Party on the Pitch 2017 with Nathan Carter and Showaddywaddy

Featuring Nathan Carter and Showaddywaddy as the headline acts on August 18 and 19 respectively, the committee have gone all-in to get the best show they can and build on last year’s success.

It’s not just the headline acts that are showing the ambition of the show, the whole event has a range of quality acts that will surely delight all who join in.

COUNTRY NIGHT

The Friday evening, August 18, is being touted as “The Best Country in the Country”. Kicking off will be Ballymoney’s own up and coming superstar, Jordan Mogey, fresh from releasing his second self-penned album “Cowboys, Drifters & Angels”.

Next up will be Ritchie Remo, the hard working Magherafelt “Country Boy” who has now released eight albums, and is unbelievably on his 22nd year on stage!

Headlining Friday night’s outdoor stage will be the fantastic Nathan Carter. Fresh from selling 11,000 tickets at the SSE arena, Carter has his own huge following across the whole of Ireland and beyond. With new album “Livin’ the Dream” out on the 16th of June, and RTE recording “The Nathan Carter Show” for TV again at the end of June, the show he brings is sure to be fresh and lively, and something for new and old fans to really enjoy!

BIG PARTY MUSIC SHOW

Saturday, August 19 sees a focus on big music sounds on the big stage. Opening the show will be Freefall, one of the region’s best loved bands, with their unique take on songs from all kinds of collections.

The Iconettes will follow, bringing their band the Hitzvilles, to give us their take on a huge collection of Motown classics. Lead singer Karen Rush is well known across the country for her high-quality acts, and the Motown vibe will really build the atmosphere for the day.

Following on will see the Fab Beatles – the country’s foremost tribute to arguably the best band ever to come out of these islands. These guys have been going for over 20 years, and were even used by record label EMI to promote the “Beatles 1” album for its release in 2000.

Bringing us into the evening will be the incredible sound of Counselled Out. Billed as “Glasgow’s Soul Band” – the Evening Times describes them as “a tight and raunchy outfit who play soul with attitude and R&B with a cutting edge” – these guys have a massive following in Scotland, and bring a brilliant energy to every performance.

Finally, the legends that are Showaddywaddy will finish off the outdoor event, with their own feel-good anthems. Still touring harder than ever – over 100 shows a year! - the band are managed by original vocalist Dave Bartram, and features two of the original line-up in Romeo Challenger and Rod Deas.

VIP Treatment

Of course, the VIPs get a little extra. On top of the premium access to the club facilities, and a barbecue dinner, there will be two great bands to round off each evening.

On Friday night, Cash Returns will play in the club, bringing their Johnny Cash and June Carter show to the indoor stage. This is a brilliant tribute band, selling out shows across the country in their own right.

On Saturday, local band Cellar Door take to the indoor stage after 11pm. Their eclectic collection of high octane music can go from Otis Reading to AC/DC, and touch on everything in between. This should surely bring the whole event to a crescendo as the event comes to a close.

Community

Hosted by Ballymoney RFC, the Party on the Pitch event is once again supported by Ballymoney United Youth Academy and Ballymoney Hockey Club. In bringing all three clubs together the committee hope to reach all corners of the local community.

In that respect, the event does rely on volunteers to help make the event both personal and special, as well as keeping costs down! Anyone wishing to help can reach out to the website or Facebook pages. Link: http://partyonthepitch.ie/volunteers

One other change to last year – the Saturday will see the opening of the junior section. Under 18s will be invited to come down and enjoy the day with their families, and listen to the music or take part in some of the fun and games on offer. Under-5s will be free. Note, however, that a strict separation must exist between “wet” and “dry” areas from an alcohol licensing point of view.

Chair of Party on the Pitch, Ballymoney Rugby Club’s Andy Borthwick said: “I think last year’s event surprised a lot of people with the professional setup and quality that was brought.

“This year we are incredibly excited to build on that – we’ve lined up an unbelievable weekend’s entertainment for the whole community, and we hope to welcome as many people as we can down to the club to see some brilliant music and have a great time!”

All the information you need can be found here:

web: http://partyonthepitch.ie

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ballymoneypotp/

twitter: https://twitter.com/potpballymoney