KIERAN HALPIN
KIERAN HALPIN
40 years on the Road Tour plus guestsIf the measure of a songwriter is the number of artists singing their songs – then Kieran Halpin must be considered a great modern writer of songs. There can be few writers on the acoustic/folk scene in Europe today who have had more songs covered. Names like Ilse De Lange(All The Answers), Vin Garbutt, Dolores Keane, The Battlefield Band, John Wright, Other Roads, Real Time, Flossie, Niamh Parsons, Chris Jones and countless more have recorded his songs. In fact his songs can be heard in folk clubs, pubs and festivals all over the world sung by the famous and not so famous. Often the songs are better known than the writer himself! Some have been translated into German, Finnish and Spanish! He has recorded albums in his native Ireland, Scotland, London, Nashville, Oxford and Sydney.
2011 saw the release of his 20th album – the devil and his dealing – a remarkable achievement over a 33 year recording career – consistently prolific and artistically inventive. The new CD has 11 new songs and as one reviewer remarked “……there’s plenty of material here to be plundered”
Halpin’s songs cover every conceivable subject from love, loss and celebration, to the more global concerns that face all of us today and is often described as a modern protest song writer. He is never afraid to tackle topics that will provoke opinion and debate. If you are a fan of lyrics – then this concert is for you.
But whilst his albums are always something to look forward to it is live on stage where Halpin makes his mark. He is at once powerful and passionate, intimate and intense. He has managed to marry his intelligent and thought provoking lyrics with great melodies and has developed over the years into a writer with a unique style. All this is underscored by an incisive wit in his introductions which helps an audience understand where the song comes from and hint at where it might be going.
Halpin is equally at home playing to a small folk club audience and a large festival crowd. He is also one of the hardest touring musicians on the scene today with upwards of 160 shows per year all over the world.
October 2012 saw the release of the long awaited Songbook 3 containing all the songs from his last 3 releases.
“Wonderful stage presence and surprising humour” “Every song has a story and every lyric paints that story clearly” “Halpin is one of the country’s most intelligent writers” “He has a voice that sells the songs and cuts to the heart” “Thought provoking lyrics and memorable melodies” “These songs made me think, laugh and cry – all in one evening” “Great songs, great singing, great guitar playing and great stories”