JUST last year, art-rock pranksters Sparks finally created an official YouTube channel, hoping to round up some of the greatest pop clips of the last five decades. So far they’ve got 45 videos and counting, […]
Irish gigs round-up
HELMET, Whelan’s, Dublin, tomorrow Legendary New York post-hardcore act Helmet were on the bill of the ill-fated BARE in the Woods festival that had to cancel last month — leaving behind one of the most bonkers […]
Strength to minimise: Helmet – In the Meantime (1992)
IF you were a teenage metaller in the early 90s but you didn’t fancy the double denim and patches look, Helmet were a hell of a lifeline. Loads of teen musical epiphanies involve a glimpse […]
Aphex Twin set for all the brain-wrongs at Forbidden Fruit
After Life Fest broke the festival seal last weekend, we’re ready for another summer of three-day sessions, and Forbidden Fruit still has claims on being the handiest of the lot. On the go since 2011, […]
Moderat interview: ‘Techno saved our lives in a way’
25 years is a long time in techno, especially if you’ve been in the game for two thirds of your life. As a member of both Modeselektor and Moderat, Berliner Gernot Bronsert is at the […]
Irish gigs round-up
SWANS, Button Factory, Dublin, Tuesday, €25. A real Swansong here, as Michael Gira has called time on the current incarnation of the revered avant-rock act, with Dublin among the final run of shows. Swans have […]
Limmy interview: ‘I just find psychopaths funny’
Within one minute of chatting to Glasgow comedian Limmy he’s already told me he never visited Ireland before because it’s not a proper holiday spot, and comes out with the line: “I’m not that interested […]
Just a little Patience: How Guns N’ Roses finally got it together
THE last time Guns N’ Roses played Ireland you wouldn’t have laid any bets on them returning. The gig in the then-O2 Arena was a crazy night that was ripe for dissection on Joe Duffy’s […]
Irish gigs round-up
SEU JORGE: Vicar Street, Dublin, Wednesday, €40 It’s been a year and a half since David Bowie died, so thankfully the mawkish tributes and overblown covers are drying up, to return once a year on his anniversary. […]
No harm in a bit of pompous Europop: Voyage Voyage by Desireless (1986)
Voyage Voyage by Desireless is a pompous slice of French Europop fromage, but for me it’s a memory jolt back to the days of Top of the Pops with Paul Hardcastle’s opening credits, Pet Shop […]
Bob Dylan doesn’t owe us anything
Bob Dylan is one of the last original rock icons, and he’s still the biggest enigma. In an era of oversharing – when even Mick Jagger last week tweeted a video of himself hanging off […]
Irish gigs round-up
CHERRY GLAZERR, Whelan’s, Dublin, Tuesday, €15. Death Grips fans may know Clementine Creevy from her psyched-out chant of “giving bad people good ideas” in the song of the same name, battered by gabba beats and industrial frazzle. […]
It’s oh so quiet: Interview with Pine ¶he Pilcrow
In a time when bands are squealing out to be heard above the din, Pine ¶he Pilcrow grab your attention with the gentlest of whispers. Dublin-based trio Kevin Murray, Hannah Ryan and Rob Campbell create delicate […]
Irish gigs round-up
THOR & FRIENDS: St Peter’s Church of Ireland, Drogheda, tonight. There isn’t a more aptly-named musician in the world than the godlike Thor Harris – one of the most revered percussionists around and the backbone […]
Here’s 15 European festivals to take your mind off Electric Picnic
Easter has just gone, so it’s time for the daily blitz of festival updates and line-ups in the next few months — a head wreck if you’re not part of the Electric Picnic brigade after it […]
Moo Kid 