Month: September 2010

Bat Kinane comes from Ballyknockan, Co Wicklow, Ireland a granite village with a rich heritage in stone and music. He picked up the guitar at thirteen years of age inspired by the music and words of Phil Lynott. Almost immediately Bat began to write songs. He played in many bands over the years the most successful being Glyder who are one of Ireland's top hard rock outfits. In Glyder Bat has released three critically acclaimed albums the latest "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" which is released on top European hard rock label SPV. Glyder have toured Europe many times and have opened for top international acts like Slash and Metallica.

Northern Irelands finest Fighting With Wire have recently announced their UK and Irish Tour, They are back on the road for their first tour in over a year as they prepare to unleash their new album ‘bones of the twilight’ in 2011, released on Atlantic Records. Fighting With Wire have also announced they will be selling a new EP called ‘I AM URSUS’ exclusively at all UK shows, giving fans a taster of what’s to come on the new album.
 
Tour Details:

29/09/10 The Workmens Club, Dublin, Ireland
08/10/10 Stables, Mullingar, Ireland
09/10/10 The Hideout, Warrenpoint, Newry, Ireland
15/10/10 Lush @ Kellys, Portrush, Ireland
16/10/10 Cellar Bar, Draperstown, Ireland
23/10/10 People Club, Vicenza, Italy
01/11/10 Stereo, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
02/11/10 The Shipping Forecast, Liverpool, UK
03/11/10 HMV Institute Temple, Birmingham, UK
02/11/10 Cellar, Oxford, UK
05/11/10 Joiners, Southampton, UK
07/11/10 Prince Albert, Brighton, UK
08/11/10 Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Wales, UK
09/11/10 Barfly, London, UK
15/12/10 Scala, London, UK (with Helmet + La Faro)
16/12/10 Club Academy, Manchester, UK
17/12/10 Cathouse, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
 
For the last year fww have been writing and recording their 2nd album "bones of the twilight" in Nashville with producer Nick Raskulinecz (alice n chains, foo fighters, deftones) due for release early next year on Atlantic records the band are about to embark on a tour of uk/Ireland showcasing new material from the album.
 
Having just recorded a 4 track ep of previously unreleased material at smalltownamerica studios called "I AM URSUS" which will only be available at the uk shows, the band are excited about getting back on the road again and working towards the Album release in 2011.
 
More info can be found at – www.myspace.com/fightingwithwire

An initiative of Music Network, funded by U2 & The Ireland Funds

Ireland's National Music Education Programme will be running a series of public information seminars throughout the country over the coming months, in the following locations:
 
Tuesday, October 19th, Kilkenny
10.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.                  
Hosted by: Kilkenny Education Centre
Seville Lodge, Callan Road, Kilkenny.

Tuesday, October 26th, Dublin
10.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.       
Hosted by the National Music Education Programme,
Music Network, The Coach House, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2.

Tuesday, November 2nd, Limerick
10.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.                  
Hosted by: Irish World Academy of Music & Dance,
Tower Theatre, University of Limerick.

Wednesday, November 10th, Sligo
 10.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.       
Hosted by: Sligo Education Centre, Ballinode, Sligo.

Funded by U2 and The Ireland Funds, the National Music Education Programme will provide a fund of €7million to support access to vocal and instrumental music education for children and young people in Ireland over the next five years.

In advance of the official announcement of the National Music Education Programme, the seminars will provide information about what the Programme is offering and how to get involved. The seminars will include a presentation by National Music Education Programme Director Rosaleen Molloy and a question & answer session.

The information seminars are open to any member of the public interested in finding out more about this exciting initiative.  

 
To book your place, please contact Music Network by email admin@nullmusicnetwork.ie or by phone 01 6719429. Please note, advance booking is advised as seating capacity in each venue is limited.
 
For further information see http://www.musicnetwork.ie/education/

New Album 'White Fox'
Featuring the Singles "The Naturist" and "OH-OH"
Available 01/10/10 on The Route 109A Recording Co.
Dedicated in loving memory of Derek Nally
www.hamsandwichmusic.com

::: LIVE ::: Album Launch – Saturday October 30 – The Button Factory, Dublin
 
The Kells-based band release their second album "White Fox", the follow-up to their 2008 award winning debut long-player "Carry the Meek". A glimpse of what was to come appeared on the nation's airwaves back in May which raised the bar of expectations for the much anticipated new album; The single "The Naturist" announced to the fanbase that the band were pushing the boat out and not resting on their laurels! The track highlights the classic intertwining vocal wordplay from Niamh and Podge and driven by D'Arcy's anthemic guitar playing thus marking a soaring return from one of Ireland's most popular bands.The follow-up single (out 24/10), "Oh-Oh" continues to visit new territory with more complex arrangements and instrumentation taking the band's writing to new creative heights.
 
“We’ve definitely grown up since ‘Carry The Meek’,” maintains Niamh. “In terms of all of us getting involved in the song writing process and, I suppose, just maturing as people. Making the song structures more interesting is crucial for both the listener and the band, because it holds the attention for longer.” Podge recounts, "The first album was practically all electric guitar; the new album is more musically varied – and not for the sake of it, either. It’s just that we’re getting our heads around different instruments. It’s a natural evolvement, and more texture is no harm.”
 
Produced and mixed by Karl Odlum and recorded at Sun Studios, Temple Bar (Dublin) & May Lodge (Co. Meath). Mastered by the legendary Abbey Road Studio (London) engineer Peter Mew ( David Bowie, The Beatles, ELO, Bob Marley, etc)
 
TRACKLISTING: THE NATURIST / WHITE FOX / ANTS / OH-OH / MODELS / THE FOG / LONG DISTANCE / IN DECEMBER / ANIMALS / FLOORS
 
Upcoming Ham Sandwich Gigs:

01st OCT ~ TOWER RECORDS, Dublin – ALBUM RELEASE
09th OCT ~ DEREK NALLY TRIBUTE SHOW, WHELANS, Dublin (One of several bands on the line-up)
14th OCT ~ THE SPIRIT STORE, Dundalk
30th OCT ~ THE BUTTON FACTORY, Dublin – OFFICIAL ALBUM LAUNCH

HARD WORKING CLASS HEROES INDUSTRY PANELS 2010
Hosted by Jim Carroll, The Irish Times

AMA Music Agency maybe a new name to the music industry but the team behind it have over twenty years experience in the world of booking Irish bands into shows all over the world. The MUSIC agency’s parent company Audio Networks has built a reputation as the country’s leading BOOKING agency for corporate and private entertainment , as well as overseeing the live career of Aslan and the astonishing rise of The Coronas.
 
Now AMA Music Agency is set to become the definitive booking agency for original Irish talent. Aside from these two high profile acts, the roster also includes Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club, The Four of Us, Director, Delorentos, Ham Sandwich, Republic Of Loose, and Fred. Another major aspect of the company is its emerging talent section, including the likes of Le Galaxie, Sweet Jane, Hal and Royseven – all names that are at the vanguard of the new Irish music scene.

For company chief Mark Downing, this has been a project twenty years in the making. A musician himself, Downing was the drummer with The Hellfire Club and even performed on TV with A-Ha. As such he has experienced firsthand the trials of keeping a band or an artist on the road. With the twin factors of the recession and the ever changing nature of the music industry, live gigs ares becoming ever vital for the survival of bands of all statures. 
 
AMAMUSICAAGENCY.IE aims to continue to develop the healthy Irish live music scene by booking its bands into venues and festivals across the country, helping its bands build their audience in tandem with record sales, press coverage and radio play. Backed by an on-line team that includes promotional, production and management experts, AMA is a new name but one that will surely become a vital one in the very near future.
 
For more information see www.amamusicagency.ie or call 00353 1 2013660.

IMRO and IASCA (Irish Association of Songwriters, Composers and Authors) hosted a series of public interviews and live performances at our headquarters in Copyright House on Friday night to celebrate this year’s Culture Night.

We were privileged to be joined on the night by songwriters Mick Hanly, Sonny Condell, Luán Parle, James Vincent McMorrow, who had just arrived back from LA, and Thomas Walsh, as well as members of Codes and Fight Like Apes, who each provided a valuable insight into their songwriting and experiences as musicians for the audience. Fight Like Apes were presented with an award by IMRO in recognition of their achievement of reaching Number 1 in the Irish Independent Artist Album Charts. Guests on the night were also treated to some acoustic performances by the interviewees, as well as a set by trad group, Dílse.

Big thanks to Celina Murphy, Colm O’Hare, Roisin Dwyer and all at HotPress (www.hotpress.com), Derek Copley, Conor O’Hara, Robert Heuston and all at Irish Music Magazine (www.irishmusicmagazine.com), and Phil Udell, Julien Clancy, Alessio Michelini and all at State.ie (www.state.ie).

Check out future editions of Irish Music Magazine and HotPress for more on the night’s interviews. State.ie will feature three of the interviews in an upcoming podcast. In the meantime, see http://www.state.ie/2010/09/news/state-imro-culture-night-in-photos/for some photos of the night’s events.

Much-loved television comedian, Peter Kay, flew into Dublin for an intimate bash with his extended family this weekend, as he launched the latest album of his old friends, celebrated Irish band The Saw Doctors.

After the Small But Massive success of Glasgowbury 2010, the group have this week announced their joy at being nominated in the 2010 UK Festival Awards.

The local festival has picked up two nods in the esteemed celebrations and find themselves in the running to be the UK’s Best Small Festival as well as being in with the chance to pick up The Grassroots Festival Award.

Glasgowbury is also in the running for industry selected awards such as Promoter Of The Year and Line-Up Of The Year, mixing it up with the creme de la creme of UK festivals.

And now they need you, the people who helped celebrate ten years at the heart of new music this past summer, to register your votes and support and help the local festival make an increased impact on the UK festival scene.

To vote for Glasgowbury, go to the official UK Festival Awards website (uk.festivalawards.com) and select Glasgowbury in its two nominated categories and also enter yourself in for the chance to win two tickets to every winning festival.

Festival Organiser Paddy Glasgow said it was an exciting time for the festival as regards growth and recognition and to make an impact on the UK festival scene would be a huge honour.

“Glasgowbury is very much a festival for the people and with the success of the last ten years it’s a great honour to be making an impact beyond these shores, drawing more eyes and ears towards the huge wealth of bands and artists we have here," he said.

“As always Glasgowbury is about the promotion of new and emerging talent from throughout Ireland and to be recognised and rewarded for doing what we love to do is a natural privilege.”

Voting in the UK Festival Awards is open now and will close ahead of the ceremony on November 18th. Don't forget to register your support soon!

Plans for Glasgowbury 2011 are already well underway and details for the anticipated event will be announced soon. Keep an eye on www.glasgowbury.com for more details.

The Blue Black Waves