Author: darren

MONA have just announced details of their much anticipated Irish debut, at Whelan’s on Thursday, 17th of February 2011.

SOLD OUT.

SLEIGH BELLS + KID KARATE.

After the overwhelmingly positive reception to their debut album “Treats” Brooklyn duo Sleigh Bells have just announced details of their first Irish show, at Whelan’s on Fri 18 Feb ’11.

STAND hail from the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland. The band was formed in 1998 by four schoolmates who began gigging at school assemblies and then into the clubs of the city.

THE CAST OF CHEERS,

WE ARE LOSERS,

+ MIA SPARROW.

THIS IS THE RESCHEDULED DATE Original Tickets still valid.

A great name, catchy songs and instant acclaim has made four-piece The Cast Of Cheers a band you will be hearing much more of in 2011.

In a previous life Q was known to friends and acquaintances as Colm Quearney, the guitarist and songwriter with not one but TWO of Ireland’s more daring bands (DRAGONFLY 91-94 & LIR 94-99).

VOODOO JACK

with guests Cool Hand Shandy + Slidin Pk.

Voodoo Jack, the world’s only four piece trio! (look it up!) We’re an Irish / American / English blues fusion ensemble, with a Vintage Rock chaser.

CLOCKWORK APPLE PRESENTS:

IAN WHITTY & THE EXCHANGE

BOY LIGHTS FIRE

MACKEREL THE CAT

Ian Whitty & The Exchange, Boy Lights Fire and Mackerel The Cat are all set for a night of fun this coming Friday March 11th upstairs in Whelan’s!

PLANET PARADE

+ SQUAREHEAD

Sometimes you can have all the ingredients, its just the recipe isn’t quite right. Michael Hopkins, Ronan Kilduff and Andrew Lloyd had played music together since childhood. But for three lads to break out of a crowded Kildare scene would require radical changes, and some tough decisions.

THE GRUNTS

+ BRAINS.

Formed over 5 years ago The Grunts have steadily become one of Irelands most respected Indie/Rock bands. Taking their influences from early U2, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Cure and The Pixies, the bands live performances have earned them great reviews and a loyal following.

Special guest will be ‘Stompin’ Dave Allen.

Tinderbox are an acoustic duo featuring Dublin-born Monique Houraghan with a distinctive ‘honey-like’ vocal, and Dan Tucker with an intricate finger style guitar technique.

Harmonic presents

DUM DUM GIRLS

+guests. “… leather, cherry red lipstick, a classic girl-group sound that nods to drag races as much as malt shops… a blistering half-hour of menacing, witty bubblegum pop.” Pitchfork, Best New Music

SOLD OUT.

Noah & the Whale announce details of a special show at Whelan’s on Sunday 3rd April 2011. Tickets priced €18.00 inclusive of booking fee go on sale Friday 26th of November at 9am.

MARY GAUTHIER

+ BEN GLOVER. MARY GAUTHIER’S THE FOUNDLING Out now on Proper Records AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NARRATIVE INSPIRES ARTIST’S SIXTH ALBUM “I was born to an unwed mother in 1962 and adopted shortly thereafter,” Mary Gauthier explains. “When I was 45 years old, I searched for, found and was denied a meeting with my birth mother. She couldn’t afford to re-open the wound she’d carried her whole life, the wound of surrendering a baby. The Foundling is my story.” Available now via Proper Records, the resulting album is the acclaimed songwriter’s intensely personal exploration into her experience and her subsequent search for meaning and identity. Written and recorded over the course of two years, The Foundling was produced in Toronto by Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies, of whom Gauthier notes, “Mike understood my story and was able to create a musical landscape that captures the nuances of the narrative.” Of the album’s genesis, Gauthier adds, “I envisioned writing a song cycle about relinquishment and adoption, but for years the songs I was trying to write didn’t have an emotional center. When I found my mother, I found the emotional center of the album, as well as the explanation for the ‘orphan feeling’ I’d lived with since I was a child.” Guest musicians on the album include Michael Timmins, fellow Cowboy Junkie Margo Timmins and Garth Hudson. Since her debut in 1997, critics have consistently heralded Gauthier. Her most recent release, Between Daylight and Dark (2007) has been called “…a triumph that should catapult her to the forefront of Americana singer/songwriters,” by Paste Magazine, while the New York Daily News declared, “If she keeps this up, one day she may assume the mantle of Johnny Cash…” Mary Gauthier’s notes on The Foundling follow overleaf. I was born to an unwed mother in 1962 and subsequently surrendered to St. Vincent’s Women and Infants Asylum on Magazine Street in New Orleans, where I spent my first year. I was adopted shortly thereafter but left my adopted family at fifteen. I wandered for years looking for, but never quite finding a place that felt like home. I searched for, found, and was denied a meeting with my birth mother when I was 45 years old. She couldn’t afford to re-open the wound she’d carried her whole life, the wound of surrendering a baby. The Foundling is my story. I envisioned writing a song cycle about relinquishment and adoption, but for years the songs I was trying to write didn’t have an emotional center. When I found my mother, I found the emotional center of the album, as well as the explanation for the “orphan feeling” I’d lived with since I was a child. All my life I’d carried an emptiness inside me that was painful. “Good–Bye” is a song I wrote about that feeling of emptiness several years prior to searching for my birth mother. Looking back, I can see that I would write about what I called “the orphan feeling” and then run from it. Years would go by, and then I’d write a little more. I wrote “Sideshow” before my search as well. My life drove my work, and my work drove my life. The process of uncovering my own story was a slow one, and it was terrifying. I was caught between the fear of betraying my adopted family by searching for my birth mother and the fear of being rejected by my birth mother if I found her. I wrote the song “Sweet Words” when a romantic relationship ended, and looking back now I can see that it was actually about the mother I’d never known. Coincidentally, I played New Orleans for the first time a couple of years ago. I found myself driving by the orphanage where I’d spent my first year and without intending to do so, I stopped and entered the building only to be haunted by the experience. It made my orphan feeling real, it made my birth mother real and it opened my eyes to what was going on inside me. I became determined to write this album no matter what. I hired someone to help me find my birth mother. She was located in three days, but it took me 6 months to muster up the courage to call her. There were moments when I did not know if I had the courage to continue what I had started. My fear had me frozen, too scared to go forward, unable to go backwards. When I finally did call her it did not go well. What I found when I located my mother was a woman who was filled with shame for having gotten pregnant without a husband in 1961. She was filled with remorse for having given her baby away and terrified of the stigma involved in what she’d done. She later married a man, adopted his two kids and was with him for 24 years before he passed away, but never told him or anyone else about me. Almost fifty years later, I was still her shameful secret. She had no desire to meet me. It was too much for her. “March 11, 1962” is a spoken word song I wrote about the conversation we had. After speaking to her, it was too painful an experience to talk about for quite some time. Once again my writing and my life pulled each other along and resulted in the title track, “The Foundling.” The song cycle was coming together now, and so was my understanding of who I was and why I felt the way I felt. “Blood is Blood” is an adoptee identity crisis song, and “The Orphan King” was written on a pilgrimage back to New Orleans and St. Vincent’s. I was determined not to let my mother’s inability to embrace me defeat me and repeating, “I still believe in love” over and over again in the song is my way of saying so. “Mama Here, Mama Gone,” the story of the infant’s trauma after being left behind also came from my journey back to St. Vincent’s. “Another Day Borrowed” became the coda for The Foundling; the epilogue. As I look, listen and reflect on what I’ve learned by writing this record and completing the search for my birth mother, I’ve discovered we are all wanderers of sorts, looking for meaning in lives that contain no guarantees. My birth mother and my adopted family loved me the very best they could and I am grateful for their sacrifices. I do have a good life. It has been a long road and it’s taken me longer than I am proud of, but these days I find myself at peace, grateful for each borrowed day.     – Mary Gauthier, January 2010

TICKETS:

€23 incl bkg fees from www.tickets.ie and Wav Tickets [lo-call 1890 200 078]

+ guests.

Conor Boyle is an Irish born and bred Singer/Songwriter from Dundalk. His first real connection with music sparked after a life threatening accident in 2001. Whilst recovering, he recorded and produced his fist album to raise funds for Beaumont Hospital. “It all came very natural to me and I was ready for more” says Conor. Over the next couple of years Conor got steeped in writing and started to record all his material at home. He played the open-mic circuit around Dublin for two years where he studied as a student. His first headline gig was at a home venue, The Spirit Store and it sold out. From then he has been in the studio working on his debut single and is embarking on a Nationwide Tour to launch and promote it with his band. His is influenced greatly by Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen as his lyrics tell those long winding stories.

+ guests – Monsienur The McGetigans were found in a cabbage patch, given a summary education, baptized in Whiskey, slapped on the arse and sent forth to sing their filthy black guts out.

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR featuring – tbc Upstairs@Whelan’s from Midnight Whelanslive.com is proud to bring The Midnight Hour. Showcasing the best new talent in Ireland.

+ guests You could say that Sara Watkins’ solo debut has been a lifetime in the making. The 27-year-old singer-songwriter and fiddle player spent nearly two decades—all of her teenage and young adult life—as one-third of Nickel Creek, the Grammy Award–winning acoustic trio that used contemporary bluegrass as a starting point for its no-genre-barred sound. Sara will be back in Ireland performing at Whelan’s on November 18th. Tickets are €17.50 on sale now through Ticketmaster and other usual outlets nationwide. Booking Line: 0818 719 300.

Charity Fundraiser in Aid of Temple St Hospital MIRACLE BELL + guests – The Problematic and Stayokay

“Dungen’s latest album, Skit I Allt—loosely translated as “fuck all this”—is the band’s most focused, largely forgoing Ejstes’ wilder stylistic excursions in favor of insistent, precisely modulated “head music.” Obvious touchstones include early-’70s Pink Floyd and latter-day Flaming Lips, though with Dungen’s love of flute, strings, and sunshine-pop harmonies, Skit I Allt sometimes resembles a Windham Hill version of a Cardigans album, or vice-versa.” – The Onion “Dungen has a vision unmatched in music today, and an album their larger peers in rock experiments could only dream of producing.” – Filter “… the blissful summery mood hangs around for ages. If you don’t want summer to end, or you’re a SAD sufferer, then consider Skit I Allt the best and cheapest antidote on the market.” BBC Music “Constantly questing without ever becoming indulgent…” – Uncut “Dungen’s seventh album is a Swedish indie gem.” – NME “there’s a warm, graceful fluidity to Skit I Allt’s billowing jams that remains uniquely beguiling.” UNCUT Dungen sweetly return with a collection of gorgeous rippers and graceful jazz filled polyrhythms called Skit I Allt, which translates as Fuck it All. “For me, it means, don’t give a shit, forget about it, just go ahead and do it. A friend said, Skit I Allt; Fuck it, do as you want, time is passing and it’s changing, forget fears and hang-ups, we are small and everything is pretty insignificant on the whole. How will it be? What shall we do? We often worry so much unnecessarily. Skit i allt, it’s happening now”. – Gustav Ejstes In what feels like a very short decade, Sweden’s Dungen has mutated at a furious pace. Main man/ producer/ arranger/ singer/ golden child Gustav Ejstes’ only constant has been change. At ease with effervescent pop, third-eye popping psychedelia, heavy rock, spider-web folk and breezy jazz, Dungen’s dynamism astounds throughout Skit I Allt. Rather than remain only Ejstes’ studio vision, Dungen is a muscular full band now. Guitarist Reine Fiske, bassist Mattias Gustavsson, and drummer Johan Holmegard are fully integrated into Ejstes’ vision of Dungen: “Whether you perceive Dungen as a band or as me and my songs and my productions, the band is something totally free.’ Dungen debuted in 2001 with an album of long psychedelic tracks and aural tomfoolery. 2002’s Stadsvandringar found Ejstes coming to grips with the language of rock before the zeitgeist-grabbing third album, Ta Det Lugt ignited the blogosphere. Not content to revel in such accolades, Tio Bitar flashed the band’s pop smarts as well as their incandescent freak-outs while 4 put the band’s cohesiveness on display, at once gorgeous and biting. This latest album is the one that takes in everything they’ve done, and learned, and brings them whole.

http://www.dungen-music.com http://www.myspace.com/dungen HALVES It’s been long in the making but Dublin based band Halves debut long player titled It Goes, It Goes (Forever & Ever) will finally be with us on October 29th on CD and Deluxe gatefold vinyl (with free mp3 download). Darling, You’ll Meet Your Maker is the first free download from the album and its rich artful instrumentation sums up Halves’ modus operandi perfectly. It Goes, It Goes (Forever & Ever) was recorded in Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s studios Hotel2Tango in Montreal with Efrim Menuck in August of 2009. 11 songs were recorded live, in one large room on 2″ reel-to-reel tape with the use of the studio’s vast collection of instruments, amps, organs, effects (most of which dated from 1930s-1980s). Additional recording took place in the band’s own studio The Windfarm with Richard McCullough. Perfomers on the album include Amy Millan (Stars/BSS), Katie Kim, Phil Boughton (Subplots), Canadian harpist Elaine Kelly-Canning, Irish Chamber brass and string players and 27 members of the Kilkenny choir. Brian Cash, Elis Czerniak & Tim Czerniak, make up Halves.

Nova Static were fully formed in late 2006 when Stradbally based Daniel Heffernan (guitar/vocals), Brian Scully (guitar) and Stephen Wall (bass), who had already been playing together for a couple of years, joined up with Carlow drummer Dara Comerford. The band immediately began focusing on their own material, and having such a wide range of musical touchstones from the start certainly helped shape Nova Static’s unique sound. The guys are reluctant to even attempt listing all their influences but, at a push, will mention Nada Surf, Pixies, Biffy Clyro, Sigur Rós, Sonic Youth, Weezer, Jamie T., Ramones, Bloc Party, Fleetwood Mac, The Smiths, The Libertines… even M.I.A. and Los Lobos before stopping themselves. Since their first gigs together in 2007, Nova Static have taken their time and slowly built a reputation as one of the most exciting groups around. The last two years have seen them secure support slots around the country with major acts like Republic Of Loose, The Immediate, We Should Be Dead, The Coronas, Fight Like Apes and The Blizzards The guys are now touring to promote their self-titled debut EP released in September. Recorded in April at Data Studios, Kerry, the disc is already creating a buzz. The next few months will see a promotional tour including a number of special launch nights. The EP is available in Tower Records now. It’s certainly a busy time for Nova Static and, having performed on the Electric Arena Stage at this years Electric Picnic, the guys have a chance to share their music with a bigger audience than ever before.

TOXIC FUNK BERRY Fresh from Sky 1’s ‘Must Be The Music’ Toxic Funk Berry are a dynamic and exciting three piece ‘dirty disco dance’ act from North London. The band consists of brothers Dom and Joe and their best friend Jonny Falls Over. Bored of the conventional music that has been flooding the commercial scene for the past 10 years; they have been working tirelessly to bring a new energy to the masses by fusing dance music with live instrumentals and creating a visual live performance like no other. Toxic Funk Berry are an addictive and high energy live act so check them out as they explode onto the Irish music scene for the very first time.

+ guests ‘ On stage this hybrid monster roams the space between their instruments and your ears like some kind of fairytale colossus spewing out metal, flamenco and jazz stained compositions that raise their guitar necks to Tool, Django & Daft Punk. Be warned………. Don’t feed the animal!’ – Ray Blackwell (Director, Clonikilty International Guitar Festival) Sligo instrumental group Túcan have recorded a series of eight live videos of interpretations of classic dance tracks as well as some of their own original tracks called ‘The Factory Sessions’. The release will be focused intensively on online mediums such as Youtube, iTunes etc with a heavy promotion aspect aimed at social networking sites. Beginning life as a mild mannered two piece (Donal Gunne and Pearse Feeney), they now have two new members, Paul Wherly and Keith Kelly. When playing live, the new additions combine acoustic instrumentalists Gunne and Feeney’s relentless energy and expertise with fat bass lines and atomic drums. Túcans debut album “Aliquot Strings”, produced by Lance Hogan of Kila and released in 2009 on their own label Túcan Music, charted in Ireland and was critically acclaimed both at home and abroad. The album is a firecracker of driving rhythms and virtuoso guitar craft which brings the listener on a considerable adventure in a concise thirty six minutes. They have attracted their fair share of attention during their rise through the irish music scene performing with international acts such as Jose Feliciano, Regina Spektor as well as contemporaries Rodrigo y Gabriella and Alabama 3. They have been banned from busking on Grafton Street in Dublin lived as street performers in Prague and Barcelona, and have played the Electric Picnic every year since 2007 to packed houses each time. Watch Tucan HERE

Featuring: Supermodel Twins, Bella Jane, The Riot Tapes & I am Not Lefthanded Phantom 105.2 and Becks Vier have joined forces to bring you ICon’s Next Becks Thing, the ultimate Battle Of The Bands. The next heat, Heat 2, takes place on Wednesday, July 28th upstairs at Whelan’s of Wexford St. and admission is FREE! On stage are: Von Shakes, Zorilla, Shouting At Planes and Neon Stars. Tune in to ICON with Cathal Funge (Weds 10pm-Midnight) for the best in new local music and live sessions! The competition will take place over 6 months, with four acts performing in front of a panel of guest judges at each of the five heats. CLICK HERE for more info on how to apply.

+ guests – Fow Jaw Bounty Hunters Album Launch Poptastic, Hooktastic, Girl/Boy-tastic! Fun-loving, Floor-Filling, Indie-Dance-Pop! Award nominations, heavy radio rotation,glowing press reviews, numerous TV appearances,and a ‘must see’ live status are just some of the accolades this boy/girl tour de force have achieved since exploding ontothe music scene in 2007. The bands debut single ‘Forget Romance Let’s Dance!’ made a huge impact on its release in November 2007, landing at number 3 in the Irish charts. The single was A-Listed on all the major radio stations,and gained huge exposure on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. The bands debut album was released on February 1st 2008 in Ireland to critical acclaim. HOT PRESS – ‘These are highly accessible, superbly structured songs played by a band which has clearly been studying how to deploy catchy winding melodies’8/10 IRISH INDEPENDENT – “Effervescent, youthful energy that is difficult to ignore.” IRISH TIMES – “Sprightly songs punctuated by the right degree of cockiness. They’ll take to the future like a duck to water.” The band also graced the red carpet at Ireland’s annual Meteor Music Awards, where they were nominated as “Best Newcomers”. We Should Be Dead garnered a highly credible international fanbase when their debut album became a blogosphere phenomenon upon its release. The band were also surprised to find themselves as ‘featured artists’ onthe front page of MySpace. In August 2008, We Should Be Dead headed out on their first US tour where they were blown away by the response to their live shows. Many who hadn’t previously heard of the band and many who’s tasteslay elsewhere, were enthralled by the bands energetic and thrilling live performances. Playlisted on huge US radio stations like KROQ and KCRW along with some celebrity fans (Henry Rollins, and the Mayor Of The Sunset Strip himself Rodney Bingenheimer) helped the band secure a solid US following. We Should Be Dead relocated to Los Angeles in January 2009 to begin work on their now complete 2nd album ‘Dreamstate’. The album was produced by Owen Lewis (Lady Gaga, REM, Hole) in the Record Plant studio in Lon Angeles. In between recording the album the band completed over 6 US tours. A memorable performance at SXSW 2009 led them signing to the Green Room agency and had the bloggers foaming at the mouth. The band also hit CMJ in New York where they showcased a lot of their forthcoming album alongside some of their own favourite bands. The first single to be lifted from the forthcoming album is ‘Up All Night’ a sparkling slice of indie/dance/pop that falls somewhere between The Cars / early Madonna / and XTC. The single gets a worldwide release on June 18th. This will be followed in turn by the new album ‘Dreamstate’ which gets a worldwide release on July 2nd.

+ guests Single launch After the release of their Debut album this summer Fusion Family embark on the 2nd leg of their promotional campaign kicking off in September. The band have just finished the production of their debut video ‘Curious’ which is due out Later in the month before they hit the studio again inbetween gigs in early October to record their next single. ‘It has been a great summer of gigs at various festivals and other events around the country, and we’re looking forward to keeping the ball rolling and trying to get our music out there to as many people as possible since the release so we can keep recording and releasing new material which has already been written. We’re hopefully going in to record our 2nd album over the Christmas break because we don’t deserve a break really, we’ll take one when we really deserve it or simply need one – laughs Brian Walton – front man of Fusion Family. The Fusion Family debut album ‘Full Circle’ which was produced by Brian Masterson (u2/ red hot chilli peppers/ norah jones/ echo and the bunnymen etc.) is currently on sale now through HMV and various record shops nationwide as well as digital on i-Tunes. You can catch the full band performing at the following locations before Christmas with more dates to be confirmed. ////////////////// Brian Walton (aka Walto), the effervescent frontman of ‘the family’ alongside Tim George (Bass), Kevin Banfield (lead) and Andy Guyett (drums) have been rocking up and down the length and breadth of the country for the past year on stages at Life festival, Knockanstockan festival, Dalkey Arts festival, as well as supporting the likes of Kila, Natty Wailer, Mary Stokes, Fuji & Myagi and the Chieftans. Their infectious sound seemingly has had somewhat of a warming effect this past 12 months and due to the reaction they have received from a wide ranged audience, the band have recently released their debut album entitled ‘FULL CIRCLE’. The album was produced with Brian Masterson (Van Morrisson/ U2/ Red Hot Chilli Peppers/ Nora Jones/ echo & the bunnymen etc.) and is on general release from 4th June 2010. Fusion Family’s first single entitled ‘Something Special‘ was released at Dublin’s Pod complex. The Album was just launched in the renowned Whelan’s venue in Dublin, on Friday 28th of May 2010. Honest, flavoursome and sometimes edgy vocals along with agile guitar riffs and killer hooks are what form the basis of this tight little outfit. Their distinctive hum along sound is as catchy as Velcro and Judging by the hordes of screaming fans at their debut single and album launch (and with even the somewhat mature music lovers beginning to stand up and take notice), you can expect to hear a lot more from Fusion Family in the not so distant future. Their sound which is teeming with soul has elements of jazz and reggae but still holds the edge of a working class indie rock band with a clearly defineable style both musically and vocally. The band have been tipped as ones to watch by a number of industry pluggers as well as various radio deejays in Ireland and the UK since the debut release of their single, and now that the grass roots is well under way the band are showing strong potential as young contenders in their first year! Fusion Family are: Brian Walton – guitars /vox Tim George – bass/ backing vox Dave Tully – Lead guitar Andy Guyett – Drums In the words of Jim Lockhart from legendary Irish band The Horslips – ‘FUSION FAMILYS tracks are excellent, lovely tight bass and drums. They’re well put together too, nice rhythmic stuff happening and good structures – you’ve got a good instinct for what makes a track hold together musically. Also tasty harmonies and nice guitar’

HOGAN Brief info on the Band: HOGAN- are lead by front man and guitarist Mark Hogan, Wayne Brereton on guitar, Johnny Westman on bass guitar and drummer Ronan Nolan. * Previous singles released have gained playlist status on iRadio, RTE 2FM, FM104, Midlands radio & All regional radio across Ireland. And with spot plays on Today FM. They also received Song of the Week on Ian Dempsey’s (Today FM) breakfast show. * They have had live studio appearances on FM104’s THE STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK (twice already!) & The Open Mic, to Top Comedians and Radio presenters: TOMMY TIERNAN & Hector inviting them onto their award winning radio show on iRadio announcing that HOGAN were a HIT band with a great future. * HOGAN’S previous singles also launched them into the Top 40 Irish Charts. * Their songs are currently being used on RTE televisions hit children’s show Aisling’s Diary and also Spanish TV show EXTRA’S. * RTE DJ and TV presenter Dave Fanning also invited Mark onto his television show “The last broadcast”. GIGGING: * HOGAN have played some of Ireland’s finest Venues & Festivals:Castlepalooza, Spraoi Fest, Whelan’s, Vicar street, The Sugar Club, Crawdaddy, The Village and the RDS in Dublin). They have shared the stage with: Delorentos, The Coronas, Republic of Loose, The Saw Doctors and The Blizzards to name but a few. This album has been produced by Internationally acclaimed producer Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers, Super Furry Animals). Industry comments: “HOGAN are going be a hit!” – TOMMY TIERNAN & HECTOR iRadio ‘ POP/ROCK act ‘HOGAN’- with extraordinary talent- they will go far.With new single ‘PS You’Re Crazy’ released, the bands trajectory has been firmly in the ascent!’ -HotPress ‘Hogan will get people to sit up and take notice’–The Sunday World “Their new single-It’s brilliant, just brilliant”-Head of Music, BEAT FM “HOGANS single “Jealousy” is pop-rock that belongs on every teenage American television montage ever, where the frosted-tipped protagonist is frolicking gleefully through the high school corridor” -DROP D “If there’s one Irish band that deserves success by dint of sheer enthusiasm, energy, great sounds and a mischievous sense of fun, it’s HOGAN” -CULCH.IE http://www.myspace.com/hoganmark The Half Pennies Based in Dublin, Ireland, The Half Pennies are an emerging pop-rock collective featuring the talents of Paul Blake (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Sarah Jane Ellis (Lead Vocals/Piano), Phil Ronayne (Backing Vocals/Bass) and Emer Coffey (Violin/Mandolin/Drums). Formed in March 2009, The Half Pennies have quickly gained local recognition, bringing a fresh, eclectic sound to the Dublin music scene. Taking inspiration from artists like Elvis Costello, The Frames, Fiona Apple, Emily Haines and Weezer, The Half Pennies have melded alternative and acoustic influences to create a body of work that can only be described as entirely their own. http://www.myspace.com/thehalfpennies

This is a very rare opportunity to catch Irish cultural icon and national treasure Christy Moore perform completely solo performing songs from his vast back-catalogue of critically acclaimed albums. Christy wanted to take this opportunity to pay personal tribute to the late music promoter and manager Derek Nally, our colleague here in Whelan’s who passed away last month. Writing on his website, Christy said: “There will be a gig in Whelans of Dublin on October 19th. I want to play in memory of Derek Nally who passed recently. I wish to acknowledge his devotion to and passion for Live Music. He was a gentle man and he shared his love of music with thousands of us over the years. Details will be on the gig page soon … Get in quick! All proceeds will go to Derek’s young family.

+ guests – Dave Morrissey King Modo are an original band from Newbridge Co.Kildare.. They recorded and produced their self titled debut album this year and are now playing their live show.. King Modo’s debut was described in Hotpress as ‘ a trippy line through alternative rock ‘.. Their live show is an amazing musical experience and is truly original and magnificent..

Dave Morrissey

… Dave is a singer/songwriter from newbridge and is releasing his debut album ‘ Bring out the Light ‘ ..

+ guests ‘My Lord’ single Launch Up and coming songstress Noelle O’Sullivan is set to release her debut single ‘My Lord’ this October in Whelan’s. Its creation was supported by a group of talented musicians who Noelle met while studying voice in Newpark School of Jazz. It was produced by Noelle and Stephen O’Brien, who plays with the popular Dublin group Hal.

+ guests – The Blue Choir & Cold 100 October 15th is going to be an absolute whopper of a show for Clockwork Apple fans! Taking top spot are The Dirty 9s and hot newbies The Blue Choir & Cold 100 providing support.

Tupelo are an exciting, new, original, acoustic roots act consisting of 5 members. With an eclectic line-up of instruments which includes banjo, guitar, fiddle, saxophone and double bass, Tupelo’s sound is fresh and unique in today’s world of endless electric outfits. The band have been working hard over the past year, playing all over the country and bringing their exciting live shows to the masses.

FOGGY JAM .01 with No Age Mice Parade Male Bonding Silje Nes Squarehead Hipster Youth & very special guests

+ guests – THE LOST CHORD Funeral Suits are 3 young men, 2 from Dublin and 1 from Limerick. Since the release of their E.P. ‘Eye Spy’ in May 2009, Funeral Suits have pushed onwards and upwards, growing to be bolder and more confident both in writing and live shows as the months have passed. Micheal, Brian and Greg spend most of their time in a disused office space making sounds that eventually become songs. Greg is the rock from which their music jumps, creating rhythms which pave paths for Michael and Brian to run, skip, fall and sprint briskly on. Both provide lead vocals, swapping instruments on different tracks.