Dublin's Hope Collective
As I mentioned in my review of Sects new lp on Southern Lord "The band carry a straight edge message that resonates with me. As someone involved in the punk scene for over 30 years I still get asked about my choice of liquid. It still seems to mean something to people that I don’t … Continue reading Sect – Interview
Dublin 1976-’77. Bleak, uncompromising and unpromising. The price for looking even a little bit different is getting your head kicked in. Conform, conform, conform was the motto of the time. A motto so ingrained in us that it didn’t have to be spoken out loud. Then came the early angry shouts … Continue reading Album of the Year. Trouble Pilgrims ‘Dark Shadows and Rust’
In the 1980s Paddy McPoland made an impression on the Irish music scene. He brought bands including Something Happens!, Aslan, A House and Light A Big Fire to Carlow for some of their first gigs outside Dublin. As such, we has responsible for giving opportunities for these Dublin bands to develop a national audience. Later … Continue reading Paddy McPoland from Carlow RTC Ents Officer to World Tours
In what must be one of the most positive moves from the Dublin alternatvie girlfriend the band have put together a great line up for Goodstock on Thursday. This was initially set as an antidote to the "Brand New" gig that has since been cancelled but was scheduled for the olympia on the same night. … Continue reading Thursday tunes – Goodstock comes to dublin
Quicksand Interiors Epitaph So let’s pretend you’ve read a review I’ve written before. You know I place emphasis on memories. I pay homage to an Irish era that was discovering the rest of the world. An ireland pre Celtic tiger. An ireland where our nations confidence was only starting to build. The grey streets were … Continue reading Quicksand – Interiors
Angelic upstarts Bullingdon bastards Boss Tuneage Like any angelic upstarts record this is not just music. It’s a reflection of society and a request for those not happy to do something about it. Musically it’s sing along mid tempo punk rock but the upstarts are still trying to smash the system. Or, failing that, those … Continue reading Angelic Upstarts – Bullingdon Bastards
Demented Promotions put on a lot of good stuff around Dublin, teetering on the edges of punk and hardcore. Every Time I Die are from Buffalo in new York, they are on the rockier side of hardcore and they released their eight album, Low Teens, on Epitaph last year. They are playing in Whelans on … Continue reading This Weeks Gigs – November 13-19
The 1980s were a particularly vibrant time in Ireland’s music scene. New bands sprang up, and many local bands secured international deals with major labels. One of the major reasons for this success was the behind-the-scenes activity, in particular, by the young entrepreneurs I call the ‘Ents Entrepreneurs’. These were young music-loving students, and providing … Continue reading Making Ireland rock in the 1980s: Pat O’Mahony
Now in its fourth year, the Dublin Feminist Film Festival has established firm roots on Dublin’s cultural calendar, shining a spotlight on women in film. The DFFF promotes and celebrates female filmmakers, hoping to inspire and empower others to get involved in filmmaking. This involves considering women on-screen, but also behind the camera, through the … Continue reading Dublin feminist Film Festival – interview
This Weeks gigs in Dublin Rise Against, from California, are paying a nice Monday night visit to our shores on Monday evening. In June of this year they released their 6th melodic hardcore record continuing in the lyrical vein promoting animal rights and positivity. On the same night the very interesting Eugene Chadbourne is in … Continue reading This weeks Gigs – November 6 -12
