• Kamasi Washington @ National Concert Hall, Dublin

    July 3, 2017 - By 

    It’s over two years now since Inglewood native Kamasi Washington soundly and confidently delivered on the titled mandate of his debut record (and instant classic) The Epic. A three-hour behemoth of raucous, deft and daring jazz which took the world by storm and for a long time was all anyone could talk about. So it’s no surprise that tonight in the formal setting of the NCH that there’s an edge of excitement in the air. Not only that but the crowd is decidedly mixed; young and old, rolled up beanies and distinguished greys, distressed denim and well-pressed chinos. Kamasi’s sound,…

  • BadBadNotGood @ The Sugar Club, Dublin

    June 29, 2017 - By 

    Seven months ago, BadBadNotGood performed to a modest crowd during the early part of Metropolis Festival’s inaugural evening. Earlier this week, having recently played at Bonnaroo and Glastonbury, the Canadian quartet played two sold-out shows in The Sugar Club, taking time out of festival slots to put on a show where their music was the sole focus. BBNG are known for their innovative approach to composing intricately textured, experimental jazz infused hip hop instrumentals that speak to even the staunchest purist of either genre.  Their debut release on Bandcamp, I, caught the attention of Odd Future leader Tyler, The Creator…

  • Paramore @ Olympia Theatre, Dublin

    June 16, 2017 - By 

    It’s been a long time since Tennessee natives, Paramore, last brought their show to Irish shores and by the look of the massive queue outside the Olympia two hours before open doors, Ireland has certainly missed them. Opening act, California’s Bleached, set the pace with a raucous set of female-led punk rock. Bringing to mind 90s riot grrrl with a touch of surf rock, they play an uncompromising set of punk rock anthems. Whilst the music is a small bit lost on a large majority of the crowd, they’re a promising act and, as an opening act, send out a…

  • Damo Suzuki w/ Blue Whale & Paul Stapleton and Robocobra Quartet @ Black Box, Belfast

    May 29, 2017 - By 

    When former Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit died in January this year, the tributes that poured in were a potent reminder, if one were needed, of just how influential the krautrock pioneers were. With the German band’s original American vocalist Malcolm Mooney leaving the band at the dawn of the 70s, erstwhile Japanese busker Damo Suzuki was installed in time for 1971’s seminal Tago Mago, remaining with the group for the equally classic Ege Bamyasi and Future Days, albums that within just a few short years were influencing Berlin-era Bowie and the entire post-punk scene, not to mention countless rock bands…

  • Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh & Cormac Begley @ An Droichead, Belfast

    May 19, 2017 - By 

    There was double reason for celebration at An Droichead – South Belfast’s primary centre of Irish language and culture. Firstly, there had been the launch earlier that day of the Belfast Traditional Music Trail. This initiative, to be held every Saturday afternoon, presents traditional Irish music to all-comers, on a trail that traverses the Cathedral Quarter – taking in some of the city’s most iconic pubs. Then, just a few hours later, a full house at An Droichead welcomed fiddler Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh   and concertina player Cormac Begley – two of the finest exponents of their respective instruments in Ireland…

  • April Verch Band @ The Old Courthouse, Antrim

    May 15, 2017 - By 

    Antrim’s The Old Courthouse was a fitting venue for the April Verch Band, which brought its vibrant, fiddle-based Americana to a building that dates to 1776. Fitting because, in a way, fiddler and step dancer Verch was bringing the music home. In the seventeen hundreds over a hundred thousand Irish left home to begin a new life in North America, bringing with them their fiddle music, songs and dance traditions, and these roots — amongst others — were evident during a captivating ninety-minute show. Of course, along with the Ulster-Scotts/Irish came the Scottish, French and Polish — amongst multiple nationalities…

  • Bob Dylan @ 3Arena, Dublin

    May 16, 2017 - By 

    Some things never change. There are still people streaming towards the exits long before the end of a Bob Dylan show and tonight is no different. Despite the availability of decades of set lists and live reviews online, the expectation of an acoustic-driven evening of hits prevails among many of the audience sprawled around the cavernous 3 Arena. Here is a Nobel Laureate who can perform at the White House without saying a word to the President of the United States, yet people are disappointed that he fails to acknowledge the audience or the occasion with as much as a…

  • The Big Moon @ The Academy, Dublin

    May 2, 2017 - By 

    With doors open at a very early 6:30pm and a no-alcohol policy to boot, the gig may have advertised itself as rather low-key in scope to anyone new to The Big Moon. This train of thought would’ve been a fatal mistake as the London band thundered their way through a blistering set that surely won over everyone present in Academy 2 on the night. Irish band Pillow Queens got the night off to a lively blend of music aligned somewhat to 90s pop-punk, playing music from their 2016 EP Calm Girls alongside future releases. The crowd are energised by their performance,…

  • The Jesus and Mary Chain @ The Academy, Dublin

    April 10, 2017 - By 

    Jim and William Reid seem to be getting on just fine these days. You can tell from the minimal interaction and eye contact onstage when the notoriously fractious brothers get The Jesus & Mary Chain tours off the ground. In 2014 the band played a warm-up show in Vicar Street – a kind of dress rehearsal of sorts for their then-imminent Psychocandy tour. It was a ramshackle event from start to finish – and all the more exciting for it – where it seemed the band may not have lasted to the end of the set never mind the beginning…

  • Stormzy w/ A2 @ The Olympia, Dublin

    March 31, 2017 - By 

    Every single owner of a pair of Adidas Superstars has started to form a queue outside the Olympia on this particular Wednesday evening on Dublin. As the crowd eyes up each other’s shades of Adidas, it’s clear there’s only one name on everyone’s lips – Stormzy. Stormzy, or Michael Omari to his mum, has been setting grime and pop audiences alight with his palatable take on Britain’s hottest genre of 2017. His critically lauded number one album, Gang Signs And Prayer has already been slated as one of the biggest successes of the year and the excitement is palpable amongst…