Michael Banahan to welcome acclaimed guitarist and producer Bill Shanley for special September 10th show
The Hollywood Folk Club is continuing to build a loyal following, with Roscommon singer-songwriter Michael Banahan set to welcome acclaimed guitarist and producer Bill Shanley for a special performance on Thursday, September 10th.
The monthly club, based in Roscommon Town, has been steadily gathering momentum, with Michael saying there is a clear appetite for the intimate style of live music it offers.
“We’ve been very pleased with the response,” he said. “What we are doing is creating a space for artists to come and play in a very ‘up close and personal’ space. It’s just a little bit different.”
Michael stresses that the club is run on a not-for-profit basis, with audience contributions at the door going to the performing artists.
He said the idea takes inspiration from the English folk clubs of years gone by, where audiences and musicians came together in an informal setting centred on the music.
The club runs from 8 pm to 10 pm on one Thursday each month, offering what Michael describes as an alternative midweek night out.
“People can come out, they can have a drink beforehand, they can have a drink at the break, and then they just get to hear music,” he said.
“Then it’s all over at 10 o’clock and they can go home. It’s just a nice alternative night out.”
The intimate setting at the Hollywood Bar is an important part of the appeal, with tables, candles and carefully arranged sound helping to create a relaxed atmosphere.
Michael said one of the strongest signs of the club’s success is the number of people returning from month to month.
“We’re getting a base of people that are coming back again and again to the gigs, which is nice to see. It’s kind of obvious that there’s an appetite for it there.”
That interest is extending beyond Roscommon too, with recent audiences including visitors from Tyrone, Sligo, Kildare and Dublin, while musicians are increasingly getting in touch asking to perform.
Michael believes something people sometimes forget is that established artists themselves often relish the opportunity to step away from bigger stages and perform in a small room where there is a real connection with the audience.
That is reflected in the club’s forthcoming programme. Teague and Joyce are lined up for October, while November will bring one of the biggest names in contemporary Irish folk music, Daoirí Farrell, to the Hollywood Folk Club.
Michael said Farrell was taken by the concept of the club and its intimate setting – another indication, he believes, that these smaller performances can be every bit as appealing to the musicians as they are to audiences.
The club will then take a break in December as the Folk Festival returns to the Abbey Hotel. Further details of that event, including what promises to be a fantastic line-up, will follow.
A special night with Bill Shanley
First up, however, is the September 10th show, when Michael will be joined by Bill Shanley, one of Ireland’s most experienced guitarists and producers.
Shanley has toured and recorded with artists including Ray Davies, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Paul Brady, Mary Black, Sinéad O’Connor, Judy Collins and Jackson Browne, and has worked extensively as both a musician and producer.
Michael said Shanley is currently acting as Gilbert O’Sullivan’s musical director and is assembling a 14-piece band for O’Sullivan’s forthcoming 3Arena concert in Dublin.
“So he’s putting a 14-piece band together for the 3Arena and then he’s sliding into our little club in Roscommon,” Michael said. “I think that’s kind of cool.”
For Michael, that contrast between major concert stages and the close confines of the Hollywood Folk Club captures exactly what the club is about.
“He comes down and plays for us in the small folk club,” he said. “He’s just such an absolute gentleman, and he’s a bit of a legend, yet he’s very modest about it.”
There is also a strong creative connection between the pair. Shanley produced Michael’s recent album, Broken Heart, and the pair have already completed work on Michael’s next original album, Yellow Rose, which is due for release in 2027.
“Yellow Rose will be the title of it,” Michael said. “It’s already recorded and produced. I’ve written all the songs myself.”
Michael also revealed that Shanley has a new EP of instrumental music on the way.
“He has his own EP coming out soon, so maybe people could watch out for that,” he said. “It’s an EP of instrumental music he writes. He’s a composer.”
Michael Banahan and Bill Shanley perform at the Hollywood Folk Club on Thursday, September 10th. Doors open at 7 pm, with the show running from 8 pm to 10 pm.
