Songwriters Festival 2002: Friday 18 January - £5:
Irish ensemble who have one of the most revered live reputations, spurred by uncompromising maverick frontman, Glen Hansard, whose pull-no-punches performances and both the inventive guitar work of Dave Odlum and Violin work of Colm Mac An Lomaire, make them one of the most intriguingly brilliant bands around.

For their latest album 'For The Birds', which includes the single 'Lay Me Down', they teamed up with the legendary producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey) and Craig Ward (Deus), recording in Kerry and Chicago.
They have just completed a sold out Irish tour, toured the US with The Kingsbury Manx and were dubbed 'gig of the festival' by the BBC at the recent and prestigious Witness festival in Ireland.

Their previous album 'Dance The Devil', was a quirky and crafty record, not unlike their labelmates at the time, The Dirty Three and Deus.
Their touring of this album culminated with playing with David Gray at The Point in Dublin. So, with For The Birds out, which sound like a coming of age as an integrated and instinctive playing unit, they rightly sit alongside the likes of Nick Cave, Will Oldham, Grandaddy and Mercury Rev, as creators of some of the most engaging and inspired music of the modern day.

Plus guests : Hawksley Workman & M.J.McCarthy & Will Hunt Hawksley Workman was last seen on these shores supporting Chris Stills and gaining incredible reviews for both his highly expressive live shows and impressive albums 'For Him And The Girls' and 'Last Night We Were The Delicious Wolves'(Loose). He's been dubbed a mix of Jeff Buckley, David Bowie, Beck and Sparklelhorse and Time Out said "capable of flights of wild vocal bravado and moments of skin prickling beauty".
M J McCarthy (previously with Perfume) evokes Gene Clark has been tagged a 'surging lovelorn genius' and has supported Paul Weller, Radiohead and Travis. Will Hunt is a fast rising singer-songwriter and shares family company with father Bill (ELO) and Miles (The Wonder Stuff).