The Coronas - Dublin Castle - 05/04/2008

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Ham Sandwich have been confirmed to play Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Co. Laois at the end of August.
Brilliant news for the bready heads as they’ve yet to play such a large-scale event. With a Meteor award, a debut album, countless tv appearances and constant radio airplay along with a string of packed-out live performances, this is the year the Hammbos cap the process of ‘making it’ from unsigned obscurity to a force to be reckoned with.
They’ll make good acolytes in the shadow of My Bloody Valentine, The Sex Pistols and Use. Let’s keep our eyes peeled for more shock announcements from POD….

A right stink was kicked up by one lone dissenter on the official Road To V messageboard regarding the inclusion of Galway band Blasterbra in the final 14 of the festival competition.

Apparently as the band are Irish and non-resident in the UK, they were not eligible to participate, despite the previous inclusion of the new-defunct The Immediate. V representatives contacted Blasterbra in search of a loophole to ensure they retained their place in the final but efforts proved fruitless and Blasterbra were dropped.

Read the band’s MySpace blog for more…commiserations guys

To be honest, it’s a fecking farce that V allowed willingly allowed the band to enter despite their Irish status. Or is it another example of British people forgetting Ireland’s a republic?

Women of all imaginable shoe-sizes and talents will be celebrated over 25-27 April with an epic arts line-up at LadyFest Cork 2008. Music comes from a variety of appealling souces and every base is covered: Bela Emerson, DIT, Happy Homemakers, Suicidal Birds and The Monday Club deliver an exotic twist, DJs lxindamix and Tacky Onassis bring it all together from opposite ends of the scale. Our own females and friends in Clare O’Mahoney, Estel, Janey Mac, Korridor, OhMyGodItMightBeHim!, Ophelia, Party Weirdo, Queen Kong, The Radio, Tap Tap Click Click, We Should Be Dead, You’re Only Massive and Zing will be on hand and home turf… Check out all the music listings!
As if those performances weren’t enough to keep even a dour chauvinist happy, there’s more poetry, drama, workshops and comedy than you can shake your eggs at. An art exhibition in the old ESB building opposite Cyprus Avenue launched the event last night with a wide array of photography, print, painting, graphic design, video and sound installations.
Tap Tap Click Click will close the show on Sunday night with a live set in the gallery.

Tickets are priced €10 (daily) or €27 (weekender) and are available at Tickets.ie or on the door. More info…

Along with championing the celebrity of feminity, as a community-based, not-for-profit venture, Ladyfest Cork aims to raise awareness and funds for local charities and places emphasis on quality over quantity. Everyone is welcome to attend with many interesting preferences covered in the schedule to appeal to just about anyone. I personally love to see small ventures like this in communities around the country and wish the organisers and everyone involved a cracking weekend. If anyone has any photos to share, drop me an email (rockeroffher[at]gmail[dot]com)!

If I was a cool mutha, myself and the kids would be hopping into a VW bus and beetling bare-foot down to Cork for sure. Alas, I’m not cool and the closest I’ll get to beetles will be taking the bins out on Sunday.

Although it sounds like every jammy sod and his mother’s away to Texas this weekend, spare a thought for Delorentos: in just a few days they’ve endured dire illness, delayed flights, cancelled gigs, relentless badgering of Homeland Security and crack dens while doing band pan-Am. Kier’s posted a blog cataloguing the (few) ups and (many) downs of their travails over on Delorentos’ forum and it’s a bloody satisfying read for us jealous sods here at home….

Congratulations to Fight Like Apes who have landed themselves none other than John Goodmanson to produce their album. Having previously worked with Sleater Kinney, Death Cab for Cutie and Blonde Redhead, FLA are understandably estatic to be working with him.
The guitarless outfit head to Texas next week to wow the crowds at SXSW (check MusicFromIreland for details of other Irish acts included in the line-up). On their return, are planning an Irish tour, capping off at The Village on April 13 with special guests from Cardiff, Future of the Left. All the details can be found over on their MySpace.

Pic: Loreana Rushe