Belfast-based singer-songwriter Anthony Toner makes his first appearance at Iúr Cinn Fleadh on Friday 23 August with an intimate solo acoustic show. And we’re really chuffed about that!
Anthony is like Newry – a hidden gem of Ireland. If you look on Bandcamp, you’ll find a wealth of his material. He not only tells stories but also creates atmospheres with his finely crafted compositions. One audience member said attending one of Anthony’s concerts was ‘like watching a series of beautiful short films’.
ELVIS FAN
He was born in Coleraine, and his parents loved listening to music. In an interview for Community Arts Partnership, Anthony recalled, ‘Their musical taste was very much rooted in their younger years – the 50s and early 60s – so while I probably should have been listening to the Kinks, The Beatles, I was listening to Elvis, Chuck Berry, Jim Reeves – all sorts of music from that era. My mum was a huge Elvis fan, and so Elvis’ music was a constant.’
Listening to Anthony now, his style is more like Paul Simon or Gordon Lightfoot than Elvis Presley. ‘In my later teens I started hearing The Stones, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Neil Young, I started hearing people playing guitar for real, and that influenced me a lot,’ he told CAP’s website The Monthly.
When friends at school started swapping records, Anthony was exposed to all sorts of music, from Jethro Tull to The Clash. ‘There was an incredibly open-minded curiosity among the students I went to school with. Someone would give me a Clash album and I would give them a Kris Kristofferson record. And in that way, you worked out what you liked and what you didn’t,’ he said.
FAVOURITE POEMS
Newry festivalgoers are in for a real treat with this guy. They can expect some peerless guitar playing on a repertoire that includes old favourites like Sailortown, East Of Louise and Well Well Well, as well as selections like An Alphabet and The Protection Of The King from his more recent albums.
Along the way he’ll throw in some well-chosen cover versions, some blues – with a number of stories from the road and background information on the songs. And he may even read a few of his favourite poems. This will be a special night indeed at St John Bosco social club, Upper Water Street. Buy your ticket – £10 plus booking fee – here. It’s a bloomin’ bargain for this fella!
