Yes I went there – and said the “C” word. I must admit even I was very surprised this week to get my first Christmas brochure in the post. But thinking about it – it’s really only another 4 months until the Christmas Party season is upon us and if you are an obsessive forward planner like me you’ll already be thinking about your venue.
So, with that in mind, here is what is on offer at the fabulous Hastings Everglades Hotel this Christmas. Book your Christmas Party Night early to avoid disappointment!
The headliners for Glasgowbury 2010 are primed and ready to go and in their own words, they’ve never been more excited about a gig.
Cahir, Jamie and Craig, the men and monsters who make up Derry’s Fighting With Wire, are all set to leave their mark all over Glasgowbury 2010 with a performance that will put them back on top of the pile.
And after being forced to pull out of least year’s headlining slot to begin work in America on album number two, the punk rock trio have never been more energised about a performance.
“It would almost have been more appropriate for us to headline last year with Man Vs Monster just out and on the back of everything that we were doing it would have been the perfect end to that cycle,” said the band’s frontman Cahir.
“But we’re extremely excited about Saturday – because this is our comeback, and to do it on Glasgowbury’s big birthday is just something else.”
The long wait for the follow up to Man Vs Monster is almost over and Bones Of The Twilight will, says Cahir, see the light of day in the new year.
Ahead of that, there’s an Irish tour in September/October and a UK tour in November to contend with alongside single number one from the new collection.
“Glasgowbury will be the starting block for the new stuff, we’ll be picking up where we left off and using it as a stage before we go on tour again.”
As for Saturday’s headlining slot, Cahir promises the band have a few tricks up their sleeves but that it won’t take over from what they hope will be a real rock show.
“We’ll be giving people a taste of the new album but we’ll still be playing the older stuff that everybody knows. It’ll be a chance for people to hear where we were and where we’re going.
“But this is as much about Glasgowbury and we can’t wait to headline it – we’d have been happy to play anywhere on the bill to be honest, but being asked to headline is just an honour.”
So while the jet-lag begins to wear off (“We got back on Friday and we’ve been wrecked ever since”), Fighting With Wire have locked themselves into rehearsals for what promises to be one of their biggest and most important gigs to date.
“We’re going to try and play as best a rock show as possible and get the craic going. So hopefully people will join us for the celebrations.”
Glasgowbury 2010 takes place this Saturday 24th July and a number of tickets are still on sale. See www.glasgowbury.com for full details.
Music snobbery has led to the demise of many bands and some musicians. It takes one slightly off-putting recording and it gets pretty difficult to recover, no matter what quality of music said bands go on to create. Let’s face it – most of us know at least one musician who has a story of how they almost ‘made it’. Lucky then that when the Coronas released their debut album ‘Heroes or Ghosts’ they had an army of loyal fans that were able to carry the band through the negative reviews that came from some critics that had dismissed the band from the off. Proving that sometimes its important for a band to be given the chance to grow, even if it is in the public eye.
‘Tony was an Ex-Con’, the Coronas second long player was released late last year and has most recently spawned the single ‘Someone Else’s Hands’. With this the Coronas are showing that they are more than willing to expand their song writing abilities and broaden their sound. The band are maturing and it will be interesting to see where they will go with it in the next five years. And let us not forget what the Coronas have already achieved since that debut release three years ago. Opening for Paul McCartney, beating Snow Patrol and U2 to win best album at the Meteor Awards and main stage appearances at Oxegen to name only a few of the milestones that will go down in The Coronas history.
While Hotpress, in my opinion, in an overstated manner described the band as ‘a cross between Jeff Buckley and the Libertines’ I believe the Coronas are more like a fresher Eyes Open period Snow Patrol with a better singer and with earlier material that would sit comfortably with the Hoosiers and Scouting for Girls on a drive time radio playlist. However, with an energetic live presence and impressive musicianship on show the band’s date at the Empire in Belfast on the 4th of September is definitely worth checking out and comes highly recommended.
Support on the night comes from Gentry Morris whose album ‘Awake O Sleeper’ is genuinely one of the best records to emerge from Northern Ireland in recent years. He may be American by birth but we’ll happily claim him as our own. Tickets for the Coronas with special guest Gentry Morris are priced at a reasonable £12.50 and are available from Ticket Master outlets and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.
TJ, Belfast Rocks
Belfast Rocks is run in Belfast, right bang in the centre of the city. We work to list all upcoming live events in the city; if you are organising a live event in Belfast contact us. Belfast Rocks is part of the Event Rocks suite.
Following the success of our recent offer, whatsonni.com have once again teamed up with Alive Surfschool to offer whatsonni fans a special discount for next week only!
Ricky and the team at Alive Surf School are reaching out to families and individuals all over the country to come and try the coolest sport on the planet. Alive Surf School is the longest running surf school on the north coast and with their instructor being a lifeboat man, they provide a safe and fun learning experience for all.
Week commencing Monday 26th July 2010 you can avail of a ‘buy one surf lesson get the second half price’ – all you have to do is quote promotional code ‘alive1′ “ to get your discount. Become a fan of Alive Surf School here http://www.facebook.com/Alive-Surf-School on Facebook and quote ‘alive1′ when booking your lesson and you are ALL SET TO GET WET!
Come Alive this Summer!
Be quick because at these prices we expect things to fill up pretty sharpish. Call Ricky on 07935952532 or email lessons@alivesurfschool.com.
There is also more information and an FAQ about Alive Surf School and the Surf experience at http://www.alivesurfschool.com.
Watch this space for weekly ‘Surfisodes’ from the coast – Alive have teamed up with local Digital dudes Awakin™ who are helping to spread the good word on Alive and their North Coast cohorts. The 2 minute Surfisodes will tell you how the summer swell is working out and you’ll get cheeky bonuses on what other funky and fun activities you can get up to on the North Coast. Get in, get on and Come Alive this Summer! Surf’s up!!!
As part of this year’s Arthur’s Day celebrations, GUINNESS® & CO launched the ‘Our Thursdays’ showcase which is on the look out for emerging talent all over Ireland to offer them the incredible opportunity to share the stage with Snow Patrol and other amazing International artists as part of the Arthur’s Day line up on September 23rd.
Over 800 bands applied online over June and early July for this opportunity and the Our Thursdays showcases kick off this week in pubs all over the country.
600 bands have now been chosen to play in pubs around Ireland over the coming month and the first events in Northern Ireland kick off at 9.30pm this Thursday 22nd July, where music fans can witness amazing emerging acts performing free of charge (*See list NI venues and bands below).
Two bands will perform in NI venues each night over three Thursdays (22nd July, 29th July and 5th August) and each Thursday, music fans will get to vote, via text, for their favourite act. Once the music fans decide on their favourite act on the night, the three winning bands will then go up against each other on the fourth and final night to be in with a chance to secure a place at one of the regional showcase events taking place in Cork, Galway, Dublin and Belfast on 26th August.
Each of the four regional showcases will take place on 26th August and at that stage four lucky bands will be selected by music industry experts to perform at the national showcase in Belfast on 2nd September. Music industry experts including members of Snow Patrol will judge the final showcase, choosing the three final acts that will perform on 23rd September at the Arthur’s Day celebrations in Galway, Cork and Dublin. The lucky band selected to play in Dublin will perform alongside Snow Patrol on September 23rd at Hopstore 13, at St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin. Also, the 100 bands who won their pub showcase event in August will also be part of the Arthur’s Day line up in their pub showcase venue on 23rd September.
Arthur’s Day celebrations are strictly over 18’s events.
London s nu-folk finest, Mumford and Sons, are to headline the festival on Monday 6th September with an opening night hoe-down in Custom House Square, Belfast. This latest announcement represents a major coup for the festival as Mumford and Sons are arguably one of the most successful British acts of the last 12 months. Tickets are on sale NOW for 25 from www.coorsopenhousefestival.com. Support on the evening will come from rising Americana star Lissie, and exciting new English folk artist Andrew Davie.
If you’re a fan of Mumford and Sons, then you’ll be a fan of the banjo, and should check out Completely Banjaxed – a night of Ireland’s top banjo-pickers in one of Belfast’s more exciting music venues – the Black Box. This is just one highlight of the festival’s full Irish Traditional Music line-up which also includes a tongue in cheek concert challenge “Girls are better than Boys… Or are they?!” featuring leading Belfast musicians Mebh O’Hare and Barry Kerr among others. Check out the website for the full line-up of trad gigs and sessions.
Belfast s own folk royalty, the Lowly Knights, are also announced for the launch of the nu-folk club night, Communion Belfast. The festival is very excited to be hosting the Norther Irish premier of this London based music club night and record label which was originally started by members of Mumford and Sons. The show takes place on the festival’s closing night, Sunday 12th September, in the Black Box – tickets just 10.
Coors Light Open House, the “not in a muddy field festival”, takes place in venues throughout the arts and cultural flavoured Cathedral Quarter in Belfast’s city centre, including a large marquee in Custom House Square. It’s already shaping up to be quite a line-up with Wilco, Iron and Wine, Seasick Steve, Modest Mouse, White Lies, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Felice Brothers, Dave Rawlings Machine, The Low Anthem, Field Music and Villagers all recently announced.
Open House also features Chillifest – a fiery food & music phenomenon that features funky festival sideshows such as helium karaoke and beard grooming and Ireland’s only hot chilli pepper eating contest. Hayseed Dixie have just been confirmed as the ChilliFest headliners for the afternoon of Sunday 12th Sep. All chilli heads are hereby given fit and proper notice.
For the most up-to-date line-up, further festival information and to book tickets simply visit coorsopenhousefestival.com
Coors Light Open House Festival is a not-for-profit voluntary organisation and funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
On Thursday night the winner of City of Culture 2013 was to be announced at 7pm on BBC One during the One Show. Having to sit through an entire episode of the One Show is a nightmare at the best of times, however, tonight it doesn’t seem to matter because at around 7.25 the announcement is made and the Maiden City is crowned the UK’s first City of Culture. Mayor Colm Eastwood and deputy first minister Martin McGuinness are among the representatives from the city in Liverpool and as the news is streamed live to Derry-Londonderry the Guildhall erupts with cheers and applause for the second time in the space of a month – albeit for two different reasons.
The eyes of the media are on this Northern Irish City yet again, this time it’s about what we’ve done in the past combined with a hopeful, ambitious and expectant outlook for the future.
So, what does being titled City of Culture 2013 mean for Derry-Londonderry? There’s already talk of the Turner Prize, BBC Sports Personality of the Year and the Brit Awards all being held here. There’s believed to be job opportunities a-plenty in the next few years and hundreds of millions of pounds being injected into the local economy with flocks of tourists descending upon the City to see what the big fuss is about.
In my opinion, the most important factor of this win is that the copious amount of talent hidden behind bedroom doors and that remains secluded in practice rooms, art studios and school class rooms will be given the chance to shine and will hopefully have the vital platform from which the city’s young and gifted can kick start their careers.
One point I firmly believe that Mayor Colm Eastwood would agree with is that the second largest city in Northern Ireland needs a proper high spec and large capacity venue. Already members of the media and general public have been speculating that, if and when the Brit Awards arrive here, they can only effectively and efficiently be held in Belfast. However, many frustrated young people have been crying out for Derry/Londonderry’s own version of the Odyssey for a long time and I reckon the time is now for the City of Culture 2013 to be given it’s own arena to hold the bigger events that come with it’s new title!
This isn’t really the place to discuss the negative publicity the City and the North has received in the past week. It has to be mentioned though, if only to outline that this time of celebration is the kick in the rear we need to let the violence and hatred of the past rest in history books. This is the chance the City has to set an example to the rest of Northern Ireland by showing that we can integrate all types of cultures in the city and we can accept each others differences that have acted as a division for too long.
More to the point, this is about positivity and creativity, and when walking through the City on Friday afternoon you could see pride in the faces of the young and old. You could feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for what’s in store in the years to come. So let’s not waste it, let’s take on this challenge, let’s get ambitious and let’s get creative, let’s set the standard high because you are now entering City of Culture 2013.
TJ, Belfast Rocks
Belfast Rocks is run in Belfast, right bang in the centre of the city. We work to list all upcoming live events in the city; if you are organising a live event in Belfast contact us. Belfast Rocks is part of the Event Rocks suite.
Come Celebrate the press launch of Joker Tattoo Studio Belfast.
Featuring Live tattooing, Katie and the Carnival and Circus madness .
Joker Tattoo studio invite you to celebrate the press launch of the Joker Tattoo Studio Belfast in true ‘Cirque du Freak’ fashion. Be prepared to be amazed at this not to be missed event which will take place on August 16th in Auntie Annie’s Attic.
Highlights of the event include Live tattooing by Joker, the opportunity for attendees to become circus freaks themselves with some theatrical help from one of London’s top celebrity make up artist Natalya Nair , your hair styled by one of Belfasts leading hair salons Blue and be privy to a special dark concoction of musical pleasuresby Katie and the Carnival.
With a crack of the whip the ring master will commence the live tattooing show. …
“Get used to the pain. Much of it lies ahead … ”
Get your freak on to one of Northern Ireland’s premier bands while transforming yourself into anything but ordinary with the help of MS Nair & Blue.Then one lucky guest will win some free tattoo time by Joker. Round up the night with truly delicious treats of bespoke carnival cupcakes by Ani & Lulu’s Cupcakery -made with a little love plus a bit of rock and roll- along with tailor made gift bags to take home.
Admission to the Joker Show is a strictly guest list press only event where Joker will be on hand to have pictures taken with tatted attendees and all of the other inked and circus madness that is the Joker Show.
‘The Joker Show’
is a one off event to which Joker Tattoo promises will be an evening that you will never forget. …
Do you want to join?
Show Time – 7 pm.
Curtains Close – 9pm
For further information please contact Kristen or Sabrina
Lookaly gets you to number 1 on Google
Own or part of a small business? Add yourself to Lookaly for free. Others have and are seeing top results from Google.
Lookaly is a user review site that lets you find the best places and services in Northern Ireland. Anyone can rate and review somewhere based on their experience.
