cathymcevoy

What’s the Back Room Dispatch then?

Well, I’m glad you asked me that. Here’s a quick explainer:

Since Summer 2023, I’ve been curating a music salon with a professional house band at The Cobblestone, a truly authentic Dublin music venue. I call it The Back Room Dispatch. I got the idea after seeing something similar in Melbourne, Australia, and asked myself why there was nothing similar in Ireland. (Answer: economics!) Essentially, it’s a sophisticated singer-songwriter night, with a panel of 3 featured songwriters each time, backed by a house band comprised of top session musicians. There’s also a special guest to kick off the proceedings. I’m a little bit proud of how the Back Room Dispatch just goes from strength to strength, with our Summer 2025 edition selling out and rising to new artistic standards. And we’ve got a cracking line-up for our Spring 2026 Dispatch, in a shiny new venue and everything!

We’ll be joined by songwriters Eoghan Burke and Ann Harrington, with our superb house band of Podge Kilbride on keys, Paddy Joyce on bass & Paddy Hopkins on drums. Special guests – The Bumbles. So save the date, Feb. 8th! Scan the QR code or use link to get your tickets. Back Room regulars note we’re in the Cat & Cage, Drumcondra on this occasion, and not in our usual home at the Cobblestone. (I’d been kicking around the idea of changing the name this one time, but the alternatives all sounded a bit weird…the Back Cage Dispatch?)

In August I had the privilege of sharing the stage with Sive– making her second Dispatch appearance – and Matthew Lennon, all backed up by the Back Room Dispatch House band. Previous Dispatch songwriters have included Thunderclap Murph, Gillian Tuite, Keith Burke, Sad Sham, aka Shane Hannigan, Clara Rose and  Ben Prevo, and we’ve had special guests such as award-winning barbershop quartet Third Time Lucky, acoustic duo Bird Alone and jazz singer Eithne Cunningham. Our August special guest – another artist making a return to the Back Room! – was multi-award winning acapella ensemble GlórEile.

In August I had the privilege of sharing the stage with Sive– making her second Dispatch appearance – and Matthew Lennon, all backed up by the Back Room Dispatch House band; Podge Kilbride on keys, Paddy Joyce on bass & Paddy Hopkins on drums. Previous Dispatch songwriters have included Thunderclap Murph, Gillian Tuite, Keith Burke, Sad Sham, aka Shane Hannigan, Clara Rose and  Ben Prevo, and we’ve had special guests such as award-winning barbershop quartet Third Time Lucky, acoustic duo Bird Alone and jazz singer Eithne Cunningham. Our August special guest – another artist making a return to the Back Room! – was multi-award winning acapella ensemble GlórEile. A

But what’s so special about all this? Ireland is full of singer-songwriter/open mic nights, I hear you say? Yes, that’s true – but they’re typically casual, unrehearsed events, comprised mainly of indie songwriters performing solo. With the Back Room Dispatch, songwriters have a substantial rehearsal period with the house band – and this is where the magic really happens. It’s a place where composers can experiment with alternative arrangements of their songs, take the material in a new direction, have fun with a greater range of instrumentation, and collaborate with other songwriters. Very few indie music creators are in a financial position to hire other instrumentalists to perform with them, so there’s typically no choice but to limit their songwriting ambition to material they themselves can perform, which usually means guitar accompaniment only, plus maybe whatever favours they can call in. If there are some negative perceptions of the singer-songwriter world – generic, ‘it all sounds the same’ are common criticisms –   it’s largely down to this, in my opinion. More prestigious performance opportunities, like showcases and music fairs, are only an option for people with the resources to hire instrumentalists, cover travel costs to such events – and, sometimes, ‘pay-to play’ fees – and rent rehearsal space at their own expense, and/or those with a strong network of contacts. The Back Room Dispatch provides an alternative, and there’s nothing else like this in Ireland.

If you’re interested in participating as a songwriter in future Back Room Dispatches, feel free to drop me an email – cathymcevoymusic@gmail.com