• Irish Tour: Calexico

    May 6, 2015 - By 

    You may be aware of Calexico from Tucson, Arizona. Their many, many records may be in your peripheral vision, or you may have heard the band of uber-talented multi-instrumentalists lend atmosphere to the soundtracks of Dead Man’s Shoes, Collateral and The Guard. However, you will not have truly experienced Calexico until you have seen them play a concert, where their music bristles and blares and is full of infectious vibrancy. Not content to take the easy route of playing the latest album song by song, exactly as they sound on said album, or trotting out a set-list of greatest hits,…

  • Irish Tour: The Charlatans

    May 5, 2015 - By 

    Opening with an extended version of ‘Forever’ and followed by the undeniable Madchester groove of ‘Weirdo’, The Charlatans get their CQAF headline gig off to an expectedly strong start, following a reportedly equally triumphant show in Dublin the night before. New album tracks like ‘Talking In Tones’ and ‘So Oh’ sound more like 1995 than 2015 and are welcomed like old favourites. However, the starry-roofed tent inhabitants explode with collective excitement as the fan favourites of ‘North Country Boy’, ‘One To Another’ – a song that’s been given a new generation of fans through soundtracking the E4 sitcom My Mad Fat…

  • CQAF: Josh Rouse @ Black Box, Belfast

    May 6, 2015 - By 

    “Och wise up!” chimes a female voice from a few rows back. Josh Rouse – smartly dressed in double denim and a dapper hat, gifted with a sweet, sleepy voice – has just announced that he is about to play his last song, and has been roundly chastised in the most affectionate way possible. The fact that the end of Rouse’s gig has been met with such a fine example of the Northern Irish vernacular should indicate how warmly his performance has been received. There is, to reach for that hoary cliché, a lot of love in the room –…

  • Le Tour: Le Galaxie

    May 8, 2015 - By 

    Le Galaxie embarked on a nationwide tour of the country in support of their new album Le Club. They kicked off the party in Dublin at The Academy, then west to the Roisin Dubh in Galway, South for Cyprus Avenue in Cork then North to Echo & Aether in Belfast. Check out the galleries below for a comprehensive overview of the tour. Aether & Echo, Belfast by Sara Marsden Cyrprus Avenue, Cork by Brid O’Donovan Roisin Dubh, Galway by Sean McCormack The Academy, Dublin by Isabel Thomas

  • The Twilight Sad @ Voodoo, Belfast

    May 6, 2015 - By 

    It’s the final show of a ten-week trek across Europe and North America for The Twilight Sad. Front man James Graham tells the Belfast crowd his “liver is fucked.” The relief in his voice sets the tone for a breathless set taking in highlights from their back catalogue alongside half of the tracks from their fantastic fourth album Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave. The Twilight Sad’s gloomy intensity is utterly compelling from start to finish. They begin working through the gears with ‘There’s A Girl In The Corner’ and ‘Last January’ from the new album,…