Musicians at Gus O’Connor Pub, Doolin, Ireland. Photo by Gerald Tapp.
Dust away the cobwebs at Dublin’s Tradfest this weekend. For most of us January is a time where money is tight and the days are dark and long. You can end your January on a high however with music and craic for five days straight. From Wednesday January the 28th to Sunday the 1st of February there will be performances around Dublin to celebrate Irish traditional and folk music.
With various performances taking place each day there is something for everybody. From Paddy Casey to The Dublin Legends, some of the best of Irish music can be experienced in the heart of Dublin. Every day over the five days there will be various artists performing around Dublin as well as other events relating to traditional Irish music.
Wednesday will see the long established Irish group Hothouse Flowers take to the stage in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral with tickets going for €35.99. For a good cause you can attend a Gala Benefit, Trad Against Racism Night. This Gala is organised by Sport Against Racism Ireland.
According to the website SARI’s ‘aim is to present sporting and cultural events that brings people together from different cultural backgrounds.’ Tickets are selling for €30 apiece.
Along with many popular acts such as Mick Flannery and The Undertones the decision to pick monumental places around Dublin for their events such as City Hall and Dublin Castle to add culture and history to the festival. Be sure to pop in to the city centre and get involved in the Trad culture for the weekend.
John Walsh is one of the leading flamenco guitarists in Ireland. He has played at many prestigious venues in Spain and also composed music for, and performed with the National Ballet of Ireland.
John has studied guitar in Dublin and in Algeciras, Spain where his musical hero and legendary tocaor Paco de Lucía was born.
John spoke to The City about where his passion for flamenco came from and his upcoming debut album.
Former Smiths frontman Morrissey plays the 3Arena on Monday (December 1). The City spoke to UL sociology lecturer Eoin Devereux about the significance of the gig for Moz’s Irish fans.
As much as I hate to admit it, I can hardly count myself as a real Mozaphile. Yes, I can recite the words to ‘Alma Matters’, and a host of other gems no bother, but I just don’t have the vast wealth of knowledge a true Mozhead has.
Put it this way: I’m more of a lowly private than a medalled general in the #MozArmy. I’ll work myself up the ranks someday, but for now I’ll just keep studying the back catalogue.
The clue is in the quiff. You can always tell Morrissey’s most devoted fans by their great sweeping fringes, and most are infantile compared to Dr Eoin Devereux’s.
Picture by Liam Burke/Press 22 courtesy of Eoin Devereux
Dr Devereux (pictured) is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at UL and co-director of the Popular Music and Popular Culture Research Cluster. He is Ireland’s Morrissey expert.
He has a host of Mozzer gigs under his belt after first seeing The Smiths in Galway in 1984 and has “never looked back since”.
Writing in an email, he explains what first attracted him to Morrissey: “[His] status as the Outsider’s Outsider is at the core of his appeal for me. He sings about the lonely, the sad, the disenfranchised. That has been the constant thread for me. He is a raconteur of the marginalised and is wonderfully anti establishment.”
It’s common for people who get Morrissey to describe how he gets them. His music changed their lives, which is common rhetoric for music fans, but there’s something different about Morrissey fans. He’s more than just a pop hero.
Dr Devereux explains: “While fandom in general is a continuum and levels of fandom vary, Morrissey fans are passionate, sensitive and devoted. I don’t mean devoted in a slavish way. I mean they display huge dedication to knowing and understanding as much as is possible about the object of their fandom and the things that influence him. It’s striking how many of them talk of how their Morrissey fandom has led them to reading Oscar Wilde.”
Perhaps more obscurely, Mozafiles also celebrate the work of Manchester dramatist Shelagh Delaney because of her influence on Morrissey’s songwriting (The first Shelagh Delaney Day took place last Tuesday).
My inaugural Moz gig was three years ago at Vicar Street. I was amazed by the great urgency for the audience to propel themselves at their hero. Some punters defied security and flung themselves on stage just so they could touch His Mozness. This is a common occurrence at his concerts. (Take a look at the pandemonium at a recent gig in Berlin).
“There is almost a sacred dimension in evidence at Morrissey gigs in terms of the need of fans to touch the hand of their often reluctant icon,” Dr Devereux says. “This is particularly intense where his Chicano/Latino fans are concerned.”
If you don’t already know, Morrissey has a very strong Latino following, which might be a bit surprising. But think about it, Latinos are marginalised in the States. Morrissey is marginalised everywhere (at least in his own eyes), so it makes sense.
He gets most stick in the British red tops, often for saying something unflattering about the Queen or the meat industry. After all, he is a sexually ambiguous, reclusive, celibate, vegetarian pop star who doesn’t take drugs, so the tabs can’t really make any sense of him unless they can squeeze him under a headline like Heaven Knows He’s Miserable Now or Bigmouth Strikes Again.
Much like my other hero, Leonard Cohen, Morrissey is often misunderstood as a depressing whinge (The Pope of Mope, they call him). Yes, he does sing about loneliness, but he does so in a very empowering way. And he’s actually very funny. He writes witty, kitchen sink lyrics Jarvis Cocker can only dream of. Listen to ‘Girlfriend in a Coma’ or ‘You’re the one for me, Fatty’ and you’ll see.
Born to Irish-emigrant parents in 1950s Manchester, Morrissey considers himself “ten parts Crumlin, ten parts Old Trafford” and is clearly proud of his Irish blood and English heart.
But is there anything unique about his fans in Ireland? Do we have a stronger connection with him since he is “one of us”?
“Fans around the world have different kinds of connections with Morrissey,” Dr Devereux says. “Where Ireland is concerned I think that apart from his Irish roots (and influences) his anti establishment position on a range of issues makes a firm favourite here. His Second Generation Irish and Catholic upbringing are still strongly in evidence in his creative output.”
So if we were to draw a tour map of Morrissey’s Dublin, where would we go? First stop Crumlin, where next?
“The National Stadium where The Smiths and Morrissey have played; the site of the old SFX; the Point Depot (3Arena) where he talked in 2004 of being ’10 parts Crumlin, 10 parts Old Trafford’, Swords and anywhere associated with his beloved Oscar Wilde.”
So he has made his mark on this city and its people. And if he hasn’t made his mark on you, where should you start?
“Viva Hate would be the one [Morrissey’s debut solo album],” Dr Devereux says. “It’s still a great record and bridges the world of The Smiths and Morrissey’s solo career. For ‘Late Night, Maudlin Street’ or ‘Margaret on the Guillotine’ alone it’s a great album.”
I wonder if Dr Devereux has ever met Morrissey, surely the most sacred experience for any Mozaphile:
“I haven’t met Morrissey,” he says. “I don’t think I would like to, really. Never meet your anti-heroes!”
Howard’s concerts are widely known for their intensity and simplicity. Photo: Abigail Hoekstra
A couple of Brit Awards, a Glastonbury performance on the Pyramid Stage and a debut album raved about by fans and peers. Life is pretty sweet for Ben Howard and the singer has just released his long-awaited second album I Forgot Where We Were.
As his new album’s title suggests, Howard’s fans have been left shorn of fresh material from the English singer-songwriter. That wait – thankfully – is finally over.
If the 27-year-old’s debut album Every Kingdom was seen as quintessential Ben Howard (acoustic melodies blended in with expressive lyrics as exemplified in classics like ‘The Fear’ and ‘Only Love’), Howard’s new album I Forget Where We Were can definitely be seen as an electronic experiment. Howard’s latest offering also sets him down the start of a different path than that travelled by others in his genre such as James Vincent McMorrow, George Ezra and Nick Mulvey.
The opening song ‘Small Things’ serves as a fitting bridge between albums new and old, with Howard’s poetic lyrics being complemented by a new, reverberating sound. The album’s title track and ‘Time Is Dancing’ are also worth a second or third listen.
An album filled with atmospheric instrumentals, the sheer lengths of the songs (seven of the 10 playing over the five-minute mark) make this less of a radio-targeted album and more of one for the purists, perhaps those that prefer the returning medium of vinyl.
Having the potential to be a perfect driving album, one wonders whether Ben Howard pieced together the ideas behind this soundtrack during his travels from the professionalism of London and beyond to where he really feels at home: the countryside and surfing-friendly shores of Devon, England.
Ben Howard will play two sold-out concerts in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin on December 7 and 8.
Electric Picnic’s early bid tickets to go on sale on December 2nd. Image by entertainment.ie
Electric Picnic organisers have just announced the dates for their 2014 festival. Similar to previous years the popular music festival will take place on the last weekend in August (Friday, 29th August – Sunday, 31st August 2014).
There is some exciting news for previous festival goers also as Electric Picnic promoters POD announced discounts for loyalty to the festival. Those who can prove they have been to the festival before will be able to avail of discounts and rewards. It is not clear yet how much tickets will cost with this discount but they will be available to buy from December 2nd.
General early Bird tickets are also to go on sale on December 2nd and tickets are expected to be snapped up fast due to hype surrounding this 2013 sell out weekend in Stradbally Hall, Co. Laois.
Lots of people were left disappointed when the 35,000 capacity event sold out for the first time in four years just weeks before it was due to take place. This was a shock to both fans of the festival and organisers who had worried the festival might not go ahead due to a legal dispute regarding ownership.
With a line-up not set to be announced until Easter next year, will you be rushing to grab yourself an early bird ticket? We went out onto the streets of Dublin to find out what some of you thought.
Laura Brady, 23 said “I was devastated tickets sold out last year I waited until the last minute as usual and missed out. I don’t think I will be getting mine right away though, it’s hard to plan something so far away”.
Brian McIvor, 28 said “Unfortunately my Electric picnic days are over sadly. I have been five times and took advantage of the loyalty discount this year. I would recommend it and it’s not too much hassle to save you a few bob”.
Ciaran Ward, 22 said “I think I will get mine in December to save the stress coming up to the festival. Plus its cheaper too, you would be silly not to if you are definitely planning on going”.
Ciara Jones, 20 said “Definitely getting the early bird. Christmas present sorted”.
Niamh McCauley, 19 said “It is so hard to judge without a line-up announced. It’s a toss-up between Electric Picnic and Oxegen for me. I will have to wait and see the line-ups.
There’s something endearing about a band that repeatedly thanks the audience for coming out to see them. It’s a refreshing display of humility and gratitude in an industry that is becoming increasingly dominated by money. But as Bastille took to the Olympia stage on Friday night, it was clear that the London quartet are still getting to grips with their newfound fame.
Opening with catchy hit Badblood, what is immediately evident is an affectionate casualness between the four lads that almost makes you feel as if you’re watching your friend’s band rehearse in his basement, rather than the global chart toppers who are actually on stage.
What’s not casual however, is their performance. Flashing strobe lights, snare drums and questionable, yet infectious dance moves are all a loud accompaniment for the band’s blend of indie-rock and electronic pop.
Not one to chitchat, lead singer Dan prefers to let his voice do the talking as he effortlessly rattles his way through popular hits Overjoyed and Things We Lost In The Fire.
At one point during the night, Dan decides that he wants a piece of the action and jumps into the crowd while launching into a rendition of Flaws much to the delight of his many admirers.
The setlist is an eclectic mix of new records such as Campus and Brave combined with old familiars like Laura Palmer, These Streets and Weight of Living Pt. II.
They even throw in a cover of City High’s What Would You Do? which instantly goes down a treat among their predominantly young spectators. It’s a generous delivery of 17 songs that is more than enough to satisfy the masses.
During the encore, Dan playfully asks the audience to join in on his dancing during club anthem Of The Night, and of course the crowd are only happy to oblige.
As they bid farewell with their most well-known hit Pompeii, every single concertgoer jumps to their feet, a sure sign of an enjoyable night.
Irish music store Golden Discs has re-opened today in St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre.
They have re-opened their doors to the public again thanks to a successful year of expansion.
This year they have opened stores in Cork, Blanchardstown, Swords and Newbridge. The company currently employ over 120 people across the country.
The new store will employ 12 people with a possibility of seasonal part-time jobs over the coming Christmas period.
Store manager Michaela Duggan says that today’s re-opening has been a fantastic success. “Today has been great, we’ve had a few in already and it’s only lunch time”.
There was a good crowd for opening day.
Giving away vouchers for today’s re-opening
Browsing through the selection at lunch time
Last year the company celebrated 50 years in business and with Tower Records moving from their Grafton Street location and HMV closing down last January, now is a great time for the music retailers to open up a store in the area.
Ms Duggan was optimistic about the store’s future saying, “the other shops that opened up this year have done well, so hopefully we’ll do well coming up to Christmas”.
The company are aware of the popularity of downloading music, and they stated that they intend to “upgrade its on-line download store” and will offer physical CD and DVD sales through its website by the end of 2013.
After four years of being exclusive to a select few European countries and of course the U.S., Spotify has finally arrived in Ireland. Just in time Spotify, we were starting to get a little tired of listening to friends across the pond raving about it. The City team decided to try it out for ourselves and find out what all the fuss is about; And the good news is – it’s free, unless you want to go premium that is.
For those of you not ‘tuned in’, Spotify is a music streaming service that allows you to listen to music online from a range of major and independent record labels including Sony, EMI, Warner Music Group and Universal. Since it’s launch in the U.S. last year, Spotify has become one of the most popular music streaming services out there. Just last month the Swedish streaming service launched here in Ireland. Spotify now has 20 million active users worldwide, up 33% in the last six months.
So how does it work? It’s a lot like iTunes really. You can search for your favorite tracks by song name or by artist. You can also browse through friends’ playlists, create your own playlists or listen to Spotify’s recommended tracks. The Search bar allows you to find specific genres of music or songs released in a particular year. The possibilities are endless.
However, Spotify has attracted a lot of criticism from music artists since its creation. In March, Patrick Carney of the Black Keys said that, “Spotify isn’t fair to artists” and that for “a band that makes a living selling music, streaming services are not a ‘feasible’ option.”
Despite these recent complaints regarding royalties, Spotify announced just last week that it has paid out half a billion dollars to the music industry since its initial launch four years ago. It pays 70% of its revenue back to the artists, sounds pretty legit.
I have to say Spotify is everything it’s cracked up to be. The songs steam almost immediately, as if the music was stored on your computer. Check it out if you haven’t already. Do you think streaming is the future of music? Let us know what you think.
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