Join legendary musician, Keith Donald, for a one-man show of readings and music as he launches his memoir, 'Music and Mayhem', at Banner Books Kilrush.
Keith Donald is a renowned saxophone and clarinet player who has played with some of the biggest names in Irish music, including Van Morrison, Ronnie Drew, Moving Hearts and Christy Moore. Music and Mayhem charts the immersive and explosive life of one of Ireland’s most important musicians, and the golden decade of Irish music he was at the very centre of.
Keith Donald’s story begins in Unionist East Belfast, hurtling through vivid memories of a childhood as a musical prodigy, first performing at the BBC aged ten. His story takes him to the classics department of Trinity College Dublin in the early 60s, a hotbed of new ideas, before he becomes enveloped in the beauty of tenor sax. Playing at jazz clubs by night and studying classics by day, Donald soon felt the early onset of alcohol addiction, fuelled by childhood PTSD.
The 70s saw Donald building a music career in Dublin and Europe, coping with addiction, a crumbling marriage, and forging a separate life as a qualified social worker. It was the 1980s however, when his greatest breakthrough came to pass with the formation of the Celtic rock supergroup Moving Hearts.
With the Moving Hearts Donald was tour manager, star performer and inspiration, alongside bandmates including Christy Moore and Donal Lunny. Their fusion of jazz, rock and traditional music created the soundtrack of an era and paved the way for a generation of Irish musicians.
"Not only is Keith’s book ‘Music & Mayhem’ a brilliant read about an amazing and important time in Ireland’s musical history, he also gives an electrifying, spellbinding short performance about his battles with his addictions that is compelling and ultimately triumphant. Highly recommended." Vinny Browne, Charlie Byrne's Bookshop
"A beautiful and engaging production, underpinned by a narrative bursting with honesty and a performance delivery of the highest quality." The Arts Council of Northern Ireland
This event takes place as part of Kilrush Heritage Quarter, a nine-day programme of events for National Heritage Week, with the theme 'Exploring Our Foundations'. No finer man than Keith Donald to lead an exploration of the very foundations of popular music in Ireland. For details of the full Kilrush Heritage Quarter programme, visit kilrush.ie
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