A marathon of music this week

Hey there,

I gave myself a bit of a break from this last week, unplanned, sorry - life got in the way! Strangely enough not in the way of listening to music though, hmh funny that, though I'm a bit vague on some details. (Was I really at the Crane Lane on Sunday? Several witnesses insist...) The Irish Chamber Orchestra on Saturday night were pure pleasure (nice to finally meet you there Vinny!) in the last concert of this season - I can't understand why they don't always sell out - if we can't fill a 400-odd seat theatre every time those guys come to town, well, maybe we don't deserve em.

Sorry I think the sudden cloud and drizzle has me a little down this week. Hang on while I ratchet up the enthusiasm for the tips bit.


Wednesday 28th

7.30pm Cyprus Avenue Peter von Poehl's pretty electro pop will reward drifting into if you're around, just a fiver... http://www.myspace.com/petervonpoehl

9pm Counihans' (next to the Crane Lane) Arundo are a band combining Andean and Irish music who seem to have been playing here a while. Gas idea I'm not convinced but maybe because all I could track down on the net was a phone video with desperate sound - it's a free gig so see what you think yourself.

Thursday 29th

6.15 Glucksman Gallery Singer and violinist Lucia Comnes will surely draw a huge crowd out to see her, especially fans of the wonderful Polskadots, a band she was a founding member of before she returned to her native US. She's now touring with bassist Sean Stillinger and percussionist Aharon Wheels Bolsta. Definitely free gig of the week!

8pm St. Anne's church (the bells one) Shandon The Mount's Bay Singers might be rather good, they describe themselves as "An accomplished and enthusiastic choir" who do a range of stuff - when you consider they say they include 8-part a cappella pieces, well that would suggest they're pretty capable.
Incidentally if YOU or someone you know is interested in joining a choir the Cork Chamber Choir is looking for 1 soprano, 2 tenors and 1 bass. You can contact us through our myspace or drop me a mail and I'll put you in touch with Ann Marie http://www.myspace.com/corkchamberchoir

9pm Roundy Room Brazilian trumpeter Tonynho dos Santos and his new band the Fireangels will have the place feeling very summery.

10pm Nancy Spains Pianinst Emiliano Petronilli (of Swing Street) and drummer Davide Sotgiu are hosting a weekly blues jam session - people are welcome to join in, sounds nice.

Friday 30th

7pm Sirius Arts Centre
right through to Monday

Put a trip to Cobh into you plans this weekend and enjoy some of the Cobh Maritime Song Festival in surely the most perfect venue in the country for such a thing. Check out the whole programme at www.cobhmaritimesongfestival.com and look look amn't I good to you........This is the Cork-Cobh timetable http://www.irishrail.ie/your_journey/printed_timetable_pdfs/2008/Mallow%20Cobh%2008.pdf

Saturday 31st

1.15pm, Cork School of Music A lovely opportunity to hear some great trad from fiddle-player Edel Sullivan and guitarist Eileen Healy AND support a Kenyan orphanage with your €10 entrance - talk about fair trade.

Sunday 1st

10pm Charlie's Eoin (Reggie) O'Regan's band is a very safe bet.


Monday 2nd

9am-3pm Cork City I've had a great time lhelping to line up musicians who will be busking along the length of the Cork City Marathon circuit courtesy of Cork City Council. Trad players, jazzers, rockers, gypsy musicians, old-time and world music groups will be out to try and lift the runners spirits and keep onlookers entertained please come and enjot the atmosphere. My map of the action is here if you want to try and catch something specific - http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=109036976011531848577.00044de7144fe1d8907c9&t=k&z=13 - how about the brilliant Lazik outside Hardwood Café? maybe the Critters at Bishop Lucey Park? Trad on Horgan's Quay or by the Lough? Or jazz at County Hall? We've 20 groups in all...

9pm The Whisky Saxophonist/clarinettist Clinio Cocuzza is hosting a regular session on Mondays now. http://www.myspace.com/cliniococuzza

Thursday 5th

9pm The Roundy The Polskadots have old friend Lucia Comnes as guest, a very special occasion and definitely one for the diary lads

9pm Triskel Jazz harmonica player Ray Preston is clearly a master and well respected by the looks of one enthusiastic expert (http://www.jazzeddie.f2s.com/jazz_harmonica.htm)

this gig with his quaret should be meaty - hear him here http://harmonica.co.uk/music/Ray_Preston_Making_Whoopee.wma

Saturday 7th

8pm Cork Opera House I'm well ticked off I'll be away for Rufus Wainwright, though he might be sold out already... www.rufuswainwright.com

Have a great one...

x N

Blues, folk, techno, dub, opera, bach - where WOULD you be goin'?

Forgive me if I'm a brief this week I seem to be stretched a little thin. Reports of the Moore, Bennink and Holshouser trio at Triskel last night were glowing, seems I missed a big one. I'd a fantastic time at the Spailpin Fanach on Friday night when Sheelanagig played a typically rowdy set, there wasn't a whole lot of space for dancing but it didn't stop us and I have hazy memories of walking home barefoot (thanks to Bertand for ensuring I got back safely!).

There's a heap of stuff to keep us all happy this week I reckon...

Wednesday 2nd

8.30 Crane Lane There's raunchy fun to be had at Boutique Burlesque cabaret and it's likely to fill quickly if the last one's anything to go by - swing jazz, circus and a forest of false eyelashes; I'll be dusting off my high heels and getting the push-up out along with a few hundred gorgeous beors - definitely something for the single lads to enjoy! You can get tickets in advance from Plug'd (8 euro) or else get there eaarrly...

Thursday 3rd

8.30 Crane Lane There'll be ructions when Los Langeros come back on the scene with a new set - I still haven't seen them and gather this is Not Cool so will try and set things straight. Fuel-injected punk-folk, I'll be back in the flat shoes.... http://www.myspace.com/loslangeros

9pm The Roundy For those looking for something a touch more refined but still full of energy the fabulous Polskdots are on the menu and sporting a brand-new accordionist. This group have managed to put together a gorgeous repertoire of gypsy music from across the world keeping integrity though some very fine musicianship indeed. http://www.myspace.com/thepolskadots

9pm The Woodford Funky blues from some of the city's finest bluesmen playing the real thing... Eoin 'Reggie' O'Regan on guitar, Jerome Rimson leading on bass & vocals, Andrea Bonino on harmonica makin the ladies howl and one of the tightest drummers in town Tomas Gall lightin that dynamite.

9.30 Ziggy's (opposite the Oval) Steaming Italian blues from the new Alex O'Reilly band with Alex on bass and vocals, Clino Cocuzza playin that dirty woody sax of his, Arcangelo Spina on bass and an Irish drummer (sorry details still hazy at my end, but apart from Clinio these guys are new to me...).

Friday 4th

8pm Cork School of Music Great to have the Irish Chamber Orchestra back with a lovely programme of music spanning four centuries, Bach, Sibelius and Mendelssohn with a brand new work written for them by Gerald Barry - definitely one for the diary (and I'd say I'll be glad of a sit-down gig by then!).


10pm The Liquid Lounge Electric Underground are hosting electro-composer/producer Chymera if you're looking for some sexy techno to start the weekend with - he started out in Cork, but after a spell in Costa Rica has settled in Barcelona. With top DJs such as Laurent Garnier and Sasha playing his stuff he must be pretty good at what he does, give him a good welcome home! http://www.myspace.com/chymeramusic


Saturday 5th

8pm Cork School of Music Directed by the wonderful Mary Hegarty (who, I think will be making a guest performance too) the chorus and ensemble of the CSM Opera Studio are performing a nice crowd-pleasing platter of opera favourites under the slightly quese-inducing title 'Love and Champage'.

11pm Utopianation Heavy Dub heads can get off the sofa for the night without having to deal the stress of city centre Saturday-night mess by heading down Utopianation on Barrack Street where Toby out of Wiggle plays as Prof. Ruff Chuff with video-jockey VJ Present er, present, to take up any remaining head space. http://www.myspace.com/profruffchuff


Monday 7th

9pm The Whisky Roy and Jason O'Driscoll - I ain't heard these fellas yet but anyone making an effort to keep the 'real rural acoustic blues' of Blind Willie Johnson (who's all over my itunes), Son House and the like deserves to be checked out. I'll do my best and get back to ya.


Listen - have a good one.

Going down in Cork this week...

Hey Cork gig-goers,

A very different week in store than last week but every bit as good... It was really nice to meet so many people at gigs during the festival at the weekend, encourages me to stay on after work this week and put another mail together tonight! I'm always happy when I'm asked to put a friend-of-a-friend on the list so don't be shy, or send folks to the online version at www.corklivemusic.blogspot.com .

We'd a great weekend of music - Saturday night was especially good - the Callinos' Schumann was gorgeous (they are sounding really really lovely, did an amazing job on a Schnittke piece last night with pianist Finghin Collins) and the T'ang's version of Mugam Sayahi was unforgettable they're dead cool - I was glad to see some friendly faces there to enjoy it... but the showstopper for me was the late-night Sunday gig when the T'angs played Gorecki's second quartet - really really special. It was a shame there weren't more in the audience but I guess 10.30pm on Easter Sunday was pretty ambitious...

Slight apologies to those who turned up to the Good Friday concert in St Mary's and found the sermonising and long religious interludes a bit much (myself included there!) - if I'd known I'd have warned ye. Hope you enjoyed the music all the same.

This week is not quite so high brow but none the worse for it...

Thursday 27th

8pm, The Whisky, Union Quay (formerly the Phoenix) - Don't be confused by the venue this ain't blues or rock - the lads at Plug'd are hosting some very sweet dreamy guitar music indeed for tonight, a chance that won't come round quickly again - headlining is James Blackwater whose minimalist 12-string guitar compositions have been lauded by The Wire magazine, The Observer, the Times and many more.... (listen to http://www.myspace.com/jamesblackshaw ). Jozef Van Wissem is a lutenist in a similar minimalist vein (http://www.myspace.com/vanwissem) ... Cian Nugent is from Dublin - a bit more melodic maybe and a nice combination all round.

Friday 28th

More fun than you can shake a stick at, bilocation would be a good trick tonight...

9pm, Spailpín Fanach Sheelanagig from Bristol are so great I just can't say it enough - they do a fantastically tight mix of ska and gypsy music with North African, jazz and Irish sounds thrown in - I defy you not to be hoppin around like a mad thing before the first song ends. A quick visit to their myspace will cheer you up right now... http://www.myspace.com/sheelanagiguk

9.30pm, Cyprus Avenue. They made the shortlist for the Choice music prize and while them feckers across the water mightn't've voted them NO.1 on the night there's no doubt there'll be a mad homecoming welcome for (and a rockin' set out of) Stanley Super 800, a Cork band to be truly proud of. http://www.myspace.com/stanleysuper800


Saturday 29th

Ridiculous amount to choose from on Saturday, I had to go and make a sandwich before I could even start listing them...

8pm Firkin Crane A night of music from India with dancing and all - 3 renowned performers from the UK for one night only - kathak dancer Amina Khayyam, sitar player Sam Randhawa with tabla player Udit Pankhania.

8pm Sláinte (the old Vineyard) The lovely girls at Ladyfest are fundraising for their upcoming festival by hosting transgender Rae Spoon from Canada with his rather delectable new cowboy folk sound - check out his myspace at http://www.myspace.com/raespoon lovely harmonica sounds and great songs.

10pm Liquid Lounge The hardworking boys at Club Ping Pong are celebrating this hugely successful alternative club night's first birthday with Liverpool's Kling Klang following the band's recent tour with Portishead - experimental electro future rock stuff... I'd say they're kicking live http://www.myspace.com/superposition

Sunday 30th

9.30pm Crane Lane Dublin's cabaret club Gypsy Hotel returns to the Crane Lane - I'd never heard of it til I happened on them just now on peoplesrepublicofcork.com but I've a sneaking suspicion it'll be a great night out - dress up wild and drink bourbon to the music of The Woodsmen http://www.myspace.com/theewoodsmen (punky folk think The Pogues) , Boom Jackson http://www.myspace.com/boomjacksonmusic (yeouch might be out for a smoke for this bit), seriously sexy Go-go girl Bella A Go-Go ( you-tube of her here ) and resident jump jive swing Dj Oona.

Monday 31st

9pm Triskel Another night of great music at what has become the home of jazz in Cork - one of Europe's key drummers Han Bennink with world-renowned Californian clarinettist Michael Moore and New York accordionist Will Holshouser. This looks like something for lovers of great jazz with the sense of playfulness it started out with - keep something in the tank on the weekend won't you? Triskel are doing a special deal too with dinner in the (DELICIOUS! I mean it - DELICIOUS!) word-of-mouth café (if you haven't eaten there yet you're in for a treat) and concert ticket for €30.


Right 2 hours later I'm ready to go home - if you can't find something in the above to tickle your fancy then that fancy of yours needs lookin' at.
But I ain't the girl to do it.

x Nicki