New York, as well as Dermot Doran from Eamonn Dorans bar.
Claire Moloney, the woman behind the JuJu Club, had to run off early to do Here Comes the Night with Donal Dineen on Today FM, but those who were able to linger a little longer included Joe Duffy from RTE, Fergus Murphy of Velure, Paddy Dunning from the Temple Bar Music Centre and Karl Tsigdonis from Today FM's River of Soul Programme. After several pints of Guinness the crowd eventually rolled home.