• Girl Band @ Triskel Arts Centre

    October 21, 2014 - By 

    Since when is a Cork based live event sold out? Since Girl Band are in town. The Dublin based four-piece are making a long-awaited appearance tonight courtesy of Aisling and Caoilian at Southern Hospitality (formerly of the Pavilion, Cork) and it’s very sold out. Many casually stroll up to the door of the Triskel Arts Centre assuming business as usual only to be turned away. Many a disappointed fan is spotted with their heads in their hands. Sure, Girl Band have a reputation for turning out an incredible live show but a reception of this magnitude wasn’t expected. To put…

  • The Amazing Snakeheads w/ New Valley Wolves @ The Grand Social

    October 21, 2014 - By 

    As the venue starts to fill slowly with a colourful smorgasboard of leopard print, docs and leather, it’s evident that this Glaswegian punk three-piece have captivated not only music-lovers and hipsters alike, but they have also lured the original punks out of the woodwork. Opening the night’s abrasive proceedings are Dublin duo New Valley Wolves (below). Whilst following on in similar vein to fellow duos Royal Blood and Death From Above 1979, their blend of rock/ metal airs more on the Metallica side of proceedings. Stepping up from the one hundred and twenty capacity venue upstairs at Whelan’s in April this…

  • First Aid Kit @ Mandela Hall, Belfast

    September 19, 2014 - By 

    First Aid Kit have dressed for the occasion. They arrive onstage in shimmering outfits, faintly resembling the lost children of ABBA and take their places before a wall of gold lamé and glittering abstract alpine mountains. Their drummer wears a suit and bow tie. They are soon bathed in a warm golden hue and open their debut Belfast show with the rather fittingly titled, ‘Stay Gold’. First Aid Kit are Klara and Johanna Söderberg, who hail from Stockholm. The sisters have been writing songs together since 2007 and owe their international attention to the popularity of a YouTube video featuring the pair…

  • Bonnie Prince Billy @ Bangor Open House

    September 4, 2014 - By 

    A reverent hush falls on Bangor Abbey, as it must do on a weekly basis in a working church, and Kieran Gilmore, director of the splendid Open House festival thanks the assembled throng for respecting this “sacred space”. To be fair, he does not need to make the request too firmly, because the sanctuary is already silent, and the air is crackling with anticipation. It is not often that an artist as original and bold as Bonnie “Prince” Billy plays in this humble town but his delicate and strange hymnals fit the scene perfectly. “When you ask me to sing…

  • The Front Bottoms @ QUBSU

    August 25, 2014 - By 

    The Front Bottoms are flying high at the minute, fresh off a support slot in the US with Say Anything and selling out a number of their shows on their current UK tour.  Renowned for bringing the fun with their live shows, stage props and all, and Brian Sella’s deeply personal lyrics doing the heavy-lifting. They have a lot of hype to back up on this show. Although the SU bar is hardly packed for the show the crowd here are ready to enjoy themselves and that alone makes the room feel more crowded. Indeed, It’s immediately clear that The Front Bottoms…

  • Deafheaven w/ No Spill Blood @ Mandela Hall

    August 20, 2014 - By 

    The stir of Deafheaven’s first performance in Belfast is one that few could have anticipated, and even fewer will have forgotten. It was 2012, and the San Francisco black metal outfit were on their first European tour in support of post-rock heavyweights Russian Circles. The band played to an almost entirely uninitiated Speakeasy Bar that night; it wasn’t long, though, until the sheer surprise of the aural viciousness emanating from the stage transformed to excitement and awe. The room, packed full of post-rock fans,  was audibly delighted with the performance. It’s unlikely that any other black metal band in the…

  • Steve Earle @ Open House Festival

    August 6, 2014 - By 

    With an image of the ascending Christ as a backdrop, the sanctuary of Bangor Abbey would be an imposing stage for many lesser artists than Steve Earle, who, from the opening unnamed new song to the closing favourite ‘Copperhead Road’, ensures the sold-out Bangor crowd’s attention remains on the music rather than on the discomfort of the church pews. The absence of a merchandise stall, café and bar facilities, or a support act does not detract from an intense yet entertaining set from the Texan, who admits between songs, “It’s not the first time that I’ve played in a church,…

  • Arnocorps, Scimitar @ The Speakeasy, Belfast

    July 28, 2014 - By 

    “GET TO THE CHOPPA!”, an excitable fan bellows outside Queen’s Students Union as I’m getting out of a taxi. At least, I can only assume he’s a fan. Not only is his hollered missive straight out of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 classic muscles-n-monster movie, Predator, but it is delivered in a faux Austrian accent with a decidedly South Belfast twang. Oh, that and the fact that he is dressed from head to toe in military style tactical gear, his side-arm swapped out for a Nerf Maverick revolver. And he has a squadron of similarly attired comrades backing up his six. At…

  • Cat Power, Arborist @ Empire Music Hall

    July 16, 2014 - By 

    The queue waiting outside Belfast’s Empire Music Hall to buy tickets as doors open tonight shows there a lack of belief Chan Marshall would make it to Belfast again but she still manages to attract a crowd. Ranging from suited-up hipsters to middle-aged couples dressed for a night out, there is a massive amount of interest in seeing the reinvigorated Cat Power make up for the cancelled tour dates of 2012. As the room fills there is a sense of anticipation building in the intimate venue to see what Chan Marshall delivers. The support for the evening is Belfast-based band…

  • Anthrax @ Limelight 1, Belfast

    July 2, 2014 - By 

    It’s been a good week for speed metal fans in Belfast with not one but two Slayer gigs, followed by tonight’s long awaited show from Noo Yoik’s nonpareils of noise, Anthrax. That’s 50% of the ‘Big Four’ of thrash on the same modestly sized Limelight stage, while Metallica are headlining Glastonbury and Megadeth are off, I don’t know, probably offending a minority group. Yea, verily, it is the season of metal. If the audience are beginning to feel a little spoilt they certainly don’t show it, piling into the venue as soon as doors open and readily assuming the position…