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Month: November 2019

Garageland TV Episode 6 Launches

Garageland in association with IMRO launches Garageland TV Episode 6 featuring Skyfever.

Skyfever, who are Garageland regulars, have also recently pulled off a major coup, having had one of their songs; ‘Keep Pounding’, commissioned by The American Football team Carolina Panthers, and it’s already being played at the Panther’s Stadium!

“Garageland gave us our first shot in the Irish Music scene and first momentum needed to showcase what we did,” says rhythm guitarist Tyson Harding. “It sparked the initial belief that now is a raging inferno. From the Garage to the Stadium – in 3 years!”

Skyfever played their first Garageland show in 2016, with an appearance on RTE 2XM Garageland Radio Show, as well as last years’ Ones To Watch with The Irish Daily Star.

An uncompromising rock anthem outfit, comprised of Luke Lang (Vocals), Tyson Harding (Rhythm Guitar), Brian Clarke (Lead Guitar), Dan Monaghan (Bass/Sounds) and Karl Hand (Drums) have had their songs featured on a number of rock, alternative and college radio stations in addition to having their songs playlisted at NFL, NHL, MLB and the UK Premier League games. They have even caught the attention of other musicians, counting Alice Cooper and Chris Slade of ACDC as fans.

With the help of Garageland, they have made excellent progress in just a few short years and things just keep getting better for this fresh and exciting rock act!

Skyfever’s latest track ‘Burning Hands’ is out now on all major platforms.

Garageland TV features some of Ireland’s finest emerging artists with live performances and interviews. 

The project  is made possible with the combined support of IMRO, RTE 2XM, Sound Training College, The Button Factory, Johnny Branagan Photography, The Irish Daily Star and Buzz.ie

If you’re an original artist and you’d like to play the Garageland Gigs, you can book your own slot on www.garageland.ie/dates

Watch here: https://www.buzz.ie/music/watch-garageland-tv-episode-6-skyfever-343763#brid_cp_Brid_492291

RTÉ Choice Music Prize Returns for Its 15th Year

In association with IMRO and IRMA
Vicar Street, Dublin – Thursday 5th March 2020 | Tickets on sale this Friday 29th November

RTÉ Choice Music Prize is back and continues to champion Irish music.  Key dates for 2020’s event announced today live on 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show by previous nominees, The Academic.

The RTÉ Choice Music Prize Live Event will take place on Thursday 5th March 2020 in Vicar Street, Dublin. Tickets go on sale this Friday 29th November at 9am from Ticketmaster outlets and https://www.ticketmaster.ie/venueartist/198259/1541435 priced €28.00 including booking fee.

Other key dates include:
Irish Album of the Year 2019 Shortlist Announcement – Wednesday 8th January 2020.
Irish Song of the Year 2019 Shortlist Announcement – Wednesday 29th January 2020.

The Irish Album of the Year 2019 will be announced at the Live Event and will be broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM in a special four hour extended programme from 7-11pm, with a special RTÉ Choice Music Prize highlights programme going out on RTÉ2 television the following week.

We are delighted to continue our longstanding association with Irelands critically acclaimed music prize. Irish music continues to push new boundaries and the Choice Music Prize provides a great platform for new music to resonate so strongly with audiences in Ireland and important overseas markets”. Victor Finn, Chief Executive of IMRO.

Adrian Lynch, Head of Audiences, Channels and Marketing, RTÉ, said, “Our channels are once again ready to play a central role in helping all this year’s nominees make a big impact and reach new audiences. From the strong engagement we get across our social channels to the positive reaction we receive to our broadcast of the awards event, we are looking forward to doing all we can to make 2019 another year to remember for all nominees.”

Dan Healy, Head of RTÉ 2FM, said, “The RTÉ Choice Music Prize continues to provide a wonderful opportunity, not just on 2FM, but right across RTÉ to shine a spotlight, like no one else, on the very best in Irish music- and what a year it has been. There are so many incredible Irish artists right now and we are more than happy to support them on 2FM. Our all-Irish music days, which we developed to support our RTÉ Choice Music Prize partnership, remain one of the most popular things we do on the station. So, here’s to another great year for Irish artists and for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize on 2FM.”

RTÉ Choice Music Prize ‘Conversations’ will return and take place at IMRO HQ on the day of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Live Event. ‘Conversations’ is an international music forum designed to encourage frank exchanges amongst panellists and with the audiences to challenge and elucidate the biggest prevailing issues confronting artists and industry professionals.

The 15th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music.   The Prize has become one of the music industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of eleven Irish music media professionals and industry experts.

The winning act will receive €10,000, a prize fund which has been provided by The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA).

The Choice Music Prize continues to highlight new music in Ireland.  IRMA supports the Choice Music Prize as it recognising the extraordinary talent that has emerged in recent times in Ireland.  Irish acts continue to shine at home and abroad reaffirming our position as a source of enviable musical talent.   The Choice Music Prize honours these talents and IRMA congratulates all nominees and wishes them the best of luck for the future.” Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of IRMA.

All shortlisted acts will receive a specially commissioned award.

RAAP and Culture Ireland are also official project partners of the RTE Choice Music Prize.

Culture Ireland will fund the attendance of influential overseas Industry executives to attend the RTE Choice Music Prize Live Event on March 5th.

The Choice Music Prize website has published a list of Irish albums released to date in 2019. This list can be viewed at  http://www.choicemusicprize.ie/2019-album-list/ and notified by email regarding any additions info@nullchoicemusicprize.com

Tickets for the Choice Music Prize live event will go on sale from all Ticketmaster outlets and from http://www.ticketmaster.ie on this Friday 29th November priced €28.00 including booking fee.

LAUNCH IMAGES ISSUED BY MAXWELL PHOTOGRAPHY (featuring RTÉ 2FM presenter, Tracy Clifford, RTÉ presenter, Blathnaid Tracy and Craig Fitzgerald and Matthew Murtagh of Irish band and previous nominees, The Academic)

TiLT Announce December Line Up

‘TiLT’ is a new free showcase event that takes place once a month in The Button Factory in Temple Bar, Dublin 2. The series aims to highlight some of the best musicians in the local music scene and offer music fans a chance to discover new acts and new music.

Every month, 4 acts are invited to perform at TiLT in The Button Factory. Each of the acts receive pre-production a week before the event; a professional video of one of their songs from their performance on the night; a day’s recording in Sun Studios, Temple Bar; a live interview on Totally Irish on 98fm; and, of course, the opportunity to play at The Button Factory.

The series is being curated by John Barker – presenter of 98fm’s weekly Irish music show Totally Irish. “I’m delighted to be involved with this series in collaboration with The Sound Training College. There’s a real need in Dublin for regular showcase events like this because of the number of acts making great music right now. TiLT aims to give each act that takes part an all-round experience from pre-production with the crew; to promoting the show on radio and through social media; the night itself in The Button Factory to post-gig with recording time in Sun Studios.”

The next edition takes place Tuesday 10th December, and will feature CC Brez, Abbacaxi, Bajjna and Stomptown Brass.

Admission to TiLT in The Button Factory every month is free. Entry is for over 18s only. Doors are at 7.30pm and the first act will be on stage at 8pm.

Any acts interested in performing at TiLT can apply by emailing John Barker at john.barker@null98fm.com

The Sound Training College is located in Temple Bar, Dublin 2 and caters for students interested in music technology and sound engineering https://soundtraining.com/

The National Concert Hall Announce Imagining Ireland: Speaking Up, Singing Louder

The National Concert Hall is delighted to announce Imagining Ireland: Speaking Up, Singing Louder for Sunday 9th February 2020, 8pm featuring a stellar cast of some of Ireland’s leading female writers, singers and performers to include SOAK, Lisa O’Neill, Radie Peat, Sorcha Richardson with Eimear McBride, Emer McLysaght & Sarah Breen, Sinéad Gleeson, Denise Chaila, Wendy Erskine and Sara Baume.

Curated by author of Constellations and editor of The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers, Sinéad Gleeson and Gary Sheehan of the NCH, the specially produced event celebrates the groundswell of women’s voices in Irish literature, music and poetry today.

The NCH event is part of the NCH Perspectives Series sponsored by Davy as Innovation Partner, supported by Culture Ireland.

The evening sees performances from Art-pop auteur SOAK who creates emotionally probing songs of startling candor; singer/songwriter Lisa O’Neill whose unvarnished folk has won widespread praise and awards this year; one of the remarkable voices of new folk and celebrated traditional and folk singer Radie Peat (of prize-winning band Lankum), singer/songwriter Sorcha Richardson whose debut ‘First Prize Bravery’ marks the arrival of a major new artist. Of her album The Irish Times writes: “Richardson creates a rich and unique soundscape for each of her songs to inhabit. ‘First Prize Bravery’ is a riveting debut.”

Speaking up will be celebrated authors who represent the leading lights of an acclaimed generation of Irish writers: Eimear McBride (A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing, Strange Hotel), Sara Baume (A Line Made by Walking), Wendy Erskine (Sweet Home), Sinéad Gleeson (Constellations) and Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen (Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling, The Importance of Being Aisling). Sinéad, Emer and Sarah were recently announced winners in the recent An Post Irish Book Awards 2019. Word and music meet in the work of Denise Chaila, a Zambian-Irish rapper, singer and poet hailing from Chikankata, Zambia and based in Limerick. Her music blends spoken word and rap to give voice to the sound of a transatlantic odyssey.

Tickets for Imagining Ireland: Speaking Up, Singing Louder at the National Concert Hall, Sunday 9th February 2020 are on Sale Friday 29th November 2019, 10am from www.nch.ie. (Friends of NCH priority booking 28th November 10am). Tickets: €24.50, €29, €34.50

Imagining Ireland 2020 will also be performed at the Barbican, London on 21st February, produced by NCH and Serious UK, supported by Culture Ireland.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL

The National Concert Hall sits proudly on Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin’s city centre and is home to the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Choir Ireland, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Music Network, Crash Ensemble and Music Generation. Next door to the picturesque Iveagh Gardens and in the heart of a commercial district known as the National Concert Hall Quarter, it hosts over 1,000 events per annum. Its mission is to foster and celebrate the appreciation, knowledge, enjoyment and pure love of music as an integral part of Irish life.

Bell X1 with Dowry Strings Announce 2020 Dates

On the week that finds Bell X1 set to perform 3 sold out Acoustic-ish with Dowry Strings shows at Vicar Street, the band are pleased to announce more performances of this special show for 2020.  The shows next year will debut new material along with a lot of the favourites spanning over the last 20 years.

Dates in May and June will include stops in Belfast, Cork, Wexford, Sligo, Waterford, Ennis, Galway, Limerick, London and Killarney.

It’s been a joy to work with Éna and the strings on some more songs from the catalogue, and also some brand new tunes that we’re itching to play live” says Paul.

Bell X1 live is always a magical experience, and the band are constantly evolving and changing things up for themselves and their fans.  Collaborating with Dowry Strings has resulted in an incredible and quite moving live experience.

Last year Bell X1 and Dowry Strings performed a very special version of Rocky Took A Lover on the Late Late Show.

Bell X1 are Paul Noonan, Dave Geraghty & Dominic Philips.

Dowry Strings specialise in cross-timbral & cross-genre collaborations. The ensemble is run by Éna Brennan (Dowry) and includes musicians Gareth Quinn Redmond, Nozomi Cohen and Yseult Cooper Stockdale.

TOUR DATES

29th November – 1st December, Dublin, Vicar Street, (sold-out)

2020

10 May – Belfast, Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival
22 May – Cork, Live At St Luke’s
23 May – Cork, Live At St Luke’s
24 May – Cork, Live At St Luke’s
29 May – Wexford, National Opera House
30 May – Sligo, Hawk’s Well Theatre
4 June – Waterford, Theatre Royal
5 June – Ennis, Glor
6 June – Galway, Town Hall Theatre
12 June – London, Union Chapel
19 June – Limerick, Limetree Theatre
20 June – Killarney, INEC Acoustic Club

http://bellx1.com/
www.twitter.com/bellx1
www.instagram.com/bellx1

Kíla, Wyvern Lingo, Brian Deady and Luz announced For New Year’s Day Concert

Dublin City is set to become a bustling hive of activity as New Year’s Festival Dublin continue their celebrations into January 1st with the New Year’s Day Concert. 

Guaranteed to be one of the highlights of New Year’s Festival Dublin – visitors, families and friends of all ages are invited to kick start 2020 in style. Come celebrate and enjoy an afternoon of live music in Temple Bar, the cultural heart of Dublin city.

Today, New Year’s Festival Dublin are excited to announce the line-up for the New Year’s Day Concert featuring a host of Ireland’s finest musicians – headliners and live favourites Kíla will be joined by special guests Wyvern Lingo, Brian Deady and Luz. Celebrate the start of the year at the free, family-friendly concert taking place in Temple Bar’s Meeting House Square from 3pm to 8pm on 1st January 2020. 

Celebrating a career spanning over 30 years, Kíla are heralded as one of Ireland’s most innovative and exciting bands. Their unique sound has been ever evolving, rooted in tradition, yet inspired by a myriad of influences and ideas from all around the world. Renowned for their live energetic performances the band have played around the globe in over 30 countries and at some of the world’s top festivals including Glastonbury and Electric Picnic.

As one of the country’s hottest live acts, having toured Ireland, the UK and Germany, it came as no surprise when Wyvern Lingo’s self titled debut album shot to No. 1 in both the Independent Irish Charts and the Irish iTunes Charts, receiving critical acclaim across the board. The trio are guaranteed to deliver a killer show. 

Brian Deady exploded into the mainstream when his single ‘Clap Both My Hands’ became one of the most played Irish songs of 2016 – reaching No.1 in the Spotify UK Viral charts – and he’s been on an upward trajectory ever since. Sounding more like he was raised in the Deep South rather than Cork, his rich, soulful voice promises to leave audiences spellbound.

With her powerful voice and emotive storytelling, Luz first caught attention with a Dean Lewis cover that led him to invite her to support him in Dublin. Since then she has gone on to support the likes of Kodaline, Little Hours and Mick Flannery, and as one of the most exciting new voices on the scene her future is looking incredibly bright. 

Ciara Sugrue, Head of Festivals at Fáilte Ireland, said: “We are delighted to work with Dublin City Council on the New Year’s Festival Dublin again this year to not only offer an amazing line up on New Year’s Eve but also on New Year’s Day, so visitors to the capital can continue their celebrations. Over the two days, the city will come alive with some of Ireland’s finest musical talent to ring in the New Year in style. Festivals and events like this are crucial to the tourism sector and the New Year’s Festival Dublin not only provides a boost for tourism businesses in Dublin at an off-peak time of the year, it also gives overseas visitors to Ireland a unique opportunity to experience the very best of our culture, people and places.

Now in its eighth year, New Year’s Festival Dublin (NYF Dublin) will be bigger and better than ever with 4 spectacular events set to take place over 2 days on 31 December 2019 and 1 January 2020.

Dublin City will come alive over 2 days of fun filled New Year’s festivities with 3 spectacular countdown events at the iconic Custom House – Liffey Lights Midnight Moment – Matinee, the Countdown Concert and the Liffey Lights Midnight Moment – and on 1 January 2020 families and friends can continue the New Year’s celebrations by kick-starting 2020 in style at the New Year’s Day Concert in Temple Bar, the cultural heart of Dublin City.

New Year’s Festival Dublin are delighted to announce the return of their three countdown events on 31 December 2019. Celebrate the New Year with headliners Walking on Cars, Ash, Aimee and Lisa McHugh at the Countdown Concert, be amazed by the world class countdown spectacles – Liffey Lights Midnight Moment and the family-friendly Liffey Lights Midnight Moment (Matinee) as you say farewell to 2019 and ring in 2020 in true celebratory style. On 1 January, come and see some of Ireland’s finest musicians with your family and friends at the New Year’s Day Concert featuring performances from live favourites Kíla, Wyvern Lingo, Brian Deady and Luz. 

For additional information on all other NYF Dublin events please visit www.NYFDublin.com. Keep up to date with news about all upcoming events by using the hashtag #NYFDublin and following @NYFDublin on Twitter and Instagram.

The New Year’s Festival Dublin is a Fáilte Ireland and Dublin City Council initiative, produced and promoted by MCD Productions. With thanks to the OPW and Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

Andy Irvine & Paul Brady Add Extra Vicar Street Date

By popular demand Andy Irvine and Paul Brady have announced an extra show live at Vicar Street, 15th March 2020. This follows the news of their show sold out for 18th March. Tickets will go on sale from Ticketmaster this Friday at 9AM.

They will tour their very successful live show that celebrates their now classic and iconic album of folk song and traditional music which was released in 1977. They will tour Kilkenny, Mayo, Dublin and Belfast. 

In May 2017 they decided, due to the albums’ still immense popularity, to do an Irish tour of live shows marking the 40th anniversary of the albums’ release. It was so successful that it was repeated in 2018 taking it to sold out events in Ireland, London and Prague.

The show features songs and tunes from the album and many other musical masterpieces that Andy and Paul have performed throughout both of their illustrious careers and, as on the previous tours, they will be accompanied by Dónal Lunny and Kevin Burke both of whom were players on the original album recording, Dónal also acted as producer on the original recording.

Tickets for their extra show at Vicar Street, 15th March 2020 go on sale this Friday at 9AM.

14th March: Kilkenny TradFest, The Hub, Kilkenny

15th March: *Extra date just added* Vicar Street, Dublin

16th March: Royal Theatre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo

18th March: Vicar Street, Dublin (Sold out)

19th March: Waterfront Hall, Belfast

For Vicar Street tickets see: here
24hr Credit Card Bookings 0844 277 4455 (ROI) / 0844 277 4455 (NI)
Ticket price: €46.50 inclusive of booking fees

For Waterfront Hall, Belfast see: www.waterfront.co.uk
Or call Waterfront Hall Belfast Box office (028) 90 334455
Ticket price: £38.00 inclusive of booking fees

Art of Algebra to Release Debut Album

Art of Algebra is a new Irish electronic music artist whose self-titled debut album is out on November 26th.  Blending downtempo electronica, trip hop and ambient influences, the album has been over two years in the making and features 11 tracks, including his debut single ‘Mask My Movement’. 

As a producer and multi-instrumentalist, Art of Algebra utilises analogue equipment, acoustic instrumentation and experimental sound design to create compositions characterised by dramatic synthesizer melodies, creative sampling work and dynamic off-kilter beats. 

Art of Algebra’s debut album will be released on vinyl, pressed by Dublin Vinyl Company, as well as on all streaming platforms on November 26th.  The first single from the album, ‘Mask My Movement’, has been available to stream since November 5th. A second single, ‘Maasai’, has been available to stream on all platforms since November 17th.

Known to his friends by his nickname ‘Jack’, Art of Algebra was raised in Sligo on the west coast of Ireland and currently lives in Rathmines in Dublin. He has been devoting himself to music production since completing a PhD in 2016, culminating in the completion and release of his 11 track debut LP.

KARMS Announce Soundhouse Support

KARMS have just announced Nathan Mac and Sam Ali as support to their upcoming show at Dublin’s Sound House on Thursday December 12th.

This tasty lineup has been conducted by MCD Promotions and promises to be one hell of a night of music.

In preparation for the show KARMS will play the iconic Ruby Sessions this coming Tuesday night following two great shows with Scottish rockers Fatherson in Belfast and Dublin last week.

KARMS are back with a brand new show at The Soundhouse, Dublin this December 12th. Working out of their Dublin studio they have hit a new creative high self-producing the follow up releases to their debut album which will come in quick succession before the year is out.

The extremely personal ‘Tell Me When This One Ends’, released in June this year had it’s acoustic counterpart released on October 11th. The track is bare as bones produced using just one mic in the band’s rehearsal room.

Not leaving much time to dry your eyes, ‘I Won’t Go Down Like This’ which echoes the theme of positive mental health dropped October 18th.

These releases bridge the gap between their soaring release earlier this year and the tracks this amazing band have in their repertoire, ready and waiting.

KARMS first turned heads in 2017 with ‘We Always Lose’ and have been carving away silently at their reputation ever since. They released their debut album, ‘Satellites’ in 2018, and have supported many well established acts such as Fatherson, The Amazons, The Strypes and Arcane Roots.

Upcoming Shows
November 26th – Ruby Sessions, Dublin
December 12th – Soundhouse, Dublin (headline show)

Tickets on sale NOW!

Michael O’Riordan | Watermill Music Publishing | RIP

The Boards of the Irish Music Rights Organisation CLG (IMRO), Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (Ireland) Ltd (MCPSI) and the Music Publishers Association of Ireland would like to acknowledge the very sad news of the recent passing of their friend and colleague Michael O’Riordan. Michael was a major player in the success of Release Records in the late 1960s, when the Irish music scene was mainly dominated by that label and its unrivalled catalogue of showbands, ballad singers and cabaret acts. He was an unrelenting campaigner for more use of all types of Irish music on radio and television. More recently he concentrated on the publishing side of the business through his Watermill publishing company. He also devoted much of his time to mentoring those coming up through the music industry. He was a director and committee member of IMRO and MCPSI, served on the Music Board of Ireland and was the current president of the Music Publishers Association of Ireland.

He is survived by his wife Dorothy and children Sinead, Catriona and Emmet.

Farewell dear friend.

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