The Inside Track: Ballroom Dancing

Hotpress is not the only Irish music institution to celebrate a birthday this month. Marking its fifth glorious year in existence is The Ballroom of Romance.
The occasion will be marked with a special birthday show on June 23, featuring performances from Paper Cut Out, Tigers! Eiger and BATs. Over the years, the Ballroom has hosted over 66 shows and burned well over 7000 of their trademark CD-r compilations. Giveamanakick, Jape, The Chalets, Large Mound, The Dudley Corporation, Duke Special, Halfset and The Jimmy Cake, to name but a few local luminaries, have graced the stage over the years alongside international touring bands such as Electric Eel Shock (Japan), The Drones (ATP Recordings, Australia), Part Chimp (Rock Action Records), Blood Red Shoes (V2 records), Josh T Pearson (Bella Union Records), LITE (Japan) and The Immortal Lee County Killers. Happy Birthday Ballroom of Romance, and here’s to another five years!
Everyone’s favourite Bray native Fionn Regan [pictured] will play two nights at Glastonbury this month (June 22 on the Leftfield Stage and June 24 on the Park Stage). Other festival pit-stops over the summer months include the Isle of Wight and Homefries. Fionn has recently been signed with Lost Highway in the US (home to Ryan Adams, Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Elvis Costello and the late Johnny Cash) who will release the wonderful The End Of History on July 10.
Simple Kid has just confirmed that he will support REM on Sunday July 1 in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin. The new single ‘TwentySomething’ is out now.
Cork’s Hooray For Humans are still working on their highly-anticipated debut album, but have managed to squeeze a few live appearances into their hectic summer schedule. They play Baker Place in Limerick on June 15 with Dry County, will appear at the Indie-pendence Festival in Mitchelstown Cork on August 5 on the People’s Republic Stage, and pay a visit to the Roisin Dubh in Galway on August 9 for a show with with the Alps of New South Wales (Australia).
Belfast three-piece Cal have just released a new EP ‘In Your Way’. The band, comprising Mike Patton (drums), Henrik Favarri (bass) and Colin McMurray (guitar and vocals) have drawn comparisons with The Fray, Neil Finn and Counting Crows. In their short lifetime they have already clocked up an impressive amount of domestic live appearances, and have been regular guests on London’s live circuit.
Angel One is the debut long-player from singer-songwriter Ise which was launched recently at a packed gig in the Project Arts Centre, Dublin. Before embarking on her solo career, Ise was a cast member of the Willy Russell musical Blood Brothers and previously gained media attention for leading a naked protest at the Forty Foot! This colourful character has created a colourful collection of songs – get your mitts on a copy now from Tower Records.