Author Archives: Nick Kelly

Counter Intelligence – Pounded

And now for something completely different.

Suggested to me by ‘sheet reader/contributor James M Chimney, this is the first single from a pioneering new Irish-Italian combo who sound a bit like The Specials on acid.

‘Pounded’ is culled from their upcoming debut album ‘Adapt And Evolve’ which is available from the usual online sources from May 5.

We’re digging the psychedelic trippy visuals too, courtesy of Linn Hansen.

The band members call themselves Major, Zar, Ghost and Mountain and have named their sound Transversal Rock.

Nick says: Beam me up, boys.

Counter Intelligence

From top: Gibney’s, Malahide; The Frank and Walters

The Frank And Walters

Cork’s criminally underrated and overlooked indie guitar kings play a special one-off acoustic gig in the picturesque seaside village of Malahide in the People’s Republic of North County Dublin.

To get your juices flowing, here’s the video for their single ‘Stages’ from their excellent 2016 album ‘Songs For The Walking Wounded’ which features a spoken word verse from fellow Leesider Cillian Murphy.

Nick says: You’d be a langer to miss this one, boy!

Doors 8.30pm.

Tickets here

Frank And Walters

Haley.

Cometh!

Filipino-American singer/songwriter Haley Heynderickx (top) starts her Irish tour tonight in Whelan’s, Wexford Street, Dublin 2.

The Portland, Oregon-based artist left critics in a purple haze last year with her debut album ‘I Need To Start A Garden’, which rides a wave somewhere between Joni Mitchell and Bon Iver (see debut single Oom Sha La La above for details)

The tour continues on Thursday at Galway Roisin Dubh; Friday at Belfast American Bar; and Saturday at Mullingar Canton Caseys.

Nick says: Don’t miss this alt.folk voodoo chile! The wind cries Haley! Etc.

Haley Heynderickx at Whelan’s

 Haley Heynderickx

Snow Patrol

Just say yes.

Fans of anthemic indie rock behemoths Snow Patrol are in for a treat as there’s a ‘warts ‘n’ all, access-all-areas’ documentary on the band tonight on BBC One NI at 10.35pm.

The film ‘Snow Patrol 25 Years On The Road’ follows Gary Lightbody and the gang as they trek the arena circuit from Dallas to Mexico City and New Orleans to Belfast. No better way to whet the appetite for their show in Malahide Castle on June 7.

Snow Patrol: 25 years on the road (BBC)

Dublin crime writer John Connolly (right) meets Prefab Sprout singer Paddy McAloon in Waterstones book shop in Newcastle, England.

Any excuse.

In fairness.

Johnny Logan at Vicar Street 2020

Calling all gig-goers – broadcaster and award-winning producer Cathal Funge is taking a trip down memory lane with his new four-part series The Front Row on Radio Nova.

Were you at The Specials in Dublin in 1981? Echo & The Bunnymen in the SFX in 1985? The Clash in 1977? Then you need to hear this show.

The series features the likes of Peter Devlin (of The Devlins), Paul Page (ex-Whipping Boy) and Canice Kenealy (Engine Alley) fondly reminiscing about their favourite concert down all the days.

You can catch the show on Saturday evenings at 9pm, repeated on Sundays at 9am, and archived on Soundcloud (above).

Next week’s episode features Hot Press journalist Niall Crumlish remembering REM’s legendary concert in the RDS in June 1989 during their ‘Green’ world tour.

Niall says:

“I’m delighted to have been asked by Cathal to contribute to this series. It’s about the shows, yes, but also more: what music means when you are young, the songs that saved your life, and the Irelands we grew up in.”

Encore!

Episode 1 here

Nova

In Cork?

Dublin’s perennial pop stalwarts Aslan are Cork-bound  when they appear in The Vinyl Lounge at Golden Discs on Patrick Street at 3pm.

Christy Dignam and the gang will play live in store and be interviewed by 96FM ahead of their  headline gig in the Rebel County on June 9th when they play Live at the Marquee with special guest Damien Dempsey.

Fans who turn up tomorrow will also be able to win tickets to the show, which are on general sale here.

It’s still a crazy world, boy!

Suit yourselves.

Aslan at the Vinyl Lounge (Facebook)

If RTÉ won’t do it…

There has been a positive reaction to the recent launch of the Play Irish app – an internet radio station that plays exclusively Irish music all day and all of the night.

Currently the app offers a series of curated playlists featuring everyone from Horslips to Hozier, Snow Patrol to U2, but plans to introduce specialist shows created by some of Ireland’s best musicians, DJs and industry ‘movers’n’shakers’ are afoot.

The service is available globally online (at link below) or via the Radioplayer platform and mobile app.

Sinead Troy, one of the founders, said:

“Every serious music city or territory has its own small but cool radio station that champions new and exciting music. Play Irish will be ours to champion Irish music at home and internationally.”

Hear, hear!

FIGHT!

Play Irish

From top: Whelan’s, Wexfor Street, Dublin 2; Joe Nicholson (right) with Townes Van Zandt and friend in Whelan’s in the 1990s; tweet last week

The great and the good of the Irish music industry packed Mount Jerome Chapel in Dublin last Saturday at the funeral of Joe Nicholson.

Joe was synonymous with Whelan’s bar, having worked as the gatekeeper of the Wexford St music venue for many years.

Previously, he had worked as a tour manager and a driver for innumerable visiting artists, including Bob Dylan, Al Green and Elvis Costello. A warm-hearted larger-than-life character with an encyclopaedic knowledge of rock’n’roll, Joe was unmistakable at the door usually in his trademark black fedora.

The musical tributes at the funeral service came from Leslie Dowdall, who sang the moving ‘Spirit In The Night’; Mundy, who delivered a fitting version of ‘If I Needed You’ written by one of Joe’s musical heroes Townes Van Zandt; and a rousing rendition of Bob Dylan’s ‘Forever Young’ by Paddy Casey, Declan O’Rourke, Mundy, Alice Jago, Leslie Dowdall and Colm Mac Con Iomaire. Mundy also recited a poem ‘Goodbye Big Joe’ he wrote to honour his old friend’s memory.

RIP

Whelan’s