I was really looking forward to this gig. Between them, Toby Kaar, MMOTHS and Daithi released some of the most exciting Irish releases of the past twelve months, each of them showcasing the versatility and dedication that exists amongst the country’s young musicians who ditched guitars and drums for adventures into electronics. In the context of these artists’ significance to the country’s music scene, that versatility is paramount, from Toby Kaar’s disjointed, franticly emotive beats, to MMOTHS’ encompassing soundscapes, to Daithi’s infectious, melodic floor fillers. So on paper this bill looks terrific right? What I guess I forgot was that…
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Waterford six-piece King Kong Company live at the Roisin Dubh in Galway. Photos by Sean McCormack. Go here to read our recent interview with the band.
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With support from an equally stripped-back Field Trip and Eoin Dolan, David Boland’s New Pope launched their new EP, LOVE, at Roisin Dubh in Galway at the weekend. Photos by Vincent Hughes.
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We’re very good at pretending nothing’s wrong. Rather, we’re excellent at grunting a few times about how shambolic everything is before sauntering to the bar and quickly changing the subject. Of course we are! We’ve become so resigned to the radical shitness of so much that goes on both far from home and right outside our doors that half the time we just sigh a little and tweet a GIF of a cat that somehow represents how doomed everything is. Sometimes though, we have a tendency to surprise ourselves with our potential. Every once in a while something gives us…
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Lisa Hannigan live at Roisin Dubh in Galway with support from Ye Vagabonds. Photos by Patrizio Mancuso.
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Kimya Dawson live at the Roisin Dubh in Galway with support from Little Wings. Photos by Vincent Hughes.
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HamsandwicH played an intimate show at the Roisin Dubh in Galway over the weekend and Patrizio Mancuso was on hand to get some great photos. We’d also like to wish Niamh a very happy birthday!
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I sometimes wonder how often, if ever, bands think about how the sound they craft in a studio translates to a live stage. Some groups are simply ‘studio bands’ – they sound better when they can endlessly and obsessively tinker with the sonic possibilities of technology. Others see the live setting as a different set of circumstances altogether, something with the living potential for a more sensory collective experience, something that can become a genuine reason to senselessly roar at your friends in a smoking area. While this is all pretty vague stuff to be beginning with, I promise it…
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Wyvern Lingo live at the Roisin Dubh in Galway with support from Pa Reidy. Photos by Sean McCormack.
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Should post-punk still be allowed to be a thing? Is post-punk bloody revival still a thing? Like, is it not the case that by now the innumerable expanse of bands that exist under that vague banner have managed to forge something unique and individual from those initial influences? I don’t know what we’ll call it instead. Does it matter? It’s just that it is concerning that many acts seem to bear the weight of that label, being painted with a brush that has been in need of replacing for quite some time. Some seem so ready to slump tiredly into…