Women Le Chéile in Oldcastle!

One of the last public quotes attributed to Kurt Cobain's was that: "The future of rock belongs to women." Oldcastle's 2009 Le Cheile festival looks like that prophecy coming true with a festival line-up that includes some remarkable women performers - straight forward rock-and roll, a mix of indie and some positively esoteric stuff. Judy MacNamara of the quixotic Meath quartet Henrietta Game, creates the melodies and counter melodies of a suppressed angel, both vocally and with the use of the gentle lullaby-like tones of the glockenspiel. She appears on Le Cheile's Thursday night Lucky Dip evening at Creans as part of a fundraiser for the Mother of Peace Children's Home in South Africa. Also on the bill is Cavan's Eileen Tackney. Fast becoming known for her unique arranging skills and as musical director for the Song Sisters, whose second album 'Just Listen' she has produced, she has worked, to date, on numerous projects across the musical spectrum from musicals to traditional and most recently has been involved as musical director in the 'Evening with Tom Waits' presented by Blue Valentine Productions. She is currently producing an EP with folk group Emily's Eldest which features on Thursday night's bill. Munday's Friday night gig on 31st July features support from New York's Nell Bryden. Following her successful November tour which saw her enter the Irish Top 40 Charts and earning her the single of the week on Today FM, Bryden's career is perhaps one every struggling musician's dreams of - discover original 1952 Milton Avery painting in your father's attic, auction it for $300,000 and fund your musical career. Easy! She may not land in Oldcastle as she did Iraq - on a Blackhawk helicopter but the troops are waiting! Armed with an acoustic guitar and magic vocals, Joy Booth has already been adding a legion of fans from her appearances at the Backroom Sessions. She appears at Le Cheile playing support to Little Palace on Sunday night. The reunion after a 10 year break of the Meath-based sextet has made fans very happy and front woman Ann-Louise Mulvaney has been an instrumental element of that happiness delivering what has been characterised as "aural sweeps of lush guitars and strings bathing the commanding vocal performances." Friday night features a double bill of female vocalists Lisa Hannigan and Fiona Melady. With her first public performance as a six year-old fairy on a Christmas tree in a school play, Kilcloon's Lisa Hannigan sang in choirs and musical choruses in school. Taping songs off the radio, she became transfixed by Maria Callas' 'Bell Song' and it was a roller coaster from there on with nominations for both the Choice Music Prize and for Meteor Best Irish Female and Meteor Best Irish Album. A happy month stitching the lyrics of her latest album into onto rough cotton, and picking out the many references to the sea in the lyrics prompted her to call her platinum selling debut album 'Sea Sew'. Catch tracks from Sea Sew and more as well as support by Kells' Fiona Melady another rising female star on Friday night at Caffreys. In quiet a different vein, Fight Like Apes front woman May Kay on vocals, synths and recorder is central to FLA's three nominations in this years Meteors Awards. She's been described as one of Ireland's "most mesmerising front women" in recent history, with her long black hair and banshee wail provoking male fans to confess simultaneous feelings of terror and attraction online. Fight Like Apes play the Phantom 105.2 Stage at Creans on Sunday 2nd August. Support to FLA on the night includes Mullingar band Ever27 whose bassist is Tanya O'Callaghan. With influences drawn from Jason Mraz to Tom Waits and Marvin Gaye, Oldcastle local girl and rising star, Gillian Tuite, plays the Sunday stage. Oh yes … and there are some blokes playing Le Cheile as well! check out www.lecheile.com to find out who they are!