Strawberry Fair Rhythm Routes 06 Off  

... unless New Sponsor Found

Bad news to report on Rhythm Routes '06. We just heard that the event presently does not have a sponsor. And no sponsor means no Rhythm Routes. It's a real shame as the Rhythm Routes is an integral part of the Strawberry Festival. This festival was for many years one of the best in the southeast. More recently it had fallen on hard times and almost did not happen in 2003.  However, a new dynamic committee took over at the helm and began planning for the festival's future. They could do without news like this. We will let you know if we manage to find funding to allow the Rhythm Routes survive. 

Below are details of the 2005 Strawberry Fair Rhythm Routes (held July 1-3, 2005). See what you are missing!

JOHNNY FEAN, guitarist/vocalist with Horslips, and bass player STEVE TRAVERS are sure to be one of the highlights of the weekend. The pair delivers an exciting rootsy blues/trad rock 'n' roll experience. "Trouble with a capital T"? You got it! … Two piece Blues/Rock band, THE STRATS, play blues the old-fashioned way. And in this case that’s a good thing. They play infectiously good r'n'b. … Northern band TEN FEET DEEP have a love of rhythm ‘n’ blues and hard drivin' soul. See why they are favs on the the northern blues circuit. … HI-VOLTAGE with PAT MCMANUS BAND come oozing pedigree. The former guitarist of Mama's Boys is as still as dynamic and exciting as ever. Definitely a highlight of the weekend. … TWO TIME POLKA’s authentic-sounding rock ‘n’ roll ‘n’ zydeco comes “soaked in the humid swamp heat of high-Summer Louisiana”. … PRISON LOVE is a Dublin 8 piece dung-kickin’ bluegrass band on day release from the “Bluegrass Correctional Facility”! … The BUTTERFLY BAND is legendary on the Waterford music front with their brand of trad, reggae and funk making them one of the most talented and versatile acts around. … Fellow Waterford outfit JUNEBUG has a similarly high reputation with their focus being more on the rock front. … GARY FERGUSON & GAIL WADE (USA) bring together their vast combined experience to bring you great bluegrass numbers with an American Civil War bias (“Last Day at Gettysburg”) and fresh renditions of folk, blues and swing favourites. … Highly regarded duo NOEL SHINE AND MARY GREENE merge American and Irish folk with the duo using harmonies to great effect. Watch out for Noel’s guitar picking! … The music of the NIALL TONER BAND ranges from light hearted Western Swing to “hammer-and-tongs” bluegrass to hardcore traditional country. Always a treat to hear them. The band’s CLEM O'BRIEN is well respected in his own right as the finest flat-picker around and also famed for his incredible high Tenor singing voice. … FRANKIE LANE, former member of The Fleadh Cowboys, makes no secret of his love for the songs of Marty Robbins. With mandolin player PAUL KELLY he will bring you galloping across the plains of Meath to round up the steers. ... DARREN BYRNE is one of a kind. Standing there, bódhran is hand, rapping away he is like a strange brew equal parts Luka Bloom, Shane McGowan and Tom Waits.

Visit www.strawberryfestival.ie for general festival details.