Gigs   what's on at the Real Music Club

Irish singer/songwriter Ben Reel has released his 6th studio album on the 22nd April 2013 entitled “Darkness & The Light”. It includes 11 brand new songs. This will be the first record that he has recorded & produced in his own home studio in Co. Armagh. There will also be a special limited edition of the album available only on the benreel.com website, which will include 5 bonus tracks.

Since his debut back in 1999, each album has gone from strength to strength, touching on different styles of music from rock,soul,blues, Alt Folk/Americana & with the occasional injection of reggae. This was highlighted on his 2012, 18 song best of album (Ben Reel 1999-2009 Compilation 10) released only as a limited edition for loyal fans to buy at gigs, also available on iTunes worldwide.

Ben’s music has evolved into an honest earthy sound that has matured like a fine wine and he has very much his own sound today. This can be heard on this new album.

Darkness & The Light is a powerful soulful album with deep meaningful lyrics and memorable epic anthemic songs, with strong melodies combined with imaginitive expansive arrangements. Recorded digitally but with an analog feeling of warmth. The songs deal with the fall out since the global economic crash. Also probing for spiritual meaning and balance between the Yin and the Yang, trying to find light, hope and healing in these troubled times. Serious songs from a serious artist in a serious moment in time.

In the last 10 years he has had numerous high profile TV & Radio appearances and airplay under his belt including Bob Harris BBC Radio 2 and has supported names like Jools Holland, Alabama 3, The Cranberries and appeared as a special guest at one of Hal Ketchum's shows in Dublin. He has performed his radio hit ‘U People’ with the late great Ian Dury’s legendary ‘Blockheads’ and has recorded the song with award winning saxophonist Gilad Atzmon. 

Over the last 5 years Ben has enjoyed successful tours in Europe, receiving rave reviews and attracting a growing fan base . His band includes amongst the finest musicians in Ireland, his brother in law Michael Black on Drums, Ronnie O’Flynn on bass and Mick McCarney on guitar. With this line up they have built up a loyal underground following. Ben is often described as an ‘artist lying beneath the radar for way too long’.

In 2011 Ben played showcase gigs in Nashville & Memphis (Folk Alliance) where he colloborated with some of Nashville's finest, David Olney & Sergio Webb, co wrote with Irene Kelley and in February 2013 he toured with Tommy Womack in the UK & Holland. Plans are in the pipeline to return to the U.S in Sept 2013 to promote his new record and to follow up on his success on Airplaydirect.com radio download rock chart, where he has been number 1 for the last 4 months. Plus he will be touring extensively in Ireland, UK & Europe.

Without doubt, Matt's debut RMC performance last year was one of the highlights of our 2012 programme and we are delighted to have him back.

New Brunswick, Canada's Matt Andersen has a larger than life showmanship that has been earning him a fervent and steadfast audience wherever he graces the stage. Matt's sprawling blues, roots and rock musical hybrid with his sorrowing and soulful voice and astonishing guitar-playing has sparked a phenomenal buzz on Canada's East Coast and that grass roots word of mouth cannot be contained any longer!

In the past few years, Matt has released an introductory EP along with two critically-acclaimed live fans' favorites, the full length studio release "Second Time Around", "Something In-between" which garnered two East Coast Music awards for Matt (Male Solo Artist of the Year and Blues Recording of the Year), "Piggyback" with harmonica virtuoso Mike Stevens and "Live at the Phoenix Theatre". Along with a very busy touring schedule as a headliner at major festivals, clubs and theatres throughout North America and the UK, Matt has also shared the stage and toured with David "Honeyboy" Edwards, America, Randy Bachman, the late Bo Diddley, Little Feat and a host of others.

Matt has just finished his fourth successful UK Tour along with airplay on the BBC and in various prominent blues and roots publications. Matt's hectic touring schedule includes over 200 live dates a year that encompass North America and the rest of the world. In December 2009, Matt performed on the CBC Vinyl Cafe tour that is hosted by Stuart Mclean and included major centers between Ottawa and Victoria to capacity crowds. The Vinyl Cafe is a radio variety show on CBC radio, BBC radio 7 and U.S. public radio stations.

On Jan 24, 2010 Matt won the 26th edition of the 2010 International Blues Challenge (IBC) in the birthplace of Rock n' Roll and home of the blues, Memphis, TN. Matt was sponsored for this event by the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in Fredericton, NB in the solo/duo category. Blues musicians from all over the world including 39 states, 12 countries and 5 continents were chosen by their respected Blues societies to compete in venues on the world-famous Beale Street. As the big winner and first Canadian to ever win the coveted first place position, Matt opens the door to the U.S. market and the larger world stage! Some of the prizes Matt won include: cash, 1st place International Blues plaque, large profile American festival gigs, festivals in France, Italy and a slot on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruises.

Mexican Son Jarocho mixed in with Irish Jigs

and Reels and a good dose of Country and

Bluegrass. It has healthy servings of Ska, Soca

and African Highlife and we've been known to

throw in a little White Boy Reggae. Of course

it also has strains of Soul, Pop and Funk

although we are by no means a funk band. It is

mostly Acoustic although we also like Electric

guitars.

It is Singer-Songwriter based but not the

coffee house variety. It is definitely FOLK

music, but not in the Kumbaya style. It has a

deep respect and appreciation for tradition

(Bluegrass, Old Time, Celtic, Son) but it's by

no means Traditional. It Rocks incredibly hard

and is extremely danceable, but that is not to

say it can't be mellow and slow and beautiful.

It can be heart breaking, but also joyous.

It is never dark or angst ridden, and always

full of hope - but not in the 'Up With People'

kind of way. It's not Jazz, although we like

Jazz a lot. It's not heavy metal or punk or

grunge, although we love Rush and AC/DC. It

is World Roots Music. It's POP music. It is

GOOD music. It has a tendency to connect

people and means a lot to many folks.

A protégé of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Earle quickly became a master storyteller in his own right, with his songs being recorded by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Travis Tritt, The Pretenders, Joan Baez and countless others. 1986 saw the

release of his debut record, Guitar Town, which shot to number one on the country charts and immediately established the term “New Country.” What followed was an extremely exciting and varied array of releases including the biting hard rock of Copperhead Road (1988), the minimalist beauty of Train A Comin’ (1995), the politically charged masterpiece, Jerusalem (2002) and the Grammy Award Winning albums The Revolution Starts…Now (2004), Washington Square Serenade (2007) and Townes (2009). I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (2011) is Steve Earle’s 14th Studio Album and shares the same name with his 2011 debut novel. Of the novel, Patti Smith stated, “Steve Earle brings to his prose the same authenticity, poetic spirit and cinematic energy he projects in his music.