As part of their 2018 comeback run of shows that includes Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens on July 7, London post-punk/synth-pop legends The The have announced a show at Belfast’s Mandela Hall on Friday, July 6. October will mark the 35th anniversary of the band’s debut album, Soul Mining. The band last performed live as part of David Bowie’s Meltdown at London’s South Bank in 2002. Tickets for the Belfast show are £39 (including booking fee) and are on sale now.
With the Waterboys and Public Image Ltd. previously announced as headliners, it’s been revealed that Iceland-based American musician John Grant will play this year’s Open House Festival in Bangor. Grant will play Bangor’s seafront – the first time the festival has had a large-scale outdoor space for evening concerts at its disposal – on Sunday, August 19. “It’s clear that Bangor has become an attractive destination for international touring artists,” said Open House director, Kieran Gilmore. “Gaining access to the outdoor space beside the marina, slap bang on Bangor seafront, has been pivotal in allowing us to programme acts like…
Their first headline shows in the country since 2013, The xx have announced that they will play “intimate” shows in Belfast and Dublin in May. Ahead of a show at All Points East in London on Saturday, May 26, the band will play Belfast’s Ulster Hall on Monday, May 21 and Tivoli Theatre in Dublin on May 23 and 24. Pre-sale goes on sale on Monday, March 5 at 10am and general public tickets are on sale on Thursday, March 8 at 10am.
Having last played the city back in June last year, Brooklyn indie rock musician Mitski will return to play Dublin, at Tivoli Theatre, on September 22. The show will take place as part of a UK and European tour (no Belfast date this time around but considering the turn-out at the Empire Music Hall back in 2017, we’re not entirely surprised.) Tickets for the Tivoli show go on sale this Friday, March 2 at 9am.
Having last played the venue back in 2014, it’s been announced that Los Angeles trio HAIM will play Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on Tuesday, June 12. Tickets for the show – which takes place as part of the band’s UK and European tour this June – go on sale next Friday, February 23.
Early-to-mid noughties NME nostalgists, rejoice: it’s been announced that the Killers and Franz Ferdinand will team up with for an open-air show at Dublin’s RDS on June 26. Tickets for the show are priced at €69.50 and go on sale on Friday, February 23. While we have you, here’s Jonny Currie’s verdict on the new Franz Ferdinand album, Always Ascending. Remember ‘Michael’? Feels like a lifetime ago, man.
In support of their new album, I can feel you creep into my private life, Tune-Yards have announced their return to Dublin and Galway this summer. Three years on from playing Vicar Street, the duo of Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner will stop off at Tivoli Theatre in Dublin on July 10 and Galway’s Roisin Dublin on July 11. Tickets for the shows cost €24 and go on sale this Friday, February 16 at 10am. Read Dominic Edge’s review of I can feel you creep into my private life here.
The final acts to play at BBC’s Biggest Weekend in Belfast across May 25-26 has been announced, and it’s pretty special. Joining the likes of Beck, Courtney Barnett and Manic Street Preachers are The Breeders, First Aid Kit, Goldie, Orbital, Little Dragon, Franz Ferdinand, Young Fathers and Ash. We’re going out on a limb here: this is probably the strongest line-up for a festival in Northern Irish music history. Don’t pass up the chance to get tickets when they go on sale this Monday at 10am.
Having released one of the albums of 2017 in the sublime Hug of Thunder (have a read of Jonny Currie’s verdict on the album here) it’s been announced that Canadian indie rock heroes Broken Social Scene will play Dublin’s Tivoli Theatre on May 28. Their first Dublin date in 10 years, tickets for the show – which cost €28 plus booking fee – go on sale this Friday, February 9 right here.
Having last played the city back in July, 2014, Mark Oliver Everett’s Eels‘ will play Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens on Friday, July 6. The announcement accompanies the news of the band’s first album and tour in four years. The new album, The Deconstruction, will be Eels’ twelfth studio album. It’s released on April 6. Tickets for the Iveagh Gardens show go on sale on Thursday, January 25 at 9am.