We trek to Europe to explore some music history
If you’ve been following our podcast, you know that we had a big European trip set for September 2022 to coincide with the five Garth Brooks Irish concerts in Dublin. That time has come and gone and we wanted to recap the trip with a new series — TMU Radio — which features us talking about a variety of music-related subjects without a guest.
We not only attended night one of Garth Brooks in Ireland, but we also visited a variety of music landmarks while in Europe. We kicked things off by visiting the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London. The don’t give tours, but we hung out at the gift shop next door and stood at the famous crosswalk while snapping photos and signing the block wall that surrounds the property.
Our first full day in Ireland saw us travel to Slane where the famous Slane Castle resides. The legendary venue has hosted a recurring concert series since 1981 that’s boasted headliners like U2, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Queen, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and most recently Metallica in 2019. They attract approximately 80,000 fans annually with the shows returning in 2023 as Harry Styles headlines the castle’s first post-COVID concert next summer.
Conyngham scion Alex Conyngham — who was a guest on The Music Universe Podcast last summer — carries the mantle of the castle and its legendary concert series. Additionally, Alex has co-founded Slane Irish Whiskey and built a distillery inside a 230-year-old renovated horse stable located on the castle grounds. We took a tour of the distillery and ended with a private tasting with Alex who then showed us several key rooms in the castle itself, including where U2 recorded and filmed in the mid-1980s.
The next day, we toured the famous Windmill Lane Studios on the Dublin docks where U2, Def Leppard, Lady Gaga, and many more have recorded. The studio tour included interacting with a mixing board and seeing history lined through its inner walls. Tours are only given whenever the 4,000 square foot main studio is available, so one should check it out the next time they’re in Dublin.
Friday night concluded with opening night of Garth Brooks’ sold out five night Ireland run to conclude three year The Stadium Tour. Four hundred thousand tickets sold out within four hours last November, marking a new milestone for the country star who hasn’t performed in the city in 25 years. Brooks last played Dublin in May 1997, three months before the historic Central Park show.
All our adventures are packed into a 90 minute episode, so grab your favorite drink and sit back for some craziness.
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