Damian Howard
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Damian Howard

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"Speyfest Review"


Fochabers, Moray, Scotland





Chris Young
The Ploughboys Management 11th November 2008


Dear Chris,

We’ve just started the planning for next year’s festival but I didn’t want to let Speyfest 2008 pass without expressing our thanks to you and The Ploughboys for visiting Fochabers in the summer.

The festival has grown over the fourteen years that it has been running now and we’re finding it easier to attract the top names from the traditional music scene here in Scotland. This was particularly true this year. But as festival organisers, it’s always satisfying to take a bit of a risk on a band that few, if any, in the audience will have heard, especially when the band turns out to be one of the highlights of the festival. From the feedback we’re getting, this was clearly the case with The Ploughboys. Our thanks to the band for two great sets on the main stage, (and one on the smaller folk stage.) all three went down very well with the Speyfest crowd, always ready for a bit of audience participation. It was clear from the first song that we needn’t have worried about them being a Speyfest band.

We’d also like to thank the Damian and the rest of the group for being so professional with our sound crew and accommodating with the rest of the organisers. This made quite an impression on us all and was just what we needed being seven days into an eight day festival. The Ploughboys were described as a band of gentlemen in at least one part of your promotional press pack and we wholeheartedly agree.

Finally, we appreciate that you’re trying to arrange a return tour in the UK next summer. We’d have no hesitation in recommending The Ploughboys to any other festival thinking of booking the band.

Regards,



Brian Milne
Artistic Director
- Speyfest


"Llangollen Testamonial"

8 - 13 JULY 2008



Nominated for the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize
Patron: H.R.H. The Prince of Wales



music@international-eisteddfod.co.uk
Direct Line: 01978 862016
Direct Fax: 01978 862005

DAMIAN HOWARD and THE PLOUGHBOYS
at LLANGOLLEN, 2008:

Thanks and Best Wishes….


The International Eisteddfod thanks enormously, Damian Howard and the Ploughboys for being part of the 2008 festival here in North Wales, UK. We were privileged to be included in your World Tour, pleased to host you; and our audiences were thrilled by your performances.

The ‘World Music @6 Concert’ was very well received, and our International Youth Day was enhanced hugely by your workshops, as was International Song and Dance Day the previous day; 3000 young people here during that time can’t be wrong! It was also great to see Australian competitor choirs here for the event enjoying a different brand of musical performance from their own country.

We hope that we might see you over here again in the not too distant future, and wish all of you the best for the future.


Mervyn Cousins
Executive Director, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod,
on behalf of the staff and hundreds of volunteers of the festival
- Mervyn Cousins


"Port Fairy Folk Festival Reference."

August 2007


Greetings!

I am delighted to introduce a fabulous
festival band, The Ploughboys, with all the ingredients a
festival artistic programmer looks for:

Energy, Talent, Great musicianship, Excellent voices and singing
Professional and charming

As Festival and Artistic Director at the Port Fairy Folk Festival (a premier award winning event in Australia with sell out shows every year) I have booked The Ploughboys a number of times, over many years and have never been disappointed. Certainly they are a festival audience favourite with a broad appeal.

The festival brings some 60,000 attendances over four days attracted by the magnificent west coast setting and a broad based line-up built on twenty international acts and sixty or more national acts.

The Ploughboys are a 5/6 piece band, that play their own special style, of what I would best describe as ‘Australian Flavoured Celtic Roots Rock folk music’ consisting of Damian Howard on vocals, acoustic guitar and keyboards, Allan O’Connell also on vocals and acoustic guitar, Tony O’Neil on Violin, Electric guitar and Mandolin, John Edgar on bass guitar and backing vocals Jon Emry on drums and backing vocals. and lastly Marcia Howard additionally on keyboard/acoustic guitar and vocals.

This considerable talent becomes a powerful force in full flight when their long years of touring and recording bring great songs, soaring vocals and excellent arrangements to an irresistible high.

The Ploughboys are a great band to watch. They seem to have a crowd of instant fans (like fish in the desert after rain, they magically appear) attracted by a swaggering and cheeky Aussie gregarious presence that raises the stakes with real passion.

It’s no wonder that Mary Black has recorded one of their songs and played with the band in Australia. It’s no wonder that Damian Howard has a horde of musical friends and family to join him at times on stage and he is always ready to jump into the musical action at a festival.

Quite simply they are a special band, a great band, an ideal “festival band” which will always excel and exceed expectations.

I am especially delighted to hear that they are planning a tour through Ireland and Europe. Music is the perfect way to put the unique music of Australia on stage and I can think of a handful of bands that could do that in a flash. The Ploughboys is certainly as good as the best.

I welcome you to contact me through the festival email address pfff@portfairyfolkfestival.com, for any further information or assistance I can offer you.

With best wishes

Jamie McKew

Dr Jamie McKew OAM
Festival Director

- Jamie McKew


"Ploughboys Bio"




“The Ploughboys are a band of Gentlemen…” (Jasper Smythe, Q.C.)

“The Ploughboys are like a bunch of Rugby players playing music in the off-season” (Mick Talbot, Brimbank Sanitation Officer.)


The Ploughboys have always divided opinion.
Their brand of raucous folk-rock fused with sublime balladry has driven many a sane man to fits of hysterical sobbing, and more than a few well-balanced women to bouts of whiskey-fuelled interpretative dance.

In other words, The Ploughboys perform every show like it is their last and will be damned if they ever take a stage without being bound to giving their heart, soul, life blood and liver to the audience.

From Sweden to Singapore, Darwin to Denmark, Hobart to Helsinki, The Ploughboys have enthralled crowds the world over for more than ten years. As five accomplished musicians in their own right the Ploughboys remain a genuine folk-rock force.
The songs, the spirit and the power of living for the moment.

The Ploughboys will soothe your heart and rock your socks off!


“In the field of opportunity it’s ploughing time again….”






…………The Ploughboys
- None


Discography

7 CDs and a DVD - Out of My Hands, Out Of My Hands EP Live at The shed. Field Of Opportunity, Tell me Another one, Different Stages, One, Live at the shed DVD

Photos

Bio

Damian first came on scene in 1995, opened at Maldon Folk Festival in Victoria Australlia. This considerable talent becomes a powerful force in full flight when thier long years of touring and recording together, bring great songs, soaring vocals and excellent arrangements to an irresistible high.
Quote from Jamie McKew Port Fairy Folk Festival:
'The Ploughboys are a great band to watch. They seem to have a crowd of instant fans (like fish in the desert after rain, they magically appear) attracted by a swaggering and cheeky Aussie gregarious presence that raises the stakes with real passion. Quite simply they are a special band, a great band, an ideal “festival band” which will always excel and exceed expectations. It’s no wonder that Mary Black has recorded one of their songs and played with the band in Australia. It’s no wonder that Marcia and Damian Howard have a horde of musical friends and family to join him at times on stage and he is always ready to jump into the musical action at a festival.
We are a unique band in that we open (And close) festivals or gigs with our high energy Aussie Folk/Country Rock but are also able to play to smaller crowds and venues with more folk/roots type performances and even through to sole/Blues with much of Damians own material.
The 5 part voice harmonies that the Ploughboys bring to thier music set them apart from most other bands of our genre.