First gigs booked for 2027:

Robyn Hitchcock with an electric band, 04 Center, 13 February! Aside from the Witchseason Weekend back in 2009, I’ve only seen Robyn once as a one-man acoustic band last year, so I’m really looking forward to this.

Chaka Khan, at a brand-new 4,000-seat venue in East Austin (Heritage Hall, I think?), sometime in April! There’s no way she’ll sell 4,000 tickets in Austin, but I applaud the promoters for going big. I think she’s more suited for a 1,200-1,500 seat place.

"I read that he was the first Irish musician to adopt he bouzouki tuning that changed folk."

It was actually Johnny Moynihan of Sweeneys Men who introduced it to Andy Irvine who introduced it to Donal. Of course it was Lunny who made it his own signature sound, that combination of the open tuning and the percussive rhythm - the beat that IMO really brought the sea change.

The interplay of Irvine and Lunny's string work on the Planxty albums is blissful.

P.S. proper order the boys dedicating MOTL to him, nice one.

Simon paid a lovely tribute to him tonight before dedicating Meet on the Ledge to him.

I read that he was the first Irish musician to adopt he bouzouki tuning that changed folk.

A superb musician. Very sad news.

Oh sh*t. He was frail last year or so, but still didn't expect it.
Although he was never the frontman, he was (IMHO) the most influential person in Irish trad/folk music since the 1960s

Bands like Planxty and Moving Hearts, as a companion to Christy Moore...]
And Sweeney's men, Emmet Spiceland, the Bothy Band, Mozaik, etc.
A classic memory from 1973...https://youtu.be/JyP407UnUWw?is=vN_DFDUtM4FePAUc - see his big grin after the switch at 2.35ish,

RIP

I don’t get to many gigs now, since I can’t do 3 hours standing any more, but we are off to the Opera house in Manchester to see Dexys on Sunday night.  Meeting Dad Volt for a Guinness testing session beforehandi

Donal Lunny 😞
The mainstay of a huge amount of Irish folk music for the past 60 years after his work as a musician in bands like Planxty and moving hearts, as an accompanist with the likes of Christy Moore and a producer for umpteen artists and acts

Tony Iommi's new album From the Dark.  It's extraordinarily strong.

If you're even remotely attracted to metal, especially Dio era Sabs and early Bruce Maiden, do give it a listen.  Highly recommended.

According to a couple of things I have seen on Facebook, Donal Lunny has left us.  

Edit: Here's an article from The Irish Times:
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2026/10/23/tributes-paid-to-musician-donal-lunny-after-his-death-aged-79/