• Inside Out

    August 8, 2014 - By 

    Taking place at Belfast’s Arthur Square from August 9 to August 30, Inside Out will see some of the country’s finest musical talent – everyone from Malojian (above) to Sons of Caliber – play a series of free, unplugged gigs. Culminating in a showcase event at City Hall, the gigs will last 45 minutes and take place every Saturday (1pm and 3pm) and Thursday (at 5.30pm) throughout the month of August. Here’s the full line-up and schedule: Malojian: August 9 Silhouette: August 9 Master and Dog: August 14 Zarah Fleming: August 16 The Hardchangers: August 16 Wookalily: August 21 Silences: August 23 Linley Hamilton: August 23 Emerald Armada: August 28…

  • Gigs of the Week: Ryan Vail, Groom, The Minutes & Johnny Marr

    August 5, 2014 - By 

    With the majority of the Summer festivals already behind us (boo, hiss, etc.) we’re pretty much all going to have to centre our gig-going attentions firmly towards venues with roofs and walls and stuff. Devastating, we know, but sure it could be a whole lot worse. Having taken a fine toothcomb of good taste through our own Gig Guide and elsewhere, here’s our Gigs of the Week for the next few days, every single one of which involve absolutely zero chance of you getting drenched and/or sunburned. Ryan Vail, Affleck – The Twisted Peppper, Dublin; Saturday, August 9 Two of the…

  • SXSW 2015 Music, Interactive and Film Information Session @ Established Coffee

    July 29, 2014 - By 

    On Thursday, August 28, GeneratorNI will host a one-off session at Belfast’s Established Coffee, focusing on all things South By Southwest 2015. Hosted in association with UKTI, the session will advise all potential SXSW Musical, Interactive and FIlm delegates, as well as artists hoping to apply as showcasing artists. Featuring short presentations from representatives from SXSW and UKTI (UK Trade and Investment), as well as a general Q+A session and networking, this is an indispensable opportunity for artists to fully avail of what services and advice are available to them ahead of next year’s event. Artist applications for SXSW are…

  • Tw!tch: Kassem Mosse, Kowton + Rooftop Pre-party @ QUBSU

    July 29, 2014 - By 

    Celebrated techno producer Kassem Mosse released his debut LP Workshop 19 earlier this year, and now heads a tantalizing double bill of techno and deep house at Belfast’s Queens Student Union on Saturday, August 16, courtesy of the city’s premier electronic booking agents, Tw!tch. The German DJ and producer, real name Gunnar Wendel, has released one of the most engrossing and curious electronic LPs of the year in Workshop 19, and has several high-profile admirers in the genre in Omar-S and Joy O. Support on the night comes from Bristol producer Kowton, whose mix of heady dub influences and house textures…

  • Gigs of the Week: The Jesus and Mary Chain, Indiependence, Oh Volcano, Forfey, Castlepalooza

    July 28, 2014 - By 

    As much a blessing as it it is a curse (priorities, man), not one, not two but three of the country’s finest summer festivals take place this weekend. Speckled across the country, in some of the most scenic surroundings imaginable, Forfey, Indiependence and Castlepalooza all have something unique to offer, their respective aural and visual showcases, bolstered by goodwill and a light ale or two, certain to make the most of the abnormally glorious weather we’ve been enjoying right across Ireland lately. Here’s a brief rundown of the festivals in question, as well as a couple of unmissable standalone gigs for good measure. The…

  • Not I/Footfalls/Rockaby by Samuel Beckett @ The MAC

    July 28, 2014 - By 

    From September 2 to September 6, The Mac, Belfast, will present three classic plays by Samuel Beckett, executed in just one-hour long, rarely performed, piece. Not I is an intense monologue, set in a pitch-black space lit by a single beam of light. A disembodied female mouth floats eight feet above the stage and delivers a stream of consciousness, spoken, as Beckett directed, at the speed of thought. Footfalls tells the moving story of May, a ghostly figure who paces back and forth like a metronome outside her dying mother’s room. Completing the trilogy is Rockaby – probably the most famous…

  • Punk Rock @ The Lyric

    July 24, 2014 - By 

    Punk Rock – a play written by Simon Stephens and directed by Selina Cartmell – comes to Belfast’s Lyric Theatre for a stint, from August 10 until September 6. Set amongst a clique of sixth formers during exam time in a library as they prepare for mock A levels, Punk Rock sees the typically dysfunctional group discuss their pre-university problems and struggles with personal identity. Writer Simon Stevens has been heralded as the most prolific British playwright of his generation, and the likes of The Independent and The Guardian have given the play positive reviews. You can check out the Lyric’s…

  • Gigs of the Week: Ciaran Lavery, Tycho, Swords & RESET

    July 23, 2014 - By 

    Another week, and like all weeks it presents many, many opportunities to check out the very best gigs on offer around the country. The number of gigs does tend to drop somewhat during the summer months, but we’ve managed to unearth several shows that you can wrap your ears around… Tycho – The Button Factory, Dublin; Wednesday, July 23 Post rock-inflected electronic group Tycho will be performing at the Button Factory this Wednesday. Beautiful, swirling soundscapes are to expected here in what ought to be a wonderfully dreamy and epic show. Tickets are €14 and doors are at 7.30.  …

  • Gigs of the Week: The National, Longitude, Arborist, Phosphorescent, Cat Power

    July 14, 2014 - By 

    With the World Cup having concluded after four glorious (and already sadly-missed) weeks last night, it’s safe to say many of us are significantly more inclined to leave the house more often to indulge in some first-rate shows and summer festivals. From indie rock globetrotters to local songwriting masters, here’s our rundown of the some of the most must-see gigs happening across the country over the next few days. The National – Iveagh Gardens, Dublin; Friday, July 18 Ohio indie kings The National return to Ireland this week with a string of dates in Cork, Galway and Dublin. The group have been making outstanding dark, melancholic…

  • The Thin Air Writers Club @ Oh Yeah Centre, Belfast

    July 14, 2014 - By 

    We’re teaming up with Belfast’s Oh Yeah Music Center from Monday, July 21 to Friday, July 25 to present The Thin Air Writers Club, a five-day music journalism course looking at many different aspects of the craft, profession and industry. Aimed towards those aged 14-18 year old, the course will take place from 10am to 4pm each day, with each daily installment focusing on everything from writing reviews, conducting interviews, feature writing, digital presentation, blogging, building a portfolio and much more. Culminating at the next Volume Control gig at the Oh Yeah Centre on Friday, July 25, the course – £60.00…