When it comes to the multi-venue, urban festival it seems as though every other event going would suggest its own version of SxSW. Founded in 2006, The Great Escape would have a better claim than most. With 350 acts playing in 30 venues (plus an Alternative Escape fringe) and an extensive industry convention, the already [...]
Think festival in Denmark and Roskilde is what comes to mind, right? Well, while that may be the best known of the Danish festivals, it’s not the only one. Far from it. Spot Festival in Denmark’s second city of Aarhus is currently in its 19th year. It’s a showcase of all things Danish with a [...]
It’s a strange concept, this Big Reunion gig. Gathering together the bands that fell into the dumper quicker than an old copy of Smash Hits, trying to conjure up real-time excitement (and ticket sales) through a TV show which was like a montage of the worst X Factor sob stories. But unlike the transparently cynical [...]
Tea and gingerbread men are the offerings at the bar/tuck shop in Christchurch Cathedral for tonight’s special event marking State’s five years as an entity and raising much needed funds for Temple Street Children’s Hospital. The brainchild of DIT’s Annette Udell, the three bands appearing – Young Wonder, Heathers and Ham Sandwich – have all [...]
Time was, leading a Dublin crowd in a cheery sing-a-long of “There is no God” would have resulted in widespread condemnation and public order offences, but these are different days. These are shanty songs for disaffected children of all ages and Frank Turner, at long last, knows his audience like the back of his hand. [...]
All you punks? Check. Rude boys? Check. Rude girls? Check. White boys? Check. Black boys? Hmmm. Whatever its musical legacy, it seems that the multi-cultural aspect of the 2 Tone audience has faded somewhat over the years. Maybe it’s a Dublin thing, maybe not but at least there are a fair share of younger folk [...]
It’s a pretty PC world we live in. Sexism, racism and homophobia are all serious no-nos while seemingly common. Mental health issues are really the last taboo, and while on paper if you asked someone how they felt about such issues, you would get a muted, understanding response. The proof of the pudding really is [...]
We are just a little shy of 12 months since Alt-J last played in Dublin’s fair city. Back then the likely lads from Leeds were in the Academy 2 and pimping their debut long player, An Awesome Wave. Now the boys are back in town doing a victory lap, the aforementioned album having won the [...]
John Grant doesn’t come across as the type of person to sit on the fence; he is what he is and things are how they are. But his music is so painfully honest and intermittently hilarious, or maybe that is painfully hilarious and intermittently honest, that you could be forgiven for thinking that he hadn’t [...]
Dexys’ live shows, with their seated audiences and closed bars – as is the case tonight in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre – are more like operatic theatre performances. The famously sartorial Kevin Rowland, Pete Williams, Mick Talbot et al are dressed as a hybrid of 1930s dock workers and prohibition-era gangsters and play out each song [...]
After puppies, pleasant surprises are my favourite. Passenger is just that. After the break-up of Passenger, the band that Mike Rosenberg founded, in 2007, Rosenberg opted to keep the name deciding to go the solo route with just his voice and his guitar for company. Sold out shows and the success of his album All [...]
A lot is riding on tonight’s Death Grips show and Simon Bird is penciled in on support. It’s a tough act for anyone to open for but he’s captivating and confident. As he executes a solid set, the masses flow in for the Californian hip-hop trio. Death Grips is sold out in advance tonight, this [...]
It’s a miserable, grey evening in Dublin, but a gig at the Sugar Club is always somewhat of a transporting experience. While the light drizzle is altogether souring, there’s just something about the darkness and plush comfort of the Leeson St venue that easily shuts out such menial annoyances. With the right performer, it can [...]
If you thought that the festival season started with Camden Crawl or Forbidden Fruit then we’ve got news for you. There’s a new player in town in the shape of Phase One Electronic Music & Arts Festival in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim. In the spirit of adventure and trying out all things new State goes along [...]