Paddy excited to perform once in a Blues moon gig

Renowned bluesman Paddy Smith will be fulfilling one of his long-cherished ambitions when he puts on a two-hour show at the Solstice Arts Centre, Navan on Friday 12th October, 8pm. He is also to officially launch a new film.

The show is called ‘A Tribute to the Blues Greats’ and will feature songs from many of the legends of the genre such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker.
“We put on this same show in April in the Theatre Royal, Waterford and it went very well, it was fantastic, but as regards the Navan show, playing at the Solstice was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time so this will be a special gig for me. The Solstice is a brilliant theatre and we have been rehearsing away ahead of the show which will consist of two hours of music.”
Paddy who will the singing and playing the harmonica, will be joined on stage by the band that includes drummer Tony Smith, a brother of guitarist and former presidential hopeful Jimmy Smith. Tony played with outfits such as the Bogey Boys in the past. Other members of Paddy Smith’s band include PJ Salmon from Dublin on guitar and Navanman Stephen Casey on bass. 
The tribute show will also include a multi-media backdrop showing many of the great blues figures. Tickets can acquired from The Solstice Arts Centre, Navan (info@solsticeartscentre). 
October will be a significant month for Paddy Smith as he is also planning on releasing a film based on his Waterford gig. The film - also called ‘A Tribute to the Blues Great’ was made by Meath film-maker Brian Matthews, and it will be officially launched on Saturday 27th October in the St Vincent de Paul Theatre, 11 Kenlis Place. 
Tickets for this gig are available at the Kells Theatre Box Office (046) 9252405 or kellstheatre@gmail.com.  
“The quality of the film is brilliant, I’m really pleased with it,” the singer added. “We’ll have a matinee showing the film that Saturday afternoon in Kells and we’ll have the live show that evening. There should be a great atmosphere there.” 
A few months ago Smith brought out a brilliant live album - ‘The Paddy Smith Band Live in New York’. It was recorded in The Mercury Lounge, East Houston, NYC last March. It’s a well-produced, vibrant recording featuring accomplished and experienced musicians such as Chris Carter (guitar), Lincoln Schleifer (bass) and Anthony Lewis (drums). 
The record included blues classics such as ‘Goin to Louisiana’, ‘Born in Chicago’ and ‘Ramblin’ On My Mind.’ The record is a demonstration of Smith’s talents as a top-ranking harmonica player. 
Also in the pipeline for the Navan bluesman is work promoting live album while further down the tracks he’s also aiming to bring out an album of original material. 
This is not the first time Smith has been the subject of a film. 
A few years ago a film based on his remarkable life called ‘Let Those Blues In’ was released and featured in various film festivals around the country. 
The film recorded Smith’s battle with alcoholism. He went to America where he worked for a time but because of his addiction he ended up living on streets of cities such as Chicago before he returned to Ireland to rebuilt his life.