Damien O’Kane back in town

He will be joined by the legendary bodhran player John Joe Kelly all the way from Manchester and our very own local legend guitar player Gerdy Thompson.

Hosted by Lurgan Folk Club, the trio will be playing in JP’s Lounge on Friday night (August 31).

Primarily a banjo player, Damien hails from Coleraine and has been a regular visitor to Lurgan for many years where he has already garnered quite a following.

He began touring the world with his very own family band who, coincidentally, were known as ‘The Von Trapps of Coleraine’. He moved to England in 2001 to study at Newcastle University and graduated in 2005. He’s been performing ever since.

O’Kane is earning a growing reputation for being a creative and exciting musician, singer and composer. Primarily a banjo player, and an “outstanding” one at that according to The Sunday Express, he’s recently been winning accolades as a singer, focusing on songs from home and further afield.

Damien’s music is exciting, emotive, hypnotic and expressive of his life story so far where his talents have taken him all round the globe.

INdeed his latest album The Mystery Inch won the Spiral Earth Awards 2012 in the ‘Best Instrumental Album’ category.

Having heard him play, sing and enthrall last year, I would thoroughly recommend this gig as one not to be missed.

By Carmel Robinson