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Month: February 2015

Songwriters In The Round is back for it’s first event of 2015!

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in Industry News.

SongwriterRound_120115_POSTERSongwriters in the Round always promises a great evening of music and this Thursday 12th February it’s back for the first event of 2015.

Beginning in September last year this unique event has seen some incredible songwriters come to Kilkenny to play to an intimate and highly appreciative audience at Hole in the Wall. Hosted by Martin Bridgeman, three songwriters perform ‘In the round’ format sharing their songs and an insight into the story of each song.

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IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year Awards 2014 | Winners Announced

Written by Press Officer on . Posted in Industry News.

Last night, RTE’s Paddy McKenna hosted the much-anticipated seventh IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year Awards at the Irish Music Rights Organisation Headquarters in Dublin.venue awards 2014 3

The award for National Live Music Venue of the Year 2014 (via public vote) went to Dolans, Limerick.

Of the annual awards voted by over 10,000 IMRO members, Keith Donald, IMRO Chairman said  “This is our annual chance to give a really big thank-you to promoters and venues across the country. The work they do is invaluable, as young bands and artists can’t build up an audience without them”.

Other winners in the regional categories include:

Dublin –  Vicar St, Dublin

Rest of Leinster – Cleere’s Bar & Theatre, Kilkenny

Munster – University Concert Hall, Limerick

Ulster – Voodoo Venue, Letterkenny

Connacht – Matt Molloy’s, Mayo

Also nabbing accolades for IMRO Live Music Festival of the Year and IMRO Best Small Live Music Festival 2014 were   Electric Picnic and Kilkenny Roots Festival respectively.

Performances on the night came from The Minutes, Lethal Dialect and Jack O’ Rourke.

Hot Press Editor Niall Stokes also gave special commendations, presenting awards to 5th On Teeling in Sligo, Whelan’s in Dublin and 3Arena.

He said: “Live music is more important than ever for musicians and bands – so it is crucial they have the best possible venues to play in. The IMRO Live Music Venue Awards are a fantastic platform for recognising all of the amazing work that is happening all over Ireland, in creating those essential opportunities for musicians.

“Great venues are really important in creating scenes and both 5th On Teeling in Sligo and Whelan’s in Dublin – who are the recipients of a special Lifetime Achievement Award from Hot Press to mark the end of their 25th Anniversary celebrations – fit that description perfectly.

“The overall winner of the Hot Press Live Music Venue of the Year is 3Arena, in Dublin, which of course was refurbished and rebranded during the year. 3Arena is widely recognised in the business as one of the greatest music venues in the world. It has brought the presentation of live music to a new level of sophistication here, setting standards that the whole live music industry in Ireland can both benefit and learn from. They are hugely deserving of this accolade.”

“Celestial” New Music from Femmepop

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in News.

Femmepop Celestial“Celestial” is the latest single release from Femmepop, aka Margaret O’Sullivan. The track sees Femmepop collaborating with UK artist Kalax.

The single is now available for download on Bandcamp and Soundcloud. This is the first release since Femmepop’s debut album, “From a Girl Who Never Sleeps”, was released late last year.

For more see www.femmepop.com.

Vann Music Announce New EP Running

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in News.

Vann Music 2015Vann Music are set to release their brand new EP, “Running”, along with lead single, “Boy”, on 6th March. The EP will be available on iTunes and in HMV stores nationwide.

The release co-incides with a headline tour of Ireland kicking off in the Button Factory, Dublin on 7th March, followed by gigs in Galway, Waterford, Cork, Belfast and Limerick.

‘Running’ was produced by industry veteran Stephen Hague, who has worked with the likes of New Order and The Pet Shop Boys. Lead single ‘Boy’ is available to stream on SoundCloud now: https://soundcloud.com/vannmusic/boy-runningep.

To date, Vann Music have graced the stages of Electric Picnic, Longitude, Castlepalooza and Indiependence and have been featured on Other Voices and Guinness Amplify. Their infectious collection of tracks has seen them garnering a solid fanbase and the new EP sees the band spreading their wings in a new direction.

For more see www.VANNMUSIC.com or catch the band on Facebook and Twitter.

Tour Dates

7th March  – Button Factory, Dublin

12th March – Roisin Dubh, Galway

13th March – Shortts, Waterford

20th March – McHughs, Belfast

27th March – Cyprus Avenue, Cork

10th April – Dolan’s Limerick

 

 

Roll the Dice – The New Single from Luan Parle

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in News.

Luan Parle 2015Award winning Wicklow singer-songwriter, Luan Parle, is back with a new single and video – “Roll the Dice”. Taken from her forthcoming EP of the same name, “Roll the Dice” is now available on iTunes.

The video was shot on location in Co. Wexford by Benpix Productions.

You can catch Luan live in the Solstice Arts Centre, Navan with Clive Barnes on 27th February.

For more see www.luanparle.com or follow Luan on Facebook 

Introducing AVA Festival Belfast

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in Industry News.

Up Productions AVA Festivalhas teamed up with a range of Belfast locals including Matthew McBriar and Andrew Ferguson (Bicep), Oisin O’Brien (Guerilla Shout), Generator NI and many more, to produce AVA (Audio Visual Arts) Belfast, a one day-&-night grass roots festival and conference that celebrates and amplifies the strong current of electronic music and digital visual arts that has emerged from Northern Ireland.
Merging an old industrial warehouse-come-skate park (T13) with both established and emerging Electronic Music Producers, DJs & Visual Artists, this project shall pay homage to Northern Ireland’s unique energy and character. It will celebrate the talent that has been produced, whilst inspiring and developing the next generation.

Amongst the headlining names confirmed for 2015, are the long-time procurers of the famous ‘Feel My Bicep’ blog, the Belfast DJ/Producing duo ‘Bicep’, coupled with the highly eclectic half-Irish-half-Scottish DJ duo ‘Optimo’; the long-standing Irish veteran that is ‘Phil Kieran’; the reputable purveyor of high quality house and techno ‘Ejeca’; along with the inter galactic ‘Space Dimension Controller’, with his NI debut of the SDC Live Laser Show.
There will also be sets from Schmutz, Swoose & Cromby, Extended Play, Twitch and Visuals from GUERILLA SHOUT (Oisin O’Brien, Daniel Holmes and Kristian Glenn).

AVA aims to be more than a festival. The goal is to provide an opportunity for emerging and established artists, labels, designers, promoters and some very special guests, to share their knowledge through a free daytime conference (11.00-16.00) that progresses into the AVA evening showcase (16.00-Late).
Nothing like this exists in Northern Ireland and with a limited early bird price tag of just £15 per person for AVA Festival; it is set to sell out quickly.

Speaking on the festival, Bicep have said:
“When Sarah (Up Productions) brought the concept to us back in April 2014, we knew it was something that had to happen. Having played at festivals around the world, we wanted to support the development of a strong electronic festival in Belfast. Getting all the talent together and back in the city and in one incredible warehouse space down at the docks, with a supporting conference is going to be pretty special.” (Bicep).

EVENT DETAILS.

AVA FESTIVAL AND CONFERENCE
Date: Saturday 30th May 2015 – 11.00am – LATE
Venue: Titanic Quarter, Belfast

Showcasing Line-up:
Bicep
Ejeca
Optimo
Phil Kieran
SDC (Live Laser Show NI Debut)
Schmutz
Swoose B2B Cromby
Extended Play
Twitch
Visual Art by GUERILLA SHOUT

ALL AVA FESTIVAL TICKETS ARE ON SALE FROM Friday 30th January 2015

AVA Conference register here: www.avafestival.com/conference
AVA BELFAST 2015 official website: www.avafestival.com

Pulse College live online Q&A with Andy Hill

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in Industry News.

Pulse College AndyHillwill be hosting a live Google Hangout Q&A this Wednesday February 4th with Former Vice-President for Walt Disney Pictures, Grammy Award Winner and guest course tutor Andy Hill. Andy will talk about the scoring industry, building a long-lasting successful career and what he will be bringing to the MA in Scoring for Film & Visual Media program at Pulse College Dublin/Windmill Lane Recording Studios!

On the Hangout you will also have a chance to ask your questions and learn about:

  • Advanced Scoring Module: a sneak peek at the 110 piece orchestral recording with Conrad Pope in May
  • Meet the current MA in Scoring for Film & Visual Media masters students and hear their latest compositions to video.
  • Scholarship opportunities
  • 3 Step Masters Application Process & portfolio requirements
  • Career path options

DATE & TIME

Wednesday 4th February
6pm GMT / 1pm EST / 10am PST

REGISTER

To watch the Online Q&A, simply register your details and you will be invited to this exclusive interview with an industry veteran of the scoring world, which will be streamed on the Pulse College website, their Google+ page and through YouTube.

(NOTE: Those who already registered for any of Pulse College’s previous MA in Scoring Live Q&A events and have not unsubscribed do not need to register again). 

Register: http://www.pulsecollege.eu/ma-ba-live-qa-event/

Villagers Announce New Album Release Date

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in News.

Darling Arithmetic is the third album from Villagers, released on 10th April 2015. The follow-up to Conor O’Brien’s debut, Becoming a Jackal, and its successor, Awayland – both hugely acclaimed and Mercury-VILLAGERS LS 300dpi (photo credit Rich Gilligan)nominated – is a breathtakingly beautiful, intimate album entirely about love and relationships. Darling Arithmetic was written, recorded, produced and mixed by O’Brien at home – the loft of a converted farmhouse that he shares in Malahide, Dublin – revealing a single-minded artist at the peak of his already considerable songwriting powers. It encompasses the various shades of feeling – desire, obsession, lust, loneliness and confusion, and deeper into philosophical and existential territory, across a cast of lovers, friends, family and even strangers. Backing up his supple and emoting vocal and guitar is the subtlest palate of instrumentation – piano, Mellotron (which accounts for the album’s occasional horn and cello tones) and brushes. O’Brien plays every instrument on these exquisite, melodic songs in a sparse, spacious, acoustic-leaning fashion. On Darling Arithmetic, O’Brien doesn’t only pare back his use of language but looks deep into his own heart and motives. The opening track and first single, ‘Courage’, concerns the most important kind of love – for yourself: “It took a little time to get where I wanted / It took a little time to get free / It took a little time to be honest / It took a little time to be me.”

Villagers will be performing three intimate UK & Irish live dates in February and have also been confirmed to play The 6 Music Festival in Tyneside which runs from February 20th to 22nd. A full UK headline tour is to be announced soon.

The new album “Darling Arithmetic” will be available on CD, LP and as a digital download and is expected to be released in April.

Pre-order Darling Arithmetic and receive Courage now:
iTunes: http://po.st/DarlingArithmetic
Dom Mart: http://po.st/DarlingArithmeticDM
Website: http://darlingarithmetic.com

Eleanor McEvoy announces Welsh & English Tour

Written by Breffni Banks on . Posted in News.

After a eleanor mcevoyweekend performing and chairing panels at this year’s Temple Bar Tradfest Eleanor McEvoy will be touring England and Wales until the end of March.

While tour dates are listed below you can follow Eleanor’s travels on Facebook & Twitter. 

Tour Dates:

Fri 20th Feb 

Penylan Hall, Meifod, Powys, Wales

Sat 21st February

Arts Centre School Lane, Dorchester, Dorset, England

Sun 22nd Feb 

The Cellars, Portsmouth, England

Tue 24th Feb 

The Bicycle Shop, Norwich, England

Wed 4th March

The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge, West Yorks, England

Thur 5th March 

Gala Studio, Durham, England

Fri 6th March

Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda, Wales

Sat 7th March

Fairwarp, Lower Brailes, England

Sun 8th March

Artrix, Bromsgrove, England

Tue 10th March

Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham, England

Wed 11th March

The Stables, Milton Keynes, England

Thur 12th March

Alexanders, Chester, England

Friday 13th March

St Michael Irish Centre, Liverpool, England

Wed 18th March

Prince Albert, Stroud, England

Thur 19th March

Joiners, Southampton, England

Fri 20th March

Arnold House, Masonic Buildings, Rugby, England

Sat 21st March

The Greystones, Sheffield, England

Sun 22nd March

Chapel Arts, Bath, England

Also, you can see the video for the new single The Thought Of You here:

Filmed around the streets of Dublin, the video was directed by Spanish film director Paco Torres and produced by Sinead O’Riordan from ORion Productions in Dublin.

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