The Model continued their Live Lunch series today with a captivating performance from Sligo based singer-songwriter Wayne O’Connor. Accompanied on Double Bass by Jamie Carswell, the pair enthralled staff and children alike at Social Services Offices in Sligo. The pair played a short acoustic set of Wayne’s own tunes when drew equal parts rapt attention and rapturous applause.
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The performance is the third to take place as part of The Model’s Live Lunch programme, which sees a number of performances taking part over lunchtimes in office/work spaces all over Sligo. It’s all part of their innovative New Spaces for Music programme which looks to bring live music into unusual places, challenging how we listen to, and encounter, live music.
The first of these took place in the Sligo Bus Station where Traditional Sligo musicians Gerry Harrington and Margaret Rhatigan surprised Sligo bus customers as they arrived to wait for their bus on a busy Friday afternoon, and the second was hosted by RehabCare with Oddsocks Revival belting out tunes with their blues and bluegrass influenced rock and roll and soon had the entire crowd up on their feet.
Originally from Wicklow, Wayne O’Connor has been based in Sligo for more than a decade and has been making music for the last 5 years. Possessed of an excellent voice and some heartfelt lyrics, his songs are well-crafted melodies that endear them to all types of ears. Evident from his contemporary folk songs are influences from Bellx1, Alison Krauss or David Gray. A debut release “Drawing Lines” was released in 2007 and is available on iTunes.
“Impressive lyrics manage to be both touchingly heartfelt and wickedly funny…” -The Scene-
Currently closed for a major development, the Model are using their lack of a fixed venue to their advantage, and have been experimenting with new spaces for live music throughout the year. Unusual rooms, outdoor spaces, and places where music is not normally encountered, have all become new spaces for music with performers drawn from a range of music genres to perform in these unusual rooms.