Few festivals have the power to unite quite like Electric Picnic. While the rest of the Irish festival landscape is divided by its own particular cultural or geographical niches, EP is the one gathering where you will find representatives of every Irish archetype existing in perfect harmony. From the battle-ravaged hippies speaking with misty eyed […]
Two years ago Ryan Adams blew the roof off Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. Then, touring his eponymously-titled 2014 album, the band belted out new songs and a host of rocking hits from over the past two decades. The eclectic repertoire sung out by our favourite rock-geek was well received, and while at that time State’s Ken […]
David Gray has been a favourite of the Irish public since the early nineties. Long before his native England recognised his talents Gray made his bread here in Ireland before he went on to butter it worldwide following the release of the juggernaut that was White Ladder. We took him as one of our own, […]
Y’know what’s weird? People criticising a DJ for dancing behind the decks. I just don’t understand it. Have we become so dismally depressed as a society that we actually feel we have the right to criticise someone for having fun? I see comments flag up all the time criticising Nina Kraviz’s moves, and as Vancouver-bred […]
Wednesday night in Whelan’s main room and there’s an indie pop triple header to really whet the appetite on display. Frankie Cosmos arrive into town with Trust Fund and local favourites Squarehead in tow. An excellent opening solo set from Ellis Jones of the aforementioned Trust Fund sets the bar high. Whelan’s is close to […]
It occurs to me tonight, literally between the jigs and reels, that there’s a madness in the Irish, a wildness that inhabits our souls. We’re an island race, clinging to a rugged rock on the furthest Western shores of Europe. One coast facing an ancient friend and foe and the other shore looking out onto the […]
Chuck Prophet played the Real Music Club in Belfast’s Errigle Inn on 26th July as part of his Ireland/UK tour. He’s the Californian singer songwriter, guitarist and producer who first grabbed the music world’s attention back in the ’80s on joining American rock band Green On Red. They parted ways in ’92 and since then […]
It’s been ten years since the release of Kate Nash’s first album, Made of Bricks. To celebrate, her and her band are on tour playing the whole thing from start to finish, turning the Academy into a microcosm of noughties indie pop. Transporting us back to a time when buying albums was something akin to […]
The closing of the Trinity Summer Series sees us take in a sublime performance from alt-J. As the band perform a varied set of their back catalogue to the crowd at Trinity there’s been a constant ebb and flow of attention. The crowd chatter over the laid back introduction, ‘3WW’ off latest release RELAXER. But, […]
A Thursday night summer outdoor show is an opportunity for a good time, contingent on a number of factors. There’s the setting (impeccable), the weather (hanging in there), the performer (mostly excellent back catalogue spanning two decades) and (perhaps most importantly) the will of the artist to indulge the gathered masses with their set selection. […]
It’s a festival bill, but not as we know it. Longitude has always attracted young people from all over the country but over the last couple of years it’s definitely become a festival for the less weary of bone – the first two days peppered with the grade-A of Grime Stormzy and Skepta and some […]
Shortly after the release of 2010 debut Tourist History, you could barely move for the blasting of Two Door Cinema Club. The Bangor trio’s debut album made little sense on many levels: full of almost flippantly fast pop-rock singles, it was perfect quick-fire advertising fodder, released on a label based in France that had dedicated […]
Centre stage on the Trinity Sports grounds tonight, in every sense of the expression, stands James Vincent McMorrow. The man of the spine-chilling falsetto, the golden thread that winds down through each song and weaves in and out of genres with absolute ease. The five piece band kick off the set with a scintillating ‘Red […]
“We just want to thank everyone for being here”. Yadda yadda. Chris Martin is sat at his piano in the middle of Croke Park, offering what seems to be the usual platitudes to some 80,000 people. Sure he’s reminiscing about Coldplay coming here in their early days and playing to virtually nobody, but it’s the […]