By Mark O'Reilly
Every Tuesday night Bennigan's Bar on John Street in the city hosts it's "Introducing" nights which introduces people to new and upcoming bands from across the northwest and Northern Ireland and maybe your looking to hear a new band or something completely different?
Then Bennigan's Bar is the place to find new and upcoming talent in the city.
Then Bennigan's Bar is the place to find new and upcoming talent in the city.
Hydrophonex Band:
This week hosted two local Northern Irish band travelling up from Fermanagh is "Hydrophonex" which are an indie rock band with members Paul Smyth, Seán McBride, Michael Richmond and Christopher Flanagan.
We caught up with Hydrophonex before going on stage to perform in Bennigan's and started by asking them to tell us a bit about the band.
Tell us a bit about Hydrophonex and what the band is all about?
Sean: Me and Paul (Smitty) started about 2 years ago. Just because we been writing for years, I been writing for about 5 or 6 years.
John: We used to play in a different band and played kinda pop punk kinda music.
Sean: We play Blues, Indie, Rock and pretty much everything we write.
Shane: Me and him just got together and started shown each other our songs and tried to start a band and to find a drummer and bass player.
So a lot of you's are kinda all over Northern Ireland at the moment and you guy's are originally from Fermanagh. So have you ever been to Derry and you familiar with the local music scene here?
Sean: Naw not at all, this is our first gig in Derry tonight.
Shane: It's my first time in Derry actually. I don't get out much.
I replied "there isn't much in Fermanagh"?
Shane: Just people that look like farmers and a lot of Brian McGuire's walking about..
Which the band all laughed, so In which I had to ask who was Brian McGuire?
Shane: He done bass with us and we have a video of him, he has like a big black beard.
Sean: If you look closely in the video he's not actually playing the notes right, I think that's kinda why he's gone.
I ask the boys then did they ever play gigs in Belfast or elsewhere?
Shane: We played in the students union in Belfast before in the Sub Bar in Students Union.
Christopher: It's a good spot! We were on a bit early it's a lot of people weren't getting up and moving as they weren't drunk enough yet.
Shane: it's a great sound from the place and we are actually playing Mandella Hall in March 2016.
Tell us a bit about Hydrophonex and what the band is all about?
Sean: Me and Paul (Smitty) started about 2 years ago. Just because we been writing for years, I been writing for about 5 or 6 years.
John: We used to play in a different band and played kinda pop punk kinda music.
Sean: We play Blues, Indie, Rock and pretty much everything we write.
Shane: Me and him just got together and started shown each other our songs and tried to start a band and to find a drummer and bass player.
So a lot of you's are kinda all over Northern Ireland at the moment and you guy's are originally from Fermanagh. So have you ever been to Derry and you familiar with the local music scene here?
Sean: Naw not at all, this is our first gig in Derry tonight.
Shane: It's my first time in Derry actually. I don't get out much.
I replied "there isn't much in Fermanagh"?
Shane: Just people that look like farmers and a lot of Brian McGuire's walking about..
Which the band all laughed, so In which I had to ask who was Brian McGuire?
Shane: He done bass with us and we have a video of him, he has like a big black beard.
Sean: If you look closely in the video he's not actually playing the notes right, I think that's kinda why he's gone.
I ask the boys then did they ever play gigs in Belfast or elsewhere?
Shane: We played in the students union in Belfast before in the Sub Bar in Students Union.
Christopher: It's a good spot! We were on a bit early it's a lot of people weren't getting up and moving as they weren't drunk enough yet.
Shane: it's a great sound from the place and we are actually playing Mandella Hall in March 2016.
This is your first time in Bennigan's Bar tonight so would this be similar to like pubs from where you guys are from in Fermanagh?
Shane: It be like Charlie's maybe a bit bigger.
Christopher: It's more designed for gigs which downstairs bar has it's on stage and upstairs bar has a bigger stage
Sean: Downstairs would be more for acoustics.
Shane: It does sorta match that but wee bit bigger.
Christopher: Fermanagh is a bit under rated for venues. They aren't proper music venues but decent venues for music.
Sean: We got an EP coming out in I dunno if it will be March or June but it's coming out soon as we only finished recording it there last week. So we are looking at gigging in Derry. Omagh, Monaghan and Fermanagh and places.
Watch this space for more on Hydrophonex coming soon and don't forget to check out their gig dates in Belfast Mandella Hall this March.
You can follow band on Facebook: Hydrophonex Twitter: HydrophonexBand
Shane: It be like Charlie's maybe a bit bigger.
Christopher: It's more designed for gigs which downstairs bar has it's on stage and upstairs bar has a bigger stage
Sean: Downstairs would be more for acoustics.
Shane: It does sorta match that but wee bit bigger.
Christopher: Fermanagh is a bit under rated for venues. They aren't proper music venues but decent venues for music.
Sean: We got an EP coming out in I dunno if it will be March or June but it's coming out soon as we only finished recording it there last week. So we are looking at gigging in Derry. Omagh, Monaghan and Fermanagh and places.
Watch this space for more on Hydrophonex coming soon and don't forget to check out their gig dates in Belfast Mandella Hall this March.
You can follow band on Facebook: Hydrophonex Twitter: HydrophonexBand
