Imelda May ensures life’s a picnic for Galway singer
A rising star of Galway’s music scene is one of an elite group of Irish buskers who will be mentored by the legendary Imelda May ahead of their upcoming appearance at Electric Picnic.
Jamie McIntyre – the 22-year-old singer from Corofin who recently ran an ultimately unsuccessful campaign to play his own composition, Over Galway Town, at the footballers’ post All-Ireland homecoming – is one of those making his Electric Picnic debut.
He will play on the Three Music stage as part of Three’s City Stages Collective – playing on the same stage as Galway’s hugely-rated NewDad over the weekend.
Three’s City Stages Collective made its debut at last year’s festival when a collection of Irish buskers came together to create a showstopping performance. This summer it returns with a new line-up of fresh Irish talent, new setlist and a new show.
Corofin’s Jamie McIntyre is one of this summer’s artists with Ava McKechnie, Brinda Irani, Dave Lofts, Jamie McIntyre and Tadhg Nolan, all of which have been involved in the initiative led by Three over the past year.
Through City Stages, each will have opportunity to play at Ireland’s biggest festival, Electric Picnic, as the City Stages Collective where they will be joined by a full house band of experienced session musicians.
Imelda May – alongside Camden Recording Studios MD Cian Boylan – will be working with the acts to create the one-off showcase which will take place on Saturday week, August 17, at 2pm on the Three Music Stage.
The five were introduced to Imelda May at a recent live session in Windmill Lane Recording Studios where they worked on preparing the setlist for the festival.
“I’m excited to work with this group of talented young musicians to help prepare them for one of the biggest shows of their life,” said Imelda.
“Three’s City Stages has been an important platform to support and help the next generation of Irish talent progress to the next level of their careers.”
As well as the Three City Stages Collective, Electric Picnic’s Three Music Stage has many more incredible new acts across a multitude of genres throughout the weekend.
Homegrown talent includes Irish-Italian indie alt band Big Sleep, hip-hop quartet Bricknasty as well as Cork bands Cardinals and Cliffords.
Galway rockers NewDad, Belfast rapper Jordan Adetunji, experimental noise and doom duo DUG, and Dublin electro pop singer SPIDER are just some of the other local acts fans can see over the weekend.
Pictured: Imelda May with her Three City Stages artists (from left) Ava McKenchie, Galway’s Jamie McIntyre, Tadhg Nolan, Brinda Irani and Dave Lofts, as she helps them prepare for Ireland's biggest festival, Electric Picnic.