The
Saint Patrick's Celtic Experience 2004
concluded the first ever Saint Patrick's celebrations in
Crawley and the southeast of England held 12-14 March 2004.
The free open-air concert took place on Sunday 14 March with
traditional and modern Irish rock music providing the entertainment for
the whole family. Heavy rain seriously dampened the success of the
event. The weather was terrible, with rain pouring down from all
angles. Nevertheless, the show went on whilst spectators cowered under
cover. As the bitter rain, subsided more and more re-emerged to be
entertained.
Irish born, Mayor of Crawley Councillor Brian Quinn, opened the event
with a rendition of the well known "Irish Rover" alongside traditional
band; "Sack the Bouzouki". Sack the Bouzouki provided the traditional
opening to the event whilst the U2-esque "Us4" concluded the event with
modern Irish rock tunes such as "It's a beautiful Day". The irony was
not lost on the spectators following a whole afternoon of intense rain.
Sponsorship for the event was provided by L F Nugent Group. Without
them, it would not have been possible. Director Lenny Nugent was happy
with the event's organisation, despite the weather set-backs:
"You can't do anything about the weather,
but the event was well organised and everyone enjoyed it. I consider
the Celtic Experience concert a great success. It's good to be able to
do more in the community - especially in a field that interests me and
the family".
> Visit L F
Nugent Group
A special day:
The Saint Patrick's celebrations were the first of their kind to be
held in Crawley and the only Irish festivities to be held in March for
some time in Sussex. The Celtic Experience was about getting people
together to have a good time, to be involved in the community and to
allow participation by everyone, regardless of their background.
Both
Sack the Bouzouki and
Us4 were a great success. Sack the
Bouzouki provided the supporters of Irish music with the best of the
traditional influences. At the same time, Us4 provided the audience
with some great top-10 hits known to both young and old. The amps
really struggled to coup with the output which rang in the ears for a
fair few hours.
>
Visit Us4 - the U2 Tribute Band
It is a commitment of Crawley Borough Council to have many groups
interacting and co-operating with community events and Saint Patrick's
Day offered the Celtic and Irish Cultural Society a chance to play
their part in that process. Indeed, it was Mayor Brian Quinn who
informally prompted the organisation of the event and the
FDL Saint Patrick's Parade.
