Month: March 2017

As festival line ups across the country fill up quickly, new Irish artists are being offered the chance to play at the quickest growing event of the summer, BARE in the Woods.

Taking place at Garryhinch Woods, Co Laois, on June 9-11, BARE in the Woods has already announced hip hop legends House of Pain and Mike Skinner with more headline acts due to be released imminently. In the meantime, BARE17 is directing new Irish artists to download the Mobstar app and upload an entry for an opportunity to play this year’s festival.

Mobstar is the first and largest open network of authentic music talent that will allow users and fans to immediately discover, share, engage, follow and directly support their favourite rising talent.

Already, Heroes in Hiding, Craic Appeal, Mind Riot, Scoops, Chasing Abbey, Buniscionn, Wolves of Youth, Exiles, The Revellions, Emma Jai, The Kilo 1977, Dreaming of Jupiter, Montreal State, Not Monsters, Gemma Bradley and Quangodelic have been chosen to play BARE17 through the Mobstar app.

Festival organiser, Peter Dunne, said: “The quality of the acts that have entered through Mobstar so far have been amazingly good. We still have slots to fill over the three-day event, so we are encouraging anyone who would like to find out what its like to play a great Irish festival to download the app and get involved!”

BARE in the Woods is located only 50 minutes from Dublin and is accessible via motorway networks to all major Irish cities in under two hours. The site is located close to Portarlington railway station and serviced by Dublin Coach, with a 24-hour service to Dublin, Limerick and Cork.

#BARE17

Katie Laffan has never been an artist to stand still. From a debut EP of lo-fi bedroom funk pop to last year’s subtle, affecting ‘Trophy’, the Dubliner delights in taking influence from a wealth of genres. Along the way, she and her band played shows across the country – including Cork Jazz, Electric Picnic, K Fest, Canalaphonic, Body & Soul and Townlands Carnival, before finishing the year with two gigs at Other Voices.

New single ‘Tastemaker’ sees her take another left turn, this time into the world of disco and pop. Produced by Liam Caffery of Music for 18 Machines and mastered by John Flynn, who worked with Björk on her 2015 album ‘Vulnicura’, the song is her most polished released to date – while never losing her uncanny skill for a sharp lyric and a memorable melody.

Invited by Other Voices producer Aoife Woodlock to play the National Concert Hall in Dublin on March 18th as part of the St Patrick’s Festival Young Blood event, Katie performed alongside Hare Squead, Rusangano Family, Kojey Radical and a number of Ireland’s most acclaimed spoken word artists.

Katie plays the following dates over the summer…
The Bowery, Dublin – 27th April (Opening for Maverick Sabre)
BARE in the Woods Festival – 9-11^th June (Day TBC)
Body & Soul Festival – Woodlands Stage – 23rd June
Groove Festival – Kilruddery House, Bray – 19th August

https://www.katielaffan.com/

There was a tremendous turnout in the Seven Oaks Hotel for the Pan Celtic national song contest where eighteen original songs went head to head for the top prize of €1,000 and the honour of representing Ireland in the International Contest in April.

The 18 finalists from across the country, including three from Carlow, performed live before an audience of more than 300 and the judging panel of Seathrún Ó Casaide of the legendary Na Casadaigh family group from Donegal, RTÉ producer Brian Páircéir and traditional singer Deirdre Nig Eanruig.

Musical director for the contest was Ollie Hennessy while the Pan Celtic House Band featuring Ollie on piano and keyboard, Aoife Kavanagh on fiddle, Shane Hennessy on guitar and Tom McDermott on drums provided accompaniment for many of the compositions.

Local musician and singer Eric Butler was guest performer for the evening opening proceedings with a powerful sean-nós song as Gaeilge while his three songs at the interval ‘Mr Joe Bangles’, ‘Dhá Gabhairín Buí’ and ‘Farewell To You’ were magical. Main sponsor of the gala event was IMRO and director of marketing Mr. Keith Johnson was in attendance to present the national trophy and a cheque for €1,000. Gael Linn and Pan Celtic sponsored the runners up prizes.

The judges were extremely impressed by the high standard of the entries and were visibly moved by the professional delivery of all finalists.

Having listened to all 18 songs and marked each performance under the agreed criteria the marks were finally totted up and the winners announced. A big cheer went up when local young singer/songwriter Tadhg Ó Grifín was declared for 3rd prize and received €100 for his composition ‘Abhainn an Ghrá’. Méabh Ní Bheaglaoich of the great Begley family from West Kerry picked up 2nd prize and €200 for her song ‘Amhrán na nGael’ while the top prize of €1,000 and the Pan Celtic trophy went to Emer O’Flaherty of Ennis for her magnificent composition ‘Taibhse’. Emer will be back in Carlow on Thursday, 20 April to perform her winning song ‘Taibhse’ and represent Ireland at the Pan Celtic International Song Contest competing against the entries from the other participating Celtic nations of Wales, Scotland, Brittany, Cornwall and The Isle of Man.

http://www.panceltic.ie/

Live-streaming giants Boiler Room have been part of the AVA Festival family since day dot, delivering a fist-pumping, foot-stomping vibe to their AVA stage year on year. Returning to Belfast for the third year running, Boiler Room announce their heavy selection of Irish and UK acts on board, with Ejeca, Denis Sulta, OR:LA, Saoirse, DJ Deece, JC Williams and Twitch DJ’s all setting the pace. Broadcasting the Belfast craic to the world and highlighting some outstanding Irish talent, Boiler Room’s limited capacity stage at T13 Titanic Docks is one of the most highly anticipated elements of AVA. To gain guaranteed entry to this stage for the first hour of it’s opening, ticket holders must RSVP via the AVA Festival website – sign up will open closer to the event and all ticket holders will receive details of how to sign up. Keep an eye on socials announcements and emails from AVA in coming months. Weekend tickets are still available from just £60 from www.avafestival.com, which secures a spot at T13 Belfast across 2nd – 3rd of June, and the chance to be at the prestigious Boiler Room show. With payday weekend calling, there is no reason not be be a part of AVA Festival and Conference 2017 – This one is not one to be missed. Since AVA launched Boiler Room in Belfast 2015, the live broadcast and online content has reached over 5 million views, spanning 144 countries, making this the most viewed Boiler Room ever!

For its third incarnation, Boiler Room have selected Belfast mainstay Ejeca to head up the bill, as label boss of Exploris, and a purveyor of hardy house and techno – there’s no better fit for the occasion, taking place in the industrial outskirts of the Titanic docks. The only non-Irish talent on the line-up had to be an absolute belter, and Denis Sulta will no doubt rise to this challenge, the Glaswegian young gun and Rubadub employee has released on the likes of Mister Saturday Night as well as his own Sulta Selects imprint. Next up, local hero, The Night Institute resident and Nocturne head honcho Jordan will be making his Boiler Room debut, with Hotflush signee and Deep Sea Frequency boss OR:LA, set to present her signature fusion of obscure cuts galore.

In addition to the BR line-up there’s Dublin native Saoirse joining the shindig, expect seamless blends across techno, dub, jazz and beyond from this selector on the rise, as well as a performance from DJ Deece, a stalwart in the Southern Irish circuits and longtime Hidden Agenda resident. Rounding off the line-up for this years stream, is a welcome live addition from 4LUX affiliate JC Williams, and Belfast veterans from the Twitch family, who celebrate their tenth anniversary year in the game in 2017. Across five hours, expect rhythms to dart between genres with ease, as the team dig through disco, house, acid, techno and everything in between.

Boiler Room’s presence in Belfast has become infamous since AVA Festival invited them to cross the water for their Irish debut back in 2015, and now its gained notoriety ever since, with highlights including Phil Kieran’s impromptu crowd surf and Space Dimensions Controller spinning Alya to a rapturous crowd. Boiler Room’s partnership is a chance to spotlight on the buzzing Belfast electronic circuit, bringing well-earned attention to an international audience. To gain guaranteed entry to this stage for the first hour of it being open, ticket holders must RSVP via the AVA Festival website – sign up will open closer to the event and all ticket holders will receive details of how to sign up – keep an eye on socials announcements and emails from AVA in coming months.

Heading into year three AVA Festival and Conference has programmed two full days of conferences, workshops, talks, and arts, on top of a huge roster of local and international talents set to get the legendary T13 Titanic Docks warehouse space bouncing. Across the weekend, find a rare Jeff Mills and Guillaume Marmin collaboration, Marcel Dettmann, Bicep, Fatima Yamaha Live, Rebekah Hybrid set, TinFoil Live and a host of local legends ready to descend across the vast Belfast warehouse space. On top of this, there’s the return of the almighty Boiler Room, plus AVA’s all-important conference on the Friday will educate on all areas of the music industry and technology. With weekend tickets starting from £60 there’s no excuse not to be a part of AVA 2017.

AVA FESTIVAL AND CONFERENCE 2017
02-03 June 2017
T13 – Titanic Quarter – Belfast
WEEKEND TICKETS from £60: http://avafestival.com/tickets/

BOILER ROOM LINE-UP
Ejeca – Denis Sulta – Jordan – OR:LA – Saoirse – DJ Deece – JC Williams (LIVE) – Twitch DJ’s

FESTIVAL LINE-UP
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 4TH KIND by JEFF MILLS & GUILLAUME MARMIN Marcel Dettmann – Bicep – Fatima Yamaha LIVE – Midland – Ben UFO – Job Jobse – Rebekah (Hybrid Set) – Ejeca – Denis Sulta – New Jackson LIVE – Timmy Stewart – TinFoil Live (Sunil Sharpe & DeFekT) – Techno & Cans Crew – Jordan – Hammer – Or:La – Myler – Schmutz – Twitch DJs – Inside Moves DJs – Saoirse – Guerilla Shout – The Cyclist – Ryan Vail LIVE AV & Album Tour – Swoose & Cromby – MisFit DJ’s – Subject DJs – Alice Meat Free – ELLLL Live – JMX – JC Williams LIVE – Holly Lester – Bobby Analog – Brién – Nez – Ryan Dallas – Clockwork – Paragon Live – Cave DJs: B2B Kapoor – Jika Jika – GIRL

Interskalactic are set to release their forthcoming EP titled ‘Interskalactic’ on March 31st, ahead of a host of pre-summer shows throughout Ireland. Hailed as “the future of ska in Ireland” (Ryan Tubridy, The Late Late Show), Interskalactic have firmly marked their place as a truly unique favourite on the Irish live music scene by adding their modern big band flavour to first-wave, old-school Jamaican ska and Interskalactic certainly know how to keep a dance floor busy.

Their upbeat set features covers from classic ska artists including Prince Buster, The Skatalites and Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, their own ska-ified versions of popular hits from the last few decades and now also their own music – this upcoming EP features five brand new and original big band ska tracks.

Stellar live performances since the band’s formation in 2013 include:
RTE’s The Late Late Show
Electric Picnic, Body&Soul, Cork Jazz Festivals
Opened for Madness M.A.D.H.E.A.D. Tour in the 3Arena and Odyssey Arena Belfast
Performances in prestigious venues Vicar Street, The Workman’s Club and Whelan’s and at countless festivals, events, parties and venues all over the country.

With an incredible few years behind them, their debut EP with original recordings ready to release this March, Interskalactic are set to stay on this trajectory throughout 2017 and beyond!

EP Track Listing
1. Sneaky G (Original)
2. Full Moon Ska (Original)
3. The Foreign Legion (Original)
4. Return Of The One Eyed Monster (Original)
5. Clad In Gold (Original Single)
6. The Grunt (Cover)

DEBUT EP LAUNCH TOUR
April 1st – 5th On Teeling, Sligo
April 8th – Whelan’s, Dublin
April 15th – Monroe’s, Galway
April 27th – Harbour Bar, Dublin
May 5th – Cathedral Quarter Arts, Belfast
May 6th – Crane Lane, Cork
May 26th – Dolan’s, Limerick
May 27th – Live On Air, Sligo
June 4th – Halfway Skafest, Wexford

Website: http://interskalactic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/interskalactic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/interskalactic
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfibHmgoC0vTrBmvvsO-r9w

Apella, today unveil the brand new video for their current single ‘Graceful Dancer’ and announce a huge headline show at Whelan’s on April 13th alongside a run of nationwide dates and festival appearances.

“Nowadays a lot of people are exposed to these pseudo perfect lives on the Internet. The concept for Graceful Dancer was to capture a relationship in turmoil behind closed doors. The part you don’t see on f**king Instagram” – Quilty, Apella

Graceful Dancer stars up & coming homegrown talent Ian McEvoy and Ciara Smyth, was directed by Fergal Costello and shot by Joe Van Velzen.

Last September Apella burst onto the scene with their debut single ‘We Met At A Party’ to huge support from both national and regional radio stations, the track is a serious declaration of intent from singer/multi-instrumentalist Dara Quilty and drummer Ronan Nolan; who’ve previously shared a stage with the A-List likes of Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters, Twenty One Pilots, 30 Seconds To Mars, and even Bon Jovi.

It’s no wonder then that Apella arrived fully formed and ready to win musical hearts and minds. Both ‘We Met A Party’ and the band’s current single ‘Graceful Dancer’ will make you want to hit the ‘repeat’ button as soon as they finish. That type of smart, sassy writing is repeated throughout their parent album, which showcases the duo’s new sound. Their first headline show at Upstairs in Whelan’s in October sold out two weeks in advance and 2017 is set to be a busy year for the pair with a host of dates in both Ireland and internationally already in the calendar.

“Rarely has heartbreak sounded so good! A swoonsome love song that’s impossible to resist” – Stuart Clark, Hot Press

Upcoming Shows:
Sat, April 8th: McPhails, Drogheda, Louth
Thurs, April 13th: Whelan’s, Dublin
Sun, April 30th: Kick Music Festival, Portarlington, Laois
June 23rd – 25th: Sea Sessions, Bundoran, Donegal
August 4th – 6th: Indiependence, Cork

Tickets for the bands headline show at Whelan’s are on sale now at Ticketmaster.ie priced €13.50 incl. booking fee

For More Information:

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/apellamusic
Instagram: http://instagram.com/apella
Twitter: http://twitter.com/apella
YouTube:  http://youtube.com/apella
Soundcloud:  http://soundcloud.com/apella

Glimmermen release their new single ‘All I Lack’ this week with a FREE download from Japanese based Transduction Records.

‘All I Lack ‘ is the third single taken from their critically acclaimed album ‘Breakin’ Out’, the song lyrically rocks through a history of self-doubt, movement, change and ultimately fighting back.

Watch this intense video by Trevor Murphy which captures the frenetic raw energy of the band and fuses an inventive use of colour, motion and light.

Glimmermen upcoming gigs include:
Roisin Dubh, Galway – Wednesday March 1st
Thomand Sessions, Limerick – Friday March 10th
B.A.R.E in the Woods Festival Portarlington, Laois – Friday June 9th

Check website for upcoming shows http://glimmermen.com

Irish duo The Thrash Blues present their new single ‘Wicked Man’, released independently on digital and physical format, with two extra ‘B-side’ tracks exclusive to the CD version.

The lead song from the single lands in R n’ R territory; here the band are beginning to draw together many of their influences – from Rock & Punk to Country & Blues.

More layered than the bands raw, stripped back live set-up, guitarist and singer Ro dusted off his beloved Fender Jazz bass this time around to accompany Drummer Liz in achieving a fuller sound, with plenty of slide guitar offering a sample of the bands folk blues influences on top of the electric rolling 4/4 rhythm. The other songs exclusive to the CD version are ‘Confessin’ Hands’ – a warm tube-driven acoustic led confessional about past mistakes, and ‘Fire & Stone’ – a perfect way to book-end the release, which shares the same mission as Wicked Man with its upbeat reminder to ‘Dance in your own way’.

Wicked Man is available Friday 24th March 2017 through iTunes and all major on-line retailers. 3-track CD version available at select stores. Check the bands Facebook page and wesbite for more details.

thethrashblues.com
facebook.com/thethrashblues