A second ‘Big Top’ date for the Saw Doctors looks set to be fixed after thousands missed out on tickets for the band’s first Galway Arts Festival gig in almost 20 years.

Tickets for the Tuam band’s highly anticipated return to Fisheries Field went on sale on Wednesday at 10am and sold out within 20 minutes, in what GIAF Artistic Director Paul Fahy said was a “phenomenal response”.

“We expected it to sell out, but I think we were all taken aback with the speed at which they were sold,” he said, with the over 3,000 tickets for the July 21 concert gone in a shot.

“There was a good few thousand people waiting in the queue before 10am, ready to go and unfortunately, there has to be a limit that we can’t go beyond,” he said.

However, the Galway City Tribune understands that disappointed fans won’t have to wait long for a second bite at the apple, with work going on behind the scenes to have the N17 hitmakers take to the stage for a second night of the festival.

Leo, Davy and the boys’ long-awaited return to the stage last year has been met with widespread excitement, with Galway just one of three sold-out gigs lined up for July – New York and Boston have sold out on pre-sales alone.

“It’s nearly 20 years since the Saw Doctors last performed in the festival – 2004 was the last time when they played the Warwick Hotel in a double gig with the Undertones.” said Paul Fahy.

“It’s wonderful to have them back and people are very excited about it – I have people stopping in the street already,” he added.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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