Live Review
Camp Bestival 2011
Random notes from a festival: Dik and Dom introducing the Gentlemen’s Dub Club on the main stage; Sooty & Sweep playing in the same tent that twelve hours earlier had hosted Laura Marling; a warning that House Of Pain’s set could include ‘explicit language’; the entire site going silent to accommodate the local church...READ »
Castlepalooza 2011
Now in its sixth year, Castlepalooza has become one of the most well-established small festivals in the country. Its main strengths are its cosy feel and the large quantity of quality Irish acts. The festival opened on Friday night with a small selection of acts to keep the early arrivals busy, ranging from the...READ »
Prince – Malahide Castle, Dublin
The grounds of Malahide Castle weren’t so much bathed in purple on Saturday night as they were lightly speckled with maroon: if nothing else, you won’t see a larger gathering of Galway GAA shirts in a Dublin park this summer. Prince’s first visit to Ireland in nine years, following the last-minute cancellation of his...READ »
The Riot Tapes – Dublin
Headline gigs during a band’s early days can be difficult to fathom. Friends and family inevitably infiltrate the audience so when the conclusion of a song is met with enthusiastic whoops and cheers, it’s hard to know if it’s being done out of a sense of duty or genuine delight at what’s just been...READ »
Fleet Foxes – Toronto
Since the release of their critically acclaimed sophomore album Helplessness Blues…, Fleet Foxes have grown comfortably into their current incarnation of one of the most lauded acts of recent years. Massey Hall was built for bands like Fleet Foxes, their impeccable harmonies and soaring vocals sweep around the venue, washing over the audience....READ »
Indiependence 2011
The fourth annual Indiependence festival sees the bill extended to three days, with a scaled-down schedule of acts lined up to cater for the eager Friday evening arrivals. By all accounts, both Enemies and Bipolar Empire played top quality sets on the Cyprus Avenue Stage on Friday evening, before Daft Funk caused some mayhem...READ »
Roger Daltrey performs ‘Tommy’ – Dublin
Ah, Tommy. If rock operas had to be born – and they did – it’s only fitting that they should enter the arena courtesy of one of the genre’s true standout bands, and feature a character that’s lived a life that can only be described as monumentally fucked up. Tommy’s early experiences lead to...READ »
Blondie – Dublin
State always brings the trusty old notebook to gigs, ready to scribble down the names of new tracks, cover songs and various minutae that crop up but can sometimes be forgotten in the post-gig comedown. For Blondie, though, it’s expected that it will remain firmly in the back pocket, not just because a set...READ »
Joanna Newson – Dublin
The immaculate setting of Marlay Park makes this seem much more like a country club garden party than a gig; the fine weather and the fact that most people milling around are here to see a girl play the harp adds to the feeling of being at a Juilliard recital. Joanna Newsom greets the...READ »
Neurosis – Dublin
You know that bullshit about Eskimos having 100 different words for snow? You’d need more than 100 ‘heavy’ synonyms to get to the black heart of a Neurosis gig. Thesaurus.com won’t cut it. ‘Filth’ needs a side entry too, there’s some hum off their riffs. Before this long-awaited show, a few gig posters are...READ »
Yvette – New York
It’s hard to imagine how any of Brooklyn’s small, overheated, boxy warehouse music venues can make enough money even to pay their own rent. Death By Audio is a small and heavily graffitied venue tucked away on a residential street in Williamsburg that sells cans of beer for $3 to drink on ripped-out carseats...READ »
Glasgowbury ’11
For one day each year the Sperrin Mountains in Northern Ireland reverberate with the sounds of Irish music. From noon until midnight 60 bands showcase their wares over five stages. Now in its eleventh year, Glasgowbury music festival has expanded from humble roots, having a comedy stage, children’s activities and inviting bands from all...READ »
Villagers, Beach House – Marlay Park, Dublin
The Irish summer’s Murphy-like tendency to throw up the worst weather at the most inopportune moment led to the calculated gamble of hosting this summer’s Marlay Park concert series under cover of a marquee tent. With the sun splitting the rocks all day on Saturday, it’s only natural that many would forego the pleasures...READ »
Jape / Grand Pocket Orchestra – London
Despite the torrential rain outside, the living room-like surroundings of the Old Queen’s Head in Islington makes for a cosy night in. The London Irish Centre, along with Werewolf Promotions, has lined up an evening to satisfy those with nostalgia for the eccentric stylings of Ireland’s fine musicians. Slightly unhinged indie and electro might...READ »
