A while back I posted about Buddy Merriam and Backroads – in Ireland. The band is currently in the middle of that tour and Buddy just emailed me an update. It sure sounds like they are having a great time. If you’re in Ireland and haven’t heard them yet, you should try to catch one of these shows he mentions. Here’s the news:
Just an update on the tour- all is going great. We played to a full house at the Cluny Theater in Newcastle, England last night and for the Scottish Bluegrass Association Thursday night. What a fine group to play to. A gentleman had a Bluegrass Unlimited from ’91 with a photo of the band at that time and some cool pictures of Bill Monroe. I showed him a picture of Bill dancing with my daughter Harmony and she has his white stetson on, she was around 4 years old at the time. It’s a great memory.
We have a day off tomorrow and will play at a session in Lurgan, then it’s 12 nights in a row ending up with another show in Belfast on Sunday Feb. 5th at John Hewitt’s. I’m looking forward to it as our friend and talented singer songwriter Patterson will be opening for us. We met her last tour and she sings so sweet and writes some wonderful songs. It will be a fine way to end up the tour. I’m hoping to book some more work in England, the folks seem real open to our hard core bluegrass and they’ve been going crazy for Ernie’s singing. Our Irish banjo player Mel Corry has been playing some driving banjo and doing a powerful job.
I wrote a new number on the way up north heading to Donnegal. it was beautiful country and as we came around a mountain there was a beautiful clear rainbow-don’t see too many of those in NY, the area is known as Glenshane Pass and thats the title. We performed it for the first time last night and it went over well. I’m so lucky to have these talented guys traveling with me working hard and playing and singing so fine. It’s a little tough being away from home as I should be working on the bookings for the season so I’ll have a lot to do when I return home but it’s pretty slow this time of year in NY so it’s great to be over here working.
We’ve made some lifetime friends and look forward to meeting and making more. We did an interview and performance on “George Jones” show on the BBC in Belfast and Mel Corry (from Lurgan, N o. Irdeland) & myself did an interview and short performance on U 105 fm radio and later they came to our club performance and filmed the band playing “Blackmail Your Heart” and it got broadcast on Ireland national TV.
You can check Buddy and the band’s schedule on their website, BackRoadsBluegrass.com.
