Hail, Hail, Shamrock & Roll

As National Drinking Day approaches (thinly veiled as a celebration to some chap called Patrick) the nation is preparing itself for 24 hours of festivities and drunken debauchery. It is heartwarming to see the musicians of Ireland taking their duties seriously as Waterford’s Acrojunk (pictured) prepare to take part in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Rob, Dave and Neal will be providing the music for Waterford Spraoi’s giant robot which will terrorise spectators along the parade route. The specially commissioned piece ‘Ming Raised a Robot’, features 1950s sci-fi whistles, dirty beats and blazing guitars and may get a proper release on the b-side of their next single. You can cheer them on on the day, look out for the lads dressed in purple making lots of noise!...
Kildare’s Kill City Defectors have just confirmed four Irish gigs on their Mutiny Sounds tour. The band will be bringing their energetic, mish-mash of body-shaking rhythms and infectious grooves to An Brog, Cork, March 12, the following night they will be bringing the house down in Bakers Place, Limerick, on Friday 14 they will be entertaining the crowds in the Roisin Dubh, Galway and Dublin fans can catch them in Crawdaddy on Friday March 15…
Dublin’s StarLittleThing have just released their second single ‘This Is My Life’ from their debut album It’s Easy to Be Alive, You Just Are. The video for the track was directed by Scott Altman from MTV in the UK. Altman is also behind videos for Seasick Steve and The Chakras. The video can be viewed online at www.youtube.com/starlittlething...
And now for a blast from the past, the very wonderful Harvest Ministers launch a new five-track limited edition EP ‘Love Will Call On You’ upstairs in Whelan’s on Friday March 7. Recorded in New York over a few days with Andy Fitzpatrick, the EP is a taster for the group’s fifth studio album due later in the year. Watch out for the video to ‘Sent’ directed by Rory Harrington…
Whelans regulars may have caught the recent blinding performance by Scotland’s very excellent Sons And Daughters. Support on the night came from Dublin’s New Amusement (think of a more upbeat Joy Division and you’re in the right sonic territory) who made the impatient crowd shut up and take notice, definitely ones to watch! Check out tracks on www.myspace.com/newamusement. Killer tune ‘Gone To Sea’ is playlisted on Phantom FM and an EP ‘Any Port In A Storm’ is due in April and they play in Anseo on March 6….
On a sad note, Aine has parted company with Cork’s Hooray For Humans. A recent post on the band’s myspace from Alan stated: “I’m going to try to honour as many of the commitments that we made as I can. Tom is still playing drums – other than him I will be putting together a band and we’ll try to play as many of the shows we have already booked as we can. The UK tour will still go ahead.”
The band will release a single in March and have almost finished writing material for their second long-player. They are on the look out for a female singer, a keyboard player and a bass player. Check out www.myspace.com/hoorayforhumansband for more details…
The Mighty Stef is on tour in the US at the mo. We can expect a new EP at the end of March which will include a version of ‘The Mero’ with Ronnie Drew and Dave King and Bridget Regan of Flogging Molly, Stef’s own song ‘Death Threats’ and a new Shane McGowan song. Will keep you posted...

For live updates tune into The Last Splash, Sunday nights 8-10, with Alison Curtis on Today FM
(email: [email protected])