Opacas for Monroes show after fulfilling dream at Abbey Road

After the success of their album Carpe Diem and a whirlwind tour, The Opacas took time out to write new material and opted to record those songs in the legendary studio that hosted The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin.

“Abbey Road is such an iconic place, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” says bassist Pat Boyle. “Our band has always been about having fun and making music – getting to record there was an absolute dream.”

Founding member Mark Raynor didn’t hesitate when the opportunity presented itself.

“No way was I missing out on this,” he says, adding that “it was surreal just soaking in the history”.

Guitarist Joe Treacy explains that they “spent the first hour wandering around in awe. Seeing an old 1960s mixing desk – even though it wasn’t functional – was incredible”.

Keyboardist Peter Tobin was in his element too. “They had a real Hammond organ and a grand piano in the studio – absolute heaven.”

Drummer Mike McLoughlin sums it up: “From the security at the front door to the engineers inside, the whole vibe was about making music happen. We walked out that night with five solid tracks and the bones of a sixth.”

With those recordings in the bag, lead singer Steve Talbot is already thinking ahead. “Abbey Road was a serious goal—it took nine months of planning! Maybe next, we’ll do an intimate candlelit acoustic session. Our ultimate dream? Playing support in the Big Top at the Galway Arts Festival. Until then, we keep setting new goals.”

Joining The Opacas this Saturday night are their longtime friends KaRoSal, with whom they collaborated on last year’s hit single You Know Me.

■ Tickets for the show in Monroes are €10 and available now at https://monroes.ie

Pictured: The Opacas at Abbey Road.