25 April, 2018

The Don Baker & Rob Strong Band

Live at the Rory Gallagher Theatre, CIT Bishopstown Campus.

DATE - Friday 4th May 2018

7.30pm  // Doors at 7.15pm

Tickets €20 available only at events.cit.ie

Capacity is limited to 120, fully seated. There is no bar at the venue or on the CIT Bishopstown Campus.

Two of Ireland’s best ever rock/blues musicians have collaborated to record an album together and tour many of Ireland’s best known venues in 2018. Don Baker is known as a prolific singer/songwriter/musician for over 50 years and has had two number one singles ‘Winner in You’ on the RTE label and ‘Inner City’ which was recorded by The Jolly Beggarmen. Other artists to record Don’s songs include Sinéad O’ Connor, Finbar Furey, Declan O’ Rourke and Liam Ó Maonlaoi, with Bono from U2 describing Don as ‘The best harmonica player in the world’. Don, has published several books on how to play the harmonica, which have been translated into many different languages, including Japanese! He has also released a total of 15 albums during his career. As an actor Don is best known for his role in ‘In the Name of the Father’ alongside Daniel Day Lewis, and also as gangster Thomas Flynn in ‘Fair City’.

Rob Strong, from Derry, on bass guitar and lead vocals, is another of Ireland’s Living Legends, who also has been performing for more than five decades! Rob still has that unique and sensational voice that saw him pull in huge crowds with ‘ The Plattermen’ one of the top showbands of the ‘1960s, and his own band The Rockets in the 1970s. Indeed Rob once turned down the opportunity to join the world famous ‘Deep Purple’. Rob also plays bass and sings, with his son, Andrew Strong, lead singer of ‘The Commitments, when they tour Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

The band also features one of Ireland’s best keyboard players, Salvatore Urbano from Naples in Italy. ’Sal’ has also recorded with Damien Dempsey, Brian Kennedy, Sinead O’ Connor and Eleanor McEvoy. He is widely regarded as amongst the best in the business and fuses the band’s blues and rock genres, in such a natural and creative manner. On drums we have Kevin Malone from Dublin, who has played with Sinéad O Connor, Bree Harris and Los Paradiso. Miranda Thornton, previously lead singer with Tweed, completes a stellar line-up in a pulsating new band.

All in all, Don, Rob and the band, guarantee a great night of real rock n’ roll Live! No backing tracks, no sound effects, not even lip-sync- just pure raw talent that has stood the test of time- over 50 years on the rock n’ roll road in Ireland, the country’s finest ever exponents of Soul, Rock and Blues!