Archive for May, 2011

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Tickets There Wants You! Contributors Needed!

Posted in General Tickets There Blog, News with tags , , , , , on May 22, 2011 by Tickets There

  • Love Irish music?
  • Sick of seeing our home grown artists getting passed over for the GaGa’s and Perry’s?
  • Interested in writing?

Tickets There, Ireland’s sexiest music blog, is coming back from the dead and we want you to write for us. We’re looking for contributors willing to give up their free time to help promote and celebrate the hundreds in incredible acts that come out of Ireland every year.

Details and plans are currently being drawn up, but if you’re interested, send us a mail at ticketsthere@hotmail.com and we’ll be happy to share more.

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Congratulations to The Riptide Movement and The Fallen Drakes

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, News with tags , , , , , , on May 20, 2011 by Tickets There

Tickets There would like to wish The Riptide Movement and The Fallen Drakes on landing support slots for Bon Jovi’s two RDS shows in June. The Rip’s will be support the Jov on June 29th and The Drakes will be taking the stage with Bonny on the 30th.

Both bands are former Tickets There MySpace Review subjects and we like to think that it’s fully thanks to us that both bands have managed to carve an incredible reputation on the Irish music scene over the last year. If it wasn’t for TT the whole world would fall apart and this proves it.

If you’re one of those folks that comes here for the so called ‘facts’, then in reality both bands are getting ahead because of their powerful performances and excellent music. We wish them luck in this excellent opportunity to show up the stylings of former Ally Mc Beal cast members and Def Leppard rip-off artists with their incredible energy and talent. Hopefully the thousands of natives in attendance will take note that you don’t have to look across an ocean for decent tuneage.

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JAPE Returns! New Single & Album Details Released

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, News with tags , , , , , on May 20, 2011 by Tickets There

All round musical genius Richie Egan is dusting off the Jape cloak, getting the band together and revving things up for the release of their fourth studio album. Last seen flogging his latest project, VisionAir, he’s now ready to release the follow up to 2008’s Choice Music Price-winning Ritual.

Titled Ocean of Frequency, the album is set to hit stores in September with a brand new double-A side single, titled Hands of Fire / Lying on a Deathbed hitting Irish airwaves on Friday, May 27th.

Tickets There would like to wish Richie and the lads the best of luck with the new record. We’re confident the boys have something exciting up their sleeves and we are looking forward to indulging in the fruits of their labours. Looking forward to some mighty-Jape in 2011!

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West Fest 2011 – A June Bank Holiday to Remember

Posted in Gig Listing, Music, News with tags , , , , , , , , , on May 20, 2011 by goodgutterpress

Tickets There is proud to announce West Fest 2011. This is Mayo’s answer to Oxegen/Electric Picnic but without the mud and traffic jams!

Guaranteed to be Mayo’s biggest music event of 2011, West Fest is a two day event running over the 4th and 5th of June. This will be a bank holiday to remember with the line up including amazing acts such as Imelda May, The Coronas, Republic of Loose, Sharon Shannon Big Band and special guest Damien Dempsey, Ryan Sheridan, Bagatelle, Big Generator, Brush Shiels, The Kilkennys and i102-104 Dj Fergal D’arcy.

Camping will also be available for anybody wishing to attend both nights. And there’s no need to worry about the Irish weather folks, as all the acts are under a Big Top tent which can hold up to 5000 people!   

The line up for the weekend is as follows:

Saturday 4th June: Imelda May, Republic of Loose, Brush Shiels, Big Generator, Microlip, DJ Set Hi Jackers, The Kapitals, R&B’s, The Stunts, Town Crier, Microlip, Key West

Sunday 5th June:  The Coronas, Sharon Shannon, Ryan Sheridan, Bagatelle, The Kilkennys, The Craic, Capture, N’Deed, Leaving Las Vegas, TKO, John & Emma, DJ Fergal D’arcy

West Fest will be located just off the main N17 in Aghamore, Co. Mayo and is only 2 miles from both Knock and Ballyhaunis

For further details go to www.westfest.ie

Tickets available now from www.ticketmaster.ie and they’re going fast!

For more information on accommodation and amenities in the Mayo area, check out www.discoverireland.ie

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It’s Oh so Quiet….

Posted in General Tickets There Blog, Music, News with tags , , , , on May 18, 2011 by Tickets There

This is what happens when you leave the internet for a while, things go arse ways! Yesterday I logged through the phone for a quick peak at the news and what did I discover? One of my favourite Irish Music Blogs, Harmless Noise, is closing down forever. The blogs owner, chief architect and all-round voice of music, Naomi McArdle, has decided to wind down the blog and apparently her writing career for good.

Beginning on the Hotpress blog ‘Off Her Rocker’, Nay started Harmless Noise in 2009 and within a very short space of time, had etched out a highly regarded position for her-self amongst the Dublin music scene. Over the past two years she has strived to find, promote and love as many of our home-grown talents as possible. She always has a good ear (aside from Bats, I won’t give in Nay!) and always set the standard for getting out and going to see these bands in person.

Nay has put up with some hard times over the past two years but the support she’s received from her readers and the bands she strives to promote shows that blogging is beneficial to the music scene, as there are very few main stream outfits who are bothered giving these bands any coverage. Her blog is a bench mark for all serious bloggers if they want to achieve their goal of properly publicizing our own bands and artists. Her unmeasurable hard work and sacrifice to keep the blog going, in good times and bad, is a testament to her love and devotion for Ireland’s music scene.

Of course it wasn’t boredom or lack of interest or love that’s brought Harmless Noise to a close, it wasn’t even the occasional fruitcake that pops up on all blogs at one time or another. Nay has no shortage of love for what she does and is more than capable of handling the masked nastiness of the internet’s troll community. I won’t go into the reasons as it’s not my business and you’re better reading it for yourself on Harmless Noises’ last ever post located here: This Is The Last One I Will Spin   

Harmless Noise will be sorely missed by her friends, her readers but most importantly the bands she worked so hard for. There is now one less credible, hard working source out there to find and write about our music, closing that window of opportunity to younger artists just a little bit more, as if it wasn’t hard enough for them already.

To Nay we say good luck and we hope to see you back soon!

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The Very Best of John Lennon @ The Town Hall Theatre, Galway (Wed 11th May) Theatre Review

Posted in Gig Review, Music on May 17, 2011 by goodgutterpress

On occasions when theatre and pop music have collided the results have not often been pretty. Some things just do not work well together. Automatically We Will Rock You; the jukebox musical based on the songs of Queen springs to mind. Due in part to Bono’s superhero complex, U2s efforts recently to make it on Broadway have also resulted in the doomed theatrical production of Spiderman.  

So as I relaxed in the bar of Galway’s Tall Hall Theatre in anticipation for tonight’s Very Best of John Lennon; (an event inspired by the musician’s life) I couldn’t help but think about what a pantomime based on the life of the famous Beatle would be like and what would Lennon himself make of it.

Whether you see Lennon as some kind of philosopher or activist or simply a surly rocker with a lippy wit his life certainly deserves examination, as he is unquestionably one of the most important cultural icons of the last century.

In the lead up the 30th anniversary of the singer’s death we’ve witnessed some very dubious documentaries and feature films. Most have focused on the killing of Lennon in New York in 1980 or Lennon the activist, but none have touched on the darker sides to Lennon’s character.

Often in death we are immortalised by our good deeds. Society tends to uphold certain aspects of ones character and disregards what is deemed unpleasant. This Waterdonkey production attempts to examine those aspects of Lennon’s life that we don’t often hear about, such as the adulater, the drug addict and poor father. 

Using five actors, the show takes snippets of his life and performs them. The actors use experiences from their own lives to demonstrate how Lennon impacted on them personally. At times they address each other according to their real names and so it’s often a struggle to figure out what characters in the life of Lennon they are referring to.

The production jumps from theme to theme and from one important moment in his life to another. We see John and Yoko on the Dick Cavett Show from the 1970s speaking openly about the effects of drug use. We then jump to Cynthia Lennon witness her coming home to find Yoko dressed in her robe with John looking apologetic.

The infamous killing is also touched on – the production asks; was society at large to blame for the tragic death? But without pause for thought we quickly make another leap in time. For such a significant movement in pop culture history I felt this issue could have been examined with greater detail.

On a whole this is my only qualm with the production. It never inspects any of these themes with the great depth that they deserve. It might have been better to take one aspect, such as the killing or John’s difficult relationship with his son Julian and explore that in its entirety. The piece finishes strongly by looking at what Lennon meant when he said: “Give peace a chance” and poses the question; how can we each bring a little bit more peace into our lives?

The acting here was solid and the set design, although basic, worked perfectly. All in all, this production may leave you feeling confused or you might walk away having learnt a little bit more about the Liverpudlian. But it has to be remembered that John Lennon was only human, with many faults and problems like the rest of us.

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REM – Collapse Into Now (Album Review)

Posted in Album Review, Music with tags , , , , , , , , on May 16, 2011 by goodgutterpress

When drummer, Bill Berry left REM in 1997, lead singer Michael Stipe suggested the band was now ‘a three legged dog’. With Berry off driving a tractor on his Georgian farm the remaining three members motored on in their own right. They decided against recruiting a new drummer and instead hired session musicians for live shows and recordings. However the dynamic making REM such a tight unit in the 1980s and early 90s was lost. This was obvious on 1996s Up and subsequent releases to date. So does their new record Collapse into Now continue a poor run?

The album’s opener Discoverer is one of the bands best offerings of the last decade and is reminiscent of Finest Worksong from their 1989 album Document.

With Stipe’s biting delivery and Peter Bucks searing guitar, All The Best is in the same vein as 2008s Accelerate album. Having often been cast as the elder statesman of indie rock; Stipe chooses to embellish the role as he declares “Let’s give it one more time. Let’s show the kids how to do it”.

REM songs have often used mandolin to good effect e g.  Losing My Religion. Oh My Heart capitalises on the successes of that 1991 hit single. With its memorable chorus and Peter Buck and Mike Mills providing strong backing vocals this is probably the catchiest number of the album and is guaranteed to get good airplay.

Everyday Is Yours to Win is a slow tempo sweat number that drips of sentimentality and leaves a warm feeling in your chest with lines like “I cannot tell a lie it’s not all cherry pie but it’s all there waiting for you”.

Besides its strange title, Mine Smell Like Honey is straight out of the REM textbook, with jangling guitar and lyrics about the vicissitudes of life and our endeavors to overcome them with Stipe claiming we “Dig a hole, dig it deeper and deeper. Climb a mountain, steeper and steeper”.

Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter sees REM in a playful mood. However the results could be passed off as album filler with the only notable point of interest being the addition of Patti Smith on vocals and Lenny Kaye on guitar. From this point onwards it feels as though the album drifts in B-side territory. Songs like That Someone is You and Me Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and Me fail to stand out.

The album ends on a memorable note with Blue which follows the format that we heard on Belong from 1991’s Out of Time with Stipe delivering a rolling monologue over early 1990s guitar licks and Patti Smith playing her part on vocals.

For a band that was the first to be dubbed ‘alternative’ in the early 1980s this album doesn’t break any new ground. It sticks to the same generic REM formula that fans have become accustomed to over the last few decades. That said, with their pop sensibilities, enigmatic frontman and devoted fan base; REM will always do okay in the album stakes. However albums are so often judged by what preceeded them. Released twenty years ago at the height of the REM’s success, Collapse into Now would be cast as a failure, however in 2011 it’s a moderate success.

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ANVIL – Juggernaut of Justice (Album Review)

Posted in Album Review, Music with tags , , , , , , on May 11, 2011 by Tickets There

The Metal Pounder’s membership has been increasing in vast numbers since 2008’s massively acclaimed documentary, Anvil: The Story of Anvil and the release of the band’s fourteenth album, Juggernaut of Justice is sure to keep the fans rolling in. After some success in the early eighties, Anvil’s story took a well documented turn for the worst before a former fan, turned Hollywood screen writer captured the band’s misfortunes, loveable comedic moments and inner band tensions during the recording of their thirteenth album, This is Thirteen. The resulting film has been described as “the greatest film yet made about rock and roll “. Besides the comedy and mishaps, it captured their never say die attitude, hard working mentality and their genuine love for music, despite the numerous obstacles thrown in their path over the decades. Only a very cold, dead inside section of humanity wouldn’t warm to the band after viewing it but for the rest of us, we now have a new Anvil album to bask in!

Juggernaut of Justice is out, it’s loud and it’s as proud as punch. Pounding, ear bleeding heaviness mixed with furious, old skool riffs, solos and teeth grinding vocals. Opening with the monster gorging Juggernaut of Justice and When Hell breaks Loose, the album really hammers it’s point in quick. No messing, no muss – no fuss. The band sound strong, unrestrainable and on fire. While some may criticize the lack of diversity, actual metal fans will bask in the belting riffiage displayed on New Orleans Voo Doo, Fucken Eh!, On Fire and This Ride because they are killer.

In the middle there’s a few repetitions, but it’s all mighty! Not Afraid, Turn It Up and Conspiracy all follow suit to form. No major adventures, but saying that each one packs it’s own ‘hard as nails’ riff core, vengeance seeking lyrics and monster metal arrangements. Not too shabby for Tickets There. Running and Paranormal change the pace a little, adding some layers to the albums closing moments and leaves you with a few choice numbers not to be ignored on repeat plays. Swing Thing is an odd Swing / Metal arrangement that…still confuses us a little. Fun anways!

Anvil have worked to stay in the game and now it’s time for their efforts to come to fruition. Juggernaut of Justice is an excellent album and deserves the attention it’ll surely get from the worldwide metal community.  Every song has its own raw intensity that repeatedly pounds the listener into a disillusioned state. Be warned kids, Juggernaut of Justice should not be tried at home without Lemmy supervision.

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Temple House: More Bands Added & Day By Day Breakdown Released

Posted in Gig Listing, Music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 10, 2011 by Tickets There

The Temple House Music Festival in Co. Sligo edges closer by the day and the organizers have announced hordes of new acts over the past few days that’ll be appearing over the weekend. In additional to that, they’ve also released the day by day breakdown so you’ll have a better idea when you can’t and can’t be unconscious in your tent or wrapped up by all the s**t cool stuff they’ll have waiting for you when ya need a break from the tunes.

Last week, Ryan Sheridan, Sweet Jane, Storyfold, Fighting With Wire, Wiggle, The Amazing Few, 2 Minutes 2 Midnight, Helen Smits and Tommy McNutly were all added to the line-up. They join the likes of Ash, The Walls, The Flaws, Kerbdog, Aslan, Something Happens, The Riptide Movement and many, many more who’ve already been confirmed.

The Festival takes place between June 10th and 12th with several stages, activities, arts and crafts as well as buckets of food and a medieval village to boot. For details about purchasing tickets, Click Here. Please find the full day by day breakdown below,

Friday, 10th June
Bavaria Main Stage: The Late Session with “Wiggle”, Ash, Fighting with Wire, The Walls, The Flaws, The Kanyu Tree, Inteference, 1922’s 
The Music Maker stage: DJ Wool, Arveene & Misk, The Minutes,Pilotlight, Heathers, Readers Wives, Preachers Son, Chuckys River
Acoustic Stage– Walled Garden :  Ryan Sheridan, Niceol Blue, James Humpstown, Tommy McNulty, Lauren Sheeran, Helen Smits,  
Bandwagon TV Stage –Rose Garden: Yngve & The Innocent, Machine Gun Baby, Joy Booth and B & The Honeyboy, On/Off, Michael Stafford 

Saturday, 11th June
Bavaria Main Stage: Late Session – The Amazing Few , Stereo MCs, Whipping Boy, Kerbdog, Stand, Miracle Bell, Shouting at Planes, Landlovers, Hogan, Karma Parking, Redbrick House,Nova Static
The Music Maker Stage: Silent Disco, DSonik, Mike Joyce DJ Set (ex Smiths), Declan O’Rourke, Andy McKee, The Fallen Drakes, Dub Doctor Sound System, Merchants of Fortune, Tim Cobain & band, King Kong Club BOB, Lost Colours
Acoustic Stage– Walled Garden: Rory and The Island, Aisling O’Reilly, The Ball & Chain, Bailer, Wyvern Lingo, Finnian Kelleher, Peter Baldwin
Bandwagon TV Stage – Rose Garden: Henrietta Game, Neptune City, Eugene Donegan, Clive Barnes, Sanszkrit 

Sunday, 12th June
Bavaria Main Stage: Aslan, Something Happens, Lisa Hannigan, Jamie Lawson, CW Stoneking, The Raglans, Storyfold, Tupelo, Sweet Jane, 2Minutes2Midnight,
The Music Maker Stage: Bipolar Empire, Riptide Movement, Oddsocks Revival, Jason Clarke, Roisin O, GMiley & The Soul Street Orchestra, The Barley Mob, Colin Scallan, Electric Penguins, The Hooks, Slap!
Acoustic Stage – Walled Garden:  Mark Black, Hamlet Sweeney, My Bad Self, John Smith, Rhob Cunningham, Stephanie Rainey, Damian Nash, Deirdre Keelan
Bandwagon TV Stage  -Rose Garden :  Paul Crean and the changing band, Saramai & The Swords, A Smile Just Came, Red Queen Contest, Will Kelly, Gog and The Grinders

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Review: Eric Clapton – Live @ The O2, Dublin (May 9th, 2011)

Posted in Gig Review, Music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on May 10, 2011 by Tickets There

Up front and honest, Tickets There have never been very knowledgeable fans of guitar god, Mr. ‘Slowhand’ himself – Eric Clapton. Aside from a handful of standout classics from his long and very illustrious career, we are unfamiliar with the legend on an album to album basis. Not that this interfered with tonight’s show at the O2 Arena however as we were treated to two hours of ‘incendiary’ (all young writers like to stick that word in ever since we all saw Almost Famous – finally justified to use in this instanceJ) guitar playing, amazing musicianship from two of the best key belters you’ll ever find; not to mention the presentation of the entire night. Great showmen will always leave you feeling happy, but inspiring musicians will leave you feeling gobsmacked. Eric is of course the epitome of the latter experience.

Arriving early is a necessity tonight as Mr. Clapton has brought the excellent Andy Fairweather Low and his band, The Low Riders along for the tour. Apparently everyone else feels the same as the Low Riders are greeted by a full house for their guest spot. Andy is best remembered for his time with the British pop rockets, Amen Corner but he’s matured with the years to become a shinning example of excellent live musicianship fuelled by an experienced, seasoned love from blues rock. Andy’s onstage banter and accompanying selection of early rock classics, blues numbers and his own material make for a perfect warm up show. It may have been several decades since Andy last played the capital, but tonight’s reception will surely entice him to visit again soon.

With a short interval for set-up, Eric Clapton and band arrive on stage very unceremoniously to a roaring house. Clapton’s live shows have never focused their performances on gimmicks, theatrics or OOT novelties. Rather they centre on the incredible skill of the performers and tonight is no exception. Backing musicians Willie Weeks (Bass), Steve Gadd (drums) and accompanying singers all provide an excellent rhythm section, while keyboardists Chris Stainton and in particular Tim Carmon,  push things over the edge and nearly steal the show with their awe-inspiring talent and control of their instruments. Of course, no-one in the world is going to upstage tonight’s star! Clapton wastes no time displaying his almost effortless control of the guitar with note perfect performances of Key To The Highway, Going Down Slow and Hoochie Coochie Man. His cover of Bob Marley’s classic ‘I Shot The Sheriff’, thrills greatest hits fans while Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out brings a little happy swagger back into the night.

A man of few words, Eric takes the chair for a number of acoustic tracks including Gary Moore’s Still Got The Blues, When Somebody Thinks You’re Wonderful and a reworked blues version of Layla. Aside from the regular thank-yous, Eric doesn’t communicate much with the crowd but does take the sitting down opportunity to joke he always “dreamed of becoming a DJ”. It may not have landed the laughs that Andy Fairweather Low had managed but it’s enough to show the legend is enjoying himself tonight.

Strapping the electric on, Eric returns to full form for an explosive version of Cream’s classic Badge before blowing the crowd away with a powerful performance of Wonderful Tonight. Of course, no Clapton show would be complete without his classic version of John Cale’s Cocaine which ends the main set and brings the arena to its feet. Just in case the crowd hasn’t yet understood that we’re in the presence of one of the greatest guitarist of all time, the band arrive back for one final blue performance of Crossroads. With that, Eric waves and the band are gone in the same unceremonious fashion they arrived. But they’ve done their job tonight. Crowd happy, TT happy. Now when’s he coming back?

View the SetList @ Swear I’m Not Paul Music BLog

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