Derry musician Paddy Nash has spoken of his joy at the return of live music.
After almost a year and a half of woe for musicians, they finally got the green light for live performance starting on Monday.
Paddy told MyDerry: “I think it is great to hear live music can return very soon. I am a bit cautious around the what the indoor arrangements will be like, having to play at an ambient level. There is already some confusion around that.
“But I am lucky in a sense that when I return to gigs I get to play in venues designed for live music. I have a listening audience. For those playing in bars it will be tough, being stuck in a corner of a bar behind a screen.
“However, it is great to see the outdoor setting being able to go back to normal. I was delighted to see the announcement of the return of Stendhal. I cannot wait to go back. It is something we can all look forward to.”
Ahead of Stendhal, Paddy Nash was helping another live gig in St Columb’s Park House Walled Garden.
Derry group Tuned In, a group designed to give those with learning disabilities creative skills, hosted Friday's events.
The audience within the Tuned In bubble were treated to spray painting, a drumming circle and a live gig to finish proceedings.
Project Director Philip Conn said that the event brought an enormous amount of enthusiasm to the group.
He said: “You can feel the positivity from the students. Now it is about people rebuilding that sense of community. People are obviously still weary about being in each other’s company but I am hoping now we can move forward.”
“Being able to do this today has been brilliant.
"The students want to sing and perform and for the last year and a half they have not been able to. Today has been about giving them a platform and letting them have fun.”
Team leader Aine McFadden also revealed how they benefited from the announcement made by the NI Executive on Thursday night.
She said: “It has fallen into place very nicely with the announcement of the return of live music last night. I believe we might well be the first ones to put on a live performance since the announcement.
"I think we beat the Stendhal Festival to the post!"
