While Dracula 2001 is by no means as godawful as some other entries from the Wes Craven Presents… cano, it is still terrifically unaccomplished, and highly unlikely to inspire round-the-clock vigils outside the nation’s plexes
On 25 August 2001 - twenty years after first appearing there in support to Thin Lizzy - U2 play Slane Castle. NIALL STOKES reflects on the extraordinary journey that has led up to this historic, and beautiful, day
Somebody up there likes us -that's for sure! Slane Castle 4pm on Saturday 25th August 2001 and the sun is shining down through deep blue skies like it hasn’t done all summer.
Currently on the comeback trail following 2002’s much under rated I To Sky LP, Mark Greaney and co have gone on a New Order kick. Pushed along by synthesizers and with a thumping bassline from new member Sarah Fox, ‘She’s Gone’ is vaguely reminiscent of the Mancunians' 2001 hit ‘Crystal’, particularly in its conclusion.
2001 Hot Press/Bacardi Plugged champions Woodstar nail down publishing contract, UK agent, cushy support tour and Parlophone EP deal. Wood you believe it!
“Where were you last night?” asked the ol’ man. “We played a concert in Trinity College. “How did it go?” “Well,” I said, we had a bit of trouble from a few 16 year olds in the audience. “You weren’t very polite yourself at 16!” he replied.
This quintet of serious young men came together in 2001, by which time its then 23-year-old founder, fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada, had already made a trio album..
The 20 recordings on this 70-minute CD were made between 1997 and 2001 at the piping festival held each November under the auspices of the Armagh Pipers’ Club.
Recorded in Italy on September 11th 2001, this live album (and soundtrack to an upcoming DVD) presents more or less the same show in a similar format. But what started out as an end-of-tour celebration for the former Policeman turned into an emotion-filled requiem for the events that had taken place hours before.
While their fortunes may have faded since Jamiroquai last swung on by in 2001, there’s no sign of it in The Point tonight, the very venue they previously visited.
It has become a very prevalent 2001 trend to infuse house music with ’80s synths and vocodered vocals. Daft Punk returned in March with Discovery – which was either underwhelming retro or pop genius depending on how much of a purist you deem yourself to be.
Gorillaz are, in many ways, the pub conversation that went too far. On the back of a beer-mat, it’s certainly a perky conceit: a comic-strip band whose songs muddle genres with cartoonish chutzpah.
In execution however, Damon Albarn’s pet endeavour has too often tended towards debilitating smugness. Toxically pleased with itself, Gorillaz’s self-titled 2001 debut felt like an open-top tour of Albarn’s ego.
Pierce Turner is to perform his 2001 album 3 Minute World in its entirety for the time ever at The Courtyard Piano Bar in Leixlip, Co Kildare on Thursday July 30.
Staying true to their post OK Computer resolution to minimise touring to a bare but intimate handful, Oxford’s most revered sons have chosen to play one single English date in 2001...
2001 looks like it could be Murray Richardson’s year; the winner of Muzik’s ‘Bedroom Bedlam’ competition, this new mix for Kickin proves that he has what it takes to rise to the premier league.
2001 looks like it could be Murray Richardson’s year; the winner of Muzik’s ‘Bedroom Bedlam’ competition, this new mix for Kickin proves that he has what it takes to rise to the premier league.
For her first album since 2001, Colvin’s co-written nine of the album’s 13 tracks with producer John Leventhal, and her guests, including Patty Griffin, Marc Cohn, Teddy Thompson and ace pedal steel Greg Leisz, give the album an overall country/folk/rock feel.
Nikka Costa’s 2001 single ‘Like A Feather’ was one of the year’s best – a sassy, funky slice of minimalist pop that provided its creator with a deserved worldwide smash.
When she debuted in 2001, the then-20-year-old New Yorker Alicia Keys had a soulfulness well beyond her years, an authoritative piano style that recalled gospel churches in Harlem as much as it did Tchaikovsky and Chopin, an earthy, street-accented, dark-chocolate contralto and an unusually acute emotional understanding of what gave old-school soul records (by Marvin, Stevie and Reverend Al) their magic.
In the instant world of pop music, it would be fair to say that life can be a bit of a rollercoaster – as some of our homegrown teenybop maestros discovered in 2001. But WESTLIFE and SAMANTHA MUMBA are still riding high.
BY STEPHEN ROBINSON
Accompanied by images from his photo diary, DONAL DINEEN takes us through a month-by-month guide to the records that kept himself, and the Today FM faithful happy in 2001
A glimpse into Glen Hansard’s tour diary while on the road with The Frames' fourth album For The Birds (2001) - including reflections on their first landmark Olympia show (March 30th, 2001)
A hit album, critical acclaim, sell-out shows… everything was going swimmingly for DAVID KITT until a sunday paper made serious allegations about him and his Government Minister Dad. In a gloves-off interview with COLIN CARBERRY, Kittser responds to his detractors and explains why, despite the journalistic flak, 2001 has been a great year
Whilst the media are content to ignore the moral ambiguities we encounter in the everyday world, in real life objective truth is a good deal more difficult to establish.
what good was rock’n’roll in 2001? No good at all – and yet we couldn’t have got through without it.
Peter Murphy reflects on a year in which some old codgers stood up to be counted and many of us lived “on songs and hope”
At the end of another eventful year, Andrea Corr takes time out to reflect on life, death, love, health, music and her role, off-stage and on, in the family that plays together. Interview: Niall Stokes
With the new publication in book form of a collection of his newspaper columns, the Sinn Féin president addresses matters both personal and political. Here he offers further thoughts on Omagh, death threats and the peace process as well as on music, his late mother, his own family and his vision of a private life beyond politics.
He s the Godfather of TV-Astronomy. He s not only the size of a minor planet, he even has one named after him. He knows all the secrets of Life, the Universe and Everything. He is Patrick Moore. And now he tells Andy Darlington about his Flying Saucer Close Encounter , his musical input into 2001: A Space Odyssey, why there are no Skating Rinks on the Moon and much more groovy cosmic stuff
Memories of the Suns of Arqa are fond indeed, mostly stemming from long summer days and nights spent in a field somewhere listening to their mighty global dub sounds.
Awards by the dozen, celebrities wall-to-wall, gobsmacking world exclusives and of course, great music: it can only be the Hot Press Irish Music Awards. Only 24 hours to go - here's how it's all shaping up
Set those VCRs, folks: Network 2 screens the last-ever episode of No Disco this Saturday, May 10th. Don't forget the exclusive band-designed video sleeve, free in this issue of Hot Press
Lab Results is a remix collection of AtJazz's debut album from last year, and, though many of the remixes don't stray far from the Mantis blueprint, there are a number of interesting deviations
Alanis Morissette [right], Bob Geldof, The Chieftains, Dolores O'Riordan, The Divine Comedy, Katie Melua, Kila and Maire Brennan are among the first batch of acts to be confirmed for Beautiful Night, a free cross-border musical spectacular taking place on Saturday May 1.
Laughlines was pleased to be among the invited comedy glitteratti at the final of RTE’s New Comedy Awards. Catherine Maher's latest project is a sit-com for RTE television based around the myths and legends of ancient Ireland which should be broadcast in late 2002.Corkonian comic Michael Mee takes his latest one-man-show to his native city when he visits the Lobby Bar for one night only on Sunday, November 25th.
More fab new Volta and Road Relish releases, additional servings of The Jimmy Cake, Nick Drake getting a Tongue-lashing and Adrian Crowley blowing horns and screaming louder
WE TOLD YOU so dept. As revealed last month in hotpress, Radiohead journey to Belfast on September 14th for a show at the 8,000-capacity Odyssey Arena.
The odds on Madonna playing Slane on the weekend of August 28/29 have shortened considerably with the singer confirming a third London date at Wembley Arena on August 22.
Three years and numerous side-projects on from the somewhat underwhelming TNT, Tortoise have regrouped to lend a new clarity and warmth to the Chicago underground.
It’s probably not the most cerebrally challenging album in world history, but what they lack in slow-burning substance, they make up for in serotonin-inducing, anthemic treats that you crave when you should be on a strict diet of Bob Dylan and Arcade Fire.
From child actress to Emmy and Oscar-winning veteran, Helen Hunt exhibits Streep-like intelligence and versatility. She's now about to make her directorial debut with Then She Found Me.
Intially conceived as the third single release from Amnesiac, the project gloriously mutated into another 40 minute goody bag akin to the extended Airbag/How Am I Driving? package.
30th Anniversary Retrospective: Have a look at what Hot Press has chosen as its favourite albums throughout its 30 years - and vote for your favourites!
In the new Hot Press, Larry Sanger challenges comments made by his former Wikipedia co-worker Jimmy Wales, who insists that he founded the site on his own.
The Dears seem set to storm Europe with their second offering, the literary and apocalyptic No Cities Left, a cinematic symphony about the death of one world and the birth of another.
The highlight of the year – and probably the decade – was scamming a trip to Havana to see the Manic Street Preachers do their live thing in front of Fidel Castro
Meteor Music Award nominee Maria Doyle Kennedy is finally giving a full release to her 2005 Skullcover album, which has previously only been available through her website.
Established fans will be glad to hear Elbow’s sound further maturing; newcomers will hopefully realise that this particular seldom-seen-kid should definitely be heard.
He may have a touch of the singer-songwriters about him, but there's no whining, no introverted self-absorbtion, and no miserable-ism surrounding New Yorker David Mead.
British ambient maestros Zero 7 were one of a plethora of groups to seize on the fresh stylistic blueprint provided by Air’s Moon Safari, and use it to further explore the new realm of dreamy soundscapes so brilliantly realised by Messrs Dunckel & Godin.
Just confirmed to play support for the 22-20's, Mainline are enjoying some major label attention. Plus: Derry band Red Organ Serpent Sound sign to Universal.
Everywhere I Go The Kids Want To Rock. Trouble is, they’re turning in droves to punk-pop-by-numbers bands like Blink 182, Limp Bizkit, Ween, and now Wheatus, for teenage kicks.
Frontman John Conneely sings with a maturity and world-weariness that belies his relative youth, expertly backed by guitarist Eoin McCann, who plays his six strings with Joycean musical trickery.
Need help, advice or a second opinion? Put your music industry question to the oracle@hotpress.ie.
This fortnight, Anne from Belfast less us that recently played on almost every track of an album for a good friend but is only receiving a once-off session fee. She wants to know if she is entitled to a royalty like the rest of the band members, and if so, how does she go about doing this.
Riot On An Empty Street is perfect late night, post-pub or club fare, with nary a voice raised in anger throughout its 12 songs. That said, despite the fact that they don’t beat you around the head with toe-tapping melodies, there is something quietly compelling and gently addictive about this album.
If Barry White is the Walrus Of Love then LL’s the leader of the orang-tang clan, a knuckle-dragging braggart with a lucrative line in greasy pole-dancing steps.
The relative silence of rock stars in relation to Bush’s war on Iraq has been both morally repugnant and revealing. Even Ireland’s officially designated “humanitarians” Geldof and Bono choose to focus more on the issue of Third World Debt...
Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space. A few tracks into Air’s stunning show at the Olympia and the redoubtable Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel are already gently elevating us to a higher plane of consciousness.
The thing about Slayer is, you always know what you’re going to get. Give or take a couple of fan-dividing diversions (based on something as radical as slowing down a touch), Slayer have been making the same record for 25 odd years now.
"I have to play it safe at the moment," said wayward chef and entrepreneur Conrad Gallagher in a Hot Press interview last September. "Not much messing around this year." How poignant an instance of speaking too soon, can you get?
"I have to play it safe at the moment," said wayward chef and entrepreneur Conrad Gallagher in a Hot Press interview last September. "Not much messing around this year." How poignant an instance of speaking too soon, can you get?
With their debut album having sold a quarter of a million copies and being nominated for the Mercury prize, expectations were high for Athlete’s follow-up album, Tourist. But as frontman Joel Potts explains, the group are in it for the long haul.
Never ones to rest on their laurels, The Native Tongues trailblazers, ’80’s survivors and self-described “students of hip hop” have re-emerged with all guns blazing, hoping to recover their mantle as the true guardians of the genre (like you haven’t heard that before). The good news for De La fans is that they have managed exceedingly well.
Just how far do you think you can push it tonight? Choose your poison, your company, your floor space and let human nature take its course to wherever… And no matter how high or low you’ve managed to take yourself or anyone else, on the available evidence Oisin Lunny has beaten you there already.
From sharing cheeseburgers to sharing a bill with Korn and Puddle Of Mudd, it’s been a big year for Geffen signingsTrust Company, and they’re loving every minute of it
Alanis Morissette, Bob Geldof, The Chieftains, Dolores O'Riordan, The Divine Comedy, Katie Melua, Kila and Maire Brennan are among the first batch of acts to be confirmed for Beautiful Night, a free cross-border musical spectacular taking place on Saturday May 1.
Boasting a truly diverse line-up that united house music in all its various hues, as well as some good old fashioned rave attitude courtesy of Orbital, this was an extravaganza that lived up to the hype.
Snow Patrol’s former record company, Jeepster, cash in on the band’s newfound success by re-releasing their Songs For Polarbears and When It’s All Over We Still Have To Clear Up albums in expanded form.
Following a decision to cease broadcasting rather than risk being raided, Phantom FM issue a press statement about this week's Dublin pirate radio crackdown
The Divine Comedy return to the live arena in September and have recorded several tracks for a new album 'that's going to be fab', according to the ever-immodest Neil Hannon
Amarantine is Enya’s first full-length album in five years. Fans of the ethereal chanteuse will be thrilled with it – and, in this reviewer’s opinion, it’s her finest to date.
Choice Cuts are a promotional collective specialising in hip hop, soul and funk gigs around Ireland since 2001. Now, as mainman Mark Murphy explains, they're on the verge of starting a regular residency in London and launching a label.
Having dropped the earth shatteringly magnificent long player, Happy Songs For Happy People, the 'Gwai are currently riding a wave of massive critical acclaim and audience adulation. The stage is undoubtedly set for a jaw dropping, space age sonic odyssey - just be sure to prime your ears for a gale force blizzard, folks. This is one band who most definitely set the amps to 11. Archive interview, 2001: We talk to the band
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a Historic Irish Pop Moment. No. 1 DJ in the Hot Press Readers' Poll? says Tom Dunne to Dave Fanning. I'll have that, cheers...
Opening our U2 special, DERMOD MOORE catches up with ADAM CLAYTON during the UK leg of the Elevation tour, and delves deep into the physics of music celebrity, politics and, er, penises
A remake of Sharkey’s Machine, itself a lesser entry in the Burt Reynolds canon, which is quite some accomplishment.
Soon enough, we’re in familiar territory as we encounter a corrupt governor, crooked screws and the inevitable organised football game.
"Such are the pitfalls of being a celebrity chef," mused Olaf Tyaransen last year, in his interview with superstar hash-slinger Conrad Gallagher. "You don't get judged on your food. You get judged on your judgments..."
Dublin art-rockers Rollers/Sparkers are currently earning critical garlands for their debut EP, Geography For The Leaving erudite band member, John McMahon, here holds forth on the local music scene and forsaking academia for rock’n’roll.
It’s a rags to riches fairytale of Disney proportions, but winning the overall prize in the Global Battle of the Bands contest, a world tour and E85,000 is just part of Kopek’s story.
Anti-folk graduate and New Jersey native Nicole Atkins' debut album Neptune City is a beguiling mix of Roy Orbison, Loretta Lynn and Jenny Lewis's bangs. Just don't mention The Boss.
He’s remixed Franz Ferdinand, Mylo and Radio 4, and released one of the most innovative titles of recent years in 2001’s It Rough. Now Robi Insinna, aka Manhead, is set to take his music to a larger audience with his eponymously titled new album.
Limerick thrashmeisters Giveamanakick's third album Welcome To The Cusp is the product of ten days of cabin fever in Donegal. No wonder it sounds wet 'n' wild.
Far from the miserable pessimist of lore, eels frontman Mark Everett, aka E, is in fact an upbeat, sanguine character with an engagingly wry sense of humour. He here talks to Paul Nolan about The Eels’ extraordinary new double album, Blinking Lights And Other Revelations, being inspired by Stanley Kubrick, collaborating with Tom Waits, why his dog couldn’t make it out on tour, and slapping Steve Jones’ backside.
Unintentionally funniest meeja moment of the year came when Eoghan Harris attacked Fintan O’Toole and Robert Fisk in the Sunday Independent directly beneath the logo “War On Terror”
He’s best known for his bout of fisticuffs with Jack White but nowadays it’s the dire situation of his native Detroit that is foremost on the mind of The Von Bondies’ Jason Stollsheimer.
Northern rockers Therapy? are back in the saddle with their tenth studio album Never Apologise, Never Explain – and as Andy Cairns tells Tanya Sweeney, their rabble rousing punk ethic remains as sharply ingrained as ever.
Many of these gorgeous songs, which are steeped in mournful pedal steel (especially the thematically representative ‘Sex, War and Robots’) and couched in intricate arrangements, deal directly with broken relationships and war.
It sounds like a car-crash waiting to happen – a Southern California garage band channelling psychedelic Cambodian pop. In fact, DENGUE FEVER are one of the most beguiling new acts to pop up on the radar recently.
They're flagbearers for the 'new eccentric' scene and the toast of the fashion set. So what are These New Puritans doing writing songs about Michael Barrymore?
Interviews, reviews, images, videos and more....
hotpress.com documents the rise and rise of Ireland-adopted folk phenomenon DAVID GRAY in an exclusive microsite
They've earned a reputation as catfighting divas. But in person Sugababes turn out to be absolute sweethearts. New 'bab' Amelle Berraba talks about fame and dodging the papparazi.
Having scored success with their TV series Pure Mule, director Declan Recks and playwright Eugene O’Brien have re-teamed for this fine award-winning drama.
They’ve turned their back on breezy pop production and embraced a soulful, indie groove. Belle And Sebastian talk about the making of what might just be their finest record to date.
While some white label mixes are illegal, Belgian outfit Soulwax have gone through an arduous process in order to licence the music featured on their 'legal bootleg' album 2 many DJs, as Eamon Sweeney reports
Staten Island-born writer and musician Kim Porcelli worked in the City Arts Centre in Dublin before joining the Hot Press team as a writer in 2000 and then becoming Content Editor of hotpress.com.
The Frames formed Plateau Records to release their For The Birds album which subsequently went platinum in Ireland. The band’s manager, Claire Ledbitter describes the adventure of going the indie route
Superstars, rock stars, movie stars, sports stars, tv stars, authors, actors, artists, comedians, politicians, broadcasters, astrologers, chefs, outlaws, weirdoes, dingbats and Lee Scratch Perry...
The producers of choice for everyone from Justin Timberlake to Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are also earning plaudits for their rock and hip-hop influenced side project, N*E*R*D
FOR A band capable of composing such cockle-warming ballads as 'The Universal' and 'To The End', there's always been something innately stand-offish about Blur. At worst, this quality manifested itself in the smug observations of British Lotto culture that made up the bulk of 1995's The Great Escape, a work largely flawed by champagne-fatigue and a lack of compassion for its subjects.
Disused Mexican banks, Little Britain, Pete Doherty and drunken Sky TV appearances are all on the agenda as Paul Nolan and his temperamental tape machine meet Carl and Didz from Dirty Pretty Things.
The cheeky chappie that is Robbie Williams promised to return at some point this year to play a free show after what he thought to be a sub-standard gig at Croke Park. It wasn't *that* bad, but hell, never say no to free stuff.
The Church's tide may have ebbed, but its judgmentalism, fundamentalism and puritanical finger-pointing have been assimilated by the secular bodies of media and government.
It takes an artist of supreme confidence to record an entire album of cover versions. Maria Doyle Kennedy has courage in spades, and Skullcover is a subtly seductive record.
Bounding between genres, Derry rocker Andrew Ferris would seem to suffer from the best sort of attention-deficit disorder. And he also has his own label.
Stepping out with Katie Melua has provided ample inspiration for Kooks frontman Luke Pritchard, who isn’t above sending himself up in song or indeed chronicling embarrassments in the bedroom. words Ed Power
Non, merci, say continentals, you can keep your U2s, your Oases and your Robbie Williamses... Dundalk's finest The Corrs are officially the "best-selling group in Europe"
Hip Hop guru, political activist and occasional visitor to Inishturk, Speech tells Paul Nolan why his group are still as relevant in the 21st century as they were during their mid ‘90s heyday.
Having undergone a punishing regime of drink, drugs and debauchery during Guns N’ Roses’ heyday, few thought that iconic guitar-slinger Slash would ever again venture out into the mainstream rock arena. But having put together a motley crew of collaborators in Velvet Revolver, he’s now back at No. 1 in the album charts and rocking harder than ever.
Spare a thought for Julian Casablancas. His bandmates having flown the nest to do their own side-projects, he’s confessed to feeling, well, at a bit of a loss these days. To fill those empty days, the lead singer for The Strokes has embarked on a solo career of his own. Edwin McFee catches up with the frontman on the eve of the release of Phrazes For The Young and finds out all about the record that he never thought he’d make. Plus, Casablancas also reveals why he doesn’t miss his old sparring partners one bit.
Whether it's a four-minute love song about a caress that lasts ten seconds, a journey through the universe in a silver plane or a simple escape form war, Air promise that you'll never have a bad trip with their music. Danielle Brigham talks to Jean-Benoit Dunckel, one half of the enigmatic French duo.
Ten, nine, eight… we count down the contenders for 2003. Words Hannah Hamilton, Colin Carberry, Niall Stokes, Richard Brophy, John Walshe, Eamon Sweeney and Stuart Clark
An Irish band who don’t entirely fit in at home, Relish can console themslves with a great new album Karma Calling, and an international fanbase that stretches from the U.S. to Japan.
An Irish band who don’t entirely fit in at home, Relish can console themslves with a great new album Karma Calling, and an international fanbase that stretches from the U.S. to Japan.
Along with the voice, Fox has the attitude and substance to pull off a certain element of repetition in Messy. However she doesn’t quite dodge the usual pitfall of the genre, and has a tendency to lapse into Ali-G style faux-ghetto posturing.
Black Francis talks to Hot Press about his friendship with U2, his relationship with the rest of the Pixies and why he's reverting back to his original stage-name.
His good humour apparently unblunted by years of drug addiction, Aslan’s Christy Dignam talks about heroin, sexual abuse and his belief in the redemptive power of music.
Having come to prominence as an Oscar-standard character actor in films such as American Beauty, Adaptation and Capote, straight-shooting Chris Cooper now plays America’s worst ever spy in Breach
After laying At The Drive-In to rest, two of their members have put together another outfit who are determined to push back the boundaries of modern music. In a far-ranging interview, Peter Murphy talks to The Mars Volta about reincarnation, hanging out with the Chili Peppers and their Hispanic roots.
Massive Attack explain why they are outspoken opponents of the proposed war in Iraq, give high praise to Sinéad O’Connor and reveal how a porn soundtrack left them gasping for airtime.
With the release of their hugely impressive Turbulence album, LA/Irish outfit Saucy Monky have emerged as genuine contenders. As the critical plaudits continue to mount up, twin lead vocalists and songwriters Cynthia Catania and Annmarie Cullen step up to the mic.
In an exclusive interview, LARRY SANGER - widely credited as co-founder of Wikipedia - takes issue with a number of comments made by ex-colleague Jimmy Wales in Hot Press recently, and explains why his new online encyclopedia, Citizendium, will eventually conquer cyberspace.
IRMA, the Irish Recorded Music Association, has welcomed Friday’s decision from the High Court in Dublin, to compel a number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to release the names of the 17 individuals engaged in serial file sharing of music.
Certain UK publications at the start of the year stacked a lot of chips on Rilo Kiley’s More Adventurous being the breakthrough album of 2005. This faith, it turned out, was based more on the U.S four piece’s previous rap sheet than the dubious quality of the new L.P.
If that figure easing down the road looks strangely familiar then that s because it s WILL OLDHAM under yet another nom de plume. EAMON SWEENEY reports
You cook them, we serve them up in the Q&A cantina. At the table to answer the questions posed, in our second serving this fortnight, by members of hotpress.com: Ash
Not only do the FAI's own figures show that they do not need the Sky TV money but relying on television revenue to develop football in the current climate is a risky strategy
Bertie Ahern lied in public about his finances - but is still looked on with fondness by the public. What does this say about our attitudes towards wrongdoing?
Since the release of their sophomore album Antics late last year, New York goth-rock quartet Interpol have risen to the pantheon of great contemporary bands. In a rare in-depth interview, the group’s erudite frontman Paul Banks here discusses the making of Antics, their upcoming support slot with U2, the band’s peers in the NYC indie scene, The Strokes, Nirvana and David Lynch - and where one of the most acclaimed groups of recent years go to from here. Interview by Paul Nolan.
The best electro-rock outfit since KLF or this year's Sigue Sigue Sputnik? The jury's still out, but Fischerspooner's Casey Spooner tells us he's more than just a cheap stunt
A new era begins for Irish record distribution as showband svengali Mick Clerkin, Noel Cusack of Chart Records, and RMG's Peter Kenny join forces to form RMG Chart Entertainment Ltd
It is hardly a surprise to learn that the fifth Super Furry Animals’ album was due to be christened Text Messaging Is Killing The Pub Quiz As We Know It.
Music Review | Live
23% | 20 Apr 2004
Hannah Hamilton
“How many motherfuckers love Obie Trice?” yells Detroit’s latest Sultan of Bling, as he struts across the stage at Dublin’s Ambassador.
The dream team behind zombie revivalist hit 28 Days Later – director Danny Boyle, screenwriter Alex Garland and ace thespian Cillian Murphy – reunite for a metaphysical speculative spectacle.
They may not be that just yet but if current plans for global domination go according to the script Linkin Park will be very soon. Stuart Clark travels to London to hear the band’s new album Meteora and finds that American rock’s hottest property are surrounded by the kind of security normally reserved for Michael Jackson
Their debut album Hopes And Fears launched a host of hit singles, going on to become one of the most successful British records of the past five years. But, their indie background notwithstanding, Keane have still been dismissed by some self-styled aficionados as just too nice to be considered real rock'n'rollers. "If only people knew," says lead singer Tom Chaplin.
Back in the saddle with their eagerly anticipated second album Demon Days, subversive animated quartet Gorillaz here talk to Paul Nolan about striking out against celebrity culture, what went wrong with the Gorillaz movie, collaborating with Shaun Ryder, Roots Manuva and Dennis Hopper, and why they didn’t vote Labour. Oh, and Mexican brothels.
Metallica are back with an album that recaptures their brain-frying '80s pomp. Frontman James Hetfield talks about the dark side of hedonism and his love of Thin Lizzy.
With the launch of a commemorative series of Irish postage stamps celebrating four of the nation's most important rock legends, we revisit some of the seminal moments in the careers of Phil Lynott, Rory Gallagher, Van Morrison and - first - U2
A real humdinger of a noisefest which firmly refutes charges of noodling self-indulgence and stays well wide of any meandering musical cul de sacs, apart from the very best kind
With Oscar hysteria in the air, Tanya Sweeney recalls the night she “gate-crashed”
hollywood a-list party – and survived to tell this tale of beauty and the beasts.
They are one of the most interesting and enigmatic groups in rock. They are also one of the biggest, with a string of multi-million selling albums to their credit. But they don’t like interviews much, making themselves available for only a handful in Europe to coincide with the release of their new album Around The Sun. Once Peter Buck sits down opposite a microphone, however, a different face of REM reveals itself, as he talks eloquently about life, family, downloads, air rage, Iraq, Bush – and The Thrills.
The Kooks' first album was a million-selling sensation. As they unleash the long-awaited sequel, frontman Luke Pritchard talks about the death of his father, his feud with television presenter Simon Amstell and much more...
He may have ranked among the biggest-selling artists in the world in 2002 – but the ambition that has driven Eminem to pop’s dizziest heights shows no sign of abating with the release of his own biopic, 8 Mile. On track to becoming Hollywood’s latest darling, with all the attendant pressures and provocations that entails, will his art survive?
His career was almost over before it began. But hard work - and a surprise hit - have turned Edmund 'Mundy' Enright into one of Ireland's most widely adored stars. Here he reflects on some of the high points of what has been an amazing journey, during the course of which he has rubbed shoulders with some of the greats.
The success of The Frames, Juliet Turner and Damien Rice – amongst others has inspired a new do it yourself attitude among Irish musicians and bands, who are no longer prepared to wait for the imprimatur of a major label to get their records made. Here Hot Press presents a step by step guide to becoming a DIY record magnate. Words: Tanya Sweeney. Additional reporting: Jackie Hayden
The success of The Frames, Juliet Turner and Damien Rice – amongst others has inspired a new do it yourself attitude among Irish musicians and bands, who are no longer prepared to wait for the imprimatur of a major label to get their records made. Here Hot Press presents a step by step guide to becoming a DIY record magnate. Words: Tanya Sweeney. Additional reporting: Jackie Hayden
The star-spangled story of how Richard Melville Hall learned to relax and love sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. "Don't tell anybody but I'm actually the lead guitarist with Slipknot," he informs Stuart Clark.
It’s Christmas, time for some of the leading lights of the Irish musical family to return from far-flung stages and convene for a traditional evening of reflection, revelation, conversation, merriment and, well, gargle. The guests: Glen Hansard and Colm Mac Con Iomaire of The Frames, Gemma Hayes, Mundy and David Kitt.
John Walshe talks to Jamiroquai mainman, Jay Kay, about the funk soul brother’s latest album, A Funk Odyssey, his testy relationship with British tabloids and why President George W. Bush is a “bad fucker”
Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone talks about toffs in politics, Tony versus Gordon and sheds light on his own intervention in the Troubles, at the height of the bloodshed.
Has Madonna become the immaterial girl? Or will the Re-invention tour re-establish her as the foremost female icon on the planet? On the eve of her first ever Irish appearance at Slane, Peter Murphy takes a look at the strange twist the Queen of Pop’s career has taken – and how she is now fighting back, for all she’s worth.
In an exclusive interview, Once stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova talk about the love affair that sneaked up on them, recall their Oscar-winning adventures, give us the inside track on the movie's remarkable success and explain what it's like to hang out with the Coen brothers for an evening.
From A to Z, Paul Nolan and Ronan Fitzgerald introduce all the runners and riders for Punchestown – throwing in a baker’s dozen of acts who are not to be missed* along the way
To mark AC/DC's sell-out return to Ireland, Hot Press celebrates one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time – tracing their drama-packed early years and talking to some of the musicians they helped influence.
21-year old London MC Ms Dynamite scoops the 2002 Mercury Music Prize
Music Review | Live
22% | 7 Sep 2006
They said it couldn’t be done, but this year’s Electric Picnic achieved the impossible by being even more joyous, vibey and action-packed than its predecessors. Hot Press was in the thick of things as 200 acts and 30,000 music lovers descended on one very big house in the country.
It’s been a long, strange trip for David Grohl, from Nirvana drummer to Foo Fighters frontman, via Queens Of The Stone Age and Tenacious D. Now he’s back with a new Foo album, he’s buried the hatchet with Courtney Love and he’s still as rock’n’roll as ever
Semi-officially, Modern Times is being touted as the third in a trilogy that began with 1997’s Time Out Of Mind and the follow up Love and Theft. Recorded with his current touring band and produced by Dylan himself, it treads very similar territory sonically with that raw, live feel and no-nonsense, almost 1950’s production that made his last two albums so compelling.
Spanish husband and wife writing/directing team, Dominic Harari and Teresa Pelegri, have learned to live as a two-headed monster, putting all the drama on screen.
There are many who must have thought it was pie in the sky when Jimmy Wales set about creating Wikipedia. Less than a decade later, the forum he created boasts over 12 million entries and has become the fourth most used website in the world. No wonder so many people want to interview him, but so few do...
Critics have not been kind to the long-awaited second novel from Booker-winning novelist DBC Pierre. After a lifetime that has lurched between excess and poverty, privilege and despair, he’s not bothered though.
Disco house and electro are credible dance music flavours, but Les Rythmes Digitales Jacques Le Cont has nonetheless been slated for his love affair with the 80s. In an exclusive interview with Digital Beat, Le Cont defends his musical passions.
With ‘Yellow’, Coldplay captured the imagination of even the most resistant of hard-boiled rock’n’roll cynics. Now, as A Rush Of Blood To The Head achieves lift-off in the U.S., even the sky is no longer the limit.
They love Ireland and Ireland loves them. As the Arcade Fire ramp up for world domination, the band talk about love, death, war and making music in churches.
The singer is actually much more assured onstage than the last time I saw The Killers, at the Olympia in 2004, when his inhibitions seemed to be holding him back.
Niall Stokes draws on his best-selling book Into The Heart: The Stories Behind The Songs Of U2 to offer a unique insight into the way in which some of the greatest songs in the history of popular music came into being.
David Johansen on the other hand, one-time front man with the New York Dolls (a moment's silence please), stays perfectly still and croaks his blues truths with all the grizzled gravitas of a fellow who has seen the three days.
The Rednecks deliver a second manifesto; the 'Fuzz request rebels without causes; Woodstar know what time it is; and a new flute'n'turntablism odyssey from Cork display shades of brilliance
He was the man whose evidence put a huge hole in the stern of Pirate Bay, in a landmark judgement in Sweden earlier this year. Now the CEO and Chairman of the International Federation of Phonographic Industries, John Kennedy, is set to speak at The Music Show, which takes place on October 3 and 4, at the RDS in Dublin. He will speak on the issue of illegal downloading and the threat it represents to the Music Industry, which is currently undergoing massive changes as a result of the impact of the internet. The Music Show is run by Hot Press magazine.
Irish singer-songwriter Darren Holden has been signed up to take the lead role in Movin' Out, the US smash hit musical based on the songs of Billy Joel
30th Anniversary Retrospective: From indie flicks to Hollywood classics, Irish gems to world cinema masterpieces, Tara Brady here selects the top 101 films of the past 30 years.
When Garbage joined U2 on the autumn leg of their 2001 American campaign, the world was reeling from the aftermath of 9/11. But as the tour progressed, drummer and producer Butch Vig found himself on the verge of a Hepatitis A-induced coma.
The Irish band most likely to steal U2's live mantle, The Frames couldn't be better placed to run away with this year's Witnness, what with 13 years of stagecraft and a number one live album under their belts. It's a long way from the Clifden Blues Festival... Archive interview, 2001: We talk to Glen Hansard
Hit the booze a little too hard? Hearing still partially impared from Mogwai's set on the Rising Stage? Then step right this way, because Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian's brand of soulful melancholia is the perfect panacea for your ills. Non-believers can expect to be instantly converted within seconds of setting ears on such hobo-blues delights as 'Emergency 72' and 'Painkiller'. Archive interview, 2001: We talk to Ollie and Gale
A 2001 Hot Press investigation into wheelchair-accessibility issues in the capital's record shops gains new poignance in the current Special Olympics season. How much - if anything - has changed?
In a year that saw events which will forever change the world in which we live, selected hotpress contributors offer some personal recollections of the past twelve months. We begin by listing the critics’ choice of 2001’s single and album releases
You know, many young people come up to me in the street and then, when they see that I’m Sam Snort, start to shriek and run very quickly in the opposite direction.
20 years and the last seven days: U2 have gone through a whole heavenhell of a lot to get here. One can only guess at Bono’s state of mind, high on the euphoria of playing the most ecstatic shows of his band’s career, drained from the freeze-dried exhaustion of flying home to Dublin from all points around Europe to endure the dim purgatories every son goes through when his father is dying.
ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION treat fans to a sneak preview of their Sound System album when they swing by the Empire, Belfast on May 12th as part of the DigitalT 2001 festival.
With the release of their fourth and finest album "For The Birds", THE FRAMES have zoomed straight into the Irish top ten for the first time. Now, with critical acclaim ringing in their ears, and their glowing fanbase sensing that something special may be about to take place, they prepare to take the Green Energy Weekend by storm. could it be their time has finally come? Interview: KIM PORCELLI. plus mainman GLEN HANSARD gives us a glimpse inside his private diary. out of frame: MICK QUINN
Post-Throwing Muses, post-grunge, post-Britpop, post Tori and Alanis, post girl power, post-Corrs, the charts flooded with shiny moulded-plastic pop bands for so long we don't even notice their rubbery stench anymore - what could 2001 possibly have to offer the almost-gone and nearly-forgotten godmother of American college-rock?
It s been an unhappy start to 2001 for BELINDA BRENNAN, with the father of her unborn child being forcibly arrested and deported back to Romania, Niall Stanage reports on her and her partner s plight
A little piece of Creamfields 2001 that is forever Stankonia....
James Kelleher meets the quirky hip-hop duo Outkast backstage at the festival, and congratulates Big Boi and Andre on making one of the most innovative and commercially successful hip hop albums of last year.
Ireland beating the mighty Dutch on an enchanted evening at Lansdowne Road. The Frames at Vicar St. Liverpool lifting three trophies in one season. BellX1 at the Music Centre
Jimmy Wales, the normally reclusive creator of Wikipedia, now the fourth most visited website in the world, has spoken at length, for the first time, about his life and his work. The interview, conducted by Jason O'Toole for Hot Press magazine, took place over three hours in the San Francisco offices of Wikia Inc, the spin off commercial relative-sites of the volunteer driven Wikipedia.
A few hours after Bono hoisted up Trimble and Hume s arms at the Yes show, I found myself trying to buy drinks at a city centre bar and having a strange conversation with a well known local politician. A prominent face during the pro-Agreement campaign, I d assumed that he d be delighted with the way that the gig had panned out. But no, he shrugged off the entire occasion as a bubbly inconsequence and said that the Yes camp would be lucky to get 68% of the vote. For someone convinced that his cause was on the cusp of a massive historical defeat, he didn t appear to be overly upset. In fact, he seemed happy enough showing off his Larry Mullan Jr autograph and blaming the Unionists.
By ommitting references to penalty points, kilometres or stricter enforcement of drink driving laws, the Government’s official Rules of the Road is dangerously behind the times.
From Dr Strangelove to Eyes Wide Shut, film director Stanley Kubrick cast an enigmatic shadow over film. Since his death, the director’s widow, Christiane Kubrick, has dedicated herself to preserving his legacy. Here she offers a glimpse of the man behind the legend.
Arts Council director PATRICIA QUINN talks to SIOBHAN LONG about internal strife, Ireland s changing attitude to art, and the necessity of taking risks. Picture: Myles Claffey
Ghost Of Mae Nak is a love story with a difference. For one thing, it’s set largely in the afterlife. It’s also the latest piece of Thai cinema to catch the attention of international audiences, says English-born, Bangkok-based director Mark Duffield.
Belfast musician Colin Reid likes to surprise his audiences, something he’s sure to accomplsh with an instrumental suite inspired by Flann O’Brien’s The Third Policeman
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
Next time you visit Cork City, take a cool look around, for the vista is likely to undergo a major facelift over the next 20 years thanks to the planned development of the Cork Docklands area.
He’s collaborated with Bono, Mick Jagger, and Destiny’s Child, hung out with Bill Clinton and co-wrote the biggest selling rap album of all time. but that’s only the beginning. The multi-talented Wyclef Jean here discusses George W. Bush, the death of his father and why Michael Jackson might not be such a strange guy after all
The new installment in the Narnia franchise, Prince Caspian, is burdened by huge commercial expectations. But the film's director, Andrew Adamson, is not letting the pressure get to him.
Namechecked in Rolling Stone as one of Ryan Adams’ favourite songwriters,
Galway artists ADRIAN CROWLEY gets all pantheist on us for his fifth album Season Of The Sparks.
In the past five years, Garageland has helped numerous unheard bands and artists find a more permanent spot in the music biz. With a series of upcoming shows that will spotlight the most successful of the bunch, Marissa Connelly speaks to some of the highlight acts about life after their Garage Gig debuts.
Philip Watt, director of the National Consultative Committee On Racism and Interculturalism, outlines the urgent and necessary response to racism in ireland
Body Language is a fair to middling dance pop record that might go down easier if the listener wasn’t aware of how innovative and imaginative Kylie Minogue can be. Right now, she’s stuck halfway between Erotica and Evita, peddling PVC when we need fake leopardskin and warm leatherette.
With credits on no less than eight albums, Susan McKeown is better known in New York than her native Dublin. Sarah McQuaid hears what we've been missing
Tommy Tiernan's latest concert tour contains tales of masturbation, marathon running and marauding donkeys. Stephen Robinson visits the land of Tiernan Og
Too many gardai with guns; the international role of the soldiers of bigotry; and a potentially significant advance in abortion law in Northern Ireland.
While the end of the eponymous film might give the impression that organised crime and hard drugs disappeared from Ireland after the reporter’s death, latest garda figures offer a very different picture. And the harsh reality, many insist, is even worse.
Just returned from his latest visit to Baghdad, Labour TD Michael D. Higgins reports on an already embattled people braced for more suffering – and argues that there is a moral imperative to oppose the proposed war
Belfast-based novelist Jo Baker has once again become the subject of much attention in literary circles with the publication of her powerful and compelling second novel The Mermaid’s Child.
'Sectarian conflict, bigotry and racism, coming soon to a city near you'
In a column published two days before the unspeakable massacres at New York and Washington, THE HOG mourns the dawning of the most 'violent and polarised' era for the Middle East since WWII, and suggests, with tragic prescience, that the greater world would soon feel the reverberations
He may have been a mere whippersnapper when the punk wars erupted in London- but Stuart Clark hustled his way into the Roxy when it was all happening, and survived. At least, we think he did!
For under-18s, gaining entry to concerts in licensed venues is a constant problem. But the regular BLAST gigs at Dublin's Temple Bar Music Centre provide a solution: twice a month, up-and coming bands play afternoon shows to a teenage crowd in a venue serving nothing stronger than water. NIALL STANAGE reports.
As the summer blockbuster season ends, the average cinephile can look forward to a trickle of left field treasures. Echo Park L.A. is one such worthy specimen.
Despite the continued absence of Phil 'The Power' Taylor, the Embassy World Darts Championship at Frimley Green made for essential viewing. BARRY GLENDENNING reports.
Intellectual property rights are being invoked in a landmark case in India that is likely to prevent cheap drugs being produced for the benefit of some of the most disadvantaged people in the world.
AFTER THE IRA ended its war, I watched the Last Night Of The Proms, that great musical celebration of all things British past and present. Well, more past than present, since the Empire is gone.
In a special hotpress feature Colm O’Hare investigates how the music business is attempting to deal with the single biggest threat facing the industry today – piracy.
Having once chomped on a corgi and crawled on his knees across London, performance artist Mark McGowan is now planning to drag 300 kilos of potatoes through Dublin while dressed as Bertie Ahern.
The chattering classes express revulsion at Young Ireland's spitting, shouting and shagging, but their piety masks a disgust at anything youthful and working class.
Joanne Hynes is one of Ireland’s most intuitive fashion designers, with a particular love for knitwear. She talks to Jackie Hayden about the vision thing.
All the talk among the teachers and the mandarins is about indiscipline in schools. Now, the Union Of Secondary Students, with President Hazel Nolan to the fore, is fighting back, insisting that the system itself needs to be changed.
In the final installment of his analysis of the likely ramifications of ASBOs, The Whole Hog concludes that the measures are likely to chiefly penalise the most vulnerable members of society.
In the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks, a growing number, including respected foreign correspondent Robert Fisk, are starting to ask uncomfortable questions about September 11 and the War on Terror it provoked.
Those opposed say it’s an acute infringement on civil liberties. Supporters say it’s an essential step. Anti-social behaviour (ASB) may be a serious issue – but there is an increasing belief that the on-the-spot fines and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOS) proposed by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell are not the answer. Karla Healion reports.
Thousands of adolescents go before under-age courts in this country every year. In this exclusive dispatch, we report from the frontline of the criminal justice system as it applies to teenagers.
Having been shot five times and survived a coma in his previous life as an LA gang member, hip hop sensation The Game has been offered a reprieve courtesy of Dr Dre's patronage and a deal with Interscope Records. But is the 25-year-old star already succumbing to his own hype?
Elizabeth Hurley derided as a scab ; the film industry s stars getting militant; a total shutdown in production imminent. Strange times as Hollywood prepares for a major actors and screenwriters strike. By CRAIG FITZSIMONS and TARA BRADY
He’s the classic indie shyboy who quit music to become a bingo announcer because he can't bear the rock 'n' roll gossip mill. Now Jens Lekman is back with his finest album yet words.
Most of us agree that the Eurovision Song Contest is a load of arse, but at least we can switch to another channel. The Irish Times' KEVIN COURTNEY, however, attended this year’s contest in Copenhagen - and got sucked into the black hole of rock 'n' roll
John Waters, who was among the most out-spoken critics of the running of last year’s Eurosong 2006 contest by RTE, has emerged triumphant from this year’s event.
With presenter John Creedon on a roll with his new mid-afternoon slot on RTE Radio 1, Jackie Hayden crosses the threshold of his Cork abode to see what the man gets up to away from the mike.
After research into the cover-up of clerical sexual abuse Amy Berg was shocked to uncover the story of Father Ollie, the serial paedophile who agreed to participate in her film Deliver Us From Evil.
Australian director Philip Noyce has directed such Hollywood blockbusters as Patriot Games and The Bone Collector yet his latest offering Rabbit Proof Fence is an altogether more considered offering. Tara Brady asks if this latest work and the forthcoming The Quiet American signifies a change in his approach to film-making?
SNORRRRTTTTT whewwww SNORRRTTT whewww SNORRRTTT whewww Ah, it s yourselves. Excuse me while I remove this mask and put the cylinder to one side. Yes, folks, it s that time of year again. Esteemed Ed is off on his annual hols leaving me, Samuel J. Snort Esq world s leading rock journalist, porn movie stuntman and brain chemist in charge.
This year’s Heineken Green Energy festival has something for every music lover. Whether anthemic stadium rock (Snow Patrol) is your thing or you enjoy boisterous pop (Kaiser Chiefs), it’s a festival packed with sonic treats.
Once a beacon for new talent, the Eurovision song contest has become dreary and predictable, which is why we shouldn't be too upset about the failure of Dustin and Dervish.
It’s Christmas time and, as far as the hotpress journalistic elite are concerned, there’s not a turkey in sight. JOHN WALSHE, COLIN CARBERRY, CHRIS DONOVAN, EAMON SWEENEY and BARRY O'DONOGHUE report on the Irish acts who are going to be huuuuuuuuge!
over the next 12 months.
She’s one of the chief movers in the Cork music scene. But what does Cork Rocks’ founder Francesca Brown get up to when she’s back at base? Photos by David O'Mahony.
Cutting edge techno-tronica DJ John Braine’s dream of putting out a compilation of Irish dance music produced by members of an internet discussion group was recently realised, a year after he first asked for musical submissions from fellow IE-Dancers.
"To tell you the truth, I don’t see myself as being all that interesting or attractive." that being so, Colin Farrell must be one of a very few who doesn’t. Dublin’s latest superstar, famous for cussing, bedding women and (lest we forget) acting, has been inescapable in the gossip columns in recent months. But how much is truth and how much fiction? In this candid interview with Tara Brady, he talks about drink, drugs, football, fame, hype, luck, romance and – in his latest box office winner The Recruit – working with Al Pacino
When DAVID DONOHUE set out to make a television documentary about horse racing he had no idea of just how high the stakes would become.
Reporting: LIAM MACKEY
Magician to the stars Keith Barry reveals all about succeeding in Hollywood, performing for Justin Timberlake, Paris Hilton and Jack Osbourne, being given his own MTV show, and the perils of his orthodontically hazardous work with bullets. Interview by Tanya Sweeney. Photos by Graham Keogh.
IT S been a bad week for the Minister for the Arts, Smle de Valera. First, the Arts Council, appointed by her amid the usual fanfare 18 months ago, began to unravel with the resignation of the Chairman, Professor Brian Farrell. Then a report in the Irish Independent revealed that the Minister had brought before Cabinet a proposal to sell RTE s transmission network to the highest bidder a controversial move which could herald a period of intense conflict between the Minister and the national broadcaster. And finally, at the weekend, The Sunday Times revealed that the Minister was close to making an announcement about the formation of a Music Board.
This may not be the most exciting All-Ireland Championship in the history of the GAA, but the Dubs have brought a sense of excitedment to the battle for the Sam Maguire cup - just enough to make up for the crassness of Cork's flirtation with the flag of the confederacy
EMINEM s supposedly knowing take on the violence, homophobia and misogyny endemic to rap has lost its lustre with his wife s suicide attempt. Report: Peter Murphy
While my own, personal sporting highlight came in the unlikely shape of a Scottish Premier League fixture in August (see below), there can be no doubt that Euro 2000 was the main dish on the year s sporting menu.
For a few nerve-wracking days, it seemed that the good times might just have come to an end. But if things had bounced differently, what would she have done?
Horslips axeman Johnny Fean is honouring us with a masterclass at the upcoming Music Show in the RDS. Here, he talks about his formative influences and Horslips’ upcoming reunion
1 guitar + 1 drum kit + 1 boy + 1 girl = The White Stripes. In other words, sweet, sweet noise meets the best brother and sister penned pop since The Carpenters. Eamon Sweeney meets Detroit's finest, who play Dublin Castle on Saturday, May 4th as part of the Heineken Green Energy Festival
There is inescapable evidence that British security forces colluded in the murder of defence lawyer, Pat Finucane. But now Michael Finucane wants to know just how high the responsibilty for the crime really goes.
This year, Lesley Kane, general manager with both Music Maker and MIDI (Musical Instrument Distribution Ireland), chalks up 20 years in the musical instruments industry. Jackie Hayden gatecrashes the celebrations to quiz Kane on her career to date.
As the number of homeless people increases, plans are unveiled to have smoke police in the pubs. Once again the government is getting its priorities badly wrong.
2 weeks ago in Dublin, the Court of Criminal Appeal overturned the conviction of Paul Ward [pic left courtesty of The Star] for the murder of Veronica Guerin. It is no disrespect to the murdered journalist to say that this was a good day for justice in Ireland
With the opposition parties in Ireland now all more or less occupying the centre ground, it's up to the country's youth to become the true voice of dissent.
An overnight success story that was years in the making, The Strokes have been dismissed as flagrant hype and lauded as the saviours of rock 'n' roll. Eamon Sweeney, a journalist who has spent more time in their company than most, gets the fullest account yet of the rise and rise of New York's band of brothers. "Whatever happens, we'll be there together," they tell him. "we won’t let each other fall."
We’re not talking about prostitution here, just the prohibitive cost of contraception. The fact is that gratis contraception would probably save the State a lot of money in the long run – so let’s hear it for free sex…
Looking for a guitar/ bass/ amp/ drumkit/ keyboard/ sampler (circle as appropriate)? hotpress.com does the hard work of finding the best deals, so that you don't have to
He’s best known as the voice of Soundgarden and Audioslave. But now grunge legend Chris Cornell has embarked on his most far-fetched adventure yet – a hook-up with uber-beatmaster Timbaland.
why unionists and nationalists helplessly wring their hands at job losses but go on the offensive over a city's name; the origin of the "axis of evil"; and a hail of abuse to the chief
He’s been a Scottish warrior, a Panamanian revolutionary, a sheriff, a banker and a robot rag-and-bone man, all in the last eight years. in Scorsese’s new epic Gangs Of New York he plays, of all things, an Irishman. Brendan Gleeson holds forth on 19th century squalor, his late blooming as an actor, and the pleasure of working with big Marty.
He is a visionary, a poet – and an innovator in terms of interrogation techniques. Now that he has resigned as US Defence Secretary, the campaign to make him a Nobel Laureate starts. Right here...
He is a visionary, a poet – and an innovator in terms of interrogation techniques. Now that he has resigned as US Defence Secretary, the campaign to make him a Nobel Laureate starts. Right here...
Filí, amhránaithe and ceoltóirí na héireann member Steve Cooney on the rights of trad acts to travel, get paid… and obtain a cup of tea when playing Dublin castle. Folk Centre with Sarah McQuaid
With the increasingly multi-cultural aspect of Irish life, how does Christmas – in either its religious or its commercial manifestation – impact on Muslim, Jewish and immigrant communities living here?
Perhaps the most influential punk band of the ‘70s, The Ramones were nonetheless riven with internal divisions and a variety of personal traumas, both psychological and pharmaceutical. All this and more is covered in an excellent new documentary on the band, End Of The Century – The Story Of The Ramones. Here, Tommy – the last surviving member of the original line-up – looks back on the dark times and discusses the group’s legacy with Tara Brady.
Indie rock isn’t just about hip fringes and attitude. It means doing your own thing – not because you’re looking for fame and fortune but because you care deeply about music
As the war in Afghanistan grinds mercilessly on, it has become increasingly clear: the rules have long been forgotten, as much by the Americans and the British as by their Northern Alliance allies.
Ireland's position in all of this is, frankly, shameful
Allegations of racist literature and links to the British National Party have once more brought the activities of the immigration Control Platform into focus. Peter Murphy reports
Having lost his way for a bit, Liam Howlett is back with a new enthusiasm and a new sound for The Prodigy. “No one has filled our shoes – now we’ve come back to tread on everyone else’s feet,” he tells Tanya Sweeney.
Manu Chao may not be able to change the world, but he’s certainly conquered it with his unique fusion of musical styles. Fresh from a sell-out show in The Point, he talks to Danielle Brigham about journeying to the North Pole, trashing Argentinian TV studios and “Mr. Bush, the number one terrorist.” Photographs: Cathal Dawson.
The Mac brigade are back – and they’re at it again in style. We’re not talking about Phoenix Park doggers, although iLife 06 does offer an incomparable suite of tools.
