Ham Sandwich to the rescue!

Thursday, 03 February 2011 13:29

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Superheroes and villains will be the order of the day this weekend as Ham Sandwich come to play Bar Ritz in Castlebar. That's right – one of Ireland's best known bands is coming to play Bar Ritz (Mulroy's Bar) in support of their new album White Fox this coming Saturday night, February 5, as part of the Finbar Hoban Presents... Marvel Comics Heroes & Villians fancy dress party.
It's time to dress up as your favourite comic book superhero or villain, and there'll be plenty of prizes for the best dressed person on the night.

Ham Sandwich are a five-piece Irish rock band with members hailing from Meath and Dublin. Charismatically fronted by Podge McNamee (vocals, guitar) and Niamh Farrell (vocals), the line-up is completed by Dave McEnroe (bass guitar), Brian Darcy (guitar) and Ollie Murphy (drums).
The band have steadily built upon a devoted following in the Irish alternative music scene and have been noted for their incendiary live performances at venues such as Whelan's in Dublin.
In addition to their reputation as one of Ireland's best live rock acts, Ham Sandwich have released a number of critically acclaimed singles and EPs, which have been distinguished by the consistent quality of all the songs contained therein.
Initially, the band's name attracted more attention than the music. However, as Ham Sandwich became established, the name increasingly became an irrelevance and the music took precedence.

Ham Sandwich have played alongside such internationally renowned artists as Electric Six, Whitesnake, Pere Ubu, Isobel Campbell, Mark Lanegan, My Morning Jacket, The Bluetones, I'm From Barcelona and The Buzzcocks, amongst others.
They released White Fox to critical acclaim last October and are just about to release their brand new single entitled 'Ants', which will be available this Friday. The show is going be part of the band's nationwide tour known as 'The Ants Tour'.
Support on the night will come Dublin band Bipolar Empire who have had their recent single 'Tempomanic' used in the RTE 2fm advertisement with Ryan Turbidy and Hector O hEochagáin.

Their stylistic, folk-infused rock 'n' roll, delivered with genuine raw passion and boundless energy, began to draw the attention of young music connoisseurs and as the live shows developed into a tighter, more intense experience, so the Bipolar Empire fanbase began to blossom.
In 2009, the band got a lucky break and managed to wangle a trip to the US to work with legendary music producer Pat McCarthy (REM, Madonna, U2, Counting Crows). The lads packed their bags and sunscreen and headed to Los Angeles to record their debut album.
Impressed by the band's vast reserve of songs (the band had 30 tracks written and ready to record), McCarthy spent the first few days helping the band to whittle the tracks down. Working tirelessly and making the most of their time in the US, Bipolar Empire played numerous gigs, including turns at the iconic Continental Club and the world famous Whiskey A Go-Go before heading to Austin, Texas, to perform at industry showcase South x Southwest.

The first band to kick the night's entertainment off will be Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters from Limerick City, who are just about to release their brand new album called The Devil In Music.
So make sure to get in to superhero (or villain) mode this Saturday night as one of Ireland's biggest bands come to play the intimate surroundings of Bar Ritz. The show gets underway at 9 p.m. sharp.