It’s been a while since Inside Track kicked off with some news from within the Pale, such is the extent of activity all around the country, so let’s start by looking at some creative endeavours from the capital…

Worth watching out for in the next month is the new single from Dublin’s Renko, ‘Heaven Is A Long Wait’, out on June 17 on Sable records. June and July will see the band undertake an extensive tour, the highlight of which will be the launch night at the Village on Friday June 18. This will be the second release from the highly-anticipated debut album due later this year…
Fresno have been busy boys of late. They recently recorded six new songs at Track Mix Studios. Listen to samples at www.bandnamedfresno.com and browse to the Audio section. The band will be back in the studio at the end of July to complete their debut long-player due for release at the end of the year. Get a taster of what’s to come when they showcase some new material at their headline gig in Whelan’s on June 17.
In other related news, two Fresno songs have been selected to appear on a National Geographic documentary, This Is The Sea. The half hour documentary on kayaking is currently in production but is expected to air in July 2004…
On the live front… The Garage Gigs in Slattery’s recently were awash with A&R folk to see New York contenders Suddyn. Standing alongside Barry O’Donaghue from Sony, Conor O’Flaherty from Lakota and Edison Waters from Vibe Music were members of JJ72. The night was reported a great success, not just for Suddyn, but also for Mendoza, Hidden Faces and Paul Hourican.
In a new development to The Garage Gigs, May 2 at the Isaac Butt was a special Fermanagh Night, featuring hotpress demo of the fortnight winners Fractured. Also on the bill were Ricochet and Dublin faves Freestone State. This was the flagship of a series of Garage Gigs which will feature bands from all over Ireland using a swap-over system with regional promoters. The new initiative offers bands from outside the capital the opportunity to play with popular Dublin bands and vice-versa.
Other bands lined up for future dates include My Name Is Clarke (Waterford), New Messiahs (Cork), Itchy Trigger Finger (Kilkenny), BoxT (Donegal). Readers who want to know more should contact [email protected].
One live event to put in the diary is The Fluid Druids in Crawdaddy, Dublin on June 10. This will be a milestone for the band as it is their last live performance under that moniker, thereafter they will be known as The 747s. Last year saw the Druids tour Europe with The Specials and support Shane MacGowan on Ireland and UK dates. Andre Schapps of Big Audio Dynamite-fame and the legendary Clash man Mick Jones have expressed and interest in recording with the band and the summer will see them record and release a single and an album. Watch this space!…
And finally some news from the sunny South-East… Following months locked away in the studio, Wexford rockers Sonic Vista have finally finished their debut single ‘Let It Be Tonight’, taken from the band’s forthcoming debut album. The song reflects the passion and energy of the accomplished live set with the added element of an extensive string arrangement. A sonic treat not to be missed ! Join them at their launch gig in Cyprus Avenue, Cork on
June 10.