• Irish Tour: Beach House

    October 27, 2015 - By 

    Having released two fantastic albums in the space of three months – Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars – Baltimore dream-pop band Beach House played Belfast’s Mandela Hall and Dublin’s Vicar street at the weekend. Words by Cathal McBride and Joe Madsen. Photos by Colm Laverty and Aaron Corr. Mandela Hall, Belfast Photos by Colm Laverty Kicking off their lengthy European tour tonight, Baltimore dream pop duo Beach House unusually have not one but two new albums to promote, having released Depression Cherry and last week’s surprise follow up Thank Your Lucky Stars (written later but recorded in the…

  • Irish Tour: Father John Misty

    October 27, 2015 - By 

    Father John Misty’s sold out show in Galway’s Roisín Dubh on Thursday the 22nd of October fell during the same week as the city’s Comedy Festival. This proved interesting for two reasons; the first of which being that none of the venue’s bigger, alternative buildings were available for the show, resulting in a perhaps uncharacteristically intimate gig for Josh Tillman’s self-defining moniker. Secondly, it made for a curious observation as to what people really get out of watching a performance of any kind. When watching a comedy show people obviously are out to laugh until their cheeks hurt, to be…

  • Yo La Tengo @ NCH, Dublin

    October 21, 2015 - By 

    The last time I saw New Jersey’s Yo La Tengo live was in Dublin’s Tripod nearly six year ago. It was a night when all those in attendance bore witness to a barrage of unadulterated noise accompanied by a raw and energetic performance. What occurs tonight from Hoboken’s favourite anti-heroes couldn’t have been further from that night if it tried. The quartet of Ira Kaplan, Dave Schramm, Georgia Hubley and James McNew casually enter the fray a few minutes after their scheduled start time, zigzag their way between various pieces of standing artwork and settle into position. Tonight’s set up…

  • Speedy Ortiz w/ Oh Boland & Trust Fund @ Whelan’s, Dublin

    October 20, 2015 - By 

    It is a mild enough night for October and the already-sweltering Whelan’s is slow to fill as garage-maestros Oh Boland take the stage but this doesn’t stop the three Tuam lads from throwing everything at the gathered few. This is never clearer than in the sweat dripping from the floppy hair of bassist Eanna MacDonnacha or the spit clinging to the mic from Niall Murphy’s rapid-fire vocals. Oh Boland own the stage with their diminutive frontman clattering about the stage as though he is about to collapse but always keeps it together – nearly a metaphor for their entire set.…

  • Sharon Shannon @ Empire Music Hall, Belfast

    October 19, 2015 - By 

    It’s a full house in Belfast’s The Empire Music Hall for button accordionist Sharon Shannon – one of the standout concerts of this year’s Ulster Bank Belfast International Arts Festival. Only the week before in Chicago the Clare musician received the iBAM! (Irish Books Arts & Music) award for her outstanding contribution to music – a merited accolade for a musician who has carved out a highly successful international career on an instrument whose usual habitat is the pub session. Shannon follows a long line of notable Irish accordionists from Joe Burke and Joe Cooley to Tony MacMahon and Seamus…

  • Editors w/ Victories at Sea @ Olympia Theatre, Dublin

    October 14, 2015 - By 

    Since 2002, Editors have gained two platinum selling albums, five consecutive Top 10 albums, have toured the world and headlined festivals year after year. Tonight’s show has the dichotomy of on the one hand showing exactly why and how they have gained this success, but also leaves a little bit to be desired when it comes to a live show. Technically, the show is close to flawless – personality however, is close to absent. Before Editors take to the stage, fellow Englishmen Victories At Sea open the night with their guitar driven rock. With only one EP under their belts…

  • Giveamanakick w/ Naive Ted @ Whelan’s, Dublin

    October 13, 2015 - By 

    When it was announced that Limerick noise-rock duo Giveamanakick were reforming to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their second album We Are The Way Forward, to say I was a tad ecstatic would’ve be an understatement. During their initial lifespan which lasted from 2001 to 2009, Giveamanakick – i.e. GAMAK – were one of the forerunners of the independent Irish underground scene. It was a time when bands such as themselves, The Redneck Manifesto, The Jimmy Cake, Estel and Waiting Room amongst others, helped breed new life into a scene that was succumbing to an overload of lifeless acoustic musical…

  • Hard Working Class Heroes 2015 – Friday

    October 6, 2015 - By 

    Fast forward through your own boring life and the cycle starts again. Another night of wall to wall quality music with the criminal schedule clashes an unfortunate reminder of the standard for the night. By 8pm the Mercantile is host to its first few shuffling visitors and Lie Ins fuzzy pop-rock. It’s comprehensive, bouncy stuff but maybe a little unexciting. However the room slowly fills and by the time Staring at Lakes overcome what seems to be a host of technical difficulties the place could almost be called busy. Despite the Mercantile venues shit wedding party charm, half a song…

  • Girl Band w/ Paddy Hanna @ Roisin Dubh, Galway

    October 3, 2015 - By 

    It’s been almost a year to the day since Girl Band played the Roisín Dubh. At that point the band had just released their seminal single ‘De Bom Bom’ and plans for an album were in a mere germination stage, the only thing that they knew for certain was that they would record it themselves and that it would be out in 2015. This being less than a week after the release of the massively anticipated LP Holding Hands With Jamie then, excitement levels are through the roof to see how the year has impacted the most innovative and exhilarating…

  • Fall Out Boy @ 3Arena, Dublin

    October 2, 2015 - By 

    All bands like to surprise people a little to some extent, Fall Out Boy for one have never shied away from it. That being said, when they announced that Professor Green was supporting them, there was a pretty overwhelming sense of confusion. As he arrives on stage he, more than anyone else tonight, has the job of convincing everyone he was a good choice. To be fair, he kind of did it. Still a very random choice but he puts on a decent show. Professor Green is joined by Dream McClean and Katie Holmes, the latter who impresses particularly with…