(Archive) September 26th

There's a a fantastic variety of quality music round town over the next few days with an almost embarrassing amount to choose from - my own many gig visits over recent weeks have suggested to me that there may actually be too much good stuff going on - where's the damn audience half the time?

Cork's a small city and we like it that way - but we can't expect promoters and musicians to put great on at a loss all the time. Go on, round up a few friends and take them out to something they've never heard before - make a night of it and have something to talk about with them! Try something you wouldn't normally (the early music gig on Saturday night it was f***ing fantastic) - it's like taking a holiday... except alot cheaper and better for the environment.

By the way one intrepid gig go-er has set a review blog - check out http://www.thisreviewer.blogspot.com/ for reviews of all kinds of gigs - (the People's Republic of Cork are setting up a direct link to it from their homepage but it's not quite right yet...) if anyone wants her e-mail to invite her to gigs contact me and I'll put you on to her.

Right, here goes for this week's line-up:

Thursday-

6pm The fantastic Hadasha who have been opening Cork's ears to the music of John Zorn to packed crowds at The Tikki Lounge and the Roundy (and will be launching Art Trail at the invite-only launch on Friday) are playing at the gorgeous Glucksman gallery. It's a free gig (as Glucksman Thursday gigs always are) so this is a no-brainer.

9pm Some sort of brain MIGHT come in useful for the Cork Music Collective 100% music table quiz in the Roundy (poster attached). We need to get some cash together to help pay for hiring the PA for gigs so please come and join us for a night of craic with special guests the young whippersnapping Impressionists - table of 4 is €20 and there's plenty of good prizes including concert tickets and the like.

8pm The Syrius Trio will be playing in the new Cork School of Music auditorium - if you haven't heard of them yet you will have soon now they have Music Network behind them - the trio is violinist Elizabeth Cooney ( described by Martin Lovett of Amadeus Quartet as "extraordinarily gifted", spotted by Tully Potter of the Strad as "a talent to watch" and credited for her "remarkable virtuosity" by the Sunday Tribune), New York-based cellist Jane O'Hara and pianist Bobby Chen from Malaysia who is making a serious name for himself internationally. They're playing Schubert, Mendelssohn, David Wallace and Benjamin Dwyer....

8pm Or you could get seriously rocked by Canadian punkprogrockers Nomeansno in the Crane Lane - they're legends but will the sound there do them justice? The Freak Accident is supporting them if that means anything to anyone...?



Friday-

Actually Friday's pretty quiet for those who didn't make the Art Trail launch list, typical, eh?

9pm Rest are in Cyprus Avenue - if you like loud lush rock sounds and haven't heard them yet get on down

or maybe you could save your ears and really blow them apart at the Liquid Lounge tomorrow....



Saturday-

8pm Art Trail are presenting The Quiet Club, (Cork's sound artists Danny McCarthy and Mick O'Shea) who will be joined by all sorts of weird and wonderful guests to launch the sound we are now CD. Open minds and open ears will likely get a whole lot out of this... music made with unconventional instruments and often heavily processed - last time I saw them composer God Johnfrey oops John Godfrey (who'll be with them on Saturday) was playing the inside of a grand piano with a wok) - it's a lot of fun as well as being very musical and definitely good conversation fodder.

10pm Saturday nights have got a whole lot better for altrock heads (and the kind of girls and boys who like to pick up the Cork's beautiful altrock types) with Club Ping Pong (this is where all those gorgeous hip cats have been quietly gathering to avoid the usual Saturday night din) - live international bands in a club with a big smoking area on the roof - who'd a thunk it. This week they're offering NYC's Meneguar -" a very good guitar-driven band whose singer sort of sounds like the guy from The Hold Steady. There is a positive vibe to this melodic (mostly) punk rock, complete with Superchunk-friendly riffs and Les Savy Fav-friendly angularity. They are a band void of pretension that wants to write really good rock songs. If you liked the indie rock of the 90's, you will like Meneguar." They'll be supported by Hope is Noise.




Right that's enough for this week take your pick and for jaysus sake get out there!