• Gig(s) of the week: Wallis Bird, Hornets EP Launch & Come On Live Long

    Having wisely branched out to more than one must-see gig in our weekly preview of shows happening across Ireland each week, this week there was no shortage of gigs to choose from. Alas, we must still be in some ways selective, otherwise we’d be saying, “Go to everything”. And who has the money or time for that? So, looking towards the next few days, we figured the following three shows are more than worth checking out: Having released her debut album, Architect, back in 2012, Wexford folk-pop musician Wallis Bird returns to Dublin on Friday night (April 25) for a show at…

  • Gig(s) of the week: Desert Hearts, Record Store Day & More

    A year into our existence – hey, it’s been fun – we’ve decided that it’s both wise and opportune that we started expanding out horizons when it comes to our regular “gig of the week”. Ireland is a relatively big-ass country (the technical description for you, there), after all; one single show, exceptional as it might be, is simply not worth singling out at the expense of similarly awesome prospects in different areas across the city. And it is upon which note that we arrive, rather comfortably, at this week’s gig(s) of the week. The return of Desert Hearts Standing just…

  • Gig of the week: Farriers, Anthony Toner & more @ Empire Music Hall

    Headlined by alt-rock band The Farriers, our Gig of the Week for this is a special fundraising show for disaster relief in Syria at Belfast’s Empire Music Hall on Friday, April 11. Not merely totally laudable for the great cause – aiding the afflicted caught up on the Syrian crisis – the line-up has all the makings of one of those all-too-rare “I was there” shows, with Anthony Toner, Master & Dog and Seven Summits (pictured) also amongst the acts set to perform. Tickets are £5 and it’s £6 at the door. Go here for the show’s Facebook event page.

  • Gig of the week: Documenta – The Happening

    A stand-out highlight of this year’s Belfast Film Festival, our gig of the week for the first week of April is The Happening, a very special, one-off performance by Belfast drone pop outfit Documenta. Taking place on Friday, March 4 at Belfast’s Black Box, the performance will see the Joe Greene-fronted band perform two specially-composed, never-played-before forty-five minute sets accompanied by a multi-screening of Andy Warhol’s Empire, Blowjob and Kiss. Rounding off the event in typically fine fashion will be a Factory-esque DJ set by Joe Lindsay and Ryan Fitzsimmons. Doors are at 8pm, admission is £6. Alternatively, buy a ticket…

  • Gig of the week: Joshua Burnside, Affleck & Carriages @ White’s Tavern

    Our gig of the week will see Northern Irish alt-folk troubadour Joshua Burnside release his new single, ‘Desert Wine/Platonia’, at White’s Tavern on Thursday, March 27. Supported by electro-pop trio Affleck and Dublin electro-folk duo Carriages, it will mark Burnside’s return to the venue, where he launched his exquisite EP, If You’re Going That Way, last June. ‘Desert Wine/Platonia’ is Burnside’s first release via Broken Melody Records. Check out our interview with them here. Entry is £4, doors are at 8pm. Go here for the show’s Facebook event page and stream ‘Desert Wine’ and ‘Platonia’ via Bandcamp below.

  • Gig of the week: Solar Bears, Ryan Vail, Blue Whale @ Voodoo

    We hope we’re not accused of too much bias with this one but… our gig of the week for March 17-24 is our next showcase at Belfast’s Voodoo Bar on Saturday, March 22. Supported by Belfast jazz-punk masters Blue Whale and fast-rising Derry electronic duo Ryan Vail, Dublin electronic pair Solar Bears – currently in the process of writing their third studio album – will make their long-awaited return to Belfast with a headlining DJ set. Doors are at 8.30pm, door tax is £8 (pay at the door) and the first 10 people through the door get a poster from the…

  • Gig of the Week: Axis Of, TVVINS, Affleck @ Oh Yeah Centre

    Headlined by North Coast alt-punk three-piece Axis Of, the eighth installment of Distillation at Belfast’s Oh Yeah Centre on Friday, March 14 is our gig of the week. Belfast-based electronic three-piece Affleck (who feature in our latest live session) and Conor Adams and Lar Kaye AKA Dublin synth-pop duo TVVINS will make up the support bill on the night. Check out our Inbound interview with TVVINS here. Go here for the show’s Facebook event page and check out the poster for the show below!

  • Gig of the week: Mojo Fury, Emerald Armada, Two Glass Eyes

    Our Gig of the Week sees a special tenth anniversary headline set from Northern Irish alt-rock trailblazers Mojo Fury at Belfast’s Limelight 2 on Thursday, March 6. Two stellar full-length albums in – the landmark Visiting Hours of a Travelling Circus and last year’s The Difference Between – the show will also double up as a homecoming show for the Mike Mormecha-fronted band, who have spent the last few weeks touring around Europe. Supporting Mojo Fury on the night are two hotly-tipped Northern Irish acts: alt-rock three-piece Two Glass Eyes and fast-rising folk band Emerald Armada. Go here to win tickets…

  • Gig of the Week: Ed Zealous album launch w/ Go Wolf and Affleck – Limelight 2

    Belfast-based electro/indie-pop four-piece Ed Zealous will finally unleash their highly-anticipated debut album, Wired, at Belfast’s Limelight on Thursday, February 20 – our Gig of the Week. Support on the night will come from fast-rising Belfast indie-pop band Go Wolf and the latest act to grace us with a Thin Air live session, electronic three-piece Affleck. Mixed by Eliot James – who has worked with the likes of Noah and the Whale and Bloc Party – check our exclusive track-by-track review of the album here. You can also stream it here. While you’re at it, have a go at winning a pair…

  • Gig of the Week: Young Aviators, Hurdles, Foreign Affairs @ Voodoo

    Our Gig of the Week will see Warrenpoint-derived, Glasgow-based new-wave surf three-piece Young Aviators head a bill featuring the jointly promising Hurdles and Foreign Affairs at Belfast’s Voodoo on Saturday, February 15. With choruses recently compared to fellow Irish émigrés Snow Patrol by The Skinny, the show will be Young Aviators first performance in Belfast since the release of their debut album, Self Help. Go here for the show’s Facebook event page. Watch the video for ‘Forward Thinking’ by Young Aviators below.