About

Brian Finnegan's Hunger of the Skin is an expansive and emotionally charged project from one of Irish traditional music's most celebrated composers, collaborators and producers. Best known as the founding flute player and frontman of Flook, Brian Finnegan has spent almost three decades at the forefront of contemporary traditional music, building a global reputation for innovation, depth and musical fearlessness.

Alongside his work with Flook — who returned in 2019 with the acclaimed album Ancora after a four-year hiatus — Finnegan has toured and recorded with an extraordinarily diverse range of artists, including KAN, Cara Dillon, Boris Grebenshikov, Anoushka Shankar, Bebel Gilberto, Ed Sheeran and El Búho. His work consistently presents traditional music as a living, evolving artform shaped by collaboration and curiosity.

Created during March–April 2020, Hunger of the Skin is Finnegan's most ambitious work to date. Recorded remotely in home studios around the world and featuring 24 musicians, the project captures a powerful sense of urgency, connection and shared humanity. The album's first single,Flow, In the Year of Wu Wei, was nominated for RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards – Best Original Track, and the album went on to receive widespread acclaim, including FolkWorld Album of the Year 2021.

For this performance, Brian Finnegan is joined by Seán Ó Meara (guitar), Patsy Reid (fiddle), Conor McCreanor (bass) and Liam Bradley (drums & percussion), bringing the music to life with drive, subtlety and explosive energy.

Also appearing on the bill is Heidi Talbot. Described by The New York Times as possessing "a voice that's both awestruck and tender," Irish-born, Edinburgh-based singer Heidi Talbot has carved out an extraordinary career that bridges the worlds of folk, contemporary, and roots music. From her early days growing up in Co. Kildare to becoming a folk star in the U.S. with the Irish-American band Cherish the Ladies, Talbot's journey has taken her to many of the world's great stages - from the White House to the Sydney Opera House. She has collaborated with artists including Mark Knopfler, Graham Coxon (Blur), Eddi Reader, Jerry Douglas, King Creosote, Tim O'Brien, and Idlewild, and is renowned for performances of rare intimacy and connection. Joining Heidi is Toby Shaer, whose sensitive musicianship adds further depth to an evening that brings together powerful songwriting, adventurous traditional music and shared emotional resonance.

Presented as part of Belfast St Patrick's Music Festival at the iconic Empire Music Hall, this concert promises a richly layered and unforgettable night of music — rooted in tradition, open to the world, and deeply human.

Venue & Event Information:

Access to The Empire Music Hall is via approx. 12 stone steps with rails left and right. Two further sets of 2/3 steps into the foyer and main room.

Unfortunately, there is no lift access. They apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Limited unreserved seating

Full bar available

18+ only

Address: 42 Botanic Ave, Belfast, BT7 1JQ