-Live recordings to showcase music at iconic sights-
THE Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has proven to be well in tune with the local music industry on an exciting new film series of acoustic recordings with leading local bands including Ash and Silhouette at some of the country’s most iconic sights.
The ni2012 Sessions in association with Bandwidth and the Oh Yeah Music Centre will showcase the music of upcoming bands as well as celebrating established artists at famous locations across Northern Ireland.
The video recordings are being posted on YouTube and are expected to be viewed by thousands of music fans across Northern Ireland and beyond. Silhouette at The Ulster Hall and Robyn G. Shiels on the roof of the Oh Yeah Centre overlooking Belfast have already been filmed, with Kowalski and Wonder Villains set to perform before the camera soon.
Tim Wheeler, frontman of NI music heroes Ash, recently recorded a ni2012 session before the band’s 20th anniversary gig at the Oh Yeah Music Centre. The session features Ash’s single “Shining Light” which topped BBC Radio Ulster’s Great Northern Songbook public vote.
Helen Carey, NITB Product Marketing Officer, said that music is a key element in attracting visitors to Northern Ireland due to the country’s strong musical heritage.
“NITB recognises that Northern Ireland has a rich musical heritage and a vibrant current scene which has created international impact with the staging of major music events here and the export of home grown talent including the likes of Ash, Snow Patrol, Van Morrison and many more. Merging landmarks with music is an ideal platform to showcase new and established artists in a very interesting environment.”
Filmed by Will McConnell of Bandwidth, the ni2012 Sessions have an intimate, unplugged feel and are recorded using a handheld camera which allows music fans to see artists perform in a new and unexpected light.
“Our musical legacy around the world is as obvious as the big yellow cranes of Samson & Goliath in Belfast and as indelible as the stones of the Giant’s Causeway” said Will. “We’re a musical nation through and through which is evident in the boundless creativity and liveliness of our population – it is even in our accents.
“Northern Ireland, in terms of its geographical size, has always punched above its weight on the world musical stage and the vistas the country offers are so stunning, so I’m delighted to be joining forces with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to punch that little bit higher and put some of my favourite musicians onto an even bigger backdrop for the world to see,” he added.
Stuart Bailie from Oh Yeah Music Centre said, “The Oh Yeah Music Centre has enjoyed working with NITB on a series of music projects and we’re so pleased to see them actively promoting music from the likes of Silhouette and Future Chaser, as well as the array of great music festivals. The ni2012 Sessions project is a step further and we’re happy to be involved in another chance to show an international audience how dynamic our music scene is.”
Subscribe to Discover Northern Ireland’s YouTube channel to be the first to see the new sessions www.youtube.com/discoverni or for further information visit www.ni2012.com