Irish five-piece rock band Vinci have already been signed up to perform at next February's star-studded Oscar Wilde Awards in California, telling RTÉ Entertainment it is a "dream come true" to perform at the annual US-Ireland Alliance show.
The Oscar Wilde Awards celebrate the contributions of Irish people in film, TV and music and are hosted at the offices of director J.J. Abrams' production company Bad Robot in Santa Monica ahead of the Academy Awards.
"We've gone from being told we can't get in to the Oscar Wilde Awards a few years ago, to playing at the Oscar Wilde Awards and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to [US-Ireland Alliance President and founder] Trina Vargo for giving us the opportunity to play at such a high profile event with its proven track record of success," the band told RTÉ Entertainment.
Vinci first performed in the US at The Mint in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening (July 15) at an industry showcase and were subsequently invited to play at the annual awards season event, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Vargo told the entertainment industry publication: "We normally don't make announcements this far in advance, but Vinci killed it last night, and I knew by the immediate reaction of the audience that they have to play the Oscar Wilde Awards."
Vinci have been on the go for two years and consist of singer/guitarist Kurtis Wade Murphy, bassist Noely Musgrave, lead guitarist Andy Lestrange, cellist/keyboardist David Doyle and drummer Leo Cassandro.
Singer Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter: "For a self-managed and self-promoted Irish band to be given an opportunity like this and be welcomed so warmly in LA is incredible.
"The US-Ireland Alliance guests included music producers, composers, film music supervisors, film producers, directors - we could not have asked for a better audience. Within hours, several people there were already reaching out to us to support."
On July 13, Vinci supported Aslan, who they describe as one of their biggest musical influences, at their gig in the Iveagh Gardens.
Catch the lads @vinciband supporting Aslan tomorrow night in the Iveagh Gardens 😊🙌🏻📸 pic.twitter.com/AqJYOz54bT
— JBphotography (@jbphotography27) July 12, 2018
Honourees for the 2019 Oscar Wilde Awards will be announced in the coming months.
Previous recipients include Colin Farrell, Barry Keoghan, Sarah Bolger, Mark Hamill, Ruth Negga, Saoirse Ronan, Brendan Gleeson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Colm Meaney, Van Morrison and Neil Jordan.
