We are The Sunny Banks (formerly Shanvaghera), a traditional Irish folk band in Bristol. We play pure-drop foot-tapping Irish music. We met playing on the Bristol Irish session scene, and found a common love of the less-commonly played Irish tunes, played with lift and lilt.
If you’re looking for a traditional Irish folk band in Bristol or the South West of England, click below to send us an enquiry, or email [email protected] or phone 07807049896.
The Sunny Banks – pure Irish folk music
The Sunny Banks are available for bookings, for your wedding, birthday party, garden party – whatever you are celebrating! We can play as our full 4-piece or as a duo (fiddle and banjo/bouzouki or flute) or as a trio (various combinations). We can also play for a full-blown ceilidh, with a caller to teach you and walk you through the dances.
UPCOMING GIGS:
17th October 2024, care home recital, St Katherine’s House, Westbury, Bristol
Shanvaghera – more Irish folk gigs in 2024
14th September 2024, private event, The Alma, Wandsworth, London
7th September 2024, private function, Boiling Wells Amphitheatre, Bristol
16th August 2024, Charity Ceilidh, Trinity Centre, Bristol
SOLD OUT 29th June 2024, Pride London Gaylí, public ceilidh at the The London Irish Centre, Camden, London, 7pm
25th May 2024, Bristol Ceilidh presents Shanvaghera (now, The Sunny Banks), public ceilidh at The Folk House, Bristol, 7pm
17th March 2024, West of England Irish St Patrick’s Day celebrations, Revolution, Bristol, 2pm
SOLD OUT 15th March 2024, St Patrick’s Day Céilí, The Folk House, Bristol, 7pm
31st January 2024, Shanvaghera in session, The Shakespeare, Bristol 8.30pm-10.30pm
Recent gigs
25th January 2024, Burn’s Night Ceilidh, The Shakespeare, Bristol
29th November, Shanvaghera in session, The Shakespeare, Bristol 8.30pm-10.30pm
SOLD OUT 19th October 2023, The Folk House, Bristol, 8pm-9.30pm
24th September 2023, Big Community Get Together!, Dame Emily Park, Bedminster — 12-1pm
9th September 2023, The Shakespeare Street Party, Totterdown — 2-3pm
3rd September 2023, ACTA Theatre, Bedminster — 4.15-5.15pm
19th August 2023, The Shakespeare, Totterdown — 8-10.30pm
Listen to Shanvaghera on Soundcloud.
The Sunny Banks is…
...Bradon Smith on fiddle. Bradon has been playing fiddle for 30 years, and is a well-known player on the Irish sessions scenes of Bristol, Bath and London. He likes exploring the less paddled backwaters of the Irish tunes tradition, and has a fondness for hornpipes.
…Paul Kerins on tenor banjo. Hailing from Monaghan’s stony grey soil, Paul’s veins pump pure bogwater. His primary weapon is the Irish tenor banjo, but he will, on occasion, unholster his bouzouki for the craic. Listening to him play has a synaesthetic effect, to the point where you can almost smell turf smoke and silage.
…Sheena Vallely on flute. From Armagh, Sheena cut her teeth playing at fleadhs and festivals all over Ireland. Since moving to England, she hasn’t stopped. While essentially traditional in style, her playing is characterised by its strong rhythm and drive.
…and Benjamin Trott on guitar. Ben’s chequered musical upbringing began with an unusual collage of listening to his dad play for Morris dance music on the flute, and Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds on vinyl. He ended up touring in Europe, Australia and America with the Tim Edey Trio, The Albion Band, Frogbelly and Symphony and Blackbeard’s Tea Party. Ben has lived in Bristol for over 10 years now and has been an active part of the local traditional folk music scene in Bristol and Bath. He brings his sensitive guitar arrangements to The Sunny Banks’ sound.
