1990s rap artist Coolio has performed in some of the biggest and best music venues in the world – but even he would admit there are few which lived up to that of The Townhouse in Castlederg.
The Co Tyrone venue played host to the Gangsta’s Paradise star in 2019, where Coolio and his entourage requested high-end vodka and tequila for their post-show party.
Residents of Castlederg and nearby areas could scarcely believe their luck with the rapper playing to a full house at the Townhouse.
Owner Dave Doherty said it was a surreal experience and came about by chance.
He told MyTyrone: “Apparently Coolio likes to do this type of thing - going to random places that some other people have never gone before.
“Another show of his got cancelled just two weeks before and me and his agent had a conversation to see if he would be up for it.
“It was challenging because we only had two weeks leading up to it, but it was a fantastic night.
“He came with a four-piece band with backing vocals – a big production.
“The guys themselves were unreal, just real nice guys.”
Dave added it was a real sight to see his local town of Castlederg punching above its weight when it comes to music.
He said: “It was great because we obviously had a lot of people coming into Castlederg for that concert and stayed locally.
“It was a bit of a PR stunt for ourselves to establish ourselves as a music venue.
“My young lad was there and he went away with a signed Coolio t-shirt.
“He was just a really nice, down to earth guy. You’re expecting these boys coming down with an attitude but that wasn’t the case.
“Their drink order was a bit elaborate now, they wanted Grey Goose vodka and Patron, which is a high-end tequila.
“We had some bother going around to get the stuff so all that was a bit strange for us but it was a great night.”
For the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter here.
