Gigs round-up: May 8-14

JEROME HILL + DEFEKT, Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Friday
Jerome Hill heads up the most raucous line-up of the weekend, taking his freewheeling rave spirit and cut-up mixing to Cork, meeting techno, electro, raw hip-hop and garage at a crossroads.
The Bastardo Electrico promotion crew have also invited Defekt to lay down the law of true electro and techno, heavy on modular synths and battered drum machines.

STATE’S FACES OF MAY, the Mercantile, Dublin, Friday
State magazine continues its monthly round-up of killer acts you should be ticking off your to-do gig list while they’re still free.
Tonight the Mercantile has brash self-proclaimed ‘Belfast Yank’, rapper BeeMickSee (right), indie-pop with a dash of reggae from Katie Laffan, and Meath noise-rock duo Starts First Kick.

JOY ORBISON, Twisted Pepper, Dublin, Friday
Joy Orbison’s sound is hard to pin down, but someone somewhere will be describing it as post-something. Hoovering up bass-led elements of house, dubstep, UK garage and jungle, he’s all about nimble breaks, airy synths and fluid bass, adding some light and shade to the dark corners of Twisted Pepper.

Canalaphonic, Various venues, Dublin, Friday and Saturday, FREE
HERE’S a brilliant freebie weekend to help you out after your bank holiday cash-flashing wallet fails. Canalaphonic is proof that sometimes the authorities aren’t so bad after all, as south Dublin’s Rathmines and Portobello get a two-day festival over 22 venues, sponsored and supported by Dublin City Council. With 100 acts, two outdoor stages, a cinema and a family-friendly buzz, it’ll be a community affair. Music-wise, check out Twinkranes, Laura Ann Brady (right), Stephen Young & the Union and TouchWood among all the other quality acts.

YUSSS! For Marriage Equality, Steambox, Dublin, Sunday
MAYBE it’s just me, but I haven’t noticed any gigs in support of the No campaign, so it looks like the Yes camp at least has all the good tunes in the bag.
This fundraiser for YesEquality is a 3pm kick-off, running till 9pm, and in that time you can indulge in yoga, workshops, massage or pull up a deckchair in the Steambox gallery space.
Music is leaning towards electronica, with a line-up featuring David Kitt, Cian Nugent, Sunken Foal, Carol Keogh, Somadrone, Patrick Kelleher, Deasy, DJ Platinum Ray and the brilliantly named DJ Conjugal Vizitz.

VIET CONG, Workmans Club, Dublin, Wednesday
THIS one’s been sold out for ages, with barely a whiff on #ticketfairy, so it’s a good job Canadian post-punk act Viet Cong were announced for the Picnic this week.
The Alberta four-piece kicked January in the gut with their debut album that recalls Liars, Interpol, Joy Division and the bleakest edges of The Cure.
The band have shaken off a recent mini storm over their name, but they’re out to make you squirm in other ways with their uncompromising live assault.