• The King Khan & BBQ Show w/ September Girls @ The Workman’s Club, Dublin

    April 26, 2016 - By 

    One of the main attributes that is often associated with King Khan and his partner in crime Mark Sultan – AKA The BBQ – when they perform is that the crowd are never left wanting. As a band they are an incredibly tight combo, who not only take huge pleasure in emphasising their die-hard passion for old school rock ‘n’ roll, doo-wop and punk, but are driven to put on a show that will reside in their audience’s memory for some time after they leave the stage. As a result it’s no surprise to learn that their appearance in the Workmans Club…

  • Ought w/ Autumns @ Voodoo, Belfast

    April 25, 2016 - By 

    Ought are somewhat of an anomaly on Constellation Records, a label known more for post-rock bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, but then they’re also an anomaly in that they’re a Canadian band without any Canadian members, their personnel having moved to Montreal from various US states and, in one case, Australia. Still on the touring trail for last year’s sublime second LP Sun Coming Down, their second European trek since its release sees them make a much anticipated return to Ireland and a Belfast debut. Derry’s Autumns kick things off, fast becoming Belfast’s support-band-in-residence, which is no bad thing.…

  • Girl Band @ Vicar Street, Dublin

    April 4, 2016 - By 

    There is a sense of mystery about the Girl Band show at Vicar Street tonight. They have not played Dublin since releasing their debut LP Holding Hands With Jamie in September 2015. They rescheduled their Dublin show since cancelling their North American and European tours, including the Button Factory in November. They have since whittled down their new tour to a handful of dates worldwide, including Pitchfork Festival in Chicago where they are the only Irish act to play. This is a hot ticket to have. From the moment you walk in the front door you can smell the anticipation.…

  • exmagician Scan The Blue Album Launch w/ Waldorf & Cannon @ McHughs, Belfast

    April 4, 2016 - By 

    Having caught them play a blinder of a showcase in The Duke of York as part of the wider Output Belfast initiative in February, the promise of an intimate album launch show for exmagician in McHughs Basement tonight is a tantalising prospect – all the more so considering debut LP Scan The Blue seems made for the stage and the snippets offered not more than six weeks ago are still ringing merrily in our ears. And, as we descend into the venue, the intimacy of this show becomes more than just a cursory description. There’s but a metre between us…

  • Meatbodies w/ No Monster Club @ Workman’s Club, Dublin

    April 4, 2016 - By 

    Just over six months has passed since multi-instrumentalist Chad Ubovich last made an appearance here in Dublin, when he played alongside his good friend Ty Segall in their sludge power trio Fuzz. Ubovich has been involved in the LA underground scene since he was a teenager and is also a touring member of Mikal Cronin’s band. However outside of these projects it’s Meatbodies (formerly Chad & the Meatbodies) that should be viewed as his intrinsic musical outlet. With a sound that does not stretch the boundaries of psych, garage rock and heavy riffs that far, one can easily imagine where…

  • Sunset Sons w/ Louis Berry @ Limelight, Belfast

    March 30, 2016 - By 

    “I’ve only got five strings now, but I’ll play on anyway!” Liverpool born support act Louis Berry is nothing if not enthusiastic, with the guitar malfunction that occurred only two songs into his set seemingly only spurring him on to deliver an even more frantic than usual perfromance. Berry’s snotty delivery is a true asset when delivering the sort of hard-nosed, retro rock n roll that he and his three band mates specialise in, and the Scouser’s throbbing energy sparked a warm response from the already impressively large Limelight 2 crowd, as he tore through numbers such as ‘.45’ and…

  • Rolo Tomassi w/ Hornets @ Voodoo, Belfast

    March 29, 2016 - By 

    It’s a rather frustrating thing when bands announce a ‘UK tour’ that in reality is more like an ‘England with a token date in Scotland or Wales and nothing in Northern Ireland (or southern, for that matter)’ tour. So it was particularly gratifying when Sheffield mathcore rockers Rolo Tomassi announced an actual, honest-to-goodness UK and Ireland tour that promised two dates in the North and one in the South. Tonight in Belfast they were ably (and very much suitably) supported by hardcore/metal headcases Hornets. Hitting the stage about half an hour late, they emit a screech of feedback that signals…

  • Battles w/ Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith @ The Button Factory, Dublin

    March 24, 2016 - By 

    The Button Factory plays host to the first night of Battles’ European Spring tour tonight, in support of their latest album La Di Da Di. Having sold out not too long after it was announced last year, the desire for the trio’s return to Dublin is immense. Tonight’s sole support, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith takes to the stage first with an impressive array of synths, sequencers, connective wires and blinking lights, evocative of a young Delia Derbyshire at the BBC radiophonic workshop. She begins with a series of robotic loops, which advances into Laurie Anderson territory as she distorts her vocals through…

  • Solar Bears @ Lavery’s, Belfast

    March 21, 2016 - By 

    Gigantic at Lavery’s is a Belfast institution. For over a decade now it’s been a valuable club night for those of us who would rather spend a Friday night dancing to LCD Soundsystem or The Juan MacLean over the more typically pedestrian fare on offer in most clubs of a weekend. It’s also been refreshing for its tendency over the years to play material by local artists alongside the usual international acts, so the recent monthly gig nights at the club have been an inspired move. Not to mention, with music industry release dates now standardised to Fridays on both…