TELEVISION, Academy, Dublin, tonight, & The Limelight, Belfast, Tomorrow New York’s Television were always on the more cerebral end of the punk spectrum. Their 1977 debut Marquee Moon is still held up as one of the defining records of […]
To Die for: Ghostface ft Raekwon – Let the Record Spin
I’m still feeling a bit short-changed over Wu-Tang’s headliner at Forbidden Fruit in Dublin last week — down a few bodies, cutting the set short and jumping into the back of the van with the cheques […]
A riot of our own: Vic Mensa – U Mad ft Kanye West (video)
Last year I saw Vic Mensa pull off a daft support slot in Dublin with Danny Brown – hip-hop cliche bingo every time he asked everybody to say ‘hell yeah’, split the crowd to see if left or […]
Gigs round-up: June 5-11
ASH, Whelan’s, Dublin, Sunday & Limelight, Belfast, Monday LET’S be honest, Ash were the biggest ringers on the Slane bill last week — standing out from the earnest dude-rock of Foo Fighters and Hozier’s sullen […]
Hard-core: Forbidden Fruit kicks off Irish festival season
When new festival Forbidden Fruit was announced for Ireland in 2011 many thought it was as crazy as it was brave. In the few years after the recession, the first belt hole to tighten was our […]
Gigs round-up: May 22-28
Fucked Up, Hangar, Dublin, tonight There’ll be tops off in Hangar tonight as Canadian hardcore act Fucked Up turn amps, heat and sweat up to 11. Led by grizzled livewire Damian Abraham — a cross between […]
Gigs round-up: May 15-21
VILLAGERS, Olympia, Dublin, Wednesday & Thursday IN AN interview a few weeks ago, Villagers’ Conor O’Brien told me there “won’t be many rock’n’roll moments” on the latest tour that hits Dublin this week. He was speaking just before the release of […]
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 […]
It’s more fun to compute: Interview with Wolfgang Flür of Kraftwerk
TO most rock fans, the idea that Kraftwerk are more influential than the Beatles is more controversial than John Lennon’s claim that the Beatles were bigger than Jesus. But it’s an idea that’s losing its […]
The artist in residence: Jeff Mills interview
When techno first rewired the late 80s counterculture, few could’ve predicted the gradual shift from studios and basement clubs in Detroit, to art galleries and classical concert halls. Techno was more ‘other’ than Kraftwerk’s prophetic […]
‘You should hear it on big fuckin speakers’: Le Galaxie on new album Le Club
OF ALL the albums released this year, Le Galaxie’s new LP Le Club is the one you can judge by its cover. The sleeve is a shock of pink and sky blue, with flying cars, palm […]
Gigs round-up: April 24-30
FLYING LOTUS, Vicar Street, Dublin, Wednesday. Ever since the laptop became a viable tool for electronic musicians to create whole albums, there’s been a conflict between the complexities in the productions and its recreation live. There’s […]
This time it’s personal: Interview with Villagers’ Conor O’Brien
In an interview last year, Johnny Marr gave me an insight into a working manifesto that’s stuck with him for 30 years, saying: “Believe it or not, there’s a real trick to making it sound so […]
Gigs of the week: April 17-23
JULIAN COPE, Whelan’s, Dublin, tomorrow One-time accidental pop star Julian Cope has become one of music’s most singular underground voices since his chart act The Teardrop Explodes drowned in gallons of LSD and imploded in 1982. […]
Everything ship-shape: DGTL festival in Amsterdam
It’s still not warm enough to ditch your jacket and the sky is a hundred shades of grey, but we’re waiting on a ferry at the back of Amsterdam Centraal station – festival season is […]
Moo Kid 