'I'm gonna push my telecaster through the television screen cause I don't like what's going on'. The - Radiators from Space had Phillip Chevron in the band before they split up and he went on to join The Pogues. This band had a couple of good singles like "Television Screen" and "Enemies". They eventually became The Radiators and had their sound smoothed and mellowed.


Of Irish/Italian parentage, Chris Rea grew up in the north-east of England.

Rea's earliest supporters were in Germany and throughout the first part of the 80's he steadily gained in popularity across the Continent through his gruff, guitar solos.

Shamrock Diaries and Stainsby. Both it and Stainsby iris reached the Top 30 in 1985. Later, Dancing With went to #2 in the UK In 1988, WEA acquired Rea's contract, and issued a compilation album which sold well throughout Europe. The album reached the Top 5 in the UK and suddenly Rea was fashionable. This was followed by his first UK #1, The Road To Hell, one of the most successful albums of 1989/90. Like its predecessor, the album Auberge topped the UK chart while its title trade reached the UK Top 20. Julia a track fi·om the album Espresso Logic became his twenty-seventh UK hit in November 1993.

Liam Reilly, who is recognized as one of the Ireland's most prominent songwriters has had numerous songs recorded by artistes like,James Last, The Wolfe Tones, Paddy Reilly, Joe Dolan, and Phd Coulter. Liam has also had a hugely successful solo career in America and Europe during a break from the band. He still enjoys life on the road with Bagatelle, but also makes time to pursue the solo aspect of his career when the band is not touring.


"The Fields of Athenry" is probably lrelands most popular song, but Paddy Reilly was an accomplished ballad singer for almost twenty years before he recorded the Pete StJohn song - it was to be the one that ensured his worldwide success. Paddy Reilly is one of the top draws on the American Folk circuit and it was his powerful rendition of "The Fields of Athenry" which led to the football terraces in Ireland and at Parkhead in Glasgow, the home of the famous Glasgow Celtic Football Club, taking it on board.


The Revs, a three-piece power popirock band from Donegal are: Rory Gallagher (Bass/Vocals), John McIntyre (Guitar/Vocals), Micky O'Donnell (Drums). They have had an amazing run over the last year by any standards, scoring 2 top 20 and z top to hit records, a gold album and single, two Irish music industry awards, circumnavigating the globe with an mini tour of the USA and Australia and topping it off by playing to 100,000 people in Dublin at the welcome home reception for the Irish World Cup team. They are now set to take on the world with releases and tours in Australia, the US and Europe over the next year and a new studio album for release inJanuary 2003.


The filler for the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. Those involved knew they were on to something huge when the rehearsals for the performance were filled with delegates from all over Europe. As a single release, Riverdance spent 18 weeks at #1 in the Irish charts and was a Top Ten hit in the UK. The Riverdance show has gone on to tour the world several times and continues to do so, astounding audiences from Seoul to San Francisco.


The subject of a wellknown catchphrase " spit on me dickie", Dickie Rock, is one of Ireland's most successful recording stars, with a run of 25 hits between 1963 and 1983, and whenever the Showband era is mentioned his name immediately springs to mind. Before he was famous Dickie was an apprentice welder. He went from earning f15 a week to getting ;E300 pounds a night and he traveled the world performing.

He headed the Miami Showband for ten eventful years before starting his own band in 1972. When support for Showbands declined, Dickie made a smooth transition into cabaret. His career has progressed far beyond the need for hit singles or albums. He is now a well respected member of Ireland's show business establishment and was voted 'Showman of the Year' for his work with handicapped children. One of the highlights of his career was when he represented Ireland in the Eurovision in 1966 with Rowland Soper's "Come Back to Stay," he finished fourth for Ireland that year in Luxembourg.

Dickie's repertoire still includes many of his hits from the Showband era, including "The Candy Store" and "Every Step of the Way," but he also includes many of the songs fEom his latest Album You Must Remember This which includes 42 of Dickie's favorite songs.

Clodagh Rodgers was born in Ballymena Co. Antrim and began her singing career at the age of 13. Clodagh Rodgers is now best remembered for her big 1971 hit, "Jack In The Box" which was the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entry for that year. The song didn't win, but it became a massively popular recording despite that. Clodagh's first record releases did not sell well enough to chart though she gradually became familiar to British audiences through her Film and TV work. She was a popular performer with regular TV appearances, but her singles began to fade as the 1970's progressed. Clodagh ultimately withdrew from the show business scene because of family commitments. She has now returned to both acting and singing and continues to perform regularly.


Rogue's March are: Joe Hurley, vocals, J-F: guitars, Rich Feridun: guitar, mandolin, Chris Nappi: drums, Matt Lindsey: bass, Kenny Margolis/Pat Robinson: accordion, piano.

Rogue's March, noted for their edectic blend of rock & roll, country, punk, and pop (with a shot of Irish), along with a flair for storytelling bordering on the cinematic, have released two independent CDs, Never Fear and the follow-up, Chaser . "Shut Up and Drink", the raucous ode to imbibing from Never Fear, was a featured song of the week on WNEW-FM in their pre-talk radio days and the band have also been interviewed on MTV. The band continues to tour the U.S. and Canada, garnering new fans and rave reviews.

The RTE Concert Orchestra is one of two professional orchestras funded by Ireland's national broadcasting service. It was founded in 1948 aS the Radio Eireann Light Orchestra and employed just 22 players. Its first 30 years were mostly studio-based, with only occasional public concerts. The appointment of Proinnsias Duinn as Principal Conductor in 1978 saw the orchestra enter a new and exciting phase. Firstly, there was a highly successful North American tour in 1980, taking in 63 concerts in 75 days. Secondly, with the opening of the National Concert Hall, a number of concert series was established, with some setting box-office records. The repertoire ranged from the Classics to Lloyd Webber, from opera gala nights to film music extravaganzas.

The orchestra has now expanded to 45 full-time players and recent years have seen further USA tours under the orchestra's 'Spirit of Ireland' banner, a range of commercial recordings, including Riverdance, and a successful partnership with Opera Ireland.

Chorus Master: Marle Duley
Conducted by Mark Duley, the RTE Philharmonic Choir has been at the center of choral music in Ireland since its foundation in 1985. The choir is associated principally with performances of major choral works with RTE's National Symphony Orchestra. Mark Duley was born in New Zealand in 1960 and educated at Auckland University, the North German Organ Academy and the Sweelinck Conservatory, Amsterdam. He is organist and Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. He was appointed to the RTE Philharmonic Choir in 1996.


Quartet Members: Gregory Ellis, Keith Pascoe (violins), Simon Aspell (viola), Christopher Marwood (cello) Now in its sixteenth year, the RTE Vanbrugh Quartet is established as one of Europe's most successful string quartets. Appointed Resident Quartet to RTE in 1986, the group went on to win the London International String Quartet Competition in 1988, and has since built up a thriving career giving around one hundred concerts each year in more than twenty countries throughout the world including the UK, Holland, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Portugal, Hungary and the Czech Republic.


Taking their name from a Wonder Stuff song, Rubyhorse from Cork decided the best shot at success was in America. In 1998, the group left for Boston, a large Irish - friendly population awaiting. Performing at an Irish pub called The Barren, word quickly spread about the band and they became the Thursday night group there for 60 weeks. The band also released an album, How Far Have You Come? and won three Boston Music Awards. Three national tours ensued, as did a battle among various record labels to sign them. This was only fUelled by the group reaching #1 on the MP3 charts, a first for an unsigned group. A deal with Interscope Records fell through after one release, but the group eventually signed with Island Records. In 2001, Rubyhorse returned to the studio to record their first album with Island. The album, titled Rise, was released in May 2002, and features a prized slide-guitar solo by the late George Harrison on one of its tracks.

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