Joe O'Connor

I started playing the melodeon when I first heard about it at the beginning of secondary school. As part of a Folkworks project to revive the squeezebox around the country, several melodeons were given to my school and I decided to learn. I then went to the Folkworks Youth Summer school and was totally inspired! In 2006 I was a finalist in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards.



Since then I played in Kathryn Tickell's youth band Folkestra for about 3 or 4 years where I met the 3 other chaps who I am currently in a band with, Dave, Matt and Kev. Together we make up Last Orders and in 2007 we won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards.



I don't really play a lot on my own these days because I prefer playing in a band but I'm studying in Newcastle next year so try to get to a few sessions.