Ham Sandwich for live gig at Palace

Kells band Ham Sandwich have a Navan date in the Palace on Friday 15th April, with support from up-and-coming band Royseven. Ham Sandwich instinctively react to rock music more than spending too much time thinking about it - which is nowhere near as bad as it might sound - and it is this that marks them out as one of the best Irish rock acts of recent years. Ham Sandwich's birth was positively biblical given the fact that Johnny Moore approached Podgy McNamee and Niamh Farrell about the idea of forming their own group while the trio were at a Good Friday party. With Moore as the main songwriter and the other two as vocalists, they then set their sights on combing through the musicians they knew in hometown, Kells, in an effort to shore up the lineup with likeminded individuals. Guitarist, Darcy, was recruited from the school he attended with Moore in Navan. With the addition of Ollie Murphy on drums, the band was complete and rehearsals began in earnest and it was at one of these sessions that they finally decided to pin down a name for their group. Ham Sandwich have been around and about in one very interesting shape or another since 2003, but it wasn't until the autumn of 2005 - with the release of their debut single, 'Sad Songs' - that they began to be known outside their home county. McNamee's liking for juggling quirk, strangeness and charm, stability reigned supreme. Chemistry has a curious way of working, and within weeks the band clicked through a mixture of varying musical influences, a singular love of kitsch, and a healthy distaste for anything within an ass's roar of mediocrity. In early 2008, their debut album, 'Carry The Meek', was released. Within days, the band was a recipient of the Meteor Music Hope for 2008 Award. The remainder of 2008 was spent touring the album, getting to know the songs inside out, and being aware of the difference between entertainment and novelty value. Ham Sandwich are currently touring their new album 'White Fox' which has recieved much critical acclaim. Royseven didn't meet in school or college like many other bands; they met through mutual friends- and an advert in a Dublin music magazine. Singer, Paul Walsh and guitarist Eamonn Barrett, advertised in Hot Press magazine for a drummer. They interviewed several but quickly decided on Darragh Oglesby. It was he who suggested keyboard player Paul O'Hara and when their first bass player left, Oglesby identified a replacement duo to bolster the line-up even more. So, bass player Bernard O'Neill and guitarist Sam Garland soon after completed the Royseven family. It's three years since their debut offering, 'The Art of Insincerity', was released to critical acclaim, complete with top ten singles, top twenty album charting, support and headline tours across Europe and notable appearances at Rock AM Ring, Rock IM Park and Oxegen, to name but a few festivals. In the intervening years however, the six Irish band mates have not only grown closer as friends but honed their song writing skills and live performances whilst penning their second offering 'You Say, We Say'. Palace doors open 8.30pm; gig starts 9pm Sharp. Tickets are €10 plus booking and are available from Ticketgroup.ie or Musicbox Navan. Contact Darren on (086) 602 8025 for bookings or further details.