• 20000 Days on Earth

    It’s important to understand that we all have our own biases. So before I discuss the new documentary 20000 Days On Earth, I feel it is important to establish that I’m a firm believer in Nick Cave and the strange, almost Lovecraftian shape his career has taken. From the apocalyptic noise of Birthday Party to last years pretty excellent  Bad Seed’s release Push The Sky Away and all of the films and novels in between, Cave has taken a journey filled with drugs, violence and religion which is just screaming to be explored cinematically. Anything that can give me more…

  • Stream: This Is Me Dead – Vega

    It’s been a quiet couple of years for This Is Me Dead. Known for their melodic noise rock and most active during 2011, the Belfast four piece have decided to dust off the cobwebs and rear their heads once again for their new record Vega. A collection of songs old and new, their three track EP is an eclectic mix of mid 90’s power pop and modern day post-punk that is a refreshing addition to the musical landscape of Northern Ireland. Recorded at Millbank Studios in Lisburn and mastered by Rob Arbelo, their EP is available on Bandcamp to stream…

  • Pride

    Pride works – and it really works – because it finds a way to perfectly be the kind of film you think it’s going to be while also offering surprising shades of feeling. The story of a real-life alliance between striking miners and gay and lesbian activists in Thatcherite Britain has a colourful, slightly cartoonish anti-Establishment bounce in its step, familiar from other British heart-warmers like Billy Elliot and The Boat That Rocked (with whom it shares Bill Nighy). But writer Stephen Beresford and Matthew Warchus are generous and compassionate in their treatment of characters and their dignity, producing a celebration of working-class solidarity and friendship…

  • Bruiser presents: Cabaret @ The Mac

    From September 16 to October 4, Bruiser Theatre Company present an all-new co-production of the Broadway smash hit musical Cabaret at Belfast’s The MAC. A unique theatrical adaptation that delves into decadent but decaying world of 1930’s Berlin, the production will see the MAC transformed into the infamous Kit Kat Klub for an unforgettable evening of music, dancing and the riotously risqué. Go here to buy tickets, starting at £19.50.

  • Premiere: BeeMickSee – We Took a Dive

    Ahead of its official launch on September 27, we’re happy to present an exclusive first listen of ‘We Took a Dive’ by Belfast-based rapper Brendan Seamus AKA BeeMickSee. Featuring Seamus’ best friend and colloborator Paul Danver, the track – telling the “tale of my harrowing relocation to Belfast in the mid 90s” – will feature on the forthcoming BeeMickSee album, The Belfast Yank. Seamus will launch ‘We Took A Dive’ at Queen’s Student’s Union, Belfast, with a full band in tow, on Saturday, September 27. Support on the night comes from Aggressors BC, The Late Twos, Hot Cops and a Wonder…

  • Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me @ QFT

    On Thursday, September 25, Queens Film Theatre, Belfast will host a one-off screening of Nothing Can Hurt Me, Drew Denicola and Olivia Mori’s 2012 feature-length documentary tracing the origins and history of legendary Memphis band Big Star. While mainstream success eluded them, Big Star’s three albums have become critically lauded touchstones of the rock music canon. A seminal band in the history of alternative music, Big Star has been cited as an influence by artists including R.E.M., The Replacements, Belle & Sebastian, Elliott Smith and The Flaming Lips, to name just a few. With never-before-seen footage and photos of the…

  • Red Bull Music Academy Weekender

    From September 25 to 28, Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter will host its first ever Red Bull Music Academy weekender. Set to see four days of concerts, club nights, talks and film screenings with some first-rate genre-defining, forward-thinking artists and musicians, German electro-classical musician Nils Frahm(supported by Derry’s Ryan Vail) at City Hall on Sunday, September 28 stands out as highlight. Check out the full line-up below and buy tickets here. Thursday, September 25 – 10pm The Juan MacLean, Timmy Stewart and Twitch The Bunatee, Queen’s University Student Union (Tickets £6) Friday, September 26 Workshop featuring BICEP Oh Yeah Music Centre (Free Admission) Friday, September 26 – 9.00pm SKREAM, Chez Damier (Balance) & Special Request…

  • Stream: Droids – Burn Down

    Derry/Londonderry alt-rock/post-hardcore quartet Droids have whet our riff-loving appetite for the long-awaited follow-up release to their eponymous debut EP with their new track, ‘Burn Down’ – a progression in terms of craft and production –  which is available for stream on their Bandcamp below. The track was recorded in their hometown’s Smalltown America studios by Chris Cassidy, and was mixed & mastered by Neal Calderwood of Manor Park. Come November, the band will play a set of dates to kickstart activity towards their new release, from which ‘Burn Down’ comes, which are as follows: November 1 – Atlantic Bar, Portrush November…