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Kildare County Council Arts Service

Two Kildare Bands Selected To Perform At Oxegen 2007

The final of the Platform II Battle of the Bands competition, to select two bands to perform on the New Bands Stage, at Oxegen 07, the largest music festival in Ireland took place in Time Venue, Naas on Thursday 24th May 2007.

Eight bands from Kildare
Reemo (Sallins, Prosperous), Miracle Bell (Naas), My OK Hotel (Naas), The Re-Offenderz (Athy), Half Shot (Leixlip), Bright Light Fiasco (Monasterevin, Kildare), Dark Age Disco (Newbridge, Naas) and Rohan and the Band (Leixlip) performed three songs to a packed audience.

Judges for the competition were Niall Morris (MCD), Claire Mc Kenna (DJ, Spin FM) and Ollie Cole (singer/songwriter from the band Turn).  PJ Gallagher, comedian and star of the tv series Naked Camera, MC for the evening, embraced the competition with an impromptu singing performance with blues band Rohan and the Band.

The two bands selected to perform at Oxegen 07 are My OK Hotel and Miracle Bell.

My OK Hotel are Shane Delahunty (vocals, guitar), Niall Barrett (bass), Matt Stapleton (drums) and Conor Berkeley (piano, synth, glock).  My OK Hotel recently recorded a 4 track EP, entitled ‘When the Ship Sinks, We Stick Together’.  According to the band, they formed ‘with the aim of writing simple indie songs’.  To find out more about My OK Hotel, see www.myokhotel.com  

Miracle Bell are Dave Prendergast (vocals, guitar, synthesiser), John Broe (lead guitar, vocals, keys), Tom Barrett (bass, vocals) and John Rigney (drums, vocals).  John B, Tom and John R are studying music at Ballyfermot Rock School, while Dave is a graduate of NUI, Maynooth.  John Broe was a participant on the UnEarthed Music Development programme for emerging musicians in Riverbank Arts Centre.  See www.miraclebell.com for further information about the band. 

Organisers of the competition, Kildare County Council, in association MCD and Naas Town Council, were delighted with the overall response to the competition, which has provided a unique opportunity for emerging musicians in the County.  According to Lucina Russell, Arts Officer for Kildare County Council, ‘As well as providing the much-coveted prize – to perform at Oxegen ’07 - the final provided bands with an opportunity to meet other musicians and to play to new audiences. Overall, it was great fun.  We are delighted that MCD have embraced the competition’.  

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MY OK Hotel

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Miracle Bell

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Bright Light Fiasco

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Dark Age Disco - Rachel Caffrey