Published: Wednesday, 9th December, 2009 5:00pm

Bluegrass night with Bending the Strings

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Enjoy the sweet music of a bluegrass night on Thursday when local band Bending the Strings and guests Woodbine take over the Stables, Mullingar.

Taking their name from a great banjo instrumental that features in their live set, Bending the Strings is made up of well know local faces - Martin Cooney, Moyra Frazer and Vinny Baker.

Bending the Strings cannot be described as your usual bluegrass three-piece due piano featuring strongly in their set, both as a rhythm and bass instrument and also as a lead instrument, just like the great master of bluegrass himself, Bill Monroe did.

Woodbine are a four piece bluegrass/acoustic country band formed in 2002, who have played all the Irish bluegrass and related festivals since their formation, including the Athy Bluegrass Festival, Omagh Bluegrass Festival (Ulster American Folk Park), Dunmore-East Bluegrass Festival, Bluegrass on the Walls Festival (Derry), Banjo Festival (Longford), Rhythm and Roots Festival (Kilkenny), Guinness and Oyster Bluegrass (Kilkenny), Airfield House Urban Roots Festival (Dublin) and Ardara Bluegrass Festival (Donegal).

They have released three albums to date - "Shades O' Grass", and "Tulla Hill" and "Free as a Breeze", which have all been well received by critics and fans alike.

Woodbine play a great mix of material from Bill Monroe to Flatt and Scruggs to Doc Watson to Rhonda Vincent to Hank Williams and much more in between. Band line up is Liam Wright on lead guitar, Nicola O Brien on double bass, Tony O Brien on rhythm guitar, Richard Hawkins on five string banjo and Clem O'Brien, who sometimes guests with the band on guitar and dobro.