Cavan Band To Kick Off PáircFest 2010

With less than two weeks to go, Kingscourt band, Raw Dawgs, are putting the finishing touches to their set list which they believe will set Páircfest 2010 rocking. The open air rock music festival is on Saturday, July 17, in Newbliss, Co. Monaghan and is set to attract huge crowds from that county as well as Co. Cavan and other surrounding counties. The band have played local festivals in the past, but none on the scale of Paircfest; it will be the largest of their outdoor gigs to date. Speaking with the Anglo-Celt lead singer John Griffin says that Páircfest is the place to be: "We are really looking forward to Paircfest, who wouldn't? The opportunity to be able to reach many new people with our original sound is quite a big deal, we love the music we play and we want other people to love it too. It's a day out for everyone with an ear for good music, there's a superb lineup with great variety." The band has been together for two years. It was formed when John griffin (lead vocals) and Phil Carey (guitar) met Ryan McCabe (drums). The lineup was completed with Dan Forde (bass and vocals) "blagging his way in, fortunately" as John says with a smile. The band's musical style is "a mix of Hard Rock and Metal with and infusion of Folk and Celtic sounds", according to the lead singer. "We felt that Folk and Celtic were becoming a bit dated and relatively unchanging so we hope to revitalize it," he says. The name Raw Dawgs came about almost by accident. "The name was a common phrase often thrown about in the earlier practices, after a time the band realised it suited their attitude and thus Raw Dawgs was born." Páircfest promises to be a fantastic day with not only the Raw Dawgs on the bill but also Gascan Ruckus, Speedking, Bon Jovi experience, Knights of Leon and headliners AZ/DZ. Part of the organising committee from Killeevan Sarsfields GAC Adrian Thompsom explains that tickets are now available at Ticketmaster.ie and are priced at €32. They can also be bought at local outlets such as Dan's Bar, The Stag Inn and Martins Shop, Newbliss and Matthews, the Diamond, Clones. "Our aim is to provide a top class event, run to the highest standards that gives those present the value for money they deserve," says Adrian. "We are very confident of providing that." • See paircfest.com for details and latest news.