Info: The cream of Dundalk music have come together to create a David Bowie tribute album, which will be released this Friday, 13th of January. Organised with help by renowned solo act Shane Clarke, aka Elephant, the album will be available for download at www.dundalkbowietribute.bandcamp.com on Friday, note the link will not be live until then. Clarke explains below how the idea came to him, and the various acts and support involved in the project;
"Almost a year ago, after the initial shock of Bowie's death had passed I was doing my dishes and listening to Scary Monsters thinking about ways to honour my favourite artists life and death. Coming from Dundalk I am lucky to be a part of a thriving music scene, a scene that can call each other friends as well peers. So I opened a group message on Facebook to my friends asking if they would be interested in covering a Bowie song for a charity tribute album. The feedback was immediate. It seemed that everyone was looking for a way to honour Bowie, not just me.
It took a little doing, but with some hard work and the help of some very generous people we were able to create a 15 track compilation of our favourite Bowie songs, interpreted in the spirit of Bowies own exploratory fashion.
The artists involved are: (in order of album playlist)
Hunting Hall - The Future West - Third Smoke - We, the Oceanographers - Podracer
Stewart Agnew - Nix Moon - Permanent Deja Vu - Accidents In The Workplace - Æ MAK
Elephant - Somefinn - Finnian - Sonnets and Sisters - Just Mustard
The album was recorded mostly by the artists themselves, each lending a certain skill to others who needed it. Jason Varley helped us out with some studio time, local graphic designer Taine King created all our artwork and Joseph Edwards mastered the album. Alan Anderson and myself raised funds to pay for the recording and production of the physical cds, Alan doing the brunt of the fundraising through work connections and the selling of his Bowie artwork to fans.
On the 13th/14th of January, Evil Presidentes (local record store “Classified Records” owner Neil Watters & co) will host the Bowie Fundraiser Weekend. The 13th will include a screening of Labyrinth at 8pm, followed by a listening party of the tribute album at 10pm. Then Evil Presidentes DJ’s will takeover for an all Bowie night with fancy dress and prizes for best dressed. While downstairs, Mark Corcoran will host “Sea Legs”, a local open mic session that will focus on Bowie for this special once off. Saturday night will have the amazing David Bowie tribute band Rebel Rebel upstairs and Evil Presidentes downstairs playing the music that inspired and was inspired by Bowie. The album will be for sale all weekend from the store and available afterwards from Classified Records and digitally from bandcamp.
I’m very proud of the local music community, from players to venues, stores to designers; all coming together to create something. Loss is a powerful thing but through community and art we can heal each other. All the proceeds from the album and the weekend donations will go to the North Louth Hospice."
