A DALMUIR musician is set to play an epic 120 nights in a row in Majorca this summer.

Karl Byrne, 45, of Durban Avenue leaves for the Spanish island on May 20 and will play that very night in the Celts Well.

The father-of-one specialises in Irish folk music and has made a living playing not just in Scotland but around Europe, supporting well known artists like German pop star Andrea Berg.

It will be his seventh summer season in Majorca entertaining people at the bar.

Karl told the Post: "Last year I played 103 nights in a row. It's an extremely tiring thing to do — it's both physically and mentally draining." 

Playing the marathon gig run is a challenge and no holiday for the Dublin man, who moved to Scotland 18 years ago.

Over the years, he's made loads of friends in his line of work and told how when he was married in 2013, most of the people at his wedding were pals he and his family had made in Spain.

The resort is popular with Scots, and most customers at the bar are British.

His performances are diverse as he plays from midnight to 3am every night of the week.

"The difficult aspect of it is trying to maintain your voice," Karl said. "You need to drink a lot and sleep a lot and detach yourselves from the alcohol that Scottish people love to force down your neck. I'm not the one on holiday, they are. It's a case of managing and watching what I do."

As a musician, Karl has seen great successes in recent years. 

He has played with German pop star Andrea Berg and is due to do so again as part of his stint this summer.

Recently, he played to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising, when Ireland broke free of the British Empire.

His Irish folk music wowed crowds in the Barrowlands when he supported Charlie and the Bhoys. Taking to the stage to a sold-out crowd in the prestigious venue was a dream come true for the musician who had visited many times as a gig goer.

Karl told the Post: "The Barrowlands looked a lot smaller during our sound check but when it was filled it was phenomenal. It was such an honour to play in the venue, the crowd was incredible. To be able to get up on the stage and hold a crowd in the Barrowlands for an hour was amazing, it was an emotional experience."

After leaving 21 years ago with a guitar and a couple of songs, Karl played his first gig in the Emerald Island.

He said: "For the centenary, I played in the Button Factory in Temple Bar, Dublin, which is an area like Byres Road in Glasgow. It was a sell out gig and a lot of my friends and family from home came along, who hadn't seen me perform. It was my first time back in 21 years gigging."

Karl appeared in the Clydebank Post last year when we told the story about his premature son Kern Joseph and how he and his wife Sandra were fundraising for Bliss, a charity that helps premature babies and their families.