TV: Renowned Cork singer turns mentor in new series 

Renowned Cork singer/songwriter John Spillane turns mentor in a new music series that starts next week.

Each week in An Gig Mhór (The Big Gig), a well-known musician takes on a budding band and helps them organise their first big concert. in their home town.

In the first episode on RTÉ1 on Monday at 8pm, Spillane helps The Donnys organise a gig in their native Kilkenny.

A future episode will feature the band Leevy, from the Múscraí Gaeltacht in Cork.

AnGig Mhór will provide a platform to new emerging Irish bands and shine a light on the hard work, creativity and dedication that goes into organising your own gig. From Donegal to Kilkenny, the series showcases a different town and band each week.

Other mentors on the series are:

• Rónán Ó Snodaigh, Dublin-born songwriter, composer, musician, poet, and founding member and lead vocalist in the musical group Kíla, who has revolutionised the playing of the bodhrán
• Duo Tebi Rex, from Kildare, whose music has been described as alternative indie-hip hop pop, a sound catalysed by the duality between the styles of Max Zanga, the rapper, and Matt O’Baoill, his melodic foil, providing hooks and choruses.
• Singer-songwriter Síomha, who treads the line between folk, neo-soul and jazz,
• Young singer-songwriter Eve Bell, from Donegal.
• And vocalist, harpist and pianist, Krea, of Bray.

Other new bands featured on the series are singer-songwriter Hannah B and her band from Gaoth Dobhair, Donegal, Na hEasógaí from Conamara in Galway, Leixlip punk-rockers The Hex, and Coolboy from Laois.

Each band has their own unique sound and performs in both English and Irish.