Labour leadership jostling puts Brexit back under political spotlight
Labour leadership jostling brings Brexit back into focus as Wes Streeting criticizes it as a mistake.
BBC News1 min read
The girl group who've sold out venues and toured the world - without releasing a record
TL;DR
BIIRD, an all-female supergroup, performed in Trafalgar Square in front of 10,000 people on St Patrick's Day 2024. They have since sold out venues and toured with Ed Sheeran, all without releasing a record.
Key points
- BIIRD performed in Trafalgar Square for 10,000 people
- The group consists of eleven Irish traditional musicians
- They have sold out venues across the UK and Ireland
- BIIRD toured with Ed Sheeran
- They have not released a debut record
Mentioned in this story
BIIRDEd SheeranTrafalgar SquareCounty Down
BIIRD had never played together when they stepped on stage in Trafalgar Square to face 10,000 people on St Patrick's Day 2024.
Eleven Irish traditional musicians stood side-by-side in elaborate costumes, some meeting for the first time only hours before the performance.
Two years later, the all-female supergroup has sold out venues across the UK and Ireland, toured stadiums with Ed Sheeran, and built a global following - all without releasing a debut record.
Their rise has been rapid, driven almost entirely by the strength of their live performances and word of mouth.
For singer and flautist Miadhachlughain O'Donnell, from County Down, the scale of what the group are now doing would have seemed unimaginable during that first performance.
"It was mental, to be honest," she said. "It was done in the blink of an eye… I don't think we had another gig for a couple of months, I didn't really know where it was going to go from there."
While BIIRD's direction of flight may have been uncertain to its members at first, founder Lisa Canny had been quietly developing the "Spice Girls of trad" concept for about a decade.
"Our main objective, other than making beautiful music, is to change the image around women in trad and folk," Canny said.
"There are these incredible shows that tour the world like Riverdance and Celtic Woman and Lord of the Dance, but the representation of women in these groups is still very much outdated."
A seven-time, All Ireland harp and banjo champion from County Mayo, Canny has long held the reputation of being "the baddie of trad", according to BIIRD fiddle player and harpist Sal Heneghan.
"I think there's never been anything like this done in trad before… With the all-female, and the grungy look as well," she said.
"She's always been known to break the rules and go for different types of stuff."
Idea in mind, the group was not created through auditions or strategic casting. Instead it emerged from a web of relationships Canny had formed in the traditional music world, with many of the musicians already aware of each other's work.
The group's scale, however, wasn't necessarily part of the original plan, with the group alternating between eight and 11 musicians, depending on the production.
"Yeah, it's a big show," admitted concertina player Zoran Donohoe from County Cavan.
"The way she handpicked all of us, it kind of just got to 11 and she was like, 'well, we're going to have to go with this now'.
"We were all just so unique and so different and all had our own things going on. And she was like, 'there needs to be a stage and a place for all of these women'."
Q&A
How did BIIRD become popular without releasing a record?
BIIRD gained popularity primarily through their live performances and word of mouth.
Who are the members of the BIIRD supergroup?
BIIRD consists of eleven Irish traditional musicians, many of whom met for the first time just hours before their initial performance.
What notable events has BIIRD participated in since their formation?
Since their formation, BIIRD has sold out venues across the UK and Ireland and toured stadiums with Ed Sheeran.
When did BIIRD perform in Trafalgar Square?
BIIRD performed in Trafalgar Square on St Patrick's Day, March 17, 2024.
