• Defying Gravity: A Punk Odyssey

    On 16th March, Belfast’s punk-inspired fashion competition Defying Gravity: A Punk Odyssey makes its inaugural outing at The Banana Block, a thriving events space & living museum in East Belfast. A celebration of homegrown talent and a fashion competition honouring a true punk and style icon, the project was devised with its original guest judge, British punk icon Jordan Mooney – who sadly passed in April 2022 – as central to the premise of the show. Honouring her towering legacy while showcasing Belfast’s creative sector, it will give local fashion designers the chance to showcase their work and walk away with…

  • Myles Manley and Aoife Wolf at McHughs, Belfast

    Two years on from releasing one of the best Irish albums in recent memory, Cometh the Softies, we’re delighted to host Irish experimental popstar par excellence Myles Manley’s long-awaited return to Belfast at McHugh’s on Friday, 13th January. Taking place as part of his Wet January mini-tour of Ireland, and nine years on from his first show in the city (The Pavilion in 2013 – remember everyone?) the Sligo-raised, Dublin-based will perform a full-band show of new and some less-new material. Support on the night comes from fast-rising Co. Offaly psych-folk artist Aoife Wolf, songs from whose recent EP The Wetlands will get a special…

  • Merchy Christmas Set for The Grand Social

    The third annual Merchy Christmas takes over the Grand Social this weekend. Organised by One Stop Band Shop, it’s set to be another unmissable two days at the Dublin venue, with over 60 Irish acts coming together to sell their merch for a great cause. Taking place from 11am to 5pm on Saturday, 17th December and Sunday 18th, the get-together will feature pop-up stalls Aoife Nessa Frances, Gilla Band, Lankum, Junior Brother, Loah, Acid Granny, Gemma Dunleavy and many more. Check out the full list of artists below. At the heart of the annual event is a fundraising drive to combat…

  • Other Voices Dingle 2022

    Without a slither of a shadow of a doubt one of the country’s finest annual musical institutions, Other Voices returns to Dingle in West Kerry across 2-4th December. As per tradition, it’s another wonderfully-curated line-up featuring some of the island’s very best acts – and a few international big-hitters for good measures. Marking its 21st birthday, both live and online, this festival’s outing will be another jam-packed weekend showcase, taking place in the Church of St James, the IMRO Other Room, as well as the delightfully busy Dingle Gin Music Trail. Among the acts performing at the Church across the weekend…

  • Preview: Spilt Milk Festival 2022

    On these shores, few creative initiatives pair careful curation with an independent spirit as focused and informed as Spilt Milk. A year on from hosting the likes of School Tour, Syn and the sadly-missed Shammen Delly, the annual festival of music, art and film returns to Sligo town across 18th-20th November for its fourth outing, and arguably its strongest line-up to date. The programme from this year’s festival comprises four events, taking place at one of the island’s finest art centres, The Model – and it’s primed to be another wonderfully palette-spanning affair featuring several TTA favourites. From 7pm on Friday, the venue will…

  • The Thin Air Xmas ’22 Party: The Killing Spree, Blue Whale & Black Triptychs

    We’re delighted to announce that Belfast hardcore heroes The Killing Spree will play their first show in seventeen (17!) at The Thin Air’s ’22 Xmas party at The Deer’s Head on Thursday, December 22nd. One of the North’s all-time great trios will be supported by long-time TTA favourites, experimental rock four-piece Blue Whale, as well as acoustic electronic ambient duo Black Triptychs. The Killing Spree played shows regularly between 2002 and 2005, embedding themselves in the Irish DIY scene that grew around the Warzone Centre (Giros) in Belfast. Acclaimed for their frenetic and engaging live shows, the band played in…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – 4th November

    On this, the penultimate Bandcamp Friday of 2022, delve into the very best Irish releases of the week from Pretty Happy, Jape, Ex Isles, Le Boom, Thumper, Akrobat, HousePlants & more Pretty Happy – Boots Echo Boy by Pretty Happy Ex Isles – Deaf Republic Deaf Republic / The Smallest Plot Of Land by Ex-Isles Jape – Secret Area Akrobat – Eskimo THUMPER – Summer Assault Beauty Pageant – Born to Stay Le Boom w/ Andy – Next Time Cursed Murphy Versus the Resistance – Republic of the Weird Republic of the Weird by Cursed Murphy Versus the Resistance HousePlants…

  • Where Pathways Meet

    Named after the 1978 Sun Ra classic, Where Pathways Meet is an unmissable two-day conference and showcase, hosted by the Jazz Promotion Network in association with Moving on Music and Improvised Music Company. Taking over Belfast’s venues, The MAC and Black Box across 3rd-4th November, it will unite a stellar cross-section of UK and Irish jazz artists, movers and shakers, to explore the most important issues and topics in contemporary jazz. Featuring a range of speakers from across the jazz sector, the conference range of topics, with panels featuring musicians, educators, promoters, agents and managers from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, England, Scotland and…

  • Monday Mixtape: Waldorf & Cannon

    Off the back of their new single ‘Cut Loose’, Derry/Donegal alternative duo Waldorf & Cannon wax lyrical about some of their favourite tracks, featuring Osees, Pixies, Ty Segall, Link Wray, Devo and more Osees – Perm Act Been listening to this album flat out since it came out last month, they’ve really fuzz punked it up this time, the whole thing only lasts 22mins. Went to see them in the Button Factory recently, was the best gig I’ve been to since the last time I saw them. Probably the best band about now if you’re into that sort of thing…

  • Longitude 2022

    As jam-packed, star-studded annual blow-outs go, Longitude really takes some beating. After a couple of years of cancellations as a result of the pandemic, the festival returns to Dublin’s Marlay Park from 1st-3rd July with another blinding bill. Brimming with the cream of the crop in the world of hip-hop and beyond, this year’s bill features everyone from Tyler, the Creator, Dave and Megan Thee Stallion, to A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti and the Kid Laroi. And that’s barely scratching the surface. Back-to-back with the likes of Polo G, Mabel, Baby Keem and Jack Harlow are homegrown heroes including Rejjie Snow, Kojaque and the…