Sound Man of Whelan’s
Written by David Allen, Whelan’s, The Village & The Mercantile
I started working in Whelan’s as a sound engineer in 1990 and started booking the bands a year or two after that. I left in 1999 to do a tour of duty at a few other Dublin venues before returning two years ago. In the past decade, Whelan’s has expanded its capacity and also added a second venue upstairs and a new function room/members bar. We also look after The Village and Mercantile entertainment as well. Whelan’s alone would have over 20 different gigs a week including the free music each night in our front bar.
The most memorable night? That’s a tough one… We’ve had some great nights over the years. I suppose it’s the likes of the Jeff Buckley gigs, Wilco, David Gray in 1994, Sparklehorse, and various Frames gigs. There are some great venues in Dublin. It is well served. I have seen some great shows in the Olympia and Vicar Street and had some great nights in Temple Bar Music Centre/Button Factory. I’m really looking forward to seeing this weekend’s shows in the Iveagh Gardens though, it’s such a good space for a gig.
Photographer: Eoin Kirwan
