Gig Guide

Upcoming Events

• Tue

  17

  Oct

  2017

  (Sandy) Alex G w/Ó

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Indie-pop artist (Sandy) Alex G plays Whelan's in support of his latest album, Rocket, on October 17.

  The Philadelphia youngster started out with self-released LPs before getting signed and touring and writing relentlessly. He was asked to play guitar with Frank Ocean on Blonde and Endless, which propelled his profile hugely, getting him signed with Domino. Despite his huge success, he's never lost that homespun sound. Watch the video for 'Bobby'.

  Supporting is Gabrielle Smith, aka Ó - check her out on Bandcamp.

  Tickets cost €16.50, from Ticketmaster & WAV Tickets. Doors open at 8pm.

• Tue

  17

  Oct

  2017

  The Jesus & Mary Chain

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  Scottish noise-pop legends The Jesus and Mary Chain play Vicar Street on October 17.

  Formed in East Kilbride, just outside Glasgow, by brothers William & Jim Reid, Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie brought them to the attention of Creation Records' Alan McGee. The band's debut album Psychocandy came out in 1983, which went on to be a quintessential album, helping create noise-pop & shoegaze. Here's the video for 'Just Like Honey'. This show comes following the release of their first album in almost 2 decades, Damage and Joy.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced €40. Doors open at 8pm.

• Tue

  17

  Oct

  2017

  Badly Drawn Boy

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  UK singer-songwriter & Mercury Prizewinner Damon Gough, aka Badly Drawn Boy returns to Belfast, playing the Limelight 2 on October 17.

  It's been 17 years since the release of his award-winning debut album, The Hour of the Bewilderbeast, and since then he's soundtracked About A Boy and released three further studio albums. Last year, he released a deluxe version of his breakthrough. Check out the video for 'Year of the Rat'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar, priced at £21. Doors open at 7pm.

• Tue

  17

  Oct

  2017

  Pat Dam Smyth

  Upstairs @ Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Masterful, soulful Northern Irish singer-songwriter Pat Dam Smyth returns to Ireland to play Upstairs at Whelan's on October 17.

  Last year, he toured relentlessly, playing several festivals and some of the UK's most respected venues. His most recent album, Kids, was based around life growing up during the Troubles, with the singular & warped artistry of anything by the likes of Beck or Nick Cave. Watch the video for 'Juliette'.

  Tickets, priced at €11.50, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  18

  Oct

  2017

  W.A.S.P.

  Limelight 1

  Belfast

  

  Glam-metal legends W.A.S.P. come to Ireland as part of their ReIdolized tour, celebrating the 25th anniversary of their album, The Crimson Idol. They play the Limelight 1 on October 18.

  Fronted by shock-rocker Blackie Lawless, they've sold over 12 million records and were constantly a target of the infamous '80s Parents Music Resource Centrer, pushing for warning labels on music. Check out the video for 'Wild Child'.

  Tickets, priced at £25, are available from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar. Doors open at 7pm.

• Wed

  18

  Oct

  2017

  J Cole

  3Arena

  Dublin

  

  North Carolina hip-hop artist & producer J Cole plays Dublin's 3Arena on October 18 as part of his 4 Your Eyez Only tour.

  Gaining recognition after debut mixtape The Come Up in 2007, he was ultimately signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation label in 2009, going on to produce singles for the likes of Kendrick Lamar. He released his debut studio album Cole World: The Sideline Story in 2011, going platinum. He has developed several non-profit ventures, like the Dreamville Foundation and housing single mothers rent-free in his home in Fayetteville. Watch the video for 'False Prophets'.

  Tickets cost €54.65-€60.45 and are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  18

  Oct

  2017

  Thu

  19

  Oct

  2017

  GoGo Penguin: Koyaanisqatsi [Live Score]

  The Sugar Club

  Dublin

  

  On 18 & 19 October, Dublin's Sugar Club hosts GoGo Penguin's new score for Godfrey Reggio's cult film Koyaanisqatsi, in a live performance written in 2015, which garnered huge praise.

  The film, originally scored by Philip Glass, is a masterpiece of sonic and visual synchronicity, and this new score underscores the themes, and was commissioned and supported by HOME in Manchester, Film Hub North West Central, the BFI & PRS Foundation.

  Tickets are available from Sugar Club.

• Wed

  18

  Oct

  2017

  Badly Drawn Boy

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  UK singer-songwriter & Mercury Prizewinner Damon Gough, aka Badly Drawn Boy plays Whelan's on October 18.

  It's been 17 years since the release of his award-winning debut album, The Hour of the Bewilderbeast, and since then he's soundtracked About A Boy and released three further studio albums. Last year, he released a deluxe version of his breakthrough. Check out the video for 'Year of the Rat'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and WAV Tickets, priced at €27.90. Doors open at 8pm.

• Thu

  19

  Oct

  2017

  W.A.S.P.

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Glam-metal legends W.A.S.P. come to Ireland as part of their ReIdolized tour, celebrating the 25th anniversary of their album, The Crimson Idol. They play Dublin's Academy on October 19.

  Fronted by shock-rocker Blackie Lawless, they've sold over 12 million records and were constantly a target of the infamous '80s Parents Music Resource Centrer, pushing for warning labels on music. Check out the video for 'Wild Child'.

  Tickets, priced at €30, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  19

  Oct

  2017

  Badly Drawn Boy

  Dolans Warehouse

  Limerick

  

  UK singer-songwriter & Mercury Prizewinner Damon Gough, aka Badly Drawn Boy plays Dolans Warehouse on October 19.

  It's been 17 years since the release of his award-winning debut album, The Hour of the Bewilderbeast, and since then he's soundtracked About A Boy and released three further studio albums. Last year, he released a deluxe version of his breakthrough. Check out the video for 'Year of the Rat'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €27. Doors open at 8pm.

• Thu

  19

  Oct

  2017

  The Thin Air Presents: Brash Isaac & Hand Models

  Lavery's

  Belfast

  

  We return to Mister Tom's of Lavery's Belfast on Thursday, October 19 for a live show with Belfast-based musician and singer-songwriter Andrew Cameron AKA Brash Isaac, who's just signed a record deal in America - watch the video for 'In The Dark'. 

  Sharing the bill are fuzzed-out indie quartet Hand Models - listen to them on Bandcamp.

  The Thin Air DJs will also be providing the very best decades-spanning psych and cosmically-inclined sounds before and after. Admission is £5, doors are at 9pm.

• Thu

  19

  Oct

  2017

  Malojian

  The Strand Cinema

  Belfast

  

  For his fourth album, singer-songwriter Malojian has headed in a more experimental, eclectic direction without losing any of his trademark craft. He performs in a full band show at the Strange Cinema on October 19, with visuals by Colm Laverty, using the NI Screen Digital Archive.

  For more info on Malojian's latest LP, check our stream & verdict here.

  Tickets cost £12 or £10 concession from The Strand.

• Fri

  20

  Oct

  2017

  Shrug Life Album Launch w/Slow Riot & Handsome Eric

  The Grand Social

  Dublin

  

  Dublin's most cutting satirists on the sterility of modern living, Shrug Life play the hometown date of their album launch tour on October 20 at the Grand Social. Their debut album,  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, is released at the end of September through Little L Records - listen to the most recent single, 'Your Body'.

  Supporting are post-punks Slow Riot - check out their Soundcloud - and bedroom sadcore act handsome eric - check their Bandcamp.

  Admission costs €8, or €12 with album. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  20

  Oct

  2017

  Akercocke

  Voodoo

  Belfast

  

  English extreme metal outfit Akercocke come to Belfast again on October 20 to play Voodoo. You might remember them as voices of reason in a particularly entertaining episode of Nolan Live in which the Bible Belt attempted to stop their show from happening.

  The Satanic masters have their sixth album, Renaissance in Extremis coming out this year, their first in a decade after a reunion last year which saw them return to Ireland. Check out their Bloodstock performance last year.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  20

  Oct

  2017

  Fatima Yamaha

  Limelight 1

  Belfast

  

  Following a debut NI performance at Belfast's AVA Festival, Dutch producer Fatima Yamaha plays Belfast's Limelight 1 on October 20.

  Working in the underground under various aliases in the last few years, his hit 'What's A Girl To Do' elevated the name to the next level.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster & Katy's Bar, priced at £18. Doors open at 10pm.

• Fri

  20

  Oct

  2017

  Sat

  21

  Oct

  2017

  St. Vincent

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  As part of her Fear The Future tour, Annie Clark aka St. Vincent plays Dublin's Olympia Theatre on October 20 & 21.

  The Oklahoma-born multi-instrumentalist alt. pop singer-songwriter started off as a member of the Polyphonic Spree, joining Sufjan Stevens' touring band before forming St. Vincent - her own project - in 2006. Since then, she's released an album with David Byrne, but her new record will be the first since her awesome eponymous 2014 album.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.

   

• Fri

  20

  Oct

  2017

  Pat Dam Smyth

  McHugh's Bar

  Belfast

  

  Masterful, soulful Northern Irish singer-songwriter Pat Dam Smyth headlines McHugh's Bar in a rare return to Belfast on October 20.

  Last year, he toured relentlessly, playing several festivals and some of the UK's most respected venues. His most recent album, Kids, was based around life growing up during the Troubles, with the singular & warped artistry of anything by the likes of Beck or Nick Cave. Watch the video for 'Juliette'.

  Tickets, priced at £10, are available from Ticketmaster & Katy's Bar. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  20

  Oct

  2017

  Katsura Yamauchi 'HaRuli' Screening w/¡NO!

  A4 Sounds

  Dublin

  

  Mimimalist Japanese saxophone player Katsura Yamauchi embarks on a rare Irish tour in October, screening his new short film, HaRuLi accompanied by solo performances from Yamauchi, then a collaborative improvised set with krautrock/no-wave/psych improv group ¡NO!. The first date takes place at A4 Sounds on St. Joseph's Parade on Inn's Quay on October 20.

  The Zen avant-garde artist previously performed with the group in 2013, and this tour takes in his themes of the paradox of water's constancy & flux, with musicians probing the interstices between instrumental expressions of flow & restrain and the presence and timelessness of the moment. You can check out ¡NO!'s no-wave, free jazz, post-punk, krautrock psychedelia on Bandcamp. Check out 'Salmo Document' by Katsura Yamauchi.

  Admission costs €12 and doors open at 8pm.

• Sat

  21

  Oct

  2017

  Akercocke

  Voodoo Lounge

  Dublin

  

  English extreme metal outfit Akercocke come to Dublin once more to play the Voodoo Lounge on October 21. You might remember them as voices of reason in a particularly entertaining episode of Nolan Live in which the Bible Belt attempted to stop their show from happening.

  The Satanic masters have their sixth album, Renaissance in Extremis coming out this year, their first in a decade after a reunion last year which saw them return to Ireland. Check out their Bloodstock performance last year.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €20. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sat

  21

  Oct

  2017

  Fatima Yamaha

  District 8

  Dublin

  

  Dutch producer Fatima Yamaha plays District 8 for Hidden Agenda & Subject on October 21.

  Working in the underground under various aliases in the last few years, his hit 'What's A Girl To Do' elevated the name to the next level.

  Tickets are available from Dice.fm, priced at €22. Doors open at 11pm.

• Sat

  21

  Oct

  2017

  Slow Place Like Home Album Launch

  The Workman's Club

  Dublin

  

  Donegal-based psychedelic electronic outfit Slow Place Like Home launch their new album with a show at The Workman's Club on October 21, the day after its release.

  Titled When I See You...Ice Cream!, it was written between Ballyshannon & Portugal, and follows up on 2015's Romola - check it out on Bandcamp. Check out their latest single, 'Echoes', featuring Whipping Boy's Fearghal McKee.

• Sat

  21

  Oct

  2017

  Katsura Yamauchi 'HaRuli' Screening w/¡NO!

  The Rogue Gallery

  Waterford

  

  Mimimalist Japanese saxophone player Katsura Yamauchi embarks on a rare Irish tour in October, screening his new short film, HaRuLi accompanied by solo performances from Yamauchi, then a collaborative improvised set with krautrock/no-wave/psych improv group ¡NO!. They play the Rogue Gallery, in association with the Imagine Arts Festival in Waterford on October 21.

  The Zen avant-garde artist previously performed with the group in 2013, and this tour takes in his themes of the paradox of water's constancy & flux, with musicians probing the interstices between instrumental expressions of flow & restrain and the presence and timelessness of the moment. You can check out ¡NO!'s no-wave, free jazz, post-punk, krautrock psychedelia on Bandcamp. Check out 'Salmo Document' by Katsura Yamauchi.

  Admission is free and doors open at 9pm.

• Sat

  21

  Oct

  2017

  Electric Octopus, Mosmo Strange, Junk Drawer & The Barbiturates

  Sandinos

  Derry

  

  Derry plays host to a fine, four-strong bill at Sandinos on October 21, when the fast-rising, intoxicatingly funky, soulful, psychedelic jam trio Electric Octopus headline. Check out their four hour album, Driving Under The Influence of Jams.

  Sharing the bill are the QOTSA-esque Mosmo Strange, instrument-swapping indie/psych rockers Junk Drawer - check out their For The Cult Fat Guy EP - and one of the country's most captivating live bands, psychedelic outfit The Barbiturates - Check their Soundcloud.

  Admission costs £5 and doors open at 8.30pm.

• Sun

  22

  Oct

  2017

  Gov't Mule

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Southern rock jam band Gov't Mule play Dublin's Academy on October 22.

  Formed in 1994 as a side project for Allman Brothers Band guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody. Their debut album came out in 1995 and the band, veering into funk & blues, have released plenty, becoming a staple festival act in North America. Most recently, they've released tenth LP Revolution Come...Revolution Go, which they began recording on election day 2016.

  Tickets cost €34 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sun

  22

  Oct

  2017

  Slocan Ramblers

  The Duncairn

  Belfast

  

  The wonderful musicianship & harmony-craft of The Slocan Ramblers play Belfast's Duncairn Arts Centre on October 22 for Moving On Music.

  The Canadian bluegrass scene's young act to keep an eye on, they've become an important name in the roots scene, playing every prestigious event in the genre, managing to have the seal of approval from hardcore fans of the genre without any pretence. This will be their first show in Belfast - watch them live.

  Tickets are available from The DCCA, priced £10 for concession & £13 for general admission. Doors open at 8pm.

• Mon

  23

  Oct

  2017

  Tue

  24

  Oct

  2017

  Perspectives: The Donny McCaslin Group

  National Concert Hall

  Dublin

  

  Saxophonist and leader of David Bowie's Blackstar band, Donny McCaslin and his band play The Studio in the National Concert Hall as part of their Perspectives series on October 23 & 24.

  They release Beyond Now, an album dedicated to David Bowie, and influenced by their experience collaborating with him on his final - and one of his finest - albums. Check out the excellent BBC The Last Five Years documentary which covers the recording of the album and chemistry between the band and Bowie.

  Tickets are priced €20 from NCH.ie. Doors open at 8pm.

• Mon

  23

  Oct

  2017

  Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  San Francisco garage-psych noiseniks Black Rebel Motorcycle Club return to return to Dublin, where they play at the Academy on October 23, ahead of their yet-to-be-titled eighth album.

  Formed in 1998 as The Elements, the band changed their name to fit a Marlon Brando character's club of the same name. Having started out as a noise-pop/neo-psych act on their first two albums, the trio gravitated towards garage & blues as they went along, the most recent being 2013's Specter at the Feast. Here's 'Stop'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €35. Doors open at 7pm.

• Mon

  23

  Oct

  2017

  OMD w/Tiny Magnetic Pets

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  English electronic pop act Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark play a pair of Irish shows as they approach their 40th anniversary - they play Vicar Street on October 23.

  Formed in 1978, based around Andy McCluskey & Paul Humphreys, they released their influential debut single 'Electricity' in 1979, followed up by 1980 anti-war song 'Enola Gay'. Their Architecture & Morality LP solidified their status as one of new wave's premier acts. They continued on in 1989 after the departure of long-term members, before reuniting in 2005, during which time they've released three more albums, the most recent being this year's The Punishment of Luxury.

  Tickets are priced upwards of €40.05 from Ticketmaster. 

• Mon

  23

  Oct

  2017

  Michael Wollny Trio

  Linenhall Arts Centre

  Castlebar

   

  

  Multi-award-winning German jazz pianist Michael Wollny brings his trio to the stage for an Irish Tour. He plays the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar on October 23.

  He's a big player in the European scene, and deservedly so. Check out this performance from Forum Leverkusen. He blends jazz, pop, rock & classical into a reinterpretation, having reworked the Twin Peaks soundtrack & some Flaming Lips, alongside plenty of original material.

• Tue

  24

  Oct

  2017

  Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

  Limelight 1

  Belfast

  

  San Francisco garage-psych noiseniks Black Rebel Motorcycle Club return to Belfast to play the Limelight 1 on October 24, ahead of their yet-to-be-titled eighth album.

  Formed in 1998 as The Elements, the band changed their name to fit a Marlon Brando character's club of the same name. Having started out as a noise-pop/neo-psych act on their first two albums, the trio gravitated towards garage & blues as they went along, the most recent being 2013's Specter at the Feast. Here's 'Stop'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar, priced at £20. Doors open at 7pm.

• Tue

  24

  Oct

  2017

  OMD w/Tiny Magnetic Pets

  Mandela Hall

  Belfast

  

  English electronic pop act Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark play a pair of Irish shows as they approach their 40th anniversary - they play Mandela Hall on October 24.

  Formed in 1978, based around Andy McCluskey & Paul Humphreys, they released their influential debut single 'Electricity' in 1979, followed up by 1980 anti-war song 'Enola Gay'. Their Architecture & Morality LP solidified their status as one of new wave's premier acts. They continued on in 1989 after the departure of long-term members, before reuniting in 2005, during which time they've released three more albums, the most recent being this year's The Punishment of Luxury.

  Tickets are priced upwards of £35 from Ticketmaster and QUB Students' Union reception. Doors open at 8pm.

• Tue

  24

  Oct

  2017

  Michael Wollny Trio

  Pavilion Theatre

  Dún Laoghaire

   

  

  Multi-award-winning German jazz pianist Michael Wollny brings his trio to the stage for an Irish Tour. He plays Dún Laoghaire's Pavilion Theatre on October 24.

  He's a big player in the European scene, and deservedly so. Check out this performance from Forum Leverkusen. He blends jazz, pop, rock & classical into a reinterpretation, having reworked the Twin Peaks soundtrack & some Flaming Lips, alongside plenty of original material.

• Wed

  25

  Oct

  2017

  The Donny McCaslin Group

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  Saxophonist and leader of David Bowie's Blackstar band, Donny McCaslin and his band play Belfast's Limelight 2 as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival on October 25.

  They release Beyond Now, an album dedicated to David Bowie, and influenced by their experience collaborating with him on his final - and one of his finest - albums. Check out the excellent BBC The Last Five Years documentary which covers the recording of the album and chemistry between the band and Bowie.

  Tickets are priced £20 from Ticketmaster & Katy's Bar. Doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  25

  Oct

  2017

  I <3 Elliott Smith

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  With organisers having hosted the likes of I Heart Prince and I Heart Bowie in the Dublin venue before, the frankly essential I Heart Elliott Smith will take place at Whelan’s on Wednesday, October 25. 

  Taking place 20 years on from the release of his seminal third album, Either/Or (and a just over a week removed from the fourteenth anniversary of his passing in 2003) the event will be a celebration of the Nebraskan indie rock artist’s life and music, with various Irish artists performing the aforementioned 1997 album in its entirety and other songs with a house band comprised of Mark Colbert on drums, Neil Dorrington (Barq) on bass, Stephen McHale (Barq) on guitar, Duncan Maitland (Picturehouse/Pugwash) on keys and Dave Mcguinness (Lir) guitar.

  The ‘I Heart’ series to date has featured guests including Ham Sandwich, Villagers, Bell X 1, Mundy, Glen Hansard, Jack L, Barq, Wyvern Lingo and Young Folk.

  Tickets for I Heart Elliott Smith – which are €12 + €1.50 booking fee – are available here. Doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  25

  Oct

  2017

  Rebekah Fitch 'Not Myself' Single Launch w/Larks & Reevah

  McHugh's Bar

  Belfast

  

  Young Belfast pop singer-songwriter Rebekah Fitch launches her new single, 'Not Myself' on October 25 at McHugh's in her first full band show. Watch the video for prior tune, 'Another Show'.

  Support comes from electronic indie project Larks and Derry indie-folk songstress Reevah.

  Admission costs £5 and doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  25

  Oct

  2017

  Michael Wollny Trio

  The Sugar Club

  Dublin

   

  

  Multi-award-winning German jazz pianist Michael Wollny brings his trio to the stage for an Irish Tour. He plays the Sugar Club in Dublin on October 25.

  He's a big player in the European scene, and deservedly so. Check out this performance from Forum Leverkusen. He blends jazz, pop, rock & classical into a reinterpretation, having reworked the Twin Peaks soundtrack & some Flaming Lips, alongside plenty of original material.

• Thu

  26

  Oct

  2017

  Acid Mothers Temple w/Blumehaus

  Black Box

  Belfast

  

  Once more, touring Japanese psychedelic legends Acid Mothers Temple come to Belfast, playing a show at the Black Box on October 26, which should be nothing short of galaxy-crushing.

  There are many offshoots of the act, who perform often in robes, and formed in 1995. Now a collective, they have their own record label to document their activities, and genre touchstones include experimental rock, psych, space rock, drone, noise and prog. The outfit is formed around Kawabata Makoto, with over 30 members, some famous, some unknown, some musicians, artists, dancers and farmers.

   

  Support comes from Belfast psych band Blumehaus - check out The Mystery Of Sleep EP.

  Tickets cost £12 from the Black Box. Doors open at 8pm.

• Thu

  26

  Oct

  2017

  Spectrum Festival 2017: A Plastic Rose, Brand New Friend, Jealous of the Birds, Scenery, Search Party & Hella Casanova

  The Empire Music Hall

  Belfast

  

  Belfast emo-pop local legends A Plastic Rose return for the first time in several years to headline this year's Spectrum Festival, on October 26.  They released their debut album in 2015, Flickering Light of an Inner War and haven't gigged in Belfast since their launch.

  Supporting are the hotly-tipped pop-rockers Brand New Friend, Naomi Hamilton's Jealous of the Birds, Derry rock'n'soul band Scenery, Belfast's Search Party and pop-punks Hello Casanova.

  Tickets are priced from £10-£12, and doors open at 6.30pm.

• Thu

  26

  Oct

  2017

  Maya Jane Coles

  District 8

  Dublin

  

  The producer of some of dance's most important records, as well as one of the most sought-after DJs in the world and winner of essentially every award she's eligible for, Maya Jane Coles returns to District 8 for the first time since her sold-out 2015 show. Listen to her latest Essential Mix.

  Also performing is Wax Wings - check out their Soundcloud.

  Tickets are priced from €16.44 from Eventbrite. Doors open at 11pm.

• Thu

  26

  Oct

  2017

  Edge Haunters: Mollusc, Ruairi O'Baoighill & ɗʉɭʈ

  Edge Hunters

  Dublin

  

  A post-industrial seance is to take place on Camden Street's Edge Hunters on October 26, filled with the blood-churning sounds of a few of the most dimly-lit experimentalists in Ireland. It features a rare Dublin showing from Galway's Ruairi O'Baoighill, runner of Cursed Monk Records - a rare home on these shores for doom, sludge, drone, noise, dark ambient and other blackened esoterica. Listen to his ritualistic ambient drone on Bandcamp.

  Sharing the bill are labelmates Luxury Mollusc, whose latest album Osedax Rex - a concept album about the similarities between Oedipus Rex & deep sea worm Osedax - came out in May. Opening things is solo dark ambient audio-visual performance artist ɗʉɭʈ, who bases her work around dark mysticism, medievalism & the macabre - here's -Vortex [Th Rite]-.

  Admission is free but donations, offerings, sacrifices & soul exchanges are encouraged. Doors open at 9pm.

   

• Fri

  27

  Oct

  2017

  Orange Goblin & Zlatanera

  Voodoo Lounge

  Dublin

  

  Prolific London stoner metallers Orange Goblin play Dublin's Voodoo Lounge on October 27 as one of a run of 3 Irish dates. 

  Formed in 1995, they started out as stoner doom, before incorporating elements of punk and more to their sound. Having released eight albums to date, they're to return this year with a new one. Check out Time Travelling Blues.

  Supporting are Belfast groovy stoner doom five piece Zlatanera. Check them out on Bandcamp.

• Fri

  27

  Oct

  2017

  Fangclub & The Wood Burning Savages

  McHugh's Bar

  Belfast

  

  Dublin trio Fangclub play their first Belfast headline show at McHugh's Basement on October 27.

  The Dublin trio celebrate the release of their eponymous debut album - check out recent single, 'Bad Words' - which as well as the obvious Nirvana and Biffy Clyro comparisons, they've got a slack, Weezer sensibility to them.

  Support comes from Derry art-pop quartet and excellent live unit The Wood Burning Savages - check out 'We Love You'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at £9.75. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  27

  Oct

  2017

  Michael Wollny Trio

  Mermaid Arts Centre

  Bray

   

  

  Multi-award-winning German jazz pianist Michael Wollny brings his trio to the stage for an Irish Tour.

  He's a big player in the European scene, and deservedly so. Check out this performance from Forum Leverkusen. He blends jazz, pop, rock & classical into a reinterpretation, having reworked the Twin Peaks soundtrack & some Flaming Lips, alongside plenty of original material.

• Sat

  28

  Oct

  2017

  Orange Goblin & Zlatanera

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  Prolific London stoner metallers Orange Goblin play Belfast's Limelight 2 on October 28 as one of a run of 3 Irish dates. 

  Formed in 1995, they started out as stoner doom, before incorporating elements of punk and more to their sound. Having released eight albums to date, they're to return this year with a new one. Check out Time Travelling Blues.

  Supporting are Belfast groovy stoner doom five piece Zlatanera. Check them out on bandcamp.

  Tickets are available from Katy's Bar & Ticketmaster.

• Sat

  28

  Oct

  2017

  Aimee Mann

  National Stadium

  Dublin

  

  Americana singer-songwriter Aimee Mann returns to Ireland for a show at Dublin's National Stadium on October 28.

  Her first album in five years, Mental Illness, tackles the great social and health problem of our time, and has been widely hailed as a return to form. Previously, she soundtracked Paul Thomas Anderson masterwork Magnolia, as well as appearing in the Big Lebowski, and Mental Health is her ninth solo album.

  Tickets cost €40 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sat

  28

  Oct

  2017

  Mon

  30

  Oct

  2017

  Steely Dan w/The Doobie Brothers

  3Arena

  Dublin

  

  Sure, the L word gets flung around too freely these days but bona fide, undisputed, watertight music music legends Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers will team up for 2 dates at Dublin’s 3Arena on October 28 & 30 - the latter date added due to demand.

  Most beloved for their high fidelity, jazz-flecked studio masterpiece Aja, Steely Dan are a supergroup led by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, who have sold over 40 million albums. In the meantime, re-acquaint yourself with 'Reelin in the Years' and supporting R&B radio legends the Doobs' 'What A Fool Believes'.

  Tickets aren't cheap, priced from €78.50-€128.50 from Ticketmaster, but this will be a quick seller. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sat

  28

  Oct

  2017

  Fozzy w/Hardcore Superstar, Madame Mayhem & Last Band

  Tivoli Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Hard rockers, fronted by wrestling legend Chris Jericho, Fozzy play Dublin's Tivilo Theatre on October 28.

  Formed in 1999 by Y2J and guitarist Rich Ward, their seventh album Judas is out this year - check out their biggest tune, 'Enemy'.

  Support comes from Hardcore Superstar, Madame Mayhem and Last Band.

  Tickets cost €25 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 5.45pm.

• Sat

  28

  Oct

  2017

  Sun

  29

  Oct

  2017

  Metropolis Festival 2017

  The RDS

  Dublin

  

  The first wave of announcements for this year's Metropolis Festival at the RDS have been made. Taking place over the October Bank Holiday weekend of Saturday 28 & Sunday 29, it will again feature music, installations, performance and talks.

  So far, the confirmed acts are TLC - in their first ever Irish show - Richie Hawtin, Leftfield performing Leftism, Jungle, Death In Vegas, Mount Kimbie, Bonzai, DJ Deece and the ever-rising Booka Brass Band.

  The award-winning festival is now in its third year and will feature six stages of cross-platform art & performances.

  Tickets are on sale now at various pricing tiers, starting at €99.50, available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 4pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday.

• Sat

  28

  Oct

  2017

  Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart

  Maple Leaf Club

  Belfast

  

  The man who brought the dub to post-punk, Jah Wobble and his Invaders of the Heart play East Belfast venue, the Maple Leaf Club, on October 28.

  Best known as the bassist of the finest era of Public Image Ltd, Wobble has also contributed hugely to art-rock's finest over the years, working with the likes of Primal Scream, Can's Jaki Liebezeit, Massive Attack & Bjork. He's founded his own label - 30 Hertz Records - recorded with the Chinese Dub Orchestra, a supergroup with PiL comrades & Killing Joke's Geordie Walker and countless others. This show is not to be missed. Check them out Live on KEXP.

  Tickets cost £15 and are available from WeGotTickets. Doors open at 9pm.

• Sat

  28

  Oct

  2017

  Joshua Burnside & PORTS

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

   Indie-folk singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside plays a double-headline show with Derry folk-pop outfit PORTS at Whelan's on October 28 following their UK tour together.

  Burnside's debut album Ephrata is nominated and hotly tipped to win the NI Music Prize this November - check out the first single, 'Tunnels Pt. 1'. 

  Tickets are priced at €12 from Ticketmaster and WAV Tickets. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sat

  28

  Oct

  2017

  Michael Wollny Trio

  Droichead Arts Centre

  Drogheda

   

  

  Multi-award-winning German jazz pianist Michael Wollny brings his trio to the stage for an Irish Tour.

  He's a big player in the European scene, and deservedly so. Check out this performance from Forum Leverkusen. He blends jazz, pop, rock & classical into a reinterpretation, having reworked the Twin Peaks soundtrack & some Flaming Lips, alongside plenty of original material.

• Sun

  29

  Oct

  2017

  Fozzy w/Hardcore Superstar, Madame Mayhem & Last Band

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  Hard rockers, fronted by wrestling legend Chris Jericho, Fozzy play the Limelight 2 on October 29.

  Formed in 1999 by Y2J and guitarist Rich Ward, their seventh album Judas is out this year - check out their biggest tune, 'Enemy'.

  Support comes from Hardcore Superstar, Madame Mayhem and Last Band.

  Tickets cost £20 from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar. Doors open at 6pm.

• Sun

  29

  Oct

  2017

  Samhain 2017: Liam Gallagher, The Strypes & Touts

  Weston Airport

  Dublin

  

  The lesser, yet more charismatic of the brothers Oasis, Liam Gallagher headlines the Samhain Festival in Dublin's Weston Airport on October 29.

  This is his first year as a bona fide solo act, with debut album As You Were coming out earlier in the month - check out the debut single, 'Wall of Glass'.

  Supporting are Cavan indie & classic R&B-loving youngsters The Strypes, now on their third album, as well as the hotly-tipped young Derry indie-punks Touts.

  Tickets, priced €59.50, are available from Ticketmaster.

• Sun

  29

  Oct

  2017

  Fangclub [Matinee & Evening Performances]

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Dublin trio Fangclub play a pair of shows on Bank Holiday Sunday, October 29th, at Whelan's.

  The Dublin trio celebrate the release of their eponymous debut album - check out recent single, 'Bad Words' - which as well as the obvious Nirvana comparisons, they've got a slack, Weezer sensibility to them.

  The matinee performance is an over 14's show, costs €8 and opens at 3pm, while the evening performance opens at 8pm, with tickets costing €13. They're available from Ticketmaster, WAV Tickets & Katy's Bar.

• Sun

  29

  Oct

  2017

  King Kong Company

  Cork Opera House

  Cork

  

  After a year that saw them win a best live act award, and have made a true event out of their live shows, electronic dance troupe King Kong Company play Cork Opera House on October 29.

  The septet have been described as sounding more like a DJ than a band, and their eponymous debut LP was produced by long-time Prodigy collaborator Neil McLellan, and sees its European release this year. Check out the frankly, quite unreal, video for 'Spacehopper'.

  Tickets cost €23.90 from Ticketmaster. Things kick off at 11.30pm.

• Sun

  29

  Oct

  2017

  The Altered Hours w/Katie Kim & Will Carruthers

  St. Luke's Church

  Cork

  

  Possibly Ireland's finest psych/shoegaze outfit, Cork's The Altered Hours head a suitably atmospheric bill at St. Luke's on October 29 as part of the Cork Jazz Festival. Listen to their incredible debut album, In Heat Not Sorry.

  Support comes from Waterford's Katie Sullivan, aka Katie Kim, Check out her ethereal, slowcore, ambient drone-folk album Salt on Bandcamp. Opening the night is none other than Spacemen 3 & Spiritualized's Will Carruthers.

  Tickets, priced €21.82, are available from Uticket.ie. Doors open at 7.30pm & it's a BYOB show.

• Sun

  29

  Oct

  2017

  Michael Wollny Trio

  Triskel Christchurch

  Cork

   

  

  Multi-award-winning German jazz pianist Michael Wollny brings his trio to the stage for an Irish Tour. He plays Cork's Triskel Christchurch in the final date on October 29.

  He's a big player in the European scene, and deservedly so. Check out this performance from Forum Leverkusen. He blends jazz, pop, rock & classical into a reinterpretation, having reworked the Twin Peaks soundtrack & some Flaming Lips, alongside plenty of original material.

• Mon

  30

  Oct

  2017

  Joey Bada$$

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Young Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ plays Dublin's Academy on October 30.

  The 20 year old released his debut album - which was the no. 1 rap album that week in the US - B4.DA.$$ in 2015, preceded by his three early mixtapes, released on Pro Era - the hip-hop collective of which he is the founder. This show comes as part of his All Amerikkkan Bada$$ World Tour following the release of his excellent album of the same name.

  Here's the charged 'Land of the Free'.

  Tickets, priced at €36.50, are available from Ticketmaster.

• Mon

  30

  Oct

  2017

  Liam Gallagher

  SSE Arena

  Belfast

  

  The lesser, yet more charismatic of the brothers Oasis, Liam Gallagher, is set to headline the SSE Arena on October 30, following an upgrade from the Ulster Hall due to demand.

  This is his first year as a bona fide solo act, with debut album As You Were coming out earlier in the month - check out the debut single, 'Wall of Glass'.

  Tickets, priced £35, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Mon

  30

  Oct

  2017

  The Thing

  S13

  Belfast

  

  Released 25 years ago this year, The Thing remains a bona fide sci-fi horror classic.

  Commemorating the fact in style, Belfast’s new-fangled South 13 on the Boucher Road will be converted into a snowbound landscape for a unique Halloween screening of the John Carpenter classic on Monday, October 30.

  Presented by S13, Newcastle Community Cinema and Belfast Film Festival, the event will also feature full bar and food stalls. Exploding heads are also available.

  Tickets are priced £10 and can be bought here.

• Tue

  31

  Oct

  2017

  Little Dragon

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  Touring in support of their recent fifth full-length studio album, Season High, Swedish electronic quartet Little Dragon will play their first Irish show in three years when they hit up Dublin’s Vicar Street on Hallowe’en night.

  Watch the video for 'High'.

  Tickets for the show are priced at €24.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Tue

  31

  Oct

  2017

  An Evening With Foy Vance

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Singer-songwriter Foy Vance plays Dublin's Olympia Theatre on October 31, having released his third album, The Wild Swan last year. Expect this 'Evening With...' tour format to see him perform solo on guitar and piano across a broad range of exquisite venues in the UK & Ireland.

  He has to date released 3 albums, with a large number of EPs coming in between, since his 2000 debut Blueprints EP. His second album, 2013's Joy Of Nothing won the Northern Ireland Music Prize, and last year he worked with Ben Affleck on his latest film, Live By Night for the credits song - check out the video for new single, 'She Burns'.

  Tickets are priced from €23.50, available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  01

  Nov

  2017

  London Grammar

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  English atmospheric synth-pop act London Grammar play the Olympia Theatre on November 1.

  The trio released a debut EP in 2013, followed by their debut album moths later. They've this year released their new LP, Truth Is A Beautiful Thing. Frontwoman Hannah Reid has been compared to the likes of Florence Welch, with 'verb-soaked arrangements that could as easily soundtrack a motion picture.

  Tickets cost €40.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  02

  Nov

  2017

  London Grammar

  Waterfront Hall

  Belfast

  

  English atmospheric synth-pop act London Grammar play Belfast's Waterfront Hall on November 2.

  The trio released a debut EP in 2013, followed by their debut album moths later. They've this year released their new LP, Truth Is A Beautiful Thing. Frontwoman Hannah Reid has been compared to the likes of Florence Welch, with 'verb-soaked arrangements that could as easily soundtrack a motion picture.

  Tickets cost £35.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Thu

  02

  Nov

  2017

  BNQT

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  Indie supergroup BNQT play their first Irish show at Vicar Street on November 2.

  Conceived of and led by Midlake's Eric Pulido, they're a self-described 'poor man's Travelling Wilburys', and feature Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos, Grandaddy's Jason Lyttle, Travis & Band of Horses, with more members of Midlake providing band duties. It pays loving tribute to the '70s AM radio. Their debut album, Volume 1 came out this year.

  Tickets are available, priced at €26.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Thu

  02

  Nov

  2017

  Gifted: Sister Ghost, Born Only Yesterday, The Sea Close By & LetGo Dive

  The Empire Music Hall

  Belfast

  

  Gifted holds a bill on November 2 at the Empire, headed by garage/punk quartet Sister Ghost, led by Shannon O'Neill. Check out their debut EP, In A Spell. 

  Supporting are Born Only Yesterday, mathy alt. rockers The Sea, Close By - listen to them on Soundcloud and emo-tinged alternative quartet LetGo Dive.

  Admission costs £3 and doors open at 9pm.

• Thu

  02

  Nov

  2017

  Ruth Bate, Ghost Office, Cut In Blinks & Joel McMordie

  The Menagerie

  Belfast

  

  Drone Mansions run their first show in a Live at The Menagerie series on November 2, headed by electronic/goth/industrial-inspired performance artist Ruth Bate. Check out their Soundcloud.

  Sharing the bill are post-punk indie rock trio Ghost Office - who you should definitely listen to on Bandcamp - memory-evoking electronic act Cut In Blinks and Joel McMordie.

  Admission costs £3 in fancy dress or £5 without, and doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  03

  Nov

  2017

  ICP: International Composers Pool

  The MAC

  Belfast

  

  Moving On Music have made a special booking at The MAC on November 3, when they welcome the Instant Composers Pool to Belfast.

  Founded 50 years ago by Hans Bennink, the ICP is an internationally renowned collective of Dutch composer-improviser-instrumentalists, and nothing exists quite like it. Since 1967, the revolving orchestra has collaborated with huge names of the experimental music world. Each performance is decided by the band minutes before performing, shifting from ragtime to swing, bop, free jazz, classical, carnival and more.

  Check out the video for 'Steigerpijp'.

  Tickets, priced £17 or £12 concession, are available here. Doors open at 7.45pm.

• Fri

  03

  Nov

  2017

  Shabazz Palaces

  The Sugar Club

  Dublin

  

  Seattle hip-hop duo Shabazz Palaces play a ChoiceCuts show at the Sugar Club on November 3.

  Comprising Ishmael Butler - also of Digable Planets - and multi-instrumentalist Tendai 'Baba' Maraire, they've been active since 2009, doubling their LP tally this July, when they released two new albums on Sub Pop. Check out their sci-fi hip-hopera, Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star.

  Tickets, priced €20, are available from The Sugar Club. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  03

  Nov

  2017

  ¡NO! 'Sediments' LP Launch w/Rigmarole

  Jigsaw

  Dublin

  

  Experimental krautrock/no-wave/psych improv group ¡NO! launch their tenth release, Sediments, with a show at Jigsaw in Dublin on November 3. You can check out ¡NO!'s broad, instinctive body of work on Bandcamp. Read more about Sediments - released through Little Gem Records - here.

  Supporting is Rigmarole.

  Tickets cost €10 from Billetto. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sat

  04

  Nov

  2017

  Hidden Agenda: Com Truise [Live]

  Button Factory

  Dublin

  

  Hidden Agenda bring American producer Com Truise for his first Dublin headline show since 2011, to play the Button Factory on November 4.

  Check out new single 'Isostasy'.

  Tickets are available from Eventbrite, priced from €11. Doors open at 11pm.

• Sat

  04

  Nov

  2017

  Native Music Mart: No Oil Paintings, Joshua Burnside, Duke Special & Jealous of the Birds

  Oh Yeah Centre

  Belfast

  

  On November 4, Native Music Mart bring to the Oh Yeah Centre a new kind of music event - a music mart where local bands, musicians and artists can sell physical product and merchandise alongside stalls from music-related companies and organisations.

  There will be 5 acts playing the event, including the excellent Jealous of the Birds, vaudevillian performer Duke Special, Belfast alt. folk act No Oil Paintings and NI Music Prize-nominated singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside.

  Food and drink will be available, and admission is completely free. The event runs from 11am-4pm.

• Sat

  04

  Nov

  2017

  Autre Monde EP Launch w/Postcard Versions & Invaderband

  Bello Bar

  Dublin

  

  Following their run of singles throughout the year, the Paddy Hanna-fronted new-wave/power-pop quartet Autre Monde launch their debut EP at the Bello Bar on November 4. Check out their expertly-crafted music on Bandcamp.

  Dublin jangle-pop act Postcard Versions and Derry garage/post-punkers Invaderband support - check out the latter's NI Music Prize-nominated debut album.

  Admission costs €10 with a limited edition CD version of the album with bonus tracks. Doors open at 8.30pm.

• Sun

  05

  Nov

  2017

  Logic

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

   

  

  Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, aka Logic plays his first Dublin show on November 5 at the Olympia Theatre.

  With a name like that, his early Young, Broke & Infamous mixtape seems fairly tongue-in-cheek given that he was signed to Def Jam in 2014, he achieved a huge number of accolades and awards for debut album Under Pressure. His third album Everybody is just out, featuring the likes of Killer Mike, Chuck D and Neil de Grasse Tyson.

  Tickets cost €26 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sun

  05

  Nov

  2017

  Kiasmos

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  The Icelandic pairing of BAFTA-winning composer Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen, Kiasmos play Vicar Street on November 5.

  Starting in 2009, their debut LP came out in 2014, which drew much acclaim, notably around its surrounding live shows. This date follows the October release of new EP Blurred, and appearance at Electric Picnic.

  Tickets cost €29.40 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Mon

  06

  Nov

  2017

  Zola Jesus

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Nika Roza Danilova, aka Zola Jesus returns to Dublin on November 6, when she plays Whelan's.

  Having existed under the pseudonym for over a decade now, her sixth album, Okavi is primarily driven by electronics, with her industrial & gothic tinges putting her in the same darkly exploratory experimental bracket as avant-garde acts like Diamanda Galás, Throbbing Gristle & Swans. Check out 'Soak'.

  Tickets cost €22 from WAV Tickets. Doors open at 8pm.

• Tue

  07

  Nov

  2017

  Slow Moving Clouds

  The Sugar Club

  Dublin

  

  Dublin Nordic/Irish experimental traditional band Slow Moving Clouds are to play the Sugar Club on November 7, having this year supported Ludovico Einaudi at the 3Arena.

  They bring together Nordic vocals, layered string soundscapes with cello, violin & nyckelharpa, crossing into minimal post-rock territory at times. Last year, they created a score for Teac Damsa's Swan Lake. They released their debut album, Os, in 2015 - check out the video for 'Hiljainen Suru'.

  Tickets, priced €20, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7.30pm.

   

• Tue

  07

  Nov

  2017

  Tandem Felix

  Upstairs @ Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Country-tinged Dublin indie rock veterans Tandem Felix play upstairs at Whelan's on November 7.

  Always reminiscent of Wilco's strain of countrified indie rock and led by frontman David Tapley, the band just released 'Were You There (When They Crucified The Birthday Boy?)' - their first single since their 2015 Comma EP, taken off their forthcoming debut album, due for release in 2018.

  Tickets cost €12 from WAV Tickets and Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Tue

  07

  Nov

  2017

  Anna and Elizabeth w/Rue

  Bello Bar

  Dublin

  

  The Bello Bar hosts the lush harmonies of Anna and Elizabeth on November 7. 

  Heralded by the esteemed likes of NPR, their sparse folk compositions feature some elements of John Fahey-esque primitive guitar and Appalachian folk, occasional banjo or strings - watch their live session of 'Little Black Train'.

  Supporting are Rue, featuring members of Lankum. Listen to 'Katie Cruel'.

  Tickets cost €15 from Billetto, and doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  08

  Nov

  2017

  Thu

  09

  Nov

  2017

  Alice Cooper

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  King of Shock Rock Alice Cooper plays two nights at the Olympia Theatre on November 8 & 9.

  Best known for 'Poison', 'I'm Eighteen' and 'No More Mr Nice Guy', he's also released some brilliant albums, like 1973's platinum-selling glam rock Billion Dollar Babies. You're guaranteed an incredible performance from the now-69 year old in what is quite possibly his final Irish performance.

  Tickets are priced from €54.50 upwards from Ticketmaster - and boy do they rocket upwards. Doors open at 7pm.

• Wed

  08

  Nov

  2017

  The Amazons

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Reading rock quartet The Amazons play Whelan's for the second time in 2017 on November 8, as part of their debut album tour.

  They have a strong, growing live reputation - check out their recent single 'Junk Food Forever'.

  Tickets cost €19.90 from Ticketmaster and WAV Tickets. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Wed

  08

  Nov

  2017

  The Tragedy of Dr Hannigan, No Oil Paintings, Aidan Logan & Whale Talk

  The Empire Music Hall

  Belfast

  

  The latest project from VerseChorusVerse's Tony Wright & multi-instrumentalist producer Dean Stevens, The Tragedy of Dr Hannigan, launches its debut album on November 8 at the Empire Music Hall.

  Blending the dramatised, vaudevillian, persona-adopting aspects of the likes of Tom Waits & Nick Cave's music, they create a world of their own, cented around the tragic tale of Dr Hannigan. Listen to the first single from the project, 'Hey Little Worried One'.

  Supporting are No Oil Paintings - check out their alt-folk on Bandcamp -  singer-songwriter Aidan Logan and young guitar/violin duo Whale Talk.

  Tickets are priced at only £6 and are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8.30pm.

• Thu

  09

  Nov

  2017

  The Amazons

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  Reading rock quartet The Amazons play their second Belfast show of the year on November 9 at Limelight 2 as part of their debut album tour.

  They have a strong, growing live reputation - check out their recent single 'Junk Food Forever'.

  Tickets cost £15 from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar. Doors open at 8pm.

• Thu

  09

  Nov

  2017

  Empty Lungs, Lost Love, Sleeping Outside & Hand Models

  The Empire Music Hall

  Belfast

  

  Pop-punk trio Empty Lungs headlined the Empire on November 9 - having recently released their new Don't Get It EP on Canadian label Hidden Pony Records - check out the video for 'Medicine'. 

  Co-headlining are Montreal catchy punk rock trio Lost Love, who are over as part of a joing European tour - check them out on Bandcamp. Supporting are emo quartet Sleeping Outside and fuzzed-out indie quartet Hand Models - listen to them on Bandcamp.

  Tickets cost £8.20 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8.30pm.

• Fri

  10

  Nov

  2017

  Shine: Mall Grab, DJ Deece & Brién

  Limelight 1

  Belfast

  

  Shine's bill at the Limelight 1 on November 10 features the awesome relative newcomer, Australian house DJ Mall Grab, featuring lo-fi beats and surrealism, he's become something of a crossover to the less electronically-inclined. Check out his Soundcloud.

  Also playing is Dublin's DJ Deece and Belfast-based jazz fusion, funk, hip-hop & house-influenced Brién.

  Tickets are available from Shine, priced at £10. Doors open at 10pm.

• Fri

  10

  Nov

  2017

  This Other Kingdom 'Rays For Days' Single Launch w/VLLNS

  Upstairs @ Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Dublin garage-psych trio This Other Kingdom launch their new single, 'Rays For Days' upstairs at Whelan's on November 10. They released their latest album, Rêveur in April through Wrong Way Records earlier in the year - watch the video for recent single, 'Hellion'.

  Support comes from Dublin garage-blues trio VLLNS.

  Tickets are available here, priced at €8, or €10 on the night. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sat

  11

  Nov

  2017

  God's Waiting Room: Jane Weaver

  Maple Leaf Club

  Belfast

  

  Strange Victory brings Jane Weaver to Maple Leaf Club night God's Waiting Room on November 11.

  This comes following her latest album, Modern Kosmology, billed as the sound of a scientist of popular song gone rogue, as it takes in krautrock, punk, new-wave and synth music. She performs, much like Can's Damo Suzuki, within the realms of the avant-garde and works as a sound-carrier. Check out 'Slow Motion'.

  Tickets cost £12 from WeGotTickets. Doors open at 9pm.

• Sat

  11

  Nov

  2017

  God Is An Astronaut

  The Button Factory

  Dublin

  

  Electronica-tinged post-rock quartet God Is An Astronaut play Dublin's Button Factory on November 11 as part of their 15th Anniversary Tour.

  Formed by Wicklow twins Niels and Torsten Kinsella in 2002, the act are broad in scope, with each album revealing a deeper layer of where they are at the time. Their last album was last year's Helios | Erebus, which they're currently still touring.

  Tickets are available from Seat Advisor, priced at €25. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sat

  11

  Nov

  2017

  Northern Ireland Music Prize

  Mandela Hall

  Belfast

  

  The shortlist for this year’s Northern Ireland Music Prizehas been revealed.

  Set to take place at Belfast’s Mandela Hall on Saturday, November 11, the following twelve albums will vie for the annual prize, as voted for by more than 70 people from the Irish music industry and media:

  Arborist – Home Burial
  Arvo Party – Arvo Party
  Bap Kennedy – Reckless Heart
  The Divine Comedy – Foreverland
  Gross Net – Quantitative Easing
  Hannah Peel – Awake But Always Dreaming
  Invaderband – Invaderband
  Joshua Burnside – Ephrata
  Malojian – This Is Nowhere
  Our Krypton Son – Fleas & Diamonds
  Robocobra Quartet – Music For All Occasions
  Sea Pinks – Watercourse
  
  With the prize having been won by Foy Vance, Robyn G Shiels, SOAK and Ciaran Lavery (pictured) it will be awarded to one winner as part of a ceremony that doubles up as this year’s Sound of Belfast programme (November 2-11).

  With a handful of nominated acts set to perform on the night, Vivian Cambell will also be awarded The Oh Yeah Legend Award before performing with his band Last In Line.

  Charlotte Dryden, CEO of the Oh Yeah Music Centre said, “It’s been yet another great year for music from Northern Ireland. The shortlisted 12 are just a taste of what we have to offer, but what a strong example in this list. The continued partnership with Blue Moon for the NI Music Prize and the Sound of Belfast Festival is also a magnificent endorsement from them on our belief in the power of local music. It’s also great to welcome PPL as supporters of the Prize and we are delighted to continue the relationship with PRS on the Legend Award. It’s going to be a great ten days and the Prize and Legend Awards evening will be a fitting end to another celebration of all that is great about local music.”

  Tickets are priced at £16.52 from Eventbrite. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sun

  12

  Nov

  2017

  Akala

  The Sugar Club

  Dublin

  

  London poet, rapper & social commentator Akala performs at the Sugar Club on November 12.

  Winner of best hip-hop act at the MOBOs in '06, his sister is Ms. Dynamite, and his activism comes from his half Scottish, half Jamaican parentage. He's written for the Guardian, is a strong advocate of equality and veganism. Having put out a decade-long retrospective last year, his latest release was July's Visions EP. Check it all out live in the studio.

  Tickets cost €15 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Mon

  13

  Nov

  2017

  Laraaji & Carlos Niño present 'Sun Dreaming'

  The Sugar Club

  Dublin

  

  ChoiceCuts bring another phenomenal billing to the Sugar Club when Larry Gordon, aka Laraaji teams up with Carlos Niño on November 13 to play the Sugar Club in a night of meditative music.

  Laraaji studied violin, piano, trombone & voice in his early years, attending Howard University to study compositition & piano, before spending time in New York pursing stand-up comedy & acting. In the early '70s, he began studying Eastern mysticism and found a new path, buying a zither and converting it into an electronic instrument, used like a piano. He was eventually found by Brian Eno at Washington Square Park & this resulted in Eno's Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, and the first album by Laraaji.

  Niño is a poet, producer, arranger, musician, radio DJ and many others, being an important member in the independent scene since '95, based in California. 

  Tickets cost €15 from Sugar Club. Doors open at 8pm.

• Tue

  14

  Nov

  2017

  Every Time I Die w/Knocked Loose & Higher Power

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Hardcore fans rejoice: Every Time I Die play Whelan's on November 14.

  Having been around since 1998, consistently releasing and touring, their eighth album, Low Teens, came out in 2016, dabbling from post-hardcore, metalcore, hardcore and southern rock.

  Supporting are Knocked Loose and Higher Power.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, WAV Tickets, the Sound Cellar and the usual spots, priced €19. Doors open at 8pm.

• Tue

  14

  Nov

  2017

  Pins

  Voodoo

  Belfast

  

  Manchester noise-punk quintet Pins play Belfast's Voodoo on November 14. 

  They've toured with Sleater-Kinney, Best Coast, Wire & Warpaint, having released their debut album Girls Like Us in 2013 on Bella Union after forming in 2011 by frontwoman Faith Holgate. Here's 'Aggrophobe', featuring little known Detroit figurehead Iggy Pop, taken off their Bad Thing EP, from this year, recorded at the Rancho De La Luna.

  Tickets cost £12 and are available from Shine, Ticketmaster & Katy's Bar. Doors open at 8pm.

   

• Tue

  14

  Nov

  2017

  Left Lane Cruiser

  Upstairs @ Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Indiana blues rock duo Left Lane Cruiser play upstairs at Whelan's on November 14. Releasing records for over a decade, the pair never stop, with the latest being this year's Claw Machine Wizard. Here's the title track.

  Tickets cost €13.25 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  15

  Nov

  2017

  Pins

  Róisín Dubh

  Galway

  

  Manchester noise-punk quintet Pins play Galway's Róisín Dubh as part of a run of Irish dates - their first in 3 years. They play on November 15.

  They've toured with Sleater-Kinney, Best Coast, Wire & Warpaint, having released their debut album Girls Like Us in 2013 on Bella Union after forming in 2011 by frontwoman Faith Holgate. Here's 'Aggrophobe', featuring little known Detroit figurehead Iggy Pop, taken off their Bad Thing EP, from this year, recorded at the Rancho De La Luna.

  Tickets are available from the venue.

• Thu

  16

  Nov

  2017

  Cigarettes After Sex

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  Brooklyn ambient pop act Cigarettes After Sex play Belfast's Limelight 2 on November 16.

  Formed by songwriter Greg Gonzalez in 2008, the noirish pop outfit have crafted an online word-of-mouth following, wisely releasing music via YouTube & in short form singles & EPs - check out their breakthrough debut single 'Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby'. They're due to release their debut album this year through Partisan Records.

  Tickets cost £19 and are available from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  16

  Nov

  2017

  Pins

  Cyprus Avenue

  Cork

  

  Manchester noise-punk quintet Pins play Cyprus Avenue as part of a run of Irish dates - their first in 3 years. They play on November 16.

  They've toured with Sleater-Kinney, Best Coast, Wire & Warpaint, having released their debut album Girls Like Us in 2013 on Bella Union after forming in 2011 by frontwoman Faith Holgate. Here's 'Aggrophobe', featuring little known Detroit figurehead Iggy Pop, taken off their Bad Thing EP, from this year, recorded at the Rancho De La Luna.

  Tickets are available from Cyprus Avenue.

• Thu

  16

  Nov

  2017

  Brand New

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Having just announced their fifth album, Fifth Album, alternative/emo quartet Brand New return to Ireland to play the Olympia Theatre on November 16.

  The Long Island-based band formed in 2000 and have released four albums to date, with 2006's sprawling The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me standing tall as their magnum opus. Fifth Album follows last year's 3 Demos, Reworked EP, and is their first since 2009's Daisy. 

  Here's 'Sic Transit Gloria'.

  Tickets, priced at €35.50, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  16

  Nov

  2017

  The Bug vs Earth

  DBD Venue

  Dublin

  

  In one of the most interesting experimental collaborations of recent years, Earth's Dylan Carlson has teamed up with Kevin Martin, aka The Bug, with both collaborating on their album, Concrete Desert. They play U:mack's DBD Venue on November 16.

  Blending a doom & grunge background from Carlson, with The Bug's shoegaze & dub. Check out their early collaboration, 'Boa'.

  Tickets are available from Tickets.ie and on the door. Doors open at 7.30pm as it's an early show.

• Fri

  17

  Nov

  2017

  Opeth w/Enslaved

  Limelight 1

  Belfast

  

  Swedish prog-metal legends Opeth play Belfast's Limelight 1 on November 17.

  Formed in 1989, they have released 12 albums over the years, along the way reinventing metal with the likes of Blackwater Park and Watershed, which broke them in America. They've sold over 1.5 million LP, having just released new album, Sorceress. Check out the title track.

  Support comes from Norwegian extreme metal outfit Enslaved. Watch the video for 'The Watcher'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar, priced at £29.50. Doors open at 7pm.

• Fri

  17

  Nov

  2017

  Cigarettes After Sex

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Brooklyn ambient pop act Cigarettes After Sex play Dublin's Academy in a venue upgrade due to demand after Whelan's was announced, for November 17.

  Formed by songwriter Greg Gonzalez in 2008, the noirish pop outfit have crafted an online word-of-mouth following, wisely releasing music via YouTube & in short form singles & EPs - check out their breakthrough debut single 'Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby'. They're due to release their debut album this year through Partisan Records.

  Tickets cost €20.90 and are available from WAV Tickets & Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  17

  Nov

  2017

  Pins

  The Academy 2

  Dublin

  

  Manchester noise-punk quintet Pins play Dublin's Academy 2 on November 27.

  They've toured with Sleater-Kinney, Best Coast, Wire & Warpaint, having released their debut album Girls Like Us in 2013 on Bella Union after forming in 2011 by frontwoman Faith Holgate. Here's 'Aggrophobe', featuring little known Detroit figurehead Iggy Pop, taken off their Bad Thing EP, from this year, recorded at the Rancho De La Luna.

  Tickets cost €15.35 and are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

   

• Fri

  17

  Nov

  2017

  Squarehead

  The Sound House

  Dublin

  

  Dublin indie outfit Squarehead play Eden Quay's Sound House on November 17. They released their last album, Respect, in 2013 and have been recording their first new music since then over the course of the couple of years. Check out their most recent single, 'Waves', from April.

  Admission costs €8 from Dice.fm and doors open at 7.30pm.

• Sat

  18

  Nov

  2017

  Opeth w/Enslaved

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Swedish prog-metal legends Opeth play Dublin's Academy on November 18.

  Formed in 1989, they have released 12 albums over the years, along the way reinventing metal with the likes of Blackwater Park and Watershed, which broke them in America. They've sold over 1.5 million LP, having just released new album, Sorceress. Check out the title track.

  Support comes from Norwegian extreme metal outfit Enslaved. Watch the video for 'The Watcher'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €35.

• Sat

  18

  Nov

  2017

  Morbid Angel

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  American death metal act Morbid Angel play Belfast's Limelight 2 on November 18.

  Based in Tampa, they're one of the original death metal acts signed to Earache Records, being heavily involved in the evolution of death metal from thrash through to it's more extreme current incarnation. Their first four albums, like many of their peers, are considered classics of the genre. They announced in 2015 that original frontman/bassist Steve Tucker would be returning to his role.

  Here's the video for 'Blessed Are The Sick'.

  Tickets cost £20 from Ticketmaster & Katy's Bar. Doors open at 6.30pm as it's an early show.

• Sat

  18

  Nov

  2017

  Protomartyr, Sauna Youth & Oh Boland

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Following the release of their first album on Domino Records, post-punks Protomartyr play Whelan's on November 18.

  The moody Detroit quartet are led by the acerbic self-deprecation of frontman Joe Casey, having recently announced fourth album, Relatives In Descent. Watch the video for new single, 'A Private Understanding'.

  Sharing the bill are London post-punks Sauna Youth - check them out on Bandcamp.

  Opening up are Tuam garage rockers Oh Boland. Having released their debut album, Spilt Milk last year, they're to release the follow-up, Cheap Things this year.

  Tickets cost €16.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sat

  18

  Nov

  2017

  Left Lane Cruiser, Waldorf and Cannon, Duellists & Bosco Ramos

  Oh Yeah Centre

  Belfast

  

  Indiana blues rock duo Left Lane Cruiser play the Oh Yeah Music Centre on November 18. Releasing records for over a decade, the pair never stop, with the latest being this year's Claw Machine Wizard. Here's the title track.

  Supporting are simultaneously-multi-instrumental Derry garage-blues duo Waldorf & Cannon - Bronx-recalling trio Duellists - check their Bandcamp - and riff-fuelled, Belfast bass-and-drums duo Bosco Ramos watch the video for 'Rolling Sea'.

  Tickets cost £12 from WeGotTickets. Doors open at 9pm.

• Mon

  20

  Nov

  2017

  R.A. The Rugged Man & AFRO

  The Sugar Club

  Dublin

  

  R.A. The Rugged Man returns to Dublin's Sugar Club on November 20, alongside his prodigy, AFRO, in as part of their All Flows Reach Out tour.

  New York legend R.A. the Rugged Man has lived up to such a moniker by simultaneously inspiring generations of rappers while being banned from every major record label’s offices and even barred from performing during the late-90s underground explosion. But by combining the authenticity of his undeniably rugged life with his undisputed mic skills and understanding of the genre as a Hip-Hop historian, his music has both survived and thrived off the strength of bootlegs and word of mouth through high profile collaborations and high quality official releases, setting a standard for “Real MCs” that few have ever attempted to match. Frequent collaborator The Notorious B.I.G. was once quoted in reference to R.A. by stating “And I thought I was the illest.”
  

  After years of being banned, forgotten and left behind, he released his album, Legends Never Die in 2014, featuring the likes of Tech N9ne, Talib Kweli and more. Watch the video for 'Learn Truth', ft. Talib Kweli.

  Teenage freestyle prodigy James Dutierrez, aka AFRO supports, having been taken on and mentored by R.A. Check out his incredible flow.

  Tickets cost €20 from Sugar Club. Doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  22

  Nov

  2017

  Mac DeMarco

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  Incumbent king of slacker indie-pop Mac DeMarco comes to Ireland to play Vicar Street on November 22 at the end of a thorough European tour, following his last appearance in 2015 at Electric Picnic.

  With his fifth record This Old Dog out this year, he's matured his sound from lo-fi psychedelic jangle-pop into that of more solemn & acoustic reflection. Check out 'Pepperoni Playboy: A Macumentary' and single from his new album, 'My Old Man'.

  Tickets cost €25 from Ticketmaster.

• Wed

  22

  Nov

  2017

  Richard Dawson & Band w/Katie Kim

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  One of the most singular modern English folk songwriters, the absolutely incredible Richard Dawson performs with a full band at Whelan's on November 22.

  Richard Dawson has been described by The Guardian as the 'English folk equivalent of Captain Beefheart's deconstruction of the blues'. No small feat for the rootsy, imperfect, heartfelt - without ever breaking into cliché - singer-songwriter, who has gained some impressive, reputable fans in the last few years, including the likes of Stewart Lee. Check out this incredible session performance of 'Wooden Bag'. His new album, Peasant, painstakingly researched, draws parallels between civilisation centuries ago and ourselves and comes with certified acclaim. Check out 'Ogre'.

  Support comes from Waterford artist Katie Sullivan, aka Katie Kim, Check out her ethereal, slowcore, ambient drone-folk album Salt on Bandcamp.

  Tickets are available from Billetto, priced at €16.50. Doors open at 8pm.

• Thu

  23

  Nov

  2017

  Jacob Collier

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  The incredibly young North London jazz musician Jacob Collier plays The Academy on November 23.

  Discovered when his homemade split-screen covers on YouTube went viral and subsequently signed up to Quincy Jones' management agency, he fuses elements of jazz, soul, a cappella, folk, classical and plenty more. He's currently working on commissioned arrangements for high-calibre orchestras and bands around the world, being featured on Snarky Puppy recordings. His debut album In My Room came out last year, reaching #1 on several key jazz charts. Check out 'Hideaway'. 

  Tickets cost €27 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 6.30pm.

• Thu

  23

  Nov

  2017

  Richard Dawson & Band

  Black Box

  Belfast

  

  One of the most singular modern English folk songwriters, the absolutely incredible Richard Dawson performs for Moving On Music in Belfast's Black Box on November 23, for the first time accompanied by a full band.

  Richard Dawson has been described by The Guardian as the 'English folk equivalent of Captain Beefheart's deconstruction of the blues'. No small feat for the rootsy, imperfect, heartfelt - without ever breaking into cliché - singer-songwriter, who has gained some impressive, reputable fans in the last few years, including the likes of Stewart Lee. Check out this incredible session performance of 'Wooden Bag'. His new album, Peasant, painstakingly researched, draws parallels between civilisation centuries ago and ourselves and comes with certified acclaim. Check out 'Ogre'.

  Tickets cost £15, or £10 concession from Moving On Music. Doors open at 8pm.

• Thu

  23

  Nov

  2017

  Pussy Riot: Riot Days

  The Button Factory

  Dublin

  

  Five years on from their highly-reported performance at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Russian feminist protest punk rock group Pussy Riot play shows in Ireland later this year, performing at the Button Factory on November 23, in a show that marries punk, electronica, theatre, documentary footage and protest.

  Riot Days – which accompanies band member Maria Alyokhina’s written memoir of the same name – is a show directed by Russian theatre director Yury Muravitsky that traces the story of the band’s notorious guerilla protest and what followed in the aftermath.

  Check out 'Make America Great Again'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced €20. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Fri

  24

  Nov

  2017

  Shed Seven w/Cast

  The Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Return to the glory days of Britpop on November 24th at the Olympia, when Shed Seven headline ahead of the release of a new album.

  This new album comes after two years of writing and 16 years since their last album. Formed in York in 1990, they never reached the level of popularity of Blur or Oasis, but their shoegaze-tinged Britpop spawned 16 top 40 hits, peaking with 'Going For Gold'.

  Supporting are Britpop band Cast.

  Tickets, priced from €29.50-€34.50, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Fri

  24

  Nov

  2017

  Queens of the Stone Age

  3Arena

  Dublin

  

  One of the flagbearers of modern rock, Queens of the Stone Age, play the 3Arena in their first Irish show in over 3 years on November 24.

  This follows the news of their seventh album, Villians, almost two decades 0n from their prototypical robot rock of their 1998 debut. Its predecessor ...Like Clockwork gave the band their first US #1 album, seeing the band mature and collaborate with pop artits. Villains sees the band pair with Mark Ronson to record what's sure to be a massive hit with the radio. Check out the first track to be unveiled, 'Face The Truth'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster for €50.65. Doors open at 6pm.

• Fri

  24

  Nov

  2017

  Pussy Riot: Riot Days

  Mandela Hall

  Belfast

  

  Five years on from their highly-reported performance at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Russian feminist protest punk rock group Pussy Riot play shows in Ireland later this year, performing at Belfast's Mandela Hall on November 24 in a show that marries punk, electronica, theatre, documentary footage and protest.

  Riot Days – which accompanies band member Maria Alyokhina’s written memoir of the same name – is a show directed by Russian theatre director Yury Muravitsky that traces the story of the band’s notorious guerilla protest and what followed in the aftermath.

  Check out 'Make America Great Again'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and the QUB Students' Union, priced £19. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  24

  Nov

  2017

  John Maus

  The Grand Social

  Dublin

  

  Having been off the radar over the last while in order to focus on completing his PhD, Austin experimental pop master John Maus plays a full-band show at the Grand Social on November 24.

  This follows the October release of his first album in six years, Screen Memories, via Ribbon Music. Watch the video for 'The Combine', in which Maus intones with an apocalyptic stateliness, “It’s going to dust us all to nothing, man. I see the combine coming.” The track – which is accompanied by a video courtesy of Tina Rivera – sweeps through with a bracing baroque charm, all towering spires of glistening augmentation, swirling counterpoint and sonorous vocals.

  Tickets for the show are priced €18.50, available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8.30pm. 

   

• Fri

  24

  Nov

  2017

  Queens of the Stone Age w/Broncho

  3Arena

  Dublin

  

  Almost unarguably the most important band in rock music since Nirvana happened, Queens of the Stone Age make their Dublin pitstop on the Villains world tour at the 3Arena on November 24.

  Homme formed the band in 1996 in Palm Desert out of the ashes of stoner rock legends Kyuss, incorporating the robotic elements of Neu! with the dry bluesiness of ZZ Top and the likes. Releasing several genre-definers like Rated R & Songs For The Deaf solidified their standing as the best rock band 0f the 21st century, and with their Mark Ronson-produced seventh album, Villains their most acclaimed in the mainstream to date, the band are set to keep growing. They're phenomenal live, so catch them if you haven't already. Check out 'The Evil Has Landed' from their latest.

  Tickets cost €50.65 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 6pm.

• Fri

  24

  Nov

  2017

  Rusangano Family w/Fehdah

  Button Factory

  Dublin

  

  Choice Music Prize Winners, hip-hop trio Rusangano Family kick-start their end-of-year Irish dates with a show at the Button Factory on November 24.

  The bass-heavy 2 MC, 1 DJ act features members from Zimbabwe, Togo & Co. Clare, and have built up an incredible audience from their live show and debut album, Let The Dead Bury The Dead. Check out their latest single, 'Tea In A Pot'.

  Supporting is Maynooth future afro-soul eight-piece Fehdah, led by Emma Garnett, who draws from her West African roots, accompanied by members of the likes of Meltybrains?, Danny G & the Majors 7ths, and more.

  Admission costs €15.

• Sat

  25

  Nov

  2017

  Bitch Falcon

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Louder-than-hell alt. rock riff machine Bitch Falcon play Dublin's Whelan's on November 25 in their biggest headline show to date. Check out some of their set at Electric Picnic this year.

  Support comes from indie rock quartet Thumper - check out their Bandcamp.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €13. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sun

  26

  Nov

  2017

  Royal Blood w/At The Drive-In & Black Honey

  3Arena

  Dublin

  

  One of the biggest British rock bands going, Royal Blood play the 3Arena on November 26.

  Breaking through with their eponymous 2014 debut album, they follow up with How Did We Get So Dark? in June, was written and recorded across several cities, including LA, Brighton, Nashville & Brussels.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced from €32.50.

• Mon

  27

  Nov

  2017

  Wolf Alice

  Ulster Hall

  Belfast

  

  London alt. rock quartet Wolf Alice play a pair of dates in Ireland as part of their forthcoming European tour, returning to the Ulster Hall on November 27. 

  They released their debut album, My Love Is Cool, following 2013 & 2014 EPs. They started out as a duo in 2010, featuring frontwoman Ellie Roswell and guitarist Joff Oddie, with a more folk-tinged pop elements. As they expanded to a four piece, more '90s grunge comparisons started to take root, leading to their current off-kilter indie-rock sound, and new album Visions of a Life in September.

  Check out 'Yuk Foo'.

  Tickets are priced from £23.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Mon

  27

  Nov

  2017

  Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

  Mandela Hall

  Belfast

  

  Former Gallows & Pure Love frontman Frank Gallows plays with his latest band, The Rattlesnakes at Mandela Hall on November 27.

  Formed in 2015 after previous act Pure Love's hiatus, Carter's new band have released two albums. The most recent, this year's Modern Ruin, came out this year and has earned him his place as a major British punk force. Check out 'Lullaby'.

  Tickets cost £18.50 from Ticketmaster and the QUB Students' Union. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Tue

  28

  Nov

  2017

  Sun Kil Moon

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  Having released his eighth studio album, Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood, back in February, Mark Kozelek, aka Sun Kil Moon will play Dublin’s Vicar Street on November 28.

  The show will be fully-seated and come at the end of a European tour that will see Kozelek and his band play eleven countries in seventeen days. Check out the live version of 'Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes' from his career-defining Benji.

  Tickets are priced €29.80 from Ticketmaster.

• Tue

  28

  Nov

  2017

  Wolf Alice

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  London alt. rock quartet Wolf Alice play a pair of dates in Ireland as part of their forthcoming European tour, returning to the Olympia Theatre on November 28. 

  They released their debut album, My Love Is Cool, following 2013 & 2014 EPs. They started out as a duo in 2010, featuring frontwoman Ellie Roswell and guitarist Joff Oddie, with a more folk-tinged pop elements. As they expanded to a four piece, more '90s grunge comparisons started to take root, leading to their current off-kilter indie-rock sound, and new album Visions of a Life in September.

  Check out 'Yuk Foo'.

  Tickets are priced from €27.90 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Tue

  28

  Nov

  2017

  Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

  Tivoli Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Former Gallows & Pure Love frontman Frank Gallows plays with his latest band, The Rattlesnakes at the Tivoli Theatre on November 28.

  Formed in 2015 after previous act Pure Love's hiatus, Carter's new band have released two albums. The most recent, this year's Modern Ruin, came out this year and has earned him his place as a major British punk force. Check out 'Lullaby'.

  Tickets cost €22 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Tue

  28

  Nov

  2017

  Kasabian

  3Arena

  Dublin

  

  Kasabian play Dublin's 3Arena on November 28 as part of the extensive tour for latest album For Crying Out Loud.

  Tickets are priced from €49.50-€59.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  30

  Nov

  2017

  Fujiya & Miyagi: Transparent Things 10 Year Anniversary

  Roisin Dubh

  Galway

  

  Brighton trio Fujiya and Miyagi play Galway's Roisin Dubh on November 30 as part of the tenth anniversary tour for their breakthrough, Transparent Things.

  The band formed in 2000, and their blend of pop-tinged electronica and the repetitious, placid krautrock gives them a sound that's truly their own. It's over 10 years since the 2006 release of their second album, a compendium of their previous standalone singles into Transparent Things, so the band are issuing it for the first time on vinyl as it was at the time, a dead format.

  The LP will include a previously-unreleased Nike running track which clocks in at 43 minutes. Watch the video for their biggest single, 'Ankle Injuries'.

  Tickets cost €16.35 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  01

  Dec

  2017

  The Undertones

  The Limelight 1

  Belfast

  

  Iconic Derry punk-pop hitmakers The Undertones are to play Belfast's Limelight 1 on December 1.

  This follows the 35th anniversary of the band's breakthrough single and John Peel's obituary, 'Teenage Kicks', which they marked with a new greatest hits album - An Introduction to The Undertones, packaged with some essential video content like Teenage Kicks: The Story of The Undertones, a documentary on the band. Formed by five friends in 1977, the band's success has been somewhat rejuvenated since the release of Terri Hooley semi-biopic Good Vibrations in 2012.

  Tickets are available from Katy's Bar & Ticketmaster, priced at £18.50. Doors open at 7pm.

• Fri

  01

  Dec

  2017

  Peter Hook & The Light play 'Substance'

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  The current project of the erstwhile Joy Division & New Order bassist & guitarist, Peter Hook and the Light, play the Dublin Academy on December 1.

  The act are best known for performing entire albums from Hook's back catalogue live in their entirety, including Unknown Pleasures, Closer and Power, Corruption & Lies over the years, but this time they're to play New Order & Joy Division Substance albums - one being issued in 1988 featuring Joy Division from 1977-1980, with New Order's separate album of the same name coming out in 1987, compiling all the band's 12" singles with B-sides from 1981-1987.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €25. Doors open at 7pm.

• Fri

  01

  Dec

  2017

  Fujiya & Miyagi: Transparent Things 10 Year Anniversary

  The Button Factory

  Dublin

  

  Brighton trio Fujiya and Miyagi return to Dublin to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their breakthrough, Transparent Things, when they play the Button Factory on December 1.

  The band formed in 2000, and their blend of pop-tinged electronica and the repetitious, placid krautrock gives them a sound that's truly their own. It's over 10 years since the 2006 release of their second album, a compendium of their previous standalone singles into Transparent Things, so the band are issuing it for the first time on vinyl as it was at the time, a dead format.

  The LP will include a previously-unreleased Nike running track which clocks in at 43 minutes. Watch the video for their biggest single, 'Ankle Injuries'.

  Tickets cost €16 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Sat

  02

  Dec

  2017

  The Undertones

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Iconic Derry punk-pop hitmakers The Undertones are to play Dublin's The Academy on December 2.

  This follows their 40th anniversary as a band last year, which they marked with a new greatest hits album - An Introduction to The Undertones, packaged with some essential video content like Teenage Kicks: The Story of The Undertones, a documentary on the band. Formed by five friends in 1977, the band's success has been somewhat rejuvenated since the release of Terri Hooley semi-biopic Good Vibrations in 2012.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €25. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sat

  02

  Dec

  2017

  Peter Hook & The Light play 'Substance'

  Limelight 1

  Belfast

  

  The current project of the erstwhile Joy Division & New Order bassist & guitarist, Peter Hook and the Light, play Belfast's Limelight 1 on December 2.

  The act are best known for performing entire albums from Hook's back catalogue live in their entirety, including Unknown Pleasures, Closer and Power, Corruption & Lies over the years, but this time they're to play New Order & Joy Division Substance albums - one being issued in 1988 featuring Joy Division from 1977-1980, with New Order's separate album of the same name coming out in 1987, compiling all the band's 12" singles with B-sides from 1981-1987.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar, priced at £22.50. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sat

  02

  Dec

  2017

  Algiers

  The Grand Social

  Dublin

  

  Socially active post-punk/gospel quartet Algiers play The Grand Social on December 2.

  Oft-described as dystopian soul, their recent input has been instilled with the principles of the Black Panther movement, as well as systematic oppression. Check out the new single 'Cleveland' from their acclaimed second album, The Underside of Power.

  Tickets cost €14.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sat

  02

  Dec

  2017

  Robert Plant

  Ulster Hall

  Belfast

  

  Following the release of his forthcoming new album, Carry Fire, Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant will play two Irish dates in early December, playing the Ulster Hall on December 2.

  Accompanied by the Sensational Shape Shifters - a band comprising John Baggott on keyboards, moog, loops, percussion, drums, brass arrangement, t’bal, snare drum, slide guitar, piano, electric piano, bendir; Justin Adams on guitar, acoustic guitar, oud, E-bow quartet, percussion, snare drum, tambourine; Dave Smith on bendir, tambourine, djembe, drum kit; and Liam “Skin” Tyson on dobro, guitar, acoustic guitar, pedal steel, twelve-string.

  Carry Fire is Plant's eleventh solo album of a distinguished career that's held water on its own merit, blending rootsy styles from the world over, with a cry that arguably holds up better than it did in the latter Zeppelin years. Here's 'The May Queen'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster,

• Sat

  02

  Dec

  2017

  Perfume Genius

  Tivoli Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Following an acclaimed set at Electric Picnic, indie-pop forerunner Perfume Genius plays the Tivoli in Dublin on December 2.

  From Seattle, Mike Hadreas released his debut album Learning in 2010. With growing critical acclaim as he progressed, his latest album, No Shape has been his biggest success to date, with him curating this year's Le Guess Who? festival and earning acclaim across the board. Watch the video for 'Slip Away'.

  Tickets cost €23.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sat

  02

  Dec

  2017

  King Kong Company

  Roisin Dubh

  Galway

  

  After a year that saw them win a best live act award, and have made a true event out of their live shows, electronic dance troupe King Kong Company play Galway's Roisin Dubh on December 2.

  The septet have been described as sounding more like a DJ than a band, and their eponymous debut LP was produced by long-time Prodigy collaborator Neil McLellan, and sees its European release this year. Check out the frankly, quite unreal, video for 'Spacehopper'.

  Tickets are available from from the Roisin Dubh. Doors open at 9pm.

• Sat

  02

  Dec

  2017

  Rocket From The Crypt

  Black Box

  Belfast

  

  San Diego rock'n'roll punks Rocket From The Crypt make a welcome return to Ireland after quite some time, playing their first Belfast show in 15 years at the Black Box for Strange Victory on December 3.

  Formed in 1989 from the Diego scene by frontman/guitarist John Reis at the same time he formed Drive Like Jehu, their early albums led to a deal with Interscope and the band continued on until 2005, reinventing the garage-punk wheel in the early-noughties. They had a brief reunion before fully reuniting in late 2012. Check out their 1995 classic, Scream, Dracula, Scream!

  Tickets, priced at £20, are available from the Black Box. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sat

  02

  Dec

  2017

  Hannah Peel

  Voodoo

  Belfast

  

  Northern Irish artist & electronic composer Hannah Peel headlines Voodoo on December 2.

  The member of The Magnetic North pays close attention to her overall vision - that of an audiovisual pop auteur, and she's gotten coverage from the likes of Radio 4, The Guardian, and Lauren Laverne. She last year released her new solo album. Watch the video for recent single, 'All That Matters'.

  Tickets cost £11 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

   

• Sun

  03

  Dec

  2017

  Robert Plant

  Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Following the release of his forthcoming new album, Carry Fire, Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant will play two Irish dates in early December, the latter of which takes place on December 3 at Dublin's Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.

  Accompanied by the Sensational Shape Shifters - a band comprising John Baggott on keyboards, moog, loops, percussion, drums, brass arrangement, t’bal, snare drum, slide guitar, piano, electric piano, bendir; Justin Adams on guitar, acoustic guitar, oud, E-bow quartet, percussion, snare drum, tambourine; Dave Smith on bendir, tambourine, djembe, drum kit; and Liam “Skin” Tyson on dobro, guitar, acoustic guitar, pedal steel, twelve-string.

  Carry Fire is Plant's eleventh solo album of a distinguished career that's held water on its own merit, blending rootsy styles from the world over, with a cry that arguably holds up better than it did in the latter Zeppelin years. Here's 'The May Queen'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster,

• Sun

  03

  Dec

  2017

  Destroyer

  The Button Factory

  Dublin

  

  Vancouver band Destroyer play The Button Factory on December 3.

  Formed in 1996 as a lo-fi home-recording project by Dan Bejar, the project gradually gained the traction to hire an actual producer, eventually signing to Merge Records. October sees the release of their twelfth album, ken. Check them out live on KEXP.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €20. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Sun

  03

  Dec

  2017

  Rocket From The Crypt

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  San Diego rock'n'roll punks Rocket From The Crypt make a welcome return to Ireland after quite some time, playing Whelan's on December 3.

  Formed in 1989 from the Diego scene by frontman/guitarist John Reis at the same time he formed Drive Like Jehu, their early albums led to a deal with Interscope and the band continued on until 2005, reinventing the garage-punk wheel in the early-noughties. They had a brief reunion before fully reuniting in late 2012. Check out their 1995 classic, Scream, Dracula, Scream!

  Tickets, priced at €26, are available from WAV Tickets. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Mon

  04

  Dec

  2017

  Wolves In The Throne Room

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Olympia black metal act Wolves In The Throne Room play Whelans on December 4.

  Built with a strong sense of dynamic, the atmospheric trio are known for their intense live show, and rather than adhere to the Satanic & Scandinavian image, their aesthetic is more singular. Blending elements of doom, dark ambient, folk & crust, they have a myth-evoking quality not unlike the likes of Neurosis or Swans. They're currently touring sixth album, Thrice Woven - check out 'Two Hunters'.

  Tickets cost €16 from WAV Tickets. Doors open at 8pm.

• Tue

  05

  Dec

  2017

  Ricky Ross (Deacon Blue)

  The Sugar Club

  Dublin

  

  Former Deacon Blue frontman Ricky Ross returns to Ireland, performing at The Sugar Club on December 5.

  He's touring his new album, Short Stories Vol. 1, recorded over 2 days in Hamburg, featuring songs both new and old, accompanied by choral & string arrangements.

  Have a listen to 'Real Gone Kid'.

  Tickets, priced at €29, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Tue

  05

  Dec

  2017

  Mark Lanegan w/Tenebrous Liar & Joe Cardamone

  Mandela Hall

  Belfast

  

  Alt. rock shaman and Tom Waits' & Leonard Cohen's bastard sonic child Mark Lanegan plays Mandela Hall on December 5.

  The journeyman was frontman of Screaming Trees, formed in 1984, releasing his first solo album, The Winding Sheet in 1990, performing alongside the likes of Isobel Anderson and QOTSA. This show comes off the back of a support slot with Guns N' Roses at Slane this year, and his latest album, Gargoyle. Watch the video for 'Beehive'.

  Tickets cost £20 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  06

  Dec

  2017

  Jesca Hoop

  The Workman's Club

  Dublin

  

  California-born singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop comes to The Workman's Club for a show on December 6.

  Growing up as a Mormon, she shed the faith and created music as a teenager without ever taking it seriously until she moved to LA in 2000, becoming a nanny to Tom Waits' children. She released her seventh album, Memories Are Now, to great acclaim in February. Watch the video for 'The Lost Sky', from Memories Are Now. 

  Tickets, priced €15, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  06

  Dec

  2017

  Mark Lanegan w/Tenebrous Liar & Joe Cardamone

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Alt. rock shaman and Tom Waits' & Leonard Cohen's bastard sonic child Mark Lanegan plays Dublin's Academy on December 6.

  The journeyman was frontman of Screaming Trees, formed in 1984, releasing his first solo album, The Winding Sheet in 1990, performing alongside the likes of Isobel Anderson and QOTSA. This show comes off the back of a support slot with Guns N' Roses at Slane this year, and his latest album, Gargoyle. Watch the video for 'Beehive'.

  Tickets cost €28 from Ticketmaster.

• Wed

  06

  Dec

  2017

  Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band

  Mandela Hall

  Belfast

  

  Americana singer-songwriter Josh Ritter performs at the Mandela Hall with the Royal City Band on December 6.

  Having carved out a perennial career for himself for quite some time now, Ritter was actually discovered by our very own Glen Hansard and the Frames, who invited him to Ireland. His debut album came out in 1999, and these dates accompany his latest album, Gathering.

  Check out recent single, 'Showboat'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.

• Thu

  07

  Dec

  2017

  Ricky Ross (Deacon Blue)

  The Empire Music Hall

  Belfast

  

  Former Deacon Blue frontman Ricky Ross returns to Ireland, playing Belfast's Empire on December 7.

  He's touring his new album, Short Stories Vol. 1, recorded over 2 days in Hamburg, featuring songs both new and old, accompanied by choral & string arrangements.

  Have a listen to 'Real Gone Kid'.

  Tickets, priced at £22.50, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Thu

  07

  Dec

  2017

  The Divine Comedy

  Ulster Hall

  Belfast

  

  Coinciding with the release of their eleventh album, Foreverland, The Divine Comedy play the Ulster Hall on December 7.

  Since the formation of the Divine Comedy in 1989, Neil Hannon has continued to remain one of the most revered songwriters across the UK and Ireland, with projects including the cricket-based Duckworth Lewis Method. His lyricism is cynically romantic, and sincerely ironic, and has lost none of its lustre over the years - watch the video for 'To The Rescue'.

  Tickets cost from £33 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  07

  Dec

  2017

  Fri

  08

  Dec

  2017

  Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  Americana singer-songwriter Josh Ritter performs a two-night stint at Vicar Street with the Royal City Band on December 7 & 8.

  Having carved out a perennial career for himself for quite some time now, Ritter was actually discovered by our very own Glen Hansard and the Frames, who invited him to Ireland. His debut album came out in 1999, and these dates accompany his latest album, Gathering.

  Check out recent single, 'Showboat'.

  Tickets, priced at €36, are available from Ticketmaster, with combo tickets for both nights for sale too. Doors open at 8pm.

• Thu

  07

  Dec

  2017

  Fri

  08

  Dec

  2017

  Mark Thomas

  Black Box

  Belfast

  

  Massively respected comedian Mark Thomas plays the Black Box on December 7 & 8 with his new A Show That Gambles on the Future, which sold out the Fringe this year.

  With this show, Thomas is set to discover what the future has in store, given the unlikely, yet somehow inevitable, events of last year. The satirist, self-described as a libertarian anarchist, released a new book Liar's Quartet, earlier in the year.

  Tickets are available, priced £14.50-£16, from the Black Box. Doors open at 8pm.

   

• Fri

  08

  Dec

  2017

  Rusangano Family w/Jonen Dekay

  Roisin Dubh

  Galway

  

  Choice Music Prize Winners, hip-hop trio Rusangano Family play Galway's Roisin Dubh on December 8.

  The bass-heavy 2 MC, 1 DJ act features members from Zimbabwe, Togo & Co. Clare, and have built up an incredible audience from their live show and debut album, Let The Dead Bury The Dead. Check out their latest single, 'Tea In A Pot'.

  Supporting is Jonen Dekay.

  Admission costs €20, or €18 for members from Roisin Dubh. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sat

  09

  Dec

  2017

  Rusangano Family w/Mango & Mathman

  Cyprus Avenue

  Cork

  

  Choice Music Prize Winners, hip-hop trio Rusangano Family play Cyprus Avenue on December 9 as part of their end-of-year Irish dates.

  The bass-heavy 2 MC, 1 DJ act features members from Zimbabwe, Togo & Co. Clare, and have built up an incredible audience from their live show and debut album, Let The Dead Bury The Dead. Check out their latest single, 'Tea In A Pot'.

  Support comes from Dublin rapper Mango and DJ Mathman.

  Admission costs €15 from Cyprus Avenue. Doors open at 9pm.

• Sun

  10

  Dec

  2017

  The Charlatans

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  English indie rock legends The Charlatans play Dublin's Academy on December 10.

  This news follows the release of their thirteenth album, Different Days, another strong release amongst the band's consistent repertoire. Formed in the late eighties by bassist Martin Blunt, who eventually brought frontman Tim Burgess onboard, they were associated with the Britpop and Madchester scenes. They achieved hits from their debut album, 1990's Some Friendly and have largely went from strength to strength.  Different Days was recorded at the band's Chesire studio, and features appropriate contributions from friends from Paul Weller & Johnny Marr, through to the likes of more unexpected crime writer Ian Rankin & phenomenal writer/actress Sharon Horgan.

  Tickets are priced at €36.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Mon

  11

  Dec

  2017

  The Charlatans

  The Limelight 1

  Belfast

  

  English indie rock legends The Charlatans play Belfast's Limelight 1 on December 11.

  This news follows the release of their thirteenth album, Different Days, another strong release amongst the band's consistent repertoire. Formed in the late eighties by bassist Martin Blunt, who eventually brought frontman Tim Burgess onboard, they were associated with the Britpop and Madchester scenes. They achieved hits from their debut album, 1990's Some Friendly and have largely went from strength to strength.  Different Days was recorded at the band's Chesire studio, and features appropriate contributions from friends from Paul Weller & Johnny Marr, through to the likes of more unexpected crime writer Ian Rankin & phenomenal writer/actress Sharon Horgan.

  Tickets are priced at £31 from Ticketmaster & Katy's Bar. Doors open at 7pm.

• Tue

  12

  Dec

  2017

  The Moulettes

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Multi-instrumentalist group Moulettes play Whelan's on December 12.

  Combining electric & acoustic instruments, the Brighton-based collective released their new album Preternatural last year. The band are influenced by experimental pop, folk, and prog, along the lines of Zappa, Gentle Giant, tUnE-yArDs and Field Music. Listen to 'Behemooth' live in the studio for an example of their eclectic musicality.

  Tickets, priced at €17.50 from available from Ticketmaster & WAV Tickets. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Tue

  12

  Dec

  2017

  Patrick Wolf

  The Sugar Club

  Dublin

  

  Receiving the Trinity's College Historical Society's Burke Medal for the Outstanding Contribution to Discourse through the Arts, Patrick Wolf performs at Dublin's Sugar Club on December 12.

  He's currently polishing off his seventh studio album and first book of original poetry, The Ghost Religion. The Burke Medal has previously been awarded to WB Yeats, Salman Rushdie, Patti Smith, Ralph Fiennes & Sinéad O'Connor, amongst many other luminaries. Patrick Wolf has consistently evolved with pop, but check out early single, 'The Magic Postition'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.

• Wed

  13

  Dec

  2017

  SikTh, 7.5 Tonnes of Beard, Drakonis & Altus

  The Empire Music Hall

  Belfast

  

  One of the most successful of the djent bands, SikTh play the Empire on December 13. The Watford band formed in 1999, releasing their debut LP in 2003, ultimately ceasing in 2008 before a reunion in 2013 and have now released their third album, The Future In Whose Eyes?

  Supporting are the crushingly heavy five piece 7.5 Tonnes of Beard - check them out on Bandcamp - Lisburn black death metal outfit Drakonis and melodic death metal outfit Altus.

  Tickets, priced £20, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Wed

  13

  Dec

  2017

  King Krule

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Eclectic English singer, rapper, songwriter, producer & musician Archy Ivan Marshall, aka King Krule, is to play the Academy on December 13.

  Incorporating elements of punk, jazz, hip-hop & trip-hop filtered through an indie rock lens, he's been gradually building, with debut album 6 Feet Beneath The Moon coming out in 2013. Watch the video for his new single, 'Czech One'.

  Tickets cost €25 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  14

  Dec

  2017

  SikTh

  The Button Factory

  Dublin

  

  One of the most successful of the djent bands, SikTh play Dublin's Button Factory on December 14.

  The Watford band formed in 1999, releasing their debut LP in 2003, ultimately ceasing in 2008 before a reunion in 2013 and have now released their third album, The Future In Whose Eyes?

   

• Thu

  14

  Dec

  2017

  The Blades Christmas Party

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Dublin new wave band The Blades, having reunited in 2013 to sellout crowds, play their fifth annual Christmas show at The Academy on December 14.

  Formed at the height of punk in 1977, the trio released pair of  7" singles in the early eighties on Energy Records, and played a six week residency at the Baggott Inn with U2, regularly swapping headline slots in an attempt to make it. Their frontman and bassist Paul Cleary was named Songwriter of the Year ahead of Bono and Van Morrison, and Single of the Year for 'The Bride Wore White' back in 1982's Hot Press awards.

  Check out their new material on Bandcamp.

  Tickets are available, priced from €30, from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Thu

  14

  Dec

  2017

  Fri

  15

  Dec

  2017

  Talos

  St. Ann's Parish Centre

  Dublin

  

  A suitably atmospheric venue hosts the panoramic folktronic pop soundscapes of Eoin French, aka Talos, on December 14 & 15, when he plays St. Ann's Parish Centre on Dawson Street.

  He released his a recent EP, O Sanctum in August, with the single 'Your Love Is An Island' gaining a lot of momentum, marked by acclaimed live shows. Check out the lead single from debut album Wild Alee, 'Odyssey'.

  Tickets cost €18 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  14

  Dec

  2017

  Yawning Man

  Voodoo

  Belfast

  

  Palm Desert scene originators Yawning Man play Voodoo on December 14.

  Heavily influenced by psychedelia, punk, jazz, punk rock and everything else absorbed during their heady time together, they were a massive influence on the popularisers of the desert rock sound like Kyuss, QOTSA and countless others. Forming in 1986, they drew from SST Records - the likes of Black Flag, Minutemen, Meat Puppets and the like, sounding somewhere between early Floyd, Black Flag and Morricone. They didn't release any outright studio albums until 2005, their most recent being 2016's Historical Graffiti - check out Vista Point. 

  Aptly providing support are the fast-rising, intoxicatingly funky, soulful, psychedelic jam trio Electric Octopus - check out one of their many albums.

  Admission costs £10 on the night, with doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  15

  Dec

  2017

  Otherkin

  The Button Factory

  Dublin

  

  Following sold out shows and slots at Tennent's Vital, Electric Picnic, Latitude, Reading & Leeds Festivals and more, Dublin grungy garage quartet Otherkin round out another big  year - having released debut album OK at the end of summer - with a show at the Button Factory on December 15.

  They released their The New Vice EP last summer - check out their Soundcloud. Their music and performances have attracted the Guardian and NME and it looks like the band are on the cusp of big things. Here's new single 'The Hyve'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €15.35. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Fri

  15

  Dec

  2017

  Happy Mondays

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  Madchester legends Happy Mondays play Vicar Street on December 15, following their two sold-out shows in the venue almost exactly two years ago.

  Formed around frontman Shaun Ryder in 1980, Happy Mondays were a crucial act in the drug-fuelled Madchester movement of the later '80s/early '90s. Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches was released in 1990, and permanently cemented their legacy in British culture. Have a listen to the glorious adapted Italo house of 'Step On'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €35. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sat

  16

  Dec

  2017

  CKY

  Voodoo Lounge

  Dublin

  

  Noughties riff-rockers CKY play Voodoo Lounge in Dublin on December 16.

  Known for writing the Viva La Bam theme tune, soundtracking the skate-punk culture that dominated gaming, TV & music in its day. Formed in West Chester by Deron Miller, Chad I Ginsburg & Bam's brother Jess Margera. They initially found recognition through the CKY video series and music in the Jackass series. Blending alt. metal, stoner rock, post-grunge & skate-punk, they tick the boxes and sum up a particular subculture. Their return album, The Phoenix came out in June.

  Tickets cost €25 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sat

  16

  Dec

  2017

  Clang Sayne

  The Black Gate

  Galway

  

  Massively diverse, experimental folk quartet Clang Sayne play Galway's Black Gate on Francis Street on December 16.

  Fusing '70s psychedelia, free jazz, sound art, folk and more, the Wexford act's borderline-uncategorisable sound has yielded two albums - the most recent of which, The Round Soul of the World, was released earlier this year. Check them out on Soundcloud.

  Tickets are available on the door, priced at €10.

• Sun

  17

  Dec

  2017

  Mon

  18

  Dec

  2017

  Glen Hansard

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  Following two sold out solo shows in August at the venue, singer-songwriter Glen Hansard plays a big band show on December 17 & 18 at Vicar Street.

  He's obviously well-known for his 25 years in The Frames, as well as his actor/musician role in the film Once and its accompanying folk project, The Swell Season, which earned him a number of awards and nominations. Hansard quit school at 13 to busk on Dublin streets, forming the Frames in 1990 and appearing in The Commitments the following year after attending the New York Film Academy School of Acting. He's went on to become an national institution for songwriters.

  His first solo album, Rhythm and Repose came out in 2012, and was followed up by the aforementioned Didn't He Ramble in 2015. Check out the video for 'Winning Streak'.

  Tickets cost €40 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Sun

  17

  Dec

  2017

  CKY w/Black Chapels & Mosmo Strange

  The Limelight

  Belfast

  

  Noughties riff-rockers CKY play the Empire on December 17.

  Known for writing the Viva La Bam theme tune, soundtracking the skate-punk culture that dominated gaming, TV & music in its day. Formed in West Chester by Deron Miller, Chad I Ginsburg & Bam's brother Jess Margera. They initially found recognition through the CKY video series and music in the Jackass series. Blending alt. metal, stoner rock, post-grunge & skate-punk, they tick the boxes and sum up a particular subculture. Their return album, The Phoenix came out in June.

  Support comes from Mosmo Strange and Black Chapels.

  Tickets cost £22.50 from WeGotTickets. Doors open at 8.30pm.

• Tue

  19

  Dec

  2017

  Gogol Bordello w/Lucky Chops

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Coinciding with their latest album Seekers and Finders, gypsy-punks Gogol Bordello play The Academy on December 19.

  Written over a tour of three different continents, the nine-piece multi-cultural outfit blend violins, accordions, trump, marimba and conventional rock instrumentation, with the irreplaceable Eugene Hutz as frontman. 

  Tickets cost €30 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  21

  Dec

  2017

  Fri

  22

  Dec

  2017

  The Strypes

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  In celebration of their third album, Spitting Image, Cavan rock'n'roll ones-to-watch The Strypes have come of age, playing December 21 & 22 at Whelan's.

  The young music magpies recorded the third LP with the legendary Glyn Johns' son Ethan, after exploding with hype back in 2013 and touring relentlessly since. As well as their traditional British invasion roots, they've incorporated some New Wave into their sound. Watch the video for 'Great Expectations'.

  Tickets cost €30 from Ticketmaster & WAV Tickets. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Thu

  21

  Dec

  2017

  Rusangano Family w/Jafaris

  Dolans Warehouse

  Limerick

  

  Choice Music Prize Winners, hip-hop trio Rusangano Family play Dolan's Warehouse in Limerick on December 21 as part of their end-of-year Irish dates.

  The bass-heavy 2 MC, 1 DJ act features members from Zimbabwe, Togo & Co. Clare, and have built up an incredible audience from their live show and debut album, Let The Dead Bury The Dead. Check out their latest single, 'Tea In A Pot'.

  Supporting is Dublin-based singer/poet/rapper/actor/songwriter Jafaris.

  Admission costs €18 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 9pm.

• Thu

  21

  Dec

  2017

  Gascan Ruckus, Via:Barvikha, Wasps & The Vicuñas

  The Empire Music Hall

  Belfast

  

  In Shizznigh's flagship Christmas show, alt. punks Gascan Ruckus headline the Empire on December 21 to round out the season. Have a listen to their debut album, Narrow Defeats and Bitter Victories.

  Supporting are brooding alt. folk singer-songwriter Chris Leckey's Via Barvikha - listen to his excellent debut EP Chengdu - math-punk duo Wasps - check out the video for 'Future Endeavours' - and Warrenpoint quartet The Vicuñas.

  Admission costs £7, and doors open at 8.30pm.

• Thu

  28

  Dec

  2017

  And So I Watch You From Afar

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Belfast-based instrumental titans And So I Watch You From Afar play Dublin's Academy in the first of four end-of-year dates on December 28.

  The band have recorded their forthcoming fifth album, following on from their 2015 LP, Heirs, on Sargent House. Blending upbeat pop energy with crushing heaviness and ambience, the band are one of Ireland's finest live, and this short tour follows a mammoth run of European dates throughout October & November.

  Admission costs €22 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Fri

  29

  Dec

  2017

  And So I Watch You From Afar

  Garbo's

  Castlebar

  

  Belfast-based instrumental titans And So I Watch You From Afar play Castlebar's Garbo's on December 29.

  The band have recorded their forthcoming fifth album, following on from their 2015 LP, Heirs, on Sargent House. Blending upbeat pop energy with crushing heaviness and ambience, the band are one of Ireland's finest live, and this short tour follows a mammoth run of European dates throughout October & November.

• Fri

  29

  Dec

  2017

  Overhead, The Albatross

  The Workman's Club

  Dublin

  

  Instrumental post-rockers Overhead, The Albatross play an intimate Christmas show at Workman's Club on December 29.

  The six-piece's attention to detail is second to none, with mild psychedelic overtones, skyscraping melodies and massive, panoramic scapes interspersed with conventional post-rock instrumentation, as well as the presence of electronics. Their debut album, Learning To Growl, came out last year, to a deserving nomination for the Choice Music Prize - check them out at one of their Vicar Street shows.

  Tickets cost €18 from Ticketweb. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sat

  30

  Dec

  2017

  And So I Watch You From Afar

  Cyprus Avenue

  Cork

  

  Belfast-based instrumental titans And So I Watch You From Afar make their long-awaited return to Cork to play Cyprus Avenue on December 30 in a 4-date run of Irish shows.

  The band have recorded their forthcoming fifth album, following on from their 2015 LP, Heirs, on Sargent House. Blending upbeat pop energy with crushing heaviness and ambience, the band are one of Ireland's finest live, and this short tour follows a mammoth run of European dates throughout October & November.

  Admission costs €17.50 from Eventbrite. Doors open at 8pm.

• Sun

  31

  Dec

  2017

  And So I Watch You From Afar

  Roisin Dubh

  Galway

  

  Belfast-based instrumental titans And So I Watch You From Afar play Galway's Roisin Dubh for the third time this year, finishing up their 4-date Irish tour on New Year's Eve.

  The band have recorded their forthcoming fifth album, following on from their 2015 LP, Heirs, on Sargent House. Blending upbeat pop energy with crushing heaviness and ambience, the band are one of Ireland's finest live, and this short tour follows a mammoth run of European dates throughout October & November.

  Admission costs €25 from the Roisin Dubh. Doors open at 8pm.

• Tue

  16

  Jan

  2018

  6LACK

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  One of the hottest performers in hip-hop & R&B right now, 6LACK plays the Olympia Theatre on January 16.

  From Atlanta, Georgia, his debut album Free 6LACK came out at the end of 2016 and since then, he's been tipped for massive success - watch the video for 'Prblms'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced from €25.90. Doors open at 8pm.

• Wed

  24

  Jan

  2018

  Public Service Broadcasting

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  The aptly-named Public Service Broadcasting have announced their biggest Dublin show yet, when they play the Academy on January 24, touring their most critically & commercially successful album to-date.

  Every Valley achieved No. 4 placing in the charts, which is impressive for a band that relies on its eclectic instrumentalism & samples from old public service broadcasts as vocals. Based around J. Willgoose, Esq. and drummer Wrigglesworth, they mine a particular era of British culture, creating an AV Transmission live, using archival footage and live drums, guitar, banjo and electronics.

  Tickets, priced at €27.90, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  25

  Jan

  2018

  Public Service Broadcasting

  Limelight 1

  Belfast

  

  The aptly-named Public Service Broadcasting have announced their biggest Belfast show to date, when they play the Limelight 1 on January 25 as they tour their most critically & commercially successful album to-date.

  Every Valley achieved No. 4 placing in the charts, which is impressive for a band that relies on its eclectic instrumentalism & samples from old public service broadcasts as vocals. 

  Tickets, priced at £22.50, are available from Ticketmaster & Katy's Bar. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sun

  28

  Jan

  2018

  The Menzingers, PUP & Cayetana

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Pennsylvanian punk rock quartet The Menzingers will kick off a European tour in the New Year with a brace of Irish dates, beginning at Whelan's on January 28. The Menzingers released their fifth studio album, After the Party, at the start of the year. Stream it.

  Culminating in Amsterdam in mid-February, the tour will also feature support from Toronto punks PUP - whose second album The Dream Is Over was one of the most acclaimed albums of last year in its genre - and Philly trio Cayetana.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster & WAV Tickets.

• Mon

  29

  Jan

  2018

  Wed

  31

  Jan

  2018

  Erasure

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Quintessential London synthpop duo Erasure play Dublin's Olympia Theatre on January 29-31 due to popular demand.

  Andy Bell and Vince Clark have been around now for 32 years, selling over 25 million albums, with their latest being World Be Gone. Check out the video for 'A Little Respect'.

  Tickets, priced €54.50-€64.50, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Mon

  29

  Jan

  2018

  The Menzingers, PUP & Cayetana

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  Pennsylvanian punk rock quartet The Menzingers will kick off a European tour in the New Year with a brace of Irish dates, performing at the Limelight 2 on January 29. The Menzingers released their fifth studio album, After the Party, at the start of the year. Stream it.

  Culminating in Amsterdam in mid-February, the tour will also feature support from Toronto punks PUP - whose second album The Dream Is Over was one of the most acclaimed albums of last year in its genre - and Philly trio Cayetana.

  Tickets are available for £16 from Ticketmaster & Katy's Bar. Doors open at 7pm.

• Fri

  02

  Feb

  2018

  Rat Boy

  Limelight 1

  Belfast

  

  Essex band Rat Boy - who were sampled on Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. earlier this year - play the Limelight 1 on February 2.

  Their debut album Scum, came out in mid-2017, and the post-Britpop, hip-hop-tinged indie band are led by Jordan Cardy. Check out 'Laidback'.

  Tickets cost £17 from Ticketmaster & Katy's Bar. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sat

  03

  Feb

  2018

  Rat Boy

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Essex band Rat Boy - who were sampled on Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. earlier this year - play the Academy on February 3.

  Their debut album Scum, came out in mid-2017, and the post-Britpop, hip-hop-tinged indie band are led by Jordan Cardy. Check out 'Laidback'.

  Tickets cost €19.35 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Wed

  07

  Feb

  2018

  Kendrick Lamar

  3Arena

  Dublin

  

  The present and future face of hip-hop, Kendrick Lamar, plays Dublin's 3Arena on February 7 to kick off his European leg of the DAMN. tour.

  From Compton, he's now 30 and has released two of the most essential albums in hip-hop history in good kid m.A.A.d city and the sprawling To Pimp A Butterfly, with his recent DAMN. being an eclectic blend of club bangers, indie-referencing tunes and the kind of stuff he's known for. 

  Tickets are priced from €77-€101, available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 6pm.

• Sat

  10

  Feb

  2018

  Ed Byrne

  Waterfront Hall

  Belfast

  

  Following a sold-out fringe run, Ed Byrne returns to Belfast to perform his new show, Spoiler Alert at the Waterfront on February 10.

  Byrne apparently originally intended to call the show “I’ll Millennial You in a Minute”, but his promoter considered the title “off-puttingly baffling”. Tellingly, he explores the thin line between righteous complaining and brat-like whining and asks, ‘are we right to be fed up, or are we spoiled?’

• Tue

  13

  Feb

  2018

  Wed

  14

  Feb

  2018

  Paul Weller w/Touts

  The Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Brit-rock icon Paul Weller returns to Dublin to play the Olympia Theatre on February 13 & 14.

  Known originally for his work with The Jam, before forming The Style Council, he's often called The Modfather for his contributions to the revival of Mod culture in the '70s & '80s. 2017 marks the 40th anniversary of his debut album, In The City, as well as the release of his 13th solo album A Kind Revolution.

  Support comes from young Derry indie-punks Touts.

  Tickets are priced at €55.65 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

   

• Tue

  13

  Feb

  2018

  Anvil

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  Cult Canadian metal band Anvil come to Belfast to play the Limelight 2 on February 13. 

  Although they never reached the level of popularity their potential suggested, the phenomenal documentary made about their careers paved the way for something of a career rejuvenation. This tour comes as part of the tour for their seventeenth album, Pounding The Pavement. Watch their biggest hit, 'Metal On Metal'.

  Tickets cost £15 from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar. Doors open at 7pm.

• Wed

  14

  Feb

  2018

  The Front Bottoms

  Mandela Hall

  Belfast

  

  New Jersey good-time folk-punk band The Front Bottoms are set to make some formative memories on February 14 at the Mandela Hall.

  The quartet  formed in 2007, self-releasing a series of EP's and albums, their outright eponymous debut album came out in 2011, building via their relentless touring schedule and consistent critical acclaim, maintaining an authenticity while jumping to a major label. Their latest, Going Grey, came out in October - watch the video for its first single, 'Raining'.

  Tickets cost £21 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Wed

  14

  Feb

  2018

  Anvil

  Green Room, The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Cult Canadian metal band Anvil come to Dublin's Green Room at the Academy on February 14. 

  Although they never reached the level of popularity their potential suggested, the phenomenal documentary made about their careers paved the way for something of a career rejuvenation. This tour comes as part of the tour for their seventeenth album, Pounding The Pavement. Watch their biggest hit, 'Metal On Metal'.

  Tickets cost €25 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  15

  Feb

  2018

  Paul Weller w/Touts

  Ulster Hall

  Belfast

  

  Brit-rock icon Paul Weller plays the Ulster Hall on February 15.

  Known originally for his work with The Jam, before forming The Style Council, he's often called The Modfather for his contributions to the revival of Mod culture in the '70s & '80s. 2017 marks the 40th anniversary of his debut album, In The City, as well as the release of his 13th solo album A Kind Revolution.

  Support comes from young Derry indie-punks Touts.

  Tickets are priced at £49 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

   

• Thu

  15

  Feb

  2018

  Jake Bugg (Acoustic)

  Whelan's

  Dublin

  

  Younger singer-songwriter Jake Bugg returns to Dublin with new album in hand, when he plays Whelan's on February 15 as part of an acoustic tour.

  Following his breakthrough debut album and successful follow-ups, his latest album Hearts That Strain was written with Grammy-winning producer David Ferguson & Matt Sweeney in Nashville. Watch the video for new single 'How Soon The Dawn'.

  Tickets are available from Whelan's, priced at €27.90. Doors open at 8pm.

• Thu

  15

  Feb

  2018

  Wild Beasts

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Following the announcement of their split, Wild Beasts play one of their last ever performances, taking place at the Olympia Theatre on February 15.

  Formed when the band were still teenagers, they've done phenomenally well and their last release is the Punk Drunk and Trembling EP, from their Boy King recording sessions. The eclectic band swung across indie rock, minmalism, art-funk and many other touchstones in their time together - listen to their swan song single.

  Tickets are priced from €28.50-€36 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sat

  17

  Feb

  2018

  JK Flesh [Godflesh, Jesu]

  The Workman's Club

  Dublin

  

  Justin K Broadrick, founder of Godflesh, member of Napalm Death at just 15, and all-round industrial godhead JK Flesh plays The Workman's Club on February 17.

  Debuting with his solo project in 2012 with Posthuman, he's also worked as part of Techno Animal alongside The Bug, and Flesh is the side of his solo output more driven by electronic beats & bass, which was hinted at back in his early, '90s psychedelic industrial techno project. Listen to last year's EDLX.048 Rise Above.

  Tickets cost €16.55 from Eventbrite. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  23

  Feb

  2018

  Electric Six

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  In what has become an annual tradition, Detroit dance-tinged comedy rockers Electric Six return to Ireland, playing the Limelight 2 on February 23.

  They play following the release of their eleventh studio album, Bitch, Don't Let Me Die!, in October. The band have remained notably prolific since their 2003 debut Fire, averaging almost an album a year. 

  Tickets are available priced at £15.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Fri

  23

  Feb

  2018

  Wyvern Lingo

  Number Twenty Two

  Dublin

  

  Soulful Bray pop trio Wyvern Lingo have announced their first show of 2018, when they play at Dublin's Number Twenty Two on February 23.

  They've just unveiled the masterful ‘Out Of My Hands’. Brimming with the band’s increasingly inimitable brand of harmony-driven alt-pop, it is also the band’s most political effort to date.

  Speaking about the track, Karen from the band said, “’Out of My Hands’ was inspired by a man I met in a pub, the night of the Home Sweet Home/Occupy Nama demonstration. He was completely cynical towards activism. I tried to get inside his head, that mistrust and negativity on the refugee crisis, homelessness in Ireland, and the Repeal the 8th movement.”

  Tickets cost €19.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Sat

  24

  Feb

  2018

  Electric Six

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  In what has become an annual tradition, Detroit dance-tinged comedy rockers Electric Six return to Ireland, playing the The Academy, Dublin on February 24.

  They play following the release of their eleventh studio album, Bitch, Don't Let Me Die!, in October. The band have remained notably prolific since their 2003 debut Fire, averaging almost an album a year. 

  Tickets are available priced at €20 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sat

  24

  Feb

  2018

  Elbow w/John Grant

  3Arena

  Dublin

  

  Mercury Price-winners Elbow return to Dublin, playing February 24 at the 3Arena.

  Their seventh studio album, Little Fiction had its release in February 2017, a collaborative effort compared to its 2014 individually-penned predecessor, The Take Off and Landing of Everything. It's their first as a quartet, following the departure of their drummer in early 2016. In their time apart, frontman Guy Garvey released a solo album, Craig Potter produced Steve Mason's latest, and guitarist Mark Potter formed The Plumedores. Here's the video for 'New York Morning'.

  Supporting is Colorado singer-songwriter John Grant, following his third album, Grey Tickles, Black Pressure, which saw Grant delve further into his fizzing electro-pop side. Check out the video for single, 'Disappointing', feat. Tracey Thorn.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced from €59.50. Doors open at 6.30pm.

• Mon

  26

  Feb

  2018

  Nils Frahm

  National Concert Hall

  Dublin

  

  Berlin pianist/multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer Nils Frahm returns to Dublin, playing the beautiful National Concert Hall on February 26 as part of his long worldwide All Melody tour - following a 2017 live hiatus.

  Known for combining electronic and classical music, he was taught classical piano at a young age from one of the last proteges of Tchaikovsky. To date, he has released several albums, but really broke through with 2011's Felt.

  His minimalist approach and incorporation of electronics into the classical format has led many to draw comparisons with 20th century composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Check out his performance at St. John-at-Hackney Church in London.

  Tickets are available from NCH, priced at €30. Doors open at 8pm.

• Tue

  27

  Feb

  2018

  Nils Frahm

  Mandela Hall

  Belfast

  

  Berlin pianist/multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer Nils Frahm returns to Belfast for the first time in 4 years to play Mandela Hall on February 27 as part of his long worldwide All Melody tour - following a 2017 live hiatus.

  Known for combining electronic and classical music, he was taught classical piano at a young age from one of the last proteges of Tchaikovsky. To date, he has released several albums, but really broke through with 2011's Felt.

  His minimalist approach and incorporation of electronics into the classical format has led many to draw comparisons with 20th century composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Check out his performance at St. John-at-Hackney Church in London.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and doors open at 7pm.

• Wed

  28

  Feb

  2018

  Everything Everything

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Manchester art-pop act Everything Everything are set to play the Olympia Theatre on February 28, having released fourth album, A Fever Dream in August.

  Formed in 2007, the band have received nominations for the Mercury Music Prize & 3 Ivor Novellos. Ever-eclectic, they meld R&B rhythmic conventions with stream-of-consciousness Radiohead-esque vocals, with A Fever Dream more dynamic than ever before - check out the video for 'Can't Do'.

  Tickets cost €23.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  01

  Mar

  2018

  Wyvern Lingo

  McHugh's Bar

  Belfast

  

  Soulful Bray pop trio Wyvern Lingo continue their rise with some more Irish dates, playing Belfast's McHugh's on March 1.

  They've just unveiled the masterful ‘Out Of My Hands’. Brimming with the band’s increasingly inimitable brand of harmony-driven alt-pop, it is also the band’s most political effort to date.

  Speaking about the track, Karen from the band said, “’Out of My Hands’ was inspired by a man I met in a pub, the night of the Home Sweet Home/Occupy Nama demonstration. He was completely cynical towards activism. I tried to get inside his head, that mistrust and negativity on the refugee crisis, homelessness in Ireland, and the Repeal the 8th movement.”

  Tickets cost £14 from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  02

  Mar

  2018

  Skid Row w/Toseland

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Classic sleaze-rockers Skid Row play The Academy in Dublin on March 2 after over 30 years since they first formed.

  Currently fronted by bassist and founding member Rachel Bolan and Dragonforce's ZP Theart, who joined this year - the position was once filled by the notorious Sebastian Bach. The final EP in their United World Rebellion series was recently released. Here's 'Youth Gone Wild'.

  Support comes from Toseland.

  Tickets cost €30 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7.30pm.

• Sat

  03

  Mar

  2018

  Skid Row w/Toseland

  The Limelight

  Belfast

  

  Classic sleaze-rockers Skid Row play Belfast's Limelight 1 on March 3, having passed their third decade milestone.

  Currently fronted by bassist and founding member Rachel Bolan and Dragonforce's ZP Theart, who joined this year - the position was once filled by the notorious Sebastian Bach. The final EP in their United World Rebellion series was recently released. Here's 'Youth Gone Wild'.

  Support comes from Toseland.

  Tickets cost £20 from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar. Doors open at 6pm.

• Fri

  09

  Mar

  2018

  Sat

  10

  Mar

  2018

  Randy Newman

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  One of America's great satirists, Randy Newman plays two nights in Vicar Street on March 9 & 10.

  Best known for his work on film soundtracks - a trade handed down by his father - his original studio albums have proved timeless, scathing snapshots of certain corners of American society, criticising close-mindedness, foreign policy, doublethink and even occasionally delving into some detached introspection. He's a master craftsman who doesn't stop working and is currently touring his latest album, Dark Matter. Here's a typically Randy number, taking Russian folk from the new LP: 'Putin'.

  Tickets cost €70 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  09

  Mar

  2018

  Alabama 3

  The Academy

  Dublin

  

  Brixton blues-rockers Alabama 3 return to Dublin on March 9 to play the Academy, following the release of their whiskey-soaked LP Blues.

  The Brixton outfit blend rock, acid house, blues, country, gospel & spoken word, known for their genre fusing, the band members' alias', and outstanding live show. You probably know them best for the theme to arguably the Best Show Of All Time.

  Tickets cost €26.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm as it's an early show.

• Wed

  14

  Mar

  2018

  Death From Above

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Having last played the city back in 2015, Toronto bass & drums punk rock duo Jesse F. Keeler and Sebastien Grainger AKA Death From Above will play Dublin’s Olympia on March 14.

  The band – formerly known as Death From Above 1979 – released their third studio album, Outrage! Is Now, earlier this month, marking their return as an active band, having left a decade between their first two records, after the first took on a highly-influential life of its own. Check out the new single, 'Freeze Me'.

  Support comes from the mighty Le Butcherettes - they're a fearsome live outfit, so check them out at the Ring Road Live Sessions.

  Tickets are priced at €30 including booking fee, available from Ticketmaster.

• Fri

  16

  Mar

  2018

  The Selecter & The Beat [Co-Headliner]

  Mandela Hall

  Belfast

  

  Two of the most important acts in the ska/2-Tone movement, The Beat - featuring Ranking Roger - and The Selecter, have announced a return to Ireland, when they play Belfast's Mandela Hall on March 16.

  The Beat formed in 1978 at the peak of unemployment and social upheaval and alongside The Specials, found much success through their messages of hope in an otherwise bleak British society. They released 3 albums before disbanding in 1983 until a one-off 2003 semi-reunion, before a full regrouping took place in 2006. Their current iteration includes Ranking Roger and Ranking Junior onstage. Here's 'Mirror In The Bathroom'.

  Formed in Coventry in 1979, The Selecter were politically and socially charged by the vocals of rude girl Pauline Black. They were one of the most successful acts of the 2 Tone era despite releasing just 2 albums, with hits like 'On My Radio'. They disbanded in 1981 and split into Pauline Black's Selecter songwriter Neol Davies' Selecter after a reunion in 1991.

  Tickets are on sale now from Ticketmaster for £25. Doors open at 7pm.

   

• Sat

  17

  Mar

  2018

  Steven Wilson

  Mandela Hall

  Belfast

  

  Porcupine Tree mastermind Steven Wilson plays Mandela Hall on March 17 following his fifth solo album, To The Bone.

  The album is being released as a dynamic modernist pop record as imagined by one of the UK's biggest underground artists. Fusing futurist rock and spectral electronics to ambience and squalling guitars, it's seen as his ode to the ambitious progressive pop records of his youth - Peter Gabriel, Talk Talk & Tears For Fears, for example. Check out the first track taken from To The Bone, 'Pariah'.

  Tickets cost £33 from Ticketmaster and the QUB Students' Union reception. Doors open at 8pm.

• Tue

  20

  Mar

  2018

  Alabama 3

  The Limelight

  Belfast

  

  Brixton blues-rockers Alabama 3 return to the Limelight 1 on March 10, following the release of their whiskey-soaked LP Blues.

  The Brixton outfit blend rock, acid house, blues, country, gospel & spoken word, known for their genre fusing, the band members' alias', and outstanding live show. You probably know them best for the theme to arguably the Best Show Of All Time.

  Tickets cost £22.50 from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar. Doors open at 7pm as it's an early show.

• Tue

  20

  Mar

  2018

  Cannibal Corpse

  Tivoli Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Death metal legends Cannibal Corpse play 3 Irish dates, kicking off at Dublin's Tivoli Theatre on March 20.

  The Buffalo five piece are obviously known for their macabre themes, with such hits including 'As Deep As The Knife Will Go' and 'Hammer Smashed Face' being amongst the more genial cuts. They've finished their latest album, Red Before Black, which they'll be touring this time around. Check out the video for the latest single, 'Code of the Slashers'. 

  Tickets, priced €27.50, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Wed

  21

  Mar

  2018

  Cannibal Corpse

  Dolans Warehouse

  Limerick

  

  Death metal legends Cannibal Corpse play 3 Irish dates, playing Dolan's Warehouse in Limerick on March 21.

  The Buffalo five piece are obviously known for their macabre themes, with such hits including 'As Deep As The Knife Will Go' and 'Hammer Smashed Face' being amongst the more genial cuts. They've finished their latest album, Red Before Black, which they'll be touring this time around. Check out the video for the latest single, 'Code of the Slashers'. 

  Tickets, priced €29, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Thu

  22

  Mar

  2018

  Cannibal Corpse

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  Death metal legends Cannibal Corpse play 3 Irish dates, finishing up on March 22 at the Limelight 2.

  The Buffalo five piece are obviously known for their macabre themes, with such hits including 'As Deep As The Knife Will Go' and 'Hammer Smashed Face' being amongst the more genial cuts. They've finished their latest album, Red Before Black, which they'll be touring this time around. Check out the video for the latest single, 'Code of the Slashers'. 

  Tickets, priced £23.50, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 6pm as it's an early show.

• Tue

  27

  Mar

  2018

  Phoenix

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Having last played the city as part of Longitude back in 2013, French indie-pop quartet Phoenix will play Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on March 27, 2018.

  The show will mark the end of a string of European live dates for the band, who have been touring worldwide to promote their new album, Ti Amo, since May.

  Tickets for the Dublin show are priced €34.50 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Wed

  04

  Apr

  2018

  Toto

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  One of the best-selling groups of musicians of all time, Toto, play Vicar Street on April 4 in their 40th anniversary, as part of the 40 Trips Around The Sun tour.

  As individual members - many of whom are prolific session musicians - they have the unbelievable statistic of being heard on around 5000 albums, with over half a billion sold. Toto, themselves having sold over 35 million albums, were one of the biggest arena rock acts in the '80s and broke through with the 1982 LP Toto IV which featured the immortal 'Africa'.

  Tickets cost €54.65 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8.30pm.

• Fri

  06

  Apr

  2018

  Arcade Fire

  3Arena

  Dublin

  

  Canadian stadium-fillers Arcade Fire, having played hugely acclaimed and sold out shows here last summer, return to Dublin to play a special in the round show at the 3Arena on April 6.

  Breaking through with their critical and commercial success in 2004 with Funeral which became regarded as one of, if not the rock album of the noughties. The six-piece are currently touring their fifth album Everything Now, which is filled with four-to-the-floor grooves, not unlike its predecessor Reflektor. Watch the video for the title track.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.

• Sat

  07

  Apr

  2018

  Toto

  Waterfront Hall

  Belfast

  

  One of the best-selling groups of musicians of all time, Toto, play Belfast's Waterfront on April 7 in their 40th anniversary, as part of the 40 Trips Around The Sun tour.

  As individual members - many of whom are prolific session musicians - they have the unbelievable statistic of being heard on around 5000 albums, with over half a billion sold. Toto, themselves having sold over 35 million albums, were one of the biggest arena rock acts in the '80s and broke through with the 1982 LP Toto IV which featured the immortal 'Africa'.

  Tickets cost £46 from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  27

  Apr

  2018

  The Alarm

  The Academy Green Room

  Dublin

  

  Welsh new wave act The Alarm, play The Academy Green Room on April 27, following the release of their first album in some time, Blood Red Viral Black.

  The alternative/new wave act formed in 1981 as punk band The Toilets, but went on to open for the likes of U2 and Bob Dylan, the band will pull from their substantial back catalogue as well as from the new record, penned by frontman Mike Peters. Check out their highest chart placement, 'Sixty Eight Guns'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €22.50. Doors open at 7pm as it's an early show.

• Sat

  28

  Apr

  2018

  The Alarm

  Limelight 2

  Belfast

  

  Welsh new wave act The Alarm, play Belfast's Limelight 2 on April 28, following the release of their first album in some time, Blood Red Viral Black.

  The alternative/new wave act formed in 1981 as punk band The Toilets, but went on to open for the likes of U2 and Bob Dylan, the band will pull from their substantial back catalogue as well as from the new record, penned by frontman Mike Peters. Check out their highest chart placement, 'Sixty Eight Guns'.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and Katy's Bar, priced at £19.50. Doors open at 7pm as it's an early show.

• Wed

  09

  May

  2018

  Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

  SSE Arena

  Belfast

  

  Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds play the SSE Arena on May 9 to finish off the UK leg of their new album tour.

  This follows the release of their third album, Who Built The Moon?, out in late 2017, following on from their hugely successful first two, following the breakup of Oasis. This new album comes from an experimental creative collaboration with our very own DJ, producer & composer David Holmes.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, starting at £30.

• Thu

  10

  May

  2018

  Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

  3Arena

  Dublin

  

  Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds play the 3Arena on May 10, rounding out their UK & Irish dates in support of their latest album.

  This follows the release of their third album, Who Built The Moon?, out in late 2017, following on from their hugely successful first two, following the breakup of Oasis. This new album comes from an experimental creative collaboration with our very own DJ, producer & composer David Holmes.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, starting at €45.05.

• Fri

  18

  May

  2018

  Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

  Tivoli Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Clap Your Hands Say Yeah return to Dublin to play the Tivoli Theatre on May 18.

  It's the tenth anniversary of their second album, Some Loud Thunder, and the show will see the band play it in its entirety, alongside some other hits. At this point, only frontman Alex Ounsworth is the only original member, with the rest of the core lineup departing in 2004. Check them out Live on KEXP.

  Tickets are available, priced at €25, from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 7pm.

• Sat

  19

  May

  2018

  Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

  The Empire Music Hall

  Belfast

  

  Clap Your Hands Say Yeah make their long-overdue return to Belfast to play the Empire on May 19.

  It's the tenth anniversary of their second album, Some Loud Thunder, and the show will see the band play it in its entirety, alongside some other hits. At this point, only frontman Alex Ounsworth is the only original member, with the rest of the core lineup departing in 2004. Check them out Live on KEXP.

  Tickets are available, priced at £19.50, from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8.30pm.

• Mon

  28

  May

  2018

  Father John Misty

  Vicar Street

  Dublin

  

  Singer-songwriter and major onstage persona Father John Misty makes his return to Ireland after the release of his mammoth Pure Comedy LP of 2017, when he plays Vicar Street on May 28.

  Having released many albums under his real name of Joshua Tillman and spending some time in Fleet Foxes, his real breakthrough was his second album under the Father John Misty moniker, I Love You, Honeybear. 2017 saw the development of the cynical cultural commentary of FJM in the lengthy musings of Pure Comedy, which headed in a more Elton John by-way-of '70s Laurel Canyon direction.

  Tickets, priced at €36.50, are available from Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8pm.

• Fri

  15

  Jun

  2018

  Sat

  16

  Jun

  2018

  The National

  Donnybrook Stadium

  Dublin

  

  Following their first Irish number 1 album and two sold-out Vicar Street shows, The National play two massive dates at Donnybrook Stadium on June 15 & 16.

  The indie rock band from Cincinnati, formed in 1999 breaking through in a big way from fourth album, Boxer and everything afterwards. Check out the video for recent single 'The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness' from Sleep Well Beast. Full lineups for the bills will be unveiled shortly.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €76 and €136 for single & two-day passes respectively.

• Tue

  26

  Jun

  2018

  Roger Waters

  3Arena

  Dublin

  

  Pink Floyd bassist & songwriter Roger Waters brings his Us & Them tour to Dublin's 3Arena on June 26.

  The show will see Waters perform songs from Floyd favourites Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Animals, Wish You Were Here and much from his successful solo career and beyond.

  Tickets will be available from Ticketmaster.

• Mon

  20

  Aug

  2018

  Kasabian

  Custom House Square

  Belfast

  

  One year after their cancelled their headline show minutes before hitting the stage at Belfast's Custom House Square due to alleged sickness, English lad-rockers Kasabian play August 20. Tickets from the original event can be used for this show, or a refund is available from the point of purchase.

  Tickets are priced from £30 from Ticketmaster. Gates open at 6pm.

• Tue

  18

  Sep

  2018

  Wed

  19

  Sep

  2018

  Bill Bailey's 'Larks In Transit'

  Olympia Theatre

  Dubin

  

  Musical comedian Bill Bailey is once again set to perform at his favourite venue in the world, The Olympia Theatre, on September 18 & 19.

  He'll be bringing his current show, Larks In Transit, here after a year of polish to one of his favourite venues.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced at €27 - if they're not already sold out.

• Tue

  13

  Nov

  2018

  Deacon Blue

  Ulster Hall

  Belfast

  

  Deacon Blue play Belfast's Ulster Hall on November 13 as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations.

  Over the last 5 years, the band has released its highest charting album in 23 years, and with revolving setlists, it's safe to say this will be a treat for long-time fans.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.

• Wed

  14

  Nov

  2018

  Deacon Blue

  Olympia Theatre

  Dublin

  

  Deacon Blue play a pair of Irish dates, performing at Dublin's Olympia on November 14 as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations.

  Over the last 5 years, the band has released its highest charting album in 23 years, and with revolving setlists, it's safe to say this will be a treat for long-time fans.

  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster, priced from €47.