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

Last chance ticket competition!! - and music this coming week

Hello again...

I'm still in a fairly special place after last night's gamelan concert in UCC - well done to Mel and all the UCC Javanese Gamelan ensemble. Great to see a full house with audience taking up every available surface in the lovely O'Riada hall.

The big news this weekend is the East Meets West festival here in the city. The T'ang quartet arrived from Singapore on Monday and have been busily preparing and getting to know our lovely grubby city. The opening concert tomorrow night (Good Friday) is free, and will be in St. Mary's here on Pope's Quay (across the river from the Opera House) - the gorgeous Callino Quartet are playing Haydn's 'Seven Last Words' which floored a standing-room-only audience in the same venue in 2005. I'll be working for the whole of the festival so please come to a gig or two and say hello!

This afternoon I'll make the draw for a pair of tickets to what will be an amazing closing concert on Monday night - I can't say I'm not disappointed with my grand total of two entrants so far, but I guess it's kind of nice for them knowing they're in with a good chance! so LAST CHANCE TO ENTER (please do!) - follow this LINK to leave a comment (anything you like!) - anyone who does will go into the draw and if you want to change the tickets to another night you can.

Also it's your last few days to catch Coradorca's new production (running til Saturday 22nd) in the Cork Arts Theatre - see www.corcadorca.com for more!


Thursday 20th

9pm Utopia Nation (head shop on Barrack Street) I haven't yet mentioned the Thursday night open mic night here so I might as well today. I've been up once - good craic, very mixed bag the night I went but the tumblers of wine they serve are HUGE - should set you up well for a dry Good Friday...

12am, Crane Lane Dance your socks off with the Roaring Forties in the Crane Lane tonight.


Friday 21st

8pm St Mary's, Popes Quay Callino Quartet plays the jaw-droppingly beautiful (and totally, totally unique) Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross by Haydn - the first (and only?) set of seven adagios, it lasts about an hour and you won't forget it. This is really meaty and not at all boring I promise - last time the church had a load of people from Shandon and around who had just come to worship, they had never been to a classical concert before and were stunned, really really enjoyed it. It's FREE too!


Saturday 22nd

12pm Cork School of Music A coffee concert showcasing 2 exceptional young musicians - horn player Conor Palliser and pianist Sophie Cashel, along with the viola players of the T'ang and Callino Quartets along with Callino's second violinist and cellist - they'll play Mozart, Beethoven and liszt.

8pm Cork School of Music First chance to hear the T'ang and Callino quartets join forces to play Shostakovich's Two pieces for String Quartet - the Callinos will also play a Schumann Quartet and a Mozart quintet (with the T'ang's violist). And the T'ang Quartet will play the EXTRAORDINARY piece Mugam Sajahi by Franzis Ali-Zadeh - this this is a dead sexy piece (literally) I've only ever heard women playing it so I'm looking forward to hearing this exceptionally talented male quartet's interpretation.

8.30pm Cyprus Avenue Declan O'Rourke is a bloody good songwriter in fairness to him and he has a lovely voice. Nice. http://www.myspace.com/declanorourke



Sunday 23rd (Easter Sunday)

8pm Cork School of Music The T'angs treat us to Dvorak's American quartet (I bought their recording of it a couple of years ago - it's gorgeous, they make it really fresh) and another by Dohnanyi who i won't pretend I've heard of but it's described as 'dramatic'. The Callinos open the concert with one of Haydn's gorgeous quartets, 'Fifths'.

9pm Cyprus Avenue Fight Like Apes from Dublin are playing - one of the big new rock breakthrough acts in the last couple of years http://www.myspace.com/fightlikeapesmusic good for jumping around to.

10.30 Cork School of Music T'ang quartet - Gorecki's 2nd quartet, Quasi una Fantasia - life-changing stuff - very very beautiful, the kind of stuff Donal Dineen would hit you with when he really wants to give you something special.


Monday 24th


12pm Cork School of Music You know the way family members have a really special bond when playing together? The Cashell piano trio are a young Irish family of 2 sisters and a brother and they play exceptionally well together. They are all extraordinarily talented - Sophie just won some BBC 2 Classical Star programme... they're playing Debussy and Brahms.


8pm Cork School of Music The big finale - another octet from the combined forces of the T'ang and Callino Quartets playihng a piece by Svendsen that everyone's banging on about and the T'angs play Haydn and the Callino's Schnittke (ugly, scary name, yes - but beautiful, beautiful music - this, his most famous chamber piece, was written in memory of his mother).



Tuesday 25th

12am Crane Lane A chance to hear the fablulous Polskadots do their gorgeous Eastern/Northern European and beyond folk thing they're brilliant - http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=174413840


Finally, I'm all excited that Sheelanagig from Bristol are back in Cork next Friday - a racy mix of Ska and Gypsy (and lots more besides) they are fantastically tight and more fun than you can shake anything at - I have played their album to death since the last time I saw them... they'll be upstairs in the Spailpin - put it in your diary but I'll remind ye next week.

x N

Another week's music in Cork and a ticket competition!

Hallo everyone,

Great to be back in Cork - last night's concert from Lunfardía at the Triskel was excellent (far more impressive music from South America than I heard on my travels last month I'm afraid). Great to see another sell-out concert too! Speaking of sell-outs there was a queue outside Pro-Musica on Monday morning for superstar guitarist John William's concert on April 24th so you'd want to get moving if you want to hear him play. Word has it that he'll be giving some kind of seminar for guitarists - I'm not sure what the craic is but if you're a guitarist and would like to go let me know and I'll try and put you in touch with the right people.

This week there's a good choice of music - from straight-up classical to experimental improv, blues (the good kind) to singer-songwriter stuff so get the hat and gloves on and get into town...

Nearly forgot the competition! Easter weekend sees a brilliant festival courtesy of West Cork Music, East Meets West - 2 sexy quartets are in town to meet each other and play - the all-male T'ang quartet from Singapore (I saw them a couple of years ago and they really are damn cool) and the all-female Callino quartet from Britain/Ireland and there'll be other performers too. There's six concerts in total over the weekend and I've blagged 2 tickets (worth €40) to the closing concert on Easter Monday at 8pm for one lucky winner at which you can see both quartets play individually before the grand finale of an uplifting octet where the two groups join forces. More info to come next week, and if you're not available on the Monday I can change the tickets for another concert in the festival. To enter leave a comment, any comment and I'll pick the winner out of a hat on Friday week. (yes it is an odd way to hold a competition but I'm hoping it will help the blog go up the Google search thing if I get a few comments on it!).

but for now...



Thursday 13th

1.10pm Crawford Art Gallery Two of Cork's most established and talented classical musicians, violinist Ruxandra Petcu-Colan (who begat the amazing Ioana) and pianist Gabriela Mayer will play violin sonatas by Schubert and Szymanowski. Tickets are €10/7.

8pm Cork School of Music I'll be at the National Symphony Orchestra checking out their performance with young violin soloist Alina Pogostina - a gorgeous programme of Bruch and Beethoven and opening with that popular chestnut, Wagner's overture to Tannhauser.

9.30ish Ziggy's (opposite the Oval) Andrea Bonino who brought you last year's big news Hadasha has an as yet unnamed new blues band with Eoin O'Regan and Jerome Rimson - they've only done 2 gigs but word has it something very special is happening already - won't cost you anything to find out! Can I do the Symphony Orchestra and this in one night? Course I can! Can you?

9pm Roundy Cormac O Caoimh is one of Cork's best singer-songwriters - I still haven't actually heard him but I know it's true, I just know it.



Friday 14th

9pm Bodega (White Room) STeT Lab Cork's most exciting experimental music event plays takes place for the last time in this plush and intimate venue before moving somewhere bigger - it's attracting big crowds of hip musos and is always an adventure for the ears. I'll be lazy and quote Han - "The event will feature Lone Monad (A.K.A. Don Malone) on electronics with Jesse Ronneau on double bass. Emeritus professor of Composition and Electronic Music at Roosevelt University, Chicago, Don Malone is a true pioneer of electronic music and improvisation."

Saturday 15th

10.30 Liquid Lounge Ping Pong needs little plugging from me anymore I gather but it's still a good place to hang with the hip cats - this week it hosts Plug'd Records' 4th birthday and Felix Kubin, a dadaist electro artist from Hamburg who cites Stockhausen, Ligeti & Kraftwerk as influences. There's always the roofgarden if it's too much for ya!

Sunday 16th

3pm Charlie's I don't say it often enough, if you've nothing to do of a Sunday afternoon there really is no better way to spend it than with a rake of Beamishes at the trad session. It's fun, it's messy and the music's usually great.

Monday 17th

9pm Cyprus Ave It'll be hot n sweaty and great craic altogether (and there's feck all else on of note) ....the St Patrick's Day Céilí Mór - gwanyabiya!


Wednesday 19th

8pm UCC Music Dept (O'Riada Hall) Once a year something very special happens - Mel Mercier and the UCC gang let the rest of us in to share in the music of the Javanese Gamelan. The traditional orchestra of metal pots, gongs and xylophones is perfectly normal in Indonesia, but this is the only one in the Republic of Ireland. It plays extraordinary, other worldly music - as they play a melody kind of floats out that is not carried by any one person, it really is magic. Gamelan music had a major effect on Western compaosers and visionaries in the twentieth century. Be warned - get there really early as this always fills...


That's it for now x

Back from Peru

Hi all,

Sorry for my prolonged silence. I'm now back from Peru but straight into residential training while still battling jetlag so incapable of posting properly. Got a 'networking dinner' (arrgh) in an hour and really need to chill out a bit!

For those of you in need though top tips for the moments are: (Just follow the links for details and promise to get back into it properly for my next post.)

Pianist Vasselin Stanev Thursday 6th March 8pm School of Music will be spectacular I'd say

or Somadrome at Triskel as part of the French Film Festival the same night for the more adventurous

and next week

Lunfardia (click on the music button from this link) are making their first tour together but are made up of some of the most exciting musicians in Ireland today (Ioana Petcu-Colan, Malachy Robinson, Ariel Hernandez and more) - they'll be in Triskel on Tuesday 11th, they're offering a special supper/concert deal (who's running the cafe now? I'm out of date!)

and the National Symphony Orchestra are playing Beethoven's Pastoral Symph next Thursday13th and hosting the lovely Alina Pogostkina who'll be playing a Bruch violin concerto with Wagner's Tannheuser overture thrown in for good measure.

So put me out of my misery and tell me how Steven Isserlis was! And did anyone get up to see Arvo Part in Louth or Dublin?

Nicki

January 23 - February 1st

Hi folks,

Sorry I didn't get a giglist out last week, to be honest it was pretty quiet there wasn't really anything that took my fancy... There's a nice treat or two in store now though - I have a special one I'm planning on Wednesday so I said I'd better send this out today. This might be a good time to let you know I won't be around in February so there'll be no music news from me, but I'd like to make sure yis all know that stellar cellist Steven Isserlis, a household name and by all accounts a hugely exciting performer is playing with the Irish Chamber Orchestra on February 16th - i'd say it'll definitely sell out so book a ticket on 1890 923 543! Should be every bit as exciting a Kennedy's appearance in December... I'm very disappointed to be missing out on it, though I guess it won't seem such a big thing from Macchu Picchu... You know what I think I'll make this the last one of these before I go...

Ok, so next gigs I recommend....

Wednesday 23rd
8.30pm, The Roundy This is the special one - session with an old friend of mine, Bob Loveday, and some of the best musicians I know in Cork. Bob tours in the bands of Van Morrison and Bob Geldof, has recorded with everyone from Paul McCartney and Kirsty McColl to Jeff Beck and Rachid Taha and he was a member of the Penguin Café Orchestra. He's kindofa multi-instrumentalist, mostly fiddle and mandolin and whatnot... Hopefully appearing with him in a completely unprepared session will be the following: Padraig Kelleher & Liam Lyons (traditional flute), Pius McHale (mandolin), Andrea Bonino (slide guitar), Chris Percival (guitar), Bertrand Galen (cello) and David Whitla (double bass). God knows what'll happen but it should be fun! It'll be totally acoustic and I'm not really looking for a big crowd as we're going to record and film the session with the aim of having a nice clip to put up on youtube - so hopefully it'll be a listening audience... do come up and join us! (free Cork Music Collective gig)

Thursday 24th
11.30, The Crane Lane Bob Loveday is joining Hank Wedel for his gig in the Crane Lane - that's Hank out of Hank & Ray, Open Kitchen, Princes Street etc. I'd say they'll get on pretty well should be good - also playing is Elaine Healy who's a double bass player just moved back to Cork after a long time in the States, Hank says she's great.... (also free)


Wednesday 30th
1.15pm Cork School of Music I'm really excited about this one - Mary Dullea was one of the most amazing performers I heard play in Cork in 2005 - she's so cool - looks like a real quiet normal girl but she plays contemporary music ferociously well, she's completely fearless on the piano. Anyway, she's just recorded an album with Darragh Morgan (violin), Robin Michael (cello) - they're the Fidelio trio and they're doing a tour to launch it and get this - it's a free gig! They're playing a piece by Michael Nyman, one by Donncha Dennehy (on the CD) and some Ravel for good measure. Some way to get past the hump of the week....

Thursday 31st

8pm Aula Maxima UCC The Vanbrugh Quartet have the lovely Emer McDonagh adding her flute to their team for a really cheering concert of music by Bach, Bocchierini, Mozart and Debussy definitely one you'll be walking on air after...

9pm The Roundy Lazik are a real good homegrown group, you'd probably recognise a few of the heads from Sin E - great players and they sound lovely on their myspace. www.myspace.com/lazikmuzik


Friday 1st
126 @ Meade's Wine Bar Oliver Plunket St. Ger Wolfe's the first to play in this gorgeous intimate setting - it only takes about 30 people! Perfect for his music it should be a lovely gig (you know Ger, he wrote that gorgeous Curra Road, which his on his myspace and heaps more since too) - they're doing music up there every Friday an Saturday in February and March, definitely a nice night out.You can book ahead on 021 4270475.


After that you're on your own lads I'll be off listening to the beat of condor wings, the lap of the shores of Lake Titicaca, Criolla music in downtown Lima, Andean string bands up in the clouds and hopefully not too many panpipes...

January 5th - 10th

Whoah back to the normal routine I guess - don't know about anyone else but I'm knackered - actually managed to sleep in this morning (couldn't face the cold when i woke and didn't reset my alarm right, oops!). I would've had an earlier night last night but I went to hear the first-ever performance by Trio Nuevo who gave a gorgeous performance of some of Astor Piazzolla's music in Meade's wine bar. Definitely a good place for it ... Colm the owner tells me they are planning weekly Thursday gigs there from February.

I think we can expect a bit of a lull around town in general but there's a bit to keep those of us with a bit of juice in the batteries occupied....



Sat 5th Jan

5-7.30pm Corner House The Lee Delta Blues Club who do a regular night in here on a Thursday are holding a "Family Blues Session" with the Dizzy Blues Band to bring their stuff to a different crowd - they're lookin to hook in some young ones. There'll be an acoustic part (yippee) and then an electric bit and the plan is to chart the history of the blues. It's a nice idea if you're looking for somewhere for an early evening pint...


Tuesday 8th

9pm - Cyprus Avenue - Headlining the Melting Pot gig is Kilkenny drummer(&singer) Rarely Seen Above Ground who sounds like he has an interesting enough set-up, playing solo with a backing track but with the non-attendant band projected behind him. Which is a pretty good idea if you have to use a backing track. And the last time we saw a solo drummer(&singer) with a backing track it was a bloody great gig (the dude that was in the Liquid Lounge in November, remember? Charles Hayward, though he was probably further along in his game). See how I'm making up for lack of content with blather? People do that all the time - why should I be different?



Thursday 10th

8pm Bodega White Room - This'll be the third STeTLab gig in as many months and I gotta say they are becoming a highlight for me. To recap, it's a night of curated improv - to expand, that means that there are certain rules being applied to keep things under control but the course of the music is anyone's guess. So in the last gig there was only allowed to be 4 people playing at a time and whenever someone wanted to join in or come back Tony (curator for the night) would choose someone playing, tap them on the shoulder and they'd leave for a while and the new person joined in. It worked really well and there was some interesting instruments, like a hammered dulcimer (which Niwel had a great time on). If you think you might want to join in bring an instrument, otherwise put your ears in the lap of the gods - this one will see a group of, er Cork improv superstars (hur, hur) forming the core of the night - Mick O'Shea (Quiet Club), John Godfrey (Crash Ensemble), Paul Hegarty (Safe), Jesse Ronneau and Tony Langlois (Missioncreep).


9pm The Roundy - Led by the rather wonderful violinist Marja Tukhanen, the Polskadots are a talented bunch of musicians who play a range of European folk music, focusing especially on Eastern Europe and Scandinavia - they're particularly into gypsy music (which I am all about at the moment) - there's some lovely voices in the band with great harmonising and frankly, they're a really safe bet for a good night's music!
I can't find it mentioned on any listing sites or on their myspace, but Nora of Mai World Music also mentioned in a mail to me today that they would have special guests "Mekach from Brittany, France, who play rockin' gypsy tunes, singer Beth from Brazil and superb saxophonist Gary Baus" and Nora does tend to know what's what. Either way it'll be alot of fun!

That's kind of it for the moment really - boy did ye miss alot of craic with the Critters last Saturday in Charlie's (or were ye there? Ahem, I can't remember who was there, it sure was a helluvalot of fun...)

Nicki