Need help, advice or a second opinion? Put your music industry question to theoracle@hotpress.ie. Finan in Cork wonders if record companies are always entitled to deduct tour support from royalties.
As Northern Ireland begins to cash in on its recent history, NIALL STANAGE takes a West Belfast taxi tour around the area s landmarks. Pics: PETER MATTHEWS
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.
One of Irish rock's holy grails finally sees the (official) light of day this week, with the release of a digitally enhanced version of Thin Lizzy's UK Tour from 1975.
Kicking off at The Academy in Dublin on 23 January, the Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour 2010 will feature headliners including The Blackout, Young Guns and My Passion
One of the most successful bands in British history after the Beatles and The Rolling Stones, the legendary Status Quo have confirmed an Irish Tour in February 2009.
Wexford singer-songwriter and ace guitarist Clive Barnes follows his recent support slot with Jeff Beck at Vicar Street with news of a new single, album and 17-date Irish tour.
Waterford's Floyd Soul & The Wolf, winners of this year's National Student Music Awards, embark on a seven-date Irish tour in the coming months to promote their new single.
In what may well be the most effective marriage yet of rock and pragmatic politics, U2, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed and others are pushing the Amnesty International message on the 'Conspiracy Of Hope' tour. Pat Singer joins them on the road.
Fight Like Apes have rescheduled some of the dates on their upcoming Irish tour, and will now support the Ting Tings on their September/October UK tour.
The Heineken Rollercoaster Tour is taking to the road again and this time the capital is nobody’s hometown gig. From Kells come Turn, from Limerick Woodstar and from Cork The Frank and Walters. Next stop: a venue near you.
Paul McGuinness has been talking to Hot Press about the imminent announcement of U2’s world tour, which is likely to include three Croke Park stop-offs in July.
Fresh from wowing the crowd and walking away with the prize at the National Student Music Awards The Delorentos will play Whelan's, Dublin in May as part of The IMRO Showcase Tour.
Forget Madison Square Garden or the Budokhan, the prestige place to kick off your 2004 World Tour is Mr & Mrs Byrne's lounge in Cullenogue, Gorey, County Wexford.
A glimpse into Glen Hansard’s tour diary while on the road with The Frames' fourth album For The Birds (2001) - including reflections on their first landmark Olympia show (March 30th, 2001)
Legendary reggae outfit UB40 are organised people indeed - they've lined up a November tour in anticipation of the release of the album they're currently recording.
As previously announced on hotpress.com, Conor O'Brien (ex-The Immediate) brings his new Villagers group on tour next month, with new dates just added...
Add The Revs to the list of comeback kings. They might not have been apart for as long as The Police, or even The Verve, but they too are back with a bang this summer with a new Irish tour.
Liu Fang and Michael O'Toole have announced an Irish tour to promote their album Changes, billed as "an extraordinary musical meeting between east and west."
The indie band with the questionable name, Ham Sandwich, have revealed their latest tour dates, which see them play smaller venues as well as festival gigs.
The Automatic and The Klaxons are to headline the NME tour, which this year is divided into two genres: indie rock and the ludicrously monikered 'indie rave'.
Alphastates have confirmed that ‘You Talked I Can Tell’ will be the third single to be taken from their second album Human Nature, with tour dates to support it.
Fresh from a stint in New York – and a visit to Canadian Music Week – GPO will head east to play a mini-tour in Germany and Denmark next month, before returning home to record their debut LP.
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.
All is go for Wicklow band God Is An Astronaut, with their second album and download-only single released, a tour to support it and a publishing deal to boot.
The Fundamentals are set to release their debut single ‘Brother’ on November 21 in Flannery’s in Kilkenny on Decadent Records, with a nationwide tour to follow.
What’s most striking about Tour De Flock is how unpopulist Bell X1 are. This is not a live album filled with huge, chest-beating anthems, but it works instead on a more intimate scale.
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
Babyshambles’ Irish tour eventually kicked off in Belfast last Friday, April 14 after the previous night’s Dublin date was cancelled due to “unforeseen circumstances" - and then again on its rescheduled date, April 18.
Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Heineken Rollercoaster Tour 2003 arrives in Castlebar tonight for the final show, and after Waterford, Cork, Tralee, Dublin, Maynooth, Sligo, Carlow, Athlone, Limerick and Galway, everybody appears to be present and correct.
Having been forced to postpone the first batch of dates due to a family illness, U2 have confirmed that their 2005 Vertigo World Tour will kick off in San Diego on March 28.
Those left disappointed with the postponment of the band's last dates for the Vertigo tour will be glad to know that they're busy rescheduling the concerts.
They've been known to hand-craft their own instruments and, just for the hell of it, once toured Korea. Little wonder that boy/girl partnership Mirakil Whip are fast earning a reputation as one of the country's most eclectic new bands.
...IS COMING TO TAKE YOU AWAY! WHEN JOE JACKSON WENT TO INTERVIEW BONO AT U2'S SECRET DUBLIN RECORDING BASE, HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT. WHAT HE GOT WAS A CRAZY ROLLERCOASTER RIDE THROUGH THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK-IN-PROGRESS WHICH WILL BECOME U2'S FOLLOW-UP TO THE ACCLAIMED "ACHTUNG BABY!", WITH BONO AT THE WHEEL AND AN UNSEEN PRESENCE WORKING THE ACCELERATOR LIKE A DEMON. "RECORDS SHOULD BE MORE OF A TRIP," SAYS THE MAN IN THE WRAPAROUND SHADES. FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS THEN. THIS WILL BE NO ORDINARY RECORD. AND THIS IS NO ORDINARY INTERVIEW.
As Ocean Colour Scene’s string section take a sabbatical to join Paul Weller on tour, singer Simon Fowler and drummer Oscar Harrison have opted to go back on the road also, with an acoustic show that debuts in Ireland
Hard rocking Cork heroes Rulers Of The Planet recently toured the Czech Republic and Slovakia, along with Dublin electro-poppers Autamata. The Rulers’ Mick Hayes gives us the backstage lowdown, with these exclusive extracts from his tour diary.
Life on the road isn't always a blur of parties and groupies. Sometimes it's exhausting, and oftn plain boring, as Irish hopefuls Director found out when they went on tour with Hard-Fi.
Annual article: When Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005, she was forced to cancel the remainder of her Showgirl World Tour. Unbelievably, she made her comeback just last month.
It's probably one of the more unlikely cross-cultural, rock ‘n’ roll match-ups. But the current Brotherly Love Tour in the US featuring kick-ass Southern rockers The Black Crowes and erstwhile Brit-poppers Oasis has been a surprising success.
It’s a rags to riches fairytale of Disney proportions, but winning the overall prize in the Global Battle of the Bands contest, a world tour and E85,000 is just part of Kopek’s story.
Ireland's The Answer have pulled off a major coup by bagging the support slot on the American leg of AC/DC's Black Ice tour. Cormac Neeson talks us through their first fortnight on the road.
Twins Ellie and Louise – aka Heathers– are one of the most exciting new Irish acts around. Ahead of a marathon US tour, they talk about overnight success and explain why rumours of their love for Tegan and Sara are greatly overblown.
From being bottled off stage in Italy to supporting Garbage on a major European tour, to their excellent second album I Am Not A Doctor, life has certainly not been boring for Moloko. John Walshe caught up with them.
Patrick Wolf’s baroque folk-pop has earned the singer comparisons with artists such as David Bowie and Kate Bush, while The Arcade Fire were sufficiently impressed to offer him a support slot on the first leg of their European tour.
It's been sniffer dogs and paddywagons all the way as The enemy visit some of Britain's less salubrious Rock n' Roll locales. If they can stay out of jail, though a support tour with Oasis awaits.
Animal Collective regale us with tales of Conan O'Brien, tour-bus illnesses and explain why the life of the footloose musician isn't always a romp through the daisies.
As popular with the Europeans as with their home crowd, Therapy? return to Lund for the first time in ten years. Shilpa Ganatra catches up with the lads to find out how their tour is going and what the rest of the year holds in store.
When Garbage joined U2 on the autumn leg of their 2001 American campaign, the world was reeling from the aftermath of 9/11. But as the tour progressed, drummer and producer Butch Vig found himself on the verge of a Hepatitis A-induced coma.
Damien Dempsey is back in town after a five month stint Down Under. Hot Press catches up with the Dublin balladeer as he kicks off a 50-date Irish tour, taking in Electric Picnic along the way. He talks about the success of his Rocky Road To Dublin covers record, the thrill of bestriding Croke Park – and having Bono and The Edge checking him out in Sallynoggin!
Going on the road with Chris Rea was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Derry blues virtuoso Paul Casey. Here he opens his tour diary to Hot Press readers.
With the Tour de France scheduled to kick off in Ireland on July 11th this year, the subject of drugs in international sport has become a hot topic again. Not only did PAUL KIMMAGE take drugs himself as a professional cyclist - he wrote an award-winning book about it. Interview: BARRY GLENDENNING
Exhausted following her prolonged spell on tour, Bic Runga is keen to make it back home to New Zealand for some well-earned r’n’r. but not before she discusses the vagaries of life, love and pop stardom.
The death of John Entwistle and Pete Townshend’s troubles haven’t stopped The Who reconvening for another tour. Colm O’Hare got to see the warm-up show ..
The Answer have played to almost a million people on the current AC/DC tour. Not bad for an indie hard rock band from Norn Iron. Singer Cormac Neeson gives us the skinny on Angus Young’s love of Rory Gallagher, meeting Alice Cooper, and why Hunger is required tour bus viewing.
To follow up his summer headlining stints at Oxegen last weekend and at the V Festival next month, rock veteran Paul Weller will get back on the road this winter.
As a long time acquaintance of Pete Doherty, Steve Cummins was looking forward to a fly-on-the-wall seat on the Babyshambles tour bus for the band’s five day jaunt around Ireland. But no-shows, court appearances and the attentions of one Johnny Headlock gave him a rather different perspective on the Doherty circus.
With a stunning debut album under their belts and an ambitious tour of Scotland coming up, Dublin quintet Picture House have made extraordinary strides for a band who, only a year ago, were labelled has-beens. Interview: John Walshe.
In Perth, Western Australia, Michael Dwyer sees two sides of REM on the opening brace of shows in their first world tour proper in five years. He also reports on behind-the-scenes developments, including the marriage of Pete Buck.
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...
It'll take more than a clapped-out tour bus to stop The Answer emulating their heroes. Ed Power hears how the Downpatrick rockers' burgeoning fan club already includes Jimmy Page and Philomena Lynott.
Donegal three-piece The Revs have in two short years become one of the country's most successful independent outfits, but, as Nadine O'Regan discovers, the majors are beckoning
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.
Brian Wilson is among the most influential forces in modern music and created, in The Beach Boys' 1966 album Pet Sounds, what many music fans agree is the greatest record ever made. In February he takes his world tour to Dublin's Point Theatre and Stephen Robinson asks what's on the set-list
It’s been quite a year for PETE DOHERTY, the former Libertines frontman, and now leader of Babyshambles. 2005 featured a series of drug busts, failed rehab attempts, the tabloid witch hunt of his girlfriend Kate Moss, several non-appearances and live shows that fluctuated between agonising and ecstatic... oh, and the small matter of a debut album. As hotpress went to press, the news broke that Doherty had been busted yet again, barely two days out of an Arizona clinic. hotpress talks to Doherty’s label boss, Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis, tour photographer Danny Clifford, and former Babyshambles drummer Gemma Clarke, for the insiders' view on what’s becoming an increasingly sad and fearful saga.
Dublin favourites Turn recently took to the highway for an Irish tour. Tanya Sweeney joined them for a trip to Limerick and an insight into what makes Ollie Cole and company tick.
Starting at Moray Firth Radio in Inverness and ending seven days later at BBC WM in Birmingham, ASTERIX are on a mission to conquer England s airwaves. Joining the tour in Nottingham,
SUSAN DARLINGTON witnesses three days of maps, mobiles and milkshakes.
A surprisingly mellow Tom Ayara of Slayer thinks that calling God Hates Us All “ugly” is unaccurate. “It’s more angry and hateful,” he tells Phil Udell
They toured the world throughout the ‘70s, earning rave notices from Bono, The Edge and Melvin Bragg, upsetting the clergy, terrifying the American public in the company of Blue Oyster Cult and the J Geils Band and out-glamming even Bowie with their flamboyant sartorial taste. With a new DVD on the way and much speculation about a possible tour, legendary Celtic rockers Horslips here talk to Hot Press about a decade of adventure, decadence and great music.
The Walls are about to embark on their most extensive Irish tour yet, including their biggest Dublin gig to date at the ambassador and may be about to finally break the bank
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.
The new album from Foo Fighters is an indie-rock tour de force, combining blistering anthems and delicate acoustic tracks (there’s even a cameo from dinner-party doyen Norah Jones). According to drummer Taylor Hawkins, it may just be the band’s masterpiece.
He's the godfather of English whimsy, the spiritual successor to Syd Barrett. So why the hell is Robyn Hitchcock sharing a pokey tour bus with three fifths of REM?
Erasure - namely Vince Clarke and Andy Bell have been creating electronic pop for over a decade. John Walshe catches up with them on a recent promotional tour.
Cum On Feel The Noize of turning pages as Slade s NODDY HOLDER does a literary tour to promote his autobiography, telling tales of
Phil Lynott, Oasis, Gary Glitter, Glam-Rock Excess, MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY and Suicidal Groupies. ANDY DARLINGTON tags along.
The Walls are about to embark on their most extensive Irish tour yet, including their biggest Dublin gig to date at the Ambassador and may be about to finally break the bank
2004 was an extraordinary and chaotic year in the life of Pete Doherty. Having made the running as front man with The Libertines, he was sacked from the band. His heroin addiction public, he careened into all manner of potentially damaging conflicts. When he re-emerged recently with Babyshambles, the hope was that he might have begun to clean up his act. But when hotpress finally caught up with him in Dublin, on the final date of the band's tour of the UK and Ireland, we were witness to some truly bizarre and troubling scenes. [Frontline report: Steve Cummins]
Plus: Amid rumour and counter rumour concerning the future of the band, Libertines drummer Gary Powell offers a no holds barred view of the damage inflicted by Pete Doherty's heroin addiction on the career of a band that had the world at its feet. [Interview: Paul Nolan]
Ian Hunter, the former voice of MOTT THE HOOPLE, is back with a 38-track Greatest Hits & Rarities double-CD, plus an all-new album, From The Knees Of My Heart, to follow later this year. Now, from where past and present collide, he explains how he once broke into Elvis Presley s Gracelands, how he produced hits for Billy Idol and what it was like to tour with Queen as your support act. He even finds time to tell tales about Marc Bolan, Mick Ronson, and, incidentally, Mott The Hoople too Andy Darlington listens in.
The Coronas were about a week into their 2008 American tour when they realised Colonel Kurtz was driving the bus. They can laugh about it now, oh yes. Sat around a table in the Library Bar on the eve of the release of their second album, the foursome – singer Danny O’Reilly, guitarist Dave McPhillips, bass player Graham Knox and drummer Conor Egan – are still young and hardy enough to take it in their stride.
PACK YOUR LEMSIP AND NIGHT NURSE AND PREPARE TO DO BATTLE WITH THE BEIJING FLU AS THE SAWDOCTORS TACKLE THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND ON THEIR LATEST TOUR. CURRENTLY BETWEEN LABELS THE BAND’S U.K. FANBASE IS INCREASING STEADILY, EVEN IF THE CONCEPT OF ‘DESIGNER BOGMEN’ HAS YET TO PENETRATE THE SHIRES
CHECKING THE TEMPERATURE: BILL GRAHAM.
Bono, Adam and Larry. Not to mention the self-styled King Boogaloo himself, Mr B. P. Fallon, whose new book U2: Faraway So Close offers an intimate visual and verbal diary of the band’s world-record shattering ZOO TV tour. For good measure the, um, also self-styled Mr Ramalama talks about Jimi Hendrix and the Mafia connection, toting guns with Tone Loc, giving Little Richard a hard-on, and other little, um, side voyages into other territories, man. Er, tape recorder thingy: Joe Jackson.
Padraig Harrington talks about gay golfers, stalkers on the tour, the potential of Rory McIlroy and the death of his father. And, he says, his Open win was just the beginning.
The 4 Of Us go for chart glory again with the September 29 release of ‘What’s To Come’, the first single to be lifted from their Fingerprints album which follows in September.
It’s hardcore heaven this autumn as Dischord records release a 20-year retrospective CD, the story of Hope Promotions is chronicled in a new book and Fugazi return for an Irish tour
Hotpress hitch a ride on the Wilt tour bus for the band’s whistle-stop tour of Europe. For tales of on-stage abandon, backstage debauchery and bizarre drumming accidents, read on. Plus Cormac Battle’s tour diary
When the Be Here Now tour fell apart at the seams in 1997, the end seemed nigh for Britain’s biggest rock’n’roll band. Then Noel Gallagher gave up drugs and moved to the country. With a stunning new album on the way, the Oasis mainman tells Stuart Clark where it all went right.
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.
There are no saints in love. That’s a lesson The Frames’ mainman Glen Hansard learned the hard way – and which he articulates in the bittersweet love songs that make up much of the band’s new album The Cost. Hot Press hits the road with the band for an extended interview, conducted in radio studios, backstage areas, tour buses – and one very dedicated fan’s house.
As soul-pop heavyweights M People gear up for another assault on the charts and a brief Irish tour, Nick Kelly shoots the breeze with their well-travelled Mancunian music maestro, Mike Pickering.
Stuart Clark, whose middle name is “Intrepid”, recently spent 48 hours on tour with PET LAMB, grindpopcore merchants extraordinaire. His liver and tympanic membranes survived intact, and after a mere six weeks recuperation, he filed this report.
Northern Irish treasure Foy Vance emerges from the studio to play dates in Belfast and Dublin in the coming months, including a special show at The Academy in May.
It’s all about broken down tour buses, Alan Partridge, high speed collisions, Moby, broken ribs, Mina Suvari, MTV stars and David Bowie as Ash launch a sonic assault on America. So riddle me this: can Ireland’s hardest-working rock’n’roll outfit crack the big one?
Dublin is a shithole basically! that's the opinion of Kevin Shields, one of the two Irish members of My Bloody Valentine, who quit the fair city six years ago because of what they saw as the stifling atmosphere of the place. Since then they've lived and gigged all over Europe and their 1988 album Isn't Anything has put them on top of the critical approval lists and independent charts. Here, taking a break from their US tour, the band reflect on their art, their careers and what they see as the general awfulness of the Irish music scene. Interview: Helena Mulkearns
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
The dark, romantic Raining Down Arrows is the latest milestone in the creative
liberation of Mundy, a man whose thoughts on love, friendship and connecting with the audience are at the core of his music.
Has Madonna become the immaterial girl? Or will the Re-invention tour re-establish her as the foremost female icon on the planet? On the eve of her first ever Irish appearance at Slane, Peter Murphy takes a look at the strange twist the Queen of Pop’s career has taken – and how she is now fighting back, for all she’s worth.
Ed Byrne has just finished a smash-hit series of concerts at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre as part of his hundred-date tour but those who are missing him already can tune into the new Network 2 show Just For Laughs which finds him wearing his TV presenters’ hat. and shades.
FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINAL Huey Morgan offers stuart clark a guided tour of the rotten apple, detouring occasionally to take in topics such as California Mist, London gangsters, Tricky, Ian McCulloch and Tony Bennett, as well as his high-profile relationship with Jerry Hall’s daughter. And, let’s see now, there was one thing . . . oh yes “every American’s inalienable right to have nails hammered through their scrotum if they want”.
Helena Mulkerns catches up with the charming Dublin-based chanteuse on a tour of East Coast college campuses, and finds a wilfully free spirit at ease with her sexuality – if not with the industry’s categorisation of such guitar-wielding women.
Allen Long put his own life on the line, smuggling dope from Colombia to the US in massive quantities. The business made him wealthy and gave him a taste for both the good life and the fast, white powder. But then it all went wrong: after some years on the run, Long was caught and sentenced to five years in jail.
Now author Robert Sabbag has put his extraordinary story in print. hotpress meets "the American Howard Marks"
Far from the misanthropic character of lore, Tommy Tiernan is in fact a remarkably upbeat performer with a spring in his step and a whole host of new material to debut on his upcoming Loose tour. “Life is good, God is great and tay is hot!” he tells Tanya Sweeney.
Part two of our glance back over the year that was, complete with clickable quotes so you can read each and every article in full, if you like. And you know you like! So don't just sit there. Get reading...
Its action all areas as a musically beefed- up David Gray leaps back into the fray. Inviting Hot Press to an exclusive tour of his London studio, he talks about early success in Ireland, his break with loyal drummer Clune and a recent get-together with uber-diva Annie Lennox
Far from the miserable pessimist of lore, eels frontman Mark Everett, aka E, is in fact an upbeat, sanguine character with an engagingly wry sense of humour. He here talks to Paul Nolan about The Eels’ extraordinary new double album, Blinking Lights And Other Revelations, being inspired by Stanley Kubrick, collaborating with Tom Waits, why his dog couldn’t make it out on tour, and slapping Steve Jones’ backside.
So you thought the Religious Right had all but disappeared? Wrong! NIALL STANAGE gets that sinking feeling as he witnesses the Dublin leg of Human Life International s Call To The Nation Tour. Photographic Evidence: CATHAL DAWSON
With an Irish tour approaching and a new album in the shops, Luka Bloom looks back on three decades that have taken him from busking in a pub in Newbridge to the big stages of Europe and America. In this candid interview with Jackie Hayden the man also known as Barry Moore talks about brother Christy, overcoming stage fright, finding an original voice, dealings with the music business, the need to combat racism - and why he remains a wannabe bogman
Having been pounding the festival beat since Oxegen (taking in trips to the likes of Hungary & Japan!) Ash have confirmed an Autumnal return to Irish shores.
The star of cult movies such as Natural Born Killers, Kalifornia and Strange Days, Juliette Lewis appeared to have a direct entry to rock's premier league when she turned her attention to her punk outfit The Licks. Instead, she opted to embark on a small-scale tour and play a series of small venues throughout the US and Europe. Peter Murphy was on hand as Lewis' magical mystery tour reached Ireland, and was witness to some truly fascinating scenes as the singer and her band bewitched the Dublin indie cognoscenti, travelled south to rock Limerick and strolled the red carpet to join the glitterati backstage at the Meteor Awards. Photography by Liam Sweeney.
the biggest grossing tour of the year or just the grossest tour of the year? Jackie Hayden encounters tales of everyday madness and sadness in the trail of St Therese
They came from sunny Melbourne to Chipping Norton, England to record their debut album, and thence to Ireland on a whistlestop tour that took them from the capital to the wilds of Leap and beyond. SIOBHAN LONG urges THE KILLJOYS to put down their back–packs for a while and make time for a chat.
…for a while anyway. In a few short weeks Belfast's GHOST OF AN AMERICAN AIRMAN will leave home once again to tour distant lands. That's the bad news. The good news is that while they're here, Ghost... take time out to tell TARA McCARTHY what the hell they've been up to for the past two years.
Where other bands moan about the music industry or spend small fortunes bringing their stage designs to life, Stereophonics like to keep it nice and simple. Or at least as nice and simple as it gets when you tour with U2, get advice from Prince Charles and see Slipknot with their masks off
Tim Booth does. The James frontman chats candidly to John Walshe about fame, riches, sexuality, being called a 'faggot' on the Lollapalooza tour, and the band's
brilliant 10th album, Millionaires.
It's a double home-coming as U2 return from their odyssey 'round the globe to bring "The Joshua Tree" tour to their fanatical Irish supporters in Dublin and Cork. Bill Graham reports.
'Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me' may be their battle cry, but leftist rocker/rappers Rage Against the Machine are new to Dublin and Tom Morello needs to be told how to do everything from crossing streets to putting vinegar on his chips. Here, while strolling through town, the guitarist talks about the band's politics, life in Los Angeles and the camera of the people - the Kodak Electrolux. Tour guide: Tara McCarthy
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.
Following the sudden death of his girlfriend in the early ’90s, traumatised US writer Bill Carter took off for the unlikely destination of war-torn Sarajevo. Whilst there, he established a series of satellite link-ups with U2’s Zooropa tour, which still rank among the most divisive and controversial moments of the band’s career. Despite the subsequent media fallout, an unconsummated affair with an indian supermodel, and several brushes with death, Bill Carter has lived to tell his extraordinary tale.
With band currently involved in rehearsals in Canada, U2 manager Paul McGuinness (and an eavesdropping fan with super hearing) has revealed some details of what's in store...
The second long- play, 'In Love With The Dudley Corporation', from the Dublin based band is out on Februrary 2 on Scientific Laboratories Records, with gigs around Ireland and Britain to follow.
To mark the release of their 7th studio album Revolver Soul, the crazy chemical- country collective Alabama 3 will include a stop in Tripod, Dublin on November 21 on their Soul Revolver Tour.
Touring steadily since the release of his latest album, Trauma Themes Idiot Times, Lennon has now added 4 home dates to his upcoming tour, along with a jaunt to the UK.
Cliff Richard and the Shadows have confirmed that they will kick off their World Tour, the last in the 50-year partnership, with a gig in Killarney this September.
Aiken Promotions have just announced details of an Irish tour Morrissey is undertaking next year to celebrate his 50th birthday – God, we feel old! – and the February 16 release of his Years Of Refusal album,
Things get better and better for Fight Like Apes in the UK with the band being handpicked by The Prodigy to support them on their sold-out December tour.
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.
The Police reunion tour, which included a sell-out September stop-off in Croke Park, is the big winner at this year’s Billboard Touring Awards in New York.
Having already garnered a Hot Press single of the fortnight accolade for the wonderfully titled 'Fuckability', Maria Doyle Kennedy has announced a tour to support her new album.
Director have confirmed a major Irish tour and the details of a new song which currently doesn't appear on their platinum-selling We Thrive On Big Cities album.
This May, Conway Savage will take to the stage for his new Irish tour. Best known for his role the keyboard/piano player with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Savage is flying solo this time around.
Having previously announced that he wasn’t going to tour his new 9 album, Damien Rice has announced a 10-date US tour, which kicks off on November 13 in LA’s El Rey Theater and then takes in New York, Oakland, Boston, Upper Darby, Washington and Chicago before winding-up on December 20 at Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theater.
Dig out those Take That T-shirts, scarves, badges, window stickers, patches, lever arch files, pencils, records, posters and coffee mugs: Take That are relighting their fire with a 2006 tour, and it's coming to Dublin and Belfast!
Changes to the start date of the Doggyfizzle Tour have forced the Snoop Dogg concert in the RDS on February 22 to move to The Point Theatre on Friday February 25.
Eleanor McEvoy will undertake a four-date visit to Spain following her recent five-week visit to Australia and just before the release of her new album, Love Must be Tough.
I previously couldn’t stand Marilyn Manson. This album has changed my mind.
My preview copy came complete with a letter from Mr Manson himself, articulately explaining his attitude to his art, and rightly castigating the US media for demonising him in the wake of the Littleton, Colorado, high-school killings.
There’s no shortage of showcase events vying for the attention of young acts these days, but IMRO’s tried and trusted model remains refreshingly free of bells and whistles.
Mark Geary had a decent 2004. His second album Ghosts was well received by fans and critics and a successful Irish tour saw him established as one of our most promising songwriters. 2005 should be just as busy.
The IMRO Showcase Tour returns for its 17th year in spring 2008, and hundreds of Irish acts are expected to join the race for a highly coveted slot at one of the nationwide series of gigs.
Scoring mammoth support slots with Muse, an Irish tour for May and a bumper CD/DVD package ready for release - it's full steam ahead for the Future Kings of Spain
Only two weeks left until the submissions deadline for the next IMRO Showcase Tour: - and record-breaking numbers have already entered! Get postal, people
Only two weeks left until the submissions deadline for the next IMRO Showcase Tour - and record-breaking numbers have already entered! Get postal, people
Culled from their 2004 world tour, this generously endowed 22-track live album finds the German electronic pioneers giving a fresh lick of paint to classics like 'The Model', 'Autobahn', 'Trans Europe Express' and 'Tour De France'.
U2 have won their court battle with former stylist Lola Cashman over tour memorbilia and clothing they claim she stole while employed by the band during their Joshua Tree world tour in 1987. The verdict was announced this morning (Tuesday July 5) to a packed Dublin Circuit Civil Court by Mr Justice Matthew Deery. Neither Ms Cashman nor members of U2 were present to hear the verdict.
Four tracks of electro/hip-hop ‘riddims’ from the prolific Diplo – our favourite being the short ‘Percado’, featuring snatches of ‘Tour De France’ crossed with an off-the-wall Portugese female rap.
Hybrasil, an ensemble of musicians who double as artists in other fields, are accepting visual art submissions which will appear in lieu of a support act on their upcoming tour.
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.
Grimy electro/techno on the a-side. Better yet is the ‘Wavejumper’-era Drexciya-a-like ‘Crash’. But best of all is ‘From Detroit’, a fantastic spoken word whistle-stop tour of electro hot-spots over some tight, bassy dancefloor electro-funk.
The Chapters are set to tour with stable mates The Coronas for twelve dates around Ireland before taking on their own six date tour culminating with a headline show at Dublin’s The Academy on November 20.
A record company spokesperson has elaborated on the “medical issues” that have lead to Eminem canceling the European leg of his Anger Management 3 world tour.
Who said pop stars were useless? Bono begins a tour of the African continent as the personal guide of the US Secretary of the Treasury in an effort to prove to the American government, and to other rich nations, that African anti-poverty funding isn’t a waste of time
Uh-oh, has the barrage of sub-standard Arctic Monkeys bands with about three iotas of originality between them already begun? Apparently, yes. That it’s even called ‘Send In The Boys’ shows how desperately they’re blueprinting themselves of the Monkeys, even copying them to the point of hailing from Sheffield. Cheeky! And instead of being embarrassed about it, what do the Monkeys do? Only invite them as support for their European tour. Well, at least they won’t be shown up.
Fans disappointed at Sigur Ros's recent omission of Ireland on their recent tour will no doubt be pleased to learn that they're coming back over to make amends.
Taken from their 1996 tour, this belated live outing showcases the Donegal musical dynasty at the height of their powers performing material from throughout their career. Includes early material like ‘Down By The Sally Gardens’ and ‘Nil Se ‘n’ La’ as well as the hits: ‘Robin of Sherwood’, ‘Theme From Harry’s Game’ and ‘In A Lifetime’ with Brian Kennedy ably tacking the Bono-part.
Reluctant to follow in the tradition of 'toilet tour' promotion, Autamata will be selling his music - and a few cars - when his track 'Fragments' features in an American TV ad for Mitsubishi
We didn't see that one coming dept: Irish songwriting legend Nick Kelly and LA-Irish girlbeat combo Saucy Monky team up for double-header nationwide tour
A radio favourite since January, the delay in releasing ‘Rocky’ can be attributed to a desire to similarly see it take off across the pond. A story of lush melodies, chiming instrumentation and Paul Noonan’s bittersweet lyrics, ‘Rocky’ will probably be most of interest to Irish fans for its b-sides. Amongst them lies a sparse acoustic reworking of Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy The Silence’ that should prove a live favourite on their forthcoming November tour.
Recorded live at Dublin’s Vicar Street venue this cracking version of Steve Earle’s slice of magic marks one of the best things that certainly Mundy has been involved with for some time. Delivering a superb rasping vocal, the man from Birr is in his element bouncing off Shannon’s exceptional band in a recording which aptly captures the sheer passion of her live shows. Her forthcoming Irish tour shouldn’t be missed.
Formerly The Fluid Druids, and fronted by Navan man Oisin Leech, 747S take their lead from classic rock n’ roll with a furious R&B rhythm and ascending Beatles harmonies. Though its loose melody hints at cabaret rock, there’s enough rattling energy here to keep the train on track. Not unlike the classic pop of Brendan Benson, it's little surprise then that they’ve recently completed a tour with The Raconteurs.
To coincide with a tour supporting Bloc Party (only in Blighty – humph!), Metric, a Canadian quartet who often lend their lead singer Emily Haines to Broken Social Scene, are releasing this little gem of a T.U.N.E. from their 2005 release, Live It Out. ‘Empty’, the album’s opener, is reminiscent of BSS for the first minute or so as it floats along gently and inconspicuously, before raw and rockin’ energy breaks out of nowhere. If you already have the album, give yourself a pat on the back, and then get this for the b-side: a Howie B remix of ‘The Police And The Private’.
The Sunshine Underground were recent stars of the Indie Rave tour with Klaxons and CSS, although the indie guitar of ‘Borders’ would suggest that they have as much to do with rave as, well Klaxons and CSS. Fine, fine tune though. CSS themselves have found their label the subject of a major label buy out and so the process of pushing their album begins all over again, strangely with this rather lack lustre affair.
After postponing their Irish tour due to have taken place earlier this month, Southampton's Delays have announced they'll be coming over in early 2006.
Fight Like Apes are set to continue their march towards world domination in the new year, having just announced a support slot on the Von Bondies' UK tour.
With Madonna's tour about to debut in Los Angeles this Monday, some of Slane's residents seem determined to keep their town out of pop history. The Re-invention tour is a virtual sell out - 47 of the 48 shows currently sport HOUSE FULL signs - with Slane likely to do the same within hours of tickets eventually going on sale.
With folk music entertaining a possible resurgence thanks to Nizlopi, here’s an artist with the potential to follow suit. Making this a double A-side is a smart move by a smart guy, with ‘Marrakech’ being a tune you’d bring out for a good old (possibly drunken) sing-song.
‘Belly of The Earth’, on the other hand, reveals a more sombre and passionate element to Noelie, and might be played to accompany the bad kind of drinking.
It’s a solid offering, and his imminent seven-date Irish tour should prove his full worth.
[open all night DVDJoe D’Urso is a Jersey Shore musician much loved by Springsteen fans and with a similar street-corner sound and approach. As the title states this is a concert video shot during a recent Italian tour. However, the low production values make this barely watchable and does him no favours at all.
Recorded in 2003, McAlmont and Butler’s ‘Speed’ won’t be followed by a new album or tour dates. Indeed, the sometime collaborators haven’t recorded anything else in the intervening three-year period. So why has it been released? Reportedly Rough Trade boss Geoff Travis was so impressed upon hearing the track he immediately wanted to put it out. And ‘Speed’ is impressive. Much in the vein of ‘Yes’ and ‘Falling’, it’s full of bombastic arrangements, dirty guitar interventions and feel-good calls to “keep moving on”. Fingers crossed it sparks a re-birth.
Suffering from mental exhaustion following the recent suicide of his close friend, Neil Finn has been advised by doctors to further postpone their reshceduled tour
As he left the stage to rapturous applause and chants of ‘Paddy, Paddy’ it seemed somewhat odd that Paddy Casey would later reflect on this, his first London gig since the release of Living, as the worst of his current tour.
There are too many singer-songwriters in the world, but we should still make room for Mia Doi Todd. Unlike Sandi Thom and James Blunt, Todd’s music touches on real emotions and does not rely on a internet marketing campaign to gain the listener’s attention: her kooky, scatty vocals sound like Kate Bush on happy pills and Todd’s acoustic-based compositions also resonate to ethereal ambient undercurrents. She even makes The Beatles’ ‘Norwegian Wood’ sound her own, the centrepiece in ‘La Ninja’s’ tour of understated force.
