Tom Portman Music

Tom Portman at the Courthouse Gallery, Kinvara.

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Galway based dobro/guitarist and songwriter Tom Portman is kicking off the spring of 2019 with a hop in his step, with an early February concert in the Courthouse Gallery Kinvara. Full of beans after concentrating on writing new material over the winter this promises to be beautiful and heart warming gig mixing instrumental dexterity with soulful to humorous songwriting. Tom’s music draws on folk, the blues, swing, classical, trad and all the way to music of the east. A good way to kick off the winter blues..

Great to play at ‘die gitarre in Wintertuhr’

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Had an absolute treat of a concert a few nights ago in ‘die gitarre’ in Wintertuhr, Switzerland. Wonderful hosts and audience. So appreciative and a total pleasure to play for. To top it all they let me use a Brass and Woodbody National guitars for the concert plus a Santa Cruz finger pickers guitar. The shop has an amazing range of Classical, Steel String, Resonator Guitars and amps, it’s like heaven! Having played the night before in the Black Gate in Galway for Josh Johnsons album launch of the ‘Art of Saving Lives’ a 2am bus yesterday and playing Secret Garden on Tuesday no wonder I’m a little slow but content today!

http://www.diegitarre.ch/

Off on tour again!

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After a few months of lots of local gigs, teaching and writing everything’s about to kick off again. Was out playing on Inis Bofin on Saturday  and then back to Galway to play the Twelve in Barna  last night.  Just finished a great night at the Roisin Duphh with the wonderful John Conneely Inc.  Super vibe, super players and a super audience.  What more can you ask for on a Sunday night.

From Thursday the 5th of May I’m off on tour for 2 weeks playing with Grammy nominated Brother Dege from Louisiana. I’ll also be doing supports for the shows.   Can’t wait!
Thursday the 5th of May in the Spiritstore, Dundalk.
Friday 6th May, the Brewery Corner in Kilkenny.
Sunday 8th May, Crane Lane in Cork.
9th May Frog and Fiddle, Cheltenham, U.K.
10th May’s in the Royal Clark, Bath, UK.
11th May, Brixton Windmill Theatre, UK.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1721868951431039/

After that it’s over to France, Belgium and Holland. From the 13th to 21st. Details up shortly.

Spring time’s coming!

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Wonderful last week to play at the Galway Guitar Night, it’s just great to play for such an appreciative audience and to have the opportunity to play an acoustic set.   Loved hearing Megacone’s music with  their 7th string guitars and tight arrangements, it’s like Ozric Tenticles meets Flash Gordan epic space adventures.  Jake Curran was a real pleasure too, great tone, jazzy blues grooves and a fab rhythm section too top it off.

As for me at the moment, I’m busy teaching, practicing and writing and planning the year ahead.  I’ve a few tours in the pipe line and some new recordings to finish off and get ready to release.  Last year it was great o be involved in so many projects. I recorded on the Murmurations Album with John Conneely and Peader King, We Banjo 3’s live album, some other session work was released too and of course the biggy I finished and released ‘White Crow’ my fourth solo album which was a big and fun undertaking.  Another lovely project on too was with Peader King for an album Notre Dame University playing more Traditional music and finishing off with a concert in Kylemore Abbey.  It was great last year to play the Suwalki Blues festival in Poland with my Trio and do 2 tours with Brother Dege playing in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Austria and Luxumbourg.   It was a blast to being playing in so many great places with good people.  Who know’s where this year will bring me to play, I’ll keep you posted.  As for this weekend I’m  playing the Twelve this weekend on Sunday, might even bring out the Mandolin as it’s Valentines day and then head for a jam with the wonderful  John Conneely Inc. in the Roisin Duph’s afterwards for great gig, jam and vibe.

 

Heading to play with Brother Dege for Germany May Tour

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About to fly out to Germany for three weeks on tour with Brother Dege from Louisiana. Really looking forward to it. Looks like he’s having a blast over in the UK at the moment. Check out the tour dates below.https://www.facebook.com/brotherdegelegg
02.05.15 Stuhr – Ratssaal 20 oo
http://www.stuhr.de, 0421/5695246
04.05.15 Hatzenbühl – Da Angelo 20 oo
http://www.da-angelo.com, 07275/61290
05.05.15 Bramsche – Filmtheater Universum 20 oo
05461/5686, http://www.universum-ev.de
06.05.15 Heiligenhaus – Der Club 20 oo
http://www.derclubheiligenhaus.de, 02056/13195
08.05.15 Fürstenfeldbruck – Veranstaltungsforum 20 oo
http://www.fuerstenfeld.de, 08141/6665444
09.05.15 Bitburg – Eröffnung Kultursommer, Open-Air-Bühne auf dem Spittel 19 3o
präsentiert von SWR 1 (mit Albert Hammond, Dege 19 3o),
http://www.kultursommer.de
10.05.15 Langenfeld – Schauplatz 16 3o
http://www.schauplatz.de, 02173/7944608
12.05.15 Kaiserslautern – Kammgarn, Cotton Club 20 oo
http://www.kammgarn.de
13.05.15 Langenau – Pfleghof 20 oo
http://www.pfleghof-langenau.de, 07345 9622 143
14.05.15 CH-Aarau – KIFF
http://www.kiff.ch
15.05.15 A-Hard – Kammgarn 20 3o
http://www.kammgarn.at
16.05.15 Oelsnitz/Vogtl. – Katharinenkirche 20 oo
http://www.oelsnitz.de
17.5.15 TBA
18.05.15 Ingolstadt – KKB Neue Welt 20 3o
http://www.donaukurier.de/ticketservice, 0841/9666800
19.05.15 Waldkraiburg – Haus der Kultur 20 oo
http://www.kultur-waldkraiburg.de, 08638/959312
20.05.15 Wetzlar – Franzis 20 oo
http://www.franzis-wetzlar.de
21.05.15 Unna – Lindenbrauerei 20 oo
http://www.lindenbrauerei.de, 02303/2511290
22.05.15 Torgau – Kulturbastion 21 oo
http://www.kulturbastion.de, 03421/737610
23.05.15 Strasbourg

MAY 29 Dege Sniester
MAY 30 Dege EKKO Utrecht tba
JUNE 5 Dege Volt Sittard tba
JUNE 6 Dege Bluesfestival LeeuwardenIMG_5101

Playing the Dublin Guitar night in JJ Smyth’s

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Delighted to be playing the the first “Dublin Guitar Night” of 2015 on Tuesday 27th January at JJ Smyth’s in Dublin. The line up: Nigel Mooney’s “Organ Failure” w/ Scott Flanigan (organ) and Dominic Mullan (drums); my self on Dobro/Guitar and ; The Johnny Reynolds Band w/Jim McGill (drums) and Ronan Burns (bass) . This promises to be yet another great night of guitar music. See ya there…Doors at 8pm, Music at 8.30pm. Adm 10 euro

Kinvara show time

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Time for some original tunes with a touch of the Blues and early Rock and Roll, Connollys Bar, Kinvara this Saturday at 10pm.  Before hand I’ll be doing support for Brian Flemming show Have Yis No Homes To Go To in Johnstons Hall, Kinvara at 8.30pmTom_band_500.  https://www.facebook.com/events/693542660687726/

Brother and Dege play Mullarkeys Clifden tonight

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3 great shows so far in the Cobblestone, Kenny’s and The Townhouse Bar last night.  Now it’s off to Clifden to play in Clifden’s Coolest music venue ‘Mullarkeys Bar’ and then the spirit store tomorrow. Dege CobblestoneThank you so much to all who came so far and all the venues, it’s been great to play for you all.