Benny and friends are back on stage in the USA

All of us will have a moment that stands out in our minds when the realisation dawned that the world was becoming a much more scary and dangerous place to be.
For musician Benny McCarthy that moment was surreal. There was an almost apocalyptic feel to it as he and his colleagues in the iconic Irish band, Danú, were advised to abandon their tour in America and get the first plane home to Ireland as Covid fear gripped the world in mid-March 2020.
Benny, the Newcastle-based powerhouse of Danú, remembers vividly that sense of fear of the unknown as they dashed to the nearest airport.
“It was crazy, like something in a film. We did a show on March 11 and the next day we were told to get home immediately.
“We were stopping at gas stations that were closed up, went into shops and the shelves were empty, there was an end of the world feel to it. There was a real sense of fear and panic as we tried to get to the airport in Philadelphia,” said Benny. “The remaining six concerts on the tour were cancelled. We rang our agents and told them to get us out as quickly as possible,” said Benny.
Two years on from that dramatic escape, Benny and the other members of Danú, have returned to America for the first time since the pandemic struck.
They start a month-long tour of fourteen states tonight (Friday 18  February)  in New Jersey. It will be their first time performing together since the pandemic started.
It has been a traumatic time for all musicians and the multiple layers of people involved in the music industry with their way of life severely disrupted and their means of making a living taken away. The renowned button accordion and melodeon player, whose mentor was Bobby Gardiner, said the two year break had a devastating effect on everybody in the business.
For him personally, while it was difficult, he tried to see the positive side of it and used it as an opportunity to recharge the batteries after decades of the hectic life performing and touring all over the world.
He availed of the chance to spend more time with his family at their home outside Newcastle surrounded by the beauty of the Knockmealdown and Comeragh mountains.

“If this happened earlier in my career, ten or fifteen years ago, it would have been a much harder blow.
“I am doing this so long, and after all the years away, I enjoyed the break from that lifestyle and I never spent as much time at home.
“My two children are fourteen and sixteen-years-old now and I enjoyed being at home with my wife Anne and the children sitting down to a meal together every evening,” said Benny.
Benny is married to Anne, a French woman from Lyon, whom he met when she walked into Lonergans bar in Clonmel where he was performing one Monday night in 1995. They have two children, Joey and Amelie.
“Anne was a trainee teacher in Killenaule at the time. She came into Lonergans with a friend and that was the start of it all,” said Benny who was performing a lot around Clonmel at the time with the Ryans and John Nugent.
In 1995, Benny, a county Waterford man, moved to Clonmel where he worked with Seagate.
He lasted a year in Seagate and handed in his notice and left to play with Danú when they embarked on their first tour of the States. Benny was a founding member of the band.
Himself and Anne lived for years on the quay in Clonmel not far from where they met at Lonergans pub.
He struck up a great friendship with Clonmel artist Des Dillon and local musicians and their collaboration led to the hugely successful Rattle the Boards and Teach a Bloc creations.
Benny and Anne moved to Newcastle in 2003 where they set up home in the idyllic countryside on the Tipperary/Waterford border.

There Benny has his own artistic space having converted an outhouse into the ultimate man cave, complete with recording studio and living quarters adjacent to the family home.
He left for America today (Wednesday, February 16) with the six other members of Danú and their sound engineer. “We were in flying gear on that tour in America two years ago when it all ended so quickly. I am looking forward to hitting the ground running now. Thankfully all of us are still together which is not the case with a lot of bands. During the lockdown bands broke up and might not get back together, people had to make a decision and go out and make a living doing something else. Luckily all of us are still in it and really looking forward to playing together again,” said Benny.
Their four week run of 20 shows begins on Friday night(February 18) in New Jersey. Benny and Danú are back where they belong for the first time since they were so rudely interrupted two years ago.

MUSICAL VOYAGE

Benny McCarthy began his musical voyage at the age of 13.
Benny has featured on over 30 album releases since he began his professional career in music.
He has shared the stage and recorded with many internationally renowned artists over the years including Liam Clancy, John Sheahan, Donal Lunny, Donovan, Tom Paxton, Seán Ó Sé and many others. Theatre Projects over the years include working with Irish comedian/ actor Jon Kenny (D’Unbelievables/Fr Ted) and the Irish Arts Theatre hit show Teac A Bloc created by Des Dillon.
Benny has also been part of some trade/state delegations to the USA, India, Bulgaria and Europe with the Irish President and Irish Government over the years. Benny has recorded and produced many albums and theatre soundtracks in his own studio.

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