Luka Bloom with special guest Tom Barry

Originally programmed by Middlethird Social Farm as part of their Soundwaves series of live music events, the organiers had to do a complete rethink after the damage sustained during Storm Eowyn in Janurary 2025. The distruction of The Glasshouse that had hosted so many fantistic gigs in 2024 forced the organisers to find another suitable venue for this event. Middlethird are delighted to be using Keane's Music Venue for this event.

Luka Bloom is an Irish folk singer-songwriter with a long and established career that spans over 50 years Luka has been performing his songs far and wide... but where did this journey start?

In 1972 Kevin Barry Moore wrote a song called WAVE UP TO THE SHORE.

Not his first song, but it had something.

He did some gigs, wrote some songs; and in 1987 he boarded a plane for New York, and Luka Bloom was born.

RIVERSIDE was released in 1990 on REPRISE Records. It was followed by THE ACOUSTIC MOTORBIKE, AND TURF. During the early 1990s the life of writing, recording and touring took off; The US, Australia, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and The UK are frequent destinations for Luka's songs. As well as his own touring, he has performed at some of the great festivals:

Pinkpop(Holland); Roskilde(Denmark), Torhout\Werchter(Belgium), Newport Folk Festival(US), Byron Blues Festival(Australia), Glastonbury and Cambridge, (UK). And most of all, he regularly sings all over the island of Ireland, where he lives in County Clare.

Since 2000, Luka has been releasing his own songs and music via www.lukabloom.com. 17 independent albums in total, as well as a book of photographs and some lyrics called HOMEPLACE. In 2022, Luka was singing Wave up to the Shore at home one afternoon.

He suddenly realised it was 50 years old.

And this resulted in a triple cd of 50 songs from the past 50 years. Reworkings of songs written and learned since 1972.

It is called WAVE UP TO THE SHORE; and is available from

www.lukabloom.com

Tom Barry biography

Tom Barry was born in Dublin, raised in Tipperary, schooled in Cork, trained in Kildare and now lives in Galway. Tom studied as a civil engineer in UCG whilst serving in the Irish Defence Forces. He met his wife Kathleen and now has 3 boys under the age of 10.

Tom’s passion for music began as a kid in Clonmel, learning piano at a young age and a self-taught guitar player later in teenage years. You can’t bring a piano to a party! In 2000, Tom joined the acclaimed Galway Baroque Choir and sang with them for 10 years, which included live performances in Bord Gais Energy Theatre and the National Convert Hall with the RTE Concert Orchestra under Proinnsías Ó Duinn and David Brophy.

Tom has been penning songs since a teenager and has performed in De Barras Clonakilty whilst serving in Collins Barracks Cork, and other intimate venues in Galway on and off for the last 10 years. Tom undertook several John Spillane’s song writing workshops in 2021 which led to his debut album Lighthouse. It was launched in St Nicholas church Galway accompanied by John Spillane, Luka Bloom, Jon O Connell and Adam Shapiro who all contributed to the album’s success. Hot-press reviewed the album and noted that it was “an excellent record” with a rating of 4/5.

Tom has a passion for nature as can be heard in his debut album. It has led to the writing of a new single “Like Share Scroll On” which speaks of frustration with our response to climate change. Tom collaborated with Sean Mac Uidhin aka SMAC-U, Jon O Connell and Adam Shapiro on this track. This track diverts from the chamber folk tones of Lighthouse and dips its toes in Trip Hop with a blend of folk and hip hop influenced by Seans talent for beats and synth. The immensely talented Jon O Connell plays electric and bass guitar. He also produced the album. Brian Masterson mastered.