• Girls Names (Album Launch) w/ Documenta @ Empire Music Hall, Belfast

    October 3, 2015 - By 

    Having amassed a veritable smorgasbord of critics singing their praises, it’s no surprise that the launch of Girls Names’ new album Arms Around a Vision tonight has been one of the most highly anticipated gigs of this year so far – a simple run through of the post-punk four-piece’s latest effort can attest to this with ease. It’s arguable too that by drip-feeding us snippets of the album for the past few months, Cathal Cully and company have ran a very lucrative and creative marketing campaign, so much so that by the time that Arms Around a Vision saw the…

  • AVA Festival 2015

    June 1, 2015 - By 

    Well, here we are.  After months of anticipation and the mandatory, giddy daily countdown, the moment has arrived for Belfast’s inaugural AVA (Audio Visual Arts) Festival.  We’ve entered the Titanic Qtr and are making our way to the goliath T13 warehouse and playing spot the raver as we increase our pace, beyond excited for what we’ll see when we get there.  When we do, a multitude of coaches indicates that although it won’t kick off for some time yet, there’ll be a sizeable crowd inside.  There is, to our relief, a mass of music fans buzzing around the gargantuan space.…

  • Mr Scruff @ Black Box, Belfast

    June 1, 2015 - By 

    You might already be aware of this but Mr. Scruff AKA Andy Carthy is a bonafide hero.  Why shouldn’t he be?  The man has one of the most eclectic musical palettes around and the production/DJing skills to back it up – and then some.  That’s the reason (and always has been) why Carthy is such a huge draw for music lovers of all styles.  His last appearance in Belfast back in January was immense, and this time around, our expectations were obviously high.  It’s a treat, too, that he’s come back to play The Black Box for this visit.  Not…

  • Donal Scullion – Superpowers

    May 12, 2015 - By 

    As an NI Soul Troop mainstay, Donal Scullion is more than familiar with the nuances of jazz, funk and, of course, soul, not to mention the work that goes into arranging tracks that bear those generic attributes.  This is what contributes to Scullion’s grasp of composition and style on his debut solo offering Superpowers; an album that is full of all the tropes of big-band splendour but tows the line quite sweetly between the singer/songwriter and pop-soloist milieus.  In theory, that’s a tall order and not without its pitfalls, but Scullion has obviously approacehed Superpowers with enthusiasm and vigour, and…

  • Public Service Broadcasting w/ Smoke Fairies @ Mandela Hall, Belfast

    May 5, 2015 - By 

    Belfast’s Mandela Hall has consistently been something of a mecca for artists, bands and gig-goers in Northern Ireland, so it’s always a delight heading down those stairs into the darkness for a night of live music and good times. Life’s little pleasures, eh? And pleasurable it most certainly would be (sort of), with our eager ears anticipating Public Service Broadcasting and their brand of indie/electronica meets samplers/instrumental sonic space adventures. We arrive sharpish with a few dozen others, making our way down into the Mandela Hall and are pleasantly surprised by a promising turnout so early in the night. It’s…

  • Flying Lotus @ Vicar Street, Dublin

    May 1, 2015 - By 

    With the doors to Vicar Street, Dublin, opening at 7.30pm, our approach was somewhat cautious.  Surely there won’t be anybody here? We’re a bit early, right? WRONG. As we turned the corner, tickets in hand and anticipation set to almost uncomfortable levels, we were psyched to see a few hundred people milling about outside the entrance, all as giddy and as anxious to get inside as us, for a night featuring none other than the inimitable, the glorious, the Captain himself, Flying Lotus. It’s a strange, but welcome experience too, entering the cavernous venue so early and seeing it so…

  • Villagers – Darling Arithmetic

    April 21, 2015 - By 

    Villagers has always been something of a vehicle for Conor O’Briens creative vision. Early on as a band it enabled him to explore the rich soundscapes we heard on Becoming A Jackal; the arrangements were complex, brooding and gave more than a tip of the cap to Nick Drake’s darkest days and recordings, but was most certainly foregrounded with O’Brien’s soloist vernacular. {Awayland} had a different, but no less focused modus operandi, with O’Brien and co. expanding a sound that ultimately felt like a more colourful, collaborative experience. Now on album number three, Villagers’ Darling Arithmetic goes beyond a back…

  • Princess @ The Woodworkers, Belfast

    April 13, 2015 - By 

    More a pub than a performance venue, The Woodworkers is certainly an interesting space, and upon entering, we were happy to see that the sizeable crowd were largely there for the same reason as us – to watch some glorious live music from Dublin’s Princess, rather than pint it up before heading onwards. Princess wouldn’t come on until 11.30pm though, so we were treated to an eclectic selection of tunes from Chris Jones in the meantime, whose penchant for house and some very funky electronica kept our heads bobbing quite happily until the main act were setting up. Then, at…

  • A Place To Bury Strangers w/ Travis Is A Tourist @ Voodoo, Belfast

    April 7, 2015 - By 

    On a cold, dank – did I mention cold? – and generally miserable Belfast evening, what could  be more inviting than some live music with good friends and good beers? Not much, and as we headed into Voodoo, safe in the knowledge that the aforementioned factors would welcome us, we were thrilled to just be warm and dry. Then, at 8.30 sharp-ish, Travis Is A Tourist takes to the stage in support of the headline act for the evening, A Place To Bury Strangers. Wonderful. Well, actually, wonderful in a sense.  Here’s the thing: Travis Is A Tourist (below) is…

  • Kindred: Ital w/ Matt Burns (Twitch) @ Menagerie, Belfast

    March 21, 2015 - By 

    Tonight, as we approach the beginning of the weekend with all the vigour one can muster from a Monday through Friday work-a-day existence, the only logical decision is to go big or go home, right? Choosing the former, the ‘go big option’, with total and firm disregard for the inevitable suffering to be endured post-partying, our sights are set firmly on The Menagerie, Belfast, so that we may dance, groove and lap up some of the finest house and techno courtesy of Brooklyn-based producer and electronica explorer, Ital, AKA Daniel Martin-McCormick. Kicking off ever so slightly later than planned, we…