• Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever w/ MELTS @ Whelan’s, Dublin

    On what was an already humid evening, it wasn’t much of a surprise that this sold-out crowd led to a rapid rise in temperature inside the venue. The reason for the sweat-box effect was down to the debut Irish appearance of Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Formed five years ago, the band have picked up quite a few column inches since the release of their debut Talk Tight EP in 2016, which led to Sub Pop releasing the highly acclaimed French Press EP last year and their full-length debut Hope Downs in June. Strolling on stage just after 9:30, the…

  • Giant Sand @ Whelan’s, Dublin

    No word in the English language sums up Howe Gelb’s ever-mutating life’s work Giant Sand more than idiosyncratic. Threaded through by just one man and his broad-ranging – oft. cowpunk – plays on the idioms of Americana and the topics he’s always held dear: love, death, humour & wanderlust, never straying too far from wryly homespun existentialism. Despite a few of indefinite hiatuses in the last few years, Giant Sand’s original lineup were reconvened for a complete rerecording of their debut LP, a scattershot snapshot of 35 years ago accompanied by members of Gelb’s LA & Tuscon circles at the…

  • The Redneck Manifesto @ Whelans, Dublin

    It says a lot about a band who having not released any new music in over six years and who play live so intermittently, that they still manage to more or less sell out two nights in one of Dublin’s best-loved venues. Ever since their formative years, there has always been a strong bond between The Redneck Manifesto and their fans and tonight proves to be no different with bassist Richie Egan commenting after just the second track; “Wednesday was cool but already Thursday feels a lot better”. All six members – Niall Byrne (guitar), Mervyn Craig (drums), Glenn Keating…

  • Holy Fuck w/ Wastefellow @ Whelan’s, Dublin

    It may be four years since Toronto quartet Holy Fuck last graced these shores – and six since they last treated us to a headline show – but they certainly haven’t lost their ability to bring in a crowd, if tonight’s packed out Whelan’s is anything to go by. Perhaps this being their only Irish date this time around has helped attendance, not to mention their formidable live reputation, but it’s heartening to see people haven’t forgotten about them in their absence, and with a long awaited and steller new album Congrats under their belts there’s a palpable excitement in…

  • I Heart Bowie @ Whelan’s, Dublin

    With all money raised going to the Irish Cancer Society, Dublin’s Whelan’s will host I Heart Bowie on Wednesday, January 27, a night of celebration and song in which “friends of Whelan’s” will get together to perform some of Bowie’s best loved songs. Speaking of the line-up, Whelan’s said, “We’re finalising the line up at the moment but we have Choice Music Prize nominees, a really slick houseband and some very special treats planned! If you’re a Bowie fan (who isn’t) it’s unmissable.” Our curiosity is certainly piqued. Tickets are €15 and are available here.