Norwegian pop trailblazer Girl in Red with support by Nieve Ella at 3Arena in Dublin. Photos by Jane Donnelly
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Dive into the very best tracks and albums of the week from AONAIR, Or:la, Pat Lagoon x RikShaw, Ciaran Lavery, Kex x Alex Gough, Adjunct Ensemble, Gaptoof, Big Sleep and more AONAIR – Love/Fiction Adjunct Ensemble – Habits of Assembly Habits Of Assembly – Live at Cafe OTO by Adjunct Ensemble Or:la – Sea Slugs Pat Lagoon x RikShaw – Posture Kex x Alex Gough – The Follower Ciaran Lavery – Ctrl Alt Del Really Good Time – Pension Fund Gaptoof w/ Mushkilla & Danny Sanchez – all i wanna do Big Sleep – Go Orla Gartland – Late to…
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In June 2013, just a day after it was announced that Kim Deal had left Pixies, nine years into one of the unlikeliest of reunions (yes, maybe even more than you-know-who), The Breeders stopped off at the Limelight in Belfast. In my review, I noted that the latter alt-rock heroes—helmed, of course, by Deal and her sister Kelley—delivered a “momentous, altogether unforgettable trip into the recent past.” Fast forward to 2024—on the very day Pixies return to the city after five years, with their latest bassist, Emma Richardson, in tow—news of Deal’s long-awaited solo debut LP lands in my inbox.…
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The Gossip, with support from SPRINTS and Nation of Language, as part of Wider Than Pictures at Collins Barracks, Dublin. Photos by Seán Kelly
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After 14 years, Co. Tyrone indie rock legends Pocket Promise returned for a one-off show Queen’s Student Union in Belfast. Photos by Brian Coney
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Ciaran Lavery has announced details of a new live music experience at the Lyric Theatre. One of the highlights from this year’s Belfast International Arts Festival programme, which takes over the city from 16th October until 23rd November, Light Entertainment follows the acclaimed Northern Irish artist as he battles against crippling creative self-doubt and the allure of procrastination-inducing distractions in a last-ditch attempt to create his next hit record. Sound familiar? Collective consciousness within the sphere of self-doubt and so much more aside, Lavery – who you’ll know as one of the island’s finest, most reliably shapeshifting artists – is…
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In a sonic flash that feels both fleeting and eternal, Adjunct Ensemble’s ‘How Dare You Be Free!’ emerges as a six-minute sorcerous effort – a masterful act of improvisational conjuring featured on the forthcoming Habits Of Assembly – Live At Café OTO. Under the direction of fêted Belfast composer and musician Jamie Thompson, whose radical improvisational instincts are matched by his uncompromising political commentary, the project assembled a world-class lineup: Stephen Davis on drums, John Pope on bass, Sam Comerford on tenor sax, and Thompson himself on piano and electronics. Recorded live at the legendary Café OTO, their session transforms…
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TRAMP’s music is pure-cut alchemy. Since forming in 2019, the Donegal/Derry quartet has become a singular force in our cross-border DIY scene, packing out venues and nabbing the prestigious Artist of the Year Award at the 2023 Northern Irish Music Prize along the way. Comprised of Siânna Lafferty, Ellie McFadden, Fionnbarr Doran, and Ciaran ‘Steamy’ McCay, TRAMP returns this Friday, 23rd August, with their most incisive effort yet, ‘The Birds (Lowered Suspension).’ Off the back of their stellar fundraising track ‘Postcard from Poland‘ and a series of blistering shows across the island, the single doubles as a statement of intent…
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It’s surely true what they say about rest and the wicked: the seemingly interminably on-tour Mary Wallopers have just announced a massive Irish tour for December. 7 Drunken Nights is the latest run on home turf for the brothers Hendy and co., including four dates at Vicar Street and their biggest Belfast show to date, at the SSE Arena. The band will also stop off in Killarney and Cork along the way. Behold the full dates and information, as well as the tour’s rather fetching poster, below. Tickets go on sale at 9.30am on Friday, 23rd August. Sign up to…
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It’s hard to believe it’s been over four years since we first sang the praises of Bedrooms. Their third single, ‘Bus Lanes’, was a perfect introduction to a Dublin trio who knew their way around the subtleties of indie rock—a band who could surely tell apart echoing the cool restraint of Luna and the reflective depth of Damon & Naomi—all while quietly carving out their own space. Now, four years on, the band are on the cusp of unveiling their long-awaited debut album, Perfectly Still. Reuniting with Bill Ryder-Jones at YAWN Studios—the same space where they crafted their 2021 EP…