Termonfeckin singers return from Netherlands countrywide tour
“We can now sing Red Rose Café in Dutch!
Two well known local musicians, Ronan McQuillan of The Enemies and Theresa McKenna, a singer-songwriter who previously played with local band Electric Avenue, have just returned from a five-week tour of the Netherlands, bringing Irish music to appreciative Dutch audiences.
Performing with a show called ‘Best of Ireland’ the singers joined a nine-piece band on a tour of the country’s theatres, playing to hundreds of music lovers at 18 sold out shows.
Ronan said: “Dutch music may not be big in Ireland, but Irish music is absolutely huge in the Netherlands! The musicians we played with in the band were raised on it by their parents and the crowds who came out to see us perform knew every single song. They even suggested Irish songs to us that we weren’t fully aware of but are hugely popular in Holland.”
As well as featuring nine musicians on stage, the touring production had ten crew working on sound, lighting, management and promotion, ensuring the great success of the show.
This is the second year running the two singers were invited to the Netherlands to join the tour. It all began in 2021 when Ronan got a call out of the blue to replace Johnny Logan, the previous singer of the tour.
“I couldn’t turn down a call like that, but with world events getting in the way, we had to wait until 2023 to get on the road.” Ronan put the band in touch with Theresa when the position for the female singer in the band also opened up.
Due to the success of this year’s tour, the singers have been asked back again for 2025, which will be extended to take in Germany and Belgium.
“Musically, the show was a challenge to perform,” said Ronan, “as it was a sitting down theatre audience as opposed to what I’m used to rocking out with my own band The Enemies. But the versatility of musicianship within the band meant that we could perform songs from bands like the Pogues and The Dubliners, but also U2, Kodaline and Thin Lizzy and so we really enjoyed the whole experience.”
For Theresa it was an honour to perform songs by legendary Irish female led bands The Cranberries and The Corrs and each night was a poignant moment when she performed a haunting version of Sinéad O’Connor’s Nothing Compares To You.
“Sinead was such an important figure in Irish music history, a woman ahead of her time, and to represent her and her music was an honour,” said Theresa. “The Dutch audience were so engaging, they hung on every note and their appreciation was incredible.
“A highlight for me was probably playing Cool Kunst and Cultuur in Heerhugowaard on February 14th! To get there we drove 27km along a dyke and it was an amazing show.”
According to the singers, theatre culture in the Netherlands is thriving, with a variety of acts performing across the country most nights. “The arts in general are so well supported and received,” said Ronan. “There are so many jobs in that industry, we could learn a thing or two from them, definitely.”
While some family and friends flew out to see the singers and the show, the gruelling tour schedule was at times a challenge for the two who missed home and their families, but the whole experience made up for any home sickness.
“We were both very proud to represent Ireland, Irish culture and music abroad,” said Ronan. “Plus, we can now sing Red Rose Café in Dutch and I’m not sure how many people from Termonfeckin can say that!”
