On Wednesday, February 25, we will host a celebration of iconic U.S. post-rock pioneers Slint at Belfast’s Pavilion. As well as screening Breadcrumb Trail, Lance Bangs’ wonderful, downright unmissable documentary on the band, we will also be playing the band’s landmark 1991 album Spiderland in full, as well as encouraging local musicians to talk about the impact of Slint on their lives and music. Admission is only £3, doors are at 8pm.
Ask any man and his dog, “What are Le Galaxie?” and they (ok, just the man) will invariably respond with a giddy spiel about a neon-soaked, party-starting machine, with the utmost collective ability to make even the most shy and retiring maladroit splay and flail like Techno Viking having a series of seizure-induced fits. And he would be right. Yes, with their profound, cosmically-inclined fondness for hip and happening one-off happenings, Le Galaxie are very much at it again, with the announcement that they’re bringing Le Club to Dublin’s Academy on April 24 and 25. Set to coincide with the…
Belfast’s Queen’s Film Theatre will host its first ever gaming festival, Playspace, over the weekend of Saturday, February 28 to Sunday, March 1. Set to feature a whole array of film screenings, creative sessions, demo stations and a big screen Halo tournament, the weekend will peak on two of the very best cinema and video game mash-up films ever: Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs the World (above) and the endlessly iconic Tron. Creative Sessions on game design and more will take place across the two days and nights. Check out the full schedule for and buy tickets to Playspace here.
Monthly Dublin pop culture event Culture Vultures celebrates its birthday at the Odessa Club on Wednesday, March 18 in the company of none other than the living, breathing manifestation of charming itself, the Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon. Over the last twelve months, Culture Vultures – which combines music, spoken word and public interview – has welcomed stellar line-ups to the intimate surrounds of the Dublin venue. The likes of Glenn Patterson, Liam Cunningham, Stuart Carolan, Lenny Abrahamson, and Panti have taken to sitting under the spotlight to chat with with Tony Clayton-Lea. Tickets for the birthday celebration – priced at €15…
Dwayne Woods, host of online alternative Irish radio show The Co-Present on Radiomade.ie – check their podcasts out here – has combined forces with show Niamh Farrell of Ham Sandwich to bring a monthly show at Dublin’s Workman’s Club, with the official launch taking place on Friday, February 27. Headlining the night are neo-psych quartet This Other Kingdom, who release their debut album Telescopic on April 11. Check their sonic concoction out on Bandcamp – they’re sure to be one of the acts to keep an eye on throughout 2015, with new material being teased for their set. Following their set, singer & multi-instrumentalist electronica artist Patrick Kelleher (above) will be spinning…
Newly-expanded quartet New Ancestors, having just relocated from Glasgow back to Belfast, have announced details of their first EP as a four piece, Annabelle. Formerly a duo – called the 1930s – the core of the band are singer-guitarist Jonny Solari and drummer & singer Andrew Cameron, have now added Adam Booth and Glenn Kennedy to their ranks. The expansion has signalled a change to a more pop-rock sound, moving away from their previous folk-pop roots. The EP is released on April 13. Check out the video for the title track & single:
And So I Watch You From Afar guitarist Niall Kennedy’s A Bad Cavalier will play our first free live show as part of our weekly stint at Belfast’s Laverys Back Bar on Tuesday, February 24. Also featuring tunes from yours truly until late, the intimate performance will be followed be a draw for two tickets to Slane 2015. Just turn up on the night to be entered. Go here for the show’s Facebook event page and check out A Bad Cavalier in action below.
A colloboration between the Lyric, the Abbey Theatre and the Soho Theatre, the dark and potent Death of a Comedian will run from February 7 to March 8 at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre. Starring Brian Doherty as small-time stand-up Steve Johnson its tagline “What if I’m not funny? What if I go out there and I’m not funny?” aptly distils the essence of the production. Self-belief, ambition, romance and the pursuit for glory entwine in a heady tale of fame, fortune and failure. Go here to buy tickets to Death of a Comedian and watch the trailer for the show below.
Running from February 19 to March 1, the first ever NI Science Festival will pique curiousity and imagine in everything from music venues and coffee shops to cinemas and museums. During the day the festival will present a whole host of workshops, talks and interactive activities for young people, parents and schools. In the evening the festival will come alive with an eclectic mix of scientific debates, talks, theatre, comedy, music and film for adults. Go here to check out the full festival programme,
A weekly night in the Back Bar of Laverys Belfast, The Thin Air Tuesday Throwdown will feature guest DJs, live performances and the very best in new and old indie rock, psych, electronica, noise, post-punk and experimental. Expect the likes of: Dinosaur Jr, Yo La Tengo, Can, Built To Spill, Deerhoof, Mac Demarco, The Fall, Grandaddy, Trans Am, My Bloody Valentine, Ty Segall, Do Make Say Think, Sparklehorse, Mclusky, Swans, Thee Oh Sees, Quasi, Stereolab, Jesus and Mary Chain and Neu! Starts Tuesday, January 6. Free entry. Kicks off at 9.30pm.