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Month: July 2012

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR w/
THE COLD 100

featuring –

THE COLD 100

Upstairs@Whelan’s from Midnight.

Doors: 11:30pm

Whelanslive.com is proud to bring you The Midnight Hour. Showcasing the best new talent in Ireland.

TICKETS

FREE before 10:30pm, Club entry applies after 10:30pm (Thur/Fri/Sat)

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR w/ HOUNDS

featuring –

HOUNDS

Upstairs@Whelan’s from Midnight.

Doors: 11:30pm

Whelanslive.com is proud to bring you The Midnight Hour. Showcasing the best new talent in Ireland.

Having established a gruesome forfeiture system to impose discipline, :Hounds: were able to reach an acceptable level of musical understanding in only 5 short years. With the foundation of their throbbing, riff-laden power in place, bass player Gavin was able to take a 6 month sabbatical to lurk in a canoe. Drummer Brian (hired primarily for his ability to scare bulies) regularly fights man-sized chickens for money, although he has yet to be paid. If bespectacled rage-made-flesh singer/guitarist Allen were an animal, he’d be an animal. Reclusive singer/guitarist Peter is currently recovering in a maximum security old folks’ home from an addiction to rum and piracy. Frustrated pastry chefs by day, they convene at their roadside rehearsal room at dusk to shout at strangers and argue in Klingon. By room I of course mean caravan. Recalling early Soundgarden if they had replaced Chris Cornell with Dimebag Darrell, started playing Melvins covers and scavenging in bins for sustenance, :Hounds: truly believe that their riffs can actually melt faces. In real life. :Hounds: will release their album “Spacemad” this Autumn.

TICKETS

FREE before 10:30pm, Club entry applies after 10:30pm (Thur/Fri/Sat)

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR w/ PRIVATE UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE

featuring –

PRIVATE UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE

Upstairs@Whelan’s from Midnight.

Doors: 11:30pm

Whelanslive.com is proud to bring you The Midnight Hour. Showcasing the best new talent in Ireland.

Private Underground Residence are Paul McNamara, Kevin Blake and John Machale. Exploding onto the Cork scene in early 2007, Private Underground Residence left bits and pieces of their music all over peoples suspecting and increasingly avalanched ear drums.

PUR embrace everything from various genres, and get compared to sounding similar to such groups as Battles, Fugazi, Slint, The Melvins and The Oxes. Refusing to put their music in a hole with pigeons, the band instead allow all it to run all over the place, picking up the strangled vibrations of genre upon genre as it moves along. A critically acclaimed free single called snuffbox was released for free download on bandcamp, which is from their soon to be released debut album, ‘Dynamics of Idealism’. The single can be streamed and downloaded from here: http://privateundergroundresidence.bandcamp.com/ http://www.facebook.com/events/142533732551096/

TICKETS

FREE before 10:30pm, Club entry applies after 10:30pm (Thur/Fri/Sat)

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR w/ STATUES OF US

featuring –

STATUES OF US

Upstairs@Whelan’s from Midnight.

Doors: 11:30pm

Whelanslive.com is proud to bring you The Midnight Hour. Showcasing the best new talent in Ireland.

TICKETS

FREE before 10:30pm, Club entry applies after 10:30pm (Thur/Fri/Sat)

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR w/ FRENCH WIVES

featuring –

FRENCH WIVES

Upstairs@Whelan’s from Midnight.

Doors: 11:30pm

Whelanslive.com is proud to bring you The Midnight Hour. Showcasing the best new talent in Ireland.

TICKETS

FREE before 10:30pm, Club entry applies after 10:30pm (Thur/Fri/Sat)

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR w/ MYLES MANLY

featuring –

MYLES MANLY

Upstairs@Whelan’s from Midnight.

Doors: 11:30pm

Whelanslive.com is proud to bring you The Midnight Hour. Showcasing the best new talent in Ireland.

Myles Manley and The Little People

English-born, Sligo-raised, Dublin-based Myles Manley sings rocknroll-folk-pop music with two current live incarnations: solo acoustic nightmare-lullaby and four-piece post-folk/rock mindblow.

With Elder Roche as producer, and Phil Doran (drums), Richard Sherlock (bass) and various guests backing his textured rhythm guitar playing and distinctive voice, Manley’s 7-song EP was recorded quickly in Oct/Nov 2011, capturing a … dream sound. It was released in March 2012 as a book of illustrated lyrics (by old friend Matt Horan) accompanying a digital download of the tracks.Myles Manley notched up over 160 live appearances in 2011 alone, including innumerable featured sets on the Dublin scene; Irish support slots for Jeffrey Lewis and The Junkyard (Rough Trade), The Hot Sprockets, The Lynchburg Mob and The Young Folk; 49 shows in and around NYC; and a 13 date summer European Tour. Myles Manley is now a focused and commanding live performer; he will tour even more voraciously in 2012 in support of the self-titled debut studio recording Myles Manley.

Central to the vision of the Myles Manley EP are the confusions and tensions inherent in the singer’s Anglo-Irish background, a disgust at the violence underlying the comfort and inertia of the western middle class, hypocrisy, apolitical protest, lack of money or hope, contempt for evangelists and masculine types, powerlessness; a transatlantic relationship, love, sex, jealousy, Catholic guilt, and pop music as spirited relief.

The songs can be streamed and the lyric book (or a download-only version) purchased here: http://mylesmanley.bandcamp.com

Chris Barry (guitar) recently joined Phil and Richard in the band, and the group adopted the name Myles Manley and The Little People shortly afterwards. They’ll perturb you soon.

“Music For White People has an hypnotic power” – Hot Press

“When [Manley] sings ‘I call a spade a spade’ he’s not lying” – VenueOne.com

ep stream: mylesmanley.bandcamp.com facebook: facebook.com/mylesmanley interview: http://venueone.com/#!/blog/entertainment/myles-manley/ ep reviews:  http://wearenoise.com/index.php/2012/05/myles-manley-myles-manley-ep-inastorm-records/ http://www.goldenplec.com/reviews/review-myles-manley-music-for-white-people-ep/

TICKETS

FREE before 10:30pm, Club entry applies after 10:30pm (Thur/Fri/Sat)

SAMI MOUKADDEM SEXTET

Buy-now-button-master2

SAMI MOUKADDEM SEXTET

with special guest Nidal Abu-Samra also, with support from Riona Sally Hartman Sami Moukaddem’s music is a mixture of Arabic, jazz and world influences – Music for the head, heart, and feet.      

Sami Moukaddem: guitar Nidal Abu-Samra: keyboards Brendan Doyle: saxophones Riona Hartman: vocals Jose Carlos Flores: bass Phil McMullen: drums

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Indie DJ from 11pm til late or you might even catch the end of Song Cycle, our weekly singer-songwriter showcase in the front bar.

WIZARDS OF FIRETOP MOUNTAIN

WIZARDS OF FIRETOP MOUNTAIN

Fundraiser w/

WILD ROCKET

FRUSTRATION

PULLED APART

There are no words to describe just how rockin’ Wizards of Firetop Mountain are. Having gigged around Dublin tirelessly, it shouldn’t be any surprise that their live performance has become so tight and vigorous” – Jonathan Keane, Drop-d “...what their Facebook profile doesn’t quite spell out is the head-banging, fist-thumping brilliance of a WOFM show. Falling somewhere between ’70s hard rock and ’80s metal, Wizards blast out a sound so ostentatious, it’s almost hard to stomach. Almost.”Celina Murphy, Hotpress “Kicking off at 3 minutes to midnight with their signature mix of loose, groovy riffing and traditional doomy presentation, the crowd laps it up like hungry bears on a floating whale carcass.”Born Again Nihilist Wizards of Firetop Mountain play a blend of ’70s classic rock mixed with crushing stoner rock outs and ’80s metal. 2011 has seen the band blazing a relentless trail of gigs through the country to great acclaim. They have had the honor of winning Best Irish Music Video in Drop-d Writers’ Awards 2011 for their video ‘Onwards Towards the Sun’, describing the band as “the finest in sheer rock ‘n’ roll this country has to offer”. On stage the band do not hold back. A steady flow of heavy, pounding riffs march forth like rivers of lava errupting from the depts of their blacked souls. Their live show is pure energy and all they want to do is draw you in and party. Wizards are currently adding the finishing touches to their debut album.

TICKETS

€7 available online from WAV Tickets [Lo-Call 1890 200 078] (50c per ticket service charge applies on phone or creditcard bookings)

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Indie Club w/ Late Bar from 10:30pm or check out the bands playing The Midnight Hour in the upstairs venue (FREE ENTRY, 12am).

THE DEAD FLAGS

THE DEAD FLAGS

+ guests

After five years as a working band, The Dead Flags say goodbye with one final show at Whelan’s.

The band have notched up Top 30 singles, major national airplay, TV & Radio appearances, festival shows and an acclaimed debut album, the 2010 release “Gentlemen’s Club”.

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LYNCHBURG MOB, APRIL SPACE & DIABLO DC

Whelan’s Newest Music Night

TUESDAYS | 3 BANDS | €5

LYNCHBURG MOB

APRIL SPACE

DIABLO DC

THE MANDOLAS

Whelanslive is proud to present a celebration of new Irish music. Every Tuesday will see the upstairs venue play host to a series of the best of new music this country has to offer.Three hand-picked bands showcase their originality, performance and amazingly fresh songwriting skills.It is a great opportunity to see the next round of Irelands unsung and unsigned.

CONTACT

If you are interested in playing one of the upcoming Whelan’s New Music nights please email newmusic@mercantilegroup.ie

SKYWARD RIFLES, K.N.O.T.S & CHOIR INVISIBLE

Whelan’s Newest Music Night TUESDAYS | 3 BANDS | €5

SKYWARD RIFLES

K.N.O.T.S

CHOIR INVISIBLE

Whelanslive is proud to present a celebration of new Irish music. Every Tuesday will see the upstairs venue play host to a series of the best of new music this country has to offer.Three hand-picked bands showcase their originality, performance and amazingly fresh songwriting skills.It is a great opportunity to see the next round of Irelands unsung and unsigned.

CONTACT

If you are interested in playing one of the upcoming Whelan’s New Music nights please email newmusic@mercantilegroup.ie

ERIC TAYLOR

Musiclee.ie presents

ERIC TAYLOR

+ guests

People have been talking about Eric Taylor and his songs for years, since the early 1970’s when he was an integral part of a Houston songwriting scene that included Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark.

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BROOKS WILLIAMS

Musiclee.ie presents

BROOKS WILLIAMS

+ guests

His stunning 2010 recording Baby O!, produced and recorded in the UK by Williams and Andy Bell (Seasick Steve, The Demon Barbers, Kerfuffle), features standard blues alongside original songs.

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PETE CUMMINS

PETE CUMMINS

(The Fleadh Cowboys) _Plays Whelan’s Bar_ Although known for his work with The Fleadh Cowboys and highly regarded as a songwriter of great songs such as The Texas Boxcar Incident, Breakfast with Leonard and Looking for the Magic, this is Pete’s first solo outing.

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WELL ENOUGH ALONE

WELL ENOUGH ALONE

_Play the Front Bar_

7pm, Free Entry

Well Enough Alone are a bluegrass band based out of Dublin city. They have a sound that pays homage to the traditional sounds of bluegrass yet includes some original songs.

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Indie Club w/ Late Bar from 10:30pm or check out the bands playing The Midnight Hour in the upstairs venue (FREE ENTRY, 12am).

COCOPHONE

COCOPHONE

_ Single Launch _

+ guests

Fresh out of the studio with producer Gavin Glass, Cocophone launch the first single from their debut album, Reservoir.  Having gained considerable notoriety on national radio and on the Dublin gigging scene, song-writers Fin Divilly, and Freya Monks have now expanded into a five piece band. 

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TOOT SWEET & THE SHADOW MAN

Whelanslive.com presents

TOOT SWEET & THE SHADOW MAN

_in Whelan’s Front Bar_ 7pm-9pm – FREE ENTRY   Toot Sweet & The Shadow Man are beginning a bi-monthly residence in Whelans on Wexford Street, starting from Wednesday 20th June. Cian has done all the arrangements for this New Orleans Funk band and has assembled some of the finest musicians in Ireland to make sure that the Mardi Gras spirit is there! Toot Sweet & The Shadow Man are:
  • Cian Boylan – Piano, Hammond, Vocals
  • Conor Brady – Guitar
  • Dan Bodwell – Double Bass
  • Buzz Wilde – Drums, Vocals
  • Cormac Kenevey – Percussion / Vocals
  • Brendan Doyle – Bari and Alto Saxophones
  • Danny Healy – Trumpet
  • Karl Ronan – Trombone

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Indie/Electro Club w/ Late Bar from 10:30pm til late (FREE ENTRY).

THE VARIETY SHOW

THE VARIETY SHOW

is unique showcase of music, word, comedy, theatre, cinema, dance and all things live.

We transform the venue area into a Jools Holland meets Rocky Horror Picture show type of showcase with a different anything goes policy.

Key part’s of the room becomes a stage that pop’s up at random intervals with different performers.. The night is hosted and curated from the mind of Keiron Black ( The Amazing Few, King Kong Radio ) and all the monies made goes to charity.

The type of performers range from bands/solo artists/dancers/comedy/poetry/novelist and story tellers/ jugglers, short plays, new film makers and all things relating to the art of performance.

This Show we have: The Chapters The Young Folk Cathy Davey The Butcher Ger Murphy BigChief Random Chaos Ela Gas ( Film Maker) Greg Clifford

Confirm on Facebook HERE

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Indie Club w/ Late Bar from 10:30pm.

POKEY LaFARGE & THE SOUTH CITY THREE

UBANGI STOMP CLUB presents:

POKEY LaFARGE & THE SOUTH CITY THREE

Following their stompin success on Later with Jools on New Year’s Eve and a sold out UK and Ireland tour, Pokey returns to Dublin for what promises to be yet another musical highlight from the great man.

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TRAD FEST w/ WICKER BONES + LYNCHED

Whelanslive.com presents

Featuring

WICKER BONES

+ LYNCHED

Since 2009, Wicker Bones have been bringing folk music to the people of Dublin.

They began life as a ballad band, securing residencies in several pubs and gradually writing their own material before leaving the world of pub playing to perform at nearly every major festival in Ireland in 2010 and 2011, garnering great response as they went

In 2010 they recorded their debut Ep ‘The Martry Sessions’ with Tony O’Brian of Empty Riff Productions, a recording that has been described as ‘raw and powerful’. They finally saw the release of this Ep at The Mercantile, Dublin in October 2011 to a packed house. In September 2011 Wicker Bones became the first Irish group to be invited to perform at the World Culture Festival in Louyang, They have impressed audiences throughout Ireland, the UK, Europe and China with their own unique brand of Irish music.

Wicker Bones are currently working on some exciting and innovative material for their debut album which is earmarked for release late 2012.

LYNCHED – The Lynch brothers have been performing together for over a decade now, beginning with their self penned folk-punk numbers, and gradually becoming drawn towards the singing tradition of their native city. Ian and Darragh seek to give expression and dignity to Dublin city’s peculiar and unique culture through the medium of the traditional folk song. Accompanying their ‘raucous Dublinese twang’ with uilleann pipes, guitar and whistle, their music wraps itself around the full spectrum of the folk idiom, from anti-war sing-alongs, to children’s street songs, to local variants of the classic ‘big ballads’. Coming from a background where singing of some shape or form takes place at almost every family meeting, they have played and sung all over the world to audiences as diverse as the revolutionary Zapatistas in Mexico to yuppie shoppers in Melbourne.

TRAD FEST EVENTS

Thu 26th – TREMOLO & ALPACA JAMBOREE Fri 27th – THE BONNY MEN & MOSSY NOLAN Sun 29th – BUNOSCIONN

TICKETS

€7 available online from WAV Tickets [Lo-Call 1890 200 078] (50c per ticket service charge applies on phone or credit card bookings)

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Indie Club w/ Late Bar from 10:30pm or check out the bands playing The Midnight Hour in the upstairs venue (FREE ENTRY, 12am).

ARMY OF BANDITS

Live from the Window at Whelan’s

ARMY OF BANDITS

– PLAY THE FRONT BAR – 7pm – FREE ENTRY

RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH: A PERSPECTIVE

Whelanslive.com presents 5 nights with Kila’s

RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH

: A Perspective :

Sept 11th/Oct 9th, 30th/Nov 20th/Dec 4th

Tickets €14 advance(inc booking fee), €16 on the door or €55 (inc booking fee) for all 5 shows. All tickets available to buy online from www.wavtickets.ie or call the WAV Box Office [Lo-call 1890 200 078].

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RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH: A PERSPECTIVE

Whelanslive.com presents 5 nights with Kila’s

RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH

: A Perspective :

Sept 11th/Oct 9th, 30th/Nov 20th/Dec 4th

+ guests PETE PAMF & MOSSY NOLAN

Tickets €14 advance(inc booking fee), €16 on the door or €55 (inc booking fee) for all 5 shows. All tickets available to buy online from www.wavtickets.ie or call the WAV Box Office [Lo-call 1890 200 078].

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RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH: A PERSPECTIVE

Whelanslive.com presents 5 nights with Kila’s

RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH

: A Perspective :

Sept 11th/Oct 9th, 30th/Nov 20th/Dec 4th

Tickets €14 advance(inc booking fee), €16 on the door or €55 (inc booking fee) for all 5 shows. All tickets available to buy online from www.wavtickets.ie or call the WAV Box Office [Lo-call 1890 200 078].

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RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH: A PERSPECTIVE

Whelanslive.com presents 5 nights with Kila’s

RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH

: A Perspective :

Sept 11th/Oct 9th, 30th/Nov 20th/Dec 4th

Tickets €14 advance(inc booking fee), €16 on the door or €55 (inc booking fee) for all 5 shows. All tickets available to buy online from www.wavtickets.ie or call the WAV Box Office [Lo-call 1890 200 078].

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THE AMBERTONES

THE AMBERTONES

+ Rob Shanahan

In January 2011, Lead Singer John and guitarist Hughie recorded an experimental EP at Driftwood Studios with the help of Dave Sadlier (Bass) and Paul Donnelly (drums). In March 2011, their self titled EP was released on I tunes which led to a sell-out in Dublin’s Crawdaddy venue.

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RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH: A PERSPECTIVE

Whelanslive.com presents 5 nights with Kila’s

RÓNÁN Ó SNODAIGH

: A Perspective :

Sept 11th/Oct 9th, 30th/Nov 20th/Dec 4th

Tickets €14 advance(inc booking fee), €16 on the door or €55 (inc booking fee) for all 5 shows. All tickets available to buy online from www.wavtickets.ie or call the WAV Box Office [Lo-call 1890 200 078].

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OWL CITY

MCD.ie presents

OWL CITY

+ guests

– OVER 18’s –

With a third album on the way, Owl City has announced a headline show, this October 27th in Whelan’s, Dublin.

Tickets are only €21.00 incl. booking fee and are on sale from Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.ticketmaster.ie this Friday, 13th of July.

The announcement came with confirmation of Adam Young’s third album as Owl City titled The Midsummer Station, due for release on September 14th

The Minnesota native said to create the instantly memorable, feel-good moments he envisioned, Young sought out co-writers and outside producers for the first time, enlisting his friend Matt Thiessen (Relient K), Stargate (Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa), and the team of Josh Crosby, Nate Campany, and Emily Wright (the latter known for her work with Dr. Luke).

The process enabled Young to tap into collective human experiences in his lyrics and connect on a larger scale.

Young is particularly proud of “Embers” in which he acknowledges that everyone goes through dark days, but the trick is to stay focused on the light up ahead. “Dementia” documents the “crazy, schizophrenic thoughts and feelings” Young dealt with in the wake of the success of his chart-topping 2009 platinum debut album Ocean Eyes, while “Gold” serves as a reminder to never forget your roots (in his case, Owatonna, MN, where he still lives). Then there’s “Dreams and Disasters,” which Young says sums up the core theme of the album. “Life is full of dreams and disasters,” he says. “When things go right, you feel like you’re on top of the world and when things go bad, you’re heartbroken, but you’ve got to figure out how to press on regardless of your situation because life is all about the journey.”

The Midsummer Station is still a whimsically lyrical record but perhaps not as over-the-top in its quirky depth of imagery as my previous work,” Young says. “On this album I wanted to write songs that felt a bit more accessible in a way that would allow listeners to enjoy the songs for what they are rather than parse the meaning of every little phrase or metaphor. I wanted to paint with bigger, broader brush-strokes so people might better understand and relate to the kinds of things I’m singing about.”

Young’s willingness to collaborate on The Midsummer Station also opened new sonic avenues. The album retains Young’s synth-driven melodic pop sensibility but majorly ups the rhythmic ante. Songs like “Shooting Star,” “Dreams and Disasters,” and “I’m Coming After You” pulsate with euphoric dance beats that will appeal to fans of house, trance, dub-step, and other styles of EDM.

Other tracks, like “Embers” and “Dementia,” follow on the more rock-inspired sounds that Young began to explore on his second album, 2011’s All Things Bright and Beautiful. “Dementia” even features guest vocals by one of Young’s heroes, blink-182’s Mark Hoppus.

On the album’s first single, the incredibly infectious pop gem “Good Time,” Young is joined in a duet by “Call Me Maybe” star Carly Rae Jepsen.  Young being a fan of Jepsen, reached out to her about collaborating on a song upon learning that she was also a fan of his.  This mutual admiration and excitement to work together can be heard on “Good Time” – an undeniable summer anthem.

Though the songs were written during various sessions in Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville, Young recorded The Midsummer Station at his own Sky Harbor Studios in Owatonna, as he has all of his albums.

Indeed Young has come a long way since his days posting his musical experiments on MySpace and YouTube, launching both an online savvy and radio-friendly career that the New York Times called “a textbook illustration of how the music business needs new and old forms of media to make an artist a star.” Before becoming an Internet sensation, Young, the only child of a mechanic and a schoolteacher, attended community college and worked dead-end jobs, including one in a warehouse loading Coca-Cola trucks. He began creating melodies and beats on his laptop as a way to combat insomnia and eventually self-released an EP, 2007’s Of June and an album, 2008’s Maybe I’m Dreaming, both of which reached the Top 20 on Billboard’s Electronic Albums chart.

Impressed by Young’s connection to his grassroots audience, Universal Republic signed Owl City in early 2008 and the following year released Ocean Eyes, which spawned the quadruple-platinum first single “Fireflies,” — a No. 1 smash hit in 24 countries including the U.S., where it hit the top spot twice, and sold more than 12 million downloads worldwide. “I don’t think of ‘Fireflies’ as something I have to beat because that isn’t really the point,” Young says. “The point is to inspire people. I want my music to be the first thing people reach for when they get home after a good or bad day. I want it to be a refuge or a “way out” in the same way my favorite albums have been for me over the years. If I catch myself trying to write songs just to break records, I realize I’m doing it for the wrong reasons.”

TICKETS

€21 incl booking fee available online from WAV Tickets [Lo-Call 1890 200 078] (50c per ticket service charge applies on phone or creditcard bookings)

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Indie Club w/ Late Bar from 10:30pm or check out the bands playing The Midnight Hour in the upstairs venue (FREE ENTRY, 12am).

THE WOULD BE’S

THE WOULD BE’S

+ THE MAKING

“Would Be suggests unattainable dreams, unfulfilled ambition, something elusive and hard to come by, not yet accomplished” Shreiking Violet writes of The Would Be’s in 2011

Early nineties Indie sensation The Would Be’s infamously turned down 14 major labels to follow up their John Peel and Morrissey acclaimed debut single. They chose the most obscure indie label in order to stand by their Indie Ethics. Some would say the folly of youth… and everyone else would probably agree, as all further material was critically underfunded and the band broke up within the year. Armed with an arsenal of 20 years’ worth of new songs and persuaded by Tony Clayton Lea to come out of retirement… The Would Be’s are back and have a point to prove.

John Peel, Dave Fanning, Morrissey, Steve Lemacq, Tony Clayton Lea, Ian Dempsey, Jim Carroll, BP Fallon, Rodney Binginheimer and Stuart Bailey to name a few, fell for songs like “I’m Hardly Ever Wrong”, “My Radio Sounds Different in The Dark” and “Funny Ha Ha”. Described by NME as “Idiosyncratic Indie Oom-Pah Pop”, The band’s early influences are bands like The Smiths, The Pixies, Half Man Half Biscuit, I Ludicrous, Jonathon Richman, Flying Lizards and John Copper Clarke and it’s clearly heard through their melodious yet quirky take on life.

The Would Be’s are vocalist Julie Mc Donnell, whose voice was aptly described by Liam Fay as being “so laden with clouded pop vapour that everytime I listen to her it rains from the ceiling” and by Jim Carroll as a knowing yet lazy hazy sound reminiscent of a young Debbie Harry. Finnegan brothers Mattie, Eamonn & Paul on guitar, bass and drums and the oompah bit is provided by Aidine O’Reilly on sax and trombone (not at the same time mind). “The inclusion of the trombone was a deliberate decision not to take ourselves too serious and to be a bit different” said guitarist and Jonny Marr sound-a-like Mattie “I mean how many indie pop songs have you heard with a trombone solo?”

Hailing from the borders of Cavan, Meath and Louth, the band was set up in 1990 by the Finnegan brothers and the average age of the band was just 17 (Paul the youngest Finnegan was just 13). Their first single was recorded in 1990 for about 50p, had only 250 copies pressed, one of which was sent to John Peel in naïve expectation of a mention. The result was straight out of a music industry fairystory. Peel went crazy for it, played it repeatedly on his Radio 1 and World Service show, and offered the band an immediate session.

Within days, a feeding frenzy of A&R men scrambling to track the band down in rural Cavan ensued – even contacting Aidine & Julie’s convent school. “Crazy times, we’d get a call to go to the Head Nun’s office to talk to some guy from EMI or Polydor and then get extra homework for missing maths class” said Aidine. The frenzy reached new heights when 20 A&R men attended into the bands next gig in The Underground on Dames Street. “Actually, I think about 4 or 5 A&R couldn’t get in ‘cos a bus load of our teachers and school-friends packed out the gig” remembers Julie. Things were so crazy, that Julie, Aidine and Paul made the bold move of leaving school. The next few months were a whirlwind of record company negotiations, sold out gigs across the UK, John Peel, Steve Lamacq and Fanning Sessions. At the time of signing and after a particularly tough gigging regime, things came to a head and Julie made the decision to go back to school. For her, it meant leaving the band. A tough decision, but a classic case of too much too young. New signer Eileen Gogan, joined the band three months later, but unfortunately, things had already begun to unravel as Record Company funding hardly covered the basics. Despite bringing out the much acclaimed Stephen Street produced EP “Silly Songs For Cynical People”, getting a number of Singles of the Week in NME and supporting Morrissey on his Kill Uncle tour… the end was already in sight. After burning brightly for just a year and a half, The Would Be’s decided to call time in early 1992.

For the next 20 years the band were happy to be art teachers (Julie still and briefly Aidine), musicians, writers and hoarders of incredible new material (the Finnegan’s) and captains of industry (Aidine wishes). Tony Clayton Lea invited the band to the launch of his “101 Irish Records You Must Hear Before You Die” as the track “I’m Hardly Ever Wrong” was featured. After reminiscing over many drinks about the unflattering moniker of being called “The Could Have Been’s”… Tony asked the question “why not reform?” A late night call was made to Julie and the rest is possible history. The offer of a supporting gig with The Frank & Waters on March 31st was enough to seal the deal. .An “effervescent slices of near-perfect new wave power pop with Blondie Highlights”, reported Goldenplec afterwards. The bug had truly bitten and within weeks the band were back in the studio to record their new single.

New Single “Ivy Avenue” out now – Get it on iTunes HERE

TICKETS

€10 available online from WAV Tickets [Lo-Call 1890 200 078] (50c per ticket service charge applies on phone or credit card bookings)

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Indie Club w/ Late Bar from 10:30pm or check out the bands playing The Midnight Hour in the upstairs venue (FREE ENTRY, 12am).

SINNERBOY

Playing ‘Irish Tour ‘74’

SINNERBOY

Keeping Rory Gallagher’s memory alive!

Rory Gallagher’s seminal ‘Irish Tour ‘74’ album is seen by many to be the pinnacle of the great man’s creativity and explosive energy.

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CROUPIER

SquareD presents

CROUPIER

– Album Launch – 

Before Machines & Simon Bird Bantum

Ladies and gentlemen

It is our absolute privilege and delight to introduce you to Croupier.

For those of you who don’t know, Croupier are a quintet from Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

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CHRIS WOODS

CHRIS WOODS

+ guests

‘Chris Woods is one of the UK’s most exciting instrumentalists. His performances are a blend of endearing stories with ear bending drop tuned grooves. Displaying dazzling creativity and skill, by mixing emotive and imaginative sounds with stunning technique. You wont forget what you hear.’

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PROTOBABY

PROTOBABY

+ ANDY EARLEY

‘Only a Spark’ – Released Fri 27th July

2012 is turning out to be the finest year yet in the short life of Protobaby;

March saw the release of their debut album ‘The Spark’.

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TRAD FEST w/ TREMOLO

Whelanslive.com presents

Featuring

TREMOLO

+ ALPACA JAMBOREE

Tremolo consists of four accomplished musicians from the Irish traditional music scene, brought together by their shared taste in melodic, soulful music. Whilst remaining at all times innovative and refreshing, their technical ability never stands in the way of them remaining true to their collective musical passion

“Tremolo is an act of creating a “shudder-effect” in music as in the tremolo arm of a guitar. It is also a name of a group of four guys accomplished in their own solo projects…. musicians from the traditional Irish music scene. Technically they are amazing but couple that with their love for melodic and passionate sound -Tremolo become a dragon that breathe fire into the scene and remind us: this is what Irish music should sound like.”

Baxter Labatos, The Celtic Music Fan.

Donall Donnelly (Fiddle)

Donall Donnelly is a talismanic fiddle-player who adds a dynamism and drive to the unique sound of Tremolo. Growing up in the rich fiddle tradition of Co. Tyrone, Donall quickly developed a reputation for his technical virtuosity and style. Since becoming ‘Fiddler of Dooney’ champion he has gone on to tour worldwide, supporting bands like Capercaille, the Michael McGoldrck band and playing festivals ranging from Womad to Celtic Connections in Glasgow.

In 2007, Donall was invited to play with the legendary Dutch bandoneonist Carel Krayenhof in the world-famous ‘Concertgebouw’- Holland’s National Concert Hall. This remarkable showcase of Dutch composition and Irish music featured the much-loved Irish balladeer Niamh Parsons and was hailed as a successful fusion of international musical cultures.

Donall has appeared on innumerable BBC radio and television programmes including ‘An Stuif Ceart’ and more recently, in a music video on RTE 1’s the ‘Reel Deal’- featuring the top traditional musical talent of Ireland. Whilst possessing a consummate technical ability and energy, Donall’s playing retains a sweetness and subtlety that oozes personality, energy and warmth.

“The “Fiddler of Dooney” champion Donall Donnelly has moved on, found his musical inspiration and has delivered a debut album of stunning proportions.”

“Tremolo is imaginatively stunning traditional  music with a twist and Donall Donnelly on the strength of it will remain a creative force for some time to come.  It is as exciting, creative and free spirited as it is well composed and played.” – Tradconnect.com

“One of Ireland’s greatest young fiddle players- Donall Donnelly…….. an excellent debut featuring driving tunes of the highest order.” – The Irish Times

“Donall has delighted and entertained audiences all over the UK, Ireland and France with his finesse and originality. He’s set for great things to come” – BBC Radio London

Donncha Moynihan (Guitar)

Donncha Moynihan is a guitarist of immense ability and taste who infuses subtlety and warmth into everything he plays. Donncha is Cork-based and was a founding member of the much lauded traditional group Calico in early 1998. Calico went on to release two award-winning albums- ‘Celanova Square’, voted ‘Best New Folk Album’ by worldwide readers of the Irish Music Magazine and ‘Songdogs’ which was released to acclaim a few years later.

Donncha used the launch-pad of these early successes to establish himself as a luminary guitarist in the traditional music scene throughout Ireland. He has toured extensively with various traditional Irish bands worldwide including Lunasa, At the Racket, Bavan, Alan Kelly and The Red Hat Band. Donncha is in much demand as a recording artist and it is no surprise that he features on a multitude of recordings across the broad spectrum of irish traditional styles.

In addition to his highly renowned career as an instrumentalist, Donncha runs a successful recording studio (The Rise Studio) where he has engineered and mixed a broad range of both traditional and contemporary albums. This ability to deconstruct the music in a studio setting transmits a clarity of vision and purpose to all of the band’s music and Donncha’s clever chord structures lay the perfect foundation for the exciting melodies that make up the unique Tremulo sound.

Stijn van Beek (Uilleann Pipes, Low Whistle)

Stijn Van Beek is an innovative uilleann piper who instills an unique and cutting edge eclecticism to this musical line-up. Hailing all the way from Arnheim, ‘County Holland’, Stijn was drawn to the sound of the pipes at a young age. After mastering this challenging instrument on his own he studied music at University College Cork for two years.

Returning to Holland in 2005, Stijn continued his studies in music at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Utrecht and garnered a vast body of experience playing with an array of musicians from diverse musical backgrounds. Stijn has played with world-renowned tango bandoneonist Carel Kraayenhof, on Carel’s ‘Guardians of the Clouds’ album and none-other than renowned film composer Ennio Morricone.

Stijn regularly performs in an eclectic range of bands. He has toured and recorded an album with Mapi Quintana who mixes music from her homeland Asturias with jazz influences. Incredibly in 2008, Stijn was invited by the Irish frontman of the famous Dutch Indy rock group Moke to play as a guest musician. He was asked back to play uilleann pipes on their single ‘The Long Way’ and appeared on the main stages of the biggest Dutch pop festivals- ‘Pinkpop’ and ‘Parkpop’ playing in front of crowds of 80,000 people. With a piper of such dynamism in your ranks, the music of Tremulo will never want for diversity and imagination.

Karl Nesbitt (Bodhran, Flute, Bouzouki) 

Karl Nesbitt adds precision, verve and versatility to this unique musical ensemble. As a multi-instrumentalist Karl is highly accomplished on flute, bodhran and bouzouki. His talents not only lie as a musician, but also as an in-demand arranger of music, composer and album producer.

From a background steeped in traditional Irish music, Karl is as skilled a soloist as he is an accompanist and his ability to look at the music from both perspectives adds an invaluable dimension to the band’s overall musicality. Karl’s debut album-“Vista Point” set a new bench-mark in the traditional irish music scene, causing the Irish Examiner to hail him as “master of the flute, bodhran and bouzouki”.

Karl has performed with some of the best musicians in irish music in various majestic settings across Europe, the Uk and China. He has carved out a reputation for himself as a band arranger and for two years in succession in Brittany, he organised and orchestrated the music for a band representing Ireland at the Festival Interceltique in L’orient. Add to that years of experience teaching instruments and winning the All-Ireland Fleadh Championship and you have an accomplished musician of consummate style and class.

TRAD FEST EVENTS

Fri 27th – THE BONNY MEN & MOSSY NOLAN Sat 28th – WICKER BONES & LYNCHED Sun 29th – BUNOSCIONN

TICKETS

€10 available online from WAV Tickets [Lo-Call 1890 200 078] (50c per ticket service charge applies on phone or credit card bookings)

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Indie Club w/ Late Bar from 10:30pm or check out the bands playing The Midnight Hour in the upstairs venue (FREE ENTRY, 12am).

TRAD FEST w/ BUNOSCIONN

Whelanslive.com presents

Featuring

BUNOSCIONN

+ guests

   

Bunoscionn are: Ciarán, Michelle, Luke, Glenda and Con.

Based in County Kildare, they have played around Ireland for the last 3 years, and over the past year, have begun bringing their music into mainland Europe. Bunoscionn have their own unique take on Irish traditional and folk music, using the different musical backgrounds and influences of each band member. Bunoscionn draw their influences from the likes of the Dubliners, Bob Marley, the Pogues , Kila, too many to mention really, as well as some local heroes. With their main arsenal of banjo, whistles, flutes, bodhrán, mandolin, guitars, djembe, drums, bass and blended vocals, the Bunoscionn sound emits an overall warm rootsy feel with enough kick, that has a little something for everyone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uXKy9_fbJk

TRAD FEST EVENTS

Thu 26th – TREMOLO & ALPACA JAMBOREE Fri 27th – THE BONNY MEN & MOSSY NOLAN Sat 28th – WICKER BONES & LYNCHED  

TICKETS

€5 available online from WAV Tickets [Lo-Call 1890 200 078] (50c per ticket service charge applies on phone or credit card bookings)

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Indie DJ from 11pm til late or you might even catch the end of Jaime Nanci and the Blue Boys in the front bar (9pm, Free).
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