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Month: February 2012

Robb Murphy-‘Take A Stand’

Robb Murphy-'Take A Stand'

Robb Murphy is very much involved in the music scene in Belfast as a sound engineer at local gigs, recording bands and a DJ.  While studying Music Technology at Queens University he discovered a passion for composition and creating original soundscapes.  He writes, performs, records and produces his own music.
 
Robb has been getting positive feedback from local radio shows and has recored a session for BBC Introducing with Rory McConnell.  Radio sampler ‘Love in Abundance’ was sent out in Dec’11 as a taster and was very well received among Regional Radio and on BBC radio. Various bloggers have also featured the track and it was highlighted on various UK blogging sites as ‘one to watch’.  Tom Robinson on BBC 6 Music recently introduced the track ‘When Silence Comes’.
 
The next single, ‘On My Side’ will be released on March the 2nd, then the debut album ‘Take A Stand’, on the 27th of April.  Robb will be playing shows with a full band line up to promote the album in April / May.
Contact
 
question@nullrobbmurphy.com

www.robbmurphy.com

Ghost Estates-‘October’

Ghost Estates-'October'

Irish 5 piece GHOST ESTATES have been together since March 2010. They  made a decision early on to write and record an album before they played live. After months of experimenting, writing and demoing they recorded the bones of their album at Sun studios in 7 days and the rest  over 4 months at they’re own studio.
The album was produced by Ghost Estates, engineered by John Henry & Daniel Doherty and mixed by Marc Carolan (Muse, Snow Patrol)

Their first Ghost Estates gig took place in February 2011.  After a busy year with appearances at Electric Picnic, Castle Palooza, Vantastival, and various venues around Ireland Ghost Estates are now gearing up to release the album in May 2012. Before that, they will release “October” on Feb 17th as a free download via their soundcloud account http://soundcloud.com/ghostestates
 
 

20 Songs to Compete in the Pan Celtic National Song Contest

20 Songs to Compete in the Pan Celtic National Song Contest

20 songs have been chosen to take part in the national song contest to find the Irish entry to compete in the Pan Celtic International Song Contest 2012. Included in the shortlist are songs by composers from several counties including Dublin, Cork, Carlow, Leitrim and Galway. All 20 songs will go head to head in front of a panel of judges to find the winner at the national final which will be held in the Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow on Thursday, 8 March. Television personality Daithí Ó Sé will compere the evening while Ollie Hennessy will be musical director. Main sponsor of the competition is IMRO in association with Gael Linn.

Tickets for the event cost €10 and may be reserved by contacting the Seven Oaks Hotel on 059 9131308.The winning song will receive a cash prize of €1,000 and go forward to represent Ireland at the Pan Celtic International Festival 2012 which will take place in Carlow from 10th – 15th April.

Music Manager’s Forum Ireland | Training Day – Saturday 11th February

Music Manager’s Forum Ireland | Training Day - Saturday 11th February

Music Manager’s Forum Ireland

“LIVE MUSIC, INTERNATIONAL TOURING & MERCHANDISING”

Training Day – Saturday 11th February 2012

@ IMRO Offices, Copyright House, Pembroke Row, Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2 // 11.30am to 5.00pm

GUEST PANELISTS

Stuart Worthington- MMF Training Officer

Tommy Kinsella – Manager of God Is An Astronaut
Started playing music at age of 10 both guitar and violin. Formed my first band in 1961 , formed the ORANGE MACHINE the only recognised psychedelic Progressive band from Ireland in the 60’s . Leader of country and bluegrass band Cotton Mill Boys in the 70’s .Past 10 years guiding and managing top instrumental band GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT.

Noel McHale – MCD
Senior live booking agent festivals and major events, MCD. McHale is one of the key bookers with MCD some of the leading artists he’s brought to Ireland during his seven year tenure including Pavarotti, Queen, The Killers, Snoop Dogg, P Diddy, The Game and Rihanna. Pre-MCD Noel promoted The Bothy Band and The Boomtown Rats in the West, assisted Ollie Jennings getting the Galway Arts Festival off the ground and establishing the Bulmers comedy festival and its UK counterpart festival.

Gary Monroe – Monroe’s Galway
Promoter and Booking agent for Monroes Galway.

Alan Murray – Mazar’s Ireland
Alan Murray is a tax specialist and a chartered certified account with over 15 years experience with a particular emphasis on clients involved in the entertainment sector. Alan is a senior member of the Mazars OJK Entertainment Division and his clients range from global international high profile entertainers to indigenous performers based primarily in the Irish market place. Alan has experience in advising on the tax issues of all elements of entertainment income streams for performing musicians including recording and publishing royalties and live performance income. He also has particular expertise in dealing with HMRC in terms of agreeing UK withholding tax for live performances in the UK. Through his work in this area Alan has developed leading entertainment contacts in both the UK and US and can offer a global service in this sector.

Benny Taaffe – Vantastival (Music Festival)
Benny is one of the main organisers and founders with his partner, Louise Tangney. They have a combined experience of twenty years in the festival industry, having worked at festivals all over Ireland, the UK and the USA, including Oxegen, Electric Picnic, Glastonbury, Reading and the Burning Man festival in Nevada.

John Weston – Backstreet Merchandising
John started working with Backstreet International Merchandise in London in 2003 as well as managing various bands at the time, most notably a period with Ned’s Atomic Dustbin. He set up Backstreet’s Irish operation on 2008 and now works with bands such as The Coronas, Altan, Horslips, Sharon Shannon, Clannad, Afro Celt Sound System, And So I Watch You From Afar to name a few. Backstreet have offices in London, New York & Dublin; www.bsimerch.com catering for bands full merchandise needs from supply, touring and e-commerce. John serves on the board of the Music Managers Forum Ireland and is one of the founding directors having previously been an active member of the MMF UK.

Fees for this event are as follows:

MMF Members – €20
IMRO Members – €32
Non-Members – €70

MMF Ireland training events are sponsored by and run in conjunction with IMRO.

Ciara Sidine-‘Shadow Road Shining’

Ciara Sidine‘Americana [with] an unmistakably Celtic feel to its poetic lyrics and confident vocals’ UNCUT

Dublin singer/songwriter Ciara Sidine’s self-released debut album Shadow Road Shining – ‘an alt country classic’

Hot Press – has been launched to critical acclaim in Ireland and beyond in summer 2011.

Dubbed ‘Celtic Americana’, Sidine’s sound is inspired by the roots of American music and by her own Irish musical upbringing.

‘A remarkably assured piece of work’ Daily Telegraph

‘Utterly captivating . . . one of the best roots albums of the year’ Irish World

In 2011 Ciara was picked from over 500 applicants to make her television debut on ‘Other Voices’. She also appeared on ‘The View’, along with sessions on Pat Kenny’s radio show, John Murray, Derek Mooney and Sandy Harsch’s ‘Country Time’. Ciara was recently runner up in the RTE/RAAP Breakthrough Bursary 2011 (country/roots/folk) and is set for a Dutch tour in April 2012 on her album’s first release there.

‘A finely rounded, richly produced album of Americana . . . vocals and lyrics so distilled they reveal fresh angles with each repeated exposure’ Irish Times

‘Brilliant’ Guardian

Compared variously to Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Maria McKee and, closer to home, Mary Black and Maura O’Connell, Ciara is receiving as much attention for her fine singing voice as for her melodies and poetic, emotionally resonant lyrics.

‘Exquisitely beautiful . . . each track has the feel of a timeless classic . . . the secret ingredient to them all is the sheer abandonment that Sidine offers through her ethereal voice . . . recommended from the highest heights.’ Hot Press

She recently sang in The Abbey Theatre Dublin in author Joseph O’Connor The Music of Ghost Light, and O’Connor says of her: ‘Ciara Sidine has one of those voices that fills the heart with light and hope – a rare and precious gift – and the power with which she shares it in the live situation is unforgettable.’

‘Glimmering traces of Gillian Welch and Alison Krauss . . . with a distinct Celtic sensibility.’ Metro Eireann

www.ciarasidine.com

www.facebook.com/ciarasidine

For further information or to book Ciara contact Ciara Sidine: ciarasidinemusic@gmail.

Electric Picnic steals the show at the Irish Festival Awards

Electric Picnic steals the show at the Irish Festival Awards

The Summer of 2011 may be long forgotten but the memories of the best festivals of the year have just been revealed!

More than 19,000 Irish music fans cast their votes in the 100% publicly-voted Irish Festival Awards – and the results are now in with Electric Picnic scooping 7 of the major gongs including ‘Best Large Festival’ and ‘Best Lineup’. The Rubber Bandits were honoured with ‘Best Alternative Act’; : And so I watch you from afar  were voted ‘Best Irish Act’ while Galway Arts Festival won the award for ‘Best Street Spirit’.

“The Irish Festival Awards were set up in 2007 to honour the people behind the scenes that make every Irish Summer such an eclectic celebration of music, art and performance – and well done to Electric Picnic for stealing the show in 2011,” said Awards Director, Cillian Stewart.  “Fans are still in with a chance to win tickets to every winning festival so don’t delay and like the Festival Awards Facebook page to enter now,” he said.

Results for Irish Festival Awards 2011

 Best Large Festival: Electric Picnic

Best Medium Festival: Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival

Best Small Festival: Body & Soul

Greenest Festival: Electric Picnic

Best One Day Festival: Arthur’s Day

Best New Festival: Forbidden Fruit

Best Dance Festival: Life

Best Traditional Festival: Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann

Best Value: Arthur’s Day

Best Street Spirit: Galway Arts Festival

Best Headline Act: The Chemical Brothers

Best Rock Act: Muse

Best Dance Act: Underworld

Best Alternative Act: Rubber Bandits

Best Irish Act: And so I watch you from afar

Best Lineup: Electric Picnic

Family Festival Award: Electric Picnic

Social Responsibility Award: Electric Picnic

Best Service: Electric Picnic

Best Toilets: Electric Picnic

Wallis Bird-‘Encore’

Encore,  the first video to be taken from Wallis Bird forthcoming eponymous album, premiered today on Rolling Stone Germany.

A double Meteor Award winner Bird’s new album follows her debut ‘Spoons’ and 2009’s ‘New Boots’, both of which saw her garner critical acclaim and tour with the likes of Billy Bragg, Gabrielle, The Feeling & Rodrigo y Gabriela. The confident strut that informs her first single ‘Encore’ provides a taster of what to expect when the album Wallis Bird is released on 9th March.

‘Wallis Bird’ was written and recorded in three places that, while geographically separate, were all deliberately chosen to impose their unique atmospheres onto the songs. From the communist broadcasting station in Berlin of the former GDR where the government broadcast its propaganda until the Berlin wall came down; to an isolated ghostridden cottage on a godforsaken cliff edge in Ireland during the worst snowstorms in thirty years; to her own flat in Brixton against a backdrop of screaming sirens and looting as the London riots threatened to overrun the city. The result is a record that strives to makes sense of the chaos around us all – the first single ‘Encore’ is Wallis’ tacit admission that “it is almost impossible to slow down these days … everyone needs to pause and reflect sometimes.”

Catch Wallis play live:

  • 7th Mar St Iberius Church, Wexford
  • 8th Mar Cyprus Ave, Cork
  • 9th Mar Academy, Dublin
  • 10th Mar Dolans, Limerick

The new album ‘Wallis Bird’ released 9th  March 201

The single ‘Encore’ released 2nd March 2012

On Rubyworks

www.wallisbird.com

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