Dermot Byrne with Danny Tobin
Back by popular demand after their outstanding gig last year. Dermot Byrne has built up a steady following over the years performing authentic renditions of classic blues and roots music as well as self penned material. He has brought his brand of real down home blues and roots music to venues throughout Europe and the United States. Playing slide guitar and harmonica he is recognised as being one of Ireland’s finest interpreters of blues songs. His influences include Robert Johnson, Fred McDowell, Son House, and Muddy Waters as well as artists such as Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.
Collaborations... Dermot has opened for or performed with legendary blues artists such as Eric Bibb, Long John Hunter, Steve James, Sam Mitchel, Byther Smyth,Catfish Keith, and has collaborated on several T.V. shows with Irish star Don Baker and England’s first lady of Blues, Connie Lush.
Major Gigs/Festival Appearances... Dermot has performed at numerous festivals including The London Blues Festival, Postert Blues Fes-Holland, Geant City Fes ,BluesKool Fes France ,Cork Jazz Festival, Waterford Arts, Enniscorthy Blues Fes, Harvest Time Festival, Castlebar Blues Festival, Dublin Temple Bar Festival. In 2008 he represented Ireland at the Memphis international blues challenge and has performed gigs in the heartland of the blues in Memphis Tennessee , Clarksdale Mississippi and Arkansas.
Recordings .....Dermot released his first album “Raw Whiskey Blues” in 1998 on the “Me and My” label based in the Netherlands. “Continental News” magazine remarked “The blues is all about feeling, a sense of being involved in the pains and joys of the performer. The blues is all about credibility, about faith. Absorbing life’s trials and tribulations, the ecstasy and the glory days, giving voice to the accompanying feelings. Seldom was this credibility more present in a contemporary bluesman than in Irishman Dermot Byrne” In 2002 Dermot released his second album “Lonesome to the Bone”, followed in 2004 with “Live at the Mermaid Theatre”.
Dermot will be performing again this year with his blues guitar sidekick Danny Tobin.