Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

Five and a half years ago, singer/songwriter Bríd Kenny was set to launch her debut EP in the Róisín Dubh, when the beginning of the pandemic put a pin in any hopes of a nascent career in live performance.

But the EP, Doorway, did arrive…without a launch – but it still provided a springboard for Kenny. Accompanied by her band, she has supported the likes of Paul Brady and NewDad, and headlined venues around the country.

This Friday, December 5, the abandoned EP launch will be realised, as Kenny returns to the upstairs room in the Róisín. Support, as was intended in 2020, will come from Cathy Shannon.

“It’s gas now that so much time has passed,” Kenny says. “It went very quickly… It was going to be my EP launch, the start of my quote unquote music career in Galway.

“It totally flopped and I was so excited, so we’re honouring that now with a humble enough gig in the Róisín upstairs, with Cathy supporting and myself headlining. It’s just nice to be honouring that little moment for our past selves.

A couple of years ago, Bríd Kenny & the Noise were a fixture of the Galway live scene, sprouting from the indie-folk hub of the Róisín’s Sunday night open mic. Kenny is now back in her native Tipperary, and most of her band members are living abroad.

Returning to the Róisín, then, is a low-key homecoming. This will be a solo set for Kenny, void of the bulk and groove of the Noise. In many ways though, that is a better reflection of the five-year-old EP – a delicate, stripped back selection of songs with a prose heartbeat.

“It’s nice to do a solo gig,” Kenny says. “I love playing in the Róisín but I also love playing in that upstairs room, just because I’m so familiar with it from the open mic and from doing the odd few gigs here and there. The room is just so cozy. It’s really intimate. You can see everyone’s face which is a bit of a challenge but it’s nice as well.

Pictured: Bríd Kenny…Róisín date at long last.