George Ezra bandmate begins Irish solo tour in Donegal

A singer-songwriter who has performed with George Ezra, Slash, Brian May, Coolio, and The Pogues, will begin an Irish tour with two gigs in Donegal in June.

Matt Benson, originally from Belfast, will begin his tour by performing at Leo’s Tavern in Crolly on June 20 and Shamrock Bar in Falcarragh on June 26. He will continue his tour with concerts in Belfast, Galway, Cork, Dublin, and Limerick.

After a long career playing trombone for other bands, Benson is now ready to move from the side of the stage to the front and centre.

The tour coincides with the release of Benson’s debut album, ‘Sit Back Down Again,’ which will be released on July 11, with a new single, ‘Broken Masterpiece,’ released on June 11.

Benson has had an illustrious career, playing the trombone with his first professional gig 15 years ago in 2010. He has been in George Ezra’s band since 2017, performing at Glastonbury, The Tonight Show, Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, The Royal Albert Hall, and The Brit Awards.

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He explained how he started his career and his love of the trombone by saying: “My dad’s music shop was blown up during the Troubles in Belfast around 1994. No one was hurt, but the shop was completely trashed, all except for a little student model trombone that was found under a pile of smoking rubble on the top floor.

“It was still in working order, and between you and me, I think the fire gave it something a bit special. My dad brought it home for me, and we spent that evening cleaning it up in the kitchen sink. He taught me how to play ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ in C major that night.”