Following up one of the biggest dance choons of 2008 couldn’t have been an easy task for cosmically-minded production duo SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO. Maestro primate number one Jas Shaw puts it down to a little bit of crafty collaborating and a lot of vintage *nsync records.
Radiating disinterest Tinchy Stryder performs alongside an equally bored looking DJ and an only slightly more enthused MCing wing-man, all against the backdrop of a light show to rival The X Factor.
With a year’s worth of grandiose orchestral gigs behind him, Ireland’s sweetheart and son of Idaho Josh Ritter was enveigled into celebrating Whelan’s 20th birthday with three shows in a stripped down acoustic format.
This year over 15,000 young people took part in the Irish Youth Music Awards competition. We catch up with winners Magick Guvnors Radio Bottle to talk nerves, victory and their unusual name.
He’s one of the best known photographers in the world, yet blogger turned street style phenomenon SCOTT SCHUMAN is not widely recognised outside the fickle fashion bubble. On the evening of his first visit to Ireland, Celina Murphy talks to The Sartorialist about how style in the Big Smoke compares to fashion in the Big Apple.
Killarney-based instrumental foursome HELIOPAUSE say they’re keen to keep rock ‘n’ roll alive in the Kingdom. We caught up with drummer Jamie O’Donoghue to talk mountains, his instrumental icons and supporting fellow sticks man R.S.A.G.Punk, Mark Morrison with Muse and Bob Marley with TLC, they show real production potential.
They’re the Highest Band In Ireland (a more wholesome title than it sounds) but that doesn’t mean Killarney three-piece TEN PAST SEVEN are stopping at the top. Bassist Matt Shallow chats to Celina Murphy about going instrumental, spotting their name in horror movies and serenading mountain goats.
After a lengthy Facebook campaign by fans of leading man Rupert Grint, gritty Belfast-based drama Cherrybomb has finally secured a cinema release for 2010. We catch up with co-director GLENN LEYBURN to find out about the movie that the world nearly didn’t see.
Two years ago Carrickmacross foursome Sanzkrit were on the brink of splitting but now they’re one of the hottest acts on the local scene. Vocalist, guitarist and Monaghan man extraordinaire Dave Marron shares the inspiration behind their drastic turnaround.
A great many people really like the Health album. Funnily enough, I thought I did too before my visit to the Village on Thursday night. But I have since given myself permission to throw out my copy of Get Colour because it isw nothing, nothing at all, on their live set.
There may not be a big hip hop scene here, but we are now finally getting some quality. That much was clear from the support acts at Academy 2 for the debut Irish appearance of Speech Debelle – namely Infomatics and Maverick Sabre.
How do I get there?
Ryanair flies from Dublin to Torp airport for as little as e5 each way. So you’ll have no trouble finding return flights for under e50. A word of caution; saying Oslo (Torp) is a bit like saying Dublin (Borris-In-Ossory). A bus service Torpekspressen links the airport to Oslo city (about 1 hour 45 minutes away) and costs e20 for a single ticket or e35 for a return. SAS Scandinavian also flies from Dublin to the main Oslo airport (a mere 20 minute train ride from the city centre) but you’ll pay around e200 for a return ticket. A connecting flight with Aer Lingus stopping in London Heathrow works out at about the same price.
Tinchy Stryder is the fast-talking Star In The Hood who’s pretty much dominated the charts in 2009 with a nagging brand of infectious hip hop. Hot Press caught up with the Prince Of Grime to see if we can figure out his formula for Number Ones.
We’re not sure whether it’s having one of the coolest names in music or boasting a killer live show that’s got Kilkenny four-piece Myp Et Jeep where they are today. But we certainly aim to find out.
Once something of a child prodigy, Carlow singer-songwriter Joe Cleere now reckons he has the answer to self-promotion in the download age. He speaks to Celina Murphy about supporting The Script and passing out 10,000 free CDs in a month!
With a vivid backwoods sound that’ll leave you hungry for a campfire and a pair of old moccasins, Nevada native ALELA DIANE is Europe’s favourite adopted daughter of folk. On her sophomore visit to our shores, she talks to Celina Murphy about working with her Dad and the album she never thought she’d make.
Running an independent label is challenging enough, but how do you operate in a town where you can count the bands and the venues on one hand? Robbie McManus tells Hot Press what motivated Athlone-based Kissmearse Records to take fledgeling local bands under their wing.
The most brilliantly outspoken mind in rock’n’roll, or just a mouthy Sheffielder who says mean things about Johnny Borrell? As the second REVEREND AND THE MAKERS album hits the shelves, Celina Murphy chases down the ever-intriguing Jon McClure.
How does a teen four-piece go from school talent show to rubbing shoulders with The Script at Oxegen? RTE 2FM School Of Rock winners THE TRUFFLE SHUFFLES confess all to Hot Press about mitching off school, debuting in Punchestown and batting giddy schoolgirls off with a stick.
Having delivered a storming set at Oxegen, pop-rock powerhouse NOISETTES confess a love for all things Irish in the Hot Press Signing Tent. Plus, they hold forth on their passion for everything from jazz to punk to heavy metal.
Having battled their way through eight weeks of the Raw Sessions, hip hop collective and noble underdogs THE INFOMATICS were awarded the title of Sony Ericsson Artist Of The Year. We caught up with Bugs, Mr. Dero, Konchus Lingo and BOC (try saying that three times fast!) to hear how appearing on the country’s first ever rockumentary series is going to change them and indeed the face of Irish hip hop.
A great deal of the show consists of our curvy ring mistress being catapulted around the stage on some form of glittered prop while a bazaar of dancers make mischief around her.
Supported by a masterful eight-piece orchestra, Feeney’s vocal chords are limber and haunting. Even the eccentric ‘mmm hmms’ and ‘woo woos’ sound superb.
Touring the States is hard enough when you’re a big-name band, but when you’re a fledgeling Irish act it can be hairy explains Dudley Colley of the Dudley Corporation and how to make it big while staying small with Rob Hope of Limerick popsters Seneca
Gallows pretty much have the monopoly on quality British punk and you can see why – the songs are generally great, the energy is overwhelming and you're not gonna see this kind of conviction anywhere else or from anyone else..
From the check shirts to the bolo ties to the facial hair, Dublin blues quintet HOT SPROCKETS are a band committed to their genre. Granite-voiced lead singer Wayne Soper lets Celina Murphy in on the secret of getting fans to scale your speakers and writing skanky lyrics about hoochies.
With non-Irish nationals making up almost 12% of the country’s population, The Africa Centre and New Community Partnership are on a quest to make the immigrant voice heard in the upcoming local elections.
...a Road Records benefit & celebration: The Large Corporation, Adrian Crowley, Si Schroeder, The Jimmy Cake & Jape live at Andrew’s Lane Theatre, Dublin.
Michelle Phelan and Pete McGrane of folk-pop duo Carosel have cracked the secret to balancing love with the art of making music. And it’s not as complicated as you’d think.
photos Emily Quinn
Dividing her time between the States and her native Cork, energetic alt-rocker Aine Duffy has picked up a fashion trick or two from her time in the Big Apple.
The college circuit has always been a lucrative one for touring acts, and a fine opportunity for students to check out the best in show, at a reasonable price.
