Sarah Blasko, the ARIA winner (Which country is the ARIA again), brings intelligent lyrics, mature musicianship and critical acclaim (so you either love her, or have never heard of her) to the Academy 2 in Dublin on Saturday 11 December.
Finding an excuse to come home for Christmas is useful, and The Coronas have added a second Christmas show at The Olympia Theatre. The band will now play Friday 10th and Saturday 11th December. Tickets for Saturday 11 December. The tickets went on on sale on Friday 30th July. They seem to be popular with their shows last year completely selling out. In theory the gig will be supporting their new album “Tony Was An Ex-Con” but in practice, well as guitarist Dave McPhillips put it, “The last couple of years on the road, constantly gigging and developing our sound, left us with a better idea of the album we wanted to make” and I get the impression that the touring was voluntary. Its not very often that a band gets a gigging bug.
Austin Texan based Heavy Metal band The Sword (who own swordofdoom.com, trying to figure out if that is really cool, or really clichéd) play the Academy, Dublin on Saturday 11 December as part of their Warp Riders tour. The Sword released two slabs of vintage heavy metal on Kemado Records, toured the world with Metallica, and were honoured to grace the past three editions of Guitar Hero. This means that a lot of people not only know their work, but in theory have played it too.
Finally making it to Ireland after a sell out UK tour and the release of their third album, Winter of Mixed Drinks, Frightened Rabbit play a headline show in the Academy, Dublin on Thursday 9 December.
Two Door Cinema Club with special guests Cast Of Cheers & Not Squares play Mandela Hall, Belfast on Tuesday 7 December Tripod, Dublin on Wednesday 8 December and Black Box, Galway on Thursday 9 December.
In addition Two Door Cinema Club are also playing an additional gig in Olympia Theatre on Friday 18 of March which will be an all ages show but under 16s should be accompanied by an adult.
David Celia is one of Toronto’s most experienced independent artists and busiest working musicians, and has consistently built an audience across Canada and Europe, where he’s regularly toured for the past eight years. He returns to Ireland accompanied by his long-time keyboard player Joan Besen, in support of his third album I Tried released earlier this year. The dates are…
Thursday 9 December - Dundalk, The Spirit Store
Friday 10 December - Dublin, The Cobblestone
Saturday 11 December - Galway, Róisín Dubh (Upstairs)
Sunday 12 December - Kinsale, Blue Haven
Monday 13 December - Cork, Crane Lane Theatre
Delorentos are putting a big countrywide tour in place in support of their new single “Sanctuary” from “You Can Make Sound”. Their provisional list (there’s more to be announced) is:
Wednesday 8 December –Cork, The Old Oak
Friday 10 December Tipperary, Barcode
Saturday 11 December –Galway, Roisin Dubh
Thursday 16 December - Dublin, Workmans Club
Saturday 18 December – Westport, Walshes
Sunday 19 December – Derry, Masons
The Pogues Farewell Christmas Tour 2010 hits The Olympia Theatre, Dublin on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 December as well as Saturday 11 December in the INEC Killarney. Formed in 1982, The Pogues scored a string of hit albums combining traditional Irish folk with a punk sprit, embodied by their notorious frontman Shane MacGowan. MacGowan quit the group in 1991 and while the rest of the group carried on briefly, (with ex-Clash man Joe Strummer occasionally providing vocals) they eventually disbanded in 1995. They reunited with MacGowan in 2001 for a UK tour and headlined the London Fleadh the following year. Following this success the band embarked on regular worldwide tours selling out venues from Dublin to New York to great critical acclaim.
The Stone Roses Experience are widely regarded as the most accurate tribute to The Stone Roses. Sell out shows all over the UK and Ireland have shown the popularity of the Stone Roses music is still as fresh today as it was back in the late 80′s. The band focus on bringing the authentic live sound of the Roses to audiences who never had the pleasure of seeing the original band, using the original instruments as closely as possible and tweaking that desired classic Roses tone. They are Dublin bound for a Midnight at The Academy gig on Friday 10 December.
Welsh rockers Kids In Glass Houses will play their first Irish headline shows (up to now they have played support of festivals) at Dublin’s Academy on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 December at Mandela Hall, Belfast. Aled explains: ‘I was up until 6am the other day, sketching stage plans and set dressing, like a girl planning a wedding. This is the first time we’ll be able to put on a fraction of the kind of show we dream of doing. The stage theme is set around the last album’s artwork and themes, but on a bigger, more decadent scale than before. I’ve never been so excited for a tour and we’re going to be the best we’ve ever been. Hopefully we’ll be ready to showcase a new song by then as well. No promises. We’re going to bring out a bit more smart casual than the last tour, too. It’s going to be a celebration.’ This is an Over 14s event. No alcohol will be served.
Following a sell out and acclaimed run in December 2009 “Here Come The Girls” returns for a turbocharged run across Ireland and the UK, just in time for Christmas 2010. The brainchild of Lulu, this year’s show welcomes back pop diva and star of Channel 5’s Don’t Stop Believing, Anastacia, and introduces British soul singer and star of M People, Heather Small to the sisterhood. Such has the success been for Here Come The Girls that the producers are in talks with European and North American promoters to take the show oversees in 2011. They will be playing live from The O2, Dublin on Sunday 12 December and the Odyssey Arena, Belfast on Monday 13 December.
Ticketing
Bryan Adams, the holder of the record for the longest running #1 hit in the history of the British charts (16 weeks, I won’t mention the name because doing so tends to trigger the song in people’s heads ensuring the level of insanity common amongst Culch.ies), Adams’ has had 4 #1 singles as well as racked up an impressive array of Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, a Grammy Award, American Music Awards, Juno Awards and ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards. He is also going to be in concert at The O2 in Dublin on Thursday 23 June and the Odyssey Arena, Belfast on Friday 24 June.
The Saw Doctors are back (not that they have really been away) and are returning to Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on Saturday 2 April. This gets squeezed in to their coast to Coast US tour and their 18 date UK tour all to promote their latest CD, “The Further Adventures of The Saw Doctors”.
After selling out a run of dates in Ronnie Scotts, Mary Coughlan will play The Academy, Dublin on Saturday 26 February partly for the Galway-born singer to support her re-released album “The House of Ill Repute” to celebrate 25 years of recording music. Over the course of nine studio albums, two live albums and countless concert performances in the past twenty-five years, Mary Coughlan has established herself as one of Ireland’s enduring and remarkable vocal talents. From her break through success on 1985’s ‘Tired And Emotional’ to her internationally acclaimed ‘After The Fall’ (1997); and onwards to her faithful and poetic rendering of the songs of Billie Holiday in 2000. She has cast her meditative eye over songs of joy, sadness, mischief and melancholy; and has delivered each one with a voice that effortlessly straddles jazz, blues, chanson and pop in equal, sublime measure.
Singer songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan will lay The Olympia Theatre on Sunday 20 March 2011. This will be his only Dublin show - there will be no extra dates added.
Republic of Loose have confirmed a special Christmas party at The Academy on Friday 17 December. The band have also promised some very special guests appearances. Recent years at The Academy have seen guest performances by Sinead O’Connor, Snow Patrol, Shane McGowan & Damien Dempsey. The Loose’s Christmas parties rock like no other and anyone can show up – Gavin Friday turned up last year with Bono, Simon Carmody & Guggi. Tickets for Republic of Loose’s Most Insane X-mas Party In The History of Human Existence ( as titled by Mik Pyro himelf ) are on sale now.
The Script, who have sold out the Aviva Stadium gig in July released details of a very special intimate midnight show at The Olympia Theatre on Friday 17 December. Following a highly successful year the band want to give something back to fans this Christmas with tickets priced at just €10 for this unique show which will benefit two very worthwhile charities; Dublin Simon Community and Temple Street Childrens Hospital . Please note this is a strictly over 18s event. Doors 11:30pm.
St. Johns Gospel Choir is a multicultural, non-denominational group of singers, set up as a fledgling corps by a member of staff in early 2009 in St. Johns Central College Cork; a college at the heart of the city. Its members are drawn together by a love of gospel sounds and rhythms. Initially, incorporating staff and students from St Johns, it has evolved and expanded to include the wider community, who have become core participants in its development and performances. It has an all-embracing ethos, echoed by its repertoire, which includes Gospel songs and music from all over the world. They play the Cork Arts Theatre on Friday 17 December.
My Chemical Romance bring their Danger Days World Contamination tour to The O2, Dublin on Wednesday 16 February. My Chemical Romance have recently released their new album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. “Black Parade was asking for a lot of misery and punishment. Danger Days is asking for a big hyperspace adventure,” Gerard explains. “We’re not saying we deserve it. We’re just asking.”
British Sea Power return for a date at The Academy, Dublin on Thursday 17 February to celebrate the release of their latest LP Valhalla Dancehall. BSP are a band who play forests and giant rock halls as specially requested guests of The Flaming Lips, The Strokes and Pulp. But they’re also a band who stage their album launch parties in remote Sussex pubs where their own special guests are The Copper Family, a clan of Sussex folk singers who’ve been going for 200 years. No other band did this. Most likely no other band could.
For over a quarter-century, singer Mary Black has been a dominant presence in Irish music, both at home and abroad. She has shared stages, tv shows and recording studios. Mary has released 11 studio albums all of which achieved platinum sales status. Indeed, one of Mary’s albums - No Frontiers - spent more than a year in the Irish Top 30. She has also played a frontline role in bringing Irish music, past and present, to an increasingly appreciative and ever-growing global audience. And she is playing The Olympia Theatre, Dublin on Thurday 16 June.
Fight Like Apes will be hotwiring the Transit and running the gaunlet of fascist, jobsworth traffic wardens to bring their finest racket and best evening wear to the good people of Ireland on their “Get A Rip On This Yiz Geebags” tour. The band’s second album – ‘The Body Of Christ And The Legs Of Tina Turner’ os out now and banned in some locations. Dates are…
10th December – Dolans Limerick
17th December – Derry Nerve Centre
18th December – Belfast Spring & Airbrake
19th December – Dundalk Spirit Store
23rd December – Galway Roisin Dubh
27th December – Mullingar Stables
The Maine play first Irish show at The Academy, Dublin on Friday 18 March. The Arizona natives will be joined on tour by guests Never Shout Never. The Maine, founded in Phoenix, Arizona, released their second album Black and White in 2010 debuting at #16 on the Billboard 200 chart. After gathering a huge following through websites such as MySpace, The Maine played their first show in front of over 600 fans, acquired solely through word of mouth and MySpace. Please Note: Early Doors 6pm. Over 14s show, no alcohol served.
Also Playing
BELFAST
Saturday 11 December
The Frames, Mandala Hall, Belfast
CORK
Wednesday 8 December
Delorentos, The Old Oak, Cork with Planet Parade
Bill Coleman, Sitting Room Sessions, De Barras, Clonakilty
Friday 10 December
‘The Naked Fish Tour’ an intimate night with Jerry Fish. Pavilion, Cork, 8pm
The Calvinists, The Schooner, Bantry, Cork. Doors 10pm / Free admission
DUBLIN
Tuesday 7 December
Smoke Fairies, The Workman’s Club, 10 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2.
Wednesday 8 December
Kevin Doherty, Workman’s Club, 10 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2.
Thursday 9 December
Knights Of Leon, Captains Live Blanchardstown.
Friday 10 December
Miracle Bell Supporting The Coronas, Olympia Theater, Dublin.
Jaker, Captains Live Blanchardstown. Doors 8.30pm
Harmonic Series presents Home Lights – Nina Nastasia, Adrian Crowley, Lisa O’Neill and Donal Dineen, The Workman’s Club, 10 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2. Doors 8pm
Saturday 11 December
Stone Motion, Captains Live Blanchardstown. Doors 8.30pm
Bill Coleman, Whelans, Dublin (support to Heathers)
Sunday 12 December
Nick Curran and The Lowlifes with support from The Mighty Atomics, The Workman’s Club, 10 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2. Doors 8pm
The Frames, The Olympia, Dublin
GALWAY
Saturday 11 December
Delorentos, Roisin Dubh, Galway with Planet Parade
KERRY
Tuesday 7 December
Other Voices TV recording, Marina & The Diamonds, O Emperor, The Minutes & Ryan Sheridan. St James’s Church, Main Street Dingle. (Live streaming available in multiple venues in Dingle town itself)
Saturday 11 December
The Pogues, INEC, Killarney.
LAOISE
Friday 10 December
Bill Coleman, Kavanaghs, Portlaoise, supporting The Mighty Stef
LIMERICK
Friday 10 December
Fight Like Apes, Dolan’s Limerick.
OFFALY
Saturday 11 December
New Amusement, Stables, Mullingar
TIPPERARY
Friday 10 December
Delorentos, Barcode, Tipperary
WEXFORD
Thursday 9 December
Bill Coleman, The Red Chair Sessions, Bean & Berry, Wexford
