Well-known RTÉ broadcaster Kathryn Thomas interviews Donegal’s Heads Of State (l-r) Tommy Callaghan, Gary Doherty, Colin Montgomery and Orri McBrearty at the Castlepalooza Festival. Photo: Christopher Curran
BY SEÁN P. FEENY
ONE OF Donegal’s most popular original bands was recently selected as part of a national radio competition to pay at the Castlepalooza Music and Arts Festival in County Offaly.
The Heads Of State, featuring Castlefinn’s Tommy Callaghan, Gary Doherty and Orri McBrearty and Gartan man Colin Montgomery, were one of ten acts to be selected to perform at the festival by RTÉ Radio One’s John Murray Show.
Over ten weeks the show, which is one of the most listened-to in the country, selected an act each week from hundreds of entries. On the final week, the Donegal band was contacted to be told that they were the final act to be selected to perform at Castlepalooza in Tullamore.
Lead vocalist, Tommy said: “Being featured on the show has definitely raised our profile and the one place we have noticed this is on the band’s social network sites. “The producers of the show really liked our music and our songs have received quite a bit of airplay which has been fantastic.”
The John Murray Show took over a stage on the grounds at Charleville Castle on Saturday to showcase all the acts they had chosen with broadcaster Kathryn Thomas acting as MC.
Tommy said: “We performed for half an hour in the evening and there was a really great vibe. Castlepalooza is a lovely festival in a beautiful location.”
Having just released their latest EP These Times locally, The Heads Of State are now going to focus their attention on national publicity.
“We plan to release the EP nation-wide in September, with Days Long as a single, and follow it up with a series of gigs around Ireland before we go back into the studio.”
Tommy revealed that they have just received confirmation they will be giving three performances at the Electric Picnic (August 30 – September) at Stradbally Estate, County, Laois, over the festival’s 10th anniversary weekend.
Colin Montgomery on drums.
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