Battle of the Bands 14.3.25
What. A. Night.
Feeling the afterglow of last night’s first-ever Ennis Eccentric Music Society Battle of the Bands. After months of planning, seeing it all come together exceeded all of our expectations. The energy, the talent, the love for music in that room was something beyond special. Clare’s music scene is thriving, and the future looks brighter than ever.
After setting up an application process, we were delighted to receive 13 entries. Since we only had space for five bands, we randomly selected them using an online spin the wheel system – done live, of course, for maximum excitement! The selection did not disappoint in the slightest.
The lucky five were:
Kilmaley Rowing Club
No Name Band
Entertainment Purposes
Bitcrush
D’Burglary (who made it in as a last-minute entry due to a cancellation)
Five original Clare bands battling it out for a cash prize and a slot at the legendary Cosmic Garden Festival, run by our friends Stax and Debbie Green during the summer months.
For our first run at this competition, we went with a simple but effective voting system: a cash donation to vote for your favorite act. Each band had its own bucket for in-person donations, plus QR codes for easy digital payments.
A Special Surprise & Stellar Performances
Our ever-thoughtful friend Ferdia O’Sullivan (With The Lights Out band) surprised us with trophies for each band, which was a beautiful touch. Presenting these at the end of the night made for an incredibly special moment.
The bar was set sky-high from the start.
9:00pm – No Name Band kicked things off with 20 minutes of pure musical magic. With Quentin Cooper on guitar and vocals, Floraine on guitar, vocals, and harp, Michelle Bonamy on flute, and Barnes Goulding on drums, they delivered an absolutely stunning performance.
9:30pm – Kilmaley Rowing Club took to the stage and it was clear how much playing together means to them. Delivering powerful heavy rock covers and originals, they left a huge impression. Jude Ó Catháin, lead guitarist and founder, channels Jimmy Page’s influence, while fellow founder Sarah Ní Cheallaigh brought her multi-instrumental talent to bass. Eoin Ó Ceallaigh, a passionate drummer of just three years, drove the rhythm alongside Fionn Nolan, who flew in from Scotland to join on guitar. Leading it all was vocalist and lyricist Cian Ó Ceallaigh, who gave us a powerful performance packed with raw emotion.
10:00pm – BITCRUSH! Making their triumphant return after a 13-month hiatus, we were absolutely thrilled to see their name in the applications. They were as powerful and original as ever, playing old and new tracks to a packed bar and a full dance floor. The energy they brought was unmatched.
10:30pm – Entertainment Purposes returned to our stage after their debut performance back in July ’24. They’d already wowed us with their tight groove-filled funk-rock last time, and this time was even better.
Fresh off BITCRUSH’s high-energy set, the crowd was buzzing, and Entertainment Purposes lifted the roof. The dance floor was packed, the bass was groovy, drums were tight, the wah-wah guitar was in full swing, and people were still raving about them long after they finished.
11:00pm – D’Burglary closed out the competition with pure chaotic genius. Oisín (Ushmush) decked out in black tights over his head like a bandit – delivered vocals as Gaeilge, alongside OG Ennis rapper Sam Lavery, spitting bars over a punchy and fresh beat from balaclava-clad DJ Steven Savage. The energy in the room was electric. The crowd were bouncing.. And Oisín’s dance moves alone were enough to deserve the win!
The chants for “ONE MORE TUNE” echoed through the venue long after their set ended, but alas, it was time to count the votes.
And the Winner Is…
We checked, double-checked, quadruple-checked the totals. The winning band would walk away with a whopping €1,085!! – the total amount donated on the night.
It was extremely close between the top two bands.
As the room buzzed with anticipation, we called the bands forward, handed out their trophies, snapped some photos, and then… the big moment.
The winner of the first-ever E.E.M.S Battle of the Bands was…
BITCRUSH!
They were absolutely thrilled – not just for the prize money, but also for the chance to play at Cosmic Garden Fest this summer.
One for the Books
The standard of talent was unbelievable.. diverse, original, and absolutely top-tier. Just how we like it. It was a night none of us will forget any time soon!
And the best part? We’re doing it all again!
Can’t wait.
By: Saoirse Walsh