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BeatlesFest in Moville went down a treat

Posted Monday, August 16, 2010

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BeatlesFest

They were run off their feet at the Putting Green Cafe on Sunday.

It was their most successful ever day.

They sold out of everything - even coffee and tea - and all they had left by the end was water.

A combination of a glorious day and the attendance in town of lots of people who had come for the BeatlesFest boosted their trade.

Another local businessman Mike Murphy was delighted by the gig played by Oisin and Baz of top Derry band Jumping Jellyfish.

When they started there was only one person to see them but news quickly spread around town and by the time they finished there was more than a hundred in the Bar-a-Cuda to see them.

Said Mike "It was great to see all the people there. Even when they finished the crowd stayed on as I quickly rushed over to jukebox before anyone else could get there to stick about twenty quid's worth of Beatles music on".

Aiden & Baz had played the previous night at the Town Clock where there was a very good audience for a Friday night.

Tony Bramwell gave a talk about his life with The Beatles and took questions and answers from the audience which was well received.

Rosatos owner Eddie Harkin was another who was delighted with the festival.

Rosatos had acts on all four nights. The Saturday night was mobbed and there were big crowds for the Friday and Sunday nights and the best opening night for a BeatlesFest on the Thursday night.

The only disappointment was the gig at the Caiseal Mara which had a top band from Belfast and a great Q&A session from Tony Bramwell.

Despite that the audience wasn't large - perhsp becasue there was a charge to get in during a recession, on a night where there were good acts on elsewhere in pubs that also had late licences.

Also disappointing was the way the open air Open Mic at Gulladuff hasn't really taken off despite great weather on the Sunday and the picturesque location.

However, they were the only disappointments in the best and most successful BeatlesFest yet - depsite there being two major wedding receptions which took people out of the town on the Saturday night and which had just the kind of people who would have been out and about at the BeatlesFest.

Said organiser Gerry McLaughlin "the highlight for me was the attendance of Tony Bramwell. To have someone who grew up with the Beatles and who was there throughout their careers and who still keeps in regular touch was fantastic. I've got a host of stories from him about the stars of the Sixties and beyond up, even, to the present day".

"The last night in Rosatos was great with people bringing their festival posters for him to sign and have a chat.

"He enjoyed it too and said that if it fits in with his schedule he'd like to come back next year.

"It was great to get a signed copy of his book Magical Mystery Tours: My Life With The Beatles".