Review: A Hawk and A Hacksaw – Half Moon Theatre, Cork, 24.04.13
No matter how well captured on record they may be, it’s safe to say A Hawk and A Hacksaw are fundamentally an act to be savoured in full flight live rather than coming out of a stereo. That is not to take anything away from a fine discography, but it’s when the manic interplay and...
MDR Recordings: Colm O’Herlihy – Q&A
Colm O’ Herlihy is the founder of new label MDR Recordings whose first label sampler has just gone live. He spoke to Emmet about the motivations behind creating the label and what to expect from it in the future MDR seems to have sprung up fully formed almost overnight. What was the origin of the...
Thurston Moore + John Moloney – Crane Lane, Cork, 18.01.13
Photo: Taken at Bourke’s Bar, Limerick by Shane Serrano – www.shaneserrano.com John Lennon once said “avant garde” was French for “bullshit”. While I mightn’t take such a harsh line, I do have a low tolerance for experimental excess. Expand my mind sure, but don’t waste my time. I start with this, to explain any initial...
The Unthanks, “Diversions Vol. 3: Songs from The Shipyards” – Cork Opera House, 04.12.12
Modern day audiences have become attuned to certain thematic concerns when dealing with songwriting, and it’s easy to spot a few of the archetypes. We may have the lovelorn troubadour, the iconoclastic political tirade, the celebration of the abstract or the inane vapid platitudes of lesser acts. Music these days, not to sound positively geriatric...
Review: The Shaker Hymn w/ The Grave Lanterns – Crane Lane Theatre, Cork, 27.11.12
Photos: Bríd O’Donovan Full photoset here The Crane Lane played host to a night of beginnings on the 27th, The Grave Lanterns roaring to life with a fantastic debut gig, while the band formerly known as Circus Cat, now The Shaker Hymn, unveiled their unchanged line up but blistering new direction to great success. First...
Grant Hart – Q&A
Grant Hart tours Ireland in December – Emmet exchanged e-mails with him to discuss Milton, solo vs band and sexy dancing… Your latest project is an ambitious song cycle based on Paradise Lost by John Milton, can you remember when you first came across this epic work? I FIRST HEARD IT ON A RECORD THAT...
The Cure – Electric Picnic, Sat Sept 1st
Photo: Dara Munnis One can approach The Cure as a band from many different avenues. You can bop along to countless pop moments, their flirty tales of love, that sketch the fizz of romance and then document the fizzling out of heartache. Despite it being a somewhat narrow view it can’t be denied that a...
Carried by Waves – Softly Held Together
Beginning with a rush of harmony, stuttering drum beats and a whirling mix, Softly Held Together is purposefully constructed to seduce the listener from its opening salvo. The first track jumps around from dreamscape layering to full on kaleidoscope but never becomes diffuse, the affecting melody carrying the day and inviting comparisons with a more...
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – The RDS, Dublin, 18.07.12
Despite being a frequent enough visitor to these shores, whenever the Boss and his gang roll into town, the hysteria reaches fever pitch and the ensuing shows are always counted as a major event. An artist with a ridiculously wide fan base, from the muso to the mainstream, his appeal stretches across a huge demographic...
David Kitt – Triskel Christchurch, Cork, 27.06.12
Part of Cork Midsummer Festival 2012 A survivor of the Irish Singer-Songwriter scene of the early 2000s, David Kitt was always a strange prospect even within that company. While the acoustic guitar was king and emotions were very much worn on the troubadour’s sleeve, here we were presented with a more low key approach. Sonically,...
Bats/Terriers – The Pavilion, Cork, 23.06.12
Emmet wishes for more Bats in the belfry…and more Terriers in the ?…answers on a postcard.. Anyone who dared venture up to the venue area of The Pavilion Saturday night was met by a fierce onslaught of squalling guitar and feedback, wed to some pretty strong percussion and the unmistakeable whiff of METAL. Now I’ve...
Josh Ritter – Triskel Christchurch, Cork, 02.06.12
Photos: Bríd O’Donovan “Euphoric” isn’t a word I use often, but consistently through the years it has crept up when it comes to discussing Josh Ritter. Imbuing each performance with a wealth of energy and positivity, the audience sees an artist who genuinely loves to play, unfettered by any cynicism or poses. He’s just a...
