About the 'Sitters'
Gay McIntyre
Gay McIntyre's musical adventure began at a very early age when he started his own band at the wise old
age of 16! During his long career of over 60 years, Derry alto saxophonist and clarinettist Gay McIntyre
has become known across Ireland, the UK and Europe as one of the finest exponents of jazz music ever.
Gay has received countless plaudits and rave reviews, He has worked with the BBC NI and RTE
orchestras and taught in schools all over the WELB area, and he was instrumental in the establishment of
the very successful Derry jazz festival.
Gay McIntyre embraces new musical technology, believing it helps to enhance jazz, and he is still today
experimenting with sound and musical arrangements of the classics within his genre.
Bronagh Gallagher
A favourite daughter of Derry, Bronagh is a singer and actress. As a teenager she became involved in the
performing arts with a local amateur drama group.
She has worked on many productions on stage and appeared in many feature films and television series
including Star Wars and Pulp Fiction and of course memorably as Bernie in TheCommitments
Bronagh continues to tour and perform, not only does she write most of her own music, but she also plays
the drums and sings.
Gavin Martin
Gavin Martin published Alternative Ulster in Ireland’s punk rock summer of 1977,
He joined NME as a freelance journalist the following year and has written about music and movies ever
since.
He now contributes to a wide range of publications and is the Music Critic for The Daily Mirror.
Jennifer Sturgeon
Jennifer studied the flute with Colin Fleming in Belfast.
She was a finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and represented Ireland in the
European Young Musician of the Year.
Today Jennifer is the principle flautist with the Ulster Orchestra
Niall Lawlor
Niall is a native of Portstewart and lead guitarist with the three piece Band Axis Of.
Over the past five years the band has built up an enthusiastic fan base through their energetic live shows.
They have recorded for the BBC at the famous Maida Vale Studios, toured extensively in the UK and
Europe and played with bands like ‘Therapy?’ and ‘The Bronx’
Henry McCullough
Founder member of the band Eire Aparent who toured with Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, The Move and Jimi
Hendrix, Henry joined Joe Cocker’s Grease Band in the late sixties playing Woodstock festival.
He later joined Wings and his guitar solo on ‘My Love’ is regarded as a classic rock solo.
Dave Fanning
Dave Fanning is a broadcaster, journalist and host of the Eleventh Hour and over twenty other series for
RTE.
Over the last thirty years, as a close friend to U2 he has been granted first airing to any of their new
releases.
During his career he has won numerous IMRA awards including in 2004 the Industry Award.
Alan Cullivan
Alan‘s early career was as a guitarist, but he later became involved with the management side of the
business and began working with ‘The Thrills’
He currently runs a company working with new artists, and he is the founding Chairman of Music Managers
Forum which has been set up to establish educational events and to act as a lobbying group on behalf of
artists management.
Terri Hooley
Terri is the founder of the legendary Belfast record shop and label ‘Good Vibrations’ which was responsible
for promoting bands such as ‘The Outcasts’ and ‘The Undertones’ and was famously supported by the late
BBC radio presenter John Peel.
Those early days of the seventies Punk era have now been celebrated in a film starring Richard Dormer as
Terry.
Paddy Glasgow
The Glasgowbury Music group was established by Paddy in 2000 to create a range of musical activities for
the young adults of the rural community of Mid Ulster.
The very successful Glasgowbury Music festival ran for thirteen years at Eagles Rock in Draperstown and
was a fantastic showcase for young Irish bands
George Lowden
George is a self-taught guitar maker. From an early age he was fascinated by the construction of guitars,
and during the seventies he began to develop and design acoustic guitars which have become world
famous.
Lowden guitars are currently handcrafted in a small workshop in Downpatrick and his instruments are
played by many in the music world including Eric Clapton, Mike Oldfield, Richard Thompson, Paul Brady,
Gary Lightbody and Foy Vance
SOAK aka Bridie Monds- Watson
SOAK Is a Young Derry singer/songwriter who has received widespread critical acclaim. She began her
musical career playing the open mic’ nights at Café del Mondo,
She has gigged extensively and released her first EP, ‘Trains’ in March 2012.
Her second EP, ‘Sea Creatures’ was launched at the beginning of August, and has already been making
waves in the local and national music scene.
Annie Mac
Born in Dublin Annie Mac is a DJ and television presenter for BBC radio and television were she hosts her
own Friday night show, she has also presented ‘The Culture Show’ and RTE’s ‘Other Voices’.
In September 2009, Annie released her first compilation album, Annie Mac Presents, followed in the
following two years by Annie Mac Presents 2010 and Annie Mac Presents 2011.
Vinny McCreith
Vinny is a member of Adebisi Shank are a three-piece instrumental rock trio from Wexford with a style of
music described as "seriously upbeat math-rockycraziness" - their gigs are relentless. They have toured
extensively and have released two studio albums.
A significant part of both the band's image and live performances is the bass player Vinny McCreith
wearing a mask. When asked in an interview about the purpose of the mask McCreith commented
saying: "I’d hate for the band to become famous purely because of the bass players rugged good looks and
deep blue eyes."
Andrew Ferris
Andrew Ferris began his career in the music industry as a performing artist as lead singer of critically
acclaimed, alternative rock group Jetplane Landing who are still touring and performing.
In 2007 he established Smalltown America, an independent record label and artist management group
which is now based in Derry.
Chris Wee
Chris is the drummer in the band And So I Watch You From Afar, a four-piece rock band from the North
Coast.
They have released three albums and have toured worldwide
Gay McIntyre
Gay McIntyre's musical adventure began at a very early age when he started his own band at the wise old
age of 16! During his long career of over 60 years, Derry alto saxophonist and clarinettist Gay McIntyre
has become known across Ireland, the UK and Europe as one of the finest exponents of jazz music ever.
Gay has received countless plaudits and rave reviews, He has worked with the BBC NI and RTE
orchestras and taught in schools all over the WELB area, and he was instrumental in the establishment of
the very successful Derry jazz festival.
Gay McIntyre embraces new musical technology, believing it helps to enhance jazz, and he is still today
experimenting with sound and musical arrangements of the classics within his genre.
Bronagh Gallagher
A favourite daughter of Derry, Bronagh is a singer and actress. As a teenager she became involved in the
performing arts with a local amateur drama group.
She has worked on many productions on stage and appeared in many feature films and television series
including Star Wars and Pulp Fiction and of course memorably as Bernie in TheCommitments
Bronagh continues to tour and perform, not only does she write most of her own music, but she also plays
the drums and sings.
Gavin Martin
Gavin Martin published Alternative Ulster in Ireland’s punk rock summer of 1977,
He joined NME as a freelance journalist the following year and has written about music and movies ever
since.
He now contributes to a wide range of publications and is the Music Critic for The Daily Mirror.
Jennifer Sturgeon
Jennifer studied the flute with Colin Fleming in Belfast.
She was a finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and represented Ireland in the
European Young Musician of the Year.
Today Jennifer is the principle flautist with the Ulster Orchestra
Niall Lawlor
Niall is a native of Portstewart and lead guitarist with the three piece Band Axis Of.
Over the past five years the band has built up an enthusiastic fan base through their energetic live shows.
They have recorded for the BBC at the famous Maida Vale Studios, toured extensively in the UK and
Europe and played with bands like ‘Therapy?’ and ‘The Bronx’
Henry McCullough
Founder member of the band Eire Aparent who toured with Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, The Move and Jimi
Hendrix, Henry joined Joe Cocker’s Grease Band in the late sixties playing Woodstock festival.
He later joined Wings and his guitar solo on ‘My Love’ is regarded as a classic rock solo.
Dave Fanning
Dave Fanning is a broadcaster, journalist and host of the Eleventh Hour and over twenty other series for
RTE.
Over the last thirty years, as a close friend to U2 he has been granted first airing to any of their new
releases.
During his career he has won numerous IMRA awards including in 2004 the Industry Award.
Alan Cullivan
Alan‘s early career was as a guitarist, but he later became involved with the management side of the
business and began working with ‘The Thrills’
He currently runs a company working with new artists, and he is the founding Chairman of Music Managers
Forum which has been set up to establish educational events and to act as a lobbying group on behalf of
artists management.
Terri Hooley
Terri is the founder of the legendary Belfast record shop and label ‘Good Vibrations’ which was responsible
for promoting bands such as ‘The Outcasts’ and ‘The Undertones’ and was famously supported by the late
BBC radio presenter John Peel.
Those early days of the seventies Punk era have now been celebrated in a film starring Richard Dormer as
Terry.
Paddy Glasgow
The Glasgowbury Music group was established by Paddy in 2000 to create a range of musical activities for
the young adults of the rural community of Mid Ulster.
The very successful Glasgowbury Music festival ran for thirteen years at Eagles Rock in Draperstown and
was a fantastic showcase for young Irish bands
George Lowden
George is a self-taught guitar maker. From an early age he was fascinated by the construction of guitars,
and during the seventies he began to develop and design acoustic guitars which have become world
famous.
Lowden guitars are currently handcrafted in a small workshop in Downpatrick and his instruments are
played by many in the music world including Eric Clapton, Mike Oldfield, Richard Thompson, Paul Brady,
Gary Lightbody and Foy Vance
SOAK aka Bridie Monds- Watson
SOAK Is a Young Derry singer/songwriter who has received widespread critical acclaim. She began her
musical career playing the open mic’ nights at Café del Mondo,
She has gigged extensively and released her first EP, ‘Trains’ in March 2012.
Her second EP, ‘Sea Creatures’ was launched at the beginning of August, and has already been making
waves in the local and national music scene.
Annie Mac
Born in Dublin Annie Mac is a DJ and television presenter for BBC radio and television were she hosts her
own Friday night show, she has also presented ‘The Culture Show’ and RTE’s ‘Other Voices’.
In September 2009, Annie released her first compilation album, Annie Mac Presents, followed in the
following two years by Annie Mac Presents 2010 and Annie Mac Presents 2011.
Vinny McCreith
Vinny is a member of Adebisi Shank are a three-piece instrumental rock trio from Wexford with a style of
music described as "seriously upbeat math-rockycraziness" - their gigs are relentless. They have toured
extensively and have released two studio albums.
A significant part of both the band's image and live performances is the bass player Vinny McCreith
wearing a mask. When asked in an interview about the purpose of the mask McCreith commented
saying: "I’d hate for the band to become famous purely because of the bass players rugged good looks and
deep blue eyes."
Andrew Ferris
Andrew Ferris began his career in the music industry as a performing artist as lead singer of critically
acclaimed, alternative rock group Jetplane Landing who are still touring and performing.
In 2007 he established Smalltown America, an independent record label and artist management group
which is now based in Derry.
Chris Wee
Chris is the drummer in the band And So I Watch You From Afar, a four-piece rock band from the North
Coast.
They have released three albums and have toured worldwide
