• Girl Band @ Bar Sub, Belfast

    October 1, 2015 - By 

    Most of the recent reviews for their full length debut Holding Hands With Jamie have said the same thing: no other band sounds like Girl Band. And it’s true. Sure, there are echoes of noise-rock, post-punk, krautrock and techno but they’re mixed together in such a way that no label can accurately capture the enthralling racket this Dublin quartet makes, while frontman Dara Kiely sings, speaks, shouts and screams surreal non-sequiturs over the top, sounding like the Irish lovechild of Steve Albini and Mark E Smith. While Kiely’s lyrics, when audible, initially appear to be hilariously odd – packed full…

  • Blank Realm @ Workman’s Club, Dublin

    October 1, 2015 - By 

    It’s fair to say that Australian four piece Blank Realm may not be a name that rings a bell to most folk on this side of the world right now. The band began its life in the Brisbane suburb of Westlake in 2005 and is made up of siblings Daniel, Sarah and Luke Spencer, with Luke Walsh completing the line-up. In recent years the UK based independent label Fire Records has been distributing the band’s last few albums, including 2014’s well-received Grassed Inn and this year’s storming follow up Illegals in Heaven. Having started off as more of an experimental,…

  • A Band Called Wanda w/ New Pope & Liam Doherty @ Roisin Dubh, Galway

    September 29, 2015 - By 

    Thursday the 24th of September saw the first of a new monthly event being held in the upstairs venue of Galway’s Roisín Dubh. Run by local songwriter and musical institution Steven Sharpe, the first installment – “What’s Dubh Got To Do With It?” – aimed to create an atmosphere of cosiness, warmth, friendliness and ease and succeeded in doing so with what seemed like total ease. The room is warmed by warm candlelight and the seats are already nearly filled by the time the first act of the night, local songwriter Liam Doherty (below). Being this his first solo show,…

  • The Wood Burning Savages w/ Son of the Hound & Fabric @ Sandino’s Bar, Derry

    September 28, 2015 - By 

    These are exciting times for The Wood Burning Savages. Since forming four years ago, the Derry quartet have kicked up something of a storm in the local and even national music scene, with an appearance at Glastonbury 2014 and a glowing tribute from BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson among the highlights of their constantly evolving careers. Their latest journey home, in the middle of an Irish tour that has also seen them descend upon Belfast’s Oh Yeah! Centre for Culture Night 2015, is a rather entertaining affair where the talented foursome and their two support acts fully flex their musical…

  • Leon Bridges @ Olympia, Dublin

    September 29, 2015 - By 

    Texan soul man Leon Bridges trades in the sort of classic soul you might expect to hear over the hiss and crackle of an AM radio as well as the sweet blend of rhythm and blues with pop sensibilities that put Berry Gordy’s Motown Records on the map back in the early ‘60s. Despite the fact that he is still only 26, Bridges sounds like he’s been around for a long time. The show marks the second time that the singer-songwriter has performed on Irish shores this year following his performance at Longitude back in July. On that occasion, he…

  • Brand New w/ Basement @ Vicar Street, Dublin

    September 23, 2015 - By 

    Vicar Street is buzzing tonight. This evening’s show, Brand New, is rather comfortably sold out. The touts out front are making a killing and the attendees are decked out in a multitude of attires ranging from well worn tees to freshly pressed school uniforms. The anticipation is pabalate as this is the first time the New York punks have visited the Republic in many years. The group also haven’t had a major release since 2009’s Daisy and have only recently released any kind of output, the single ‘Mene’. Yet, as evidenced by the crowd, Brand New are able to inspire…

  • Lisa Hannigan & Aaron Dessner @ Cork Opera House

    September 22, 2015 - By 

    It’s a Friday night like no other of the year in Cork City when Lisa Hannigan and Aaron Dessner take to the stage in Cork Opera House. Where the streets would normally be filled entirely with workers seeking their weekly escape from the monotony of paid employment in the corners of Cork’s pubs and clubs, this particular Friday is a night to remember rather than to numb. With the collision of the annual Irish initiative, Culture Night, and the Bryce Dessner curated showcase/festival, Sounds From A Safe Harbour, the combination of Irish folkster Lisa Hannigan and The National’s Aaron Dessner…

  • Sleaford Mods @ Black Box, Belfast

    September 21, 2015 - By 

    Culture Night has been washed away.  The Cathedral Quarter’s cobbled streets that welcomed all ages two nights ago are now a soaking slip hazard on a subdued Sunday evening. You’ve no chance of taking shelter from the rain in the Black Box without a ticket either as tonight’s Sleaford Mods gig is a sell-out. In the words of ‘Bronx in a Six’ – “What culture? Fuck culture.” The mood in the venue is chilled but expectant. One half of the duo Andrew Fearn can be found casually chatting to people in the crowd before setting up on stage. This venue…

  • SOAK w/ Sea Legs & Jessica Doherty @ Playhouse, Derry

    September 20, 2015 - By 

    Small in physical stature but massive in national and international impact, Bridie Monds-Watson, the artist otherwise known as SOAK, has established herself as a confident and chameleonic performer – casually costumed yet commanding, modestly mannered yet musically masterful. These are not words one uses lightly, but they are well earned in the Derry chanteuse’s case; her meteoric rise and the reception of debut album Before We Forgot How To Dream are testament to this. And she expectedly, deservedly returns to loud applause at a packed out homecoming gig in Derry’s Playhouse Theatre, accompanied by a worthy pair of support acts…

  • Jeffrey Lewis and Peter Stampfel w/ Shrug Life @ The Hub, Dublin

    September 20, 2015 - By 

    U:Mack absolutely spoil Dublin. The breadth and magnitude of underground artists they’ve brought into the city is unparalleled and the undeniably consistent quality of musicians they bring is frankly jaw dropping. U:Mack are one of the city’s unquestioned saving graces and this show, Jeffrey Lewis and Peter Stampfel is a testament to the group’s quality and mentality. It was a wise decision moving this show from it’s original venue, The Hangar, to the small, more intimate location of The Hub. With it’s amusements lighting and couches, it feels like a much more appropriate, friendly and homely setting for this kind…