The rumours had been bouncing around the grapevine for nearly a year that Andy Irvine and Christy Moore were makign a push to re-live old glories but it has been on the news tonight so it’s official. Planxty has re-grouped and will do a series of six concerts in Dublin and two more in Ennis early next year.
I saw them on the After the Break tour in 1979 with Matt Molloy joining them and they were brilliant then, looking forward to seeing them again.
With airfares to Shannon from Boston as low as $250 roundtrip between now and March, it might be worth flying over for one of those concerts just to catch a bit of history.
Oh, wow. How I long to see one of those shows… Will they get Donal Lunny or Johnny Monihan, and Liam O?
An album! An album! We’re going to get an album (spread the rumour 
). There’s going to be an album and … oh, and a video, too … yes, yes … and … and … and a North American tour. You bet! Count on it! 
djm
It’s the original line up, Moore, Lunny, Irvine and Flynn. If things went well there would be a live album and a video, they said.
How many of y’all own the Planxty EP Timescape, I think it’s called… Dreamscape…some kind of scape or dream/time, anyway. It’s pretty rare.
Good they’re having another go.
Timedance actually Kevin, they did it for Eurovison with Bill Whelan, ten, fifteen years later someone thought ‘let’s do something like that again hmmm…maybe call it …Riverdance’
I own an old copy of “Timedance,” Kevin. Bought it for no more than five bucks down at Logos Used Bookstore in lovely Santa Cruz, CA.
When I first stuck it on the record player, Liam’s pipes sounded like a freakin’ alphorn. I was sittin’ there thinkin’ “Jeeeeeeeezus! I didn’t know they made flat pipes THAT flat!!!” Took me about a minute to figure out that the record was a 45 and I had the player set to 33 and a 1/3…
On Andy Irvine web page “Planxty re-union gig” read it on http://www.andyirvine.com/journal-22mar02.html
Oooh, a live album would be verrry nice indeed for those of us who can’t travel to concerts… hopes
The tickets for the Glor concerts will go on sale on saturday.
I also the ridiculously low specials Aer Lingus has at the minute [I spotted Shannon-LA one way for 135 euro, seriously cheap that].
Overall there seems to be a sudden upsurge of reunion concerts, only very recently Stockton’s Wing played gigs in Ennis and on the 29th the all women Macalla will be playing in Tulla. Having seen all these bands in their earlier incarnations twenty years ago I am starting to feel sort of old now.
Peter, as long as your fingers and elbows still work, it isn’t too bad. 
djm
I didn’t exactly do an overnight sleepingbag job in the car in the Glor car park but it wasn’t that I didn’t get there in time. There was a huge amount of people waiting, one of my young piping pupils came up to tell his mom was half way up and she’d be happy to get me tickets a bit quicker. Great. I took my place in the row anyhow. After an hour or two waiting and after progressing maybe a third up, tickets ran out for both concerts. Feck.
They are trying to them to do a third concert and they took the names of the people waiting s owe get in first.
Thanks for that link fergus, that was a good read about Andy’s life. I use to see him around quite a bit when he first came to Portland, Oregon, but never read much about how all the bands came and went.
Peter, I take it that you did not get tix…perhaps you should write and inquire as to their plans for photodocumentation…might be a job in in for you and a chance to get into the concerts.
I’ll be heading to Dublin in Feb to attend one of these concerts. Great opportunity to see some of the more influential “latter day” musicians in one place at the same time. Also, looking forward to piping lessons with three of my favorite pipers/instructors…still ironing out the details.
I actually knew they were playing a secret gig in Lisdoonvarna on oct 11, we were planning to go and see if we could get in but in the end we didn’t, people who did go said it was bril.
As it is, I saw them ‘After the Break’ in 1979, which was fine too. 
Yes, the 79 line up was the best. I have a tape of the gig in Ipswich.
Did anybody see the later line up with O’Flynn & Irvine, Arty McGlynn, James Kelly & Dolores Keane. O’Flynn was using a flat chanter in B on that tour!
Ken
Tickets materialised after all. I am just back from the second concert in Ennis. Great stuff.
The repertoire was mostly old stuff, there were some new instrumental tunes, more whislte playing thabn in the past maybe. The West Coast of Clare, Raggle taggle Gypsy, the Good Ship Kangaroo, Arthur McBride, both as I roved outs, My heart is still in ireland [in the sweet co Clare], Corney is coming, Chattering Magpie, Lord McDonald’s, Jenny’s Wedding the Virginia and Garret Barry’s Reel, the Ladies’ Pantalettes, Glen of Aherlow, The Blacksmith and that piece after, inspired by Riverdance, Little Musgrave , the Cliffs of Dooneen even and loads more. Great stuff.
Peter, when does the concert DVD come out?
djm
Man, am I envious or what?! I’d love to be able to hear Planxty live one day…
/Jens