It’s little wonder that the folk behind Ireland’s biggest musical bash has decided to keep things small this year. Arthur’s Day shows in grand venues like Dublin’s Olympia and Belfast’s Ulster Hall always went down a storm, but the most legendary gigs in the celebration’s four-year history all took place in someone’s local – Tom Jones at the Brazen Head, Kelis in The George, Kasabian in the Church, Calvin Harris in Mickey Martin’s and Seasick Steve in The Old Oak were just a few of the highlights.
Over 500 pubs provide the location for Arthur’s Day 2012; from Donegal’s Teach Jack to Skibbereen’s Paragon Bar, from Wexford’s Sky And The Ground to Ballina’s Broken Jug, Guinness will be covering a whole lot of ground on September 27.
The line-up for 2012 is bigger and more diverse than ever; folk pop giants Mumford and Sons, rock legends Primal Scream, chart-topping beatmaker Example, superstar DJ Fatboy Slim and soul diva-in-waiting Jessie Ware make up the unofficial Hot Press wishlist, so we tracked every last one of them down for a pre-gig chinwag.
And that’s just for starters; also painting the town black this year will be UK rap’s smoothest operator Tinie Tempah, pop’s golden girl Ellie Goulding, musical peacock Mika, hard-hitting hip hopper Professor Green, pop rock stalwarts Texas, guitar-toting singer-songwriter Amy MacDonald, genre-hopping rogues Fun Lovin’ Criminals and scores of others from at home and abroad.
All you have to do is grab a bunch of mates, hot-tail it down to your favourite drinkerie and expect the unexpected...

On top of all this “organised pandemonium“ (guess which Arthur’s Day-bound star spoketh those words?), Guinness have lined-up a further eight shows in unique pub surroundings in Dublin, Cork and Belfast, which will be recorded for broadcast on national TV in Ireland and in over 100 countries worldwide. Fancy bagging yourself a spot in the audience? Music-lovers can apply for passes to the Arthur’s Day TV Specials at facebook.com/GUINNESSIreland.
As is tradition on Arthur’s Day, the line-up for these shows is shrouded in mystery, but we’d be lying if we said we didn’t have some insider info on who’s playing where. We won’t spill the beans on the headliner (that’d be too easy...), but we have rounded up a selection of gigs that we think will be particularly special.
Try these live music treats on for size...

Willy Moon at Dakota, Dublin
On first look, you might write Willy Moon off as a slick-haired Buddy Holly copycat, but the Kiwi’s sound is really a melting-pot of many groove-led genres, including hip hop, blues, soul and early rock ‘n’ roll. South William St.’s cocktail haven Dakota is a match made in heaven for the 23-year-old, a venue just stylish enough to compete with his effortlessly dapper look. Look out for ‘Yeah Yeah’; a terribly catchy piece of wonky soul pop that’s become Moon’s signature tune.
Josh Osho at Market Bar, Dublin
Three parts Nigerian to one part Irish, London-raised singer-songwriter Josh Osho makes a welcome visit to his ancestral home on September 27 for a show in Fade St.’s uber-trendy Market Bar. Reminiscent of a very young John Legend (the chap’s only 20!), the guitar-toting soul man released his debut album L.I.F.E in July, featuring cameos from hip hop’s flavour of the year, Childish Gambino and Wu-Tang Clan legend Ghostface Killah.

Kassidy at the Grand Social, Dublin
The fairylight-crowned venue at Liffey St.’s Grand Social is the perfect spot in which to acquaint yourself with the rootin’, tootin’ folk rock of Kassidy, regularly hailed as Scotland’s answer to Kings Of Leon. The long-haired, Ryan Adams-loving foursome have released two albums in as many years, ‘70’s-inspired country pop triumph Hope St. and rocky follow-up One Man Army. Expect big harmonies, big choruses and a serious dose of hair envy. Singer Barrie-James O’Neil is rumoured to be dating Lana
Del Rey.

Jake Bugg at Whelan’s, Dublin
At just 18 years old, Nottingham troubadour Jake Bugg was but a twinkle in his Mother’s eye when Whelan’s first opened its doors. Nonetheless, the bluesy folk rocker fits right in with the legendary Wexford St. venue’s list of past visitors, which includes the likes of Jeff Buckley and Damien Rice. A direct musical descendant of Bob Dylan and Don McLean, the baby-faced is about to release his self-titled debut album on Mercury Records.

Hudson Taylor at Crane Lane Theatre, Cork
Blessed with the ability to make even the most cold-hearted curmudgeons break down into tears, Dublin folk duo Hudson Taylor are so new they don’t even have a Wikipedia page yet, but that hasn’t stopped them from building up a rabid fan base in the 12 months they’ve been performing live. Expect Alfie, 18 and Harry, 20 to break a whole lot of hearts when they set up shop in the revived remains of an Old Gentleman’s Club at Crane
Lane Theatre.

This Club at The Old Oak, Cork
Boasting enough sun-dripped melodies and carefree hooks to charm the pants off radio stations the country over, Ireland’s favourite pop rock party people This Club turn Cork city’s authentic hideout The Old Oak into a discotheque on September 27, when they drop by for an old-fashioned Arthur’s Day knees-up. In the unlikely event that you don’t know all the words to ‘I Won’t Worry‘ and ‘Add It Up‘, you’ll certainly be able to croon along to their cover of En Vogue’s ‘My Lovin’’.

Dream McClean at Lavery’s, Belfast
Essex boy Dream McClean started his career like every other rapper, “spitting into a deodorant can pretending to be Jay-Z”. Fast forward a few years and the grime star has landed himself a contract with UK label MTA and a collaboration with the biggest production duo in the UK, hitmakers Chase And Status. With a debut album waiting in the wings, McClean’s brutal rhyming style (hear him take a pop at Chris Brown on ‘Network‘) will undoubtedly bring the house down at Lavery’s.

The Milk at Botanic Inn, Belfast
Essex foursome The Milk have clearly been raised on the three Hs; horns, hooks and handclaps. Echoing a stubbly Amy Winehouse (best not to picture it!), front man Ricky Nunn takes blue-eyed soul to its flamboyant limits, while guitarist Dan Le Gresley and brothers Mitch and Luke Ayling (drums and bass) provide a solid rock backbone. The roomy dance floor at the Botanic Inn is tailor-made for throwing shapes; married with The Milk’s feelgood soul pop, it makes for a killer night.