Author Archives: Nick Kelly

The votes are in.

Last night with two free tickets to see The Delines (above) at Whelan’s on offer, I asked you to name your favourite gig at the Wexford Street venue.

You answered in tastefully low numbers with some spoiled ballot papers

Runners-up:

Bertie Blenkinsop: ‘Best gig in Whelan’s Shack with my musical hero Mick Head around 2003 I’d guess…’

Tarfton Clax: ‘Best gig in Whelans? Wolves In The Throne Room in 2013 or so, ably supported by the sinuous Wolvserpent. Sexy Cascadian Black Metal. Awesome.’

Winner:

Catherine Vaughan:‘Robert Forster (May 2016). First Irish show for what felt like a million years (it was only eight…) Chatting to the band afterwards, they commented that I knew every word of every song…’

Thanks all.

Last night: Win Nick’s Free Tix

Oh.

The Drumcondra Grand Cinema – known as ‘The Drummer’- was the first cinema in Ireland to be specifically designed for sound films.

Now a Tesco Metro.

That’s showbiz.

Thanks Mick O’Farrell

The Unelectables from left: Paul Byrne, Leslie Keye, Nick Kelly, Sean Millar and Daragh O’Toole

Free tonight?

It’s time to rock the vote, baby.

The Unelectables play a FREE gig tonight in The Leeson Lounge in Dublin 4.

The 5-piece is a supergroup of sorts featuring a different Nick Kelly (The Fat Lady Sings), Sean Millar (Dr Millar & The Cute Hoors), Paul Byrne (In Tua Nua, The Drays), Leslie Keye (The Wild Oscars) and film composer Daragh O’Toole.

You can check out their new single Hair Trigger on Bandcamp here.

Vote early and vote often.

Nick says: Nick Kelly for president!!

The Delines

The Delines make their third visit to these shores this year on October 23 when they play Whelan’s of Wexford Street in Dublin.

Moving on from his beloved country-rock ensemble Richmond Fontaine, Oregon-based songwriter Willy Vlautin (top second right) has assembled another wonderful set of musicians for his current band, who touch all bases between country, jazz and soul.

We are truly honoured to have singer Amy Boone (second left) back among us. And it will be great to welcome back Willy too; he couldn’t make their shows in Kilkenny in Spring as he was shortlisted for the prestigious PEN/Faulkner award in America for his novel Don’t Skip Out On Me. Not a bad sideline to have!

The show in Whelan’s will feature material from The Delines’ two excellent albums Colfax and The Imperial. Above Video is just a taster.

To be in with a chance to win 2 tickets, simply tell us below what your favourite show in Whelan’s was down all the days.

Lines remain open until 8am

Nick says: good luck.

We were bold.

But we were happy.

Fangclub – Vulture Culture

Oh to be back in, er, 1994.

The title track off Fang Club’s Vulture Culture album harks back to the heady days of grunge.

Steven King  (top centre) and the lads appear to be enjoying themselves as they lark about in County Cavan.

There’s a nod to The White Stripes too in the mind-bending video editing. Nice.

Nick says: Molar power.

Fangclub

Meanwhile, in 1919…

The House of Lords has been told that before the government introduced an Irish housing bill, it should first have brought forward a bill dealing specifically with Dublin, as its slums were ‘a disgrace to the United Kingdom’.

Supporting the bill, Lord Mayo agreed with the Lord Chancellor’s comments on the Dublin situation, adding:

‘The working classes and the poor in that town live in the most wretched way. They live in houses which were built for gentlefolk in the eighteenth century. They are totally unsuitable, and the sanitary arrangements are practically nil.’

‘It is a town which is a disgrace, and if the government do not see that it is properly dealt with will be a very serious matter. The people there live in a filthy state, and people who are badly housed are the prey of every sort of agitator, and of every kind of wickedness you can imagine connected with agitation.’

But we were happy.

Dublin slums a disgrace to UK, House of Lords is told (Century Ireland)

Oh.

Earlier: A Limerick A Day

Moncrieff – Ghost

Neo-noir-soul is how Irish singer/songwriter Chris Moncrieff (top) describes his music.

The London-based artist has sung backing vocals for Adele and now comes Ghost, the lead single from his debut EP The Early Hurts.

Blessed with a stellar voice reminiscent of Hozier, Moncrieff delivers a commanding urban confessional that should take him to the next level.

Nick says: A Ghost is born

Moncrieff