It may seem like an unlikely venue, but the Phoenix Vegetarian Restaurant, Castlemaine is an exciting location for late night entertainment.
On Saturday 27th September, it played host to the percussive talents of Coney Joe, a local blues funk band from Caherciveen. Patrons had the option of a three course meal for €38 or tapas for €15, the price inclusive of the live performance. The band, which comprises of Karolien Verheyen on percussion, Russell Cunningham on guitar and vocals, and Phil Stevens on bodhrán, started playing together in 2004 after meeting at a traditional music session in Caherciveen.
They have performed extensively in Kerry this year in venues such as the Lighthouse Cafe on Valentia and at events including the Sneem Family Festival, the World Bodhrán Festival in Milltown and the Caherciveen Celtic Music Festival in August. In addition, Coney Joe have toured further afield in Brittany and Belgium playing pub gigs as well as a benefit in aid of asylum seekers.
‘One of the main aims of the band is to try and make people dance’, says Karolien who came to Ireland in 2000 from Mechelen in Belgium. They certainly succeeded in doing this at the Phoenix, where people swayed late into the night to the band’s mix of their own material inspired by ethnic rhythms and classics by Talking Heads, The Beatles and Stevie Wonder. Karolien also teaches drumming at the Kerry School of Music in Caherciveen and leads the samba band at the KDYS in Killarney. For further information phone Karolien on 0864055070.
On the 13th September, the annual Phoenix fundraiser known as the Big Beach Blues Motown Party, raised €700 for the All Ireland Air Ambulance Trust. The music on the night included the soulful vocal talents of LoJo, followed by R&B hits from the sixties and seventies’ by DJ MIL. LoJo features Joan Green of local group Deeper Well and Loz-Ann MacCarthy of two-piece band Grapefruit Moon.
Derek Rowe of the All Ireland Air Ambulance Trust was on hand to provide some background on the Tralee-based charity. The trust aims to provide a free service to patients in areas inaccessible by road and quickly deliver patients to a hospital suitable for their needs.
‘It will cost 1.2 million per annum to run each air ambulance,’ Derek explained. Over the next few weeks, the charity hopes to raise €300,000 to have the first helicopter up and running. Anyone wishing to donate or obtain further details should phone Derek on 0879090939.
Another fundraiser at the Phoenix called The Exotic Magic Circus, held in 2007, raised €2700. The proceeds were donated to Camp Coconut, a day centre project in Sri Lanka that was set up for children who were victims of the Tsunami in 2004.
Lorna Tyther, who runs the Phoenix, originally comes from Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. She moved to Ireland in 1994 after living in Brengarten near Zurich in Switzerland.
‘Inspired by a love of cooking, I set up the Phoenix twelve years ago, having been involved in a variety of food and dance events in Switzerland’, Lorna explains, ‘I started organising gigs here about six years ago.’ The Phoenix is famed for its wholesome vegetarian food having been recommended in Georgina Campbell’s Guide to Ireland 2007 for its wonderful atmosphere and gardens where much of the ingredients for the food on the menu are sourced.
Ongoing events at the Phoenix include regular salsa parties every Friday night and salsa classes on a Monday night, both hosted by local dance instructors. In addition, Lorna adds that, ‘there are belly dancing classes held on Monday mornings and Thursday nights that incorporate a variety of dance styles as well as relaxation, fitness and muscle toning.’
On Saturday 11th October DJ MIL will return to play more past classics in The Motown Soulfunk Disco Revue while November 5th will see the restaurant host a screening of Casablanca with Moroccan food as part of the Phoenix’s film club that will show a film every month. Other planned events include a samba drumming workshop and whole food cookery classes on Saturday mornings. For further details visit www.thephoenixorganic.com or phone 0669766284.
Edited version published in the Kingdom as ‘Castlemaine to become Casablanca’ 14th October 2008.
