Glen Hansard has today been added to the lineup for Dublin Simon’s “Longest Night” gig on Monday December 21st in The Button Factory in Temple Bar. Glen will be performing a special acoustic set at 8.30pm, and he will be followed on stage by his bandmate from The Frames, Colm Mac Con Iomaire. Colm will also be performing a solo set featuring tracks from his album “The Hares Corner”. Glen has just returned from a US tour with The Swell Season in support of their most recent release, “Strict Joy”.
Singer-songwriter Fiona Melady has also been added to the lineup, and will be performing tracks from her acclaimed debut album “The Fear I Fear”. Fiona started her music career playing keyboards with the band Turn, and is well known as the vocalist who performed “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” for the Bulmers Christmas TV commercial last year.
Other acts who have been lined up to perform at Dublin Simon’s “Longest Night” gig include Dublin’s newest music sensation CODES, who have been receiving rave reviews for their debut album “Trees Dream in Algebra”, and one of Ireland’s most accomplished female artists, Gemma Hayes. Tickets, priced at €25, and €100 for exclusive VIP tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster.
“The Longest Night” is a fundraising project run as part of Dublin Simon’s Christmas Campaign to draw attention to the continuing issue of homelessness, specifically during these trying times. The event takes place in tandem with “Sing for Simon”, which encourages members of the public to do exactly that throughout the month of December. The singing finale will be a huge 24 hour carol –athon on Sunday 20th December – which will lead into December 21st, the Longest Night of the Year. The campaign will be rounded off that evening with the fantastic Longest Night gig in the Button Factory.
Last year’s “Longest Night” gig was a huge success, with performers Jack L and Paddy Casey entertaining the audience. Dublin Simon commemorates their 40th anniversary this year, a year where services have increasingly been in demand.
CODES are a Dublin four piece who rose to prominence this year after the release of their debut album “Trees Dream in Algebra”. They are currently on a nationwide tour, and their appearance at “The Longest Night” will be their final live performance of the year. The band performed as special guests with Keane on the Irish leg of their Tour “Perfect Symmetry”, earlier this year, and were subsequently signed to a recording deal with EMI. Gemma Hayes has been one of Ireland’s foremost performers this decade, with numerous awards won and three accomplished albums released. Gemma’s debut album, “Night on My Side”, released in 2003, was nominated for a prestigious Mercury Music Prize. She is currently writing and recording for her next album.
