Rob Irwin.

Local music at free gigs in Dean Crowe bar

Athlone's Dean Crowe Theatre has announced it will be hosting three free gigs this month which will shine a spotlight on some top-class local musical talent.

The 'Local Music Platform' shows are following on from the success of last February’s free gigs by Cillian Hill, Colin Fahy and Paul Gurney.

This month will see performances by Rob Irwin (June 16), Brian McCormack's Brian Mac Band (June 19), and David Dockery (June 23).

'Local Music Platform' is a new initiative hosted at the newly-refurbished Dean Crowe Theatre Bar. This reconfigured space is designed with flexibility and equipped to accommodate intimate gigs.

The initiative is designed to support musicians from Westmeath by providing the gig space for rehearsal, followed by a live gig in this space with full support from theatre staff and crew.

Rob Irwin is a 26-year-old Irish indie singer songwriter from the midlands aiming for honesty and authenticity through his music.

Exploring themes of heartbreak, euphoria and redemption with a heavy emphasis on self reflection, Rob has been carving a name for himself with his strength and control of his falsetto singing voice. Recently his single 'Puppets' (feat. Leah Maloney) was played on RTE Radio One, 2fm, Midlands 103 and Flirt fm. Rob is currently recording his next release, 'Before the Rain Began', due to be released this summer.

Brian McCormack is a professional guitarist and singer from Athlone who has been writing with, recording and performing with some of Ireland’s best independent artists and now he’s bringing his own show to audiences around the Midlands.

After the successful debut release of his EP 'Zest' in March 2022 he will be recording a second EP in August which he'll be performing and transforming new ideas into new songs in front of live audiences this summer with his eponymous band. His first single 'Andromeda', is due for release in mid-July.

David Dockery is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Athlone. He has worked as a session drummer and guitarist for the past 10 years and currently tours with Moncrieff and Síomha. He also runs a Youtube music channel with over 145,000 subscribers.

His music is a mix of alternative rock and singer-songwriter, drawing influences from the likes of Paul Simon, Beck, Alice in Chains and Foo Fighters. He records and releases music under the artist name ‘Beechpark’ and is releasing his first single in mid-June, as well as an album later in the year.

Theatre Manager Killian Collins said, “the space is getting a great reaction – we are hearing it being referred to as a ‘mini Whelans’ and we’re investing more and more to develop it further.

"We want to give as much opportunity as possible to emerging and established local musicians with every support we can offer."

The Dean Crowe Local Music Platform is kindly supported by Westmeath County Council and The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media as part of the Local Live Performance Programming Scheme.