Month: September 2017

1000 Beasts is an alt-electro/alt-pop project that collaborates with different acts and artists (“The Beasts”) on every release. 1000 Beasts latest release features Irish actor & singer/songwriter Ryan O’Shaughnessy. Ryan featured on Britain’s Got Talent but “Got This Feeling” shows a brand-new side of Ryan.

“Got This Feeling” was originally a track written for Ryan’s 2016 album “Back to Square One” but 1000 Beasts & Ryan revisited the track, reworking it with an electro-chill feel, sending the song in a very different trajectory!

The concept behind 1000 Beasts is simple; one artist takes the incredible talent that surrounds him and nurtures collaborations to produce fresh music greater than the sum of its parts.

The creative behind 1000 Beasts, that’s “Cian”, is a well-established freelance musician, pianist and producer in his own right who has toured internationally. He likes to produce and write ideas while on the road taking inspiration he finds back to his hotel rooms late at night with nothing other than a laptop, small keyboard and headphones to confide in…oh and lots of cups of tea! Cian has recently worked with Jenny Greene & The RTE Concert Orchestra and…Phil Coulter!

1000 Beasts previous single “Wonderland” feat. Briony was called “less a classical project and more of an intriguing electro-pop one” by Nialler9

www.Facebook.com/1000Beasts
www.Soundcloud.com/1000Beasts
www.Twitter.com/1000Beasts
www.Instagram.com/1000Beasts
www.Vimeo.com/1000Beasts
www.1000Beasts.bandcamp.com

Grainne Duffy is a blues and roots artist from Castlebayney, Co Monaghan. Grainne is a pioneer of her own style while also paying homage to her roots, soul, blues, country and rock traditions. She is a seasoned artist and has been spending the last number of years touring in Europe, Scandinavia, Asia and Canada.

Earlier in 2017 Grainne embarked on her first ever tour in Australia which included four remarkable performances on the blues stage at Woodford Folk Festival. This year she was also delighted to be invited to play at the prestigious Mahindra Blues Festival, India and join onstage Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) and Shemekia Copeland for the festival encore.

This month sees the release of Grainne’s eagerly awaited third album, ‘Where I Belong’. It features a stellar line-up of musicians including blues guitarist Doyle Bramhall II.

www.grainneduffy.com

As part of Dublin Fringe Festival 2017, Jerry Fish presents Misery Hill: The Songs & Tall Tales of Jerry Fish – Part One at Project Arts Centre on 20, 21, 22, 23 September 2017. Tickets from €18 including booking fee are on sale now.

Jerry Fish is one of Ireland’s most enigmatic and entertaining performers. A constantly evolving artist who has always favoured innovation over orthodoxy. As ringmaster of exceptional renown with his wild and wondrous Electric Sideshow, Fish has evolved into a showman extraordinaire.

Now Jerry Fish is stepping into theatre to bring his “stranger than fiction” life story to the playhouse.

“Don’t forget to read between the lines, chew what I say and try not to swallow.”

Meet Jerry Fish, the descendant of pirates that once swung from the gallows on Misery Hill. Born-hard to a mermaiden mother, swaddled in a baggywrinkle by the Liffey and raised on the banks of the Thames. Chockablock full of vaudevillian fun and games, voyage to the artist’s ancestral self with never-before-told stories, half-truths, half-fictions and brand new songs.

Famous for his live entertainment and love of a good night out on the town. The Songs & Tall Tales of Jerry Fish is chock o block full of vaudevillian fun and games.

Accompanied on Piano by Cian Boylan featuring never before told stories, half-truths, half-fictions and an introduction to Jerry’s brand new songs and phantastical adventures.

Booking Information:

The Story Of An Artist (Daniel Johnston) by Jerry Fish
“The Songs and Tall Tales of Jerry Fish” Part One: Misery Hill.
Project Arts Centre, Dublin. Sept. 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd September.

Part of The Dublin Fringe Festival 2017.

The Beautiful Album, a selection of mainly duets by David Virgin with some of Ireland best female vocalists featuring Leslie Dowdall (In Tua Nua), Leila Jane, Kate Dineen, Klara McDonnell and Elga Fox.

Born in Dublin, 1962, David has had a life full of music, travelling the world and sharing the stage with many great artists such as Nick Cave, Mary Black, Cat Power (Chan Marshal), Lloyd Cole, Billy Bragg, INXS and John Cooper Clarke.

David has lead successful bands notably industrial music pioneers SPK (a documented influence on the likes of The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers etc) and Sekret Sekret with 5 number one positions in the indie music charts.  As well as producing and mentoring award winning, chart topping acts.

A prolific songwriter with over 2,000 original compositions, David adds to his recorded output with The Beautiful Album. With the emphasis on melody, poetry and gentle force, backed instrumentally by the fabulous Dublin City Rounders. Rohan Healy on guitar, Al Quiff on double bass, some drums from Adam Byrne and on Irish harp Caoimhe O’Farrell.

The Beautiful Album is available through Beardfire Music online to stream and purchase on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Store and more from the 20^th of September. David will be launching the album live on The Noisy Plug on 103.2 Dublin City FM, 9PM Wednesday the 20^th of September with live performances, tracks from the album and chat.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/DVMusic/

‘The Howling Infinite’ feat Margie Lewis, from the upcoming sixth studio album, ‘Wellpark Avenue’, is a game changer for Dublin Producer, Somadrone. Gone are the drum machines and heavy synthesizer use from The First Wave (2013) and Oracle (2015) and a return to traditional song and instruments akin to Depth of Field (2010). Dystopia, Psychedelia, LSD, Timothy Leary, TV Music of the 1970’s all contribute to the sound of The Howling Infinite, a sound that references the likes of seminal British band Broadcast.

The album incorporates spatial and sonic effects to create dramatic effect within a sound that is forever challenging and evolving in what is now Somadrone’s 20th year of music making.

http://www.iamsomadrone.com/

When Joe Chester released his ‘Easter Vigil’ album earlier this year, he played a special one off gig at Dublin’s Unitarian Church, where he played the album in its entirety. This coming Friday, Joe releases the recording.

Joe talks about the evening…

“It was the first time we attempted to play The Easter Vigil in front of an audience from start to finish so I just wanted it documented I guess. However, a combination of the beautiful acoustic in the Unitarian Church, the musicians (Brian Brannigan, Vyvienne Long and Steve Wickham) being on transcendent form and an audience that gave as much to the performance as we did makes me so glad that for whatever reason, I arranged for this show to be recorded. However, from Vyvienne’s solo on Dark Mornings to Steve, Coltrane-like on The Eater Vigil and the whole ensemble raising the roof on Vic Chesnutt’s masterpiece, “Flirted With You All My Life”, this clearly was just one of those very special evenings.”

http://www.joechester.com/

Following on from her stand out performance at this year’s Electric Picnic, singer ELLYD will join forces with chart-topping Davie Furey for an acoustic tour later this month.

After lending her vocals on Davie’s recent hit single ‘Secret Light’, which hit the number one spot in the Irish singer-songwriter charts, the duo have decided to combine their unique voices and hit the road to play at some of the most intimate and unique music venues across the country.

Already a well-known name on the traditional folk and contemporary music circuit, Davie is excited to share the stage with ELLYD for the tour.

And he said his soul-stirring single ‘Secret Light’, which was enhanced beautifully by the Dubliner’s silky vocals, will be just one of the many duets music lovers will have to look forward to at their gigs.

Davie, who counts Hollywood acting legend Jeremy Irons amongst his fans, said: “We will be doing a lot of our own material but will also be doing a few duets that I’m sure people will enjoy. There will be a few surprises there for sure too. We gel well together on stage and I just love performing with her, it’s going to be cracking tour.”

As well as coming together for a few collaborations on stage, ELLYD and Davie will also be performing some of their own best known songs.

Davie’s last release, an eleven track album entitled ‘Easy Come Easy Go’ was very well received in live venues across the country when he took it on tour.

Since its release the album has already been showcased by RTE, BBC Radio and a number of other stations both home and abroad and resulting in a worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music.

Meanwhile, ELLYD debuted her new material in Berlin last year, playing various stages across the city she describes as one of her favourite places in the world.

After her successful travels to Germany, she released her EP ‘Rise’ in May 2016, which was recorded, mixed and mastered in Jam Studios with Martin Quinn and reached number 8 in the iTunes charts.

ELLYD started 2017 recording new material and her latest single ‘Lucky’ has received rave reviews with one claiming it was “her most confident and memorable song yet in 80s pop atmospherics.”

The duo will be kicking the tour off at renowned Boyles Pub in Slane, Co Meath, on September 21.

They will then travel across the country hitting a number of top music venues including Sardino’s in Derry before ending the tour in style when they play the Battle of the Lakes which is set against the breath-taking backdrop of Achill Island in Co Mayo.

ELLYD, whose vocals have been likened to Blondie’s Debbie Harry meets Irish Songstress Gemma Hayes, said she can’t wait to hit the road and said those attending the gigs will have a lot to look forward to.

She said:  “We’ll be doing a few songs together, some original music and some special covers. It’s going to be a lot of fun and we promise to make it a night to remember for those who come along. I can’t wait to hit the road and see places I’ve never been before. I’m looking forward to playing so many gigs in a row and being on the road with friends.”

For further information check out www.ellydmusic.com, ELLYDMUSIC on Facebook and twitter or www.daviefurey.com or Davie Furey on Facebook/twitter.

The Coronas release their new single ‘Give Me a Minute’, the third single to be taken from their number one album Trust The Wire. ‘Give Me A Minute’ has been a huge fan favourite at The Coronas shows this summer; it’s an epic emotive ballad in the same vein as previous hits ‘Someone Else’s Hands’ and ‘The Long Way’. Lead singer Danny O’Reilly explains, “It’s about giving yourself some credit, trying not to let negative thoughts overcome you and giving yourself a break.” 

In addition the band has just announced two Christmas shows in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on 5^th and 10^th of December. This follows on from their hugely successful sold out Irish gigs this year, including their biggest headline show to date, playing to an audience of 15,000 in The Royal Hospital Kilmainham. They’re now about to hit the road to promote Trust The Wire with shows in Europe, the UK, Canada, the USA and Australia.

The Olympia is of course a very special venue for The Coronas and they wanted to finish up their tour with two homecoming gigs there. The first is on the 5^th of December and then, on the 10th, the band are going do something a little bit different. It’s been ten years since the release of their debut album Heroes or Ghosts and to mark the anniversary the band are going to play a special gig, celebrating that album.  This will be a must-see for Coronas fans. The band said, “We’ve had so many special nights in the Olympia over the years and we know that these shows will be no different!”

It’s the perfect way to finish what has been a stellar year for the band. From sold-out shows to a number one album, 2017 has been a year they will never forget!

http://thecoronas.net/

Declan O’Rourke announces the October release of his new album “Chronicles Of The Great Irish Famine”, followed by a full band tour across Ireland in December 2017.

Fifteen years in the making, this epic song cycle combines the best of traditional Irish music and the heart of modern song-writing to present a series of extraordinary true tales from the most dynamic period in Ireland’s history.

Inspired by John O’Connor’s book “The Workhouses of Ireland” O’Rourke wrote ‘Poor Boys Shoes’ the first song of the collection, and recalls, “The hair stood up on my neck when I read the lines: ‘The man who carried his wife from the workhouse to their old home, mile after weary mile, and was discovered next morning dead, his wife’s feet held to his breast as if he was trying to warm them…’ I had stumbled into a chapter of history I knew almost nothing about. I wanted to be a witness, to share these stories the best way I knew how, through music.”

Known as the Great Irish Famine, An Gorta Mór was by far the most impactful era in the recorded history of Ireland. The effect on the population was so devastating that seven generations and 170 years later, Irelands population is still far from where it was in the 1840s. The Famine marked the beginning of a boom in Irish immigration resulting in over 80 million across the world claiming Irish heritage today.

The album covers hyper-real photo illustration features O’Rourke and band members re-enacting a scene from one historical tale. Following the ambush and shooting of the landlord ‘Manning’ in Co. Westmeath, locals formed a mob, found Manning’s body, hacked the corpse into pieces and threw them into a ditch.

In another story from 1849, the 23 year old captain Curry Shaw abandoned his passengers and made off in the only lifeboat when ‘The Hannah’ struck ice in the frigid waters off Newfoundland. He left them to their fate. In an age where people are still fleeing their homelands en masse, struggling to escape tyranny and poverty, too often in vessels unfit for human transportation, these stories are as relevant as ever and speak to us of our own humanity. Says O’Rourke, “The songs in this project are an attempt to bring fresh air to an unhealed wound, and to remind the Irish people of what we have overcome.”

Nine of the album’s musicians will tour the new compositions across Ireland in December, including Mike McGoldrick, Dermot Byrne, Floriane Blancke, Jack Maher, Chris Herzberger, Catriona Frost, Rob Calder and John Sheahan.

The winter of 2017/18 will mark the 170th anniversary of the peak of this most significant series of events.

‘Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine’ will be released in October 2017.

Tour Dates | Ireland | 1-22 December 2017

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Fri 1 Dec : Hotel Ballina, Ballina, Co.Mayo
Sat 2 Dec : Blackbox, Galway
Sun 3 Dec : Number Seven Duke Street, Warrenpoint, Newry
Thurs 7 Dec : Westport Town Hall, Co.Mayo
Fri 8 Dec : St. John’s Theatre, Listowel, Co.Kerry
Sat 9 Dec : St. Lukes, Cork
Tues 12 Dec : Theatre Royal, Waterford
Thurs 14 Dec : Vicar Street, Dublin
Fri 15 Dec : Dolans Warehouse, Limerick
Wed 20 Dec : Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, Derry
Fri 22 Dec : The Hawkswell Theatre, Sligo