Battle of the bands winner travels north for Celtic Fusion festival - Down Recorder 21st July 2010
The West of Galway band from Naples, Florida, were among those helping to bring this year's Celtic Fusion festival to an open-air close in Castlewellan.
Sunday's concert in Upper Square was made possible for West of Galway after they won an online battle of the bands sponsored by the Killyleagh based Strangford Lough Brewing Company and Celtic Fusion.
The competition offered bands the chance to battle it out in an online Cross Atlantic 'Battle of the Bands' competition with a prize of flights from anywhere in North America to Ireland, accommodation and a performance in the Celtic Fusion Irish Music Festival.
Over 50 bands took part in the March competition and West of Galway worked the hardest to mobilise their supporters to vote for them in the contest. The contest came down to the wire, with West of Galway edging past Detroit group The Kreelers.
Excited to be playing at the festival alongside some of their Irish idols, including Sharon Shannon and Kila, Bernie Green said his band's gig at the festival enabled them to live out a "childhood dream".
Bernie and band mate, Jim McEvoy, the 56 year-old former city of Naples fire chief, compared the contest to a political campaign, and credited their victory to networking and "friends telling friends telling friends".
"I wouldn't want to go through it again," said Jim, who now sports a post-retirement pony tail and beard. "It was a little stressful."
Bernie and Jim both play guitar and sing and are accompanied by bodhran drummer Linda Macchia-Howe, concertina player Alan Plath and fiddler Steven Stadler.
Following a tour of Ireland with their families, the band are now looking forward to more touring with their increased profile. Booked through to next March, festivals include stints in New Jersey and Georgia.
"We're getting phone calls from places we've been chasing for years," said Bernie. "We've got access we could have only previously dreamt about. Strangford Lough did it right. They're treating us like rock stars throughout the whole thing."
