Both the band and the Gary Kelly Centre celebrating 20 years in Drogheda
Expect a full house in McHugh’s Venue on Friday 27th December when popular Drogheda band The Enemies play a special 20th anniversary gig in aid of the Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre who are also celebrating 20 years in the town.
The band are celebrating their twenty-year anniversary as is the Gary Kelly Centre which opened in 2004, giving frontman Ronan McQuillan the idea behind the gig in the first place. A host of musicians who played with the band over the years will feature on the night.
Speaking ahead of the gig, Ronan said: “The Enemies started as a two piece twenty years ago when I and Colin O’Donoghue were asked to play a party in Brighton, England. We enjoyed it so much we kept it going and soon become a four piece and the rest is history!”
The band have been a regular feature on the North East music scene playing pubs, weddings and socials over the past two decades. Their relationship with the Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre has remained strong and they have performed at many fundraising events from coffee mornings, post marathon parties and gold classics ever since the Centre opened in 2004.
“We all know someone who has suffered or lost someone to cancer” Ronan said. When I was 22, one of my best friends died from cancer and just a few short years ago, we lost another close friend in the prime of her life.
“We’ve always been happy to help raise funds for the Gary Kelly Centre, but this is our biggest event yet and we really hope people can come out and support us on the night.”
The band have come a long way since their two-piece gigs in Brighton, including touring America with their original music and writing music for advertising and TV. They play regularly in Qatar and frontman Ronan features on a Dutch theatre tour every spring.
“We have played hundreds of gigs and weddings over the years and we’re hoping people who’d had a good night in the past will recreate that on the 27th,” said Ronan. “We’ve been lucky enough to play with some incredible musicians over the years and despite our name – The Enemies – we still remain friends!”
The band hosted a celebratory night back in February this year, which proved so popular that they’ve been asked to do it again by fans and friends of the band. “So here we are,” said Ronan, “we’d like to reminisce a little and remember those great Thursday nights when we used to play in McPhails, back in the day. We’ll never forget them and we want everyone to have a great, happy night, in aid of a brilliant, worthy cause.”
Tickets are €15 and are available by clicking HERE
All proceeds are going to the Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre. The band have advised pre-purchase as they are expecting a large attendance on the night. Any overflow tickets will be available on the door. The gig kicks off at 8pm.
