Four piece rock group, Cash is King, and Dublin duo, Lora and Amy, will be taking part in the first Keith McLoughlin Music Management showcase at Gub Dandy’s in Brady’s, Terenure on Friday 26th October.
Hailing from Dublin, Wicklow and Kilkenny, Cash Is King formed just this year and are currently based in Dublin. With a strong focus on anthemic rock songs, the band are currently writing and recording their debut EP, due for release in early 2013.
Duo Lora Gilbert and Amy Walsh have been gigging together for the last couple of years, building up a steady following on the live circuit. The guitar and vocal harmony group have performed at the Ballyfermot Rocks Festival and taken part in numerous competitions together.
The Contemporary Music Centre, in association with the National Chamber Choir of Ireland and Association of Irish Choirs, this week publishes Choirland – An Anthology of Irish Choral Music.
The book is a collection of 15 pieces by Irish composers for unaccompanied mixed choir. The pieces have been selected with the intention of presenting a series of Irish works ranging in difficulty and style that will be suitable for amateur and semi-professional choirs, but also of interest to the wider choral community.
The book is accompanied by a CD recording of the music by the National Chamber Choir of Ireland conducted by its Artistic Director Paul Hillier, as well as performance notes by Anne Barry and Alan Leech intended to aid conductors and singers, whether performing the pieces for the first time or looking for fresh approaches to familiar repertoire.
The project has been realised with funding from The Arts Council/An Chomairle Ealaíon and is an important initiative in the context of the Council’s commitment to realising objectives set out in the choral policy document ‘Raising Your Voice’. The works were composed between 1951 and 2011, marking the first 60 years of the Arts Council. It is the first time all three partners have worked together in an initiative of this kind. The anthology was officially launched by Dinny McGinley T.D. Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht at a reception held at the Arts Council on 18 October.
I have busked my way from Dublin to New York to L.A. and guested with artists including Wallis Bird, Declan O’Rourke, Alabama Three & the Hot House Flowers. Now I feel the time is right to set the ball rolling with my own release!
Debut single – ‘LOVE HATE’ – hits iTunes Digital Stores on Friday 2nd November, 2012.
I recorded my album in Wales, London and Dublin. Highlights of the recordings include…
* Staying up until the early hours writing music on the same piano Freddie Mercury played during the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ sessions.
* Being a big fan of Amy Winehouse, I was delighted to record 4 songs with the string orchestrator & players from ‘Back to Black.’
* I had the pleasure of working with producers Roger Bechirian (Elvis Costello, Bell X1) & Adam Kviman (Eagle Eye Cherry – ‘Save Tonight’; Picturehouse – ‘Everybody loves my girl’) & numerous great musicians.
***Debut album is scheduled for release early Spring 2013***
I consider myself a perfectionist & intensely strive to develop my craft. I have squeezed every last bit of my energy & creative juices into this album & now look forward to taking it on the road & giving it new life!
I enjoy feeding my mind with colour & taking large chunks out of life – I love running marathons whenever my injury-prone legs allow, climbing up ‘big mountains’ and jumping in the Forty Foot.
Academia was one of my strong points – I received a scholarship to study business & legal studies in UCD where I attained a first class honours degree. However, music was always my first love & so here I am!
Live from the Olympia Theatre on Wednesday, 24th October, RTE 2fm will present a frightfully fantastic night of home-grown Irish talent in a bid to raise much needed funds for children’s charity Barnardos.
The RTÉ 2fm Fright Night for Barnardos line-up includes the band who wrote the most played Irish song of 2011, Royseven (We Should Be Lovers); This Club, The Walls, Heathers and Storyfold, plus special guests to be announced.
RTE 2fm’s Hector Ó hEochagain will host the evening along with the Breakfast show crew so expect the usual mix of craic, madness and of course cupla focail as gaeilge.
Tickets are available now from €15 plus booking fee from usual Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. 24 hrs: 0818 719 330 / www.ticketmaster.ie (Phone & Internet bookings subject to 12.5% service charge per ticket (max €6.10) / agents €2.15).
Proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to fund Barnardos work with children and families.
Fright Night for Barnardos is part of a fun filled fundraising week on RTÉ 2fm in support of the charity. The RTÉ 2fm DRESS UP for Barnardos campaign runs from 22nd October through to Halloween with people all over Ireland encouraged to hold a DRESS UP party and donate to the children’s charity.
For more information on RTÉ 2fm Fright Night for Barnardos visit www.2fm.ie/dressup
Dublin singer/songwriter, Corrina Penston, releases her debut single, “Dark Room”, this November. The track, recorded by Joe Chester (The Coronas, Ryan Sheridan) will be available for download on iTunes from 9th November.
“Dark Room” is the first single from Corrina’s debut album which is due for release early next year. A single launch party will take place with Corrina’s full band in Whelans, Wexford St on 7th November 2012.
A charity gig in aid of Goal will take place in 4 Dame Lane this Saturday, 20th October. The gig will celebrate some of Ireland’s rising stars.
“4U Goal” kicks off at 7:30pm and will be streamed live on 2XM 2FM. All funds raised from the event will go towards education and improving services in Uganda through Goal.
The event will see performances from Dave Morrissey, Sinead McNally, Third Smoke, Fun with Ropes, Watson Ace, Soldiers Can’t Dance, Punch Face Champions, Aimée, Jessica Pritzel and Medz, all giving their services free of charge.
Tickets, priced €10 or €8 for students, are available through Ticketmaster.ie or pay at the door on the night.
IMRO members are invited to apply for one of fifteen places at an upcoming workshop – where participants bring their unfinished songs or songs-in-progress for constructive feedback by the other group participants in a supportive atmosphere, for the purposes of learning.
DATE: Saturday 17th November 2012
TIME: 9.30am to 5.30pm
VENUE: Dublin City Centre – venue to be confirmed
Attendance is FREE but BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL and considered on a first come first served basis.
The Stars and Wishes Ireland Songwriting Workshops were started in June 2009 on foot of an IMRO Songwriting retreat in the February of that year. The aim of these workshops is for participants to present their songs (preferrably works in progress) for the group itself to critique, for the purpose of learning and improving the craft of songwriting in a positive constructive way. Participants must bring 2 songs for critique by the rest of the group, using the ‘Stars and Wishes’ method, which will be outlined at the very beginning of the day. Participants must remain for the entire workshop. Songs will be submitted on the day either by CD, or participants should bring their own guitar / keyboard to present their song. Lyrics of the 2 songs should be sent to starsandwishesireland@nullgmail.com by confirmed participants as word or .pdf formats, or else participants can bring their lyrics on memory stick / A4 pages on the day for viewing by others within the group, in order to get the most from the feedback.
Critically acclaimed songwriter and performer Carol Keogh has launched a crowd-sourcing campaign on the Irish website Fundit.ie. The campaign, if successful, will crystallise Keogh’s long-held ambition to record her debut album, ‘Mongrel City’, with her backing band The City Fathers. Crowd-sourcing has become an increasingly viable way for artists to fund projects through pre-sales of work and other rewards. People can visit the project page, view an explanatory video and choose the reward that appeals to them and which best suits their budget. The Irish-based Fundit follows a growing trend set by the US-based Kickstarter and the UK’s Pledgemusic.
As well as the opportunity to pre-purchase the finished album in several formats, Keogh’s reward packages include handwritten lyrics booklets, tailor-made cover versions chosen by the funder and acoustic renditions of songs from her back catalogue with previous bands The Plague Monkeys, The Tycho Brahe and Autamata. Keogh is also a gifted painter and funders can choose to buy bespoke oil paintings created for the individual. Top end rewards include a private live performance and Keogh will even exploit her culinary skills to cook a meal as part of an exclusive evening’s entertainment!
Carol Keogh has been writing and performing since the mid-90s with the aforementioned bands, as well making notable guest appearances on recent albums by Jerry Fish and Sharon Shannon. For the past few years she has been developing the songs for Mongrel City, many of which relate to her home town of Dublin, the mongrel city of the album’s title. Her backing band, The City Fathers, is comprised of multi-instrumentalist and composer Colin J Morris, bass-player and fellow songwriter Elton Mullally (formerly frontman with Brando), guitarist Martin Moran and former Frames drummer Dave Hingerty.
The first in a trilogy of EPs from the duo will be released on 2nd November in the build up to the unveiling of their debut album early in 2013. The three EPs will each reveal a fraction of cover artwork, with an extra piece being revealed with each new release until the entire image finally comes together as the completed album artwork.
Versives are an electronic duo based on the south coast of Ireland. Currently picking up airplay across the USA. Their music has drawn comparisons to the likes of New Order, Depeche Mode, and The Pet Shop Boys. Writing almost exclusively on acoustic guitar and piano has ensured the strength of Versives songwriting. While their studio recordings and live set is very much electronic the strength of the underlying songwriting is what makes Versives stand out from the masses.
Featuring more than 250 events in 70 venues across the city, this represents a dramatic increase in activity for the third year of this event, which takes place November 4-11.
There will be live music in a rich variety of places, including iconic venues such as the Ulster Hall, The Lyric Theatre and The MAC. But there will also be unique moments at Europa Bus Station, Connswater Shopping Centre, HMV record shop, Cultúrlann and the Palm House in Botanic Gardens.
There will be chamber music and hip hop, blues and electronica, talent nights, music exhibitions and traditional sessions.
Some of the highlights include:
A celebratory day at the Ulster Hall, November 10, marking 25 years of electronic music in the city. ‘25’ will feature industry panels and live performances from the likes of Ryan Vail, Defcon and the return of the legendary Orbital after a 20 year absence.
Barry Douglas and Cameratino at the Naughton Room in the Lyric Theatre, November 5. An exceptionally intimate performance, especially arranged for Belfast Music Week, with a programme of Mozart, Brahms, Breval and Mercadante.
Twelve cutting edge bands playing a showcase night at The Limelight, November 8. Admission is free and music industry figures will be flying in to witness the talent.
The premiere of a Two Door Cinema Club film, ‘What We See’ at the QFT, November 5, directed by Gregg Houston.
Lunchtime gigs at HMV Records, Donegall Arcade, November 5-7.
Playbacks of classic NI albums in the Black Box Café each lunchtime, November 5-7.
A night at the former Spires centre, November 6. The ‘In-spired’ concept will present choirs and collaborations with acts such as Katie & The Carnival, Silhouette, Gareth Dunlop and Farriers.
Speaking at the announcement of the program of events, Lord Mayor of Belfast Alderman Gavin Robinson said:
“Hosting last year’s MTV EMAs gave Belfast and its people a sense of belief that we can be a credible musical city, and to see our homegrown talent take their rightful place on a world stage is something we can all be proud of. Belfast Music Week is a celebration of our music, our artists, our industry, our venues and our unique musical community.”
Stuart Bailie, CEO of the Oh Yeah, and Belfast Music Week co-ordinator, added:
“Last year there were 170 events over 45 venues in the Belfast Music Week programme and we’re astonished to see how the venues, bands and promoters have pulled together something even more expansive in 2012. Music continues to define us, to lift us and to energise us.”
For a full list of announced Belfast Music Week events and to purchase tickets visit: www.belfastmusic.org
