Big May Day celebration of blossoming musical talent

Over the past six years, Blowtorch Records has been a pillar of the blossoming Galway music scene – microcosmically comparable to its North Star, Factory Records, in its profound influence on a generation of local guitar bands.  Richard Burke is the man behind the label and, alongside Michael Smyth of Old Crows Production and John O’Connor of A Modern Movement, the co-organiser of West X Sound West – a Blowtorch Records showcase set to take place in the Róisín Dubh on Thursday, May 1.

Nine acts make up a packed bill, including Nerves, Nixer, Scattered Ashes and The Swedish Railway Orchestra.

“Headlining we’ve got Adore,” Burke says. “I’ve been working with them nearly from the beginning. We actually paid for the recording of their first two tracks.

“They’re moving on – they’ve got a manager now and a booking agent, but they’re still connected to Blowtorch. They always will be.

“Virgins are a shoegaze band from Belfast and they’re co-headliners I suppose. Michael, who is the main man in Virgins, is co-organising the showcase with me and John O’Connor from A Modern Movement. It’s actually the first time they’ve played in Galway so really looking forward to that.”

Burke launched Blowtorch around the time that Galway punk outfit Turnstiles got going. Their drummer, Luke Mulliez, is the nephew of Burke’s wife, and early offers of help turned into the label head taking on the role of band manager.

The band was really one half of Turnstiles’ story – Free House, a music night in Áras na nGael set up by their bass player Jake Tiernan, was a platform for the band itself and for countless others around them.

“When Turnstiles started – I’m saying Turnstiles and it’s not all about them, but it’s just that that time in Galway was a bit moribund in terms of a young music scene,” Burke says.

“As always, there was cover bands and tribute acts. They’re still on now. But young bands couldn’t get anywhere to play.

“Jake started Free House, and it was just one of those moments. It was like when hardcore started in the States or when CBGB started in New York in the 70s. I may be overegging it slightly, but it had that kind of impact in a small situ like Galway.

“It was just this space where bands could come and play, and it didn’t cost them anything. And it didn’t matter if they were sh*te, and it didn’t matter if they had three songs.

Pictured: Adore…headlining Blowtorch Records’ showcase at the Roisin.