If you’ve never set foot in the Ulster Sports Club before it’s like walking into a time warp. Relaunched earlier this year, the former social club turned retro music venue is arguably the hottest spot in the city right now….
It is approximately a 20 second walk from Botanic train station to The Empire, making it very hard to say no to the cracking line-up of bands all playing on a wintry Thursday evening. I make it through The Empire’s…
Earlier this week, The Oh Yeah Centre dedicated an evening to mark out the four artists championed and nurtured under this year’s Scratch My Progress scheme. Showcasing the singles recorded and released the week prior by Cloakroom Q, Joel Harkin,…
Whoever was writing stage directions for tonight clearly knew their audience. The newly formed Visceral Promotions scored a coup in securing the hotly tipped post-punkers Odd Morris from Dublin, and as night closed in a murky, wild darkness enveloped Belfast’s…
Tour Alaska – The Guiding Moon Album LaunchVoodoo Belfast – Friday 11th October 2019 Friday night saw a change in tempo for the upstairs of Voodoo. A stunning night from Tour Alaska. Most of us are very familiar with riff-rocking…
With the latter half of the decade coming to a close, the solid swing in Irish music towards DIY, both in performance and industry individuals, has become more noticeable than ever. Belfast based promotion company Sizeable Bear have carved out…
Cage The Elephant’s ‘Aint No Rest For The Wicked‘ rang through my head as I hurried through the quickly darkening night, my hands noticeably absent of Boojum (who closes an eatery at 8 pm on a Saturday night? Heathens). It…
The sheer audacity of Belfast’s independent music acts. The conspiracy that unfolded on the night of 14th September in which they demanded we choose. Seemingly every act in the city had a show of some description on – I made…
Aaron CunninghamArriving on Friday to the sounds of Son of the Hound wafting over the campsite, I’m in time to witness Joel Harkin‘s first set of the weekend on Quiet Arch’s Air Stage. As always the juxtaposition of cheery banter with sad,…
Amidst the buzz of the Stendhal’s and Electric Picnics of the world, one of Ireland’s better loved one day festivals returned for its second iteration. Coaster, a celebration of Northern music and the intrinsic link between the North Coast and…
The highlight of a day-long songwriting workshop run by Panarts, Ronan McSorley launched his first EP I Am Not Free, and what a piece of work it is. I had the chance to hear the EP a couple of days…
In the height of Derry’s Rewire festival, which had the town bustling full of people, music and events on every corner, No Collusion were launching their EP ‘Sticking Sets’ in Bennigans bar. No Collusion are the next big Derry band…
Charity Shop Vinyl, a 5-piece indie rock band, have been on a constant rise throughout the year. They are facing their third sold-out headliner show of the year, launching their EP ‘Waking up the Neighbours’ and bringing a promising line-up…
The MAC: Belfast’s premier venue for everything weird, wonderful and left-of-field, from music to theatre and miles further beyond. Enter Ryan Vail and Eoin O’Callaghan aka Elma Orkestra’s turbulent electronic exploration of Irish identity and modern politics ‘Borders’ – the euphoric, reverent live…
The wet smack of my boots against the concrete stained cobbles belies the mood of my evening so far. I make my way inside tonights venue, The Green Room beckoning for my attendance. I accept its rustic invitation, planting myself…