The fifth edition of Cork’s Quarter Block Party is set to return 8th-10th February 2019, and to launch next year’s programme, the team are throwing a party at The Roundy, Friday 14th December, featuring a stellar line up: soulful pop songwriter Laura Duff, Dublin’s finest Music City, and Cork’s psychedelic duo Elaine Howley and Cathal MacGabhann on the wheels of steel.

Quarter Block Party is a socially engaged, community focused festival which supports the role of contemporary arts and culture in the urban landscape of Cork City. Supporting artists who are socially active, and artists with a collaborative nature. Based across the Historic Quarter of Cork, the festival presents local, national, and international artists, in venues of all shapes and sizes.

The grassroots festival asks the artists and audience to consider their own perspective of the urban area and wider city centre and to reflect. They support often overlooked artists and aesthetically difficult practices, while presenting in spaces and landscapes which are themselves often overlooked. The purpose of QBP is to act as collaborative catalyst between the artistic community of Cork, the stakeholders of the Oldtown and Historic Spine in Cork City, presented through the curation of the QBP Programmers. QBP includes all disciplines from theatre, dance, performance art, music, socially engaged interventions, discussions and happenings.

Taking to the stage to celebrate the launch event are:

Laura Duff, winner of the Paul Clancy Songwriting Award in 2015 who hails from Limerick but spends most of her time in Cork where she is studying music in UCC. Laura has supported the likes of Dublin duo Hudson Taylor, Róisín O, Christof Van der Ven of Bear’s Den and esteemed British singer-songwriter, Lewis Watson. Laura and her band released their debut single “Up to You”, recently, with the second single "The Other Side" to follow in December. Listen to “Up to You” here: https://soundcloud.com/laura-duff-1/up-to-you-laura-duff

Also at the Roundy on 14th December is Music City, the new project of Irish musician Conor Lumsden, inspired by the pop classicism of Big Star, the heart-on-the-sleeve rawness of The Replacements and the glitter of T-Rex. Listen to Music City’s recent single “Pretty Feelings”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEArrYVnzhg

And finishing out the night will be the frontline duo of much lauded psychedelic rock band The Altered Hours, Cathal Mac Gabhann and Elaine Howley on the decks.

Tickets (€10) are on sale now via uticket.ie, and will also be available on the door at Plugd Records on Friday 14th December, 9pm.

Keep an ear out as Quarter Block Party will soon be announcing the full festival line up. Tickets for the festival go on sale 9am Tuesday 11th December. www.quarterblockparty.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/quarterblockparty/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/QtrBlockParty