Fri. 24th Oct. 2014 – Hawk’s Well Theatre

Ireland’s Folk, Roots & Indie Festival celebrates 10 years of quality music on the Wild Atlantic Way
22nd – 27th October 2014

www.sligolive.ie

One of the most exciting acts on the contemporary British folk scene; Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow (O’HOOLEY & TIDOW) will feature in an exciting double bill with eclectic Irish folk band, NoCrows as part of Sligo Live Festival on Friday 24th October 2014. The concert, co-produced by the Hawk’s Well will commence at 8pm and tickets are on sale from www.sligolive.ie at €18.  Weekend tickets for all Sligo Live performances, including headliner, Sheryl Crow are on sale from the same site at €116

O’HOOLEY & TIDOW:
O’Hooley and Tidow have forged an enviable reputation in the UK since their formation in 2009. Now extending their reach around Europe, they are accomplished interpreters of everything from Massive Attack to traditional Irish ballads, but it’s their own boundless songwriting and exquisite harmonies that truly shine. They have the originality and skill to invite comparison with celebrated North American harmony duos, from early Simon and Garfunkel to the iconic Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Lyrically and musically, Belinda and Heidi’s powerful, deeply moving, and at times spine-tingling performances are infused with an honesty and empathy that will disarm even the hardest of heart.

Yorkshire women,  O’Hooley and Tidow, who are partners in life as well as work, are based in Huddersfield, but Belinda O’Hooley comes from a long line of South Sligo traditional musicians and includes Tony Howley and Tommy Fleming among her relatives. She came to prominence as a member of Rachel and Becky Unthank’s Winterset, before joining forces with Heidi.

The duo’s third album The Hum, is receiving four star reviews from the national press and radio.  Independent On Sunday, described their new album as “defiant, robust, political, northern, poetical folk music for the times we live in”. The album was Mojo’s album of the month and BBC Scotland selected it as album of the week. The pair feature in Glastonbury and Cambridge over the summer and were described by the Guardian as the best act of the 2012 Cambridge festival,
‘Remarkable…challenging, innovative and often moving’ **** Irish Times
‘Remarkable. Surely one of the albums of the year.’ **** Guardian
‘Boldly defiant and sharply individual. One of British Folk’s mightiest combinations’ **** MOJO

NoCrows:
NoCrows, one of the gems of Sligo’s vibrant music scene are the other half of this stunning musical double bill. The six members are all significant musicians in their own fields and bring an amazing mix of musical experience to this outstanding group

In 2005, four musicians from different musical and cultural backgrounds, got together for an informal session in one of Sligo’s most unique pubs, ‘Shoot the Crows’. Soon the Wednesday night session achieved legendary status, with musical styles from Irish traditional to Latin bossa nova, and a lot more in between. Encouraged by the weekly rapturous response, they agreed to take it to the next level and played their first gig at the inaugural Sligo Live.

Nine years and four albums later, the band has many successes under their belt, including performances at some of Europe’s top festivals, including Glastonbury and Dranouter. The four founding musicians still form the backbone of NoCrows, which has recently expanded with two additional members.

Eddie Lee, musical director of Sligo International Jazz Project on Double Bass,  Mallorcan guitarist, Felip Carbonell and Swiss cellist/mandolinist, Anna Houston provide the backbone of the band. Another founding member, Steve Wickham, still makes regular forays with NoCrows when he is not touring with The Waterboys. In recent years they have been joined by renowned Russian gypsy violinist, Oleg Ponomarev, who also plays in Yurodny and Koshka, and a multitalented Sligo, singer/songwriter, Ray Coen on guitar and fiddle. With the addition of Ray, comes several wonderful  songs to complement the band’s eclectic mix of tunes.

NoCrows recorded their fourth CD “Waiting for the Tide” in May  2014, with an exciting mix of songs and brand new original tunes. The music came together on two spells on Sligo’s tiny Coney Island, with just a few inhabitants, nestled in the middle of Sligo Bay, halfway between Rosses Point and Strandhill. The sheer joy of NoCrows music is always evident and their new collection is no exception.

For festival details and regular announcements log onto: www.sligolive.ie, follow us on Twitter @sligolive or like our Sligo Live Festival Facebook page www.facebook.com/SligoLiveFestival.

For further information contact:
Carmody Smith PR
Tel: 01 2070496 / 086 1741882
aine@carmodysmithpr.com
Website: www.sligolive.ie