Some moments make no sense when they happen, but the death of Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson last Friday still makes none. Too young, too gifted and with too much yet to offer. What is left is a chasm, and a recorded history so very brief. The first of his music I heard was probably the […]
An exhibition of music photography (‘What We Did In The Shadows’) is open in the Bernard, Shaw on Richmond St, Dublin 2 from this coming Friday, 26 Jan. It features some of State’s most industrious names in shooting-from-the-pit – Leah Carroll and Kieran Frost as well as Kathrin Baumbach, Colm Kelly, Lucy Foster and James Murray. It showcases […]
There were many reasons not to go back to Iceland for our 13th Airwaves festival. The heady climbing cost of everything in the country — riding on the back of a massive tourist economy — hits the pockets from almost every conceivable angle. The level of acts have been curtailed so no-one really exists at […]
It is surely the completion of this, our fourth summer mix tape from Cian Ó Cíobháin, that heralded in the weather we’re having – Ireland as a Riviera paradise full of summer dresses, boys in their shorts and 99s. Wrap this annual treat around these long, warm sunny days. Play it from cars and apartments. Take it […]
Angel Olsen and Tim Darcy, at Vicar St, Dublin photographed for State by Killian Broderick.
It’s a dreamland event at Christmas, and almost a Santa’s grotto for grown-ups who like music. On arrival, Dingle is festooned in lights. The weather is kind for December and the glow from the cafes, restaurants and, of course, pubs is as inviting as it gets. Visionary actions by a few locals and a few […]
After a number of years Airwaves becomes a calling rather than a trip. As each year goes by you meet more and more returnees, people on the trail back up for that musical long weekend. Paul from Scotland and his mates, who we met in the pools last year, are back. So too is Rolling […]
The heaviest weight this week is day four. It used to be the Sunday, which was a cue for a fairly sober day, a drifting day and culminating in some legacy act. Not quite now that the festival’s fourth day is a Saturday. This is a party day if you want it. This will go […]
Day three is an ‘early’ one in festival terms. Friends with one day tickets are arriving on site soon and we want to get a morning in before they arrive and start the day at a prosecco bar, of which there are a number. Roskilde has a LOT of beer everywhere, but the danes are […]
Roskilde used to be the start of our year of festivals. Now it seems more like a test of endurance to make it there. With home-based events such as Forbidden Fruit, Body & Soul and Drop Everything clamouring over the early summer evenings and Primavera Sound becoming a bigger draw for Europeans than ever before, […]
One of our favourite moments of summer is when we get Cian Ó Cíobháin’s seasonal mixtape to share with you, now in its third edition. No better time to share it with you than on this longest day, with so much light above us. “This is my third summer mixtape for State. It features tracks that evoke […]
Saturday night saw us return to Whelan’s and their perfectly formed upstairs venue for our Faces of May show, featuring one returning act and one so fresh that this is their second ever gig. Here To Help You Out have been on the State radar for a while but have been absent of late. There […]
Moderat photographed at Vicar St, Dublin for State by Leah Carroll.
We’ve been doing our Faces live shows for a while now but the beauty of them is they never cease to amaze. Maybe it’s the move to Whelan’s, maybe it’s the buzz of a late night, maybe it’s just that the scene we’re highlighting is so damn strong right now – whatever, this might just […]