Stevie G

Centrally located on Main Street, just a stone's throw from the beach and the world famous Ballybunion Golf Course, the Ballybunion Golf Hotel will see a different sort of club on August 5th when it hosts one of the most prominent DJs in Ireland, Stevie G.

Given that DJ's tend to be best known for dropping donkey loads of drugs it comes as a pleasant surprise to learn that Stevie G has a conscience, running youth culture workshops called 'Steppin into Tomorrow' and 'The Beats' at the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork.

"Basically the workshops are aimed at younger people. We want to get them interested in music for music's sake and highlight the positive aspects of Hip-Hop culture," said Stevie, "and the Triskel is a fantastic place to do it."

The workshops are aimed primarily at the 14 - 17 year old bracket though there are both younger and older people taking part. The workshops introduce the participants to the history of music while providing a platform to allow them to perform whether through rapping, DJ-ing or other musical endeavors.

"It's important to introduce the kids to the history of music," explains Stevie. "Hip-hop originally borrowed from everything, whether it was a bass line from a rock band like The Rolling Stones or something lifted from R&B, so people have to be aware of that history. I think the whole hip-hop culture is a culture of necessity, and the creative processes used are similar, in some ways, to those used by artists like Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollack. They borrowed from others that came before but built on it and created something new. There's a lot more to hip-hop than just getting a Tupac tattoo."

The workshop participants also get to perform to an audience outside of the workshop setting, playing recently as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival, while a trip to Liverpool is also planned for some of Cork's best up and coming talent. Stevie also produces a show called 'Teenage Thursdays' that provides a platform for the musically minded to perform to a live radio audience.

"It's a bit of a cliche but anything we can do to provide an outlet for talented youngsters so they have something else to do other than drinking, well, that's always a good thing," said Stevie.

His conscience notwithstanding, he's a damn fine DJ and if you would like to hear him play then pop along to the Ballybunion Golf Hotel on Sunday, August 5th from 10:30 pm to 2:00 am. Tickets are 10 euro and are available on the door.