Snow Patrol give their A Hundred Million Suns album the official launch treatment with a whistle-stop concert tour of four capital cities – Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh and London.
Complete workaholics that they've unexpectedly turned into, Snow Patrol have announced yet another al fresco headliner on August 8 in London's Somerset House.
It goes without saying that at this stage SNOW PATROL are an incredibly polished live act, with the likes of ‘Spitting Games’ and ‘Chocolate’ electrifying the venue early on.
As the sun sets over Dublin Castle, Snow Patrol kick off the first outdoor festival of 2006 with intent. But the early, heady pace set by Final Straw favourites 'Wow' and 'Chocolate' is soon interrupted by the new material from Eyes Open.
Snow Patrol have announced that they’ll be wearing blue ribbons at their Belfast Botanic Gardens gig on August 23 as a tribute to missing Bangor woman Lisa Dorrian.
Recent Hot Press cover stars Snow Patrol have debuted at No.1 in the Irish album charts with their new album A Hundred Million Suns, in its first week of release.
Snow Patrol kick-off their 20-date tour of the UK and Ireland at the end of the month, but ahead of that they've got plans for a more intimate London show – with free tickets up for grabs!
Tanya Sweeney catches up with Ireland’s hardest partying rockers Snow Patrol to discuss on-the-road hi-jinks, the band’s hallowed status in the Scottish and Irish music scenes, and also bears witness to that long-awaited footie showdown with Thomastown under 15s.
Belfast/Glasweigan quintent Snow Patrol entertained the crowds at the American Music Awards last night, where Black Eyed Peas and The Red Hot Chili Peppers were the big winners.
Jon Astley, the UK producer whose credits include Debbie Harry, Eric Clapton and The Who, has put together a monster 31-track compilation for the Tuesday’s Child charity.
Snow Patrol kicked off their whistle-stop Take Back The Cities tour with their first live gig in over a year yesterday with a sold out lunchtime show in Dublin's Gate Theatre.
In addition to their mailing-list invite gig at The Gate Theatre, Snow Patrol will be signing copies of their new album at HMV Grafton Street this weekend
The soundtrack to the third Spiderman film features tracks from The Killers and The Flaming Lips, but the honour of lead track goes to ‘Signal Fire’ by Snow Patrol. The sound is – well, like any other Snow Patrol song: sweeping guitar chords building with percussion to the chorus.
Gary Lightbody and co return to Witnness primed for some serious rock action. And when you've got such bona fide indie-disco classics as 'Starfighter Pilot' lurking in your repertoire, a landslide result is almost inevitable. Archive interview, 2000: We talk to the band
Speaking exclusively to Hot Press, Nathan Connolly has assured fans that solo projects for both himself and frontman Gary Lightbody are only tentative at present.
Forget all the chatter about solo albums and injuries sustained on the road: Snow Patrol are revelling in the end of a triumphant year, one which saw Eyes Open become the biggest selling album in the UK in '06, as well as making serious inroads Stateside.
With bands like New Order, Nine Inch Nails, Bauhaus and Snow Parol announced for the bill, this year's Coachella looks set to blast the Californian desert
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.
Snow Patrol should by rights have settled back into their bland phase by now, yet Lightbody & co are showing disturbing signs of still caring about the music they make. ‘Chasing Cars’ is lovely, again choosing to move slowly to a crescendo before unleashing a festival-slaying conclusion.
Arms outstretched, swanky lighting awarding him a most pleasing rock star silhouette, it’s safe to say that right now, in a venue where he witnessed some of his own favourite gigs, Gary Lightbody is having a pretty good day at the office.
Armed with a bigger budget, it might’ve been tempting for Snow Patrol to buff up their sound, but thankfully they’ve retained the rawness and fragility of old.
“It’s the toughest thing we’ve ever had to do, it’s broken our fucking hearts.” While the recent sacking of founder member Mark McClelland has taken its toll on Gary Lightbody, the Snow Patrol mainman remains upbeat about their not-at-all-difficult fourth album, supporting U2 and their own stadium headliner in Killarney. Interview by Colin Carberry. Photography by Bradley Quinn
Things are on the up and up for Snow Patrol whose long-overdue commercial success means they’re now getting matey with pop divas, soap stars and footballers. Gary Lightbody tells Stuart Clark how it all went right.
There’s no fear of Snow Patrol surprising us. ‘You’re All I Have’ is as safe a return as you might expect from the Belfast band. Chugging guitar lines and baby faced vocals characterise three minutes of Gary Lightbody’s pleas “to hold on” to whatever girl may or may not inspired this rehash of previous offerings. Its incessantly warm and catchy chorus may make this no bad thing necessarily but we could really do without Final Straw mark two.
Snow Patrol were forced to play their Saturday night headlining slot at Oxegen without keyboard-player Tom Simpson after he was arrested at Northolt RAF base where the band were catching a private plane to Dublin following their Live Earth performance.
After 12 months which saw the group go from the indie B-division to rock’s premier league, Snow Patrol have had a more dramatic 2004 than most. In an in-depth interview, Gary Lightbody discusses a life-changing year, the Irish and British music scenes, friendships, relationships and where the band go to next.
Champagne corks were popped last week as Snow Patrol joined that elite group of bands who’ve simultaneously topped the charts in Ireland and the UK. It’s all a far cry from the days when their fame was confined to the University of Dundee Students Union bar. Gary Lightbody takes time out from wowing the masses in Dublin and Belfast to tell Stuart Clark about their twisty and turny route to the top.
Snow Patrol‘s Gary Lightbody may be the thinking woman’s indie sexpot, but with their new album Eyes Open going supernova all over the shop, the poor fella has no time to capitalise on his status, given that the only people he sees on a regular basis are his band and crewmates. With whom, he assures us, “penetrative sex is out of the question.” Also on the agenda: break-ups, infidelity, the Northern body politic, U2 and, of course, underpants.
The word ‘luck’ turns up in the Snow Patrol story with set-your-watch regularity, and it’s commonly accepted that the period when the band cashed in theirs was around the release of their biggest selling single. I’m not sure I agree. The care and detail lavished on Eyes Open seems symptomatic of people who, finally rewarded with a budget to match their ambition, are determined to enjoy this opportunity for all it’s worth.
As soon as you spot Terry Hooley – the man who released ‘Teenage Kicks’, kids – holding court at the bar, you know you’re in for a classic Belfast rock ‘n’ roll night.
Currently ensconced in a recording studio in the wilds of Magherafelt, Edwin McFee sits down with General Fiasco to talk about ambition, Snow Patrol and the fickle finger of fate.
Currently ensconced in a recording studio in the wilds of Magherafelt, Edwin McFee sits down with General Fiasco to talk about ambition, Snow Patrol and the fickle finger of fate.
Fresh from his successful involvement with Snow Patrol and the Amazing Pilots, Bangor’s Iain Archer steps to the fore with a beguiling solo album Flood the Tanks.
Belfast, then Glasgow and NEXT STOP – the cover of the Radio Times?
Stuart Clark joins fast-rising Snow Patrol on Scottish manoeuvres. PICS: IAN McMURRAY
Snow Patrol are among the top acts on the bill for the Children in Need show being organised by Take That's Gary Barlow at London's Royal Albert Hall on November 12.
They’re meant to be on their holliers, but nice chaps that they are Snow Patrol are playing London’s Union Chapel on November 25 as part of a series of MENCAP fundraisers.
Snow Patrol keyboard-player Tom Simpson was absent from court this morning as his lawyer successfully asked for a continuation of his cocaine possession case.
As predicted, Snow Patrol emerged the big winners at the Meteor Music Awards, which took place at The Point in Dublin last night. Click for photos from the night
Snow Patrol (complete with the *as revealed in the latest issue of Hot Press* new bassist Paul Wilson 2nd from right) are the latest act to join Oxfam's Make Trade Fair Campaign.
It s the last song of the night. It s the final gig of the year one that has witnessed bizarre accidents, frustrations, some classic moments and the growing consensus that Snow Patrol is an increasingly fierce act.
The year just gone was one of the most successful yet for Northern musicians. With Snow Patrol, David Holmes and Duke Special riding high, we take a look at 2009’s crop of contenders.
Unplugging the amplifiers brings out the gentler, more vulnerable side of any band. Acoustic 05 offers an unprecedented expose of these moments, drawing from an impressive pool of A-list artists. From monumental names such as Oasis, Snow Patrol, Paul Weller, Damien Rice and Stereophonics to up-and-coming favourites like Brendan Benspon, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Josh Ritter, Ray Lamontage and Bright Eyes, there's something for anyone who appreciates the subtle beauty of turning the music down.
When Iain Archer decided to get away from it all for the making of his latest album, he didn’t settle for half measures. He packed up his guitars and vanished for several months into the depths of Germany’s Black Forest. But can the resulting record transform the career of a singer still best known for helping write Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’?
Snow Patrol‘s Gary Lightbody waxes eloquent about burnout, creativity, exotic fowl, and why David Healy should be made First Citizen Of The Republic And Overlord Of The Universe.
Okay, it's not me or any of the other 1300 Ambassador ticket-holders who've been all over the charts like a rash recently, but that doesn't stop Snow Patrol's top 5 breakthrough feeling like a personal victory.
Those who missed out on Snow Patrol's outdoor concert in Dublin need not worry - because The Frames have announced their own special gig on the same day.
If you’d imagine a collective formed from members of Snow Patrol, Arab Strap, Astrid, Mogwai, Mull Historical Society, Belle & Sebastian and others would produce some sort of unholy racket then – on the evidence of Y’All Get Scared Now, Ya Hear! – you’d be somewhat off the mark.
Clearly subscribers to the “strike while the iron is hot” school of album promotion, no sooner has the Patrol’s breakthrough hit ‘Run’ exited the British top ten than the Northern rockers are rush-releasing the follow-up single.
On the eve of the release of Snow Patrol's epic fifth album A Hundred Million Suns, Hot Press finds out how singer Gary Lightbody gets inspiration for his songs.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a musician in Norn Iron next week as anyone who can bang, blow or strum an instrument clears off to Washington DC for the Rediscover Northern Ireland Arts & Culture Program.
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.
From the legendary names of Van Morrison and Rory Gallagher, through local heroes like Rudi and Stump, to 21st Century Irish stars like Bell X1 and Snow Patrol, this album is definitely worthy of its name. An impressive trip through five decades of Irish Musical History indeed.
The third single to be taken from Archer’s quite wonderful debut album, Flood The Tanks, ‘Summer Jets’ is a subtle sonic headrush of fizzy pop hooks and shimmery melodies, with the same kind of multi-layered guitars and quietly arresting riffs that turned his old muckers Snow Patrol into superstars.
It can’t be bad being Iain Archer. Play huge gigs with Snow Patrol, collect the royalties for ‘Run’ and then get back to making your own music. ‘Minus Ten’, though, suggests that things have got a little too comfortable in the Archer household. This is nice enough but missing the kind of bite that he displayed on ‘When It Kicks In’.
Our correspondent gets his snout out of the suey trough long enough to watch Hal, The Revs and former Snow Patrol man Iain Archer participate in the Eurosonic talentfest in Groningen. Words and Photos: Stuart Clark
Having worked with Travis, The Smiths and The La’s, producer Mark Wallis is no stranger to classic pop. Now at the helm of St Julien, the Dublin-based Londoner here offers his own contribution to the canon. Lyrically, the single is treadbare but there’s enough of a melody to make it worth investigating. Fans of Travis and Snow Patrol will probably adore it.
Snow Patrol and Ash are just some of the North’s rock ambassadors who have given their backing to the Oh Yeah Music Centre, a state-of-the-art multi-media development which will put Belfast on the international musical map.
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
After the totting up of votes – there were thousands of the blighters – the first heat of the Sony Ericsson Raw Sessions was won by Kilkenny’s very fine Rarely Seen Above Ground...
The first thing that strikes you about ‘Stop’ is its complete lack of balls. There was a time when Turn were well on their way to becoming the best rock band this country has produced since Whipping Boy. However, the days of tracks like ‘Face Down’ and ‘Beeswax’ are seemingly over. Given the snip, ‘Stop’ is a slice of radio friendly day-time pop very much in the vein of Snow Patrol. There’s even East 17-style Christmas glistenings at the track’s close. Far from their best work.
You know, Nick Lowe was right when he asked “What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?” Lately, I try to avoid the news as often as not, because it seems that every day there’s another atrocity: more carnage, more blood, more tears, more misery, more grief.
Colin Carberry looks back at twelve months in which Bill Drummond’s Soup Line tour of Ulster was one of the Northern arts scene’s undoubted highlights.
Unplugging the amplifiers brings out the gentler, more vulnerable side of any band. Acoustic 05 offers an unprecedented expose of these moments, drawing from an impressive pool of A-list artists. From monumental names such as Oasis, Snow Patrol, Paul Weller, Damien Rice and Stereophonics to up-and-coming favourites like Brendan Benspon, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Josh Ritter, Ray Lamontage and Bright Eyes, there's something for anyone who appreciates the subtle beauty of turning the music down.
SOLD OUT
Colm O’Hare talks to Katie Larmour, presenter of UTV’s new music show Live At The Limelight, which will be showcasing the best young artists from around Ireland.
After the spiking of their last album led to the demise of co.dot, Joe Brush decided he couldn’t jump around on a stage anymore. The result is a new sound and a new band, Vapor Lounge.
Despite being voted Most Promising Irish Band in the Hot Press readers' poll this time last year and tipped for the top by Snow Patrol too, Belfast band Leya have officially disbanded.
North-of-the-border scenester Paul Archer is back with a thrilling new project, Burning Codes. He talks about moving to Britain, becoming a father, and when Snow Patrol supported one of his gigs.
A breathtaking variety of acts have come together - as Lennon might have put it - to focus attention on the ongoing genocide in Darfur, under the auspices of Amnesty International.
Tim Wheeler from Ash, Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol and Radio 1’s Colin Murray are among the active supporters of a project to establish a dedicated music centre for Belfast.
Duetting pairs Lisa Hannigan (pictured) and Gary Lightbody as well as Sinead O'Connor and Republic Of Loose, are set to perform live together at the forthcoming Meteor Irish Music Awards.
The line-up has been revealed for ‘An Fiach Dubh’ – Fingal Songwriter's Weekend. The first in an annual series, the weekend will bring Irish and international songwriters together to provide master classes in the art.
Gary Lightbody is one of the musical guests that will be in attendance at this year's Fate Awards, which recognise achievement in the Northern Ireland entertainmant industry.
A fresh generation of bands is tearing up the rule book and redefining what it means to be Irish. To celebrate this new wave of talent, we catch up with the best of them.
A galaxy of Irish stars led by members of BellX1, Snow Patrol and Damien Rice have announced their support for a charity album, under the guise of the band The Cake Sale.
“The time has come for me/To break out of the shell/I have to shout/That I’m coming out/I want the world to know/Got to let it show”…having passionately waxed lyrical in these very pages about The Vines, Snow Patrol and Kings Of Leon over the last few months, I was slightly surprised to find myself heading towards The Point for a Diana Ross gig.
This particular Northern light has lent his distinctive guitar and vocal style to a host of collectives and collaborators over the years –from Snow Patrol and The Reindeer Section to Juliet Turner and Ursula Burns.
In a parallel universe, Elbow would command as much adulation and hyperbole as Coldplay and Snow Patrol. But, like their fellow Mancunians I Am A Kloot, they release albums and anthems into the world with nary a fanfare.
Damien Rice and Snow Patrol have both been confirmed for the London leg of Al Gore’s Live Earth extravaganza, which takes place in multiple locations on July 7.
Breaking news or what: after Saturday's spectacular support performance at Marlay Park, Dublin, the Republic Of Loose will do the honours for Snow Patrol again on the Isle Of Man.
Ahead of their headline slot at Dublin Castle on Saturday and on the day of the release of their new album, Snow Patrol will be treating fans to a special in-store show on Friday 28 April.
April 26 sees radio duo Donna Legge and David O’Reilly enter the realm of the audio-visual in Across The Line TV, with Snow Patrol playing a starring role in the warm-up special
Here’s the deal: Snow Patrol have worked with Iain Archer, Iain Archer tours with The Amazing Pilots, The Amazing Pilots produce Duke Special. Which, I hasten to add, is not a spurious attempt on my part to link Peter Wilson to the current head boys in Ulster rock, but merely my way of showing that there’s a loose and creative network currently at play in the North, whose members are, at various levels, producing music of a staggeringly high quality.
Is there anyone who will 'fess up to ordering another dozen tunes with earnest lyrics, dampened down drums, polite keyboards and sub-Floydian guitar solos?
If ever a cause needed highlighting, it’s the ongoing tragedy in Darfur, Sudan, which in the recent words of Goal’s John O’Shea "the international community has all but abandoned".
Having made a decent enough dent in the Irish top 30 with their ‘Shame’ single, Republic Of Loose are currently putting the finishing touches to their as-yet-untitled new album, which hits the racks on April 4.
Spitfire aeroplanes, dogs in disguise, aphex babies and karma police: founding No Disco producer Rory Cobbe waxes visual on ten of his favourite videos of all time
When It's All Over We Still Have To Clear Up .. so say Gary Lightbody and co. with Snow Patrol's last album (which Hot Press heralded as a minor classic.)
Having grown up in Scunthorpe, Stephen Fretwell found his muse – and mates like Elbow and Doves – in Manchester. And the record company haven't even asked him to get his hair cut.
The common thread isn’t only the atmospherics and Keith Mullins’ gorgeously lackadaisical vocals. More importantly – and worryingly - it’s a distinct lack of punch, the very same problem that means the listener’s not so much knocked out as tapped on the shoulders politely.
After saying they will and then saying they won't, Nine Inch Nails have finally have been re-announced as the Foo Fighters' main support at Marlay Park, Dublin.
There's good news for Arcade Fire fans who failed to get tickets for their Olympia Theatre shows, with the Canadians appearing at Oxegen in a bill that's taking shape nicely.
Bell X1’s transformation into one of the big bands is already in process, with only an all-conquering run of festival appearances left to complete the picture..
Annual article: The arrival of Channel 6 was a boom – but music programming on television in 2006 was challenged by reality TV game shows and, increasingly, by YouTube.
The college circuit is an important stepping stone in rock music around the world. While the potential remains unfulfilled in Ireland, there’s a new breed of Ents Officer who are aiming higher.
In just two years the 2fm 2moro 2our has grown into a high-profile showcase for Ireland's best new talent. Ahead of the latest jaunt, the featured acts tell Colm Russell what it means to them.
With their album release only days away, U2 have been speaking to Hot Press about their upcoming world tour and the likely candidates for the prestigious support slot
A mere 17 years after last doing it with ‘The Hay Wrap’, The Saw Dactors are back at number one on the Irish singles chart with their beefed-up version of Sugababes’ ‘About You Now’.
In the same week that Eyes Open was nominated for the Choice Music Prize, Gary Lightbody debuted his Listen…Tanks side-project on BBC Radio One when he deputised on air for Zane Lowe.
Throughout the pioneering events of Band Aid, Live Aid and Live 8, Bob Geldof has repeatedly achieved the impossible, twisting the arms and consciences of self-absorbed rock stars to get them to think beyond their egos and stimulating recalcitrant politicians and a jaded media into doing things that are not really difficult at all but thinking makes them so.
Fresh from picking up an Ivor Novello award with Gary Lightbody and co., ex-Patrol man Iain Archer is hoping for similar good fortune with the re-release of his 2004 effort Flood The Tanks.
Running an independent label is challenging enough, but how do you operate in a town where you can count the bands and the venues on one hand? Robbie McManus tells Hot Press what motivated Athlone-based Kissmearse Records to take fledgeling local bands under their wing.
The Stables in Mullingar has become an essential stopover on the Irish rock touring circuit. Here, the venue's booking man, David McLynn tells Jackie Hayden about the current state of rock in the Midlands.
...because the new Reindeer Section album is en route, arriving June 14th and featuring peeps from The Vaselines, Belle and Sebastian and Mogwai among others. Our sources say it's just brilliant, too
Blogger faves and YouTube stars OkGo stepped into the A-league recently when they attended the Grammys. Biggest thrill of the night? Shooting the breeze with Mastodon.
I can still hear their taunts – “Clark’s talking through his arse again!”... “It’s not the ’70s anymore, Granddad!”... “I had my suspicions but now I know you’re a wanker!”
As it was my mother saying it, that last one was particularly hurtful.
Annual article: Bright young things like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen captured the HP critics’ hearts this year, though they somehow neglected Johnny Cash and Mark Lanegan...
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
When a gang of Ireland’s finest musicians, media stars and political types gathered in the Central Hotel for pre-Christmas drinks, there were fun and games aplenty. reporting: Stephen Bailey, Stuart Clark and Roisin Dwyer. Photos: Mick Quinn and Graham Keogh. Costumes: courtesy of The Dublin Costume Company.
They may have hit a few bumps earlier in the year, but Northern indie-rock whippersnappers The Embers have regrouped and are now back on the agenda with an excellent new EP, Vice And Virtue.
Coldplay, White Stripes, Strokes, Queens, Garbage, Oasis, JJ72, Franz... With a whole slew of major albums in the pipeline, it looks like ‘05 will be the wrong year to kick that addiction to noise.
The new Hot Press follows hot on the heels the biggest weekend in Irish rock 'n' roll history, with The Ultimate Oxegen report, plus a world exclusive REM interview.
Presenter of Channel 6's Night Shift, an air hostess and a model, Michelle Doherty is rarely found at home... but that doesn't stop her from showing us around her Drumcondra abode.
The first collection of Lightbody cast-offs, last year's Y'All Get Scared Now Ya Hear!, may have hinted at the magic within, but that was a mere monochrome sketch compared to the glorious three dimensional technicolour of its new sibling
Annual article: 12 months ago Colin Carberry was reaching for the Prozac, now he’s more bullish about the Norn Iron music scene than he has been since he started shaving.
Being described as "the new Keane" might bother some people, but not Grant Nichols who's content in the knowledge that his band have made the first great rock'n'roll record of 2005.l
Today FM current affairs broadcaster Matt Cooper seems to have perfected the knack of keeping his work and home lives separate. But when his house-guest Jackie Hayden calls around, who wil have The Last Word?
The guitar is back – and how! Instrument sales are healthier than they’ve been in years. but that’s not the only good news from Ireland’s music equipment shops.
In which Editors, like Bloc Party before them, abandon urban ennui for the country life, recording that not-very-difficult second album in Grouse Lodge with Garret ‘Jacknife’ Lee.
Three bands, 10 venues, 12 dates, four DJ comperes and two high-profile corporate sponsors, including the official national pop station. Jackie Hayden talks to the bands scheduled to play this year’s RTÉ 2fm 2moro 2our, coming to a town near you.
Kells three-piece Turn are on the crest of a wave, and are about to unleash their rather spiffing debut LP, Antisocial, on an unsuspecting world. John Walshe reports. Suit shoot: Myles Claffey
Gorge yourself on a selection of exclusive (and in some cases never-before-seen) hotpress.com video interviews from Witnness past, as well as some of the artists gracing the stage at Witnness 2003
The border counties may not exactly be a hotbed of indie rock but that hasn’t stopped Monaghan hopefuls The Flaws from producing one of the year’s most mesmerising debuts.
She’s one of the sassiest, not to say iconic, frontwomen in rock. Up close however, Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O is just a big pussycat. Look, we’ve even made her cry.
Never mind figgy puddings and partridges in pear trees, there’s some serious seasonal business to be done as the annual HP-7 summit gathers in the crucible of cultural discourse that is The Central Hotel’s Library Bar.
They may be one of the hottest bands of the year, but Las Vegas synth fiends The Killers are planning to cool off this Christmas with some well-earned down-time and a skiing holiday in Utah. But not before they’ve discussed texting Charlize Theron, hanging with Elton John and that David Bowie tribute with Stuart Clark.
The line-up for this year's Oxegen festival is getting bigger and better with the addition of many new Irish and international acts, including UK indie kids Editors.
This fortnight, Olaf Tyaransen bravely overcomes his homesickness and takes a trip to the mainland – only to have two Thai hoodlums break into this hotel room and a tatooed Welshman offer him some opium. Oh dear…
Ahead of their much anticipated Electric Picnic spot, Bloc Party talk about going mad in Westmeath and explain why it’s time for a post-punk concept record.
Half the Scottish indie glitterati (if not more) to play on the Reindeer Section's latest - and several new heavenly bodies become visible in the Bright Star Recordings constellation
Dundalk's Spirit Store will celebrate 10 years of world class gigs with a special evening of music on Thursday, October 29 featuring some of the acts who have graced its stage over the past decade.
Veteran 2FM DJ Larry Gogan was honoured by IRMA earlier this month, in recognition of the forty years he has spent at the top of his profession. To mark the occasion, Hot Press catches up with the presenter to discuss the beginnings of his career during the showband era, how Irish music has changed down through the years – and the time he earned Larry Mullen's thanks for playing U2 records despite the protestations of station chiefs.
With the final countdown to Christmas already well underway, what’s on offer by way of music-related presents is on every rock’n’roll fan’s mind. We took Jerry Fish into HMV in Grafton St. and asked him to pick out the most desirable items on offer – including, of course, his own wonderful new record Live At The Spiegeltent.
With the final countdown to Christmas already well underway, what’s on offer by way of music-related presents is on every rock’n’roll fan’s mind. We took Jerry Fish into HMV in Grafton St. and asked him to pick out the most desirable items on offer – including, of course, his own wonderful new record Live At The Spiegeltent.
Though feted by everyone from Metallica to Motorhead, they were the runts of the 80s Metal Litter. But now, unbelievably, vintage headbangers Anvil are back as the stars of their own rockumentary. And guess what? It could be their biggest hit ever. They talk about entertaining Dalymount Park with an outsized vibrator back in the day, explain why life on the road led them to lose all respects for woman and recall the time they parted 'til dawn with Phil Lynott.
Neil Hannon fought off tough competition from the likes of Duke Special and The Immediate to win the second Choice Music Prize at Vicar St, Dublin, last night.
Crack houses, stripping, underwear parties, hate mail from Pink Floyd fans and Elton John’s dog – are you ready for a tasty slice of camp pop history as told by Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters?
A year ago they were being paid fifty quid a gig, now they’re one of the biggest rock ‘n’ roll bands on the planet and about to take the Oxegen main stage by storm. A pun loving Stuart Clark discovers how Franz Ferdinand have become Top of the Fops.
He’s spent years trying to live down his bubble-gum pop days but, two decades after the event, former hearthrob Jason Donovan is finally going back to his roots.
Music fans who came to the open day of the Oh Yeah music centre in Belfast were treated to a host of special performances, including an acoustic set from Gary Lightbody.
Sussex five piece Mumma-Ra, named after a character from an ‘80s TV show but otherwise earnest to the tips of their skinny denims, wax drippy in extremis.
Hotly-tipped art-rock outfit Headgear fuse bed-sit miserablism with a masterful pop instinct. But what’s former D’Unbelievable Pat Shortt doing on sax duty?
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
They may be named after the cute and cuddly creature from Gremlins, but the noisefest Mogwai inflict on the eardrums is more like the after effects of nuclear fallout. John Walshe met them.
In the run-up to the long-awaited reunion gigs by the legendary eighties folk-rock-jazz band Moving Hearts, Jackie Hayden talks to saxophonist Keith Donald and percussionist Noel Eccles.
Summer time, and the record stores are going to be full to bursting with some cracking albums across all genres. John Walshe examines the hottest album releases set to hit the shelves
As Duke Special set off for a jaunt around Europe with the Divine Comedy, our correspondent hitched a ride on the tour bus. In between the sound-checks and the motor-way pitstops, he received a unique insight into the life of the touring musician.
On the eve of the release of Tour De Flock, BellX1’s live album and DVD from Dublin’s Point Theatre, Paul Noonan, Brian Crosby and Dominic Phillips answer the weird and wonderful questions of hotpress readers, from the swimming habits of monkeys to ripping the gusset of your pants on stage.
With song after song full of aching melodies, luscious harmonies, chorus, chime and riffs that'll have you quaking in your boots, it isn't hard to see what all the fuss is about
Never mind pressies and OD’ing on cranberry sauce, the important thing about Christmas is that it signals the return of the HP-10 Summit. Absolutely no blushes are spared as Ireland’s rock ‘n’ roll elite dissects the musical year that was 2006. Keeping order: Stuart “Paxman” Clark. Taking photos: Graham “Paparazzi” Keogh. Taking the piss: Eyebrowy
Never mind pressies and OD’ing on cranberry sauce, the important thing about Christmas is that it signals the return of the HP-10 Summit. Absolutely no blushes are spared as Ireland’s rock ‘n’ roll elite dissects the musical year that was 2006. Keeping order: Stuart “Paxman” Clark. Taking photos: Graham “Paparazzi” Keogh. Taking the piss: Eyebrowy.
Kenny Egan brought back a silver medal for Ireland from the Olympic Games – but almost everyone agrees it should have been gold. A national sporting hero, he tells Hot Press of his plans for the future...
Michael Stipe talks about REM's new album Accelerate, looks back at their 'working rehearsals' in Dublin and explains how their Irish-born producer helped them through their mid-life crisis.
In the current issue of Hot Press, the musicians of Ireland have spoken - but what do they know? Have YOUR say on the top 100 albums of all time. Ever.
Current affairs anchor – and Ireland's leading ‘yummy mummy’ according to the tabloids – MIRIAM O'CALLAGHAN talks about the challenges of raising eight children, her past marital woes and taking a pay cut at RTÉ.
The young Carlow-based actress Saoirse Ronan is on the brink of Hollywood stardom, thanks to her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Atonement and her upcoming starring role in the next Peter Jackson movie, The Lovely Bones. In her first ever in-depth interview, she spoke exclusively to Hot Press about her sudden rise to fame.
He began working in music as a drummer, but Dave Pennefather's greatest success has been as MD of Universal Music. Hot Press looks back over the life and times of a man with a larger than life reputation.
The last 18 months have been a hell of a ride for The Thrills, catapulted from the relative obscurity of the south dublin suburbs to the top of the uk charts, rubbing shoulders with Van Dyke Parks and Peter Buck along the way. But are the band suffering from diver’s bends? is that laid-back california-in-my-mind facade starting to crumble? We put on our therapist’s hats and endeavour to find out, if something’s gotta give, what gives?
To coincide with the release of the Today FM DJ’s double-CD compilation tracking the history of alternative rock in Ireland, Tom Dunne talks to Jackie Hayden about the state of Irish music, singer-songwriters versus guitar bands and the role of Irish radio.
A flyover near the old Harland & Wolff shipyard was the starting point for a remarkable three months that has seen Franz Ferdinand challenging U2 and Coldplay for the title of ‘Biggest Band In The World'. Daredevil photographic exploits completed, Hot Press jumped on their tour bus and got the lowdown on Snoop, Bono, Kanye West, Natasha Bedingfield and nights of debauchery with the Scissor Sisters.
Iain Archer has been unveiled as one of the star participants in the Guitarist And The Mac event that’s taking place in Dublin’s Temple Bar Music Centre on February 27.
Republic Of Loose are that rarest of beasts – an Irish rock band who can get their groove on. Ahead of the release of their new album, they talk about standing out from the crowd.
Unheard of a year ago, Carlow teen Saoirse Ronan is the actress of the hour in Hollywood. Here, she and her actor father Paul Ronan talk about her remarkable rise.
Martin McGuinness was one of the key figures in the troubles in Northern Ireland . Many unionists believe that the one-time IRA man was at the heart of much that was wrong and divisive in Irish life. But ultimately the quiet Derryman has taken on the role of peacemaker – and he is now the Deputy First Minister in the new power-sharing administration at Stormont.
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
Winning an oscar was a culmination of a life-time's struggle for GLEN HANSARD. But success extracted a heavy toll on the singer, plunging him into self doubt and leaving him feeling confused and adrift. As The Swell Season prepare to release their second album, he talks about the long road back to sanity, his romantic break-up with songwriting partner MARKETA IRGLOVA and why, having derided Ireland in the press, he’s now proud of his home country
again. Plus Irglova talks about the end of their love affair and the challenges that fame and Fortune bring.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the dissection of the rock ‘n’ roll year that is the Hot Press Summit. Gathering round the table are the good and great of Irish music, but who let Podge & Rodge in?
It's been over four intriguing years since Damien Rice's extraordinary debut album O was launched. That record went on to become a huge underground international hit, selling in excess of 2 million copies. Now his long-awaited follow-up – the similarly simply titled 9 – is finally ready to hit the shops. So how did Rice so successfully capture the collective imagination? And will the latest instalment in the Rice musical biography propel him to even greater heights? Hot Press talks exclusively to some of the key players in his remarkable rise and rise.
U2 are about to unleash their new album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. The world’s media are descending on Dublin. And Bono is back at the punch-bag, getting into fighting shape before the shit storm really explodes. The gloves are off. He’s got work to do. And he’s going to do it. Words Stuart Clark, additional reporting by Niall Stokes.
Either we’re intoning for the good weather of last year - we’ve been thoroughly spoiled with great outdoor shows this summer - but there’s no chance whatsoever of picking up the much coveted farmer’s sunburn at this year’s Oxegen. If you thought to bring an umbrella to this year’s festival, you’re certainly ahead of the game…
Taking place tonight in the Dublin Point, the Meteor Ireland Music Awards will feature performances by Paddy Casey, Bell X1 and The Thrills among others
It’s been a busy year for Republic of Loose. With several Irish tours in the bag, they have spent the last few months gearing up for the UK release of their album Aaagh!.
Commander of the notorious Company C of the UDA in Belfast, Johnny Adair was given 16 years for directing terrorism. While he was never convicted of murder, the rumour mill suggests that he has been reponsible for as many as 43 deaths.
Prince may be content just to party but in a four-page special the Hot Press journalistic elite takes a look at everything 1999 has to offer. And then some.
After the huge success of the signing tent last year, Hot Press will be returning to Punchestown to bring you closer to the stars. You can drop by to meet the performers, have anything signable signed and take a snap for the family album.
Duke Special tops the bill on March 9 when Belfast’s refurbished Ulster Hall opens for business with a celebratory Do You Remember The First Time? knees-up.
Kings Of Leon have had number one albums, rave critical notices and boast a remarkable array of A-list fans (U2, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones).
Do not be deceived. The bombastic call-to-arms of the title is magnificently misleading in the same cheeky spirit of Mogwai's 'Blur Are Shite' t-shirts.
Hot Press is delighted to bring you this pre-release look at the cover artwork for Snow Patrol’s A Hundred Million Suns album, which is due in Ireland on October 24.
The first live Brits since 1989 took place at Earl's Court in London last night, with Lily Allen walking away empty-handed despite being the most nominated artist.
The soundtrack for the previous Spiderman film had a strong thread of emo and hard rock running through it. This collection has moved more towards contemporary indie-rock.
Last month's tough budget provoked extraordinary public outrage, with thousands taking to the streets in protest. In the new issue of Hot Press, Brian Cowen defends the government's decisions to raise taxes and cut funding for healthcare and education.
After the impressive reception for their top 10 debut single 'Reconnect', Director have announced details of their new single, album and a rather large tour to boot.
The Christmas album concept isn't fairing too well in the credibility stakes, mainly thanks to the ‘milk-it’ strategies that Cliff Richard and Dustin have perfected.
When Delorentos came on stage everything seemed to fall into place. Although they’re clearly influenced by the current Brit Pop new wave, Franz Ferdinand et al, and are not wholly original, they do conjure undeniably sharp riffs and tight rhythms. They’re also great fun to watch.
The line-up for this year’s Murphy’s Live extravaganza has just been unveiled and, as predicted in our last issue, it’s a cracker!
Supported throughout by hotpress, the headline acts and ports of call are The Blizzards @ Cork (January 18); The Marshals @ Whelan’s, Dublin (25); Delorentos @ The Granary, Killarney (February 1); Dae Kim @ Geoff’s, Waterford (8); Vesta Varo @ Dolan’s, Limerick (15); and Hybrasil @ Whelan’s, Dublin (22).
Of course, there's a competitive element to the trek, with two unsigned acts being selected each night to play support. Four go through to the Cork and Dublin semi-finals in March 2007, and then the top 2 slug it out on May 10 for a prize fund of €10,000. This includes studio time, a six month management contract and the release and national distribution of an EP courtesy of FIFA Records. Last years winners were Lotus Lullaby, pictured right.
Believers view Hansard & Co’s brew of emotive folk-tinged rock as a shining example of durability and authenticity in image-obsessed days. Atheists see it as the grim apotheosis of the strain of phoney singer-songwriting that was especially virulent in Dublin at the latter part of the last decade. Agnostics remain largely unmoved. The Cost, it has to be said, is not a record that will inspire many cross-camp defections.
Hosted by Channel 6’s Michelle Doherty and Across The Line presenter David “Rigsy” O’Reilly, the second Choice Music Prize, set out to showcase the ten best albums of the previous year and, of course, to decide a winner.
Amanda Byram was today unveiled as the host of this year’s Meteors Awards and nominees for 2009 were revealed - as well as the fact that Sharon Shannon would receive a lifetime achievement award.
Hot Press is again among the big winners in the latest JNRS results, with an increase of over 50% in readers over the past twelve months making it the best performing magazine in the survey for the second period in a row. This is the sixth six-month period running that Hot Press has increased its reach.
Album number three sees them progress to such a startling extent that they have a right to believe both critical acclaim and commercial success will follow.
Keyboards at the ready, modems on standby: here it is, a quick-fire tour of some of the entertainment websites from the north that matter. In theory, we were going to give you the definitive A-Z guide, but we couldn't find anything beginning with a Q or an X . Neverthless, here we go . .
Question: Why do so many rock bands take the tradesman’s entrance these days? And when was it they became so self-referential, self-effacing, heterogeneous, monosexual; cut off from the tributary streams of the other arts, adopting forelock tugging as a stance? What happened to glamour, decadence, risk, dandyism, wit? The idea of the pop star as alien emissary, queer weirdo, sin-eater, beautiful freak?
The Script and Sharon Shannon were just two of the big acts honoured at last night's Meteor Awards, where Hot Press editor Niall Stokes also picked up an award...
...here's the Hot Press Irish Music Awards, and a massive bash avec much live music is pencilled in for Belfast in April. Read on for the categories and nominees in full
In Love With Detail is the sound of a band realising their potential. It’s the first truly great Irish album of 2007 and the finest debut from a homegrown act in years.
Having struggled in the early days to balance the books, Alternative Ulster magazine is approaching its third birthday with optimism, and a big wad of Arts Council cash.
The opening night of a U2 tour can be fraught with peril. But in the Camp Nou in Barcelona tonight they exorcised the demons of previous tours and started on a winning note. Report: Olaf Tyaransen
Beats and pieces: The much-awaited October DJ and Digital Music Academy (DDMA) will be teaching this generation’s budding DJs on Saturday/Sunday October 2nd/3rd at The Digital Hub
Atomic Bomb is positively Spector-esque in its ambition, although curiously enough, it’s not a showy record, the playing being mostly subservient to the songs.
These days, Barry McIlheney is a major player in the world of London-based consumer magazines. He s been a guiding hand behind FHM, Q and Mojo, and has just launched a weekly entertainment magazine, Heat.
In an increasingly competitive world, there’s an increased awareness that practical knowledge and experience, allied to the appropriate qualifications, can give people the edge over rivals who adopt a more casual approach.
RELISH
Another Downpatrick act with the chance to make good. Now signed to EMI Ireland, a single is due presently. Previous demos found them mixing a gleaming American rock sound with soulful vocals, not unlike Roachford or Terence Trent d Arby. A challenge to anyone s marketing department, but still preferrable to the average indie toss.
There is a huge wealth of music talent in Ireland today. In this economic meltdown, the government should help the industry live up to its potential through the introduction of initiatives that would make Ireland a better environment for musicians.
A fresh-faced Snow Patrol grace our cover in 2004, with appearances elsewhere from Tommy Tiernan, Kevin Shields, The Streets (and a banana), plus The Thrills (and a skeleton).
As the country’s largest music festival, Oxegen is a crucial shop window for Irish acts. From main-stage headliners Snow Patrol through new kids on the block The Script. Here are some of our favourite Irish picks.
Snow Patrol and U2 may have gone home empty-handed, but there was much celebrating in the Enya camp last night as she picked up another ‘New Age Album’ Grammy for Amarantine.
Never mind Damien Rice or Snow Patrol, the biggest Irish deal in America at the moment are Celtic Woman whose A New Journey album has debuted at number four on the Billboard chart.
Bands looking to follow in Snow Patrol and Duke Special’s footsteps should get themselves off to the free Music, It’s The Business seminar that’s taking place in Belfast’s Black Box on February 23.
As exclusively revealed by Hot Press during the summer, Editors are recording the follow-up to their debut best-seller, The Back Room, in Westmeath’s Grouse Lodge Studios with U2 and Snow Patrol producer Garret Lee.
If you’ve looked at Snow Patrol, Garrett Lee, Paul McGuinness or David Holmes and thought “I could do that”, check out the Skills & Thrills weekend taking place on November 25 and 26 at Ti Chulainn Centre, Mullaghbawn and Íontas, Castleblayney.
Have a listen to our exclusive playlist of some of our favourite Northern acts who are appearing on July 25 at the small but massive Glasgowbury festival in Draperstown, County Derry.
From U2 to The Frames and Sinead O’Connor to Damien Rice, music has helped put this country on the map. So why is the government so slow to back the music industry?
Budget cuts almost spelled the end of Other Voices. But the team behind the Dingle music institution rallied around – with the result that this year’s line-up is arguably among the strongest in the history of the show
30,000 people, loads of A-list stars, four stages on Fairyhouse Racecourse. Yes, we're talking about WITNNESS. KIM PORCELLI reviews the biggest festival of the summer.
Think you've got them all right? Or maybe you fancy a sneaky peak (you're only cheating yourself you know!). Either way, you've got the questions – we've got the answers....
While the rest of you were off stuffing your faces with turkey, here at HotPress we were busily polishing our crystal balls in readiness for our annual gaze into the future. S
All Write Now, we said. And boy did you follow instructions! The entries poured in from all over Ireland, and further afield, in their thousands. We were snowed under – but, as the song says: That’s the way, uh huh, uh huh, we like it…
