• Call Me If You Kill Anyone

    October 15, 2015 - By 

    The second in his latest column series for us at the Thin Air, Omagh singer-songwriter Michael McCullagh AKA Son of the Hound continues a tale from his days playing in Colenso Parade. Go here to read the previous installment. We’d booked the rehearsal space on advice of other musicians. Standing on the street in Liverpool I looked around, expecting to see some commercial building among the residential houses but there was nothing. Then from a second story window came a shout. ‘Hey! It’s up here!’. It was Hanso, unruly hair and wild eyes laughing at us as he hung precariously out…

  • Visual Arts Outlook (13/10)

    October 13, 2015 - By 

    Whilst this week sets in to be one of the quieter weeks in October we are going to see a whole wealth of events taking place towards the end of the month to get your creative juices flowing. This Saturday afternoon at 2pm Catalyst Arts Belfast is holding an Artist’s talk with Jacqueline Holt as part of the ‘Composition of Here’ show. Well worth a visit on your stroll around town. Next weekend from the 23rd to the 24th is the hugely anticipated “Open Studios” in Belfast. Hosted by Visual Artists in Northern Ireland and sponsored by Suki Tea, this…

  • Hyperbolex with Ray Wingnut: The Alternative Radio Times

    October 7, 2015 - By 

    “What do you mean you didn’t do much? You taught a generation of broadcasters that you needn’t be an asshole to be on TV!” This reassuring compliment to a self-deprecating Dónal Dineen hits me right in the sweet spot. The comment was by Ger Gilroy, host of the Saturday Panel segment of Newstalk’s Off The Ball sports radio show.  Dineen is on to talk about Kerry football but the subject has swung briefly to his days on the seminal No Disco music television show.  I’m loving all of this. The discussion has beautifully tied together three of my outspoken passions;…

  • Vault Lines: The Evangelists

    October 5, 2015 - By 

    ‘Jesus Is Dead, Long Live… The Evangelists’, so says the sticker on my old record box. It has been there for 13 years or more, and every time I look at it still evokes feelings of nostalgia for both the band and for the time when I first came across them. It was back in 2002, and my friend Cathy Wright and I had just started doing a weekly radio show and website, both called Alternative Ulster. The whole show and site were dedicated to covering nothing but Northern Irish music. At this time the local music scene was still…

  • Rave New World (2/10)

    October 2, 2015 - By 

    With Antoin struck down by the wifi devils, Aidan Hanratty delivers the lowdown on all the very best electronic gigs, tracks, mixes and releases of the week. GIGS Trade (Blawan + Surgeon) & Sunil Sharpe at District 8 Friday 2 October 2015 What a lineup. Techno heavyweights Blawan and Surgeon come together under their Trade banner, while their friend and associate Sunil Sharpe supports. This will be big. Out To Lunch presents Laurel Halo, Andras Fox and Aquarian at Bar Tengu Saturday 3 October 2015 Out To Lunch present another stellar lineup at Bar Tengu. Laurel Halo, a worthy draw anyway, has…

  • Visual Arts Outlook (29/9)

    September 29, 2015 - By 

    The Turner Prize opens this week at Tramway in Glasgow. I know this isn’t actually in Ireland, and this is an Irish Arts Roundup, but as I endeavour to keep you all updated with the important stuff that’s going on, I thought I’d include it this week. Afterall Glasgow isn’t that far away and I hear flights are cheap at the moment! This is a particularly good one to check out as it’s in the beautiful Tramway and features this year’s shortlisted artists Assemble (get my vote), Bonnie Camplin, Janice Kerbel and Nicole Wermers. If you get the chance to…

  • Rave New World (25/9)

    September 25, 2015 - By 

    Antoin Lindsay and Aidan Hanratty take a look at some of the best electronic mixes, gigs, tracks and releases of the week. GIGS Sonic Arts Waterford – Sonic Dreams Festival at Soma Contemporary Gallery Fri, Sep 25 – Sat, Sep 26  I’m always wary of ignoring what’s going on outside the capital, so it gives me great pleasure to share this. The Sonic Dreams Festival takes place this weekend in Waterford’s Soma Contemporary Gallery. It’s got a range of artists across its two days (today and tomorrow), ranging from avant-garde sound-based sculptures, tech-sounds with ambient flourishes and bass pop, going by some…

  • Hyperbolex with Ray Wingnut: Giveamanakick and Naive Ted

    September 23, 2015 - By 

    ‘Hello, we’re called Giveamanakick and we’re from Limerick.’ Steve Ryan’s hushed tones from under a peak hat, no eye contact, only to his comrade with the sticks. It has a vibe of menace. It feels to me like he wants to grab everyone, punch them in the gut and then fuck them out the window of the pub. This was serious. This band had such brutal force. When they played brains were shredded, lungs were sore and adrenal glands jacked. When Ryan donned a fighter-pilot mask, all of a sudden it was like Hannibal Lector and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre…

  • The Countless Other Gangs of Four

    September 22, 2015 - By 

    Having recounted some exquisite tales for us in his previous alias of Meb Jon Sol last year – and with the release of his new single, ‘Pilgrim’, on Friday – Omagh songsmith Michael McCullagh AKA Son of the Hound returns for a new string of columns for The Thin Air. Photo by Tom Nicholl. The train shook the window as it passed. The fixings of the steel bunks shuddered and cream paint flaked from the wall, falling quietly as the noise of the train faded into the Dublin hum. ‘That’s why the room was so cheap’ I said. I heaved my guitar case on…

  • Interview: Pan Narrans Theatre Company

    September 17, 2015 - By 

    Ahead of Culture Night Belfast 2015 (Friday, September 18), Gavin Turtle speaks to Pan Narrans Theatre Company about their upcoming street performance of How these Desperate Men Talk, starting a theatre company in Belfast and Culture Night. Pan Narrans is a Belfast based theatre company started by actor Michael Patrick and director Oisin Kearney. Stills from How these Desperate Men Talk Hi guys. How did you start working together? Oisin: We did 4 Samuel Beckett plays in Cambridge which went well. We were surprised how easy it was. This was 2010. The next year we said “let’s put on a…