Local musicians and music lovers have been finally welcomed back to the Grand Central Bar in Derry.
The Great James Street venue has been running open-mic nights for a few years and was much-missed during the pandemic.
So after months of waiting performers and punters were at last able to return for their Sundown Sessions.
Matthew Brown, host of the Sundown Sessions, told MyDerry how it feels to be able to continue showcasing local music talents.
He said: "It feels absolutely amazing to have Sundown Sessions back. Not just for me and Daithi as the hosts, or Jack Craig as the creator, or for the Grand Central as the venue.
"This feeling of excitement is for the musicians who would have treated Wednesday evenings in the Grand Central Bar as a religious call to play.
"Over the past few years we have had a lot of artists pass through and stun us. To have that back in our lives just feels amazing, the anticipation of hearing what a year out of gigging has done for people in a creative context is very exciting."
Derry is a hub of incredible local music talent, and Sundown Sessions gives them the perfect opportunity to showcase their talents.
Matthew added: "Everyone knows someone who plays an instrument and for such a small city we have an incredible amount of talented musicians.
"To give them a stage is an absolute pleasure but to hear that we have built a stage that is recognised among musicians is an even better feeling.
Matthew also spoke of his own personal connection to Sundown Sessions. He said: "I grew up through playing at Sundown Sessions, it was where I first had a drink in a pub and it was where I first played a song in a pub.
"So from my point of view it has been critical in not only being a platform to be heard but a platform to grow as a person.
"To see myself then providing that stage to like minded people really gives me a chance to step back and understand the importance of having such a hub for talent.
"It really is a full circle. My father Danny Brown actually gave Jack, Sundown Session's creator, his first opportunity to get on a stage, jack then gave me mine and so on!"
Sundown Sessions returned last Wednesday, July 21, and is going from strength to strength.
Matthew said: "The reaction from the general punters and the musicians has been incredible. It really showed me how much Sundown Sessions is missed and how much it is needed in our town.
"We have Tessio, Jude McCandless and Callum Feeney joining us this Wednesday, July 28. They have a great following for only being together a short time and their music is already doing very well on streaming platforms."
For Matthew and the rest of the team at the Grand Central, the return of Sundown Sessions finally lets some normality return.
Matthew added: "The atmosphere at Sundown Sessions is unmatched. A hub for talent to meet and share ideas and in some cases build really positive relationship."
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