A man who needs no introduction whatsoever, Morrissey played the Odyssey arena in Belfast last night. In a set largely comprised of tracks from his latest album, World Peace Is None of Your Business, Moz also delivered storming renditions of the likes of ‘Suedehead’ and Smiths‘ songs ‘The Queen Is Dead’, ‘What She Said’ and ‘Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One’ Before. Photos by Alan Maguire.
Having spent the last week driving home their impossibly distinctive brand of experimental pop at SXSW, Dublin experimental five-piece Meltybrains? will play a special Thin Air show at Belfast’s Bar Sub on Friday, April 10 alongside the equally unmissable Blue Whale. Sitting on the fence about attending? Relieve your behind by watching Bob Gallagher’s live video of ‘Oh Earth’ by Meltybrains?, filmed at Dublin’s wonderful Pepper Canister Church in February. Go here for the Facebook event for the Belfast show.
Just over a year on from released the exquisite Leafy Stiletto – one of our Irish albums of 2014 no less – Dublin’s Paddy Hanna has returned in something of a new guise with ‘Austria’, a jangle-pop mini-masterstroke evoking the likes of Morrissey, The Divine Comedy and Elvis Costello. There’s also a vague hint of Joe Dolan in there too but we’ll pretend we didn’t hear that. Or will we? Anyway, we’re very fond of ‘Austria’ and wouldn’t even remotely kick up a fuss if Hanna deciding to dander down this sonic path for an eon and an age. Paired with a b-side,…
An altogether stellar celebration of modern experimental psych music, art and film, Distorted Perspectives will return to Letterkenny’s Regional Culture Centre this Spring with a thoroughly impressive line-up. Set to take place across Thursday April 30-Sunday May 3, the festival will boast established acts including Ulrich Schanuss and Moon Duo (above), as well as some of the country’s finest psych, electronic, noise-pop and acoustic acts including Autumns, Clanns, Documenta, Nyt Bloomer and Robyn G Shiels. Check out the poster below for full line-up and where to buy tickets.
Good old Space Rock: for when you need songs to last ten minutes but you’re not in the mood for all that proggy, time signature business. When you need to rock out but still wanna feel mellow, man. When you want to think about the vastness and complexity of the universe but you aren’t really up for much thinking. The genre provides so much and demands little in return. Zone out under your headphones at home, or wig out in the front row behind your fringe, head shaking from side to side, rib cage secretly on the verge of collapse…
Probably the finest hip-hop and electronic-oriented festival bill we’ll see on the island this year, Forbidden Fruit returns to the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on the weekend from Friday, May 29 – Sunday, May 31. Some of the highlights announced thus far are: Friday – The hugely successful Fatboy Slim, the immensely talented The Wire & Luther actor Idris Elba, who’s been carving out a credible name for himself as an electronic & hip-hop artist between and during jobs, incredibly talented American-Chilean musician Nicolas Jaar & Disciples Saturday – seminal NYC hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, Jamie XX, Earl Sweatshirt, a three-hour set from Mr Scruff, Mount Kimbie, a DJ set from Groove Armada, Joey Bada$$, Tensnake, Ejeca, Damian Lazarus and the Booka Brass Band. Sunday…
Plan 9 Film Club, as part of the Belfast Film Festival, host a night at the Black Box on April 22 dedicated to cult UK sitcom Spaced. Running for two seasons from 1999-2001 on Channel 4, it was the big breakthrough for creative minds Simon Pegg, Jessica Stevenson & Edgar Wright, who, as we all know, have went on to write, direct and star in some of the finest comedies in recent years. It also gave early exposure to the likes of sitcom favourites Mark Heap, Nick Frost, Julia Deakin and NI comedian & actor Michael Smiley. Tickets are available from the Film Festival for £5. Doors open at 7pm, with…
In the first of a three part diary entry, our favourite Galway garage pop quartet Dott are currently on tour in America, after taking in SXSW and all of what Texas has to offer. Join them as they spin you a tale of four plucky musicians and their loyal friend/merch monkey as they traverse the American Plains and play some gigs on the way. The Crown and Harp, Dallas TX. March 17 Our first show of the tour happened on St. Patrick’s Day in, you guessed it, an Irish Bar. Actually no, it was an Irish AND English bar under…
In this installment of Bookmark we chat to Belfast broadcaster and DJ Joe Lindsay about some of his all-time favourite books. Photos by May Chan. Lou Reed – Victor Bockris I am a huge fan of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. I couldn’t believe when I started in radio that my first interviewee was to be Victor Bockris. I loved his book Uptight: The Story Of the Velvet Underground and there I was, about to interview him about his new book on Lou Reed. The dark lord of three chords. White noise and black leather. The Velvet Underground opened some many…
In second installment of Roving Eye, Tara Thomas sets out for Birmingham with Dublin alt-folk quartet The Young Folk as they do a tour of coffee shops. Last Monday morning found me catching the red eye to Birmingham to meet with The Young Folk. I had the pleasure of sharing the flight with a still merry stag party who used the forty airborne minutes to relive every moment of their weekend, much to the bemusement of the other passengers. Birmingham is the most densely inhabited city in the UK outside London. A city steeped in innovation and revolution has produced a…