Why Dermot Kennedy brought St Patrick's Day festival Misneach to Sydney

2025-03-15 03:25:00

Abstract: Dermot Kennedy launched Misneach festival in Sydney, showcasing Irish & Australian talent. He aims to promote emerging artists & perform new music.

Irish musician Dermot Kennedy demonstrated his deep affection for Australia by hosting the inaugural Misneach festival, a St. Patrick's Day themed event. Unlike some touring musicians who merely express their fondness verbally, Kennedy has consistently shown his commitment to Australia through his actions. His frequent performances in the country, from small clubs in 2018 to three consecutive sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House forecourt, underscore his popularity.

Kennedy stated that he feels very comfortable in Australia, believing that Irish and Australian people share similar characteristics, particularly a tendency not to take themselves too seriously. This Sunday, the Misneach festival will take place in Sydney's Domain park, headlined by Kennedy and featuring a lineup of renowned Irish and Australian artists, as well as emerging talents he believes deserve attention. He emphasized that a key focus of the festival is to promote lesser-known but excellent music, providing a platform for their work to be heard by a wider audience.

Kennedy shared the behind-the-scenes story of inviting bands to participate in the festival. He said the selection criteria were simple: they had to be musicians he himself would be excited to watch from the side of the stage. He specifically mentioned The Frames, a legendary Dublin band led by Glen Hansard, which has been around for 35 years. Kennedy believes that The Frames' music holds immense nostalgic value for many Irish people who have lived in Australia for years. On the other hand, the young band Kneecap has risen to prominence in the past year, and Kennedy is eagerly anticipating their performance.

Kennedy acknowledged that most attendees are primarily looking forward to his own performance. Last year, he dedicated a significant amount of time to re-evaluating the next phase of his career. He hopes that this performance will be different from previous ones, as he is deeply grateful that fans continue to attend his shows and doesn't want to present the same setlist every time. He is currently preparing to begin production on his next album, making this performance a transitional one.

Kennedy's latest single, "Let Me In," was released this week, marking his first new song since last year's EP, "I've Told the Trees Everything." The song continues his signature style of warmth and sincerity, and its inspiration is deeply rooted in Irish culture. He recounted a story of improvising a performance in a County Kerry, Ireland, pub to keep the drinks flowing, and the song aims to capture that comfortable and intimate atmosphere. After the festival in Sydney's Domain park, Kennedy will immediately head to Boston to continue the Misneach festival tour, maintaining a very tight schedule.