Something Tells Me You'd Be Good For Me

Personal Jesus

Which One Of The Two OF Us Is Gonna Burn This House Down?

Jason, Mary and Holy Saint Joseph

His RTE series may not have impressed the critics, but the irrepressible Jason Byrne will shortly be back in the box and on a stage near you

(Don't Fear) The Reaper

United States Of Whatever

Talking Ed

Ed Byrne has just finished a smash-hit series of concerts at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre as part of his hundred-date tour but those who are missing him already can tune into the new Network 2 show Just For Laughs which finds him wearing his TV presenters’ hat. and shades.

Coming out on campus

Trinity College Dublin boasts the oldest Lesbian, Gay and Bi-sexual (LGB) Student Society in Ireland. Society president Tadhg O’Brien explains how and why the group can benefit those who are questioning their sexuality, while students Nasa and Fiona offer some personal experiences of queer college life

Red letter day

Tori Amos’ new album, the acclaimed Scarlet’s Walk, was inspired equally by her joyous pregnancy with daughter Natashya and the tragedy of September 11, which led the singer-songwriter on a musical quest to discover the true soul of America

Mime is money

Reuben is one of the most innovative of the Irish comedy circuit’s new breed, a near-silent comic who’s character-based sketches are combined this month in a brand-new two-hour show. So what’s 98 FM’s funniest comedian got to say for himself then?

Where This Good Life Goes

Whispered vocals skirting around minimal guitar loops, underpinned by glacial electro sweeps and epic female harmonies.

Scarlett's Walk

Her vocal performance over the album as whole may be her most consistent yet and fans of earlier work will quite simply be delighted

What's Your Flava

The Zephyr Song

Down Boy

Conversations With Robots

Watchulookinat

It's A Beautiful Day

In Love

I Am Mine

Breathe

Rise Above

You're The One

Falling Through The Clouds

Long Way Down

Lost Cause

Outtathaway

You Were Right

Paddy Irishman

Paddy Courtney is one of the country’s hardest working stand-ups with hundreds of live gigs under his belt, a lucrative side-line as a warm-up man for Patrick Kielty and Gay Byrne and further plans for a television show which should make him a household name.

Math’s entertainment

Mirthmaker, maths teacher and martial arts expert Dermot McMorrow explains his theory of comedy. baffled? You will be

Boy George, he's still got it

Taking time out from a hectic schedule of stage, studio and club work the one and only Boy George sets the record straight on Eminem, Graham Norton, Elton John and the new homophobia

A Hundred Days Off

It is the more laid-back grooves that typify this new approach with mellower outings echoing the more soporific tracks off Leftfield's Leftism, complete with tribal beats

A Hundred Days Off

It is the more laid-back grooves that typify this new approach with mellower outings echoing the more soporific tracks off Leftfield's Leftism, complete with tribal beats

Big sister

Anna Nolan first shot to fame as one of the stars of the original Big Brother. A lesbian, guitar-playing ex-nun, she has gone on to make an impact as a TV presenter in the UK. Now, she's about to make her Irish debut

Shortt order

With fellow D'unbelievable Jon Kenny temporarily out of commission Pat Shortt has taken to the boards as a solo performer and brings a week-long stint of shows to Dublin's Vicar St. in November

McSavage banter

Dave McSavage is one of Ireland's newest, funniest and most challenging comedians to emerge on the circuit in recent months, combining improvised guitar musings with audience laceration. "But i just want them to like me," says Dublin's most dangerous stand-up

The Gentle Art Of Choking

Personality

Loaded

Round Round

Everyone Says Hi

Hands Around My Throat

Roots

Extreme Ways

Papa Don't Preach

Hoops And The Mafia

Streets Of London

Walking Dead

Too Bad

The grateful head

Fresh from his recent success with the Xpress-2 collaboration 'Lazy', David Byrne reflects on a musical journey that began in 1977 with the legendary Talking Heads

Simon says

As the Bachelor's Walk team start shooting the second series of the hit comedy-drama, actor Simon Delaney, who played easygoing if indolent barrister Michael, insists that the show's success hasn't changed him at all. Unfortunately. But can he tell us what's afoot in series two?

Cheesy listening

Dublin anarcho-pop five-piece The Camembert Quartet have just released their debut album Music Is War, but with song titles such as 'Boybands Are C**ts' it's unlikely they'll be joining westlife on tour

A date with Destiny

Not content with her million selling success with Destiny's Child, Beyonce Knowles has just released a solo single 'Work It Out' from the Austin Powers - Goldmember soundtrack and is shortly to release a debut solo album

Gospel according to Michelle

Jazz gags

David O'Doherty on why comedy should aspire to be the new jazz

Scouse Proud

The Liverpool Comedy Festival 2002 saw a significant number of Irish acts - including Neil Delamere, Eddie Bannon and Dara O'Briain - appearing alongside such notables as Johnny Vegas, Ross Noble and many others, all hoping to create an annual comedy-fest to rival Kilkenny and Edinburgh

The Goldsbury blend

The Edinburgh-bound prodigal prodigy James Goldsbury explains his obsession with the naff world of advertising

Every Single Day

You Don't Wanna

My Love

Lysine

Wherever You Will Go

I Get Along

Something's Got To Give

Screaming At The Trees Vs. Irene

Land Of A Million Drums

Let Me Be The One

Move It Like This

You Are My Joy

Party

So Different/Buffalo

The Bass EP

Get Over You

Laughing stock

We salute some of the personalities and programmes that have shaped Ireland's comedy landscape

Beets international?

Dr Sean Millar is back with an acclaimed new album, this time accompanied by The Beet Club, displaying a recently acquired maturity in both music and lyric. Yet he tells Stephen Robinson that he's happy to be still growing up

Always Coming Home

Millar retains his own distinctive edge throughout, ensuring he can experiment with pop, folk and country styles yet keep a singular thread weaving through the album

Top cats

This year's Murphy's Kilkenny Cat Laughs festival features a strong line-up of both Irish and International acts that includes some old favourites and a smattering of Kilkenny virgins. Below we offer some top tips from the Laughlines' Cat Laughs Comedy Card. Ladies and gentlemen place your bets...

Ten Of Swords

While Marc Carroll is definitely possessed of a considerable talent, this solo outing unfortunately sees him spreading it too thinly over writing, playing and production duties

Emo-tional white male

US Stand-up Emo Phillips is one of the star attractions at this year's Murphy's Kilkenny Cat Laughs festival which takes place from May 30th-June 3rd. Stephen Robinson is amused

Cat's entertainment

The Murphy's Cat Laughs Comedy Festival returns to Kilkenny from May 30th-June 3rd. This year's line-up includes the cream of Irish and International stand-up talent and a plethora of extra attractions

You Beauty

Kevin Rowland, whose Dexy's Midnight Runner's album Don't Stand Me Down has just been re-released in a radically new version tells Stephen Robinson "Never say never" when asked about a possible Dexy's reunion

Doctor Syntax - Edwyn Collins

Edwyn Collins is one of pop music's nice guys, a solid second-division player that typifies the virtues of consistency and reliability while occasionally displaying flashes of brilliance

Sorry Skin EP

Good Evans

From punk rock to slapstick stand-up to having a jar with Matt Dillon and Cameron Diaz, it's been an upward curve all the way for Lee Evans. "But I still can’t make a cup of tea," he tells Stephen Robinson

Laughlines: 8 April 2002

It seems that Brendan Courtney's star is in the ascendent at RTE following his rather excellent presenting job on that network's 40 year’s Of Presenters show

The life of Riley

Liverpudlian Comedian Brendan Riley visits Dublin and Galway in April. but sharp-eyed soap-addict Stephen Robinson thinks we've seen his face before...

Release

This is a quintessential Tennant and Lowe album and among the best of their creations

Goon but not forgotten

Stephen Robinson looks back at the career of Spike Milligan and gets Irish reaction to the death of the comic genius

The full Montgomery

Flora Montgomery is one of Ireland's brghtest stars of stage and screen. She may have achieved a career high as the curvaceous criminal lead in When Brendan Met Trudy. But, as Stephen Robinson discovered, you don’t want to ask her about her nude scenes

Laughlines: 11 March 2002

At last, Caesar, news from our legions in the North... Empire comedy club regular Patrick McGaughey recently visited the International's Comedy Cellar where he easily won over that most discerning of audiences with a flawless routine

Everybody Hertz

Everybody Hertz is an album of re-mixes of three selected tracks from the previous album, mixed by luminaries such as Daft Punk's Thomas Banghalter, Mr Oizo, Malibu, Adrian Sherwood, Modjo, The Neptunes and the Hacker

Swing when you're wedding

Stephen Robinson meets Paths To Freedom creators Ian Fitzgibbon and Michael McElhatton to discuss their latest collaboration Fergus' Wedding, a comedy that looks at Dublin's growing swingers scene

Laugh Lines: 25 February 2002

It seems that two of Galway's finest comedy venues have come to an agreement about how to maximise the entertainment in the Tribal city Brendan Burke has branched out into the promotions game and is hosting a series of comedy gigs in Gibney’s of Malahide on Friday evenings

The reel deal

Julia Roberts has appeared in almost 30 feature films. Stephen Robinson lists her releases and takes a closer look at some pivotal projects.

Romeos & Julia

She may have a reputation as an actress who has a penchant for getting romantically involved with many of her leading men, but Julia Roberts is guarded about her personal life. She has been romantically linked to Matthew Perry, Daniel Day Lewis and Pat Manocchia, a friend of the late John F Kennedy Jr. among others, but she is constantly surrounded by a loyal staff, whose job it is to preserve her privacy. However, she has been involved in some very public liaisons, as Stephen Robinson reports.