www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tw8iD-mK_Y

Ian Whitty and the Exchange performing Fallen Stars in Late Night Bars with images by yours truly from various gigs I’ve seen them play at.  Wonderful song from a must have album for any record collection, Lucky Caller No 9, available from his own site.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• October 21, 2008 -- Ian Whitty and the Exchange Album Launch in the Pavilion (1)
• August 21, 2009 -- Delorentos at Indiependence (2)
• August 9, 2009 -- Ian Whitty at Indiependence (2)

The Blizzards were next up after Delorentos by which time the rain was really coming down again so I didn’t get too many photos.  As you can see from the picture below, lead singer Niall Breslin had his right arm in a cast so he couldn’t play guitar but this didn’t slow him down on stage.  Some plonker in the audience thought it would be funny to throw hay (used to minimise the muck due to the rain) at him which after the 5th or 6th time Niall finally let rip.  Lots of pent-up anger there!  While I’m not a big fan of the second album, the songs sound a lot better live.  Perhaps the album is over-produced and almost too perfect.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• August 16, 2009 -- The Villagers at Indiependence (0)
• September 16, 2009 -- Super Furry Animals at Indiependence (0)
• September 3, 2009 -- Frank and Walters at Indiependence (0)

Delorentos played out a great set at the Indiependence festival in Mitchelstown.  This was one of my favourite acts of the day, possibly because the lads seemed to enjoy themselves which always makes for a good gig.  Perhaps their planned split earlier this year which subsequently didn’t go ahead has given them a new lease of life.  Long may it last!  I’m now looking forward to the release of their second album.

A few more photos in the full set on Flickr.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• August 16, 2009 -- The Villagers at Indiependence (0)
• September 3, 2009 -- Frank and Walters at Indiependence (0)
• August 14, 2009 -- Fred at Indiependence (0)

The Villagers are one of the bands I was really looking forward to at the recent Indiependence.  I had heard quite a bit of their music and of course I was a fan of The Immediate who I saw in Cyprus Avenue.  I was well impressed with the performance and I must try pick up their EP ‘Hollow Kind’.  For those of you heading to Electric Picnic, this is one act to catch.

There are a few more photos in the full set.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• September 3, 2009 -- Frank and Walters at Indiependence (0)
• August 21, 2009 -- Delorentos at Indiependence (2)
• August 14, 2009 -- Fred at Indiependence (0)

Cork band Fred were the next band we saw at Indiependence after Dark Room Notes.  As always they put on a good show and I heard good stuff about their performance at Cork X Soutwest the day before.

As always, a few more photos in the full set on Flickr.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• August 16, 2009 -- The Villagers at Indiependence (0)
• August 21, 2009 -- Delorentos at Indiependence (2)
• September 3, 2009 -- Frank and Walters at Indiependence (0)

Dark Room Notes were the next band up at Indiependence after Wallis Bird.  I saw DRN play a while back in Cyprus Avenue and have since heard them on the radio where they’re getting some coverage.

A few more photos after the jump…

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• August 16, 2009 -- The Villagers at Indiependence (0)
• September 3, 2009 -- Frank and Walters at Indiependence (0)
• August 21, 2009 -- Delorentos at Indiependence (2)

Mick Flannery played his annual Christmas gig in the Opera House to a packed house back in Decemeber.  Mick has come on in leaps and bounds this year with the release of White Lies and regular airplay on the national airwaves.  Good to see he still has the same old self-effacing stage presence where he now just happily plays his magnificent music; the only time he breaks from this is to take the mickey out of the occasional heckler or re-inforce his understated interaction with the crowd with a few words every now and again, the eager crowd hanging on his every word.

See more photos…

There are a few more photos in the full set.

Also, check out some great shots of Mick in action by Kevin Murphy here and here and also one from Sean McCormack.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• February 7, 2009 -- Grand Pocket Orchestra at The Pavilion (0)
• March 2, 2009 -- Paddy Keenan at De Barra’s (0)
• September 16, 2009 -- Super Furry Animals at Indiependence (0)

Grand Pocket Orchestra played a couple of weeks ago in The Pavilion in Cork as part of the weekly Bootleg series.  I was looking forward to seeing this band and I must say I was surprised at how young this band is. Don’t get me wrong, their music is not aged or old-man-ish but some of the tunes are so well structured and catchy that I would have expected a band that had been around the block a few times.  Odd Socks is the first track I heard from them well over a year ago which was the main reason for seeing them.  They have another few stand-out tracks such as Get Go and Using the Body.  However on the night they played a number of tracks which are not so well thought out or crisp.  I reckon they need to decide is it the pure happy pop route they want to go down or something a bit heavier.

This is one of the first times I’ve tidied up photos with a bit of cloning; the top two photos had plenty of mic stands and wires all over the place.  While it does take a bit of time I think it’s worth it.  Check out a couple of more photos in the full set on Flickr.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• March 2, 2009 -- Paddy Keenan at De Barra’s (0)
• February 9, 2009 -- Mick Flannery at Cork Opera House 2008 (0)
• August 16, 2009 -- The Villagers at Indiependence (0)

Clare O’Mahony played support to Mick Flannery down in The Lodge in Mallow recently and appears to be playing support on more of his upcoming gigs.  Clare was joined on stage by another guitarist who also contributed on backing vocals and together they created nice melodies and interplay with their guitar picking.  Clare once alluded to Dawson’s Creek during the gig and its impact on one of her songs and this influence is plain to see in many of the songs.  You could just imagine watching the dilemmas of Dawson, Joey, Pacey et al. unfurl whilst listening to her music and in this respect her style reminds me of Christopher Dallman.  Unfortunately there was quite a bit of chatter down the back in The Lodge but those of us up front certainly enjoyed the show.

If you’re going to see Mick Flannery in the Pavilion on Friday then get in early to catch Clare O’Mahony.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• October 26, 2008 -- Mick Flannery at the Lodge in Mallow (0)
• May 17, 2008 -- Tobar an Cheoil at the Triskel (4)
• December 8, 2007 -- Philtre at Cyprus Avenue (0)

I recently mentioned that I purchased a pair of ear-plugs in time for the Murphy’s Live Music event in the Bróg last week.  I had been thinking about doing this for quite some time, and when I came across the Don’t Lose the Music website, I decided to bite the bullet.  Don’t Lose the Music is a website advocating the need for ear protection when in a noisy environment, in particular at gigs and night clubs.  For far too long I have been up close to speakers while taking photographs at gigs, and still feeling the effects of it the day after.

At the gig in the Bróg where three great (and loud!) acts played, Fight Like Apes, My Evil Ex, and Painting by Numbers, I was able to stand close enough to the speakers and snap away without rushing away, thanks to my ear-plugs.  I have had a few bad experiences in the Bróg and generally avoided going in there as the sound level is far too high.  On this occasion, it was slightly tempered but I definitely needed the ear-plugs when close to the speakers.  I spotted other people close-by rubbing their ears which is never a good sign.  The ear-plugs I got only cost a measly €20 and are re-usable.  I would recommend anybody to invest if you go to gigs/nightclubs and you have ringing in your ears, or you feel your hearing is on the wane.

It begs the question though, are gigs getting louder?  Who moderates the sound level at gigs?  Is it the sound engineer applying venue policy, or is the band themselves?  I was at the 2FM 2moro 2our all ages gig in Cyprus Avenue late last year when David Geraghty headlined with a great set.  Before he and his band played though, Concerto for Constantine played support.  I had never heard of them and am always willing to listen to new music.  But they were playing seriously loud music and at one point, lead singer Mark Greaney the bassist asked the crowd if the volume was too high and went on to say something like “When you go to see your doctor about your hearing loss, tell them Concerto for Constantine sent you”.  Twat!  I’d be willing to bet that the band themselves had ear-plugs, or else they should do.  Bearing in mind that this was an all ages gig, the sound level should have been lower than normal gigs.

Once your hearing is gone, it’s gone.  Don’t lose the music!

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• June 30, 2010 -- Ian Whitty – Fallen Stars in Late Night Bars (0)
• August 23, 2009 -- The Blizzards at Indiependence (0)
• August 21, 2009 -- Delorentos at Indiependence (2)