Gweedore bar reunion: Pete Cunnah among top names for Derry gig

The organisers of the event said the Gweedore “led the city’s cultural revival in the 1980s and 1990s, after many venues closed down and touring bands stopped playing in the city”.

“North West bands looking for a welcoming place to play flocked to the Waterloo Street pub, inspired and supported by the bar manager Willie Barrett, himself a showband star in the 60s.

“Many household names cut their teeth on the upstairs stage before going on to forge stellar careers for themselves in the music industry. They include Johnny McDaid (Snow Patrol), Paul McCloone (Undertones), Ash, and D:Ream frontman Peter Cunnah, who graced the stage in the Gweedore with his first band Tie The Boy.

“Tie The Boy, who were once signed to U2’s label Mother Records, will play together for the first time in more than 30 years at the April 1 concert, which will also feature Declan McLaughlin, Jim Walker, Fremonte, The Runbacks, and Bam Bam & The Calling.”

The event, which will raise funds for the Alzheimer’s charity DEEDS, is to feature a host of special guests such as Jeanette Hutton, Lana Campbell and the Gweedore Jam Session Band of Joey Messenger, Tony Mellon, Frankie Robinson and Gerry Coyle.

Pete Cunnah said he was thrilled to be part of the event.

“No - it’s not an April Fool, Tie The Boy are set to regroup again after almost 40 years,” he said.

‘We all met up at the remembrance meal after my dad’s funeral; Tim Hegarty, Kevin Williams - who had just returned after 20 years in Australia, Gerry Diver who was over from Liverpool for the holidays, and myself. It’s at times like that you realise how time flies and is so precious. And before long, it was just like the scene in The Blues Brothers: “We’re putting the band back together.” We were laughing and carrying on like teenagers. Then, the next thing you know, two days later, we’ve been offered a gig - you can’t make this stuff up!

‘Back in the 1980s, it wasn’t easy to get a place to perform in Derry - especially for unknowns with original music. We had to do everything ourselves. But the great thing about the Gweedore is that it was always there with open arms for bands like us. If it wasn’t for venues like the Gweedore and the Nerve Centre, there would be no music scene in Derry.

“The reunion concert is being run for a great cause - and we’re expecting to see a lot of old faces there. What else would you be doing on April 1 - sitting twiddling your thumbs in front of the telly as your kids explain to you what FOMO* means?”

Tickets for the reunion, priced £15, went on sale last week and are already selling strongly. Willie Barrett, will, of course, be host for the evening and in the truest tradition of the Gweedore, the evening will end with an open Jam Session.