Hothouse Flowers to headline Beamish Sessions at Court House Bangor

Hard to beat a great night stout as The Court House in Bangor hosts live music series

LIVE music lovers are in for a real treat over the coming months as The Court House in Bangor hosts The Beamish Sessions, a series of intimate gigs with a stellar line-up that includes Hothouse Flowers, David Holmes, Duke Special and punk legend Jah Wobble.

Supported by leading stout brand Beamish in partnership with Arts & Business NI, the sessions get under way at the award-winning Court House on Sunday February 11 when punk legend and former PiL bassist Jah Wobble and his band The Invaders Of The Heart perform ‘Rebuilt in Dub’ a reinterpretation of PiL’s seminal 1979 album ‘Metal Box’ with ‘heavy yet sophisticated dub interpretations and mind-expanding production’.

When it comes to local artists and pioneers within the music industry, names don’t come much bigger than Belfast-born David Holmes who brings ‘God’s Waiting Room’ to the Court House on Saturday February 17. Expect a selection of cinematic, library music, rock’n’roll, psych, experimental, electronic, techno, unclassifiable and independent tunes as the world-renowned DJ, producer and soundtrack composer takes over all three rooms of The Court House.

March will see one of Northern Ireland’s finest songwriters Duke Special take the Court House stage with three back-to-back shows from Thursday March 7 to Saturday March 9. With 15 albums under his belt, inspired by his love of music, theatre, books, poetry, art, love, life, redemption, and death, and 78RPM records, fans are in for an extraordinary evening of original music.

The Beamish Sessions conclude on Saturday March 30 with a headline show from legendary Irish band Hothouse Flowers, returning to Bangor for the first time since their sell-out Open House Festival appearance at Bangor Castle Walled Garden in 2022. Formed in 1985, Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fiachna Ó Braonáin’s first album was the most successful Irish debut record in history. Since reforming in the late ‘90s, the band has continued to write, perform and tour.

Only last month, The Court House become the first Northern Irish venture to win National Lottery Project of the Year. Located on the seafront in the heart of Bangor, County Down, the venue provides the perfect backdrop for an intimate and memorable live music experience.

“Through the Beamish Sessions at The Court House, our aim is to curate an unforgettable live experience for local music lovers in Northern Ireland and take them on an extraordinary musical journey with a series of captivating and diverse original gigs,” said Kieran Gilmore, Director of The Court Houseand co-founder of local music and arts charity Open House which owns and operates the venue.

“We hope The Court House will become the beating heart of Bangor’s burgeoning music and arts scene, and we appreciate the support of companies like Beamish and Arts & Business NI in our efforts to achieve this goal.”

Maeve McKervey, Head of Business at Arts & Business NI, said:  “At Arts & Business NI, partnership is at the heart of everything we do and connecting our members is an important focus for us.

“ We are delighted to support this new creative partnership between Open House Festival and United Wines, which has enabled the programming of The Beamish Sessions, a series of live music performances in The Court House, featuring international artists alongside respected local artists.

“By working together on this exciting new project, United Wines and Open House are forging new connections, reaching new audiences and bringing benefits to the local cultural scene, positioning Bangor as a vibrant creative city.”

Andrew Hollywood of United Wines, the company that distributes Beamish in Northern Ireland, said:  “We are delighted to support The Beamish Sessions at The Court House which is gaining a reputation as one of Northern Ireland’s finest live music venues.

“With its historic charm, The Court House offers a unique and intimate setting that allows for a more personal and immersive musical experience, giving music lovers an opportunity to be up close and personal with their favourite artists.

“We see this as a perfect fit for Beamish which, although celebrating its 232nd birthday this year, is one of the fastest-growing stout brands in Northern Ireland. Through our partnerships with music venues such as The Court House in Bangor and The Sunflower in Belfast, Beamish is becoming more and more popular with a younger customer demographic, appealing to those who reject the mass marketing of bigger brands – in favour of a traditional stout brand that is understated and doesn’t try too hard.”

For more information on The Beamish Sessions at The Court House, Bangor, visitwww.courthousebangor.com/event-category/beamish-sessions/.

THE BEAMISH SESSIONS

SUN 11 FEBRUARY 2024
BEAMISH SESSIONS: JAH WOBBLE

Experience a reinterpretation of a classic album through the eyes of its creator.
Jah Wobble, the legendary bassist and founding member of PiL presents a live performance of the seminal ‘Metal Box’ album ‘Rebuilt in Dub’ backed by his band the Invaders of the Heart.

This is a special moment for us at the Court House, welcoming Jah Wobble to the city after PiL played their first ever Northern Ireland show just a few feet away on the seafront in 2018.

Released in 2021, the critically acclaimed ‘Rebuilt in Dub’ record revisits the 1979 PiL album with heavy yet sophisticated dub interpretations and mind-expanding production. He completely reinvented eight of the album’s tracks gaining accolades such as:

“A massive sound with all the power of the original with Wobble building on the foundations of bass lines established 40+ years ago in power-loaded style” (Bandcamp)

SAT 17 FEBRUARY 2024
BEAMISH SESSIONS: DAVID HOLMES – GOD’S WAITING ROOM

When it comes to local artists and pioneers within the music industry, names don’t come much bigger than David Holmes. Starting his career as a mod and soul DJ at the age of 15, he later embraced the flourishing dance music scene in Belfast in the late 1980s. Since then, he has released several albums, worked with artists like Noel Gallagher and Primal Scream and become a world-renowned composer of soundtracks.

David Holmes’ God’s Waiting Room comes to the Court House on Saturday 17th February. This is fast becoming a legendary club night from the mind of this DJ, producer and soundtrack creator. Expect a selection of cinematic, library music, rock’n’roll, psych, experimental, electronic, techno, unclassifiable and independent tunes as David Holmes and special guests including Gilmore take over all three rooms of the Court House until 1am. Step inside and let curiosity be your only guide.

THU 7 MARCH 2024 – SAT MAR 9
BEAMISH SESSIONS: DUKE SPECIAL

Throughout his career, Belfast’s Duke Special has shown a love of music, theatre, books, poetry, art, love, life, redemption, death, and 78RPM records. Each of his 15 albums and EPs and music adventures across the world has evidenced this curiosity. Each Duke Special performance is a unique experience and each of these three back-to-back solo shows will be an extraordinary evening of original material with one of Northern Ireland’s greatest songwriters.

SAT 30 MARCH 2024
BEAMISH SESSIONS: HOTHOUSE FLOWERS

Hothouse Flowers return to Bangor as part of the Beamish Sessions at the Court House after their 2022 show in the Walled Garden quickly sold out. Formed back in 1985, Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fiachna Ó Braonáin’s first album was the most successful Irish debut record in history. Since reforming in the late ‘90s, the band has continued to write, perform, and tour.