Concert to help Omagh guitarist fund rising medical bills

A fundraising concert to help a legendary local guitarist and music teacher manage his mounting medical bills will take place in Omagh St Enda’s Hall next month – and it looks set to be one of the best that the town has ever heard.

Sound like hyperbole? Well it isn’t! And here’s why.

‘Larrypalooza’ has been organised to help alleviate the financial pressure placed on Larry Lowe by a rare neurological condition that has, in recent years, upended his life.

Since being diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, Larry has had to retire from teaching, sell his house, empty his savings, and step away from music.

Allow me, now, to pass you over to the man who came up with the initial idea for this whole thing, Conor Keys.

“I had the notion that I wanted to do something after reading an article in the ‘Herald about what Larry has been going through,” began the local comedian, podcaster and powerhouse vocalist.

“I asked around, spoke with a couple of others, and, next thing I knew, we had a full line-up ready to put on a concert in the infamous Omagh St Enda’s Hall on Friday, November 22.

“Larrypalooza (which is a play on the name annual American music festival, Lollapalooza) will be a night like no other,” assured Conor.

“It will feature performances from Andrew Dolan, Other Sound, Let There Be Rock, Cool Hand String Band, Turkey Shack, The Committed and… Freerider!

“Aye, we’ve managed to get Freerider to reform for the first time in 20 years. What a scalp!”

For context, Larry’s son will be playing with Other Sound.

Let There Be Rock is actually Larry’s old band, featuring, most notably, Peewee McGartland,

And The Committed, fronted by Conor and otherwise composed of a kind of dream-team of the town’s best players, are a tribute to band from the eponymously named 1991 classic film, The Commitments.

If you want to be part of a night of local charity and tunes that will be remembered for decades to come, get your ticket on Eventbrite.