Irish Folk Festival

In the organizer's words:

The current tour name "Fair Play" is excitingly ambiguous. In Irish slang, it stands for "well done" or "bravo". The other meaning is that you respect the rules of the game. This year, the IFF wants to bring into the discussion and political arena the fact that the good old rules of the music world are increasingly being suspended. What is it about?

Sales of recorded music have fallen dramatically in recent years due to the digital business. More and more music is only being purchased via streaming or download, which means that those who have invested all the costs, all the risk, creativity and huge amounts of work in recordings are getting less than 10% of the sales. The multinational corporations and their streaming services pocket more than 90%. Even the most loyal fans are often not really aware of this problem and prefer streaming to buying a CD. However, this means that the artists have hardly any income left. Not just to live on, but also to put something aside to finance new recordings. You can already see that there are fewer and fewer new releases. This is a stagnation in the evolution of any style of music. Our culture is getting poorer and Apple, Spotify and the like are getting richer. Ireland has a vibrant tradition of rebel songs that demand freedom and justice. So we are in a good tradition when we oppose new forms of exploitation. The new feudal lords are no longer the English, but the streaming services. The IFF demands more justice and fairness in the music industry. Without pressure from the streets, neither our politicians in Berlin nor Brussels will do anything about this music theft in the near future. The fight against multinational corporations can only be waged globally. In this divided world, this will take years. But we as consumers can make an immediate difference by not buying online. With our tour, we want to draw attention to the remuneration models of the major streaming providers and campaign for a world of music that is fair. We hope that our cause will be well received and that as many people as possible will take a stand against this injustice. As long as there are no fair streaming models, we would like to see more records being sold again. And the fact is: the fan-artist encounter at the merchandising table is simply part of the concert experience! We are setting off on our tour in the hope that the media and audience will express their solidarity with us in the form of "fair play" in the sense of an appreciative pat on the back.

TOM BYRNE - Harmonica magician
Every generation produces a few artists who set standards and to whom you can only take your hat off and say: "Wow, that's sensational!" Tom Byrne is just such an artist who gets great things out of the tiny harmonica. When US journalist Bill Mangerson reviewed Tom's solo album, he came up with the title "the Paganini of the harmonica". At the Live Ireland Music Awards, Tom was named the best male performer. It is fascinating to hear the range of sounds and spectacular ornamentation he can coax from the harmonica. To be able to play jigs and reels, you not only have to have an iron lung, but also a few tricks up your sleeve. Tom's magic box also contains surprises from other musical styles, such as swing and blues. Ladies and gentlemen, we invite you to be enchanted by the great magician of the harmonica. Curtain up for the "Harmonica Magician!"

REELRHYTHM - Step & tap dance extravaganza
Who remembers the IFF Tour 2017 when the Fusion Fighters made us dizzy? The star of the ensemble back then was Tyler Schwartz. The audience was open-mouthed in amazement as his jumps were so high that he hit his heels no fewer than six times before landing. He even holds the world record in this specialty. Since then, a lot has happened in the life of the world, All Ireland, All British and US champion. Tyler was voted Best Dancer of the Year 2019 by the most important magazine for tap dance, Irish Dance Magazine, and was the cover story. Many tap dance shows have featured him as the star of the troupe on tours around the globe. But the most important event was his marriage to US tap dancer Maddie Rae Russo. Maddie has also won several US awards. The audience will be thrilled by the fireworks of both Irish and American elements.

EVA COYLE & FRIENDS - A standout voice
The singer/songwriter has a voice with a unique timbre that is as fresh and clear as light reflections that the sun conjures up on the morning dew of autumn leaves. When she breathes her lyrics into the microphone, which spring from both reality and fiction, they also trigger wonderful things in us. The sound is more "folky" than traditional, but the use of typical Irish instruments such as fiddle and accordion makes it clear that this band can only be from the Emerald Isle. The album "Down to the shore", released in 2022, caused a great reaction. The "Eva Coyle & Friends" band has played some of the hottest festivals in Ireland, such as the Kilkenny Arts Festival, the EMO and the "Electric Picnic", which was attended by 70,000 people. We're delighted to be the first to introduce Eva to our shores as one of the Emerald Isle's best kept secrets.

3 ON THE BUND - A sound address for Irish music
Some bands have quite curious origins. A request from the Chinese Ministry of Culture to the University of Limerick brought together five highly talented Irish folk music students in 2019. They were invited to China for the St. Patrick's Day celebrations and had to put together a full-length program in no time at all. The group quickly found a sound that was fresh and full of new ideas. The only thing missing was the band name. At the end of their trip, they not only had a lot of praise, but also a name: they particularly liked the Bund Promenade in Shanghai and arranged to go for a walk at house number 3. This is how "3 on the Bund" came about. The program by Susan Coleman (vocals & concertina), Seán Kelliher (guitar), Rebecca McCarthy Kent (fiddle), Ella McGrory (piano) and Simon Pfisterer (uillean pipes) is not only a stroll through Irish tradition, but also an excursion into world music.

Organizer: Capitol Betriebs GmbH