Dirty Words combine the energy and passion of spoken-word poetry with melodic rock and jazz influences. The band was formed in Belfast by award-winning poet Colin Hassard and multi-instrumentalist Ashley Manners along with Seonaid Murray on sax.

 

Their first single, Wake Up, was ‘Track of the Day’ on BBC Radio Ulster's Across the Line. This was followed by their debut album Age of the Microwave Dinner which was launched at a special showcase event at the Eastside Arts Festival and released digitally in October 2018.

 

The band went on to tour the album with a succession of gigs across Ireland including supporting Duke Special. Renowned for their eclectic live shows which combine spoken word, music and visuals, Dirty Words have performed at Sunflowerfest, C.S. Lewis Festival, Belfast Culture Night, Imagine Festival, in the Ulster Museum, and at the closing ceremony of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival.