A correction to the Wikipedia Paul Brady page...well at least one of the dozens of inaccuracies that need to be fixed...is the supposed quote from Bob Dylan saying I was "One of only five artists in the world worth getting out of bed for." BOB DYLAN NEVER SAID THAT!!!! If anyone has any input to Wikipedia will they please remove that? It was some jaded, jaundiced hack in … [Read more...] about PB & Bob Dylan
The end of recorded music?
Yesterday in the Irish High Court, a judge ruled that there was no law presently available to him to force ISPs to cut off users who used the ISP bandwidth to illegally download and share music for free...not just a song or two but on a commercial basis. This is a very serious issue...and possibly the end of the recorded music business. It's wrongly criticised by people who … [Read more...] about The end of recorded music?
Paul Brady version of ‘Let’s Get Together’ taken up by the Fransiscan Sisters of Charity
Some years back I recorded a version of the Jesse Colin Young song 'Let's Get Together' for a compilation called 'Bleecker Street /Greenwich Village in the 60s'. Just recently it's been taken up by the Fransiscan Sisters of Charity as one of their 'Streaming Songs Of Peace', Give it a listen! … [Read more...] about Paul Brady version of ‘Let’s Get Together’ taken up by the Fransiscan Sisters of Charity
Paul Brady US gigs October 2010
Don't forget the upcoming East Coast US gigs in October! 20th Madison NJ, USA . Madison High School, 170 Ridgedale Avenue 22nd Cambridge, MA. USA . The Somerville Theatre 23rd Albany NY (with Maura O’Connell), The Swyer Theater, The Egg 24th New York City (with Maura O’Connell),BB King Blues Club. For Ticketing, venue and showtime info see the tourdates page on … [Read more...] about Paul Brady US gigs October 2010
Classical v Popular music
Ever since I entered the realm of music lessons as a child I was left in no doubt as to the superiority of Classical over popular music…that people like Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, Bach, Schubert, Brahms, Dvořák…the list goes on…were superhuman Gods who dropped on to the earth, had miserable lives and then disappeared leaving the human race with incomparable gems never to be … [Read more...] about Classical v Popular music
Eurovision Song Contest
Another Eurovision Song Contest has come and gone and I'm scratching my head wondering what this is all about? As a musical phenomenon it long ago lost all credibility. I think when Lordi from Finland won it a couple of years ago that was the nadir, though Ireland's Dustin the Turkey did his bit to turn the whole thing into a joke. What is at stake in this 'competition'? … [Read more...] about Eurovision Song Contest
People and Music
When I started off playing music professionally I still laboured under the misapprehension that the listener responded to the music I made in the same way I felt it. Put that down, firstly, to an inherited tendency to think the world revolves around me (thanks, Ma!) but also to a strong dose of naivety. Gradually over time and with much disillusionment I came to realize that … [Read more...] about People and Music
Art and the real world
Here in Derry on Easter Saturday midday. Today the ancient city walls are the temporary home of street market stalls. The leaden skies and insistent rain mean it will be a lonely vigil today for Man of Aran and his packets of home-made fudge. No one is abroad in the sodden air, though the indoor markets seem to be thriving. We drove from Dublin last night and our first gig … [Read more...] about Art and the real world
How do you value a song?
I'm trying to figure out this money thing. It's a mystery to me. Last night I watched a program on Bernie Madoff which told the complete story of the scam from start to finish. I like being comfortable and having the few bob in my pocket as much as the next guy but…what is the point, in the big picture, of spending your whole life just accumulating money? Not only that but … [Read more...] about How do you value a song?