As we eagerly await the release of Duke Special's I Never Thought This Day Would Come, we thought we'd cheer up your Wednesday with a special preview of the album artwork.
The Alison Curtis Show will be live from Whelan's Upstairs on Thursday February 12 for a special Valentine's edition, with music from Duke Special and more.
Belfast boy Duke Special is to perform at the Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland reception, to celebrate new Irish cinema at the 60th Cannes Film Festival.
Duke Special has the tunes, the talent and the charisma to carry it all off. He’s also possessed of one of the most gorgeous voices in Ireland, and he’s not afraid to use it to its full potential.
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.
Monaghan via Louth three-piece Green Lights release their Time To Tell The Parents EP this Friday, followed by an Irish tour – including a date with Duke Special.
As revealed on hotpress.com, The Divine Comedy and Duke Special do piano battle on October 14 in Vicar St, with Dave Couse playing his first Dublin show in two years supporting.
The ordinary people of Ireland have made the running of the Special Olympics here possible. The government must now do its bit for people with disabilities.
The Duke will be treating fans to two signings this Saturday, first in HMV Grafton Street, followed by an afternoon appearance in HMV Donegall Arcade, Belfast
Newly signed to Universal, the Duke will release his new 'Sweet Sweet Kisses' single next month, followed by a nationwide tour taking in no less than 12 counties.
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.
A one-night stand entitled Orchestral Manoeuvres In Belfast in which the Ulster Orchestra gets its oh-so-refined freak on with three of Ireland’s most popular performers.
There's another Belfast, an alternate dimension populated by C.S. Lewis, Van and your host and spirit guide, Duke Special, who's just released his latest album.
The Swell Season play their final gig of the year in Vicar Street on December 8, with special guests just announced including Mundy and Liam O'Maonlai.
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.
Fresh from playing a sell-out gig in The Ambassador, Republic Of Loose are confirmed as special guests for Lir's January 15 benefit gig in Vicar St, Dublin.
Few inside or outside the Duke Special camp could have predicted that 2006 would be quite such an astonishing year. Yet here he is, rubbing shoulders with the elite and being praised from all quarters. Well deserved it is too and ‘If You Go Down To The Woods...’ is a good example of the attention to detail that has helped along the way. Four tracks, all up to his usual standard and featuring yet another jaw dropping cover, this time of Razorlight’s ‘Stumble And Fall’. Most excitingly, you have to feel that this is just the beginning.
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.
I Never Thought This Day Would Come is a confident, big-hearted and ebullient record, which sees Peter Wilson tell his truths from behind the mask of Duke Special.
It was inflight double entendres all round as Bell X1 donned cabin crew attire for a special Hot Press photoshoot. When not showing an unhealthy interest in women’s clothes and fancy Raybans, they talked about their chart-topping new album Blue Lights On The Runway, their imminent breakthrough in the US and freezing their arses off on The Late Show with Dave Letterman
Hard-working indie rockers The Aftermath continue their full-on Irish tour this summer with a special Whelan’s gig, which many very well feature Liv Tyler in the audience.
Hot Press understands that Neil Hannon and Duke Special will be renewing their musical acquaintance on October 14 with a dueling piano gig in Vicar St.
The Van Diemens – a group comprised of top musicians who've played with the likes of Van Morrison and Duke Special – play a night of rock tributes in Whelan's this month.
The ban on athletes from SARS affected countries travelling to Ireland for the Special Olympics is discriminatory and wrong – and the minister for health Micheál Martin should reverse it
2004 was dominated by the Special Committe on the Traditional Arts’ failure to agree on the way forward for traditional music. Elsewhere, the TG4 National Music Awards attracted major attention and Music Network continued to do an estimable job of getting traditional music into new venues around the country.
On the eve of the release of "new" Nirvana single 'You Know You're Right' and a just-in-time-for-Christmas box set to follow, we revisit the fruits of earlier legal battles involving the 1990s' great lost band
“I think a beautiful piece is more important then having a seasonal gimmick. I get more enjoyment out of creating something that is special, and that someone will have in their wardrobe and feel special about, like it is a prized thing”
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?
Back in the days of the Wild West, Judge Roy Bean presided over his court as ‘the law west of the Pecos’. Rough and ready, and largely self-taught, his constituency included chancers, fleeing miscreants, vagabonds, thieves, murderers as well as homesteaders and frontier entrepreneurs.
There’s a touch of the criminally underrated Unbreakable about this splendid indie debut from first time writer-directors Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore.
In one of Irish music’s worst kept secrets, The Frames played Whelan’s recently, road testing some new songs and being joined on stage by a number of special guests. John Walshe reports from ringside.
Hotpress.com is delighted to bring you this pre-release goo at the artwork for Bell X1’s Blue Lights On The Runway album, which makes it into the shops here on February 20.
THE CANDLELIGHT SESSIONS at Phil Grimes' pub are the first rung on the ladder for many aspiring musicians. Proprietor Tom Ryan and chief rabble-rouser Johnny Kiely explain why this live gem is an important part of the Irish music scene.
In the first part of a two part special on the vital areas of songwriting, publishing and copyright, Jackie Hayden talks to Irish singer-songwriter Kieran Goss about his craft, on the eve of the release of the Northerner's new album Red Letter Day, his follow-up to the multi-platinum Worse Than Pride.
He’s one of the most modest figures on the Northern Ireland music scene. But with David Holmes and Duke Special among his cheerleaders, it’s clear that Robyn G. Shiels is a special talent indeed.
So what’s it really like to take your band from Dublin to New York in search of that elusive breakthrough? Little Ghetto Boys present their diary of a Paddy’s week mini-tour of the Big Apple with special guest appearances by La Rocca, Mark Geary and others...
The album won him countless new admirers all over Europe and revealed evidence of Blake's reverence for classic Motown, with lush strings, brass and choral arrangements and a fresh authority in his writing.
The Music Show, the largest event of its kind to be staged in Ireland, will be launched this Wednesday Afternoon, August 26 by THE SCRIPT, at a secret location in the centre of Dublin.
As part of Hot Press 25th Anniversary celebrations we are proud to release details of a brand new Hot Press magazine title – The Hot Press Collectors Series. Over the past quarter of a century Hot Press has been responsible for some of the most intimate, thorough, revealing and intriguing interviews with some of the world’s leading artists. Many of the Hot Press pieces have featured exclusively in the magazine, Hot Press being the first port of call for any act visiting Ireland.
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
During a career spanning almost forty years as a professional musician, Van Morrison has created an extraordinary body of work. A masterful musician, songwriter, producer, arranger and musical director, he possesses one of the most uniquely recognisable and powerful voices in music. His influence on contemporary music has been profound but far from resting on his laurels, his latest work Back On Top ranks among his finest albums to date. For Van Morrison, the search goes on. It was particularly appropriate, therefore, that he was chosen to become the first inductee into the Hot Press Irish Music Hall of Fame, at a special ceremony there last week. Report: Niall Stanage.
He's been described as the 'intellectual powerhouse of Fianna Fail'. As the party goes into electoral meltdown special advisor to the Taoiseach turned Junior Minister Martin Mansergh talks about George Lee, the Government's unpopularity and the prejudices faced by a member of the Anglo-Irish community who dared go into politics.
Well it’s one for the money Two for the show
US3 GET READY . . .
. . . Now go cats go! When a critic talks about awarding his favourite gig, album and band of the year accolades to the same outfit then we gotta be talking about something special. In this case it’s transatlantic Jazz Rappers US3. And the, er, critic in question: MR. STUART CLARK
GARBAGE are a band who absorb all the detritus, darkness and despair of the pre-millennial zeitgeist and spit it back out in a torrent of searing guitars, futuristic technological trickery and lyrics that freeze the blood. They've also made two of the most sinister pop records of modern times - the second of which, Version 2.0, is due for imminent release. PETER MURPHY met them in London to discuss sex, surveillance, studio strife, pre-2000 tension and their special fondness for The Beach Boys.
From girls-next-door to super starlets, elvis presley had em all. Yet not all his relationships with women were consummated, and there are even those who claim that none ever replaced his mother in his affections. Still, The King found plenty of outlets for his wild and boundless physical appetites, as Joe Jackson reports in this investigation into The Secret Sexual History Of Elvis Aaron Presley. Part one of a two-part Elvis confidential special.
Not content with picking up two Grammy nominations for 'Vertigo', Bono will be a geust presenter in the forthcoming Christmas Today series on BBC Radio
With the death of Johnny Cash two weeks ago, music’s Mount Rushmore finally crumbled. From the hell-raising country outlaw of the ’60s to his final incarnation as a patriarchal figure intoning songs of guilt and redemption, Cash’s voice resonated down through the years with undimmed intensity. In this special Hot Press tribute to the Man In Black, Peter Murphy talks to Cash collaborators Sandy Kelly and U2, and recounts the turbulent life and times of one of the most iconic figures in 20th century music
The Irish language is currently enjoying its most significant renaissance in many a year. in a special report, Seán O Héadeáin investigates the rebirth of the most unfairly maligned element of traditional culture
With a new 'best of' bringing the band's story up to date U2's guitar man steps forward to riff on good times and bad, the private life of a public figure, discovering the secrets of the universe on mushrooms and why, after all these years, few things match the high of being a member of U2.
Special hotpress.com members edition: "director's cut" featuring interview sections unavailable anywhere else.
This year’s Dublin Fringe Festival has one of its strongest musical line-ups yet, with all manner of gigs, once-off collaborations and curated events taking place in the Hennessy Spiegeltent.
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
A special report on the arts in Northern Ireland which is alive and rocking with the whole gamut of cultural activity. Here James Elliott and Margaret F. Grundy give the lowdown on the province’s artistic and creative hub.
It’s a different world than it used to be! In this special extended birthday column, The Hog takes a necessarily selective – and typically colourful – look at the 30 most important influences on the process of change that has brought this country all the way from there to… well, where else but here?
It’s so confident, accomplished and comfortable in its own skin that you feel like you’ve happened across a long-running serial that’s bubbling along mid-season.
Christy Moore plays a special show in Dublin’s National Concert Hall on June 23 in aid of Console, the Irish charity that helps people affected by suicide.
Julie Feeney and Duke Special have been confirmed as the first Irish participants at this year’s EuroSonic festival, which takes place in the northern Dutch town of Groningen on January 11 and 12.
It's coming up to the time where the spirit of goodwill is in the air and accordingly, a benefit gig for the Dublin Simon Community is taking place with The Guggenheim Grotto, Tadhg Cooke, The Million Dollars and special guests taking to the stage.
The competition might be hotting up as the Murphy’s Live battle of the bands enters the semi-final stage, but that’s nothing compared to the temperature at Whelan’s.
It all comes down to this. After making their way through their respective heats, Cork’s Lotus Lullaby and Waterford’s Ashley Sheehan & The Mute gathered in Cyprus Avenue for the final of Murphy’s Live and a winning prize of two grand’s worth of recording time.
Since its premiere back in 2002, HBO’s The Wire has, over the course of five years, garnered a reputation as the only serious contender for The Sopranos’ title of greatest TV show of all time.
In 2007, Hot Press will celebrate its 30th anniversary. By way of a prelude to the up-coming festivities, at Music Ireland ‘06, we will be unveiling the Hot Press Covers Exhibition featuring a selection of the great, and historic images that have adorned the front page of the magazine, from June 1977 onwards...
It sounds like there were more special effects used on ‘Curveball’ than on one of the ‘Matrix’ movies. Henning is approaching the minimal sound from a trippy perspective and his playful weirdness boasts that all too rare fun factor.
Check out the Spring '07 batch of videos created by Tisch School of Performing Arts students from New York University working with the cream of current Irish musical talent.
For lovers of rhythym, this year's Music Ireland sees legendary dummer John Blackwell will give a special performance on October 6. Best known for his time touring with Prince, Blackwell now tours with Justin Timberlake.
Whatever about his rubbish grasp of English, Swiss producer Ripperton has captured something special on ‘Skilift’. Equal parts house, minimal and trance, it has a beautiful, chiming groove and a spellbinding, melodic sequence. End result: music that doesn’t sound like it is of this world.
U2's manager Paul McGuinness is to be interviewed on Dublin's Phantom 105.2 this Sunday as part of a special programme looking back at the band's Joshua Tree album.
The return of one of the country’s finest songwriters, ‘Smile’ is the first single to be lifted from Brady’s forthcoming Say What You Feel album. On first listen it sounds like something that Van Morrison might write. As Brady songs go, it’s not far removed from his most recent output. There’s nothing uniquely special about it and it’s certainly not one of his best.
London’s electro-rockers mark the special edition release of We Are Not The Infadels by releasing the fifth –yes, fifth – single from the album. And rather than sounding like warmed-over dregs, it’s actually a catchy little number, using monotone to its benefit while cribbing some moves from New Order. Better still, the bleepy cover of ‘Steady As She Goes’ is worth the sticker price alone.
With Kanye West supplanting him as the hottest hip-hop producer on the scene and N*E*R*D no more, Pharrell Williams needs to do something special to put himself back into the game. ‘Can I Have It Like That’ is an uninspiring, tuneless dirge, in sharp contrast to West’s vibrant wall of sound. And getting Gwen Stefani to repeat four words a few times is hardly going to help matters.
Producing a limited run of singles in hand made sleeves may seem rather at odds with the new ethos of the download, but Coleraine’s ‘The Sleeping Years’ looks keen to take care over everything they do. Essentially the work of Dale Grundle (once of the Catchers), battle your way into the thing and you’ll be rewarded by five tracks that are both simple yet expansive. Another singer songwriter yes, but as with fellow countryman Duke Special, one with a bit of spark to him.
While loop techno fans will love the original track and Deetron’s Detroit-themed re-work, the real highlights are on the flip, where Kiki delivers a squelchy, EBM-themed track and Hacker’s remix of ‘TNN’ boasts wiry electro rhythms, tight handclaps and the kind of seductive melodies that make his new album so special.
The opening track from the Belgian rockers’ second LP, the Josh Homme-produced Paradisiac, kicks off with an understated swirl of bass-heavy drumming, riffage to the max and crazed electronic distortion before the climactic chorus proves them to be a version of Soundgarden introduced to the complex ways of the noughties.
Sadly, Tim Vanhamel’s sound isn’t so much a voice as an unprojected whisper, but given time they could prove to be something very special.
Like much of Haye’s second album, The Roads Don’t Love You, ‘Undercover’ is bland and distinctly average. The sense of intimacy, and indeed the delicate nature of Haye’s songwriting, which made Night On My Side so special is lost amid the bigger production. Often ‘Undercover’ sounds dead and lifeless; Hayes’ vocals, less subtle than before, lack honesty, with the previous sexiness to her phrasing now sounding forced. Dull.
Coinciding with the news that Declan’s bagged a US deal comes the release of his new single, a poignant yet haunting affair that’s one of very few pieces of music worthy of its Jeff Buckley comparison. When he dances with the words, “When all the things you’ve ever dreamed of/Start to bleed and fall apart” (with his eyes squeezed tight shut with emotion no doubt), you know you’re on to something special. With any luck, America won’t know what hit it.
Easily the most radio-friendly of their singles to date, ‘Fake’s chorus could convince even Hansard-haters that Glen & Co. have something very special indeed.
The Hearts’ return to the stage was always going to be special and there certainly was magic in the air as Donal Lunny, Davy Spillane, Eoghan O’Neill, Keith Donald, Matt Kellaghan, Noel Eccles, Anto Drennan and Graham Henderson took to the stage for the first of a four night stand.
Carndonagh based group, The Inishowen Gospel Choir will perform their own version of Van Morrison's 'Astral Weeks' among other songs at this years Glastonbury.
Tonight RTÉ are giving you one more chance to see the special celebrity episode of the Raw Sessions, which features members of The Blizzards, Republic of Loose and more!
The Hot Press Singing Tent at Oxegen will host the likes of Paolo Nutini (pictured), Razorlight, The Virgins, Fun Lovin' Criminals, The Blizzards and more...
When Zane Lowe of MTV and BBC1 described The Checks' current single as “the hottest track in the world” we didn’t hold our breath. But he’s got it right. From frontman Ed Knowles' opening wail, you know you’re in for something special. One funky bluesy as fuck riff later and you can’t help your body moving.
Foy Vance, Bap Kennedy, The Four Of Us, The Winding Stair and Tom McShane are among the artists set to re-interpret Van Morrisson's classic album Astral Weeks at a special event next month.
Duke Special and The Frames are among the artists who are set to have their videos made courtesy of the students at the Tisch School of Arts in New York.
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.
Wyclef Jean is the next luminary to feature in Witnness' ongoing gig series: and his Dublin date is soon to be followed by "equally special" events in Belfast, Cork and Galway
From the moment the crash of Director’s instruments build to a wall of sound you know you’re in for something truly special. ‘Reconnect’ is one of the most impressive and intelligently constructed Irish debuts in an age. In parts as po-faced as Interpol, it is at its heart an abashed pop song fed astutely through new wave punk. Frontman Michael Moloney exudes an effortless cool with his sharp vocal delivery whilst those around him serve to make this one of the most exciting pieces of guitar music to come out of Ireland since The Edge struck the last chord of ‘Out Of Control’. Were it not for those pesky Flaming Lips, single of the fortnight without a doubt.
The Pixies' sound was always special – the aural equivalent of being punched in the face by a beautiful, shrieking alien woman dressed like a prostitute – and Doolittle was probably the tightest, sharpest take on it.
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
Unique to his country, Luke Kelly was a special talent, and this was a special night marked not only by great music, but by anecdotes, memories and poetry from people such as Liam Clancy.
We've gone red, white and blue for the new issue of Hot Press, with a tonne of special US-inspired content and to celebrate we've got Ani DiFranco's commemorative song November 4 to listen to here.
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.
Admittedly, this reviewer put this CD on with some trepidation. After all, Sonar Kollektiv is renowned for its tepid, wine-bar friendly nu jazz, but, on this occasion, it has delivered something special.
In one of the starriest line-ups we've seen since Live 8, celebs and artists led by U2 are rallying together to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. A special telethon will be aired on all six US networks as well as Sky One tonight.
Sharon Shannon and her Big Band – with guests Mundy and Shane MacGowan – play a special light night gig in Castlebar this Christmas season, with more dates around the country.
PAUL RODGERS is real special. You can name the duff albums since Free split up, you can say he's old hat, or a hanger on from the days of Deep Purple, Led Zep, and dinosaur rock.
The Dublin venue – which has hosted acts like Arctic Monkeys, Jeff Buckley, Nick Cave and Bloc Party over the years – will celebrate 20 years in business this month with a special series of gigs.
It takes over an hour for the movie to really get going in [the special effects] department, but it’s certainly worth the wait, with a bombardment of genuinely awe-inspiring SEs that more than fulfil the hype.
WITH EACH successive album, Cran's music has matured like whiskey in a cask. From the opening bars of the first track 'Erin' you know instinctively that something special is afoot.
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.
A host of Irish musicians have recorded a version of The Horslips’ classic ‘Trouble With a Capital T’ for a special celebrity episode of the Raw Sessions with Sony Ericsson.
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.
The MTV Brand Spanking New Tour is a big ask. On a night when temperatures outside are soaring, it requires something pretty special to entice us indoors.
THOUGH directed by Robert Rodriguez - the maverick Texan semi-genius responsible for El Mariachi and Desperado - The Faculty is, in essence, a Scream 3 in all but name, with a bonus blitz of sci-fi special effects.
Fresh from strutting their stuff at Oxegen, Kasabian will be joined by The Rapture and Hot Chip to play a special show in Belfast as part of a new Channel 4 music programme.
This collection of about 50 Irish and British artists performing folk-rock works mostly written by former music journalist Colin Harper is a seriously handsome affair.
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.
"To do away with this very special and uniquely Irish music programme would be a great disservice to diversity in a time of unprecedented homogeny", say the band
The Mulkerrin Brothers, winners of the first ever RTE All-Ireland Talent Show, have announced details of their first Irish tour, with special guests to be announced in the coming weeks.
Aslan were the unexpected winners of the night at the Meteor Ireland Music awards, beating off competition from the likes of Ash, Delorentos and the Flaws to take the title of Best Irish Band.
The tracklisting of the upcoming Frames live album, Set List, revealed in full - in a hotpress.com exclusive. Also: tidings of a Frames radio documentary on Today FM, a No Disco special - and did somebody say Glastonbury?
Ireland’s premier Obnoxious Pop combo are promising to round off the year with a very special gig. Fight Like Apes will be bringing a wrestling ring into The Academy for a fight night of body-slamming, gut-grappling, seconds out, no holds barred electronic punk rock.
U2, Rory Gallagher, Van Morrison and Phil Lynott go postal this month as a new set of Irish commemorative postage stamps is released - and Hot Press get into the act with an also-commemorative four-cover special to match. As the man said, save 'em, swop 'em, collect 'em all
Three special singles made for much pre-release hype, and the remix commissions (EMF, Elastica and Medal to name but three) and soundtracks (Rancid Aliminium, Complicity and There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble) secured since then prove it’s not just the critics that have been impressed by Ian Davenport and Andy Lovegrove.
You certainly wouldn’t need telling that You And Me And Everyone We Know came to our shores via Sundance. With its seemingly endless capacity for navel-gazing and quirkiness (spit), it belongs right down there on a special me-me-me triple bill featuring What The Bleep Do We Know? and My Life Without Me
Truly, something special is stirring in the Southern states. Within weeks of Dwight Twilley's immaculate Tulsa taking up residence in the CD bay along comes the debut album by Texas-based Darin, again courtesy of Castle's newly-formed Power Pop outlet When!
The tenth anniversary of Rory Gallagher's death will be honoured with a very special event in Ballyshannon, plus a Best Of album and a Gerry McAvoy autobiography
That's right - the upcoming issue of Hot Press is football-tastic, and to celebrate Ireland's crucial and historic European Qualifiers at Croke Park, we've got a rather special prize to give away (free content)
IN HER collaborations with the likes of Mary Black, Sharon Shannon and The Fallen Angels, Maire Breatnach has always invested their work with something extra special.
Barry Dobbin and Luke Smith first began writing music together after the punters had all been sent home from their Bad Bunny club nights in Soho. Judging by the influences draped and smeared all over this, their first album, the club’s play-list must have been pretty special.
We all have one special place on our bodies that drives us wild with lust. And it isn't as hard to find the location of this treasure as you might think.
A new documentary "Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the story of SmiLE" will be given a special screening in Dublin this month followed by a Q&A session with Brian Wilson and the director
A pivotal figure within Dublin’s psycho-rock scene, he’s been threatening something special for some time, and praise be, The Sins of Sainte Catherine is a fine representation of his considerable talent.
WHIPPING BOY (Project Arts Centre, Dublin)
TO GET a crowd up and dancing requires something special - but then Whipping Boy have always had that something.
This was not the usual high energy experience that we’ve come to expect from Turn’s Dublin appearances. Which, in a funny way, made it all the more special...
While fans will undoubtedly love it, Kíla’s Live in Dublin is a good place for newcomers to start, too, capturing as it does the special celtic-rave crossover invented by this much-loved band.
With the recently released Some Cities completing a trio of gorgeously layered masterpieces, Doves are the band many take for granted. Brilliance is expected, and we have become accustomed to excellence from the Manchester trio. If there was anything unexpected about their set at a sold out Olympia, it was that we may have forgotten beforehand just how special they really are.
If there was anything unexpected about Doves set at a sold out Olympia, it was that we may have forgotten beforehand just how special they really are. It didn’t take long for one's memory to kick into gear.
The thirteen tracks herein can be split roughly into two camps - the originals penned quick and recorded even quicker for soundtracks, and the covers dashed off as extra incentives on special edition albums, or just for pig iron
If anyone, up to and including those who receive special messages from Jesus during weather forecasts, gets anything at all about Revolver, I’d be terrifically surprised. Frankly, it’s the most godawful mess of this or any other year.
A Tribute To should’ve been a godsend: a selection of Joni’s finest tunes, sung by a host of special guests. The reality, as one might guess from the diversity of the line-up, is a rather uneven record.
1999 and what the hell is going on? Leisure time in our booze economy is more likely to entail getting plastered, donning a cheap '70s wig and dancing to some awful tribute act than checking out something new. Even the silver screen is dominated by the likes of Boogie Nights and Special Agent Austin Powers celebrating the 'shagadelic' seventies. Groovy baby, yeah? Not if you are looking through The Auteurs' untainted glasses.
On paper this recipe should only work when disasters are the special of the day; take some down-your-throat production values, stir in guitars big enough to fill the most ravenous appetite, nourishing Led Zep drums, some unapologetic spice for the soul, hippy-dippy lyrics, bird song, Johnny Foreigners singing in strange tongues, lavish helpings of sitars and tablas, a telephone ringing, a bagpipe to taste, and, er, the kitchen sink.
Stunning is only the start of it. To come back from a showcase having seen one great new band is an achievement. To see three is staggering. From the off it seemed destined to be a special night.
It was almost a year ago that I met my Swedish flatmate and first began my love affair with The Knife. I took one listen to ‘Heartbeats’ – the first and still the best track on Deep Cuts – and knew that I’d become privy to something very special. With repeated listening (and selective leaking), I kept The Knife close to my heart. So it was with great trepidation that I learned of the release of Deep Cuts in the rest of Europe.
David Kitt [pictured right], The Frank And Walters, The Walls and Royseven are among the artists who have been selected to have their videos made, in a special programme run by New York University, in association with Hot Press. Royseven's recently released debut album, The Art Of Insincerity, entered the Irish album charts at No.17 this week.
The glitter cannon has been primed. The pyrotechnics are sorted, likewise a series of 40 foot video screens. A massive sound system will have been freighted in from London. And at midnight on New Year's Eve, a Shine club special at the King's Hall in Belfast will be hailed by much noise and a computerised system sequencing animation, music and samplers - a millennium shindig that's likely to be the best of its kind in Ireland
Their special talent is the ability to Frankenstein together body parts too diseased for other bands to use, sew ’em together and cover over the cracks with heaped trowels of whiteface and panstick.
In order to facilitate the emphasis on spectacle, narrative and characterisation are almost completely sacrificed – and while there is some genuine sense of a stand-off for the movie’s final hour, it’ s rendered as an undifferentiated mish-mash of special effects and loud bangs.
If you hate all the other Rocky films, humanity in general, cream-coloured ponies and crisp apple strudle, chances are, you may still find a special place in your heart for Sylvester Stallone’s sixth outing as the loveable Philadelphia lummox.
Now here’s something you don’t happen upon everyday. Rian Johnson’s sui generis debut feature, a high school noir of all things, took a Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at Sundance. All told, the writer-director spent six years getting Brick into a cinema near you, and no wonder. Potential investors must have thought him quite mad.
Winner of last year's Special Jury Prize at Cannes, inspired by the obscure Peruvian surrealist poet Cesar Vallejo, soundtracked by Benny from ABBA (!) and directed by one-time enfant-terrible Andersson, Songs From The Second Floor is a real oddity.
Mick Flannery is just one of the top artists featured singing a track on Seachtain na Gaeilge’s Irish language compilation Ceol ’09, due for release next month. Jackie Hayden talks to him about the experience.
With Bono and Simon Carmody orchestrating it, and Kila minding the gap, the recording of a tribute to one of the most important and widely loved figures in the history of Irish music turned into a very special occasion indeed.
We may be one bounced cheque short of joining Iceland in the Bankrupt Small Countries Club, but there’s good reason to celebrate our Irishness on March 17 when The Simpsons’ Paddy’s Day special premieres in Ireland on Sky1.
Well, why just read Ireland's coolest (and yet, let's face it, sometimes hottest) music & culture magazine, when you can avail of all sorts of other special features here on the web as well? Such as...
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.
AH, THIS sporting year! And what a year it has been! Just like last year, but ever so slightly different.
I suppose if there is a special theme running through sporting activities during 1994, it has been the emergence of drugs and money as intrinsic elements in the great sporting circus. Symbiotic twins, really: Drugs and money.
It s a kind of an honour to be invited in here. The scenery isn t so special a rented office in an industrial park in west Belfast, lined with concrete.
On Tuesday 23rd November, at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, the Church & General Insurance Company present The Celebration Concert, featuring an extraordinary array of Ireland's finest contemporary songwriting and composing talents. In this four-page special, Jackie Hayden explores the background to the event and we profile the leading players.
That’s the philosophy behind Cross Border Media, a label which has had a remarkable impact on Irish music since its foundation just three years ago. A special report by Colm O’Hare and Jackie Hayden
To make it in the rock 'n' roll business you need a dream, a vision, a sparkle in your eye . . . and tons and tons of equipment. STUART CAROLAN guides you to the best bargains and damnedest deals in this Hot Press Equipment Special.
From the germ of a melodic idea through to the record that's played on the radio - Hot Press presents all you need to know about the art of songwriting. By journalist and musician PETER MURPHY. Part One of a three-part industry special.
This coming Saturday, Belgium play Sweden in the opening game of EURO 2000. But don t panic things will rapidly improve after that. In a Foul Play special, JONATHAN O BRIEN tells you all need to know about this year s crop of contenders
Jim Corr-endorsed four-piece Karrier have wowed the Dublin indie circuit and supported Pink at Malahide Castle. Now, the band are looking to make a big impact with their debut album.
Recipient of the IRMA Honours Awars of 2006, celebrating 30 years of music.
Here we document the stories, sounds, politics and philosophies that have developed with Bob Geldof, from his Boomtown Rats days to his most famous status as a devoted humanitarian.
Hot Press brings you an exclusive foretaste of the fourth series of RTE Two's highly-acclaimed Other Voices. Included is a run down on the musical guests, from José González, James Blunt and Elbow to Horslips, Julie Feeney and Rufus Wainwright. Also, we speak to presenter John Kelly and organisers Phillip King and Aoife Woodlock.
When time comes for the models to put on their real life clothes, chances are they’ll turn to Filippa Knutsson. Alison Bourke meets the designer who’s more interested in “style than fashion”
Do you recognise this voice? "It really annoys me that our bleedin’ patron saint is a bloody Brit. Before he came along we were havin’ the craic, drinkin’, fightin’, killin’, pukin’, inbreedin’ an’ ridin’ animals. Then over he trots with his ‘thou shalt not do this’ or ‘hey, leave that Irish wolfhound alone’..."
On the eve of Election '02, a collection of some of the Hot Press archive's most significant political interviews - with those people who went on to lead their parties
Getting press accreditation for the world’s greatest cycling race seemed like a dream come true. Then the Tour de France turned into the Tour de Farce. SHANE STOKES recalls the death of innocence during three tumultuous weeks in July.
She’s been dubbed America’s answer to M.I.A. and blown Bjork off stage in Madison Square Garden. Brooklyn rapper Santogold explains how it feels to be hyped as New York’s next big thing.
Billing itself as Britain s Top Selling Miniatures Magazine , Dolls House World is a positive wonder to behold, telling you all you need to know to become a mover and shaker on the dolls house scene.
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.
We’ve been banging on for months about the utter fabulousness of CAT MALOJIAN - now, with the release of their latest album, the rest of the world is set to get a taste of their genius too.
Belfast human rights lawyer PAT FINUCANE was shot dead in his home by the UFF ten years ago. There has long been a suspicion that the security forces colluded in his assassination. Recent developments do nothing to alter that belief. By NIALL STANAGE.
When Sharon Corr visited the townships in South Africa, she vowed to contribute to the drive, spearheaded by Irishman Niall Mellon, to build real houses for the underpriveleged citizens of Cape Town.
It’s Sunday night, sometime past midnight. In the snooty setting of the DEAF VIP Bar, deep within the bowels of the Guinness Storehouse, hotpress meets with a jovial Paul St. Hilaire - all smiles and white, moussy moustache, busy lining up his complementary pints before closing time.
Steve Cummins meets Philip King, the man behind Other Voices: Songs From A Room, the acclaimed music show which has provided an invaluable platform for Irish musicians – and which has now expanded its remit to include international artists as well.
It’s Sunday night, sometime past midnight. In the snooty setting of the DEAF VIP Bar, deep within the bowels of the Guinness Storehouse, hotpress.com meets with a jovial Paul St. Hilaire - all smiles and white, moussy moustache, busy lining up his complementary pints before closing time.
Steve Cummins meets Philip King, the man behind Other Voices: Songs From A Room, the acclaimed music show which has provided an invaluable platform for Irish musicians – and which has now expanded its remit to include international artists as well.
You can count on it happening at least once a year – an album so singular it cuts through arbitrary notions of taste and unites disparate audiences in a brief consensus.
Imaginative variations on the theme *The Pure Thrill of Living* were the focus of attention at the 9th Smirnoff Young Designer Awards which took place in Trinity College, Dublin recently.
On route to Dublin for a special Music Show gig at The Academy, woman of the moment Speech Debelle talks to Edwin McFee, about winning the Mercury Music Prize.
A special interview from the Hot Press archives, first published in 1985: Minister for Women's Affairs Nuala Fennell talks feminism, sex and contraception with HP editor Niall Stokes.
30th Anniversary Retrospective: In a special interview, The Edge reminisces about the early days of Hotpress, explains Bill Graham’s role in U2’s development, and comes clean about what the band have been up to recently in Morocco.
Nope, it’s not a Jim Morrison tribute; it’s an initiative which sees musicians such as The Blizzards, Neosupervital, Julie Feeney, Roesy and Brian Palm design a special set of doors.
We are currently going through the Golden Age of Sexual Freedom. But there are dark clouds on the horizon with the increase in STDs on the one hand and the resurgence of fundamentalist religion in different guises on the other. So will our children become the New Puritans? This is the third and final part in a special three part series.
RTE Lyric FM will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the birth of the late genre-defying trumpeter Mile Davis with a special weekend focusing on a man who is arguably the greatest jazz innovator to have a major impact on rock music. To give you a little something for that weekend, Jackie hayden reflects on one of the true giants of music.
Finns can only get better as dodgy England World Cup songs, credibility-destroying Coke ads and blood-spurting Eurovision entrants star in our C.I.N. music special.
It was Wednesday June 14th, 1995, when the terrible news of Rory Gallagher’s death was first phoned through to the Hot Press office. In more ways than one, it was the end of an era. On Wednesday November 8th, a commemoration service was held at Brompton Oratory in London. The ceremony ended with a tribute, which was delivered by Niall Stokes, editor of Hot Press. As a special remembrance of Rory, on the 10th anniversary of his death, we reproduce here the full text of that tribute.
The latest wave of right-wing attacks on US musicians is likely to have a knock-on effect here, with the words and actions of our own artists coming under increased scrutiny. In a special hotpress report, Ed Power enlists the help of Marilyn Manson and a number of major Irish players to pick his way through the censorship minefield.
Exclusive: The new Coldplay album, X & Y, is set to finally hit the stores next month, and Hot Press has been granted a special sneak preview. Ed Power here gives a track-by-track guide to one of the most anticipated albums of the year.
Marital breakdown can be hell for both parties. But for many fathers that’s just the beginning of the nightmare, as they are systematically excluded from contact with their children. For A special hotpress report, Peter Murphy spoke to three fathers about their first-hand experiences of Irish Family Law, and here relates their deeply troubling and unsettling stories.
...So said David St. Hubbins 20 years ago in Marti DiBergi’s seminal documentary or, if you will, rockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap. In the time that’s elapsed since then, the Tap have become synonymous with all manner of excess, on the road hi-jinx and bizarre gardening accidents. In a special hotpress tribute, we ask a plethora of their admirers for their own Spinal Tap-style stories. And remember, it’s such a fine line between stupid and clever.
Over the past decade, the new wave of films from South Korea has made a stunning impact on movie fans worldwide. The acclaim peaked earlier this year when the remarkable OldBoy scooped the Grand Prix at Cannes. In a Moviehouse special we look at Korea’s visceral treats and talk to ace director Chan Wook Park.
One of the star attractions of Bud Rising, Badly Drawn Boy – AKA Damon Gough – explains his special connection with audiences in this country and his grudging regard for pop talent shows on the box words Tanya Sweeney
The industry may not have always liked them but their fans couldn’t be more passionate. Ten members, four studio albums, three managers and two major labels later, The Frames still managed to add up to more than the sum of their parts. Peter Murphy, with help from Glen Hansard and other key players brings the story of the band up to date in this, the final part of our two-part special [Photo Mick Quinn]
From “Outspan” to Glen Hansard, from Grafton Street to Hollywood – and onwards to Lisdoonvarna 2003. A portrait of The Frames as a most unusual band. Part one of a two-part special feature by Peter Murphy. [Main Photos: Mick Quinn]
With their new album, Gotta Go There To Come Back, in the bag, Stereophonics have chosen a very special gig at the Heineken Green Energy extravaganza in Dublin, to make their return to the stage. No wonder the boys are feeling bullish! Chris Martin, Ronnie Wood, Fran Healy, Rod Stewart, Noel Gallagher, U2 and the Rolling Stones – Kelly Jones has opinions on all of them! So who’s feeling the lash of the ‘phonics frontman’s verbal assault, then?
Make no mistake about it, cocaine is more widely available in Ireland than at any time in the past. But is it the nasty, evil and dangerous drug of tabloid legend? In this Special Hot Press Report, Olaf Tyaransen goes behind the myths to uncover the history of, and the facts about, what has been dubbed the Champagne Drug. He talks to the Gardai and to dealers – and offers an honest assessment, from his own personal experience, of the drug that's widely used by musicians, media types, accountants, advertising execs and lawyers.
Luke Unabomber explains how Manchester’s electric chair night has progressed from a “shitty little club” into one of the UK’s most successful dance events, with special guests, mix cd on release and worldwide touring dates. It’s about the music, apparently
In a 25th anniversary rose-tinted special, Hot Press' dance correspondents select their 25 most influential floor fillers. The editor's decision is final and all that
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
John Walshe talks to Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz about love, fame, journalism, nervous breakdowns, dating the cast of Friends and the band s special relationship with their Irish fans. Birdwatcher: Declan English
It s a story that has it all. Fame, drink, women, politics. Even death threats and The Mob. In a special retrospective feature JOE JACKSON explores the myth, and the reality, of THE RAT PACK, the original reservoir dogs.
Modesty doesn't forbid us drawing your attention to a new book on Irish comedy, in which this here organ plays a small but, dare we say it (and yes we do),
significant role. By our special correspondent E. Gomaniac.
GEORGE MARTIN was intrinsic to much of The Beatles brilliance. Now he s coming to Dublin for a series of special concerts. GEORGE BYRNE sets the scene.
Irish fiction continues to grow in both popularity and hipness. In this special feature we talk to three of its most prominent young exponents: John Connolly, Conal Creedon and Julie Parsons.
Irish fiction continues to grow in both popularity and hipness. In this special feature we talk to three of its most prominent young exponents: John Connolly, Conal Creedon and Julie Parsons.
Irish fiction continues to grow in both popularity and hipness. In this special feature we talk to three of its most prominent young exponents: John Connolly, Conal Creedon and Julie Parsons.
Irish fiction continues to grow in both popularity and hipness. In this special feature we talk to three of its most prominent young exponents: John Connolly, Conal Creedon and Julie Parsons.
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.
ADRIENNE MURPHY reports on the sacking of scientist DR ARPAD PUSZTAI following a recent World In Action TV special on genetic engineering and talks to The Guardian’s environment editor, John Vidal, about his sometimes vexed encounters with the Monsanto group.
Sound engineering, accountancy, teaching, health and beauty . . . you name it, we've got it. In this special Hot Press feature, PATRICK BRENNAN looks at the many courses currently available to graduates, young school-leavers or anyone simply considering a change of career.
The first sci-fi cineplex
blockbuster of 1998
STARSHIP TROOPERS is directed by Paul Verhoeven from a book by noted sci-fi scribe Robert A. Heinlein. And it s either a mindlessly enjoyable special effects white-knuckle ride or dangerously subversive propaganda for right wing militarism. You decide: to Grok, or not to Grok?
Will U2 play Phoenix Park or not? And what is the future of the rock festival as we have come to know and love it in Ireland? Special Report: STUART CLARK.
An overnight sensation after ten years and a theatrical star with no special love of the theatre, Martin McDonagh is a playwright with his eyes set firmly on the big screen.
Interview: Olaf Tyaransen.
An overnight sensation after ten years and a theatrical star with no special love of the theatre, Martin McDonagh is a playwright with his eyes set firmly on the big screen.
Interview: Olaf Tyaransen.
In a special Hot Press investigative report, Jonathan O'Brien looks into the activities of Father Sean Fortune [pictured left with the Pope - courtesy The Star] and his Institute of Journalism and Theatre, while Craig Fitzsimons goes undercover to discover exactly what is - and isn't - on offer in one of the priest's diploma courses.
From Sting to Frank Zappa, Derek Bell has been literally instrumental in establishing The Chieftains as your average rock legend’s favourite group. Liam Fay hears the full story about his ice cream binges with Van Morrison and his special liking for rosewood oboes!
Though a renowned singer-songwriter in her own right, SHAWN COLVIN’S current album is a collection of cover versions. MELISSA KNIGHT hears why the songs on Cover Girl are so special to her.
Despite its good intentions, Channel 4’s recent After Dark special on the Church and sex in Ireland didn’t shed much light on the issues raised. Night owl: LIAM FAY
Californian-born JIM PAGE is no ordinary protest singer. Best known on this side of the Atlantic as the writer of such classics as 'Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Russian Roulette', his music has continued to move hearts and minds well into the corporate nineties. Here, he traces his roots from Bob Dylan to Public Enemy, and explains why he wrote a special song in tribute to Sinead O'Connor. Interview: GERRY McGOVERN
IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN WHEN THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE TAKE THAT OFTEN DAUNTING LEAP FROM SCHOOL TO COLLEGE. HERE, THE HOT PRESS STUDENT SPECIAL OFFERS ITS OWN INIMITABLE SAFETY NET.
Within a minute of meeting Olivia, you realise you're in the presence of a future R&B star. It's depressing. Depressing because you don't even need to hear a record to know that the 23-year-old New Yorker is destined to be all over MTV and the music media within the blink of an eye.
Equipment, like fame, has it price. colm o hare goes bargain-hunting and discovers that spending your band s hard-earned loot on new musical instruments need not be a traumatic experience.
On Belfast's Royal Avenue, there's a genuinely stirring event taking place. It's Saturday afternoon, the rain has held off for an hour, and the fourth Belfast Carnival is kicking in. Roll on the floats, the dance troupes, the chi-chi costumes, the giant skeletons and the enormous Picasso masks.
In a place where any parade - from St Patrick's Day to
Sebastian Barry's new play Hinterland concerns the reflections of a former Taoiseach and his failed relationship with his family. Joe Jackson asks director Max Stafford-Clarke if the story is based on anyone in particular
They've hardly played any gigs and have only a handful of releasees to their name. Thanks in part, to the blessing of Damien Rice, however The Guggenheim Grotto are going places.
In the first instalment of a regular new column for Hot Press, former Irish international PAUL McGRATH remembers Italia 90 and looks forward to the season ahead
By now one of the most esteemed events on the Irish cultural calendar, the Galway Arts Festival 2003 will once again bring you the best in contemporary theatre, literature, comedy and music
It was lost in the heart of a crowd, where recollections grow wild with fancy. Caught in a ... a ... landslide, a light show, a movement, a positive noise, ayee-haw, a whoopee cushion of gigantic proportions, and ...
“I had travelled with celebrities before, but I had never seen anything like this. Everyone – everyone – stopped in their tracks when they caught sight of Ali . . . each pair of eyes stared at him, each mouth silently formed the word ‘Ali.’“ – Bob Greene, 1983.
Wayne Coyne would like to share a secret. Thing is, he shouldn’t really be telling you. Maybe he’s stirring hornets here and, well, that’s not what he’s about.
Hot Press celebrates Irish Language Week with a series of features in both English and Irish, as well as interviews with prominent Irish-speaking personalities. Stay tuned for regular updates.
Electric Avenue in Waterford City is now a firmly established stop-off on the Irish circuit. Proprietor and promoter Mick O'Keefe talks a little about his past and explains how he's in this for the long haul.
As one half of gross-out movie kings the Farrelly Brothers, Bobby Farrelly turned bodily humour into an art form. Now the Farrellys have reunited with actor Ben Stiller for their funniest film in years, The Heartbreak Kid.
We hope you're feeling hungry because on September 1, 2 and 3, over 50 of the hottest live acts and DJs around are descending on Stradbally Estate in Laois for the Electric Picnic.
Hot Press joins The Walls and The Jimmy Cake on their diplomatic mission to welcome the new EU neighbours of the East [includes photo gallery and live audio tracks]
Photos, vox pops and child-friendly Guinness cocktails: hotpress.com brings you all the spills and thrills from the biggest event on the electronic music calender
Making his first home town foray in months, Kilkenny drumming sensation R.S.A.G is just one of the highlights of this year’s arts festival in the Marble City.
THE WHEATFIELD Feile mightn't have generated quite the same hype as its Thurles counterpart but that doesn't mean it wasn't lapped up with any less enthusiasm but it's, er, select audience.
Perfect weather has been promised for the next year’s Olympics Games thanks to a man called Zhang Qiang who is in charge of the city’s artificial rainmaking and prevention programme.
After making their name with the glacial atmospherics of Felt Mountain, Goldfrapp work up a sweat on their new album Black Cherry. John Walshe hear how they “defrosted” their sound
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 Great Chat-Show War didn’t quite turn out to be the promised Mother of All Battles. Although in some ways it did: like Saddam’s first war, it was all over in less than a 100 days.
He may be trained to kill, but recently James Blunt has been seducing vast swathes of the population with his poignant love songs. Lured to the Hot Press Chat Room, he tells all about his number one album, the Queen, being shot at in Kosovo and lesbian swim parties.
Ten years after his last solo album, and twenty years after he formed Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Holly Johnson is back with a new album and a new outlook on life. Interview: RICHARD BROPHY.
Colm O’Sullivan lives for music, and through his work as a presenter with Red FM is one of the most enthusiastic supporters of Irish music in town. Just as soon as he moved into a new apartment in Cork there was a knock at the door. It was Jackie Hayden.
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?
E-drums, synths and home digital pianos – as Gerry Forde explains, Roland have been at the cutting edge of music technology for decades, and show no signs of slackening off.
The wine is flowing. The food is good. The spirits are high. And then it’s time for dancing. If you’re in the mood to shake some sex action, the office party might seem like the perfect opportunity to make a move on someone you’ve been lusting after. But beware. The potential for disaster is, well, huge…
Now in its second year, Cork Live At The Marquee is one of the highlights of the Irish music calendar. Here, Hot Press presents a complete preview of what's in store for music fans in the southern capital - and looks at the great legacy of Cork music.
Comedian JACK DEE, the supremo of sarcasm, the sultan of sardonicism, is back on the road and he s headed for this green and pleasant land, for a string of dates in April. Interview: Andrew Darlington
Andrew Maxwell who has followed up a year of successful television appearances with a sell-out stand-up show and a nomination for a prestigious comedy award.
As cult continental rockers Deus release their fifth album, frontman Tom Barman talks about interviewing David Lynch, collaborating with Glen Hansard and hanging out with Elbow's Guy Garvey.
Running – appropriately enough – from the 26th to 29th of October in Dublin's IFC, the Horrorthon weekend is without doubt the ultimate word in non-stop guts and gore. The gruesome endurance test gets underway on the night of Friday 26th in IFC Screen One with a preview of John Carpenter's Ghosts Of Mars, a sci-fi/horror hybrid set 175 years into the future. Horrorthon highlights are as follows:
She’s been lumped in with the nu jazz movement, but Amy Winehouse has no interest in keeping up with the Norah Jones’ or Jamie Cullum's. Phil Udell gets music lessons from the 19-year-old Londoner.
Every hip indie musician is namechecking (and soundchecking) Gang Of Four these days. But there’s more to the band than scratchy guitars and funky rhythms – as guitarist Andy Gill tells us, their unique sound was forged during a time of musical innovation and political radicalism.
There’s more to our national holiday than drowning the shamrock you know. In fact, no matter what your interest, St Paddy’s Day has something to offer.
The hostage crisis in Beslan, which ended last week in terrible carnage, has brought the conflict in the former soviet union into sharper focus than ever before. the emerging picture is a chastening one, as the prospect of a descent into chaos looms ever larger.
A long way from there to here
With 35 years on the road behind them, THE DUBLINERS are the roots of Irish music. Interview: Colm
O'Hare. The Rolling Stones aren't the only ones celebrating 35 years on the road this year.
A sister group whose family name begins with ‘C’ – little wonder that The Conways are being compared to you-know-who. Find out what’s different about the Sligo foursome.
A new compilation album charts DONAL LUNNY s extraordinary musical journey to date but Colm O'Hare finds that the COOLFIN founder still has his eye fixed firmly on challenges to come
PEOPLE BUYING magazines for sick Grannies in hospital beware! It may sound like the sort of publication that has Russell Grant doing the horoscopes and Richard Madely talking about his perfect marriage, but the only pricks in For Women are of the bell-ended variety.
The playstation 2 console customising competition is just one of the highlights of this year’s Dublin Electronic Arts Festival which runs from october 17-27. Alison Martin finds out more.
The biggest ever music exhibition in Ireland will cover all aspects of the entertainment business – with something for every music fan. What’s more, it is happening at the perfect time for Christmas browsing.
BARRY GLENDENNING pays suitably dewy-eyed tribute to Seinfeld, the unfeasibly popular American sit-com which lasted nine years, despite the fact that nothing ever actually happened on it.
Marley, Merlin, Christ, coke, the mighty wind and extraterrestrial healing - EAMON SWEENEY hears the gospel according to LEE SCRATCH PERRY, currently starring in the latest cult commercial for Guinness stout
They began as an acid house act doing a disco cover of Neil Young's 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart'. Then they took a break, discovered big beat and became wine waiters for cult author Douglas Coupland. There's never a dull moment with Saint Etienne
Having been widely mooted as one of Ireland’s most promising young artists, Laura Izibor delivered the goods earlier this year with her debut album, Let The Truth Be Told, a sparkling collection of R&B and hip-hop tunes. Critically well-received, it also performed well commercially, hitting the number two spot here, and – perhaps even more impressively – charting in the US top 30.
Director PADDY BREATHNACH, producer ROB WALPOLE and writer CONOR McPHERSON take time out from polishing their latest haul of gongs to talk CATHY DILLON through the making of I Went Down.
Come Into The Garden
Colm O'Hare meets Fionnuala Sherry, the only Irish person to win the Eurovision for Norway and half of new age superstar group Secret Garden
He may have stopped smoking superhuman amounts of weed, but otherwise it’s business as usual for Ghostface Killah as he continues to spread the Wu-Tang gospel.
Irish labels, bands and artists often face an uphill struggle to garner recognition, even on their home turf. Which is why hotpress and HMV have undertaken their own combined initiative, to coincide with the announcement of the shortlist for the first Choice Irish music prize. As a product of this initiative, all ten albums will be specially stocked and displayed in HMV stores all over Ireland on the run-in to the announcement of the winning album later this month. Here, we take a look at the list – and reflect on those that have been omitted.
BARRY MURPHY is not the Godfather of the new Irish comedy. Repeat: Barry Murphy is not the Godfather of the new Irish comedy. barry glendenning interviews the benevolent uncle of new Irish comedy instead.
Laughing in the face of a global music meltdown, Colin Devlin has temporarily exited The Devlins to release a solo album Democracy Of One and strike out on a world tour.
From 15-28 July 2002 Galway city hosts one of the most comprehensive of this year's arts festivals with esoteric offerings from the genres of visual art, music, theatre, comedy and lots, lots more
Áine Tubridy and Michael Corry are medical doctors, writers and healers, known for their holistic approach to mental health. Here are their thoughts on personal change in 2008.
ME AND the boys are heading down to Central America for a couple of weeks. Nothing too taxing overthrow a democratically-elected President and replace him with this right-wing dictator bloke who s bunging us $500,000. If you want to come along for the ride, give us a shout.
With titles like ‘Cum When You Cum’, ‘Cafe Necrofilia’ and ‘Wasted So Ferociously Stoned’, The Unsuspecting Public will probably not be playing at a folk mass anywhere near you in the forseeable future
The recent release of the compilation album So Real: Songs From Jeff Buckley was a potent reminder of the extraordinary impact Jeff Buckley made during his short life. In an exclusive interview, on the 10th anniversary of his death, his mother Mary Guibert reflects on the singer’s legacy.
RAP BAND Niggers With Attitude, who once sang the song 'Burn Hollywood' would be more than pleased to hear of the success of the Irish Film Centre which came to Dublin's Temple Bar Area a year ago.
The seeming indifference of the Department of Education has prompted the band TUPELO to release a song to highlight the plight of children attending Cabra’s neglected Gaelscoil Bharra
Hong Kong director Stephen Chow is the closest thing to an auteur in the explosive and surreal world of Far East action cinema. His latest feature, Kung Fu Hustle, could be the one to finally break him in the West. But impending worldwide stardom hasn’t erased Chow’s modest streak, he reveals in an exclusive interview.
The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, has just promised “to streamline and modernise our liquor licensing laws”. Karla Healion asks if the government is correct in its approach to curbing problems associated with alcohol.
New York, London, Paris, Munich, everybody’s talking about Mylo’s music. The 25-year-old dancefloor maestro here sounds off to Steve Cummins about touring the globe, the challenges of following up his acclaimed debut album, and why maruading chavs won’t be enough to dissuade him from moving to Essex.
Grunge titans Alice in Chains are back after a 14 year hiatus. They talk about the tragic death of vocalist Layne Staley, working with Elton John and keeping the spirit of the early ‘90s alive.
Playing Live at the Marquee on Thursday 28 June: Having caused something of a sensation on the back of their smash hit single ‘Everytime We Touch’, the German-based Cascada are now bringing their infectious brand of dance-pop to Cork.
Playing a character "full of loneliness and happiness" proved something of a challenge for actress Marie Bunel in the Oscar-nominated French film The Chorus. But as she tells Tara Brady, working with director Christopher Barratier helped her discover that acting can be much like using an instrument.
I’d always have said that Irish people were good at huddling. Our history and our climate, not to mention the controlling influence of the Roman Catholic Church, had tended to give us an inward-looking aspect. We had a thing about bars, matter a damn how dark or gloomy they might be. What we wanted, it seemed, was good place to whisper and to hide.
COLM O HARE talks to MARY COUGHLAN about her upcoming show, LADY SINGS THE BLUES, a tribute to BILLIE HOLIDAY, and about the parallels between Holiday s life and her own.
Traffickers in happy/sad alt.pop, Guillemots are one of the year’s hottest contenders. But don’t believe all that nonsense about them performing with vacuum cleaners.
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.
When Paddy Moloney isn t busy gigging, rehearsing or recording with his band of merry men, The chieftains, he s laughing. A man who makes The Laughing Policeman look like Leonard Cohen, Moloney recently took a 10-minute break to talk to Paul Byrne about the band s new album REEL MUSIC, their upcoming London festival weekend, their up-coming Christmas album, Van Morrison and oh, about four million other things The Chieftains are currently involved with. Hold onto your sides!
The Roisin Dubh has become one of Ireland's most prestigious music venues, hosting artists such as Violent Femmes, Josh Ritter and Republic Of Loose. Booker Gugai gives us the lowdown on the live scene way out west.
Having moved to Dublin and attempted to conquer his chronic internet addiction, innovative dance producer Lackluster has now set about earning the acclaim of the local electronica cognoscenti.
The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet consists of four virtuoso players acclaimed across the world for their unique blend of classical and flamenco styles. As they prepare for their Irish debut, Jackie Hayden asks key member Bill Kanengiser how it all works.
MARY STOKES reminisces on her first decade as Ireland s premier blues artist, and looks forward to expanding her horizons in the future. Interview: john walshe.
Flora Montgomery is one of Ireland's brghtest stars of stage and screen. She may have achieved a career high as the curvaceous criminal lead in When Brendan Met Trudy. But, as Stephen Robinson discovered, you don’t want to ask her about her nude scenes
Christy Moore, who headlines this year’s rejuvenated Lisdoonvarna Festival, recalls the first flowering of music festivals in Ireland – and looks forward to this year’s event, when once again the challenge will be to weave that spell
They’re a bunch of old fashioned guitarslingers whose only wish is to rock your world. Now Dublin’s finest metal troupe Large Mound are back with a killer new record.
Twenty years after its original release, George Lucas sci-fi epic STAR WARS is back on the cinema screens of the world, fully restored and with several minutes of extra new footage. CRAIG FITZSIMONS explores the myth, mayhem and madness of the film, and attempts to nail down exactly what makes it so great.
There are those who argue that the best that Northern Ireland can hope for is dreariness. They’ll have been disappointed this year, so. It’s been grim instead, and right from the off.
As a long term drug rehabilitation activist, Sean Cassin knows more than most about the extent of heroin use in Ireland. Now, as a member of the Drugs Policy Action Group, it is telling that he is angry about institutional resistance to progress on the issue.
Musical trends come and go but the blues continues to thrive. In Ireland, the scene is now stronger than ever. With her reputation growing internationally, Mary Stokes talks about her role as a performer - and her friendships with numerous blues legends. Oh, and Van Morrison's birth sign!
Folk institution Kila met a dream collaborator in the shape of traditional Japanese musician Oki. Working together they’ve produced one of the most remarkable roots records of recent years.
With her superb new album Kelly’s Heroes, SANDY KELLY has established herself as Ireland’s undisputed Queen of Country Music. She has also consolidated her status as an international star of the highest calibre. Report: COLM O’HARE
Having departed from Suede in acrimonious circumstances a decade ago, Bernard Butler is now back working with his artistic soul mate, Brett Anderson, this time in The Tears. And as Anderson tells Ed Power, the duo feel their best work is still ahead of them.
You don’t associate Cavan with a cutting edge music scene – but Michael O'Brien aims to change that with his Origins club night. Who knows? One day Neil Young might even decide to pay a visit.
Colm O'Hare talks to boy-girl sensation The Kills about their adoration of the US underground, touring with Franz Ferdinand and Primal Scream, and why those White Stripes comparisons are totally wide of the mark.
Ahead of her appearance at a huge charity fashion show in Dublin, the supermodel talks mountain-climbing, modelling, smoking and U2.
By OLAF TYARANSEN.
His dreamy electro-pop is winning Ulrich Schnauss an international fanbase. In his native Germany however, they’re still not convinced. Maybe it’s something to do with all those guitars.
The pressure’s on for Roisin Murphy. She’s no longer shielded from public scrutiny as a member of Moloko and Electric Picnic is her first outing as a solo star in her native Ireland.
Brendan Wade and Paul Bell have both enjoyed long and varied musical careers. Now as THE SWANS they speak to ADRIENNE MURPHY about their soon-to-be-released new album.
JJ72 are being cast as the great new hopes of Irish music. Intense, passionate and melodic, their music has captured an increasing number of fans. With a single in the UK Top Thirty and a debut album about to hit the shelves, they tell NIALL STANAGE how good they are and how good they want to be. Portrait of the Artists As A Young Band: MICK QUINN
Tapping the spirit of the shoegaze era Giant Drag have released one of the year’s most beguiling debuts. And in frontman Annie Hardy they have a rock icon in the making.
Snowman FC from Cork won the Irish heat of the JD Sets, played live in the legendary Jack Daniel's Distillery in Tennessee and recorded with REM man David Barbe in Nashville.
As the Bachelor's Walk team start shooting the second series of the hit comedy-drama, actor Simon Delaney, who played easygoing if indolent barrister Michael, insists that the show's success hasn't changed him at all. Unfortunately. But can he tell us what's afoot in series two?
Charlotte Hatherley doesn’t do stockings, but she would like to have it off in a thunderstorm. And she wears nothing in bed but a smile. Oh, sweet Jesus.
Joe Jackson talks to Arthur Riordan, author of Improbable Frequency, the hit musical comedy which examines Ireland’s neutrality during the Second World War in humorous and insightful fashion.
Joe Jackson talks to Arthur Riordan, author of Improbable Frequency, the hit musical comedy which examines Ireland’s neutrality during the Second World War in humorous and insightful fashion.
These days he may be more famous for his movies than his prose, but in conversation Neil Jordan remains linguistically precise as he dissects the Hollywood machine, reveals his love for Lord Of The Rings and discusses his latest movie The Good Thief, starring Nick Nolte.
If you’re looking for modesty, you’ve come to the wrong place. Colin Carberry meets Dirty Stevie, the balls to the wall rockers who are determined to become Belfast’s biggest band ever!
The Irish club scene has been plunged into controversy with the decision to force a number of clubs to close earlier. Meanwhile the threat of a 1.30am curfew has not gone away.
Moving Hearts were of the most provocative trad groups to emerge from Ireland, with songs that touched on fraught issues such as the northern troubles. Now they’re back for a much-anticipated reunion show. But will the band stay together in the long term?
Irish football fans had plenty to cheer in 2004 as The Boys In Green marched to the top of their World Cup qualifying group, and Shelbourne went stud to stud with some of Europe’s finest.
This issue, Hot Press magazine comes with a stunning cover mount CD. Here’s your track by track guide to this exclusive collectors’ item, featuring the winners and headline acts from Murphy’s Live 2007. Click here to buy the mag and get your free CD!
If the McCarthy report is implemented in full, state funding for the arts would be slashed. The effect on the arts, and on artists, is likely to be devastating.
Having previously worked with directors of the stature of Danny Boyle and Anthony Minghella, and with a role as the main villain in the next Batman movie in the offing, Cillian Murphy is one of the hottest young actors around. Joe Jackson caught up with murphy to discuss his central role in Garry Hynes’ version of Synge’s famous play, the Playboy of the Western World.
As the body double for Saddam Hussein's son, Latif Yahia suffered several assassination attempts. Having escaped to Offaly, the controversial figure is now seriously at odds with his adopted country.
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.
BLOODHOUND GANG might not be paragons of good taste, but they do live out the rock n roll lifestyle like no other band. JIMMY POP talks to STUART CLARK about swearing, drugs, porn stars and amusing Germans! Pop Pic-er: Declan English
Rabbit Songs is the debut album by Hem, a slice of arcane americana that fuses
old-time sounds with modern musical sensibilities. Fiona Reid met (t)hem
With the countdown to the general election now officially under way, the most important aspect to remember amid all the hype is that the right to vote is both a privilege and a responsibility.
MICHAEL D. Higgins obviously got under the hypersensitive skin of Sunday Independent journalists who have accelerated their systematic, and at points, paranoiac attack on the Minister since he proposed some relatively revolutionary ideas about the arts, in a recent issue of Hot Press.
