The Winter Passing + Life Goals + Me and My Dog + Niburu. The hangar, Dublin

The winter passing + Life Goals + Me and My Dog + Nibiru + The Winter Passing

The Hangar

September 30

Back to that feeling of solitude once more. I had a backpack full of fliers and posters but couldn’t muster the enthusiasm or courage to pass them round. I’m in that rut and many sure if I can move on, my feeling these days is to leave it to someone who doesn’t have grey hair. Am I wrong?

First band up tonight were life goals from Belfast. They reminded me of  drive when they played with mega city four in 1988, here we go again the age thing :). There’s a smattering of pixies into the melodic pop punk songs. They keep under the city centre speed limit but pack a good punch with those songs.

The songs in between certainly left a lot to be desired. The wrong sort of pop entirely but the venue is a strange abode. You walk in to a bar and some seats but through the double doors literally is a small hangar. Feels like a small car park but with low roof tonight it does have excellent sound.

Mayos Me and my dog were up next. The day before the all ireland final replay between me an my dogs home county and the county hosting this gig and not one mention of football!. My guess is it doesn’t fly high on me and my dogs radar. Lo-fi slacker rock is what they were billed as and that’s is as accurate as can be. 2 guitars, bass and drums. The 2nd guitar acting as lead bringing it from the lofi level. I had a vegan burrito in toltecca before the gig. It had soya mince, tons of topping and sauces but wasn’t quite the burrito I was hoping for. I wanted it to blow my mind but instead it was a good memory. Something like me and my dog, maybe if they only had one guitar. Sometimes the best bands only use the one.

Niburu come on to dry ice. This all male band from Dublin have a sound as heavy as that dry ice as we novel slowly through the set. Sure it gets my head bopping but sound garden or rage against the machine do the same and I never go out of my way to listen to them. It’s all too male of you get my drift

I’m here tonight to see the winter passing. Their record is one of the best Irish releases in the past decade. Full of tunes and hooks and intensity. I admire them for their attitude and energy. Always positive, this was their last gig before heading stateside to do some recording and gigs. How often can we say that of an independent band from ireland. Time got the better of them on the night as the hangar needed to return to its natural night club haunt, lights wer switched on, winter passing got to screech out more song of their set of 5, but it was enough for us all o wish the band the very best in their travels

niallhope

Rats on Rafts + M(h)aol – Whelans Review

Rats on Rafts + M(h)aol

Whelans

September 28

It’s kind of strange living a private life publicly at times. I was never one for putting my picture on things and always refer to things I’m involved in as a collective we even if that numbers just me.

It’s also kind of strange that after gong to gigs for over 30 years I end up standing on my own at many offerings. And i’m happy with that, happy to talk or not. I guess I’m used to my own company even though as a family man with a great partner and three wonderful kids that solitary existence is rare, bar when I go to gigs.

It’s getting greater now as I become more age conscious as years go by. The youthful exuberance has given way to self doubt and contemplation. And so I can get lost when m(h)aol play. They don’t care what I think or anyone else by the sound of it on stage. It is a chaotic cathartic noise and is deadly. We can get lost together in a brashness that reminds me of bikini kill with a sound less rooted in melody but more annoyance.

Rats on rafts, like me say nothing between songs. I guess they don’t have to. Their sound brings them everywhere with a psycadehlic pop beginning to a hardcore no age ending. This was a great noise to get your toe tapping. Of course I would like some between song banter but the band are from Rotterdam, maybe their English isn’t so good. Maybe the music does the talking, I couldn’t understand a work being sung but it was some noise alright

niallhope

A celebration of DIY -Dublin October 8+9

Hope Collective are proud to be part of the Dublin DIY Festival taking place next month.   Having come together last year for a night of punk rock and hip-hop, The Hope Collective have once more joined forces with State Magazine and are proud to present an all ages day long event in Dublin Workman’s Club, supporting Oxjam Ireland’s work for female rights and the Dublin Simon Community.  This festival falls under the Community Tourism Diaspora Initiative and provides a chance to highlight the great work going on around Dublins Underground music community.

The previous night Hope are joining with FOAD Musick to announce the launch of Steve Ignorant with Paranoid Visions new album “Now and Then…!” in the Hangar

Profits from this gig will go to Inner City Helping Homelessness 

Saturday October 8 – The Hangar 

Steve Ignorant with Paranoid Visions
plus
the Gakk
Steven VX and the Art Rats

Now and Then…! is the highly anticipated follow up to 2013’s “When…?” album from the collaboration of Dublin art terrorists Paranoid Visions and Crass frontman Steve Ignorant.
Over the past 2 years the band have played major festivals in the UK, Holland, America and Canada and garbered a significant following that surpassed the expectations of the original project. This is the collaborations only Irish appearance.

Sunday October 9 – The Workmans Club

Bill Blood – as part of Flexihead, Jackbeast and Redneck Manifesto, Niall Byrne has graced many DIY stages in the country and beyond. Bill Blood is his latest musical incarnation.

Carol Hodge – described as “Shakespeares Sister fighting Amanda Palmer and Tori Amos in a dimly lit Victorian pub”, Carol is a seven fingered pianist best for her singing work with Steve Ignorant (co-founder of punk legends CRASS) on his Last Supper world tour.

Ed Wenn – first visiting Ireland with the band Sink in 1992, Ed made his name with The Stupids, where his Ed Shred persona blasted out some early UK skatecore riffs. He has also been the main songwriter behind Bad Dress Sense, Big Ray, K-Line and more.

Mhaol – having made their live debut at last year’s WSO, M(h)aol have established themselves as one of the most fiercly political bands in Ireland today, with music to match.

Not Monsters – the meeting of deliciously experimental melodies and in your face power, Not Monsters are firmly in the DIY tradition – springing from a network of shared gigs, spaces and ideas.

Simon Wells – one of the founding members of UK Hardcore legends Snuff, Simon has continued to play and tour throughout the world with Your Mum, Southport and many others.

the objectorZ – sitting somewhere between hard rock n’ roll and punk, the Dublin band flter in a power pop influence.

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What Is We Shall Overcome?

We Shall Overcome is a movement of musicians, artists and community organisers who are angry about the human costs of austerity policies but who want to do something practical to help those affected. For one week from 3-9 October we’re encouraging people to organise gigs and events that will –
1. Get direct help to those in our local communities who have been adversely affected by austerity policies.
2. Raise awareness, show solidarity or apply pressure to those who have political power
We operate under the tagline ‘A RAISED FIST & A HELPING HAND’

Cheapskate, Gout, Brian Bannon, Stomach – Dublin 1996

Mar 29 1996

Cheapskate, Gout, Brian Bannon, Stomach

Attic

Stomach, Bambi, Cheapskate, Blackbelt Jones – Dublin 1996

Dec 7 1996

Stomach, Bambi, Cheapskate, Blackbelt Jones (Benefit for St Vincent dePaul)

Attic

Down By Law, Wheel, Groundswell Barnstormers – Dublin 1993

May 10 1993

Down By Law, Wheel, Groundswell

Barnstormers

Bluetip, Kerosene 454 Dublin 1997

Oct 26 1997

Bluetip, Kerosene 454, Jackbeast, Hylton Weir

Fusion Bar

Bikini Kill, Team Dresch, Bis – Dublin 1996

 

Apr 20 1996

Bikini Kill, Team Dresch, Bis

Charlies Bar

Frank Sidebottom – Dublin 1993

 

Nov 11 1993

Frank Sidebottom

Barnstormers

Mr T Experience, Dog Day – Dublin 1992

Jul 4 1992

Mr T Experience, Dog Day

Barnstormers