Open mic kicks off events for 2012
From rap to punk and from bluegrass to rock, twenty acts took to the stage in the LOFT’s first open mic of 2012. The first notes of the day were loud ones, loud in a good way, with punk back Slaves of the System setting the tone for a day that would bring original music to the fore. The room filled from 3pm with the crowd staying to the end of the evening. The final song Don’t Give Up On Me Now delivered by artist in residence Declan McClafferty, brought a quiet reverence to the room with the young people attending feeling inspired and motivated to develop their music skills. “It was quality, an unreal chilled atmosphere and so quiet by the end” commented a member of the audience.
Performances of note were many; Leila Keeney’s delta blues stood out with a consistently mature delivery. Letterkenny based rapper Sweet Boii has been working on his material since the age of thirteen and his fans are steadily growing in numbers. Regular performers Michael Gallagher, Eoin McDaid and Kyle Kildea each delivered unique performances with Aoife Dempsey joining Michael on stage for an extended set. While many of the performers are based in the Letterkenny area, Ballybofey, Milford, Kilmacrennan and Churchill were also represented on stage. Perhaps the furthest journey was made by Killybegs based Matthew Kyles who’s engaging solo acoustic performance marked him as one to watch out for in the upcoming months.
New to the line up in the LOFT, Chris Toye, Ashley Kavanagh, Aoife Dempsey, Bonnie Morell and Joel Harkin each performed to rapturous applause and will hopefully become regular performers at the LOFT. Original compositions by Eoin McDaid, Slaves and Joel Harkin were all well received. Noelle McLoughlin, Matthew Kyles, Marli Kerr and Eilis Cusack each brought their own take to some well known songs. Eilis had the crowd humming along with her latest composition, the catchy “Hell Hath No Fury”. Gabriel Blake’s set left listeners under no illusion as to why he was awarded the young song writer of the year award at the 2011 Irish Youth Music Awards.
If the young people of Donegal are setting the benchmark, new music is alive and well in the North West with plenty more to come. Open mic events will continue every four to six weeks at the LOFT with new performers always welcome.
“The loft is somewhere I can go and be myself. Where I can get information on topics and I know I can trust the source. It's a place to chill with your friends and be safe at the same time” commented one of the audience.
The LOFT Youth Project will continue to support young musicians through the regular performance and training opportunities. Established in 2005, the LOFT Youth Project and Health Cafe is managed by Donegal Youth Service and Foróige and funded by the Health Service Executive North West Area. It is a community-based resource that provides a range of activities and developmental programmes for young people aged 12-18. The aim of the Project is to provide a safe environment where young people may actively involve themselves in their own personal development within the context of the wider community. Personal Development is the over arching ethos of all activities and programmes that take place in the Café
Examples of programmes include; Drop-in, Intensive Groups, Accredited Programmes, Health Education, Leadership Skills, Communication Skills, Art, Special interest groups, Theme nights, Entertainment activities, Summer scheme and more.
For further information on any of the programmes or activities within the LOFT Youth Project please contact Tel 074 9188271