suzanne rhatigan

Support to Mary Coughlan

Sunday August 11th at 7.30pm 

Tickets €35 including Booking Fee drom tickets.ie

 

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Suzanne Rhatigan writes and performs her original darkly comedic but always melodic and soulful songs of love, life and everything in between, along with a range of covers in her own unique alt blues, folk style.  She accompanies herself on guitar, piano and harmonica.

 

This summer, Suzanne is releasing a re-mastered, reissue of her 2000 ep DIY available for download suzannerhatigan.bandcamp.com.

 

In recent years, between her other favourite activities, family rearing and swimming, Suzanne has developed her 50 Greatest Misses blog, featuring stories of her adventures and misadventures in the music industry alongside recordings of her songs, the majority of which are not available anywhere else! Number 43 ‘Older’ due for upload! suzannerhatigan.com/blog

 

History…

Having cut her teeth in the early 80s doing guest spots for showband legends Daddy Cool and the Lolipops on Monday nights in the St Laurence Hotel, Suzanne Rhatigan was spotted by music producer Deke O’Brien and given the chance to hone her singing skills in recording studios in Dublin which lead to sessions for Shay Healy and Bill Whelan and stints as lead vocalist with Dublin bands 5th Avenue, Toy With Rhythm and Les Enfants. 

 

Suzanne emigrated to London in ’85 and after answering an advert in NME became session singer of choice for pop producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman on hits such as 'I should be so lucky' ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ and 'I'd rather Jack than Fleetwood Mac' among a catalogue of others. suzannerhatigan.com/blog/singing

 

By now Suzanne was also songwriting and she signed a publishing deal with Peer Music in the early 90s and she subsequently signed as an artist to NY based Imago Records. Suzanne moved to NY to record and promote her Fred Maher produced debut album ‘To Hell With Love’. During the promotion of the album she toured extensively throughout the US, Europe, New Zealand and Australia, Suzanne played live with Jeff Buckley, Mark Ribot, Berni Worrell, Leo Nocentelli and Buddy Miles, John Martyn, Go West, Beverly Craven and Albert King, Saw Doctors, Frames and Amy Mann.

 

During her time in NY, Suzanne’s songwriting moved away from the pop mainstream reflecting her love for the burgeoning US Alternative sound of bands like Sonic Youth, Guided By Voices, Breeders and Pavement. Upon returning to London she was introduced to bassist John Morrison (Hefner LCage) and an enduring songwriting partnership was formed. Joined by drummer Bryn Burrows, ‘Rhatigan’ as they became known, quickly attracted the attention of underground godfather Sean (Org Records /Organ Fanzine) Worrall, who released the band’s first recordings, album 'Late Developer'. Suzanne’s transition from Pop Princess to Alt Queen was complete

 

Rhatigan the band evolved over the following period, Paul Murphy replaced Bryn on drums and with the addition of other guest musicians on horns and strings, the sound moved on. The songs are at once intimate and epic, as the title track of their mini album released on Cushy Productions 'Big Stick' evinces, through to the fury and whimsy of ep 'DIY'. All of these albums can be downloaded from suzannerhatigan.bandcamp.com

 

Suzanne hosted live music nights while living in New York, and she was keen to start a similar club in London on her return. She began a monthly live music night ‘Cushy Productions’ at the 12 Bar Club in the West End which ran for 8 years promoting gigs with artists like Hefner, White Hotel, Gina Birch and The Hangovers, Ant, Woodbine, Kurt Wagner (Lamb Chop), Turin Brakes, Rhatigan and more.

 

In the mid 2000s Suzanne returned to Dublin with her young family and between nappies, school runs and nursing homes, has continued to write and record hers and others music in her own studio.  She has also resumed session singing and voice over work along with audio and video editing services. suzannerhatigan.com/blog/recording-studio