A year after casting a two-night spell over Vicar Street, Patti Smith returns to Dublin this autumn for a special show marking the 50th anniversary of Horses. Joined by her band, she’ll take over 3Arena on Monday, 6th October for what promises to be a landmark performance celebrating her revered 1975 debut. By our count, this will be her 14th time playing the city, and it’s set to go down as one of the most memorable. Presented by Foggy Notions, tickets go on sale this Monday, 6th October.
Just when you thought ØXN’s status as Ireland’s finest supergroup of sorts was unfuckwithable, along come Human Lanterns. Let’s call it a draw. This new project unites musicians we’d gladly use our last breath to champion. This lineup enters special territory altogether: the wizardly Paul Clynes (Hands Up Who Wants to Die, Shifting et al.), the ever-excellent Mary Keane (Cormorant Tree Oh), Thomas Parkes (The Jimmy Cake), Ivan Deasy of Crowhammer, and Will from the brilliantly – supremely – named Ireland. Their debut track, ‘Eyes in My Pocket,’ is probably the closest music from these shores has yet come to…
HousePlants with support by Bantum at the Button Factory in Dublin. Photos by Seán Kelly.
Open Ear, Ireland’s best and easily most consistently forward-pushing summer festival, returns from 29 May to 1 June with its strongest line-up to date. Big words, we know, but very well earned. After another standout edition last summer, the Sherkin Island institution returns to the beloved and forever blessed Banger Cliff, along with various other venues speckled across the haven just off the coast of West Cork, this June Bank Holiday. This year’s highlights are plenty, with performances from RÓIS, Brìghde Chaimbeul, Trá Pháidín, Natalia Beylis & Willie Stewart, Sunil Sharpe, I Dreamed I Dream, Elaine Malone, Péist, Anodyne and Americhord.…
In one way or another, we say it every year: AVA Festival just keeps levelling up. Hands down one of the island’s very best summer festivals – and an electronic institution in Belfast – AVA returns to take over the Titanic Slipways across 30-31st May. With a new, arts-focused initiative to be announced in the coming weeks, this year’s line-up is more than enough to get us excited. For edition number 11, organisers have brought together headliners including Underworld and Overmono, and countless big hitters, among them VTSS, KI/KI, 999999999, Job Jobse, Sally C and Tommy Holohan. A slew of…
We’ve a lot of love for Stendhal Festival here at The Thin Air. When Glasgowbury took its final bow at Eagle’s Rock in Draperstown in 2013, there was, despite the sadness, a shared belief that Stendhal could pick up the baton, fill the gap and create something even bigger and better for the future. Sixteen years later, the annual Limavady festival hasn’t just filled the gap – it has redefined what a homegrown festival can be. Stendhal has become a cornerstone of NI’s cultural calendar and a beacon for creativity, collaboration and unforgettable live experiences. At the heart of this…
Nine Inch Nails have announced their highly-anticipated return to Dublin. Two years on from playing the venue, Trent Reznor and co. will return for a show at 3Arena on June 15th. The show doubles up as the opening night of the band’s Peel It Back world tour, the full dates of which are below. Tickets for Nine Inch Nails at Dublin’s 3Arena go on sale at 12pm next Wednesday, January 29. Revisit a stone-cold NIN classic below. Photo by Jenn Five
If you’re into jazz or just good music in general, you’ll hopefully already know that Brilliant Corners is one of the top festivals in Ireland – and year 13 is shaping up to be something special. Big shout-out to the legends at Moving on Music who’ve been making this happen year after year, pushing the boundaries of jazz and bringing a level of talent to Belfast that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s not just one of the best jazz festivals around – it’s straight-up one of the best festivals on the island, full stop. From 28th February to 8th…
From every corner of the island, here’s the very best music of the week, featuring brand new Mantua, Chalk, BICEP, Joshua Burnside, Cruel Sister and more Mantua – high talk//swell divide high talk//swell divide by Mantua Chalk – Afraid BICEP – CHROMA 008 TANGZ Joshua Burnside – Climb the Tower Cruel Sister – XOXO Hotgirl – On The Brink Good Skin – On a Night For Lovers Ria Rua – I Love That For You
VEIN OF FOLLY marks the first fully collaborative project from Belfast-based rapper Leo Miyagee and producer Eulogy, a release that delves into “the delicate balance between sanity and insanity that exists within us all.” This seven-track collection is a genre-pushing masterclass, drawing on influences from the late 2010s SoundCloud rap era, ambient icons like Clams Casino, 회사AUTO, and Burial, as well as UK rap and grime. The duo breaks down the writing and production behind each track, joined by Chris McKenna, a third member of their collective, who contributed to the project’s world-building, creative direction, artwork, and conceptual references—including inspiration…