IN 2005 TO CELEBRATE HIS WIN AT THE "IRISH BLUES CHALLENGE" IN WATERFORD AND HIS TRIP TO MEMPHIS TENN. DERMOT BYRNE RECORDED A LIVE GIG AT THE MERMAID ARTS CENTRE IN BRAY. AS WELL AS PERFORMING HIS OWN COMPOSITIONS SUCH AS "GOING DOWN TO CLARKSDALE" AN ACOUSTIC VERSION OF JOHN HENRY IS INCLUDED AND THE GREAT SKIP JAMES COMPOSITION "SPECIAL RIDER BLUES" .

This is what "BLUEPRINT" MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH BLUES CONNECTION said:

" As befits a musician steeped in the music of the great Delta bluesmen he covers songs by Willie Brown, Son House, and Fred McDowell.In the guitar department he really shines, his slide work isd exceptional with just the right dirty edge to his sound.His choice of cover songs is superb and all the original material is excellent, especially "Going Down To Clarksdale"

THE BLUES COMBO

FIRST ALBUM RELEASED IN 1996 IN EUROPE ON THE "ME and MY" LABEL AND THEN AGAIN IN THE UNITED STATES ON THE "BEATVILLE" LABEL THIS ALBUM SEES DERMOT BYRNE COMBINE WITH DAVE ROSS (THE BASS BOSS) AND LIGHTNIN' ED O' CALLAGHAN (DRUMS) FOR FOURTEEN TRACKS INCLUDING "SLOW TRAIN" "ROLL AND TUMBLE BLUES" AND THE CLASSIC "CATFISH".