Whisky Focus - Bushmills Live 2014

The music-loving whiskey makers at the Old Bushmills Distillery have handmade the world’s largest barrel oak headphones to launch this year’s ‘Bushmills Live 2014’ indie music festival.

‘Bushmills Live 2014’ is a festival of handcrafted whiskey and music that will take place at the Old Bushmills Distillery, on Ireland’s stunning north coast, on June 11-12, 2014.

This year the festival, previously headlined by the likes of Snow Patrol, Jake Bugg and Of Monsters and Men, will see 700 whiskey and music fans invited to the brand’s home to witness emerging and iconic artists sharing the stage for a series of intimate gigs in age-old buildings, where the art of making whiskey has been perfected over centuries.

Made by two local artisans using almost a dozen giant whiskey barrels, the headphones stand at over 10ft high and will form an interactive centrepiece with music from Bushmills Live artists past and present played through the unique, handcrafted headphones. Friends will be able to sit between the ear pieces and share a truly unique combination of handcrafted whiskey and music.

It follows on from a successful tie up with Hollywood A-Lister Elijah Wood, who along with his friend and DJ partner Zach Cowie, designed a line of Grado Labs headphones made from Bushmills Irish Whiskey wood in December.

Bushmills Irish Whiskey Master Distiller Colum Egan said: "We’re looking forward to throwing open the doors of the distillery and welcoming friends, old and new, to come and enjoy the handcrafted whiskey and music on offer at ‘Bushmills Live 2014’.

Breakthrough British band ‘The 1975’, who have had a meteoric rise in the last 12 months, are set to take time out of their massive world tour to headline the festival on June 12.

The four friends from Manchester, who have supported the likes of The Rolling Stones and MUSE in the past, are embarking on a world tour that will see them play huge gigs in Australia, Japan and America, as well as a more intimate set at the Old Bushmills Distillery.

Matthew Healy, lead singer of ‘The 1975’, said: "We’ve never played a show in a distillery before so it’s a first for us. We’ve gigged all over the place but to play a festival like this, in a setting as unique as this, will be pretty special."

Bushmills Irish Whiskey Master Distiller Colum Egan added: "It really is a highpoint of our year. Great music and excellent whiskey, enjoyed in moderation among friends, complement each other beautifully. We’ll be announcing the full line-up soon and I can promise you some spectacular surprises as well as some good friends returning."

The ‘money-can’t-buy’ tickets will not go on general release.

Instead, music and whiskey fans can win the chance to attend the festival by entering a draw on the Bushmills Irish Whiskey Facebook page – facebook.com/bushmills.

Entries to the draw will open on St Patrick’s Day, Monday, March 17 at 16:08 GMT.
 

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