OLIVER Cole is telling me that his second solo album is part of his “late Beatles phase”. But before he’s accused of blasphemy on John Lennon’s ‘bigger than Jesus’ scale, he’s not pretending to walk in their […]
This turntable kills fascists: Buck 65 interview (2006)
“Anyone can talk shit and make it rhyme”, claims Buck 65 on the last line from his 1996 album, Language Arts / Part 1. You’ve heard this one before through dismissive indie-rock creationist dogma, or maybe your […]
Gigs round-up: July 31-August 6
VINCENT CROSS, Cobblestone, Dublin, Tonight Smithfield’s home of trad and folk is hosting New York-based singer-songwriter Vincent Cross, after a week or so gigging in Ireland as part of his European tour. A prodigal son of sorts, […]
Bank holiday festival round-up
BEATYARD, Dun Laoghaire, tomorrow & Sunday For years the Beatyard was an umbrella festival in Dublin city centre clubs and venues, showcasing left-field electronic and hip-hop acts and plenty of exclusives. It filled a hole left by […]
‘Go with your instinct… the brain often gets in the way’: Neneh Cherry interview
I‘ve been on the phone to Neneh Cherry for nearly an hour before realising that I haven’t brought up gold discs, Manchild or Buffalo Stance. Generally, when 80s pop stars go ‘underground’, they’re on the […]
Gigs round-up: July 24-30
Folkfest Killarney, INEC, tonight-Sunday If you’ve no love for banjos and mandolins, the best advice is to stay out of Killarney this weekend. With a tagline of “folk, from dusk til dawn”, the first ever Folkfest is […]
Still bringing the Noise: Dave Clarke interview
IT’S hard to single out anyone in the last 20 years who’s done more for underground techno’s onward march than Dave Clarke. While some veteran DJs coast along, dining out on their classics and releasing […]
Gigs round-up: July 17-23
AFU-RA, Voodoo Lounge, Dublin, tonight As a New York rapper who’s obsessed with kung fu movies and chess, Afu-Ra must be pissed off that Wu-Tang Clan membership was full by the time he got round […]
All the people: Catch the Park life at Longitude
WITH Forbidden Fruit, Body & Soul and a load of outdoor gigs already consigned to the memory bank and blurry Facebook photos, this year’s festival season is chugging along nicely. And as we near the […]
Gigs round-up: July 10-16
Lubomyr Melnyk with Otto A Totland, Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire, tonight Ukrainian composer Lubomyr Melnyk holds the record as the world’s fastest pianist — set in 1985 with 19.5 notes on each hand per second. But […]
Annie are you OK? St Vincent hits Dublin
OUT of all the hyperbole and PR spin about transcendent gigs and should’ve-been-there moments, St Vincent’s show at Electric Picnic 2013 with David Byrne is always recalled — a real sickener as I missed it. […]
Gigs round-up: July 3-9
NEIL DIAMOND, 3Arena, Dublin, tonight & Sunday Most people who think Neil Diamond is just a big cheeseball in a diamante shirt clearly haven’t seen him blowing everyone off the stage with a swagger in Martin […]
True Bromance: Avicii hits Dublin
GARDAI and Ticketmaster don’t often release a specific press release offering amnesty for any under-age ticket-holders to get a refund to avoid being turned away. The refund offer was only one aspect of the Garda release […]
Gigs round-up: June 26-July 2
MASTODON, Academy, Dublin, tonight, & Savoy, Cork, tomorrow, & Ulster Hall, Belfast, Sunday Mastodon are the closest thing to modern crossover metal gods these days, with enough scope to kick the mainstream’s back doors in without leaving hardcore […]
Forty years Done Dirt Cheap: AC/DC back in Dublin
WHEN the punk manifesto of ‘here’s three chords, now form a band’ was nailed to the mast in 1977, AC/DC were probably the uncoolest band in the world. Sleazy blues rockers led by a squealing […]
Moo Kid 