People of Mullingar inspired film about the ‘Music Town'
Producer is hoping to get as many locals as possible involved in his first work. Shooting of a new film called Music town, set in Mullingar and involving many of the town’s characters, begins on Friday March 21 in the Greville Arms Hotel. Bands including Blues Confidential, Fallen Lights, Good Man Sheila and artist Billy Mac will perform live that night, which will act as a fundraiser for the film.
Producer Hugh Gormley says he took his inspiration from the people of Mullingar, and hopes to see as many locals get involved as possible. The film is to have its premiere here later this year. “We’re going to film the whole concert, and we’ll be using segments of that in the film,” explains Hugh, an actor, who is making his first stab at film making.
“Music Town is appropriate (as a title) given the nature of Mullingar,” he continues. “There’s a huge wealth of talent in Mullingar. I’ve only been living here three years but what impressed me was that virtually any night of the week you could go in to one of the bars and there was always music there. “And it wasn’t so much that, but the standard of the music and the quality of the music that impressed me,” says Hugh, who has lined up Paulie Martin as musical director.
A native of Omagh, Hugh has lived in Dublin most of his life, but made the move to Mullingar three years ago. “I do a bit of acting, so I knew people in that business, young up and coming directors and producers. Then I saw this wealth of talent here and it was sort of bringing those two things together. That was the idea behind it,” he continues. A story “had been rattling around” in his head for a couple of years, about a middle aged man, who in his younger days was a performer with great potential, but for various reasons, never realised it. “That’s where the lead protagonist Eddie came in.
Eddie is a bit of a character, he backs horses, he hangs out with his friends, he does a bit of fishing, but his life is going nowhere. And then one night he sees a battle of the bands poster, and decides to give it one last shot.” The current day Eddie is played by John ‘Banjo’ Quinn, while the younger Eddie is played by Graham Dowling. “Eddie is conscious of his own mortality and he’s aware that the clock is ticking. So he wants to prove to his friends that there’s one last gig in him. He sets about trying to get his old band together, trying to get his head together, trying to recover some of his earlier enthusiasm.” In order to do this, Eddie attends counselling, and through that we see flashbacks to his younger days. “I think everyone knows a character like Eddie, maybe there’s a bit of me in him too,” says Hugh.
Backing
“I’ve been lucky as a lot of people have rowed in behind me. I’ve got Billy Mac, Blues Confidential, Good Man Sheila, who will perform on the night. Dan Grehan is going to compere the first section of the night for me. Paul Gilbride, or Paolo Georgio, will act as the ’80s DJ. “The first section of the night will take the form of a battle of the bands competition, while the second section goes back to the ’80s. It will be a bit of fun. “It’s Eddie’s story, it’s everybody’s story, it’s the story of the town. People are excited about it and everyone’s getting on board.”
Tickets for the Music Town concert on Friday March 21 are in the Greville Arms Hotel at €10. The show starts at 9pm.