Stripped Down: Polar Bolero & RUÁ

We are excited to announce the acts performing November's edition of Stripped Down at The Crescent. We are excited to welcome to the Cube Polar Bolero & RUÁ. 

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 the events. 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.

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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Polar Bolero is an intriguing Alt Folk band with a unique musical style. Their original songs offer an immersive experience for their audience, exploring elements of Folk, Jazz, and Trad, resulting in spacious, cinematic sounds with vocals that exude a mature depth beyond their years

Click here to check out their sound.

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RUÁ is an experimental folk artist hailing from Derry. Having played solo for years, RUÁ's live shows now often include Conán Mullan on whistle, fiddle, mandolin and guitar and Ciaran McCay (of TRAMP) on percussion and synth.

Merging Irish, Americana and world textures, RUÁ brings the music into a dreamlike world existing outside of any one time or place. RUÁ's live shows take you on a journey from intricate guitar lines paired with velvety melodies singing of love, loss, and healing; to vivacious trad-folk-gypsy stories of fortune tellers and ghosts; to synths and drone heavy soundscapes.

Throughout it all there is a tangible vulnerability and honesty that guides RUÁ's songwriting. After releasing her alt-folk debut EP The Healing in 2024, RUÁ is set to release her experimental-theatrical-folk EP The Magic Theatre in 2025.

Click here to check out her sound.