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Darklight Benefit

February 26th, 2009 by donaltest1

Trust me, you stand to benefit from David Kitt, Somadrone and Sunken Foal in your life, stuffed by a three-course meal and Dublin: The Movie. Taking place in the Sugar Club this Sunday 1 March, all this and more is yours for €20…paidback triple with a cosy feeling come summer that your squids helped hoist that banner, run this film and put a smile on the face of many an arts, movies and music fan. That’s the idea but it’ll only happen if you go…

www.darklight.ie/

Video : Irish Bands @ CMJ

October 29th, 2008 by donaltest1

GiveAManAKick have returned from the CMJ Music Marathon in New York where they played alongside The Blizzards, Fighting With Wire, Heathers and Hooray For Humans. That’s a comprehensive summary of the state of new music from these shores!
The bands played at the Bowery Poetry Club and judging by the look of the GAMAK vid, saw some real brownstone houses. and SteveAManAKick looks like he wouldn’t mind a 40oz…

I’m still having trouble inputting videos here: not sure what happened in the blog-cogs recently. However, click these links to see the YouTube vids and write-ups from nice personages at East Village Podcasts

The Blizzards – YouTubeEVP
Fighting With Wire – YouTubeEVP
Heathers – YouTubeEVP
Hooray For Humans – YouTubeEVP
GiveAManAKick – YouTubeEVP

Flyer : The Things

September 11th, 2008 by donaltest1

Love or hate ‘em, there’s no denying what a scream-out-loud, psychotic rock extravaganza this will be for the black-bedecked crowd in Iveagh Gardens tonight. I was there for The Fall on Tuesday night and it’s a really lovely location for this year’s fringe. Be sure to catch the Dagger Lees, my favourite of the three, before they hit HWCH this weekend….

The THings

www.fringefest.com

Photos : Electric Picnic

September 3rd, 2008 by donaltest1

Well that was nice while it lasted…

EP08-NMA

My Hot Press alter-ego took over at Stradbally, zipping Off Her Rocker into a sleeping-bag cocoon for the weekend. Irish music had a really strong presence in this year’s Picnic line-up and it was great to hear loads of good reports back of Halves, SEBP and Jape, while Cathy Davey‘s performance was all but sent up in thanks for the celestial weather.
I had the pleasure of spectacular Sigur Ros to wind down on Friday, la Franz on Saturday (and was a bit miffed that they left the stage at 11pm in order to encore and be done by the 11:15 finish listed on the timetable. I met them later that night (*drool*swoon*) there wasn’t a peep of such criticism from yours truly) …My Bloody Valentine on Sunday. They were really the most important performance on the schedule for me and didn’t disappoint, except I wanted membrane-shredding LOUD and didn’t get it….

Over in the Hot Press Chatroom it was all systems go as we had some incredible names lined up for interview: Carbon/Silicon, Elbow, That Petrol Emotion, Foals, Michael Franti and The Roots took the tent by storm: it was so interesting to listen to their stories while hovering with the camera. ?uestlove of The Roots was just riveting, explaining how he started performing on the street because their esoteric hip-hop wasn’t suited for the clubs and years down the line, jamming at Prince’s gaff with Stevie Wonder on piano. Imagine!

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Video : The Minutes

August 28th, 2008 by donaltest1

You’ve heard about The Minutes’ ambitious manifesto of Gigs In Your Gaff, right? If you haven’t, it may be time to leave that rock you’ve been living under, if only to save your complexion….
The Dublin threesome revealed their plans shortly after winning the Vodafone Bright New Sounds competition and have regularly gigged across a variety of venues and reception rooms in the country since.


The Minutes - Gigs In Your Gaff Teaser from phil kelly on Vimeo.

However this weekend at Electric Picnic sees a new development in the camp…site! Though Irish performers are famed for spontaneous renditions al festo (here on this blog, one commenter swore The Mighty Stef kept him awake all night with Bowie covers at EP07) The Minutes plan to go one further for their documentary with impromptu live shows throughout the weekend…in YOUR tents!
So if you loved Ukraine, Harmonic or want a sneak preview of new single Black Keys, get in touch with the band or keep an eye out for the leather-clad minstrels as they strum their way through the Stradbally estate.
Fair warning, eh, Matt Vinyl?

A-Z Irish Bands @ Electric Picnic

August 27th, 2008 by donaltest1

Well, I thought you may like a list of the Irish bands playing at Electric Picnic this year. So I scrobbled this together from various sources over the last few weeks, before stumbling upon the confirmed line-up. Unfortunately the official stage times have not been released and only a handful of bands have the correct time listed on their profiles, so I’ve omitted their appearance times here as it was too complicated/unreliable. Also, I haven’t listed DJs as they’re too difficult to track to correct sites. I may have missed out a couple of bands…do let me know if anyone’s left out!

However this should give you an idea of who’s playing > when…keep an eye out for the final line-up and stage times for more info.

Read on for the A – Z of Irish bands at Electric Picnic 2008:

Read the rest of this entry »

HWCH Photography Exhibitors Announced

August 20th, 2008 by donaltest1


Crystal Castles at ALT by Farzad Qasim

State have released details of 2008′s Hard Working Class Heroes photography exhibition. Twenty-five snappers will see their work displayed in the Button Factory exhibition space in conjunction with the festival in Temple Bar from 12 – 14 September. Congrats to everyone involved!

Videos : Eurocultured

August 20th, 2008 by donaltest1

Unofficial Irish favourite of 2008 Cathy Davey singing Moving at Eurocultured in Smithfield on Saturday:

And also the rockin’ TKO with Rooftop:


How was Eurocultured for you?

Festival : Solas

August 15th, 2008 by donaltest1

Solas Head
Solas Logos

The Mighty Stef Dinky HyBrasil Intinn T-Woc Produse Noise Control Dj Flip Hijack Oscar Kila Stanley Super 800 Dirty Epics Dusty Kid Autamata Damian Schwartz Dan McElligot A Guy Called Gerald Túcan Firehouse Skank Eddie Brennan Syntheme Gavin Glass & The Holy Shakers Sian DJ Half Dutch Republic of Loose Alex Under Tu Ki Skuzzi Port Detroit Grand Pubahs Alloy Mental Andy McKee Tractile Audiojack Timmy Stewart The Brothers Movement Preston Reed Arveene God is an Astronaut Chymera DJ Godfather Johnny Moy Hassle Merchants The Urges Don Ross Ham Sandwich Miss Jools Milanese Switch

What a bloody line-up. That’s an absolutely bounding weekend covering the ultimate reach of deadly Irish bands. You can find out everything you need to know at www.solas-festival.com and, OI!! I want a full report, with photos to follow, of everything the weekend had to offer on my desktop by 11am on Monday morning. Right?
Off you go then :)

Photos : Festivals

August 7th, 2008 by donaltest1

There’s been loads going on all over the country in recent weeks as this list testifies. You know what that means, don’t you? Ye-es. Loads of photos!

Robotnik CP08 Toni Ireton

Still to come: Irish Green Gathering, Solas, Electric Picnic, Cois Fharraige and Hard Working Class Heroes!