Near the end of my half-hour chat with Dave Clarke, he says he’s most proud of not selling out at any point, even if he “didn’t have a personal life for 30 years”. He’s talking […]
Caribou lead the Irish gigs highlighter
Caribou, Festival Big Top, Galway, tomorrow There was a time a few years ago when Caribou were going down the Nile Rodgers over-saturation route, playing every festival on the circuit while still admittedly being pretty […]
Bryan Ferry beyond the white tuxedo
When I told a mate during the week I was going to see Bryan Ferry he responded with a simple: “Jesus lad,” and an emoji somewhere between sad and bewilderment. He followed it up with: […]
Can’t get No Sleep: Going the extra mile at Exit Festival in Serbia
It’s lunchtime in a sweltering Belgrade airport and Nina Kraviz glides past me and joins the queue, as if she hasn’t just banged out techno to thousands of diehards in the moat of a Serbian […]
Burning Inside: Al Jourgensen and the black heart of Ministry
Ministry is the band that just won’t die. For starters, ringleader Al Jourgensen has bounced back from being declared dead three times from drug overdoses, and he starts his sick fuck memoir The Lost Gospels […]
Ladies and gentlemen: Miss Grace Jones
“I smell something burning… are you on fire?!” Grace Jones’ intro at Exit Festival in Serbia last weekend was less stage banter, more a strict command from the fiercest woman in pop history. The short […]
Here’s your top 10 Longitude acts for this weekend
One of the funniest Twitter rage storms of the year was the huffing over the Longitude line-up — with the ‘real music’ brigade moaning that there were no proper bands on the bill. These lads […]
Paul Simon’s Homeward Bound for good
Paul Simon’s latest tour hammers the point home that this really is the last time. If he’d just called it the Homeward Bound tour we’d get it, but Homeward Bound: The Farewell Tour spells out […]
Kraftwerk still charging their batteries
The Live at the Marquee series has brought many acts to Cork over the years, but none as important as Kraftwerk. The German electric pioneers could well be the most influential act of all time […]
At the Drive-in lead the Irish gigs highlighter
At The Drive-In Vicar Street, Dublin, Tuesday, €47 At The Drive-In are now over two years into their reunion tour, and it never ruined their legacy after all. When the El Paso post-hardcore act split […]
The balls you’d need to replace Freddie Mercury
It takes some balls for a band to carry on losing a singer, fighting a relentless niggling feeling that you’re always being held against the original. Even if it’s a success the spectre is always […]
All the right noises: June 2018 in 21 tracks
This is generally the time for halfway-point albums of the year, but let’s not panic yet, and stick to the standout tracks of June 2018. Oneohtrix Point Never, Nine Inch Nails, Freddie Gibbs and Death […]
It’s Showtime at Sea Sessions
AS IRELAND’S only surf and music festival, expect the average punter you meet at the seaside bash to have a lot more stamina than your regular session rollover head covered in grass stains and last […]
Roger Waters leads the Irish gigs highlighter
ROGER WATERS, 3Arena, Dublin, Tuesday (only €131 tickets left) & Wednesday,€76-131 Former Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters’ 2013 visit to Dublin to perform The Wall was one of the most visually stunning gigs in recent memory, with […]
Steve Davis leads the Irish gigs highlighter
STEVE DAVIS, Cyprus Avenue, Cork, tonight, €15 ONE of my favourite gig memories of recent years is seeing Steve Davis – yes, that Steve Davis – play a four or five-hour set at Tengu in […]
Moo Kid 