← All events
music · Saturday 1 August 2026 · 20:00 
Tristesse - Steve Wickham & Joe Chester
At Roscommon Arts Centre · Roscommon Town, Co. Roscommon
At Roscommon Arts Centre · Roscommon Town, Co. Roscommon
An evening with two of Ireland’s most thoughtful musical minds, Tristesse brings together Steve Wickham - the electric violinist long associated with The Waterboys - and composer, guitarist and producer Joe Chester for an intimate performance at Roscommon Arts Centre. The show draws from their collaborative project Au Revoir Tristesse, which Chester describes as a homage to sadness in five movements, inspired by Françoise Sagan’s novel Bonjour Tristesse. This is quiet, considered music for people who want something deeper than a Saturday night concert - a chance to sit with two artists who have spent decades shaping the sound of Irish music.
The Tristesse project grew from a set of five short classical guitar pieces Chester composed while touring his 2023 album Lucia. Wickham - whose fiddle playing helped define the Waterboys’ celebrated Fisherman’s Blues era - created five companion paintings to sit alongside the music, making this as much an exhibition as a concert. Live, the performance weaves those compositions together with conversation between the artists, giving the audience a glimpse into how the work was made and what each piece means to them. The titles alone give a sense of the mood: “La mer, son rythme incessant” (The sea, its incessant rhythm), “La lune, aimable et tranquille” (The moon, kind and quiet). This is music that rewards close listening, best suited to anyone who appreciates acoustic performance, classical guitar, or the point where folk, art music and painting meet. Roscommon Arts Centre’s 194-seat theatre is exactly the right size for it - close enough to see the fingers on the strings.
Roscommon town sits at the centre of the county, roughly 150 kilometres from Dublin via the N4 or N6 - both are good roads and the drive takes around 90 minutes in reasonable traffic. From Galway it is about an hour east on the N63. Bus Éireann serves Roscommon town with routes connecting Dublin and Galway, and the town’s central location means most of the county is within easy reach by car. Roscommon Arts Centre is in the town centre and parking is available nearby in the town’s public car parks, a short walk away.
Roscommon town is a compact market town with a Norman castle at its edge and the ruins of a Dominican friary nearby - both worth a look before or after the performance. There is more to see in Roscommon and across Co. Roscommon.
Heading to Roscommon Arts Centre in Roscommon? Roscommon has plenty more to see. Read the Roscommon area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.