COVID-19 TALK: Gary Lightbody announces online gig on Thursday

Gary Lightbody is treating fans to a special online gig tomorrow night on the Snow Patrol Insta, which means you have around thirty-one hours to hit him up for a request! There's a trillion and one tunes we'd love to hear, but if Gary still remembers the words to 'Ask Me How I Am' that would be splendid...

Hi everyone. I’m doing an acoustic gig live on the snow patrol Instagram tomorrow (Thursday 19th) at 7pm gmt. Hopefully see yous there. Please post requests here and I’ll do the most requested songs on this show and then do more shows to play the rest. Loads of love to you all.x

— gary lightbody (@garysnowpatrol) March 18, 2020

"Be safe. We love you. United we stand. Divided we fall," was the clarion call last night from the Dropkick Murphys as they gave it serious socks in their native Boston. Normally, we'd take a dim view of punked up versions of 'The Fields Of Athenry', but on this occasion it seemed rather reassuring. They also knocked the Bobby Fuller Four's 'I Fought The Law' out of the park goodoo. The whole two-hour-plus show can be streamed below...

STREAMING UP FROM BOSTON https://t.co/DZiwrNnqSZ

— Dropkick Murphys (@DropkickMurphys) March 17, 2020

Niall Breslin is spot on with his observations about how Trump's pet rolling news service has dramatically changed its tune this week.

As much as a shit show this all is, it’s exposing the charlatans at a rate knots. When this crisis dissipates hopefully we won’t forget these folk. Trump and the trump b team on the other side of us also in this bracket https://t.co/OPehtbPMrL

— Niall Breslin (@nbrez) March 18, 2020

Sending loads of positive vibes out west where Luke 'Ming' Flanagan and his family are in self-isolation as a result of his daughter exhibiting Covid-19-like symptoms. Our thoughts are also with all the other families in exactly the same scary predicament.

My daughter is now exhibiting symptoms of the #coronavirus
Cough, shortness of breath and severe headache. We have contacted our local GP. We are now waiting for an appointment for her to be seen. 2 to 3 days wait. Our family will now go into self isolation. Fingers crossed.

— Luke 'Ming' Flanagan (@lukeming) March 18, 2020

Having previously only received a limited online release, Fiachna Ó Braonáin brings us the excellent news that Hothouse Flowers' 2016 belter, Let's Do This Thing, is now digitally everywhere. Not since his last Darkness gig has Pat Carty been so giddy with excitement.

Our hothouse_flowers album Let’s Do This Thing recorded in @windmilllanerec in Dublin is finally out on all platforms including itunes Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig! #music #staysafe @ Dublin, Ireland https://t.co/LHeZMEMQYG

— Fiachna Ó Braonáin (@fobraonain) March 17, 2020

More good news with Sister Michael, AKA Siobhán McSweeney, bagging herself a book deal. As anyone who read her contribution to the latest Winter Papers will know, she writes like a dream.

I have the most amazing #StPatricksDay2020 news. The glorious clever funny fierce and UTTERLY SPLENDID @siobhni is writing a book and has asked me to represent her. WATCH OUT WORLD! pic.twitter.com/bMh2jQu3u0

— Jo Unwin (@jounwin) March 17, 2020

A doff of the Hot Press headphones to the good folk from Bombay Pantry whose signing up to #feedtheheroes initiative has resulted in tasty free curries going to the Hazel Unit at St. Vincent's, and the frontline team working in the Corona Testing Hub and A+E in St. Michael’s Hospital. Some people are pure daycent.

Messages of support from the @TheBombayPantry Clonskeagh team on tonight’s #feedtheheroes delivery to team on Hazel Unit in St.Vincent’s.#Feedtheheroes #community #bombaypantry #keepthemfed pic.twitter.com/6kJ3tiCImJ

— Bombay Pantry (@TheBombayPantry) March 17, 2020

Some strong but not unmerited words from the @IRE_FJD Faceless Junior Doctor account, which has become even more of an essential follow these past few weeks.

Many doctors have felt totally undervalued by Irish society for years.We appealed to deaf ears about abusive working conditions. I hope when all this is over you will remember that doctors stepped up& though what you ask of us is exceptional,what we ask of you is simple #COVID19

— FacelessJuniorDoctor (@IRE_FJD) March 17, 2020

It's not just musicians who are struggling at the moment to make ends meet with Richard K. Herring hoping to come to the aid of some of the stand-ups whose earnings have totally dried up.

Am trying to set up a fund for circuit comedians + people who run the gigs to try and make sure they have enough money to feed their kids and pay their rent over the next few months. Will be asking big name comedians who are still working on TV etc to chip in. BJ won’t help us

— Richard K Herring (@Herring1967) March 18, 2020