Merchy Christmas, the Second!

One Stop Band Shop Presents…. Merchy Christmas, the Second! An artist music market. The Grand Social, Dublin 10am-4pm, Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th December 2021 Admission: FREE with suggested donation of €5 to Dublin Simon Community (This is a cash only event) Support Irish artists at this year’s ‘Merchy Christmas’ merch market, happening at The Grand Social, Dublin, 10am-4pm, Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th December. 2021, much like 2020, continues to present challenges for independent musicians in Ireland. The first half of the year was spent firmly locked down, no shows, no touring, no money. As the world started to re-emerge and re-open, the music industry was last to the party. A lack of roadmap and clear-recovery plan made life very difficult for artists and their crew. Shows still couldn’t happen, festivals were cancelled, the sector was in crisis. Only recently did full capacity concerts become possible, despite additional restrictions, early closures, and increased pressure from the government for people to not attend these events. Last week saw the final nail in the coffin as live show capacity was reduced to 50% overnight. The government provided no warning, guidance, or information on what support would be in place for those affected.  With gigs no longer viable, we have seen mass cancelations for the coming weeks. Most musicians will not be able to work in the run up to Christmas. Indie artists need your support, and what better way to do it than by buying their merch! Enter Merchy Christmas, the Second! Merchy Christmas is a real-life merch market where all your favourite artists flog their wares directly to you, their fans. Started last year during lock-down, it was the brainwave of Conor Cusack (Saint Sister’s manager at ie:music) and Saint Sister. Chatting about ways to create a personal connection with their listeners and thank them for their support over the year, they had the idea of a public merch stall. After reaching out to their pals like Lankum, CMAT and The Mary Wallopers, it became clear that this was something lots of other artists wanted to be part of. Merchy Christmas was born! Working with Keiron Black and the folks at The Grand Social (longstanding champions of the independent community) they put together a two-day event across multiple floors, which was hugely successful. Partnering with Dublin Simon Community, who suggested a donation of €5 on the door, a significant amount of money was raised for the charity and the homeless community at their most difficult time of year. This year the market returns, bigger and better. With over 30 artists confirmed, Merchy Christmas takes place at The Grand Social on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th December. Running from 10am-4pm on both days, it will host some of the Island’s best artists and their finery, available for purchase with cash. Artists taking part in this year’s edition, include:  Ailbhe Reddy, Gemma Dunleavy, HousePlants, Junior Brother, Kneecap, Kynsy,  Lankum, Loah , Maria Kelly , Melts, Myles Manley, Nealo, Niamh Regan, Paddy Hanna, Pillow Queens, Rebel Phoenix, Rob De Boer, Royal Yellow, Saint Sister, Silverbacks, Skinner, Soda Blonde, Somebody’s Child, Sorcha Richardson, Tandem Felix, Tebi Rex, The Mary Wallopers, The Scratch, The Zen Arcade, Thumper, Touts, Vernon Jane & Bicurious, Wyvern Lingo, + more to be announced. Returning for the second year in a row, Saint Sister share their thoughts, “The last two years have been very difficult. In the absence of any proper guidance we have, time and time again, had to reorganise and replan in order to get by. Merchy Christmas is a small part of the rejigging that all artists have had to do over the last while. Last year, it gave us a boost when we needed it most. Thank God for our community! We’ll see you at the merch stand.” Dublin hip-hop songwriter Nealo, who will also be returning this year, says “The Christmas merch sale last year was one of the highlights of the year for me. It was heartwarming to meet people face to face and to hang out and chat with people who like my music and also to other artists and friends. After a year of no gigs or face to face interactions, it was refreshing to be there in person hanging out and buying and selling merch. 10/10 would go again.” The Grand Social are also excited to welcome everyone back to “help artists recover from the ongoing restrictions that keeps everyone from performing, especially this time of year. We are a fully independent venue and every ounce of this project is directly in line with our ethos. It is an amazing opportunity for fans to buy merch directly from the artists they love!” Admission to the event is FREE, with a suggested donation on the door of €5 to Dublin Simon Community (DSC). Speaking of the initiative, the DSC said “Fundraising at Christmas time is vital to our organisation as the funds generated allow us to support those who need it the most. We're delighted to be the charity partner for the Merchy Christmas market again this Christmas, and can't thank all of those involved enough.” This is a cash only event. COVID 19 AND SAFETY In line with current public health guidelines all attendees must provide either proof of full vaccination or that they have recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months. Venue staff will check COVID-19 vaccination and recovery certificates on entry. Young people under the age of 18, accompanied by adults, are not required to show proof of vaccination or recovery. You may be asked to show a photo ID. In line with current Government guidelines, we ask that patrons practice social distancing and wear a face coverings while attending the market. These requirements are subject to change, and we will communicate any changes as directed and informed by the public health guidelines.