• Roving Eye: Otherkin in Amsterdam

    March 23, 2016 - By 

    I people watch, I guess who they are, imagine where they are going, wonder what they do in life. It’s generally how I pass the time in airports. As I wait in line to board my flight I don’t need to guess who the approaching group of young men are. All clad in black denim and leather, with guitars strapped to their backs, this is most definitely Otherkin and we are Amsterdam bound for the iconic London Calling Festival. Fresh from a support slot on Ash’s tour, and performances at Eurosonic these lads are in seriously high demand. As we…

  • Roving Eye: Bell X1 in London

    March 8, 2016 - By 

    In the latest installment of her air miles-inducing Thin Air feature Roving Eye, Tara Thomas captures Dublin’s Bell X1 at London’s Union Chapel. I couldn’t stay away from London, and particularly Islington, for too long before being drawn back to the entertainment hotbed on another Roving Eye. This time around I was destined for Union Chapel, one of the most alluring venues in the city. Founded in 1799, the architecture has acoustics at its core and provides a glorious platform for the human voice. Tonight, after sixteen sold out dates, Bell X1 conclude their tour in what is arguably the perfect…

  • Roving Eye: Ham Sandwich in London

    November 18, 2015 - By 

    Tara Thomas captures night two of Ham Sandwich’s recent sold out stint at The Islington, London. It’s unlikely I can impart anything new to you about the London music scene such is our affinity with this city. A magnet for musicians worldwide we are fortunate to have this cultural hotspot on our doorstep. London town, with its myriad of venues, grandiose or intimate, is for many Irish artists their first taste of international exposure. It was only a matter of time before Roving Eye was cast in the direction of Islington, North Greater London. A short walk from Angel tube…

  • Roving Eye: The Strypes in Hamburg

    November 8, 2015 - By 

    In the latest installment of her regular feature Roving Eye – in which she travels across far and wide shooting some of the best Irish acts on tour – Tara Thomas captures a heady Hamburg date on The Strypes’ latest European tour. Hamburg, the second largest city in Germany is steeped in music legend from Brahms to the Beatles. It’s maritime history has resulted in vibrant multicultural neighbourhoods and palpable social tolerance. Making my way from the airport to a hotel in the infamous St Pauli quarter it’s easy to understand how this northern German metropolis is also gaining a reputation as an entertainment…

  • Roving Eye: Le Galaxie in Brighton

    July 16, 2015 - By 

    The latest Roving Eye trip took me to Brighton to get a little taste of The Great Escape with party time favourites Le Galaxie. Brighton – nicknamed “London by the Sea” – has witnessed huge gentrification over the last decade, albeit without losing its notorious licentiousness. It has a charming seaside resort exterior, with beautiful Regency architecture converted into guest houses or pied-à-terre for London bourgeois weekenders. However, a gentle scratch of the surface reveals an undercurrent of bohemian non-conformist attitudes and the UK’s largest recreational drug market. Seemed like the perfect location for the UKs leading music industry festival,…

  • Roving Eye: SOAK in Berlin

    May 26, 2015 - By 

    Are you craving a 72-hour raving session in a techno temple? Do you want to watch an impromptu Opera performance in a leafy park? Are you hankering after a jazz jam in a smoky basement? Whatever your passion Berlin will satisfy. I never understood the fascination people had with Berlin until the latest Roving Eye took me on my virgin visit to this glamorous yet gritty city; so easy to navigate, serving up a smorgasbord of life, entertaining you for as long as your stamina can sustain its offerings. I’d travelled to see Bridie Monds-Watson AKA SOAK perform in Kantine…

  • Roving Eye: The Young Folk in Birmingham

    March 24, 2015 - By 

    In second installment of Roving Eye, Tara Thomas sets out for Birmingham with Dublin alt-folk quartet The Young Folk as they do a tour of coffee shops. Last Monday morning found me catching the red eye to Birmingham to meet with The Young Folk. I had the pleasure of sharing the flight with a still merry stag party who used the forty airborne minutes to relive every moment of their weekend, much to the bemusement of the other passengers. Birmingham is the most densely inhabited city in the UK outside London. A city steeped in innovation and revolution has produced a…

  • Roving Eye: The Minutes in Brussels

    March 4, 2015 - By 

    In the first of a new regular feature called Roving Eye, our photographer Tara Thomas sets off around Europe with some of the best and brightest bands our fair Isle has to offer. Documenting the trials and tribulations of touring life, Tara heads to Brussels with The Minutes. In her own words, she breaks down the entire proceedings from load-in to bed-down. ___ Brussels is a surprising city. My expectations of a drab grey place were unfounded, for it’s emblem is the Manneken Pis, a urinating little boy. He symbolises the rebellious nature of the city and its capacity for…