• Smoke And Mirrors: The NI Music Prize

    Award ceremonies are a strange beast, a curious mixture of the repellently naff and the irresistibly enticing. Regardless of what they might claim, everyone loves a pat on the back, the feeling of being vindicated in front of one’s peers, and the opportunity to revel in a sense of achievement. There ain’t nothing wrong with that, and when someone wins an award, they can be humble and bashful, or belligerently arrogant, but the result is the same – you feel good. On the other hand, if you don’t win, it’s all gravy, you never respected the thing in the first…

  • Girls Names @ Musikcaféen, Copenhagen

    Currently based in Sweden, Dublin photographer Ian Pearce captured Belfast four-piece Girls Names play Musikcaféen in Copenhagen as part of a brief string of European dates at the weekend just past. Heed how well young Cathal Cully and co. scrub up in his photos from the night below.

  • In The Court Of… Tom Ravenscroft @ The MAC, Belfast

    Following the wonderful success of its being curated by none other than Duke Special last year, writer, broadcaster and 6Music DJ Tom Ravenscroft is set to curate this year’s In The Court Of… at Belfast’s the MAC. Taking place from September 24-28, Ravenscroft has hand-selected five line-ups of music, spoken word and a special club night, kicking off with New York singer-songwriter Nina Nastasia and Katharine Philippa. See below for the five full line-ups. Tuesday, September 24: Nina Nastasia and Katharine Philippa Wednesday, September 25: Adam Buxton: Kernel Panic Thursday, September 26: Slow Dance Party Friday, September 27: Ghostpoet, Girls Names and…