Come Here To Me!

In the squares of the city, In the shadow of a steeple;
By the relief office, I’d seen my people.
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking,
Is this land made for you and me?

Woody Guthrie, one of the greatest folk singers of all time, died a horrible death at the hands of Huntingtons Disease. At the age of 55, he passed on, and it would take others like Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott to see to it the next generation would hear his words. His life, short as it was, was an exciting one. His influence is acknowledged by a wide variety of artists today, with Billy Bragg and Wilco putting some of his unsung lyrics to music, while Damien Dempsey mentions his “rebel heart” in his excellent ‘Teachers’, a song which lists his childhood musical influences.

Love Music Hate Racism and Sunday Roast have come together to stage a tribute night to Woody, as a fundraiser for the Huntingtons Disease Association of Ireland. It kicks off with a documentary screening (‘This Machine Kills Fascists’) at 6pm, which is a freebie. At 9pm, there will be a gig kicking off with a wide variety of acts. The doortax is a mere five euro, and it all takes place this Sunday at The Mercantile .