Lúnasa announces 2014 UK autumn tour | Artist News

Ireland's premier traditional acoustic band Lúnasa will return to the UK for a twelve date tour in October. The band have chosen venues in England, Scotland and Wales for this short trip, and with careful routing have managed to cover the entire UK in every direction. The tour starts in Langholm on 7 October and finishes in Bury St Edmunds on 18 October.

Since Lúnasa's last UK visit in autumn 2013 the band has been stunning European and American audiences with its musical prowess. Appearances at prestigious UK and French festivals such as Fairport's Cropredy Convention and this summer’s Cambridge and Lorient festivals have helped to spread enthusiasm for, and enjoyment of, the band's virtuosity and energetic style of music. And despite the band's hectic touring schedule the various band members have also been busy with their individual projects. Trevor Hutchinson, a founder member of the Waterboys, rejoined the band for its Fisherman's Blues box set tour. This sold out tour confirmed the enduring popularity of the band he helped to create. Not to be outdone, pipe maestro Cillian Vallely contributed to Bruce Springsteen's most recent album 'High Hopes'

The line-up for this tour will feature Kevin Crawford, and Cillian Vallely on traditional Irish instrumentation of low whistle, uilleann pipes, tin whistles, Tula Custy on fiddle, augmented by Trevor Hutchinson on double bass and Shane McGowan on guitar.

Although there is no new album available for the October tour audiences will have a chance to enjoy some of the band's most popular back catalogue as well as hearing some new material for the first time which is destined for the band's next studio album.

Since the band's formation in 1996, sold out tours of the UK, USA, Europe and Japan and Australia have helped Lúnasa gain major international recognition. The Coeur Miroir award at the Quebec City Summer festival in 2003 confirmed the band's reputation as masters of modern Irish music, and in 2010 they won further major international acknowledgement in the LIVIES (liveireland.com) awards when they were named Performers of the Decade.

Drawing on a repertoire from nine albums Lúnasa create memorable musical evenings that will leave audiences in no doubt that, in the words of the Sydney Herald, "Lúnasa is the most exciting band to emerge from Ireland in a long, long time".