Articles by James Hendicott
Author of 173 posts.
Five years in writing has seen James ramble and ruminate on the eclectic music that graces his stereo, which still blasts the punk rock he grew up on, alongside a more recent love of anything from indie-shoegaze to folk; electro to soul. James' interview resume features the likes of Manic Street Preachers, Bloc Party, Ash, Tinie Tempah and Basement Jaxx, and he averages over a hundred gigs a year. When he's not musically engaged, James also writes on travel, having made contributions to Lonely Planet and Museyon's Music and Travel guidebook. His favourite place on earth? Glastonbury.
Website:http://www.state.ie
Zero 7’s fortunes have changed dramatically in the past few months. When State caught up with beatsmith Sam Hardaker after the release of 2009’s Yeah Ghost…, there was a sense of pride in the new record, a resounding ‘life after Sia’ optimism dampened only by the conviction that the new album lacked much of
In late summer 2002, State watched an emotional and triumphant Feeder emerge from the devastating ashes of the suicide of drummer John Lee, taking Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms by storm in what still stands as one of the most moving and epic nights of music we’ve ever experienced. Performing to no more than 500 people, the…
As one of the bands at the heart of one of Dublin’s most impressive new alternative labels, Popical Island, Groom’s third album (and Popical’s fifth) is probably their best chance yet to invade the mainstream with their offbeat, poetic take on life. Marriage… is a vocally focused piece of guitar pop, lyrically witty and splattered
When Mystery Jets first came along, we couldn’t help but be charmed. Part of the same ‘Thames Crew’ (media created, by all accounts) that spawned Jamie T, the group toured with the lead singer’s dad on drums and – whilst making waves with the latest in indie rock chic – always had a little bit…
At €12.50 including a free pint from the sponsors Bulmer’s Berry, there can’t be many better value gigs taking place in Dublin this year than the first of the ‘One Summer’s Eve’ shows, which combine a mini-festival feel in Temple Bar’s heart with an American headliner that – through sheer hard work – has become…
If we had to summarize Castlepalooza in a single word, it would be ‘petite’. Claiming to be able to hold 3000, the festival often feels like it’s home to no more than a few hundred people flitting past each other in a tiny enclosed space. The campsites – amusing labeled Eenie, Meanie, Mine-E and Mo…
Ah, Knockanstockan. Just the repetition of the quirky name brings a smile to State’s face. The smell of wet grass, sense of organic wonderment and assortment of colourful individuals present in the car park would outdo most festivals in Ireland: this is not so much a music festival as an experience to cling to. Knockanstockan,…
Neil Hannon and Thomas Walsh are eight hours into one of those intense, -get it out of the way’ media days that artists must dread. Their mannerisms, unsurprisingly, are a touch worn, with Hannon occasionally pausing to eye his coffee cup or mentally navigate the pattern on the nearby couch. If we didn’t know better,…
Hailed in a few quarters as the return of the saviour, Recovery… certainly has a lot to live up to before even settling into our stereo. It is, in fairness, a different Eminem sliding from the speakers, a man offering up a different focus and a drive suited to theme of his album title. For
Tonight is our first visit to the Iveagh Gardens, at least as a gig venue, and it really is magnificent. Apart from the inevitable spattering of Irish summer rain (an issue that the headliner deals with by eying the sky and shouting -let it pour’), this quiet corner of Dublin has been transformed into a…
When State interviewed Zero 7′s Sam Hardaker a week or two back, it was immediately clear to us that Record is not an album the band particularly wanted to release. ‘The purpose of this interview is ostensibly to promote Record…‘, Sam argued, emphasizing the word -ostensibly’, before telling us that the new -Best Of’
As the arrival of rap’s poster boy approaches, Oxegen is buzzing. With many of the assembled masses having waited since Eminem’s controversial cancellation of his 2005 Slane date to see their hero, the area in front of the main stage is by far the busiest it’s been all weekend. Five years, to be fair, is…
Echo And The Bunnymen haven’t changed one bit over the years. Ian McCulloch still performs like a man hiding behind an oversized coat, and his vocals are still perfect. -The Killing Moon’ remains their -these guys wrote this?’ moment, and they’re still propping up festival bills when they could comfortably perform far higher up the…
It’s hard to image that there’s a better live band doing the world gig circuit right now than Muse. From the moment drummer Dominic steps on to the stage clad in a large spiky Mohican and a pale green undergarment, the front of the Oxegen crowd has turned into a frantic shoving match, and it’s…
