The Workman’s Club presents…

Funzo

Saturday 7 April

Doors 8pm/Tickets €8 from www.tickets.ie

Packed-out hysterical tents at Oxegen and Electric Picnic? Check. Highest independent chart entry in Ireland during Christmas week? Check. National radio play across Ireland and America? Check. By the end of 2010, everybody wanted a piece of Funzo. So, that explains why eyebrows were raised when the pop/ska/hip-hop 5-piece announced that they wouldn’t be performing any live gigs in Ireland during the summer of 2011. Never a band to do things the conventional way, Funzo locked themselves in the studio all summer long, recorded their strongest material to date and went to America to meet with record labels, MySpace’s new owners, Rolling Stone and MTV, who had all expressed an interest in the Dublin/Kildare outfit.

On their return to Dublin in November 2011, Funzo sold-out The Workman’s Club, shot a concert film, performed a number of national media slots and are preparing for their next release and international tour.

Debut Single

Funzo’s debut single, ‘This Christmas’, was released in December 2010 and entered the Official Irish Charts as the highest independent entry on two consecutive weeks. As well as being a national radio hit in Ireland, the single received vast airplay in the US, being featured on radio stations in 25 different states. The song’s official video was directed by NBC’s Lydia Robertson.

Radio & Media

• Received airplay and live performance/interview time on national Irish radio stations; RTÉ 2FM, Today FM, FM 104, Newstalk, Dublin City FM, Phantom FM and Ireland’s most listened-to radio station, RTÉ Radio One.
• Received airplay on US radio, across 25 states.
• Live television performances on Ireland’s #1 morning programme on TV3 and on national television station, TG4.
• Invited to be a ‘Featured Artist’ as part of the re-launch of MySpace.
• Full-page feature and interview in national Irish publications, Hot Press, Metro and Limehouse.
• Deemed one of the ‘Picks of Electric Picnic’ in The Irish Times.

Live Performance

• Performed at Ireland’s (and Europe’s) premiere music festivals; Oxegen (2010), Electric Picnic (2009, 2010), Hard Working Class Heroes (2010) and Castle Palooza (2010).
• Performed in NYC and LA, in venues such as Arlene’s Grocery, Pianos and Greenhouse (2011).
• Headlined The Pogues’ Aftershow Party on two occasions, where they were joined on stage by Shane MacGowan himself (2008 2009).
• Performed on the Main Stage at both The Trinity Ball (2007) and Life Festival (2008)

Awards

• Winner of Hot Press-Tisch (NYU) Music Video Initiative (2010)
• Winner of Christmas FM’s ‘New Christmas Classic’ award (2009)
• Winner of the Trinity College Battle of the Bands (2007)
• Winner of the An Tostal National Songwriting Contest (2007)
• Winner of the ‘Demo to Breakthrough’ National Songwriting Contest (2006)

Reviews

“One of Ireland’s hottest rising acts…Funzo are the next big thing” Turning Point Productions, USA (2011)

“Funzo are an incredible Irish band – it’s ridiculous they’re not a household name yet.” Heineken Music (2010)

 “To be producing tracks of this caliber at this stage of their career is staggering.” TotallyDublin.ie (2009)

“Their high energy gigs are second to none…Ireland’s next big thing.” Tin Of Beans (2010)

“In a perfect world, all pop records would sound like Funzo’s.” Caomhan Keane , oxygen.ie (2009)

Contact

Mark Whelan, First Song Records

IRL: 087-6392438

USA: 212-851-3199

Online

www.facebook.com/FunzoBand

www.twitter.com/FunzoMusic