Claire Mooney to celebrate 25th Anniversary with special gig at Levfest

Claire Mooney to celebrate 25th Anniversary with special gig at Levfest

This year?s 2014 Levenshulme Festival opening weekend will feature a special one off concert by Claire Mooney to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her debut album ?Rocking the Boat?. The event on Saturday 25th October takes place in the first floor acoustic room of m19bar & Live Music Venue in South Manchester.

The concert with the Moving House band will feature highlights of her back catalogue from the last quarter of a century performing as one of Manchester?s best loved singer songwriters.

When asked to comment about her forthcoming anniversary gig at Levfest Claire replied ?As I launched my debut album at Abraham Moss Theatre that had a big tradition in community arts just over 25 years ago, it seems appropriate to celebrate it during the Levenshulme Community Festival. I want people to tell me what their favourite songs are from my back catalogue, so we can play them on the night. I will have a full range of musical instruments for the audience to join in, but they can also bring their own spoons or shakers if they feel like it. As anyone who has been to one of my concerts will tell you, it?s more a community celebration than just listening to me! ?

Tony Hennigan from the Levenshulme Festival added ?It wouldn?t be a Levenshulme Festival without Claire appearing in it, she has been one of our biggest supporters. We are delighted that we managed to persuade her to stage her anniversary gig in her home village instead of some fancy Theatre! Everyone is really exicited about the event and keep asking me when the advance tickets are going on sale.?

In September 1989 Big World/Playtime Records (who first gave you the Inspiral Carpets) released Claire Mooney's debut album 'Rocking the Boat' described by as NME as 'a politically inspired work...a real talent' 8/10 and Music Week as '...songs of social injustice set to admirably uncluttered, drum less arrangements'. Her debut was filmed for the TV news show ?BBC North West Tonight?. Her career links to the BBC have now come full circle as for about four years Claire regularly appeared on BBC Radio Manchester/ Radio Lancashire Late Show writing and performing quirky songs about the news as well as reviewing offbeat news from the papers. During the last 6 months she's appeared on Andy Crane's BBC Radio Manchester Breakfast Show writing songs about the previous week?s news as well contributing to the Saturday paper review.

She has gigged all over the UK, toured Ireland and had worldwide airplay including Australia, Japan, Ireland, Denmark and the USA. Claire has performed have in a wide variety of settings...from festivals to folk clubs, arts centres to auction marts (Claire did a gig from the Auction ring in Clitheroe as part of a Farmers market that had been set up to help farmers make a living during the foot and mouth outbreak). At the time she was filmed for BBC TV's Country File. She has also performed in theatres, libraries, in art galleries, for unions and universities and from book launches to Broadmoor secure hospital taking it all in her stride as a professional musician.

She is regularly commissioned to write songs for specific events. In 1995 she was asked to write and perform a song to commemorate the centenary of Anuerin Bevan (architect of the NHS) at Congress House in London. She has written songs for a series of Conferences about domestic violence and child protection. She has been commissioned to write for various awards ceremonies including NW Inspiring Women Awards, Merseyside Women of the Year Awards, Manchester City International Women's Day Awards and will be writing a song for a prestigious sports event later in the year.

Throughout the 25 years Claire has worked with a variety of community groups using music, songwriting and radio techniques to encourage participants to have their say. All projects have taken place in a various settings including prisons, hospitals, schools, colleges and pupil referral centres, well-being centres, outside in parks, with domestic violence survivors, travellers, older people, younger people - all kinds of people from 2 to 92 year olds.

For more information about Claire Mooney visit her website www.clairemooney.co.uk

For information about the Levenshulme Festival which runs from Friday 24 October to Sunday 9 November visit www.levenshulmefestival.co.uk

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