And they have the NI Hospitality Award to prove it! This fledgling venue has been open for just over three years, yet it’s fast gaining a reputation as the place to beat for great live music. While there is plenty … Continue reading It’s Official!! The Skylite Room is Northern Ireland’s Best Live Music Venue!
On meeting up with The Hardchargers’ Lonesome Chris Todd earlier this month I forgot to bring along my copy of the Universal Compendium of Blues Artists, which is a shame, I could have used it. Lonesome Chris is steeped in the … Continue reading Lonesome Chris Todd on blues music and The Hardchargers’ adventures
Unfortunately, whatever offertory was made to the weather gods on Friday, was not enough to appease them for the whole weekend. Saturday started out well enough, but by the evening took a turn for the worse and there were several … Continue reading Stendhal Festival 2018 – Saturday’s Q&A
Listening to Barra Best and Frank Mitchell earlier in the week, I feared that this year’s Stendhal Festival might be a bit of a wash out. In fact, even upon waking up yesterday morning, the outlook was decidedly grey. Still … Continue reading Stendhal Festival 2018 – Friday’s Q&A
I never had the privilege of knowing Gary “Bapper” Morris, but listening to the many testimonials about him last night, I really wish I had. A local man, Bapper was a swimming instructor who died in January of this year … Continue reading Review: Bapper’s Gig – The Hill of the O’Neill
On Friday night The Bonnevilles played one of Mandela Hall’s final gigs, and what a show! Northern Ireland’s coolest live band in Belfast’s most revered venue, this was one not to miss. Having two comedians on the bill for the … Continue reading Review: The Bonnevilles, Mandela Hall, Belfast
It was day two of Holywood Harmony Live festival and the weather gods were mercifully kind. On arrival, we got our quaver stamp on our hands, picked up our souvenir cup and made our way into one of the friendliest … Continue reading Review: Harmony Live Holywood – The Boomtown Rats
Georgie Fame is cool! There’s no other way to say it. At just weeks away from his 75th birthday he could teach many modern artists a thing or two about that. An evening with Georgie is full of his own … Continue reading Review: Georgie Fame – Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival
A few months ago I spoke to Pat Kane ahead of Hue & Cry’s planned gigs here in early March. Though The Beast From the East put paid to those plans, the rescheduled dates did give me an excuse to catch … Continue reading Hue & Cry’s Greg Kane on Brexit, Scottish Rap and Returning to Belfast
The marquee in Custom House Square was the venue for one of the most highly anticipated events of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival – Ben Folds. On entering the marquee, the effect is really charming; a ceiling festooned with drapes, … Continue reading Review: Ben Folds – Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, Belfast
After several months of rain, grey skies and below par temperatures, Sunday night’s glimpse of sunshine was very welcome. Approaching the venue, the incomparable Belfast Empire, I am pretty sure I saw Hue and Cry’s Greg Kane lounging on a … Continue reading Review: Hue and Cry, Belfast Empire
Eilidh (pronounced I-Lee) Patterson is a singer/songwriter from Derry, N. Ireland. In recent years, she has performed in the States, the UK and in Europe, captivating audiences with her voice and songs. Eilidh’s relaxed stage presence invites the listener to … Continue reading Get to Know: Eilidh Patterson
At the risk of self-indulgence, I’ll begin with the briefest of anecdotes. Almost nineteen years ago in October 1999, I was on my first date with my now husband, in a much loved music venue; Bryson’s in Magherafelt. At that … Continue reading Peter Mulvey at The Errigle Inn, Belfast
“Behold, a hummingbird” Stuart Bailie. A concise summation of Naomi Hamilton aka Jealous of the Birds; aptly suggestive of an artist whose work demonstrates at once strength and fragility, beauty and quirk. Variously described as, “introspective indie folk with fierce fiery … Continue reading Get to Know: Jealous of the Birds
Hailing from Derry, singer-songwriter Paddy Nash is renowned on the live music circuit as a solo performer and as front man of The Happy Enchiladas. Nash has some enviable career milestones under his belt, including appearances on the Leftfield stage at … Continue reading Get to Know: Paddy Nash
Perhaps Northern Ireland’s smiliest artist, an evening in the company of Matt McGinn would do your heart good. Friendly and funny, he exudes warmth from the stage. That doesn’t mean though, that he doesn’t deal with the serious stuff when … Continue reading Get to Know: Matt McGinn
Fans of The 4 of Us will know that when you go to see one of their live shows, there could be two members on stage, there might be five – the name never really made sense! One thing you … Continue reading Get to Know: Declan Murphy
Thanks to Belfast Saturday night traffic, I managed to miss The Hardchargers’ opening number tonight, which I’m told was Muddy Waters’ “Can’t Be Satisfied”. While sorry to have missed that classic, in the next ninety odd minutes there was no … Continue reading Review: The Hardchargers – Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Festival
Now in its fourteenth year, the Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Festival is something of an institution and this year’s line-up is impressive. Billed as “5 Days, 30 Concerts and 120 Songwriters”, and all within Belfast’s Clayton Hotel, this is my kind … Continue reading Review: Matt McGinn – Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Festival
Often pegged as a blues act, Tony Villiers and the Villains are actually much trickier to define than that. Sure they have a definite blues edge, but The Villains’ sound is multi-layered. With discernible hints of country, touches of jazz … Continue reading Get to Know: Tony Villiers
Coleraine native and long-time Belfast resident, Anthony Toner is known and loved for his wonderfully warm, witty and often autobiographical songwriting. Seven studio albums and and a “Selected Songs” collection, as well as a reputation for intimate live performances full of … Continue reading Get to Know: Anthony Toner
Music in Northen Ireland is nothing if not diverse, and you’d be hard pushed to find an act that illustrates that more evidently than self-professed “Dangerous Harpist”, the enigmatic Ursula Burns. Influenced by musical comedians in the vein of Tim … Continue reading Get to Know: Ursula Burns
You may know Tony Wright in one of several guises. As founding member of rock instrumentalists, And So I Watch You From Afar, as his solo project VerseChorusVerse or latterly as one half of the more blues inspired duo The … Continue reading Get to Know: Tony Wright
Petesy Burns is a man of many talents. Member of one of Belfast’s best known punk bands The Outcasts, and now frontman of A.R.S.E., Petesy also has a couple of prominent acting credits to his name. He contributed to the 2007 … Continue reading Get to Know: Petesy Burns
