Live Review
Low, St. Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny
Even a band as composed as Low must have rubbed hands with excitement at the prospect of playing a cathedral in downtown Kilkenny. The furrow they have tilled is entirely their own; telekinetic harmonies, distortion without sounding metallic; dark to light and back again, all within the blood-red lyrical themes that colour their glacial...READ »
The Jimmy Cake, Jogging, Vox Populi – Purty Loft
Out with the old, in with the new, that’s the Jimmy Cake philosophy these days. Having finally honed their orchestral influences on last year’s Spectre and Crown album, they have decided to go away and dream it all up again. Partly this has been necessitated by the loss of one member and his accordion...READ »
Beatday, Copenhagen
Friday After last years vista-tastic event out by the docks, Beatday have found a perfect spot for this year’s event in Copenhagen’s Valby Park. It’s a beautiful sunny day too and the festival area is surrounded by enormous trees and the sea. The Danish band Choir of Young Believers who have already had a...READ »
Hooray for Humans & Heathers, Roisin Dubh, Galway
By the time support act Heathers step on stage and twiddle their guitar strings at Galway’s most infamous venue, State have been enjoying Roisin’s plush, redecorated ambience for some time. We’ve slurped our way through several Galway Hookers (note to the uneducated: that’s a beer) and watched the backroom gig venue go from empty...READ »
Photos: Devotchka & Autumn Owls, Crawdaddy
Perhaps best-known at this stage for their massive contribution to the soundtrack of successful indie-flick Little Miss Sunshine…, Devotchka’s own line of Eastern European-influenced folk-rock songs deserve a stage as big if last week’s gig in Crawdaddy is anything to go by. Led by singer Nick Urata the group played a fine selection...READ »
Amiina, St. Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny
As far as live music is concerned, there are special occasions…and then there’s the divine marriage of a sublime venue and suitably magnificent act. Such are the acoustics and visual accoutrements of St. Canice’s Cathedral – the second largest in Ireland, so I’m told – that the likes of 2 Unlimited could feasibly walk...READ »
Bomba Est̩reo РThe Button Factory
Aimed at the dancefloor Bomba Estéreo are a new act from Bogota taking Colombian roots music and updating it in the 21st century. Using electronica and dub stylings plugged into Afro-Caribbean rhythms such as cumbia, champeta and bullerengue, they deliver electro-folklore to a new audience with their new album Blow Up… and they dropped...READ »
Underage Festival – Victoria Park, London
What a difference twelve hours makes. When State left Field Day last night, the venue was pretty much in a state of disrepair, a sea of beer cans and mud. Sunday morning comes however, the sun is shining and when we arrive at midday the event is in full swing. The bars have been...READ »
Field Day 09 – Victoria Park, London
When is a festival not a festival? When, we would suggest, it takes place in the middle of a park in the (not quite) middle of a major city? When it lasts for just a day and everybody makes the last tube home? When one of the highlights is the egg and spoon race?...READ »
Indiependence 2009
Having committed the ultimate festival faux pas of neglecting to bring wellies, State stands submerged an inch deep in the sodden marsh that is O’Connell Park, Michelstown. Downwind, on the Bavaria stage are THE MINUTES: official openers of this year’s new, improved and hugely expanded festival. The band treats us to some great ‘festival...READ »
Castlepalooza Photos 2009
Charleville Castle, Tullamore was the venue for the much-lauded Castlepalooza Festival last weekend and the festival saw some great sets from the likes of Le Galaxie, R.S.A.G., Super Extra Bonus Party, So Cow, The Lost Brothers, thirteen-strong pastoral band The Lowly Knights, David Kitt, DJ Tu-Ki, Steve Reddy and The Holy Roman Army. Around...READ »
Metallica – Marlay Park, Dublin
The summer is coming to a close for Irish hard rock fans, but not before metal giants Metallica returned to Dublin’s Marlay Park for the second year running, with a medley of impressive support acts in tow. Despite Lamb of God and Thin Lizzy dropping off the bill, this promised to be an essential...READ »
George Clinton, Tripod, Dublin
“WE. WANT. DUH-FUNK,” a very near capacity crowd holler at George Clinton’s all-star band as the man himself receives a massage off the most beautiful woman in the room to the side of the stage. He smiles broadly and lifts his shades to examine the crowd. He is not present for the set starter,...READ »
Fatboy Slim, David Guetta, Dizzee Rascal, Calvin Harris – Marlay Park
A queue in your run-of-the-mill convenience shop where every second person is a woman under the age of 30 buying a naggin of vodka wouldn’t always bode well for any kind of event that may happen to be taking place in the surrounding environs. Indeed, the marauding crowds of neon-clad girlies (and smattering of...READ »
