• Ten to Catch at Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival 2017

    April 24, 2017 - By 

    Set to take over the quarter from April 27 to May 7, Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival returns from April 27 to May 7 with yet another exceptional programme of art, music, theatre, literature and ideas. And whilst it’s tricky even whittling it down to three times the amount, here’s our outright 10 must-see, must-attend, must-recommend-to-all-of-your-friends recommendations for this years festival. Don’t forget those tickets, you hear? William Basinski Friday, May 5 – The Black Box – 20.00 Our absolute highlight? NYC avant-garde master William Basinski (pictured above) at the Black Box. Profoundly unmissable. Discover/re-visit the extraordinary The Disintegration Loops below.…

  • Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival 2017 Programme Launched

    March 30, 2017 - By 

    At a time when the very heartland of the city’s creative community is under threat, Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival is an even more vital annual proposition of first-rate arts and culture. Set to take over the quarter from April 27 to May 7, today saw the launch of the typically-eclectic programme for this year’s outing, featuring everyone from Booker T Jones, K-X-P and Richard Herring to Brix & The Extricated, The Divine Comedy (pictured) and New York avant-garde master William Basinski. Split between music, comedy, words & ideas, theatre, visual arts and more, you can check out the full line-up and…

  • Courtney Pine & Zoe Rahman @ Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, Belfast

    May 17, 2016 - By 

    It’s not exactly a shocking revelation to say that jazz can be a ludicrously self-reverential medium, especially given the insular virtuosity required to play it to a world-class degree, so it’s pleasant that tonight, under this starry-ceilinged festival marquee, that Courtney Pine maintains a balanced composure; one that allows for moments of wild, wandering timbres but also gentle interplay with Zoe Rahman’s fervent piano playing. A courteous guest, Pine lays on the thanks thick and fast for the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival organisers, prompting agreement from a largely excitable crowd who rightly recognise that jazz in Belfast isn’t exactly the…

  • Aidan Moffat: ‘Where You’re Meant To Be’ screening & performance @ Black Box, Belfast

    May 5, 2016 - By 

    Aidan Moffat has been a busy man over the last few years but that hasn’t stopped him from quietly taking the Scottish folk songs of the countryside and transplanting them to the city. Working alongside documentary filmmaker Paul Fegan, Where You’re Meant To Be is part Road movie and part music documentary. Where You’re Meant To Be is Fegan’s first feature-length but the director is a former music promoter in Glasgow and has previously made a short film Pouters (streaming for free online) alongside a number of music videos for Aidan Moffat & Bill Wells and Belle & Sebastian. As…

  • Richmond Fontaine @ Voodoo, Belfast

    May 4, 2016 - By 

    There’s no room for sentiment during Richmond Fontaine’s last ever Belfast show. The band from Portland, Oregon have been regular visitors to the city since the release of the critically-acclaimed Post To Wire in 2004, and tonight their final album You Can’t Go Back If There’s Nothing To Go Back To gets some serious attention from the setlist. You Can’t Go Back is a summary of all that’s great about this much-loved Americana band so it’s fitting that most of the record is showcased this evening. ‘I Got Off The Bus’ – a song about the worst homecoming ever, alternates…

  • Where He’s Meant To Be: An interview with Arab Strap’s Aidan Moffat

    April 28, 2016 - By 

    As one half of the band Arab Strap with Malcolm Middleton between 1996 and 2006, Aidan Moffat quickly became one of the most influential voices in Scottish indie music. His unmistakable thick brogue and frank, confessional and often hilarious lyrics are reflected in so many newer Scottish bands while Moffat himself has guested with the likes of Mogwai and Frightened Rabbit over the years. Since Arab Strap’s amicable split, Moffat has undertaken all kinds of projects, from spoken word to his collaborations with Bill Wells to his electronic work as L. Pierre, to name a few. In 2014 he toured…

  • Odessey & Oracle: An Interview with Colin Blunstone

    April 19, 2016 - By 

    Colin Blunstone is the lead singer of the legendary British band The Zombies, and has enjoyed a successful solo career since the band split in 1969. Eimear Hurley caught up with the singer fresh off of his solo tour in the UK and Holland, and ahead of a busy summer touring schedule with his solo band and the Zombies. Hi Colin. You have enjoyed a fantastic musical career so far, spanning five decades. Can you tell me about your experience of being an artist in the 21st century compared to when you first started? The business is almost unrecognisable from…

  • Front of House: Louise McElvanna (CQAF)

    May 19, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of Front of House, Brian Coney chats to Louise McElvanna, Event Manager at the likes of Open House Festival, Belfast Festival at Queens and the recent Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. Photos by Sara Marsden. Hi Louise. You’ve just finished working at this year’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. First off, any highlights? Hello The Thin Air. It’s always a mad 11-day whirlwind. There were so many highlights for me, but The Staves show was amazing, I just love them. I’m considering applying for the position of fourth Stave, but I’m not actually sure there’s a vacancy going! It was also…