Talented Kildare acts battle it out for Greenfields spot
Isabella McMahon on stage in the final of the Battle of the Bands
The annual Athy Battle of the Bands has been in motion for a number of weeks now with a tight competition full of some brilliant Irish musicians. The final, which took place on 18 April at The Auld Shebeen pub in Athy, saw eight acts perform into the evening, with lines open for voting at midnight.
Performing on the night were singers Isabelle McMahon, Autumnx, Aoife Coady, Charlotte Mackey and Natasha Horsley, and bands Cur, Blubotl, and Neon Moon.
Opening the night was singer Isabelle McMahon with a beautiful rendition of The Cranberries’ world-famous track . Next up was Autumnx with a lively and powerful cover of by Queen that had the crowd singing along.
The third act was singer Aoife Coady with a wonderfully upbeat acoustic cover of by the Cranberries.
Next to play was three-piece band Cur, who put on a fantastic performance with incredible harmonies and some really tight playing. The fifth performance on the night was loud and proud band Bluebotl, who fired up the room with raspy vocals and striking guitar licks.
Afterwards, singer Charlotte Mackey commanded the room, putting on an emotive and soulful performance of by Bonnie Raitt. Act seven on the night was band Neon Moon with a full-bodied version of Hank William Jr’s , bringing some country to the competition.
Last to perform on the night was Natasha Horsley, closing off the night with a stunning performance of by Radiohead.
Each fantastic act will be up against each other for the final prize, which will be announced at Athy’s Greenfields Festival on Saturday 3 May. The overall winner will take home a cash prize of €2,000 along with studio time to record a five-track album. On top of that, all finalists will perform on the Heineken stage at Athy’s own Greenfields festival.
Event organiser Amanda Smyth has been blown away by the talent in this year’s competition.
She said: “The calibre and diversity of acts this year was just unbelievable. We had bands performing all originals. We had versions of the most difficult songs from the likes of Whitney Houston to Jennifer Hudson. It was just spellbinding. We can’t applaud these acts enough.
“We’re really excited to have all eight acts perform.”
Athy Battle of the Bands is much more than a competition, but a chance for Irish musicians to get the recognition they deserve.
“We’re delighted to be able to give them a platform. We’re kind of saying, we’re just here to guide you along the way. It’s your platform now to do as you wish,” said Amanda.
Voting lines are still open and everyone is encouraged to go and vote for their favourite act. If you missed the performances on the night, visit The Auld Shebeen’s Facebook page to see recordings of each act.
Good luck to all the finalists in this year’s competition!
