Maynooth University’s Music Society: The Bands Keeping the Maynooth Music Scene Alive
On 9 December and 24 February, the Maynooth Music Society kindly invited Silver Hand Journal to their band gigs in the Newtown Inn. This society have two distinct groups that cover different music genres, those being Jazz & Blues and Pop & Rock, and these events were among the most enjoyable social functions I have attended in Maynooth so far.
Jazz & Blues
The Jazz & Blues gig began at 9.45pm on 9 December in Newtown Inn, with the band set up in the corner of the venue. Prior to arriving, I was admittedly not expecting such a large turnout, as Newtown Inn is a 15/20-minute walk from the main campus. So, upon entering, I was thoroughly impressed by the number of people already in the venue. The society has clearly established an excellent reputation for themselves, garnering many incredibly supportive and loyal members, an accomplishment they rightfully deserve after witnessing their beautiful renditions of these genres.
The first song of the night was Superstition by the esteemed Stevie Wonder. The crowd immediately began dancing, and the atmosphere in the room rose to meet the dynamic energy of the performers. The vocalist for this performance was Evan Cunningham, who wonderfully captured the essence of the blues genre in their performance, opening the gig by bringing life and spirit to the evening.
When asked what jazz and blues mean to them, Cunningham stated:
“Jazz specifically was one of the first musical genres I really delved into, so being able to perform it with actual incredibly talented musicians in the band fills me with glee.”
Following their cover of Superstition, Evan named it as their favourite song to perform, saying “it’s so fun and fast and it gets people moving and grooving and that’s what it’s really all about at the end of the day.”
The night progressed with songs such as I’d Rather go Blind by Etta James and Nat King Cole's Wee Baby Blues, representing classic hits from the jazz and the blues tradition. As the songs shifted from one to another, the performers followed suit, rotating in and out as the music changed. I noticed that the members of the band and its formation never remained the same for more than one song at a time.
This rotating lineup became the highlight of my night, as I was thoroughly impressed by just how many members the Jazz & Blues band consists of. These genres can often be unrepresented genres in modern music spaces, which is exactly what makes this band’s gigs so unique. It as an exceptional showcase of the multitalented individuals within the group, many of whom could expertly play instruments as well as perform vocally. It gave me great joy to see how simply joining a university society can give a platform to so many passionate and gifted students who bring such life and brilliance to an art form as vital to our humanity as music.
The final song of the evening was Maybe This Time from the exceedingly popular musical Cabaret. This was sung by the phenomenal Rachel Tormey, who is without a doubt a vocal powerhouse. She brings not only skill and talent to the performance, but pure passion and dramatic intensity perfectly cultivated the atmosphere required for an emotionally charged song.
As the night came to an end, Silver Hand was introduced to the Vice President of the Jazz & Blues band, Scott Courtney. Courtney’s instrument of choice is the guitar, which he plays with impressive skill, energy and enthusiasm
We asked how he feels when performing, Courtney said:
“I feel scared usually, but there is sort of a nervous energy in your body. You kind of tense up, you feel a lot of energy, but I’m trying to keep it all in because you're on the stage, you know?”
Scott's favourite song to perform is Beth Gibbons' Tom the Model, which he highly recommends our readers to listen to.
Courtney also spoke about the creative freedom within the genres of jazz and blues:
“So [there’s] much range for expression in [these genres], it gives a lot of power to individual musicians. Sometimes in rock ensembles it can get very guitar heavy, whether as I think the Jazz & Blues band gives instruments that may be more niche a chance to shine”.
Pop & Rock
In hearing that the Music Society were performing again at the Newtown Inn with their Pop & Rock band on 24 February, there was nowhere else I would rather have spent my Tuesday evening.
At 9:45pm, the night began with explosive energy. With the magnifying strokes of an electric guitar and the addictive rhythm of the drums, the song Morning Glory by Oasis kicked off a remarkable evening. Opening with a hit from one of the most influential rock bands of the 90s immediately captured the attention of everyone in the room, who listened in awe to the blend of musical talent in front of them. The night progressed with a mid-90s tone, as the setlist continued into songs by Radiohead and No Doubt.
As the band rotated through the songs of the night, I noticed some performers within the Jazz & Blues band were also performing within the Pop & Rock lineup. The mix of overlapping performers and new fresh faces was very impressive, highlighting the wide variety of people the society attracts—each one passionate about their art and choosing the society as an outlet of their creativity.
Halfway through the setlist, The Chain by Fleetwood Mac began. As soon as the opening notes were heard, everyone who had been sitting rose and gathered in front of the band to join in on this raw spirit and energy. This crowd maintained until the guitar-driven outro, in which the musicians perfectly executed the build-up to the thunderous instrumental finale, while the audience sang along.
This was followed by the iconic Jimi Hendrix rendition of Along the Watchtower, originally by Bob Dylan. The guitarist gave a breathtaking display of skill, and even from this song alone it was clear to see that performing is the life and soul of these musicians, who undoubtedly put a tremendous amount of effort into their craft.
The setlist was a perfect mix of slow ballads and intense dissonance. Crescendos built with impressive ease, and the room filled with the electricity of the band’s passion. Each song was expertly performed, and the night ended flawlessly, with Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The impassioned drums and jaw-dropping guitar solo blended in a powerful finale, ending the night on a high.
These students do not simply play an instrument and sing; they transform live music by putting their whole bodies into the performance dancing and moving with the rhythm. It is this passion, confidence, and dedication that makes a gig truly memorable.
Ireland is undeniably a deeply musical country, particularly in cities such as Dublin and Galway, it is impossible to go anywhere without hearing live music and street buskers. It is equally important to give space to music in smaller towns such as Maynooth, helping keep the love of song and dance alive, especially in genres that can often be unrepresented.
Before leaving the venue, we had a conversation with the President of the Music Society, Siiri Honkonen, about the need for more music spaces in Maynooth:
“I think we’re lacking in music on campus, and I think it is something we would love to work on. It brings people together so much I think, there’s so much demand for music and it would be lovely to do more.”
We asked Honkonen what drives them in their role as president of the Music Society, a role they are clearly incredibly passionate about and exhibits a lot of care in, they explained:
“I’ve been in the committee my whole college career. I moved to Ireland for college [originally from Finland] as well, it was really hard to come in and try to find my people. So being in Music Soc and getting into the committee has led me to make so many friends. I just really want to foster that same community and space for other people. It is so important to me that people feel welcome coming to our events and have fun, play music and make these connections.”
The Silver Hand team thank Honkonen, and all of those in the Music Society for their kindness and hospitality, and of course for the magical evenings that took place in the Newtown Inn.
The Music Society can be found at mumusicsoc on Instagram, where they advertise details of their workshops, events, and live music performances for both their Rock & Pop and Jazz & Blues bands.
