The Painkillers and Pat McManus will live up to their name when they play Holborn Street this weekend.
The Painkillers were formed in January 2002 when Pat, a native of Fermanagh, was reunited with old friends of the local Irish rock music touring scene where his journey into rock and roll began.
The Painkillers comprise of Shane Leddy, Martin McClarey and Malachy O’ Brien. Their guitar player was about to leave and Pat agreed to sit in on a few gigs. This proved to be both popular and enjoyable for both parties that the alliance was sealed and the bookings and interest in the band grew.
The Painkillers have a solid following and are all professional musicians of some standing. Vocalist Shane Leddy played in bands such as “Revue” and “The South Side Boogie Band”. The latter being an American act, where Shane worked for some time. His vocal style is perfect for singing the blues and rock and he is a forceful and entertaining front man.
Pat McManus grew up in Fermanagh, in a family rich in traditional Irish music. He formed his first rock outfit “Pulse” along with his brothers John and Tommy. This lead to the formation of “Mama’s Boys”.
Mama’s Boys toured Ireland, America, Europe and the Far East with bands such as Bon Jovi ,Scorpions, Thin Lizzy, Sting, Foreigner and many more. During this time they had a number one hit in Ireland with “Needle in the Groove”, which stayed at the top for six weeks.
Pat has never let the grass grow under his feet and in 2001 returned to live in Ireland to spend more time with his family.
The rhythm section of The Painkillers is made up by Martin McClarey on bass and Malachy O’Brien on drums who share a long working history together make a tight, solid rhythm section.
Martin started out on guitar and then moved to bass, playing popular music with his mates. Finally moving to heavy metal and forming the band “Sweet Revenge” in the early eighties who often played support to Pat and “Mamaí” Boys.
For lovers of rock n’roll, this is a gig not to be missed. Pat and the Painkillers play Holborn Street on Saturday April 12.