• The Olllam w/ Síomha @ Black Box, Belfast

    August 8, 2018 - By 

    When the Black Box has a good night it tends to have a very good night and the general atmosphere upon arriving to the last night of The Olllam’s tour of the island seems to indicate that we’re in for a very good night. Warm word of mouth reviews from all corners and word that Joe Dart of Vulfpeck has joined them on bass throughout the tour brings a buzz of expectation to the room, and more than couple of curious Vulfpeck fans out of the woodwork, too. The room is a touch warmer than it really needs to be,…

  • Goodbye Mandela @ Mandela Hall, Belfast

    July 30, 2018 - By 

    So, the last gig at Mandella Hall. Probably a pretty great venue when you sit and list off all the great gigs you saw there. But nostalgia is for later. WASPS are a pleasantly rambunctious start to the evening, playing in Bar Sub they strike excitable silhouettes adrift in a haze of dry ice and some slick, stark lighting. They find their groove somewhere between desert surf and mathy punk and mine it to death, littering it with nice interplay and clever fills, throwing in some swampy rock riffs every now and then, too. They give an energetic and warm…

  • Eels @ Iveagh Gardens, Dublin

    July 9, 2018 - By 

    With the World Cup, the glorious weather and the afterwork buzz there is sense of anticipation around Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens on this balmy Friday night. It’s a beautiful part of the city and it is wonderful walking through the trees to see the food tents and all the happy faces of this vastly mixed crowd. The four man band of Eels take to the stage just after 8.30pm.  They take no prisoners by lashing into it some cover versions of The Who classic ‘Out In The Street’ then rather strangely and brilliantly ‘Raspberry Beret’, by the one and only Prince.…

  • Roger Waters @ 3Arena, Dublin

    June 28, 2018 - By 

    A lone figure sits on a sand dune on the domineering backdrop screen, facing the waves as the ambient clamour of seascape sounds permeate the chatter and hum of 3arena; oh so gradually intensifying. “Come ye in from the bar”, it almost whispers, and crashes, until the air vibrates that bit more and a thrum of bass is joined by choir-like vocals. “Get in, ye bastards”, they seem to beckon in their serene siren voices. And the people come, pints in hand. He knows how to build an air of subtle expectation, does Roger Waters. Always did. There can’t be…

  • The National w/ John Grant @ Energia Park, Dublin

    June 19, 2018 - By 

    The National just can’t seem to stay away from Dublin. Not ten months since their intimate double-bill at Vicar St., they made their return this Friday, nestled away in the leafy Donnybrook suburbs at the Energia/Donnybrook Stadium, for their own miniature two-day festival, with support acts including Lisa Hannigan, John Grant, Villagers and Rostam. The Friday gig featured the aforementioned Lisa Hannigan and John Grant, as well as Jay Som, and Preoccupations. Not your typical outdoor venue, this weekend was an opportunity for Donnybrook Stadium to showcase itself as one – with surprisingly strong acoustics, and the high suburban trees…

  • Metá Metá @ Black Box, Belfast

    June 11, 2018 - By 

    Two years have passed since Metá Metá’s memorable gig at the Crescent Arts Centre as part of Moving On Music’s Beat Root festival. The São Paulo band’s incendiary performance that evening was all the more remarkable given the absence of saxophonist Thiago  França  forced to spend the night in a Belfast hospital due to a virus. Without him, vocalist Juçara Marçal, guitarist/vocalist Kiko Dinucci, electric bassist Marcelo Cabral and drummer Sergio Machada served up a heady brew of indie rock laced with Afro-Brazilian and psychedelic colors. Back to full strength for its return trip to Belfast, Metá Metá greets Black…

  • Xylouris White @ Black Box, Belfast

    June 2, 2018 - By 

    A lute and drum kit doesn’t sound like a combination that should really work, but in this post-genre age almost anything goes. And, when the musicians in question are veritable virtuosos, as is the case with Cretan laouto player George Xylouris and Australian-born, New York-based drummer Jim White, then the results are nothing short of spectacular. This duo already had a dozen European gigs under its belt in support of its third album, Mother (Bella Union, 2017), which was just as well, as the late arrival of the lute-like lauto-temporarily lost in transit-meant there was no time for a sound-check.…

  • Father John Misty @ Vicar Street, Dublin

    May 31, 2018 - By 

    Father John Misty’s brand of quip laden folk rock has garnered him a loyal following. One that has seen him sell out not one but three nights in Dublin’s Vicar Street. On a humid Monday Night, an enthusiastic but somewhat subdued crowd gathered for the first showing. Bearded men wearing t-shirts adorning their idol seem at odds with the singer’s anti-capitalist persona but I guess that’s just rock and roll. Support on the night comes from Saint Leonard, formerly known as Kieran Leonard, a known associate of The Libertines and Misty alike. Under the guise of Saint Leonards Horses, a…

  • BBC Biggest Weekend @ Titanic Slipways, Belfast – Friday

    May 28, 2018 - By 

    The first signs of 6 Music’s leg of the Biggest Weekender have been appearing at venues all over Belfast this last week. Gigs, seminars, panels and outside broadcasts cropping up daily, heralding the 2 days at Titanic Slipways. For day 1 of festivities, the city, bathed in uncharacteristically glorious weather, conspires to show off just when everyone happens to be paying attention. As the flow of people moving through the city and over the Lagan grows, a Cup Final atmosphere begins to build, smiles and easy conversation with anyone willing to respond are the order of the day, and in…

  • Beck & Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ 3Arena, Dublin

    May 24, 2018 - By 

    Both the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Beck have crafted careers built on distinct sonic styles. Their music captured time and place; Beck encapsulates an era within the 90s pushing towards innovation by blending genres within one record, whilst Yeah Yeah Yeahs defined the New York dance-punk sound of the early 2000s. Their cult statuses, born from albums like Odelay and Fever To Tell, respectively, gives them mass-appeal to a myriad of music fans. The pairing of these artists for this one off joint headline arena gig, then, feels appropriate given the impact their music has made on an incalculable number…