Stripped Down: Pinkslips | Esmeralda Road | Donal Scullion

Stripped Down at The Crescent is a series of gigs that brings together some of the most talented original acts currently working in Northern Ireland, performing stripped down versions of their songs.

Usually, a song starts life in a bedroom, a living room, or a rehearsal room, and it grows over time. Eventually by the time it gets performed by a full band or recorded in the studio it has matured and developed. Stripped Down hopes to bring some of these songs back to that early, genuine stage of life.

Stripped Down has been programmed by The Crescent’s Music Associate 23/25, Donal Scullion, who has been collaborating with our Technical Manager, Gareth Doran, to curate this series. Over a number of shows you will discover a mix of established acts, rising stars and emerging talent, representing Northern Irish Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, Funk, Pop, Rock, Indie and more.

For May's edition of Stripped Down, we welcome to The Crescent PiNKSLiPS, Esmeralda Road and Donal Scullion, with host Gemma Bradley. 

These events are BYO; bring along a bottle, sit back and let the music take over, and enjoy these two incredible acts perform in an intimate setting.

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PiNKSLiPS are a hard rock band based in Belfast. Formed amidst the musical drought of the pandemic, songwriter Gerry Norman began working with guitarist David McGaughey on a collection of rock songs in the bowels of Vault Artist Studios. Those songs took on a life of their own with the addition of the Deadly Rhythm of Shane Watters on drums and Carl Gilmore on bass early 2021. With a focus on high energy, riff based guitars, rhythmic groove and anthemic choruses, the band’s shared love of live music, heavy rock, and energetic performance soon set about shaping their own rock sound.

Click here to check out their sound.

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Esmeralda Road (formerly known as Moonboot) is composed of frontman Charlie Magill, drummer Aodhan Moran, keyboardist Josh Vance, bassist Calvin Wells, guitarist Ben Murray, saxophonist Josh Baker and trumpeter Tony Cowan.

Esmeralda Road emerges as a compelling force in the independent music scene. Originally formed as a humble 3-piece outfit in 2021 during their final days of secondary school, Esmeralda Road has since undergone a remarkable evolution, expanding into a dynamic septet that includes a captivating horn section. Their journey, however, has not been without its challenges. A pivotal moment came when the band, then operating under the name Moonboot, faced a setback with the deletion of their entire online presence by Meta. Undeterred, they embraced the opportunity to reinvent themselves, emerging stronger and more determined than ever before.

The resilience of Esmeralda Road was rewarded with resounding success when they clinched the Single of the Year award at the prestigious NI Music Prize for their debut self-produced and self-released track, "To U". Fuelled by a relentless DIY ethos, Esmeralda Road takes full control of their craft, handling all aspects of mixing and production in-house. This hands-on approach not only ensures artistic integrity but also serves as a testament to their unwavering commitment to authenticity.

Their meteoric rise saw Esmeralda Road sell out iconic venues such as the Empire Music Hall in Belfast and setting the stage for a triumphant support slot on Cosmo Pyke's sold-out Irish tour. As they take the next step forward in their musical journey, 2024 has a lot in store for Esmeralda Road. With a fresh rebrand, eagerly anticipated new singles on the horizon, and a music video slated for release in March, the act's have their sights set on becoming a global band.

Click here to check out their sound. 

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Donal Scullion is a performer, songwriter and arranger working with a wide variety of acts over 20+ years. A solo acoustic performer of original music, band leader and songwriter for 10-piece original soul machine NI Soul Troop, member of 8-piece original reggae outfit The Vibes, and guitarist and vocalist in The Unholy Gospel Band. As an arranger and session musician worked with many great local acts including Cormac Neeson, Malojian, Ciara O’Neil, Owen Lamont and many others. This eclectic background has led to performances at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Ulster Hall, festivals, theatres, pubs and clubs all over UK and Ireland, support slots with a wide variety of artists including Lee “Scratch” Perry, The Specials, The Brand New Heavies, Craig Charles, Damien Dempsey, The Answer and And So I Watch You From Afar. Click here to read more about Donal.