• Spectrum Festival 2015

    Spectrum Festival kicked off in Mandela Hall over the weekend with live performances from R51, Hot Cops, Echo Raptors, Joshua Burnside, New Ancestors, Loris, In An Instant and The Emerald Armada. Photos by Sara Marsden.

  • Monday Mixtape: Neil Allen (The Emerald Armada)

    In the latest installment of Monday Mixtape, Neil Allen, frontman with Northern Irish alt-folk band The Emerald Armada reveals some of his all-time favourite songs, including Temple of the Dog, The Eagles, LCD Soundsystem and John Martyn. The Emerald Armada headline this year’s Spectrum Festival at Belfast’s QUBSU on Friday, July 6. Temple Of The Dog – Hunger Strike One of the best team ups of all time. It was the first time Eddie Vedder went vocally head to head with Chris Cornell. Stone from Pearl Jam said, “That’s right, our boy can sing too!’ Great tune. LCD Soundsystem – All…

  • Watch: The Emerald Armada – This House

    Hands down one of the country’s very best live acts, Northern Irish alt-folk trouveurs The Emerald Armada have spent the last few years building a loyal, suitably armada-like fanbase. With a new EP set for release in November – the highly-anticipated follow-up to last year’s sublime Five Beating Hearts EP – the Neil Allen-fronted five-piece have unveiled the video for their new single, ‘This House’. Betraying a real sense of pop-centric progression from the band, the video for the song – recorded by Start Together’s Rocky O’Reilly – was directed and edited by Wilson Lynn.  

  • Gigs of the Week: The Thin Air Magazine Launch, Hidden Agenda, Joshua Burnside, Hard Working Class Heroes, Madball, Red Rock

    With the new semester back in full swing, the old gig calender has suddenly become a lot busier than usual. This, of course, can only be a thing. Whilst some of us are still lamenting the unexpected loss of two much-loved Irish acts in UNKNWN and Adebisi Shank, the future remains very bright indeed – something we feel is perfectly illustrated in our Gigs of the Week for the next few days. Dig. The Thin Air Magazine Launch Party: Not Squares, Kab Driver, Hot Cops @ Bar Sub, QUBSU – Saturday, October 4 Biased, us? Seriously, though, Not Squares (pictured) remain one…

  • Festival Mixtape: Stendhal Festival of Art

    Headlined by Derry punk pioneers The Undertones and Scottish indie-rock quartet Frightened Rabbit (above), Stendhal Festival of Art returns to the wonderfully scenic Roe Valley this weekend for two days of music, art, theatre, comedy and poetry. With tickets still available to purchase via the official website here, we’ve compiled a ten-track playlist featuring some our must-see acts to catch at the festival – everyone from Malojian and Go Wolf to Making Monsters and Ciaran Lavery.

  • Festival Mixtape: Forfey Festival

    Taking place across the weekend of August 1-3, the wonderfully intimate and unaffected Forfey Festival returns to Forfey Farm near Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh with easily one of its strongest line-ups to date. As is its custom, homegrown folk and acoustic acts make up the majority of this year’s line-up, but there is also a wide range of electronic and rock artists – everyone from Hornets to Affleck – performing across the festival’s three days. Go here to buy tickets for the festival and check out our ten-track Festival Mixtape – including the likes of More Than Conquerors, Ciaran Lavery and Go Wolf (pictured) – below.

  • Volume Control: The Emerald Armada, Joshua Burnside, Jamie Neish & Matthew Duly @ Oh Yeah Centre

    For the last week Belfast’s Oh Yeah Music Centre has been home to three summer camps for journalism, photography and music, all of which build up to tonight’s Volume Control show. Volume Control is a programme run by the Oh Yeah Centre for teens aged 14-18 to organise and promote their own gigs and tonight is anticipated to be their most successful gig of the year; with a line-up like tonight’s, what else is to be expected? The VC team have a huge weight on their shoulders pulling off this show and from first thing this morning it seems problems…

  • Forfey Festival

    Taking place across the weekend of August 1-3, the wonderfully intimate and unaffected Forfey Festival returns to Forfey Farm near Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh with one of its strongest line-ups to date. As ever, homegrown folk and acoustic acts make up the majority of this year’s line-up, but there is also a wide range of electronic and rock artists – everyone from Hornets to Affleck – performing across the festival’s three days. With more acts still to be announced, the current line-up is: Callum Stewart, Beulah Kim, Wonder Villains, Travis Is A Tourist, The Emerald Armada, Skeletons, Rupture Dogs, RAMS’ Pocket Radio, More Than…