http://www.visitdublin.com/event/One_DirectionTickets on sale Saturday 25th May 2013 at 10:00am Record-breakers across the globe and stars of their own forthcoming 3D concert movie, the world's biggest pop band, One Direction, today announce the first legs of an incredible stadium tour for 2014 including a concert at Croke Park on Saturday 24th May. Fans globally have patiently been watching the #1BigAnnouncement site countdown for the last week, and today the first set of dates can be revealed. Set to stop in stadiums all around the world, the band kick off in Latin America in April before returning home to the UK and Ireland. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/In_Handels_Day_2014To celebrate George Frideric Handel and his connections to Dublin, Temple Bar Cultural Trust will host a daylong celebration to include the famous Messiah on the Street performance as well as additional free activities featuring music and history from 18th century Dublin that will appeal to all ages. On 13 April 1742, Handel's Messiah, one of the most famous musical pieces in the world, premiered on Fishamble Street in Temple Bar and each year the streets and surrounding areas are filled with the sounds from Our Lady's Choral Society as they sing excerpts from Handel's Messiah. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/St_Patricks_Festival_2014The St. Patrick's Festival 2014 will come alive again with pageantry, carnivals and free entertainment from 14th – 17th March 2014, drawing from the very best in Irish and international talent. Futhur details of The St.Patrick's Festival to be announced.http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Temple_Bar_TradFest_2014Dates to be confirmed Dublin’s biggest and best festival of Irish Music and Culture. The Temple Bar TradFest is back for its 9th year. In 2014 the festival will be bigger than ever with 6 days and 6 nights of trad, music, dance and craic. The festival features over 200 free events, an outdoor stages, family programme, children’s club, street performers, pipe bands, music trail and much more. Experience Irish and International music talent in some of Dublin’s most iconic venues like Christ Church Cathedral, St Patrick's Cathedral and the glorious rotunda of City Hall. More details to be announced http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Tenacious_D_The_AcademyUS comedy rockers Tenacious D announce that Christmas 2013 will see them play a special intimate date at The Academy, Dublin on December 17th. This won’t be Tenacious as you know them, the December 2013 tour will see the band play their stripped down acoustic set as a duo. Still going strong since forming in 1994 and following on from 2012’s spectacular show at the O2 Dublin, 2013 will see the band back on the road and causing chaos in Ireland and the UK performing as the original duo! The band’s third and most recent release in over six years, Rize of the Fenix along with a plethora of older/classic material will be recreated as stripped back acoustic renditions. Released May 14th 2012 via Columbia Records, Tenacious D describes the making of the album as a“journey similar to that of Gandolph in The Lord of the Rings.” Produced by the brilliant John Kimbrough, Rize Of The Fenix was recorded in the garage behind his LA home and features Jack Black and Kyle Gass (Tenacious D’s core duo), performing with Dave Grohl (drums), John Spiker (bass, piano, organ) and John Konesky (electric guitar). The album was engineered and mixed by John Spiker who has been touring with the band for years. Don’t miss the masters of musical and sexual prowess when they land in the Ireland this Christmas. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Original_Rudeboys_at_The_Olympia_TheatreFollowing two sold out Olympia Theatre dates last month, The Original Rudeboys have confirmed a hometown headliner at The Olympia on Thursday 12th December. The Original Rudeboys are currently on tour of Australia as special guests to The Script. The two Dublin bands have toured Europe and The UK together earlier this year performing to over 150,000 people. Their debut album 'This Life' has been certified gold in Ireland. It's an outstanding achievement for the band that only formed in March 2011 and is a testament to their dedicated work ethic, relentless gigging, and their winning way with a memorable tune. 'This Life', which was produced by Jake Gosling (Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith), was released in March 2012, charting at # 3, and has been a permanent fixture on the Irish album charts ever since. The Original Rudeboys have also performed as special guests to Cheryl Cole in Dublin and Belfast, and have played sold out shows with Professor Green, Maverick Sabre, Example and Rizzle Kicks. 2013 is already shaping up to be an even bigger year for the band, with more domestic and international dates to be announced shortly. With their YouTube viewing figures of over 3 million and rising, 45,000 fans on Facebook and 30,000 followers on Twitter; The Original Rudeboys story is getting bigger and stronger by the day. Ticket Information: Tickets cost €20.00 including booking fee on sale from online at  www.ticketmaster.ie and all usual ticketmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Yo_La_TengoNew Jersey indie veterans Yo La Tengo have announced their rescheduled Dublin date for Vicar Street in December 2013, following the release early next year of their 13th studio album. Thursday 5th December 2013 will see the beloved Hoboken trio play their first Irish show since 2010’s appearance at the Forbidden Fruit Festival. They are currently finishing work on their new long-player “Fade”, the follow up to 2009’s album “Popular Songs”. Fade is due for release early in the new year. Formed in 1984, Yo La Tengo have undertaken a huge number of creative projects, consisting of over 20 full length studio albums and side projects, including the 2009 film Adventureland soundtrack, a song on the Dark Was The Night compilation, and numerous “request-any-song” sets for WMFU's marathon fundraisers. All Original tickets valid || New Tickets go on sale @ 9.00am Friday 19th April Tickets €22.50 standing / €25.50 seated (inc. booking fee) available from Ticketmaster and usual outlets. www.ticketmaster.ie Yo La Tengo – “Fade” New album released early 2013 Fade is the most direct, personal and cohesive album of Yo La Tengo's career. Recorded with John McEntire at Soma Studios in Chicago, it recalls the sonic innovation and lush cohesion of career high points like 1997‘s I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One and 2000’s …And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out. Fade is a tapestry of fine melody and elegant noise, rhythmic shadow play and shy-eyed orchestral beauty, songfulness and experimentation. But Fade attains a lyrical universality and hard-won sense of grandeur that’s rare even for this band. It weaves themes of aging, personal tragedy and emotional bonds into a fully-realized whole that recalls career-defining statements like Blood on the Tracks, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight or Al Green's Call Me. "Nothing ever stays the same / Nothing’s explained", the band sing in unison on the reflective opening track ‘Ohm’. "We try not to lose our hearts / Not to lose our minds", it’s a straightforward sentiment for a band that prefers private intimation to forceful expression, making the song’s resistance to resignation feel that much more earned. This is the first time Yo La Tengo has collaborated with producer John McEntire, best known for his work in post-rock band Tortoise as well as his work with such artists as Bright Eyes, Stereolab and Teenage Fanclub. He has helped the band hone a set of songs as multifaceted as they are seamless - flowing from the low-key shimmy of ‘Well You Better’, to the muted motorik kick of ‘Stupid Things’, to the cozy distortion of ‘Paddle Forward’ and right through to the cagey groove, horns and strings of the gorgeous album closer, ‘Before We Run’, in which Georgia Hubley and Ira Kaplan sing "Take me to your distant lonely place / Take me out beyond mistrust." Fade's emotional core sits at its very centre with two songs, one sung by Kaplan and one by Hubley. The tender, raw, Kaplan-sung ballad ‘I'll Be Around’ pivots around a circular guitar figure set against James McNew's calm, pulsating bass line. The song's simplicity and starkness stand like a beacon against the emptiness. The following track, ‘Cornelia and Jane’, features Hubley gently singing, "I hear them whispering, they analyse, but nobody knows what's lost in your eyes / Sending the message that doesn't get to you, how can we care for you?" supported by whispering cushions of horns and delicate vocal harmonies. The effect is both heartbreaking and reassuring. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/JLS_Evolution_TourJLS Announce They’re Calling It a Day Aston, Marvin, JB and Ortise will split up following a final career-spanning Album ‘Goodbye: The Greatest Hits’ and the subsequent farewell tour at the end of the year including a date at The O2 on 2 December. Tickets are on sale now from all usual outlets. Since JLS came second on X Factor in 2008, they have been one of the most successful acts in the show’s history. They are the only act from the show to have had five number one singles. Over the last four years they have sold over six million records. The JLS live experience has been one of the hottest tickets over the last few years. They are only one of three British bands ever to sell out more than ten dates at The O2 Arena in London, along with the Spice Girls and Take That. JLS have also racked up a number of impressive awards over the years. They have won 2 Brit Awards, 4 MOBOS and 4 Urban Music Awards. Dublin Tickets are on sale  from  online at  www.ticketmaster.ie also available from all usual Ticketmaster outlets http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Electric_SixDetroit based rock six piece Electric Six are thrilled to announce that the band will return to The Academy on Saturday 30th November. Always a high energy show Electric Six are famous for banging tracks ‘Danger High Voltage’, ‘Gay Bar’ and ‘Dance Commander’. Electric Six’s 2002 breakout single ‘Danger! High Voltage’ was an infectious dance-rock number, the single reached number 2 on the UK singles chart, and they enjoy icon status in that nation. Their second single, ‘Gay Bar’, released in 2003, became a hit as well in the UK, reaching #5 in the charts and further aided the group’s growth. Since the release of their debut single ‘Danger High Voltage’ Electric Six have released 8 studio albums, the latest ‘Heartbeats and Brainwaves’ was released in October 2011. Their last album was bursting with a multitude of sounds from dance, RnB, nu garage and pop. For more info on Electric Six click here www.electricsix.com or check out the video for the hit single 'Danger High Voltage' Ticket Information: Electric Six play The Academy on Saturday 30th November. Tickets €20 on sale from www.ticketmaster.ie and Ticketmaster outlets. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Boyzone_BZ20_The_Anniversary_TourTickets go on sale Thursday 14 February at 9:00am Life was very different in 1993. We bought our music on CD's and vinyl, mobile phones looked like bricks, there were only four channels on the telly and no-one had the `X Factor' or a `Big Brother'. Meatloaf would do `Anything For You', Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan were `Sleepless in Seattle', David Beckham was in his first season at Man Utd and Facebook, YouTube, iTunes & Twitter were just pipe dreams. But in November 1993 a bunch of young lads from the North side of Dublin would infamously appear on `The Late Late Show' and the rest, as they say... is history. Twenty one singles, seven albums, twenty five million record sales, hundreds of gigs, millions of memories and twenty years later, Boyzone are still going strong. December 2013 will see Ronan, Keith, Shane & Mikey take to the road once more to thank their fans for the incredible support and dedication they have shown over the past twenty years. Join them as they celebrate BZ20 - The Anniversary Tour. Ticket Information: Tickets go on sale Thursday 14 February at 9:00am http://www.visitdublin.com/event/KodalineThursday 21st (tickets on sale now), Friday 22nd (Sold Out) & Saturday 23rd (Sold Out) November 2013 Due to phenomenal public demand Dublin natives Kodaline have added a third and final date at The Olympia Theatre on Thursday, November 21st 2013. Following what can only be described as an incredible breakout year, Dublin natives Kodaline  have announced details of three exclusive headline performances at The Olympia Theatre on Thursday 21st, Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd November 2013. Two years ago, Steve and his childhood friend Mark Prendergast helped each other through respective recent break-ups by shaping their thoughts into songs about love and loss. “Break-ups make it really easy to write,” laughs blonde-haired Steve. “When we write music, the first thing we think of is, it’s therapy for us. Then we think of how we can use that feeling to touch as many people as possible.” Teaching each other the principles of songcraft, the music they came up with isn’t wan or introspective or self-serving. Currently maintaining an air of understated mystery (their Facebook bio states, merely, “we’re four lads in a band”), Kodaline are soon set to unveil themselves to the world with the four track The Kodaline EP - recorded with Steve Harris (producer for Dave Matthews band, mixer for U2); four tracks that are bold, epic and stirring and the perfect introduction to a band who aren’t afraid of grand gestures. Steve and Mark met aged eight, when they were the only boys in the school choir. “We were there to pick up girls, of course,” jokes Mark. The pair though grew up in houses just two minutes away from each other in Swords, a working class town near Dublin airport. Six years later, at a youth retreat, Mark and Steve were placed in the same house and both took guitars. A musical bond was formed over late night singalongs. Returning to Swords, they recruited another childhood friend Vinny. “Swords is a small place, for a big town,” says Steve, and the three of them set about forming the first of myriad bands. It is with Kodaline though that Steve, Mark and Vinny – all aged 22 and 23 – have been working towards for much of their young lives, with the line-up being recently completed by bassist Jason Boland. Having spent two years doing nothing but writing, with just a belief in their talent keeping them afloat, Kodaline is their be-all and end-all. “I dropped out of college and my parents were just freaking out saying, What the fuck are you doing?” says Steve. “There was no deal in place and no money, we just thought, Fuck it, let’s have a crack at it.” The band’s name, incidentally, means absolutely nothing for the moment – they wanted something they could take ownership of. “We made it up ourselves, but we later found out it’s a character on fuckin’ World Of Warcraft,” says Mark. “I promise you, we’ve never even played the game. It’s just a bizarre coincidence.” Mark and Steve clearly have a strong friendship. “We can basically read each other’s mind at this point because we’ve known each other so long,” says Steve. Music isn’t the only thing that unites the foursome. “We also like cliff jumping and pier jumping,” says Mark. “I don’t know, each to their own I suppose.” Ticket Information: Tickets are on sale from online www.ticketmaster.ie  and all usual Ticketmaster outlets nationwide http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Nathan_Carter He made his Dublin debut in March to a sold out Olympia Theatre. Now Nathan Carter announces his return on Saturday 16th November due to overwhelming demand. The affable twenty two year old singer with the film star good looks has already recorded four CDs and a hugely successful DVD in his short career to date. Some of his hit songs, include `One For The Road` and `Caledonia` - his single “Wagon Wheel” was a huge hit with RTE Radio 1 and Today FM. His current single “Where I Wanna Be” is climbing the charts by the day. Described by many in the music media as a `breath of fresh air` to the Irish Country music scene, Nathan Carter has brought a whole new generation of country music fans on board. Nathan and the band have a highly polished live show gained from constant touring for the past three years. And with a high tech stage set with video walls, pyrotechnics and special effects they have justifiably earned their reputation for putting on a great live show.  Don’t miss country music’s brightest star with his band at The Olympia Theatre on Saturday 16th November. Ticket Information: Tickets from €23 including booking fee are on sale fro www.ticketmaster.ie and all usual ticektmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Sigur_RosSigur Rós announce details of their new studio album. Titled Kveikur, the album is Sigur Rós’s first since signing to XL Recordings worldwide and will be released on 17th / 18th June 2013.   To mark the news, the band today reveal new song “Brennisteinn”, the first track to be taken from Kveikur which was self-produced by the three members of Sigur Rós: Jón Þór Birgisson, Georg Holm and Orri Páll Dýrason. It’s accompanied by an Andrew Huang-directed video that can be viewed right now at www.sigur-ros.co.uk  As fans who’ve heard new songs performed on the band’s current tour will testify, “Brennisteinn” marks a shift towards a more direct, aggressive sound on the new record.   To further celebrate the announcement, and to preview the band’s forthcoming 25th March show at New York’s legendary Madison Square Garden, Sigur Rós are also set to appear on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon tonight. The live performance will see them playing another new song from Kveikur.   Meanwhile, Sigur Rós will play a series of European dates in November, including their biggest ever Irish headline show at The O2, Dublin on Saturday 16th November.   Ticket Information: Tickets priced €40.00 inclusive of booking fee go on general sale on Thursday 28th March at 9am from Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Stereophonics_November_TourTickets will be available at 9.00am this Friday, March 22nd With their sublime new LP ‘Graffiti On The Train’ just released, Stereophonics have announced date at The O2 in November. The Telegraph called ‘Graffiti On The Train’ “a tough and tender pop rock gem in which every track punches above its weight,” and the album – written by Kelly Jones and produced by Kelly and Jim Lowe – also sees the four-piece collaborate with David Arnold, who arranged strings on several tracks. It features the current single ‘Indian Summer’, their 26th top 40 hit, as well as the dark and compelling ‘In A Moment’. Stereophonics are: Kelly Jones- vocals/guitar, Richard Jones-bass, Adam Zindani –guitar and Jamie Morrison – drums. Ticket Information: Tickets will be available at 9.00am this Friday, March 22nd from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and online at www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_NationalTickets on sale Thursday 11th April at 9.00am Having sold out their show at the Marquee in Cork on June 28th in just over an hour, The National have now confirmed two more Irish concerts in Belfast and Dublin in November. The National have also announced their sixth studio album “Trouble Will Find Me” which is released May 17th in Ireland and May 20th in the UK on 4AD. Trouble Will Find Me, The National’s new album will be released on 4AD on May 21st  .  This is the sixth studio album for the Brooklyn band, and follows 2010’s critical and commercial success High Violet. The album is the most self-assured collection of songs produced by The National in its 14-year career. In an interview with UK’s UNCUT Magazine, front man Matt Berninger described the songs as more “immediate and visceral” than their previous work. Trouble Will Find Me possesses a directness, a coherency and an approachability that suggests The National are at their most confident.   After a 22-month tour following the release of High Violet the band returned home. Regardless of plans to wait to record new music for another year or two, guitarist Aaron Dessner began working on sketches of new songs that the other members were too inspired by to not fully realize. Matt confesses, “For the past ten years we’d been chasing something, wanting to prove something. And this chase was about trying to disprove our own insecurities. After touring High Violet, I think we felt like we’d finally gotten there. Now we could relax—not in terms of our own expectations but we didn’t have to prove our identity any longer.” The results are simultaneously breakthrough and oddly familiar, the culmination of an artistic journey that has led The National both to a new crest and, somehow, back to their beginnings—when, says Aaron, “our ideas would immediately click with each other. It’s free-wheeling again. The songs on one level are our most complex, and on another they’re our most simple and human. It just feels like we’ve embraced the chemistry we have.”   In advance of the release, the documentary Mistaken For Strangers will premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival as the festival opener on April 17th. The film, directed by Tom Berninger, follows The National on its biggest tour to date. Newbie roadie Tom (lead singer Matt Berninger’s younger brother) is a heavy metal and horror movie enthusiast, and can’t help but put his own spin on the experience. Inevitably, Tom’s moonlighting as an irreverent documentarian creates drama on the road. The film is a touching look at two very different brothers and an entertaining story of artistic aspiration.   Following the May 21st release of Trouble Will Find Me, The National will embark on a world tour. Highlights include Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Bonnaroo Arts & Music Festival, the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and Red Rocks Amphitheater and for a sold-out show in The Marquee in Cork, which sold-out in a record time in just under an hour! Formed in 1999, The National consists of vocalist Matt Berninger fronting two pairs of brothers: Aaron (guitar, bass, piano) and Bryce Dessner (guitar), and Scott (bass, guitar) and Bryan Devendorf (drums).  Their first full-lengths, The National and Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers, and a crucial mini-album, Cherry Tree, preceded their signing to Beggars Banquet in 2004. Alligator (2005), included underground anthem “Mr. November,” and raised their profile as the National grew into an incendiary live band. Boxer (2007), featuring songs like “Fake Empire”, “Mistaken For Strangers” and “Start A War,” sold over three times as many copies as its predecessor. The National's 2010 release, High Violet sold over 600,000 copies and was widely recognized for its critical and commercial success around the world and hit platinum in Ireland. Both individually and collectively The National’s members have been involved in countless artistic, charitable and socio-political pursuits.  Ticket Information: Tickets go on sale Thursday 11th April at 9.00am from on line www.ticketmaster.ie  also available from all usual Ticketmaster outlets http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Depeche_Mode_The_Delta_Machine_World_TourTickets on sale Friday 12 April at 9.00am DEPECHE MODE, one of modern music's most influential groups with album sales in excess of 100 million, will bring The Delta Machine World Tour to Dublin this November. It was announced today that Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher will play the The O2 on Saturday 9 November. Tickets go on sale Friday 12 April at 9am from all usual outlets. Depeche Mode’s European summer tour has enjoyed sensational sales success and due to overwhelming demand, the pioneers of electronic music, have announced a second leg of dates for their ‘Delta Machine World Tour’. Celebrating over three decades at the top of the musical landscape, Depeche Mode have recently released their hotly anticipated 13th studio album, Delta Machine. The album has been described by one critic as the best, most powerful, gothic, twisted, electronic album since Violator. “I’m really looking forward to getting out there and performing. There are so many die hard Depeche Mode fans who have been with us every step of this journey that I can’t wait to see. I also hope that we gain some new fans with the release of Delta Machine, and I look forward to exposing them to a great Depeche Mode live performance," said Dave Gahan. Martin Gore added, “I enjoy being in front of an audience because our songs really take on a life of their own when performed live. When we’re performing, the stage almost becomes a mirror for the people who have been there since the beginning, and we become a reflection of our audience. I’m looking forward to this tour for that very reason.” Ticket Information: Tickets for go on sale Friday 12th April at 9.00am, Book on line www.ticketmaster.ie Also available from all usual Ticketmaster outlets http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Dublin_Beatles_Festival_2013Various venues in Dublin City Centre Yes. A Festival celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Beatles in Ireland can only be held in 2013 as the band performed in Dublin only in 1963; two performances in the Adelphi on Abbey Street. 5,200 audience members attended those performances and thousands of ecstatic fans thronged the streets, causing near riots, a sight never before seen in the city, and key to the development of a 'youth culture' in Ireland. In celebration of The Gathering, the Dublin Beatles Festival intends to put out a special call for those who attended the 1963 gigs to come and stay in Dublin in November 2013 and attend Festival events. Many well-known Irish people were there in '63 including a 12 year old Bob Geldof. We particularly intend to target the UK and US markets as these were countries receiving a large influx of Irish emigrants from the '60s to the '80s. We have had approaches from a number of tv documentary production companies who wish to work with us prior to and during the Festival and would hope to use a documentary to highlight the 'return home' of potential candidates. We will also highlight their Irish roots. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were particularly proud of their Irish heritage. George's mother took the opportunity of their Dublin performances to come and stay with her cousins in Drumcondra. Liverpool, of course, has been referred to as the 'real capital of Ireland'! We will be issuing our next press release on November 7th, 2012 (next week) and will include our call-out. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Lloyd_Cole_solo_acoustic_showTickets on sale Thursday 18th April Lloyd Cole will release his new album ‘Standards’ on 24th June ’13 on Tapete Records.  Recorded in late 2012 to early 2013 in Los Angeles, New York and at his home in Easthampton, Massachusetts, ‘Standards’ is produced by Lloyd and mixed by maverick German producer Olaf Opal.  All songs are by Lloyd Cole apart from ‘California Earthquake’, which was written by American folk artist John Hartford. Inspired in part by the vitality he found in septuagenarian Dylan’s acclaimed 2012 album ‘Tempest’ - says Cole, 52: “I took it as a kick up the backside…” – ‘Standards’ is a gloriously electric rock’n’roll record and arguably the best thing he has made since his groundbreaking debut with the Commotions, 1984’s ‘Rattlesnakes’. The band Lloyd assembled for ‘Standards’ comprises Fred Maher (Material, Scritti Politti, Lou Reed) on drums and Matthew Sweet on bass reforming the rhythm section from Lloyd’s debut solo album 1990’s ‘Lloyd Cole’ and its follow up ‘91’s ‘Don’t Get Weird On Me Babe’.  With Joan (As Police Woman) Wasser on piano/backing vocals, and Lloyd not only singing but playing synths amidst some of the crispest, stormiest, most stinging electric guitar, it’s a tight ship with a tight sound which tautens and relaxes according to the temper of the song.  Augmenting the basic band are Mark Schwaber, Matt Cullen and Lloyd’s son Will on guitars, Commotions keyboardist Blair Cowan, percussionist Michael Wyzik and backing vocalist and Negative Dave Derby. Says Lloyd: “I wanted to make an album with a small fixed palette of sounds, like a Van Gogh, like ‘Highway 61’.  The format is supposedly dead, but I still want to make albums. Not bunches of songs - albums.  For the last 10 years I’ve been primarily an acoustic musician but this is an album for electric guitars, electric bass and loud drums, with piano and a synthesizer for measure.  Not quite monochrome, then, but not ever-changing either: it has a sound.” Ticekt Information: Tickets on sale Thursday 18th April priced €25.00 (including booking fee) available from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Delorentos_Vicar_Street“The sound of a band who have found their musical and lyrical groove.” - Irish Times “One of the finest Irish releases of recent times” - www.entertainment.ie “The Little Sparks EP hinted that Delorentos had some new tricks up their sleeve, but it didn’t fully prepare the listener for the quality and consistency of this hugely assured album.” - Irish Independent Early Bird tickets on sale now €10 (including booking fee)! Dublin-based Delorentos are delighted to announce a headline show in Vicar Street, Dublin on 1st November. Early bird tickets €10 (including booking fee) on sale now, followed by full price tickets priced €17 (including booking fee) available from www.ticketmasterie and outlets nationwide. After a dizzyingly great year in 2012 - that saw the band release their 3rd album, Little Sparks (Delo Records), to a hail of fantastic media reaction, the band knuckled down to a touring schedule that saw them playing the length and breadth of Europe winning new fans every step of the way and climaxing with a sold out Vicar Street show just before Christmas. 2013 started with a bang! Delorentos won the Meteor Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year for Little Sparks and were in Dublin airport at 6am the next morning to start a very successful whistle-stop tour of North America (New York, Austin’s SXSW, Memphis, Toronto’s CMW) and Russia – from the sublime to the absolutely freezing!! Amidst all of this activity an email from the office of the President of Ireland arrived congratulating the band on their Irish Album of the Year success and inviting them to play at The President’s annual Garden Party this summer! Meanwhile the band’s summer schedule is suitably full of interesting shows and festivals – including a month of festivals in Spain as well as Summer shows in Paris and Vienna http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Tindersticks_21st_Anniversary_ConcertTickets on sale Friday March 8th @ 9.00am Tindersticks are 21 this year, 20 years since the release of their groundbreaking first album. "...Tindersticks is sprawling, ambitious, faltering, brilliant, romantic, spontaneous, spooky, flawed and delightful. About f**king time." - MELODY MAKER, ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1993 Along the way they have made 8 more studio albums, music for film, museums, fashion shows, installations, they have toured the world, played with various orchestras, dueted and collaborated with many great singers and musicians, lost their mojo, split up, rearranged, reformed, found their mojo and in 2012 made what they , and many others , consider to their finest album: The something rain. 2013 will see the release and tour of ‘Across six leap years’ a retrospective recording session and album and a tour of Europe’s capital cities upon its release in October. The year will also see ‘Les Salauds’ a new soundtrack work for the renowned film director Claire Denis. Stuart A. Staples, the bands singer/writer will also release the book ‘Singing Skies’ with his wife, painter, Suzanne Osborne. A collaboration featuring her work from ‘A year in small paintings’ and the first time Stuart’s songs have been written down. Other exciting special releases, events and appearances are also being planned to mark this anniversary year. Ticket Information: Tickets on sale Friday March 8th @ 9.00am priced €33.50 (including booking fee) from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.     http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Jose_CarrerasThe World Renowned Tenor With Special Guest Soprano Celine Byrne, The Opera Petite Ensemble Quartet and Pianist Lorenzo Bavaj. Tickets priced from €79.50* on sale Friday 26th April The evening promises to be intimate affair as the Tenor will be joined on stage by guest Soprano Ms Celine Byrne, a native of County Kildare, who wooed both her audience and Mr Carreras when she appeared along side the artist at Killruddery in 2010. Mr Carreras, easily the most famous Tenor of our time, last appeared in Ireland in 2010 to a packed amphitheatre in Killruddery House and Gardens where his performance gained immense praise from all reviewers. Mr Carreras, a native of Barcelona, was first inspired to explore his gift at 6 years of age when he heard Mario Lanza perform. He followed the Great Caruso on to the stage at the tender age of 11 and has been wooing audiences and melting hearts ever since. ‘I am very much looking forward to visiting Ireland again’ Mr Carreras says. ‘Irish people have such a love of music and art it is always a pleasure to perform in their company’. Commenting on the venue the Tenor added ‘It will be my first appearance in the new Dublin Theatre which I understand lets the audience and performers thoroughly share the intimacy of the evening, which is very satisfying’ http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Kieran_GossLong hailed as one of Ireland's leading songwriters and performers, Kieran Goss’s music has won him fans across the globe. But if his songs have made him a star, his live shows have made him a legend–live on stage is where Kieran Goss really shines. It has been 10 years since Kieran Goss last appeared at the Olympia Theatre and 6 years since his last Irish tour, but a quick look at his website will explain why: almost 200 shows a year, every year, touring in six different countries. Kieran explains: “I never intended to stop touring in Ireland–it just worked out that I was touring more and more abroad in recent years as my audience grew, particularly in Germany, the U.K. and Canada. But I've made a decision that I want to play more in Ireland and I'm delighted to be asked to play at the Olympia. I've had some of the best nights there in the past and I know that the show on October 11th will be no different. It feels like a homecoming to me.” This is a rare chance to see Kieran performing live. Don’t miss it! “I've toured with Kieran and watched him perform many times. I've seen him win the hearts of everyone in the room, not just with his great songs and instinctive musicality, but with his warmth and humour. It's the performance of an artist at the top of his game, delivered with intelligence and integrity...Kieran Goss is one of Ireland's national treasures.” Rodney Crowell “The sense of fun is tremendous, the playing first rate and the songs are sheer quality. The encores were genuine, but only because the man is too.” The Irish Times “Kieran Goss is one of the most gifted performers around today. He has an amazing ability to reach out to his audience and connect with them in a very special way. This guy is the real deal, and that's what makes him the star he is.” Don Williams Ticket Information: Tickets for Kieran Goss at The Olympia Theatre on Friday 11th October cost €19, €27, €30 including booking fee on sale now via www.ticketmaster.ie and all usual ticketmaster outlets nationwide http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Lil_Wayne Concert Dates Rescheduled for Wednesday 9th October; Tickets will Be Honered The tour was originally slated to kick off in Dublin, Ireland on March 8th but has been postponed until the fall, in order to accommodate the release of Lil Wayne’s tenth studio album, I Am Not A Human Being II. You can’t compare any other artist out there to me,” the charismatic Lil Wayne rightfully declares. “They are them, I am me. Nobody can do what I can. I am the best at what I do and that’s everything.” Arguably the most original, genre-redefining, prodigiously talented and best-selling hip-hop artist of the past decade, Lil Wayne is celebrated for his electric stage show and energetic live performances. In 2011, Lil Wayne lodged one of the top ten most successful tours of the year with his “I Am Still Music” tour, which grossed $47 million with performances across three continents: North America, Africa and Australia. This forthcoming tour marks Wayne’s first time performing in Europe since 2009. Lil Wayne is set to release his heavily anticipated tenth studio album, I Am Not A Human Being 2, in early 2013. The first single, “No Worries” featuring Detail, is available now on digital retailers and has impacted radio. Wayne’s most recent album, Tha Carter IV (Cash Money Records), released in August 2011, was the highest-selling hip-hop album of the year. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, selling over 964,000 copies in its first week, making it the second highest week one sales of 2011, second only to Lady Gaga's Born This Way.   In September 2012 it was announced that Lil Wayne overthrew Elvis's record, when Lil Wayne secured 109 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, beating the 108 posted by the late Elvis Presley between 1958 and 2003. Support on this tour comes from Mac Miller. The rapidly rising star has gone from being a local sensation in his native Pittsburgh to selling out venues all across the United States and Europe. A multi-talented musician who can play numerous instruments and a young novice of the freestyle/cipher/battle circuit of his hometown, he was inspired by artists such as The Beastie Boys, Outkast and Big L to develop his own art of rhyme and to deliver his jaw dropping freestyles. In November 2011, Mac became the first independent artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard album charts since 1995 with his Blue Slide Park project.  He is currently preparing his sophomore release Watching Movies With The Sound Off which will be released in 2013. Ticket information: Tickets go on sale this Friday 7th December at 8.00am via Ticketmaster.ie By telephone +353818719300 http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Janet_Devlin 17 yr old Janet Devlin had very little singing experience before The X Factor, only singing in her school, pubs and local talent shows. Janet had previously uploaded videos on to her Official channel on YouTube on a regular basis, which have now reached 10.5 Million total views Worldwide. Janet performed “Your Song” by Elton John during the audition stage of the competition. For the first live show Devlin sung “Fix You”, which was enough to convince Rowland that she deserved a place in the next live show. Following an excellent run of live performances, week 8 saw Janet performing “MMMBop” and “Under The Bridge”, which landed her in the bottom two against Misha B. Janet performed “Chasing Cars” for survival, but was voted out of the competition by judges Tulisa and Louis Walsh. Rowland refused to vote, so the majority vote was used. At the end of the series, it was revealed that Janet had received the highest number of votes for the first Four weeks of the series, which was the highest consecutive public vote out of all the 2011 contestants. News stories soon began to break out that Janet was being offered recording contracts within 35 minutes of being eliminated from the show. Janet has been in the studio writing and recording her debut album with Grammy Award winning songwriter and producer Eliot Kennedy and his team. Heavily influenced by alternative artists such as City and Colour and Devendra Banhart, Janet has recently been co-writing new tracks for her debut album with Internationally acclaimed writers including Newton Faulkner, Joshua Radin and Jack Savoretti. Ticket Information: Tickets are available online from WAV Tickets , phone: +3531890200078 (50c per ticket service charge applies on phone or creditcard bookings) Alcohol Free Event Over 14s (Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult) http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Hard_Working_Class_Heroes_2013Don’t you love being the first of your friends to source the next big thing in music, especially when it comes in the very hip form of Hard Working Class Heroes? Jamming (literally) 100 bands into 6 venues over just three days this is the Festival that will set Dublin rocking. We’re talking Meeting House Square, The Button Factory, The Workmans Club, The Mercantile, Twisted Pepper and The Grand Social hosting a bunch of box-fresh bands unleashing the newest, most original musical sounds into your ears and the world. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Bruno_Mars_The_Moonshine_Jungle_World_TourAtlantic recording artist Bruno Mars has unveiled details of his hugely anticipated world tour. Mars scores 10th consecutive top 10 single on the billboard “hot 100”; “when i was your man” joins “locked out of heaven” in the top 10, breaking records in billboard’s chart history; The announcement of “The Moonshine Jungle World Tour” comes just as “When I Was Your Man” – the latest single from Mars’ just-released sophomore album, “Unorthodox Jukebox” – has exploded into the top 10 on Billboard’s “Hot 100” where it joins the album’s blockbuster first single, “Locked Out Of Heaven,” which recently spent six consecutive weeks atop the “Hot 100” chart. The immediate success of “When I Was Your Man” – which additionally earned honors as the week’s top “Streaming Gainer” and “Airplay Gainer” – marks the Grammy®-winner’s 10th consecutive single to hit the top 10, continuing his already-established status as the male artist with the longest streak of top 10 hits as a performer since his debut. Furthermore, the single’s chart ascension places Mars in the history books as the first male artist to simultaneously place two titles in the top 10 since his own “Grenade” and “Just The Way You Are” doubled up on the chart in December 2010/January 2011. The official companion video for “When I Was Your Man” – directed by Mars and his frequent collaborator, Cameron Duddy (“Locked Out Of Heaven,” “The Lazy Song”) – is also looking like an instant smash. “When I Was Your Man” first shot to the top 10 on the iTunes “Top Singles” chart within 48 hours of its official release last year. Bruno Mars is undoubtedly among contemporary pop’s most gifted and compelling artists. And with global sales currently certified at 40x-platinum and over 50 million singles sold worldwide, the 14-time Grammy Award nominee has fully proven himself as a true superstar. Released in October 2010, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans” was greeted with both popular success and critical acclaim from all corners of the globe. “The year’s finest pop debut,” raved Rolling Stone. “Near-flawless…(the album) delivers pleasure without pretension.” Fueled by a remarkable string of hit singles, including the multi-platinum #1 smashes, “Just The Way You Are” and “Grenade,” the album instantly confirmed Mars as a major force in modern pop music. Mars soon racked up a remarkable record of prestigious international awards and nominations, with victories including a “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance” Grammy Award (for “Just The Way You Are”), an American Music Award for “Pop or Rock Music/Favorite Male Artist,” a 2012 Brit Award (for “International Male Solo Artist”), two Teen Choice Awards, a 2012 People’s Choice Award (for “Favorite Male Artist”), a Soul Train Music Award, two MTV Europe Music Awards, two MTV Music Awards Japan, a BT Digital Music Award, an ECHO Award, and multiple 2011 Billboard Awards including “Top Male Hot 100 Artist of the Year.” As if that weren’t enough, Mars received a truly stunning assortment of 2011 and 2012 honors from ASCAP, including the ASCAP Pop Award for “Song of the Year” (for “Just The Way You Are”). In 2011, he was named to the prestigious Time 100, confirming the superstar as one of the most influential people in the world. Ticket Information: Tickets from €44.05 inclusive of booking fee are on sale from www.ticketmaster.ie and from all usual Ticketmaster outlets. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Arthurs_Day Date To Be Confirmed ARTHUR’S DAY CELEBRATIONS TO REACH EVERY CORNER OF IRELAND OVER 500 LIVE MUSIC EVENTS IN ALL 32 COUNTIES Due to its huge popularity among Irish pub goers and publicans alike, GUINNESS has significantly expanded the Arthur’s Day celebrations since last year to include live music events in local pubs across Ireland so whether you’re from Dingle, Derry or Dublin, it’s never been easier to take part in what is set to be no ordinary Thursday night. This year there are no tickets on sale, just grab some mates and head to one of 500 free Arthur’s Day music events taking place in local pubs across all 32 counties. It promises to be a remarkable night of live music featuring hundreds of home grown artists but, as usual, Arthur’s Day will also be a night full of surprises…. Voting will be open from 15th August to 16th September but in keeping with the spirit of Arthur’s Day, the winning pubs will remain a secret to the public until the night itself so you never know who might walk through the door. Check out www.Guinness.com for full details. Stuart Kinch, GUINNESS Marketing Manager, Diageo Western Europe said, “Arthur’s Day has always been about people coming together for unique and remarkable music experiences in pubs and venues around the country. This year, we wanted to do more and give everyone the chance to experience the magic of Arthur’s Day by making all events free and giving the public a chance to vote and help bring a headline artist to their local!” “Apart from the change from 38 ticketed music events last year to over 500 free Arthur’s Day music events this year in pubs in all 32 counties, we anticipate many more pubs will also be organising their own celebrations around the country so it promises to be the biggest Arthur’s Day yet with the Arthur Guinness Fund also directly benefiting from the celebration”. Through the Arthur Guinness Fund, Arthur’s Day supports social entrepreneurs in Ireland and around the world who are in the business of changing communities for the better. This year, for every ‘check-in’ by people to the Arthur’s Day Facebook event, a €5 donation will be made to the Arthur Guinness Fund by GUINNESS. Check out details on how to RSVP and ‘check-in' on the Guinness Ireland Facebook page.  GUINNESS will be making further exciting announcements in the coming weeks of additional international artists added to the line-up, unique performance collaborations and more surprising ways to enjoy a remarkable Arthur’s Day celebration in Ireland. Arthur’s Day celebrations are strictly over 18’s events. Facebook:        www.facebook.com/Guinnessireland http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Barry_Gibb_Mythology_TourMCD is thrilled to announce the iconic Barry Gibb will be coming to Ireland on September 25th when he brings his Mythology Tour to The O2. Barry has designed the tour as a salute to his brothers creating what is sure to be an emotional journey as he draws from every era of their timeless catalogue and the huge international success achieved by The Bee Gees. Barry has just completed the Mythology Tour in Australia where he performed at sold out venues including the Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. The tour will feature Barry Gibb with his incredible band that includes his son, guitarist/vocalist, Stephen, Maurice’s daughter, Samantha, and Beth Cohen. With a career that has spanned more than five decades, Barry Gibb stands as one of the most prolific singer/song-writer/producers of the modern era. As the eldest brother and creative leader of the Bee Gees, Barry Gibb, along with his brothers Maurice and Robin, represent one of the most successful vocal groups in rock and roll history. Bee Gees ‘Mythology’ the 50th Anniversary collection box set is out now on Warner Records Ticket Information: Tickets from €69.50 including booking fee are on sale now from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and online at www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Heartbeat_of_HomeTickets on sale this Thursday, 21 March at 9:00am Heartbeat of Home will premiere at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre with previews from 25 September and opening on 2 October 2013 for 21 performances only (with special price previews from 25th September to 1st October). Created by the Producers and Director of Riverdance, Heartbeat of Home is a music and dance spectacular featuring the dynamic, vibrant components of traditional Irish, Latin and Afro-Cuban music and dance. The world-class cast of thirty-eight includes a ten-piece band creating a new and electrifying sound written by award-winning, Golden-Globe-nominated composer Brian Byrne. The show employs high-definition, cutting-edge 3D projection technology and has an engaging narrative structure. Produced by Moya Doherty, devised and directed by John McColgan with narrative and lyrics by award-winning Irish writer Joseph O'Connor. Joseph comments: `when we marry the sexiness of salsa to the thunder of Irish dance, the lyricism of tango to the yearning of Sean-nós, what a night of storytelling we shall have'. World-class Irish, Latin and Afro-Cuban dancers will be cast and, with choreography by David Bolger, the production will create a dreamworld of joyous, heart-stopping, high-energy music and dance. Ticket Information: Tickets on sale this Thursday, 21 March at 9:00am. Group and concession rates available on selected shows.   http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Fleetwood_Mac_The_O2_DublinTickets On-sale Friday 8th February at 9.00am   Multi Grammy-winning and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Fleetwood Mac last toured in 2009 with the sold outUnleashed tour.  The new tour also marks the 35th anniversary of the release of their classic Rumours album (1977), one of the most successful albums in recorded history with sales exceeding 40 million copies.  Rumours planted itself at the top of the pop charts for over 31 weeks and had four top ten singles.  Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks recorded Rumours against a backdrop personal turmoil, chronicling their raw emotions in songs like “Go Your Own Way,” “Gold Dust Woman” and “Dreams,” the latter becoming the band’s first number one smash.   To coincide with the tour and anniversary, a new deluxe reissue of Rumours with previously unreleased studio and live tracks has just been released. The expanded edition’s three CDs includes the original album and the b-side “Silver Springs,” a dozen unreleased live recordings from the group’s ’77 world tour, and an entire disc filled with unreleased takes from the album’s recording sessions. The deluxe edition includes all of the music from the expanded version, plus an additional disc of outtakes, a DVD that features “The Rosebud Film,” a 1977 documentary about the album, and the album on vinyl.    The current Fleetwood Mac lineup includes Mick Fleetwood and John McVie – both original members since 1967, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks who joined the band in 1975.   “Having started Fleetwood Mac with John McVie in 1967, it has always been so gratifying that despite the various incarnations, the band has survived. Throughout the years, though, the one thing that has remained constant is our fans. I am looking forward to getting back behind the kit, reconnecting with the fans and sharing the stage with my fellow band members,” commented Mick Fleetwood.   “After spending four days at Lindsey’s house working on music and one really fun day doing a crazy photo session, I am quite excited about next year.  Everything seems to be falling into place.  2013 looks like the year of Fleetwood Mac,” commented Stevie Nicks.   “I’m really looking forward to hitting the road with Stevie, Mick and John in 2013.  It’s been over three years since we’ve toured together and happily the break allowed me to explore a lot of uncharted territory as well as experience tremendous growth creatively.  I’m excited to bring that back to the band.  When everyone in FM wants the same thing at the same time, it’s cause for celebration.  Long Live Fleetwood Mac!” added Lindsey Buckingham.   “I’m really looking forward to going back on the road,” commented John McVie.   Nicks has just completed a two year tour coinciding with the release of her critically acclaimed In Your Dreams CD which debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard Pop Charts.  InYour Dreams was released on Reprise Records in 2011, and was co-written and co-produced by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard.  Nicks also produced and co-directed a documentary film of the recording of In Your Dreams which has received rave reviews at the Hamptons International Film Festival along with several other film festivals.   Buckingham has been touring to sold-out crowds over the last year in conjunction with his critically acclaimed September 2011 release of Seeds We Sow, his 6th solo studio album and first independent release, which debuted at No. 6 on Billboard’s Rock Album Chart. He was recently honored with ASCAP’s Golden Note Award, and has also received the prestigious Les Paul Award.   In August, Mick Fleetwood opened his brand new restaurant, Fleetwood’s On Front Street, in Lahaina on Maui. The grand opening included musical performances by Mick, Steven Tyler, Jonny Lang and more. Mick also founded Mick Fleetwood’s Private Cellar, which has produced over 20 vintages and varietals earning multiple medals in international tastings. Mick’s band, The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, was nominated for a Grammy in 2010 for their album Blue Again.    Ticket Information: Tickets from €65.45 Including Booking Fee On-sale Friday 8th February at 9.00am. From Ticketmaster outlets nationwide, and online at www.Ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Skerries_Soundwaves_FestivalVenue: Skerries Events include a fantastic Lego Day for all enthusiasts, workshops, Equinox Celebrations with Fingal Mummers and a variety of concerts from pop/rock to singer/song writer, some in unusual venues. The classical highpoint of the festival is a Music Network concert in beautiful, candlelit Holmpatrick Church. Other highlights include a festival street party with Rock Music trailer, street entertainment and fun for all the family, a street market, Céilí after Sunday Mass, a night parade and spectacular fireworks in Skerries Harbour. Add children's theatre or puppets, dancing, exhibitions, theatre and pop-up events - expect the unexpected! 'Skerries Rocks' - come along and be part of it! http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Roger_Waters_The_Wall_2013 ROGER WATERS MAKES HIS TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO IRELAND IN 2013 WITH HIS EXTRAORDINARY AURAL AND VISUAL MASTERPIECE: “THE WALL” Tickets Onsale Friday 16th November 9.00am. “The Wall Live is flawless. Everyone should see it once before they die.”- Philadelphia Inquirer “The work resonates even more strongly than before” - The Independent “The Wall is a triumph of scale and ambition…. the pinnacle of rock achievement” The Times, London“It is impossible not to be impressed with this show as a sensory experience” - The Guardian For Immediate Release November 9th - 9am: Roger Waters, the co-founder and principal songwriter of the archetypal progressive band Pink Floyd, has announced the return of the historic production of “The Wall” to Ireland in 2013 as part of a massive European stadium tour. “The Wall” live has played around the world to more than 3.3 million fans making it one of the most successful tours in rock history. The 2013 tour will consist of 18 open air/stadium shows, to include such iconic venues as Wembley Stadium, Rome Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam Arena and Berlin Olympic Stadium, etc., as well as two Oslo Telenor Arenas. Tickets for The Wall, Aviva Stadium, September 18th go on-sale Friday 16th November at 9am. For these large open air stadiums, Roger Waters has re-designed and scaled up The Wall show to create the ultimate stadium event, bringing The Wall experience even closer to fans wherever they are sitting and making the production even more encompassing in large venues. Roger Waters says, “I’m extremely glad to be playing The Wall in Europe again. It’s going to be a lot of fun for all of us. I’ve reworked the show to play outdoors in large stadiums. It’s really good. Even more moving, engaging, dramatic and thrilling than the Arena shows. I’ve had to rethink the whole thing about stadiums. This wide wall stadium show couldn’t have been done 40 years ago. We couldn’t have filled the space in a way that would have been emotionally, musically and theatrically satisfying. Technology has changed. Now we can.” Waters’ first reinvented his iconic stage production of “The Wall” in 2010 utilizing modern day technological advances and special effects which have been embraced by audiences around the globe with countless sold out performances and multiple-night stands including a record-breaking 9 sold out shows at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “The Wall” remains one of the most influential albums in the history of recorded music with a profound effect on pop culture, resonating with multiple generations of music fans. Prior to 2010, “The Wall” show was simply too large to contemplate a tour, but new arenas and advances in touring technology have solved that dilemma. Waters has updated the look and feel of the show to ensure it matches the astonishing theatrical extravaganza that The Wall’s live incarnation became so legendary for - thus allowing yet another generation to be inspired by the grandeur of the breath taking visual and aural spectacle. The 1980 original production of the “The Wall” had been performed live-in-its-entirety just 29 times during Pink Floyd’s 1980 tour in support of the album and once in Berlin in celebration of the fall of the Berlin wall. Roger Waters will be talking about the tour via a special web cast on RogerWaters.com and Facebook.com/rogerwaters on Thursday 15th November from 12:30pm Irish time, when more dates will be announced. Ticket available from Ticketmaster Outlets Nationwide, By Phone (24 hour): ROI +353818719300 and On Line: www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Macklemore_and_Ryan_LewisDue to unprecedented demand second show announced for the 14th September 2013. Tickets on sale this Fiday 17th May at 9.00am Fresh off their infectious & energetic performance at this year’s MTV Movie Awards (which had stars like Jamie Fox, Samuel L Jackson & Kerri Washington bouncing in their seats!) Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have announced a European tour including The O2 Dublin on September 15th. The group played to a packed house at the 800-capacity Dublin Academy only last year while on their 70-city, completely sold-out world tour supporting their critically acclaimed debut full length album The Heist, but such is their incredible rise in popularity they have bypassed the usual gradual increase in venue size and moved straight onto The O2 Dublin! Seattle hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis skyrocketed to fame with the release of their mega smash hit Thrift Shop, an ode to second hand shopping. The single topped The Billboard Top 100 chart giving the group their first No.1 hit, with a wildly popular music video (260 million+ views on YouTube) on heavy rotation on BET and MTV2. Their second single Can't Hold Us is currently burning up the Irish radio airwaves. You can check out the recently released video Click Here Speaking to Rolling Stone Magazine Macklemore recently commented "We've been able to make music that resonates with people on a personal level, as well as having a work ethic – Ryan and I work 70-80 hours a week and we don't stop," he adds. "That, and the fact that we have fans that believe in our dedication and the art we're making, that's the reason we're at where we're at." Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ are known for their electrifying live shows, expertly crafted music, and innovative music videos and media. Their music is distinct for channeling cultural moments and refreshingly self-aware testimony through candid lyricism and thoughtfully crafted production. Their body of work demonstrates an impressive variety of musical influence, experience and subject matter, all in a voice unmistakably their own. Ticket Information: Tickets from €36.00 inclusive of booking fee are on sale Friday 3rd May from www.ticketmaster.ie and from all usual Ticketmaster outlets http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Leonard_Cohen_The_O2Tickets from €88.50 including booking fee on sale 9.00am Fri 24th May “When Leonard Cohen takes to the stage, it’s no less than a cultural event of Biblical dimensions” Irish Times “What I witnessed was soul inspiring on every level, I have never been so moved by a performance, Everything about the night was magical” Hot Press A Leonard Cohen show in Ireland has become something of legend. Since his initial comeback shows in 2008 at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham up to the more recent shows there last year, his performances have continued to be received with nothing short of reverence and awe who attend. He has continuously sold out venues in record time, garnering more and more 5 star reviews and accolades each time including winning ‘Best International Live Performance’ two years in a row at the Irish Meteor Awards in 2009 and 2010. And not for no reason. Leonard Cohen is arguably the greatest singer songwriter of our time and a magnetically charismatic live performer. A major and influential talent in the early 60's he produced albums such as Songs Of Leonard Cohen (1967), Songs Of Love And Hate (1970) and I’m Your Man (1990), right up to 1992’s The Future, 2001’s Ten New Songs and 2004’s Dear Heather …all are rightly considered classics today. His songs have been famously covered by the great and the good; from Judy Collins’ “Suzanne” to Jeff Buckley’s seminal rendition of “Hallelujah,” Cohen’s songs have traveled as far and wide as their author. U2, REM, Sting, Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright and the late Johnny Cash are among other famous devotees. In his fifth decade of producing critically acclaimed music Leonard Cohen remains at the top of his game with the release of his twelfth studio album ‘Old Ideas’ last year for which he received worldwide praise for the collection of new material with The Telegraph declaring it a “work of genius.” Cohen is beyond comparison, a true original, providing some of music and literature’s most illuminating writing on love, sex, death and religion. His live performance is hypnotic, enthralling and captivating…and yet it is something even more than that. Something ineffable yet palpable. As anyone who has seen him over the last number of years will testify to. “What unfolds over two-and-a-half hours is likely to become the stuff of Irish concert lore. Quite simply, it doesn't get much better than this” Irish Independent Ticket Information: Tickets from €88.50 including booking fee on sale 9.00am Fri 24th May. Tickets will be on sale from www.ticketmaster.ie and usual outlets nationwide. Internet & phone bookings are subject to service charge 12.5%, agents charge €2.50. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Dublin_Fringe_Festival_2013Various venues in Co. Dublin Dublin Fringe Festival is Ireland's largest multi-disciplinary arts festival running city-wide every September, showcasing the newest and best Irish and international arts. 2013 sees the 19th year of the festival and will involve up to 1000 participants with companies presenting over 600 events spanning theatre, dance, music, circus, opera, live and visual arts in over 30 venues across Dublin. This event annually seeks to transform the city and celebrate it in an exposé of great creative talent from around the globe. This skilfully curated festival programme offers the opportunity to springboard all the human senses and entertain every kind of thrill seeker through work that is provoking, thoughtful, challenging and fun! Dublin Fringe Festival, unlike others, is a wholly curated festival seeking innovative and daring work that impacts, moves and invigorates its audience. The festival is a platform for new companies as well as giving a platform for experimentation and risk for more established artists and a showcase for the best contemporary theatre, dance and spectacle shows touring internationally. For the creators, the Fringe facilitates an opportunity to innovate, to cross disciplines and boundaries and to find new ways and places to make work, for audiences it is a chance to get up close with an array of talent for the best two weeks of performance of the year. Dublin Fringe Festival has partnered with Volta, the Irish video on demand website, to create the Dublin Fringe Festival Film Collection. The selection of films, available now to stream or download from volta.ie, presenting stories of underdogs, whistle-blowers, trailblazers and dream-makers were chosen by the festival team in the lead up to the 19th annual Dublin Fringe Festival this September. See the full collection here: http://www.volta.ie/collection-vod/DublinFringeFestivalCollection   http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Paramore_at_The_O2Tickets go on sale 17th Friday at 9.00am from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and online at www.ticketmaster.ie Guardian - 'mammoth arena friendly choruses Q – ‘’everything about this album screams ambition' Kerrang - 'daring and rarely less than dazzling' Grammy nominated and multi million selling three-piece Paramore are able to announce today that they will play Dublins O2 on the 2nd of September. This will follow the band’s appearance at this year’s Radio 1 Big Weekend in LondonDerry/Derry at the end of May. Hayley Williams (vocals): "We're so psyched to come back the UK and Ireland and play the new songs for everybody. See you there!" Paramore are set to release the single Still Into You on May 20th, this is the follow-up single to Radio 1 A-listed NOW and is taken from their self-titled fourth, Number One album which is out now. The video for Still into You has already had well over 8 million views on Youtube, and the band performed the song on both Graham Norton and Radio 1’s live lounge in April. Since releasing their gold-certified debut All We Know Is Falling in 2005, the 3x-Grammy-nominated band has shot to international stardom thanks to a strong connection with its fans which has translated into a string of platinum and gold singles, including Misery Business, Crushcrushcrush, and That’s What You Get from 2007’s platinum-certified Riot!, Decode from 2008’s Twilight soundtrack, The Only Exception from 2009’s platinum brand new eyes, and Monster from 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon soundtrack. It’s also led to a series of sold-out arena tours across the globe, including their last sold out UK tour which culminated in 2 nights at London’s O2 Arena in November 2010. Most recently, the band played Reading /Leeds festival in 2012, topping the bill under the Cure on the main stage, and they played an intimate special club show on April 5th of this year at London’s Garage to celebrate the release of current album Paramore. Ticket Information: Tickets go on sale Friday May 17th  at 9.00am from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and online at www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Dublin_Festival_SeasonAlthough 2012 Dublin Festival Season has wrapped up it's never to early to start thinking about 2013. Who knows what giddy suprises will be in store this year so pop a big reminder in your diary for September and October for the return of Dublin Festival Season. It is no secret that Dubliners love to party. Dublin’s unique spirit of fun and entertainment is evident in the many festivals and events organised throughout the year. Headline festivals such as the inimitable St. Patrick’s Festival held in Dublin every March, attract and enthrall visitors in their thousands every year. Next Autumn, Dublin unleashes an explosion of festivals with ‘Dublin Festival Season’ kicking off in early September and running until the end of October. With festivals and events celebrating everything from arts, architecture, music, film, to food, Guinness and beer, fashion, sport theatre and literature; autumn presents the perfect opportunity to visit this vibrant city of culture. The many festivals you can catch during Dublin Festival Season: Culture Night ABSOLUT Fringe Festival Ulster Bank Theatre Festival Arthurs Day Oktoberfest Mountains to Sea DLR Book Festival Dublin Fashion Festival Open House Dublin For More Information: www.dublinfestivalseason.com http://www.visitdublin.com/event/A_Womans_heart_to_Stage_Olympia_ConcertHere Come the Girls!! A Woman's Heart returns to The Olympia Theatre stage between Wednesday 28th and Saturday 31st August 2013. Featuring some of Ireland's best female singers including Eleanor McEvoy, Hermione Hennessy, Gemma Hayes, Sharon Shannon, Mary Coughlan, and more to be announced. “A Woman’s Heart” - the song collection of Ireland's best female singers led by Eleanor McEvoy’s title track, went straight to the top of the album charts and straight to the hearts of all who heard it. It became one of the best selling albums of all time. Now, the main protagonists get together again in the Olympia Theatre this August to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album. All the singers will perform solo slots, and the ensemble finale they deliver at their Olympia shows is now reaching legendary status. Plans are in place to record the shows for a live album and DVD to capture the magic that happens when all the girls sing together where their unique harmonies create a special magic that enchants all who hear it. Because all the singers have such busy solo careers, it is becoming harder to get them all in the one place at the same time, so any opportunity to hear them all together should not be missed. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Ukulele_HooleyDun Laoghaire will host the Ukulele Hooley It brings together some of the world's best ukulele talent and entertainers to celebrate their love and passion for the tiny instrument that is currently the world's biggest selling instrument. There will be ukulele master classes, a "Grand ukulele public busk" and open air ukulele open mic concert for players who want to show their skills. But the show piece event of the weekend is a FREE day long ukulele concert on Sunday at the People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire featuring the some of the best ukulele performers from round the World. For more details check out our website ukulelehooley.com Its a fantastic day out for the whole family and you might win yourself a ukulele in a raffle! http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Laurence_Nugent_Fintan_McManus_and_Pat_McManus_in_ConcertVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Sephen's Green, Dublin Chicago based Laurence Nugent carries on a great tradition of virtuoso flute and whistle playing that has graced Irish music on both sides of the Atlantic. As an established performer and recording artist on the Celtic music circuit, Laurence has performed with The Chieftains, Shane McGowan, Van Morrison, The Drovers, The Green Fields of America, Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill and Paddy Keenan. His CDs (Laurence Nugent, Two For Two, and The Windy Gap, on Shanachie Records) have met with critical acclaim. Laurence Nugent comes from the little village of Lack in County Fermanagh, an area steeped in the traditional arts of music, singing and storytelling. Also from Co. Fermanagh is Fintan McManus who has played and performed with Laurence and many other well-known artists in Irish traditional music including Altan, Aly Bain, The Boys of the Lough, singer Len Graham with whom he recorded two well received CD's "Do me justice" and " Ye Lovers All" He has also worked with legendary Donegal fiddle player Tommy Peoples. He is a much sought after composer and his music has been covered on some 150 CD's worldwide. Fintan plays a variety of instruments including bouzouki, guitar and whistle and is much regarded for his sensitive accompaniment to music and songs alike. Ticket Information: Tickets €15.00 / €12.00 (Student/Senior). Purchase online on www.steeplesessions.com http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Regina_Spektor_at_The_Olympia_TheatreTickets go on-sale Friday 19th April Regina Spektor, one of the world’s most talented and unique contemporary musical artists, has just announced details of her first Irish headline performance in over 6 years. Regina will take the stage at The Olympia Theatre in Dublin on Monday 19th August 2013. Regina Spektor studied classical piano and garnered a loyal live following in New York before self- releasing two albums. Her breakthrough album Soviet Kitsch was released by Sire Records in 2004 followed by Begin to Hope in 2006. The album included worldwide fan favorites “Fidelity,” “Samson,” “On The Radio” and “Better” and is certified gold in the U.S. Spektor followed up with far (2009), Live from London (2010), and most recently What We Saw From The Cheap Seats (2012). In addition to releasing recordings and performing sold out concerts beloved the world over, Regina’s music has graced numerous programs on television and in films and also won her a multitude of fervent admirers including Barack and Michelle Obama for whom she performed at The White House in 2010. Ticket Information: Tickets priced from €33.50 inclusive of booking fee go on-sale this Friday 19th April from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Eminem_Live_at_Slane_Castle Tickets on sale at 9.00am on Wednesday 19th December Location: Slane Castle, Slane, Co. Meath One of the most successful rappers in history, Eminem has announced  today (December 12th, 2012) he will headline Slane Castle on Saturday 17th August. Speaking of todays announcement Lord Henry Mountcharles said "In 2005 I said Eminem was a stunning artist.  He is even more so today.  I am thrilled he is going to play Slane" Since the release of 1999's 'Slim Shady' LP, Eminem has established himself as a hip-hop force and he is an icon of modern culture. Having sold over 100 million albums worldwide, there's no doubt that he will be one of the most popular headliners in Slane’s history. Throughout his career, his live shows have been phenomenal. Playing with a mammoth live band, the Eminem show is simply unmissable. His last two Irish headliners at OXEGEN and Tennants Vital have gone down in history as unforgettable performances. With Slane 2013  bound to be heavy on hits this will be one to remember.  Thin Lizzy headlined the inaugural concert in the summer of 1981 and since then Slane has hosted some of the most memorable and largest outdoor concerts in Ireland. The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Queen, Bob Dylan, Robbie Williams, David Bowie, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Kings Of Leon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis and REM are just some of the world renowned acts that have played at the venue. Ticket Information Tickets on sale at 9.00am on Wednesday 19th December from  Ticketmaster outlets nationwide, by phone +353818719300  or  online: www.ticketmaster.ie Tickets are limited to 8 per person. Under 16s must be accompanied by parent/guardian 25 or over http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Mary_Kevin_and_Caitriona_Rowsome_in_ConcertVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Sephen's Green, Dublin The Rowsomes are a renowned family of traditional musicians from Dublin. Mary Rowsome is an accomplished flautist both traditional and classical, a talented composer and arranger and a member of the Dublin Orchestral Players. Mary was exposed to Irish traditional music from an early age and her love of classical flute led to her playing both traditional and classical music on the silver classical flute. She has played throughout the United Kingdom and Europe and appeared on Irish radio and TV and also plays tin whistle, low whistle and keyboards. Mary's brother Kevin is an Uilleann piper and is in demand as a performer and teacher at traditional festivals all over the World. His debut album "The Rowsome Tradition", acknowledges five generations of Uilleann piping in his family. In 2006 he won the prestigious tune composition award "Cuisle Ceoil an Bhlascaoid" (the musical pulse of the Blasket islands). Harper Caitriona Rowsome, the youngest of the family teaches Irish Harp in the DIT College of music and in Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and also adjudicates Harp competitions. Caitriona recently published an extensive compilation of O'Carolan's works " The Complete Carolan Songs & Airs" This CD edition book includes 226 airs on 4 CDs played on a neo-Irish harp by Caitriona and gives a unique perspective to the music of the great Irish harper-composer, Turlough Carolan (1670-1738). http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Kane_Sisters_in_ConcertVenue: Unitarian Church, 112 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 From North Connemara, Liz and Yvonne Kane, known as The Kane Sisters, are much respected musicians and educators. Born in Letterfrack, they were educated in Kylemore Abbey School. They were taught music by their grandfather, local fiddle player, Jimmy Mullen and Mary Finn, a Co. Sligo musician and teacher. Liz and Yvonne first came to national and international prominence during the three year period in which they toured with accordion player, Sharon Shannon as members of her band, The Woodchoppers. They travelled all over the world with her band and are featured artists on Sharon's album 'The Diamond Mountain Sessions'. At that time, a Hot Press review by Siobhan Long confirmed '...while 'Fire in their Bellies' (with Liz and Yvonne Kane) is ensemble playing at its best and most naked.' Following this period of touring with Sharon Shannon, the girls have embarked on their own very successful independent musical careers and recorded 3 albums all which have received rave reviews; 'The Well Tempered Bow', 'Under the Diamond' in 2004 and 'Side by Side'. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/John_Carty_and_Friends_in_ConcertVenue: Unitarian Church, 112 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 John Carty is one of Ireland's finest traditional musicians having been awarded the Irish Television station, TG4's Traditional Musician of the Year in 2003. He joins previous acclaimed winners Matt Molloy (Chieftains flautist), Tommy Peoples (Master Fiddler), Mary Bergin (whistle player, Dordan), Máire Ní Chathasaigh (Harpist) and Paddy Keenan (Uilleann Piper), all of whom are considered to be the leading exponents of their instruments within the Irish tradition. Carty already has three solo fiddle albums, two banjo albums, two group albums and a sprinkling of recorded tenor guitar and flute music recordings under his belt so it's little wonder he should have joined such elusive ranks. John performs regularly with Chieftain's flautist Matt Molloy exploring the North Connaught tradition they both love. A CD of their music accompanied by Arty McGlynn entitled Pathway to the Well was launched in late 2007. He is also touring the UK, US and Ireland with re-formed super group, Patrick Street. The group includes legendary musicians Andy Irvine, Kevin Burke and Ged Foley. He has also appeared as a special guest with the Chieftains and De Danann. John's solo and group careers see him in demand and he has performed at all major festivals throughout Europe, North America and Australasia. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Lovely_Girls_in_ConcertVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Sephen's Green, Dublin The Lovely Girls are Caoimhe Hogarty (vocals, percussion, mandolin), Pauline Burke (vocals, bodhran, banjo) and Sonja Krzyzanowski (vocals, guitar, low whistle). The girls met on the Dublin trad. scene and were drawn together by their love of harmony singing across a wide variety of genres. Each a seasoned performer in her own right, the girls joined forces to produce a distinctive sound that can only be described as ... lovely. The Lovely Girls are driven by their enjoyment of arranging and performing songs in three part harmony. The girls draw their material from a wide array of musical styles, including traditional Irish, bluegrass, old time, blues, jazz, rock, reggae and English folk. They perform regularly around Dublin. The girls are joined by lovely special guest Tricia Hutton on fiddle. Tricia grew up steeped in the Irish music tradition, but in addition to her beautiful traditional playing she also lends an edge to a variety of other styles performed by the band. What people are saying about The Lovely Girls. "Well that was a lovely concert" - Niamh "The music was lovely, just lovely" – Max "I think they're lovely girls" – Claire Ticket Information: Tickets €15.00 / €12.00 (Student/Senior). Purchase online on www.steeplesessions.com http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Rock_and_Roll_Dublin_Half_MarathonExperience the capital city of Ireland with the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll™ Dublin Half Marathon on Monday, 5 August, 2013! This unforgettable course will feature a scenic tour of the city centre, passing many famous landmarks and showcasing the city’s natural Celtic charm. You’ll fall in love with Dublin as you discover a cosmopolitan city rich in history — from the old cobblestone streets and well known pubs of Temple Bar to the new eateries that adorn the alleyways and the lush gardens at St. Stephens Green. Don’t miss this 13.1 mile street party!! Runners Will Experience: •Live Music Every Mile •A Scenic City Centre Course •Free Finish Line Concert •Rock-Solid Operations •A Fantastic Finisher’s Medal Registering is easy! You may register for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon in two ways: •Register Online •Request an entry form by mail. Please contact us and we will be happy to mail a form to you. All registrations submitted by paper entry form will be charged a €5.00 Green Fee for processing. We do not accept phone entries. Please enter only once. If you register online, do not mail a hard copy. Do not send multiple online entries. All course information will be announced in 2013. Please check back at that time. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Oxegen_2013Oxegen is back!. The iconic festival returns to Punchestown this summer on the August Bank Holiday weekend. Oxegen is a music festival which takes place annually in Punchestown Racecourse, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Calvin Harris And David Guetta Set To Headline Oxegen Headlining this years festival is superstar DJ David Guetta, voted worlds #1 DJ in DJ Mag Top 100 DJs fan poll. Guetta has sold over six million albums, 15 million singles worldwide and has consistently topped the charts with dancefloor hits such as Play Hard, Titanium, Sweat, and When Love Takes Over featuring some of the worlds biggest music stars. Guetta will join Calvin Harris who has just broken the record for most top 10 singles from the one album. His current LP 18 months has achieved eighth top ten hits, including the latest `I Need Your Love' featuring Ellie Goulding beating Michael Jackson who previously held the record with seven top ten hits from his 1987 LP Bad. Also heading to Punchestown this summer are UK rapper Example, dub step duo Chase & Status, one of hip hops finest Snoop Dogg, chart toppers Labrinth and Rita Ora, as well as Alesso, Pitbull, DJ Fresh, Soulwax, Nero, Rizzle Kicks, Nicky Romero, Sasha, Wretch 32 and Devlin performing across three stages including the Heineken Live Project stage and the Red Bull Electric Ballroom. Joining the line up are a host of top DJs and Live acts including Otto Knows, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Iggy Azalea, The Original Rudeboys, Duke Dumont, Erol Alkan, Crookers, Jack Beats, Fake Blood, Congorock, Jacob Plant, Gin `N' Juice, The Dead Prezidents, Al Gibbs, George Fitzgerald, Dave DeValera, John Gibbons, Borgore, Monsta, Ayah Marrar and Danny Byrd with more to be announced alongside Ireland's largest Silent Disco. Ticket Information: Save €75 on 2011 prices in a limited 24 hour offer that goes on sale Friday 26th April at 8:00am and lasts until 8am on Saturday 27th April. The offer is available from Ticketmaster outlets or online at www.ticketmaster.ie and is limited to availability. Early Bird Tickets: 3 Day Weekend Camping €149.50 (including booking fee) 2 Day Weekend, Non-camping €129.50 (including booking fee) Oxegen 2013 capacity is limited to 50,000 and subject to license. Strictly over 18s Garda ID/Passport required. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/BlurTickets on sale Thursday  7th March at 9.00am Blur have announced their first Irish gig in four years. The Britpop icons will perform at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) in Kilmainham, Dublin, on Thursday August 1st. The award winning act has scooped several accolades over the last 20 years, including at the Grammys, Brits, Ivor Novellos and NME Awards. Their creative live career has also spanned clubs, parks, dog-tracks, theatres, museums and arenas, as well as headlining festivals worldwide. Blur were last year honoured at the Brits for their outstanding contribution to music and debuted two new songs at their critically acclaimed show at Hyde Park, which celebrated the closing of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The reformed band also took home the Q Award for Best Live Act in 2012. Ticket Information: Tickets, priced at €62.50, go on sale on Thursday from online at www.ticketmaster.ie and from all usual ticketmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Alasdair_Fraser_and_Natalie_Haas_in_ConcertVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Sephen's Green, Dublin Scotland's premier fiddle ambassador Alasdair Fraser and the sizzlingly-talented young California cellist Natalie Haas drop in from the Isle of Skye for a rare performance in Dublin. The musical partnership between Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas may not seem an obvious one. Fraser, acclaimed by the San Francisco Examiner as 'the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling', has a concert and recording career spanning 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, television credits, and feature performances on top movie soundtracks (Last of the Mohicans, Titanic). Fraser has been sponsored by the British Council to represent Scotland's music internationally, and received the Scottish Heritage Centre Service Award for outstanding contributions to Scottish culture and traditions. Natalie Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, wasn't even born when Alasdair was winning national fiddle competitions on the other side of the Atlantic. But this seemingly unlikely pairing is the fulfilment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser, whose cutting-edge musical explorations took him full circle to find a cellist who could help him return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music. Natalie Haas was just 11 when she first attended Fraser's Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School in California. She responded to Fraser's challenge to find and release the cello's rhythmic soul, and four years later, when Natalie was just 15, Fraser and Haas played their first gig together http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Ennio_MorriconeTickets for  27th July 2013 will go on sale at 9.00am Monday 22nd April Promoters are delighted to announce a second date for Ennio Morricone on Saturday 27th July 2013. The first concert went on sale last week and due to unprecedented demand for tickets for the Masetro’s first ever Republic of Ireland show the concert sold out within hours. Tickets for this second date to see the legendary Ennio Morricone along with the 97 piece Roma Sinfonietta orchestra and a 100-strong choir, will go on sale nationwide at 9am on Monday 22nd April. This second date is sure to sell out so make it your ‘Mission’ to get your tickets early to avoid disappointment. Ticket Information: Tickets priced from €79.50 for this fully seated intimate outdoor concert on 27th July will go on sale at 9.00am Monday on 22nd April from www.Ticketmaster.ie and usual outlets nationwide.   http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Mick_and_Michelle_Mulcahy_in_ConcertVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Sephen's Green, Dublin Mick and his daughter Michelle Mulcahy of Abbeyfeale, West Limerick play a dazzling array of instruments between them including harp, concertina, accordion, fiddle and piano but it's the sweetness and tunefulness of their ensemble playing that is most striking. Their latest album 'Reelin' in Tradition' which also features Michelle's sister Louise has received worldwide acclaim, an album full of soulful traditional music rooted in the West Limerick, Sliabh Luachra and Clare tradition. Mick Mulcahy is a living legend in Irish accordion and melodeon playing, with a rare repertoire of old tunes which he plays in a highly distinctive style, a style of personal touch which distinguishes the work of the true traditional musician, a touch which has been passed down to his daughters. In 2006 Michelle was awarded the prestigious TG4 Young Musician of the Year award and has recently released her debut solo harp album " Suaimhneas" which is already receiving worldwide acclaim at home and abroad and has topped the recent best new releases chart this year. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Renee_Fleming_soprano_Maciej_Pikulski_piano As part of the Great Artists Series in The International Concert Series 2012/2013 Programme to be announced One of the most beloved and celebrated musical ambassadors of our time, soprano Renée Fleming captivates audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and compelling stage presence. Known as “the people’s diva” and named the number one female singer by Salzburger Festspiele Magazin in 2010, she continues to grace the world’s greatest opera stages and concert halls. As a musical statesman, Renée Fleming has been sought after on numerous distinguished occasions, from the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to performances in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games. In January 2009, Ms. Fleming was featured on the televised We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial concert for President Obama. She has performed for the United States Supreme Court, HRH The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, and, in November 2009, celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Czech Republic’s “Velvet Revolution” at the invitation of Václav Havel. An additional distinction was bestowed in 2008, when breaking a precedent; Ms. Fleming became the first woman in the 125-year history of the Metropolitan Opera to solo headline an opening night gala. In the 2011-12 season, Renée Fleming reprises her celebrated portrayal of the title role in Stephen Wadsworth’s production of Handel’s Rodelinda at the Metropolitan Opera, conducted by Harry Bicket. She began the season as Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia under the baton of Riccardo Frizza at San Francisco Opera; sings Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos at Baden-Baden in a new production by Philippe Arlaud, conducted by Christian Thielemann; and appears in title role of Arabella at both the Vienna State Opera, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, and at the Paris Opera, conducted by Philippe Jordan. She joins Dmitri Hvorosovky and Sir Andrew Davis in a duo concert at Lyric Opera of Chicago, sings Strauss’s “Four Last Songs” with Christoph Eschenbach and the London Philharmonic, and returns to Carnegie Hall with James Levine and the MET Orchestra in Mahler’s “Rückert-Lieder.” Her concert calendar includes galas at the Providence Performing Arts Center and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, as well as concert appearances with the Seattle, Vancouver, Oregon, Colorado, and San Antonio symphony orchestras, and with San Diego Opera and Fresno Grand Opera. We are delighted to welcome Ms Fleming to the National Concert Hall for her debut performance here in what is sure to be a mesmerising finale to the International Concert Series 12-13 Presented by The National Concert Hall       http://www.visitdublin.com/event/John_and_Tim_Lyons_and_Family_in_ConcertVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Sephen's Green, Dublin John and Tim Lyons are brothers born in the 1930s in Cork and were reared in North Cork very near Sliabh Luachra (The Rushy Mountain), an area rich in music. In the early days when in Cork, John played with several Sliabh Luachra players including fiddle players Dennis Murphy and Morris O' Keefe from Kishkeam, nephew of the legendary Padraig O'Keeffe, accordion player Johnny O'Leary from Maulykeavane. Both Tim and John played with Tommy Doocey's band from Banteer, and later with Mick Williams' Duhallow Céilí Band which played all around North Cork and parts of Kerry. John and Tim are known for their vast collection of humorous songs; some which they have picked up along the way when living in England, Cork, Dublin and Clare and some which they have written After spending their lives criss-crossing the Irish sea for work, singing and music have been, and are still a very important part of what these two remarkable brothers do. Yet amazingly, apart from playing in so many sessions together, they have rarely shared a stage but in recent years they have started to appear together and long may they continue to do so. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Glen_Hansard_at_The_Iveagh_GardensTickets on sale Thursday February 28th, 9.00am “Glen Hansard is a gifted, emotive frontman who sings as if he must, with a heart on his sleeve that is constantly throbbing.” —The New York Times Album - Rhythm and Repose  Out now (Plateau) Glen Hansard is delighted to announce a date for Ireland in July in the leafy surrounds of the Iveagh Gardens, Dublin. Glen will be performing songs from his solo album Rhythm And Repose along with some Frame’s favourites, accompanied by an eleven piece band. Glen’s recent Vicar Street shows in December recieved a fantastic reaction all round, with long sets, surprise special guests and excellent reviews to boot. He’s currently on tour in Europe with dates in Australia coming up across March. Later in the summer, Glen will be special guest to Bruce Springsteen at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny on 27th July. Since the release of his first solo album, Rhythm and Repose last year, Glen has been busy touring in both the US and Europe. Around the time of release, Once the musical, picked up 8 Tony Awards for the Broadway production in New York. “High Hope” from the album is currently shortlisted for the Meteor Choice Music Prize Song of the Year 2012. Best known for his work with The Frames, The Swell Season and in the feature film Once, for which he won an Academy Award, Rhythm and Repose is Hansard’s first album of new material since his 2009 release Strict Joy with The Swell Season. Rhythm and Repose is a result of Hansard’s last year and a half of living in New York City. The album was recorded by Patrick Dillett (David Byrne, Arto Lindsay, Laurie Anderson) and produced by Thomas Bartlett (Doveman, The National, Antony and the Johnsons). The record features the musical talents of Brad Albetta (Martha Wainwright) on bass, Ray Rizzo on drums, Nico Muhly and Rob Moose on strings (Bon Iver, Y Music), David Mansfield on slide guitar (Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Tour), Javier Mas (Leonard Cohen touring band) and half of Bruce Springsteen’s current horn section. Assisting on vocals are Cristin Milioti (Once, The Musical), Sam Amidon, Marketa Irglova and Aida Shahghasemi (Marketa Irglova touring band).   In recent months Hansard has been seen in the documentary The Swell Season which has toured the film festival circuit this year, contributed two songs to the blockbuster soundtrack, The Hunger Games, and been active in the promotion of Once, The Musical which successfully opened on Broadway on March 18 to rave reviews, including the New York Times who explains, “what was always wonderful about ‘Once,’ its songs and its staging, has been magnified.” In 2007, Glen and Czech songstress Markéta Irglová took home the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly” off the Once soundtrack. Hansard and Irglová continued the success of Once with the 2009 release Strict Joy under the namesake of The Swell Season. Ticket Information: Tickets on sale Thursday February 28th at  9.00am, priced €35.00 (including booking fee) available from www.ticketmaster.ie & outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Beach_House_and_full_line_upAfter a series of ecstatically received sold out concerts in venues such as Whelan’s and Vicar St over the last five years Baltimore’s Beach House return to Ireland for their biggest concert to date at the exquisite setting of Dublin’s hidden treasure, The Iveagh Gardens. A full supporting bill will be added to the show in the coming weeks. Beach House recently released a short film entitled Forever Still. The band spent a night travelling to a series of panoramic locations in Texas to perform four different songs from their 2012 album Bloom. The result is a beautiful 27-minute performance film, to view this film Click here Beach House’s fourth album Bloom received blanket acclaim upon its release in 2012 and figured highly in the music media’s end-of-year polls. “Beach House's decision to call this record Bloom is almost too perfect. Over the course of four albums that's exactly what this band has done. Two people from Baltimore started by making incense-smelling, curtains-drawn bedroom pop. Now, eight years later, they make luminous, sky-sized songs that conjure some alternate universe where Cocteau Twins have headlined every stadium on Atlantis. "Bloom" is also what these 10 songs do, each one starting with the sizzle of a lit fuse and at some fine moment exploding like a firework in slow motion. The word captures the music's slow sonority: the round, gleaming edges of Alex Scally's arpeggios and how, in Victoria Legrand's unhurried mouth, all words seem to have a few extra vowels.” – Pitchfork 9.1 Best New Music “Beach House’s fourth and most sumptuous album.” The New York Times “[On Bloom] Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand have finessed their vision to perfection.” Independent on Sunday “Bloom is one of those rare records that skirt close to perfection, an effortless and intriguing listen that can't help but drag a more significant audience into Bloom's orbit.” – Q Magazine Ticket Information: Tickets on sale Thursday February 21st priced €35.00 (including booking fee) from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. +353818719300 - Republic of Ireland customers http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Josh_Ritter_and_The_Royal_City_BandWe are very proud to announce Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band will return to Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens as part of his Irish tour for new album The Beast In Its Tracks. The Album is preceded by an immediate download of the album’s first single, ‘Joy To You Baby’ Available on iTunes now. Ticket purchasers get a free download of Josh at The Iveagh Gardens 2010 The Beast In Its Tracks, the new album from renowned Moscow, Idaho born singer-songwriter Josh Ritter, will be released March 1st on Yep Roc in Ireland. Ritter has a long established relationship with Irish audiences having spent early parts of his career touring the country and as his popularity increased, becoming a regular at larger venues, Big Tops and Festivals. Of the new record, Ritter says, “In the year after my marriage ended, I realized that I had more new songs than I’d ever had at one time. Far from the grand, sweeping feel of the songs on So Runs the World Away, these new songs felt like rocks in the shoe, hard little nuggets of whatever they were, be it spite, remorse, or happiness.” See insert in advance CD booklet for complete artist notes. This is the sixth full-length recording from Ritter, who has been widely heralded by critics and fans alike for the albums The Golden Age Of Radio, Hello Starling, The Animal Years, The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter and 2010’s So Runs The World Away. Ritter & The Royal City Band will celebrate the release of The Beast In Its Tracks with a North American tour set to kick off in Dallas on March 13; they return to Ireland for shows in July continuing Ritter’s tradition of journeying into the heartland where he has seemingly built up loyal followings in very corner. The Beast In Its Tracks will also be available in a deluxe edition vinyl package and CD format. Recorded during 2011-2012 at the Great North Sound Society in Parsonsfield, Maine, The Beast In Its Tracks continues Ritter’s longtime collaboration with producer and keyboard player Sam Kassirer. As Josh describes, “I hadn’t composed this stuff, I’d scrawled it down, just trying to keep ahead of the heartbreak. They needed to be recorded like that. We needed to work fast, make decisions quickly, keep the songs as spare as they could be kept, and above all never allow ourselves to blunt the sharp edges. Some of the songs were mean or evil. So be it.” The new album follows Ritter’s 2010 release, So Runs The World Away, of which Bob Boilen from NPR Music declared, “I’ve come to expect good records from him...but this one took my breath away,” while the Boston Globe praised, “quite sensational…marks the finest music he has made.” In 2011, Ritter made is debut as a published author with his New York Times Best-selling novel, Bright’s Passage (Dial Press/Random House). Of the work, Stephen King writes in The New York Times Book Review, “Shines with a compressed lyricism that recalls Ray Bradbury in his prime . . . This is the work of a gifted novelist. “How refreshing and inspiring it is to encounter a young artist whose achievements match his ambitions.”—The Washington Post “The 10 Most Exciting Artists Now”—Entertainment Weekly “100 Best Living Songwriters”—Paste Magazine Ticket Information: Tickets priced €33.00 go on sale Thursday 20th December  at 9.00am through www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. +353818719300 - Republic of Ireland customers +3538442774455 - Northern Ireland customers http://www.visitdublin.com/event/LongitudeIT'S MORE THAN JUST A MUSIC FESTIVAL... The festival will take place in Dublin’s Marlay Park over the weekend of 19th to 21st July. French electro-pop geniuses Phoenix will headline the first day of the festival, with Vampire Weekend pegged to take centre stage on Saturday night. Kraftwerk will then bring the curtain down on the festival with a 3D concert (!) on Sunday night. Previous concerts in Marlay Park have taken place in one particular section of the grounds but MCD insist that Longitude will be spread across the rolling hills of the park, with art installations and more scattered across the grounds and into the woods. The full announced line-up for Longitude 2013 is: Kraftwerk (3D concert) | Phoenix | Vampire Weekend | Foals | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Villagers | Hot Chip | Jake Bugg | Modest Mouse | Teed | Paul Kalkbrenner | SBTRKT (DJ set) | Mark Lanegan | Local Natives | Django Django | Jessie Ware | Trentmoller | Kodaline | Mmoths | Tom Odell | Alunageorge | Flume | Cast of Cheers | Young Wonder | Mo | Michael Paskalev | S O H N | Petite Noir | Half Moon Run | Vondelpark | Stealing Sheep |The Maccabees | Laura Mvula | Wolf Alice | Gold Panda | Dutch Uncles | Matt Cotby |  Marcus Foster | King Krule | Japandroids | Hudson Taylor | East India Youth | London Grammar | Drenge | Tribes | Milo Greene | Funeral Suits | Leaders of Men | White Collar Boy | Ofei |  Le Galaxie |  Kool Thing | Blue Hawaii | SOAK many more to be announced… Click here to view full day-by-day breakdown of the festival Ticket Information: Tickets for  Longitude go on sale from 9.00am Monday 4th March 2013. Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Grizzly_BearGrizzly Bear are set to play their first Dublin show since 2009 when they enchanted a sold out Vicar Street. In September 2012 they released their fourth album, Shields, on Warp Records, to widespread acclaim yet again. “Richly introspective and grandly scaled…” – The New York Times “Rocks in a viscerally thrilling manner.” – The Guardian “brilliant, complex and surprising.” - MOJO “Sublime, with strings attached.” – The Telegraph The quartet of Chris Bear, Ed Droste, Daniel Rossen and Chris Taylor have never made a quick follow-up; it took them three years to get from Horn of Plenty to Yellow House, three more to get from Yellow House to Veckatimest. Between those records, though, they’d not only toured but issued singles and splits, EPs and remixes. After long spans of shows for Veckatimest, however, Grizzly Bear went silent, or, to be more exact, its members lived their own lives. Trips were taken, and friendships were restored; families were visited, and solo projects were finished. The potential energy gathered in tour vans and busses, in studios and on stages for years was finally released, giving the individual band’s pieces the chance to recover and, after a year, return to being Grizzly Bear. The quartet first reconvened summer 2011 in Marfa, Texas, with the loose plan of rehearsing and demoing new material and seeing where potential songs for the next album stood. Almost nothing stuck, but that was fine. In Texas, they were reconnecting as friends and musicians, and the material would surely come. Against the inclination of the digital world, they took their time. When they reconvened in January, again at the immortalized Yellow House in Cape Cod, they were anxious to return to Grizzly Bear. Indeed, Shields depends upon the urgency of a band whose members have opted back in. For the first time, they wrote more songs than they needed and scrupulously edited the ideas. For the first time, Rossen and Droste wrote songs together, taking each other’s ideas and extending them and executing them with a new vitality. And for the first time, they tended to move forward only with the songs that were most open to true quartet collaboration. Asked which tunes on Shields belong to which songwriter, every member balks and explains that, for the first time, these are actually full-band numbers. Both in process and product, this is Grizzly Bear as they’ve never been. “Sun in Your Eyes,” the seven-minute close to Shields, stemmed from a piano melody Droste wrote and discarded but that Rossen picked up as a pet project and spent weeks building, changing and rebuilding. The result is one of the most brilliant and audacious pieces of Grizzly Bear’s oeuvre, dependent upon the same mix of drive and drift that shapes the bulk of Shields. Though soft at the edges, “Yet Again” pushes toward the status of rock anthem, with a bridge that refracts dance beats through a musical kaleidoscope; the slow creep of “What’s Wrong” commands an answer, its antiphonal vocals and anxious strings giving voice to a frown and a sigh. Those open emotions are an integral part of Shields, the most cohesively written album of Grizzly Bear’s career. The words come matched by a sound that is more passionate than proper, a quality earned by spending less time on the perfect take than on the proper feeling. “This has a different energy behind it,” concludes Droste. “Veckatimest was a little more of a polite album; the desire to keep the vocals smooth might have kept a little distance between us and the audience. This one feels a bit more rough and exposed, so that on Shields, everything speaks for itself.” Ticket Information: Tickets on sale Friday February 22nd 9.00am priced €33.50 (including booking fee) from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. +353818719300 - Republic of Ireland customers. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Unwanted_Cathy_Jordan_Seamie_O_Dowd_and_Rick_Epping_in_ConcertVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Sephen's Green, Dublin The Unwanted is Cathy Jordan, Rick Epping and Seamie O'Dowd. Between them, they encompass a vast range of the music of Ireland, America, and other places geographically and culturally linked to these lands that encircle the Atlantic Ocean. The songs and tunes of the Unwanted are the combined traditions from Ireland to Appalachia and beyond--are the result of generations of movement and migration, of leave-taking and homecoming, back and forth across the ocean in an endless tide of cultural exchange. Lyrics and melodies borrowed from one land wash ashore on another, only to return again later transformed, peopled with new characters and set in different modes. Roscommon born Cathy Jordan, lead singer for acclaimed group Dervish, moves effortlessly and with soaring voice between Sean-nós, Appalachian ballad and contemporary folksong. Sligo native Séamus O'Dowd (guitar, fiddle, harmonica) grew up steeped in the tradition of Sligo fiddling and is as accomplished playing blues on slide guitar as he is playing jigs and reels. Rick Epping (harmonica, concertina, banjo, jaw harp), a native of California, played with musical greats as varied as Bill Monroe, Texas bluesman Mance Lipscomb and Irish accordionist Joe Cooley, Together, The Unwanted demonstrate a deep understanding and appreciation of the music of both the Old World and the New. Wherever they perform, The Unwanted are finding that they are welcome and very much wanted indeed. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Liberties_FestivalThe Liberties Festival is one of Ireland’s oldest festivals. From modest beginnings in 1970 it has grown to become a highlight of the summer in Dublin with a series of family-friendly, sporting and community events, and an exciting multi-cultural and arts programme encompassing visual art, film, dance, comedy, literature and music. The area known as The Liberties is the south-west part of Dublin’s inner city approximately west of Aungier Street and south of the River Liffey, predominately in Dublin 8. Steeped in history, its name originated with the arrival in the 12th century of the Anglo-Normans who titled jurisdictions united to the city but outside the boundaries of its walls as ‘Liberties’. Two of the most important were the Liberty of St. Sepulchre (under the Archbishop of Dublin) and the Liberty of Thomas Court and Donore (under the Abbey of St. Thomas, later the Earl of Meath’s Liberty). For supporting the ruler, these Liberties received privileges such as freedom from various taxes. Today’s Liberties area is made up of these two ancient Liberties. The Liberties Festival makes great use of the pleasant terraced streets, bustling shopping districts, open spaces, and the historical and contemporary buildings of the area. And – in keeping with tradition – most of these events are free! We’re busy finalising the Liberties Festival 2013 programme and will announce full details shortly. The Liberties Festival is a SICCDA project and receives generous support from sponsors and partners who include Diageo Ireland and DCC, and the local community.   http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Paddy_Keenan_in_ConcertVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Sephen's Green, Dublin Paddy Keenan was born in Trim, Co. Meath, to John Keenan, Sr. of Westmeath and the former Mary Bravender of Co. Cavan. The Keenans were a Travelling family steeped in traditional music; both Paddy's father and grandfather were uilleann pipers. Paddy himself took up the pipes at the age of ten, playing his first major concert at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin when he was 14. He later played with the rest of his family in a group called The Pavees. At 17, Paddy left Ireland for England and Europe, where he played blues and rock. Returning to Ireland after a few years, he began playing around Dublin with singer/keyboardist Triona Ni Dhomhnaill and singer/guitarist Micheal O Dhomhnaill. Fiddler Paddy Glackin joined the three, and they asked flute player Matt Molloy to play with them shortly thereafter. Accordion player Tony MacMahon joined the group, and then guitarist Donal Lunny, liking what he heard, joined as well, and the loosely-knit band began calling itself Seachtar, the Irish word for seven. Paddy's style has continued to mature in the intervening years as he has pursued a solo career. He tours the world, playing festivals and gigs in the US and Canada, Ireland, Europe, Israel, Australia and New Zealand, and the Far East. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Michael_Buble_2013 Five Nights The 02 15th,16th,18th,19th and 20th July 2013 Michael Bublé, the biggest selling  male solo artist this century has announced five nights in the intimate setting of  The O2  in July 2013.  “We have been inundated with enquires ever since Michael Bublé announced he was planning to return to Ireland, I can’t think of a better Christmas present!” stated Eamonn O’Connor, Managing Director Ticketmaster Ireland. Michael Bublé last played here in 2010 when he sold out two Aviva stadium shows, selling over 110,000 tickets. Referring to the concerts, he stated “the greatest two nights of my life. That was unbelievable. We had so much fun in Dublin”. Michael Bublé’s landmark residency at London’s O2 Arena in June and July of next year sold-out in an instant when they went on sale recently. The residency marks the second longest run of dates ever performed at the venue by a male solo artist after Prince. Fast becoming an essential element of the festive season, Michael Bublé has released a Deluxe Special Edition of his ‘Christmas’ album which spent three weeks at #1 last year when it raced towards 7 million global sales. Packaged in a classy hot silver foil presentation, the Deluxe Special Edition adds Michael’s own Christmas greeting as well as four new bonus tracks: ‘The Christmas Song’; ‘Winter Wonderland’; ‘Frosty The Snowman’ (featuring The Puppini Sisters) and ‘Silver Bells’ (featuring Naturally 7). It is once again riding high in the Irish album charts.   The NBC Special ‘Home for The Holidays’ will air on RTE on December 23rd. The special filmed in his Native Vancouver has guest appearances from Rod Stewart, Carly Rae Jepson, Blake Shelton and an exciting duet with the one and only Bing Crosby!  Michael will be releasing a new holiday single “White Christmas” with Bing Crosby which will be available worldwide December llth on iTunes. In addition to the huge success of the ‘Christmas’ album, Michael Bublé’s 2009 studio album ‘Crazy Love’ has passed 7.6 million sales as his career total has exceeded the 40 million mark. ‘Crazy Love’ was also the 2009 Irish Christmas #1 album beating U2’s one week sales record in the process and has spent almost two and a half years on the album chart. Bublé has been hard at work putting the finishing touches on his new studio album which is scheduled to be released around late March 2013.   'Home For The Holidays’ Tv Special To Air On Rte On Sunday 23rd December ‘Christmas’ The Deluxe Special Edition Available Now!     Ticket Information   Tickets priced from €79.50 inclusive of booking fee (Fully  seated show) on sale 8.00am this Friday, December 14th .  Tickets will be available from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide by phone +353818719300 or online: www.ticketmaster.ie   Tickets are limited to 4 per person. Under 16s must be accompanied by parent/guardian 25 or over. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Damien_Dempsey_at_The_Iveagh_GardensDamien Dempsey’s voice is Dublin yet wholly distinctive, almost clichéd to say it, but he is part of a rich bloodline of Irish singers from Luke Kelly to Ronnie Drew, Christy Moore to Andy Irvine. Their kin outside Ireland are Springsteen and Guthrie, Dylan and Marley. On his new album Almighty Love, Dempsey’s sense of place reaches out beyond Donaghmede and North Bull Island, where he first performed in public as a teenager, across the Irish Sea and further afield. The locale is still in the lyrics. It’s there in the hauntingly poetical Chris and Stevie, a tribute to male bonding and grief. You can hear it in Canadian Geese - large migratory birds whose flight path took them past Dempsey's boyhood window. It’s there also in the references to railway tracks and waves, visible from the rooftops of Dempsey’s childhood home. Those railway tracks took Dempsey and his boyhood friends out into their own imaginations and he hasn’t forgotten. Almighty Love goes on a journey of a different kind. Dempsey, at 37 years old, has already said so much about self and state that trying to plough over old ground wouldn’t have been artistically challenging or fresh. So instead, he has given us an album of confidence and maturity, which has a more global sound to it and a broader scope. It is at once bigger and quieter, still rallying against injustice, yet with a more reflective and thoughtful tone, communicated more widely. Damien’s debut album in 2000, ‘They Don’t Teach This Shit in School’ set him apart as a unique and important voice, championed from an early stage in his career by Sinéad O’Connor and others. The follow-up, ‘Seize the Day’, released in 2003, marked the beginning of his relationship with producer John Reynolds, picking up many awards and leading to extensive international tours. Commercial and critical success continued with the release of the No. 1 album ‘Shots’ in 2005, backed by Brian Eno, and ‘To Hell or Barbados’ in 2007, which debuted at No.2 in the Irish charts. Damien’s fans include Brian Eno, Sinéad O’Connor, Bob Dylan and and Morrissey, who invited him to support him on his US tour. Damien is an award-winning artist, having won several prestigious Irish Meteor Awards including Best Irish Male and Best Traditional Folk Award. His albums have topped the charts and gone Platinum, and he has been lauded by, among others, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Billboard, MOJO and The Sunday Times. Since the release of his last album, Damien’s creativity has found other outlets also. One notable project was with Irish graffiti artist Maser, on a project entitled ‘They Are Us’. This was sparked by Dempsey’s lyrics, and involved the painting of his words on derelict buildings in Dublin. Sales of the limited edition prints raised funds for The Simon Community, which was a charity set up to help the homeless and disenfranchised in Dublin and elsewhere. Dempsey’s charitable work continued in December 2010, when he and Glen Hansard recorded and performed the Irish folk classic, ‘The Auld Triangle’. Monies raised went towards the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) ‘Keep The Lights On’ Campaign. Last year, Damien also made his acting debut in the Irish feature film ‘Between The Canals’. His music is also proving very much in demand for soundtracks, with ‘Sing All Your Cares Away’ featured in the BAFTA Award winning film ‘Tyrannosaur’, while Damien contributes to two upcoming Irish films "Stalker" and "King of the Travellers". Ticket Information: Tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.ie & all usual outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Mumford_and_Sons_at_Phoenix_ParkTickets on Sale from 9.00am Friday 15th March Mumford & Sons are very proud to announce details of a show in Ireland this Summer, in association with Gentlemen of the Road. Mumford & Sons have unveiled the video to their new single, ‘Whispers In The Dark’ Watch it here: Mumford & Sons - Whispers In The Dark www.mumfordandsons.com Gentlemen Of The Road Presents…Mumford & Sons Phoenix Park Dublin July 14th featuring Ben Howard, The Vaccines and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. The band will headline the outdoor event in Phoenix Park, Dublin on Sunday 14th July 2013, backed by a hand-picked, stellar line-up that features Ben Howard, The Vaccines and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Ticket Information: Tickets from €61.50 on sale from 9.00am this Friday 15th march from online at www.ticketmaster.ie and from all usual Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and by phone (24 hour):+353818719300 http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Killers_at_Phoenix_ParkTickets Go on Sale Thursday 28th March @ 9.00am The Killers are to headline an outdoor concert at Phoenix Park on Saturday 13th July subject to licence. Very special guests will be Frank Ocean, Two Door Cinema Club and HAIM. Following The Killers’ two year hiatus, the rock n roll superstars exploded back into the spotlight with their fourth studio album Battle Born last September. Their recent Belfast and Dublin arena shows, which sold out in a heartbeat, are widely acclaimed as live highlights of 2013 so far. The story of how The Killers went from Vegas bellhops to OXEGEN and Glastonbury headliners, while amassing a collection of Brit, NME, MTV and ASCAP Awards that their collective mantlepiece now heaves under - is a tale of runaway success. Double Grammy and Brit award winner Frank Ocean started out ghost-writing tracks for such pop stars as Justin Bieber and Beyoncé, but after joining L.A.'s Odd Future collective, he self-released 2011's nostalgia, ULTRA mixtape, and his own star quickly rose. He has collaborated with Beyoncé and Kanye West and Jay-Z. His follow-up album, channel ORANGE, was released in 2012 to worldwide critical and popular acclaim. Two Door Cinema Club’s incendiary live shows have become internationally renowned, resulting in the band selling out big venue tours all over the world including the UK, Europe, US, Asia, South America, Japan and South Africa. Their debut album Tourist History achieved platinum status in the UK and Ireland, selling over 1 million copies worldwide. Their new album Beacon is out now. BBC Sound of 2013 winners HAIM have toured the US with Mumford and Sons, have been guests on Florence and The Machine’s UK arena tour and sold-out their own tour of Europe. HAIM release their new EP, ‘Falling’ on the 29th March 2013. Their debut LP is due for release later this Spring. Ticket Information: Tickets €61.50 including booking fee go on sale on Thursday 28 March at 9am from online at www.ticketmaster.ie and usual ticketmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Bell_x1_Iveagh_GardensTickets on sale Friday 15th March @ 10.00am Hot on the heels of their NCH Chop Chop Premiere show selling out & the announcement last week of a Live At The Marquee show in Cork on July 4th, Bell X1 are pleased to announce a show at Dublin's Iveagh Gardens on July 13th. Bell X1’s new studio album entitled Chop Chop is set to be in stores on June 28th.  Recorded in Bridgeport, Connecticut with Producers Peter Katis (The National) & Thomas Bartlett (The Gloaming) - Chop Chop is a bold, unique & beautiful new direction for one of Ireland's most beloved bands. Bell X1 have provided an early glimpse of Chop Chop with the song Starling Over Brighton Pier which you can listen to here:  http://snd.sc/X6XJSW Ticket Information: Tickets on sale Friday 15th March @ 10.00am priced €35.00 (including booking fee) from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.     http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_UndertonesThe Undertones emerged from Derry in 1977, the result of five friends learning how to play guitar and drums in time with someone singing. Even by the standard of that decade Derry was not the rock and roll capital of anywhere. With no live bands worth watching, they learned by listening to mail order records, reading one of the few copies of NME that made it to Derry but most of all from listening to John Peel’s wonderful show on BBC Radio One. Practicing in their bedrooms eventually led to the band recording ‘Teenage Kicks’ in 1978 on the Good Vibrations indie label in Belfast. Shortly after the recording, ‘Teenage Kicks’ was played, twice in a row, by John Peel. The Undertones signed with Sire Records and ‘Teenage Kicks’ was re-released. For the following five years, John O Neill, his younger brother Damian, Feargal Sharkey, Billy Doherty and Michael Bradley crafted further numerous punkpop gems such as `Here Comes The Summer`, Jimmy Jimmy`, `My Perfect Cousin`, `You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It)’ and four LPs. They almost enjoyed the life of professional musicians. In 1983 Feargal Sharkey left the band to pursue a solo career and the remaining members decided to call it a day. That was the end of The Undertones, Ticket Information: On sale Monday 13th May - €22.00 (incl. booking fee) available online from WAV Tickets , Phone: 1890 200 078] (50c per ticket service charge applies on phone or creditcard bookings) http://www.visitdublin.com/event/We_Banjo_3_in_ConcertVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Sephen's Green, Dublin Featuring 3 tenor banjos, fiddle, mandolins, tenor guitars, guitars, banjolin and vocals WeBanjo3 combine Irish music with Old-Time American, Ragtime and Bluegrass to produce an exciting, fun, invigorating sound guaranteed to thrill audiences. Tenor banjoist Enda Scahill has been in the music performance and recording business for many years and has toured extensively in the US and Europe. He has now teamed up with Ireland's hottest young banjo players, brothers Martin and David Howley. With over 10 All-Ireland titles to their name, Martin and David bring scintillating rhythm, verve and innovation to their music. Add in the world-class multi-instrumentalist Fergal Scahill on fiddle, guitar and bodhran and whole melting pot comes alight! We Banjo 3 play with swing and soul, effortlessly combining the best of Irish and Bluegrass banjo music, mining the rich vein of the American Old Time tradition and thoroughly reinventing the banjo band sound. Modern rhythms, traditional melodies, virtuosic technique and innovative arrangements of music and song add up to an incredible feast of banjo and mandolin music – guaranteed to put a smile on your face and get your feet tapping! http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Live_at_The_Iveagh_Gardens_2013The Iveagh Gardens is quite simply the best open-air location for live music in the city – easily accessible and hugely inspiring. Often referred to as Dublin City’s “hidden treasure” or “best kept secret” the Iveagh Gardens is a beautifully designed public park tucked in between the busy Harcourt Street thoroughfare and the National Concert Hall. Its mid-19th century landscape design includes many exquisite features including fountains, cascade, rustic grotto, rosarium, rockeries, hedgerow maze, sundial and archery pit. All combined with an array of exotic tree ferns and shrubbery, it was become an important sanctuary within a busy city for those who know about it. In recent years Iveagh Gardens opened its gates to live entertainment with the hugely successful Vodafone Comedy Festival becoming an annual fixture and live music events featuring Tori Amos, the Waterboys, Josh Ritter, Rufus Wainwright and more. This year, Aiken Promotions presents a grand total of eight concerts with the programming ranging from distinguished Irish performers such as Glen Hansard and Imelda May to trailblazing international bands from the Harmonic stable such as Beach House and Grizzly Bear. Each show will have a carefully considered support line-up of key up and coming artists from Ireland and beyond. Keep an eye on listings for new additions over the coming weeks. This year, we have also pleased to announce of special value ticket bundle deals for music fans hoping to attend multiple concerts throughout the series. The full list of ticket prices and bundle deals can be found at: www.ticketmaster.ie/iveaghgardens  July 11th: Imelda May July 12th The Tallest Man On Earth July 13th Bell X1 July 14th Damien Dempsey July 18th Grizzly Bear & special guest Matthew E White July 19th Josh Ritter July 20th Beach House July 21st Glen Hansard & special guests Sam Amidon & Lisa O’Neill http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Imelda_May_Live_at_The_Iveagh_GardensTickets go on sale Monday 25th March Inspired by the ghosts of Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent, the twang of Elmore James, the pathos of Billie Holiday and the swagger of Wanda Jackson, Imelda May is a Liberties girl whose self-belief and self-penned songs have taken her to international stardom. Imelda began performing in clubs when she was 16 years old and after fifteen years of singing in other peoples bands Imelda finally took the plunge and set up her own band in 2006. Her albums have reached multi-platinum status and she was the first Irish woman in 14 years to get to #1 in the album charts with her album Love Tattoo. Her third album, Mayhem was released last year as well as More Mayhem a special edition version of the album which included three new tracks – “Roadrunner”, “Gypsy” and “Blues A Calling” plus Imelda’s previously unreleased cover of Patsy Cline’s “Walking After Midnight”. Ticekt Informaiton: Tickets go on sale Monday 25th March priced €40.00 (including booking fee) available from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. By Phone: +353818719300 - Republic of Ireland customers. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Justin_Timberlake_at_Phoenix_ParkTickets on sale Friday, May 10th at 9.00am Grammy® and Emmy Award®-winning artist, Justin Timberlake, is bringing his electrifying live show to Ireland this summer for a one night only concert at Dublin’s Phoenix Park on July 10th. Timberlake’s new album The 20/20 Experience dominated the global charts in March as the acclaimed release soared to the #1 in Ireland, U.S.A., U.K. Australia, Canada, Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland and across Asia. The album also shattered iTunes records as it became the fastest-selling album worldwide in their history. This was Justin’s third #1 album in Ireland where it still remains in the top 5 and has already achieved gold status. His recent show stopping performances at the 2013 Grammy Awards and Brit Awards re-established Justin Timberlake as the quintessential pop star of the new millennium. Ticket Information: Tickets priced €79.50 inclusive of booking fee are on sale at 9am on Friday May 10th from Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.ticketmaster.ie Tickets are limited to 6 per person. Subject to license. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Fureys_and_Davey_Arthur_at_Vicar_StreetLegends of Irish music The Fureys & Davey Arthur, will be making their 14th concert appearance in Vicar Street on July 5th 2013. The band was formed in 1978 literally by accident. George, Paul and Davey were playing in Denmark with their own band called the Buskers and Eddie and Finbar, while touring in Germany were involved in a road accident. When George, Paul and Davey got news of the accident they immediately travelled to Germany to be with their brothers. They then decided that they should all be playing together and this was the start of the Fureys and Davey Arthur. Inevitably changes have occurred over 34 years. Their brother Paul died suddenly in June 2002 and Finbar left the band in December 1996, however George, Eddie and Davey Arthur have continued to delight audiences on their tours and have been releasing a new CD every year. The oldest of the brothers, Eddie Furey left home in 1966 and travelled to Scotland at the time of the great folk revival where he met and shared accommodation in Edinburgh with then unknown folk singers Billy Connolly, Gerry Rafferty and Alex Campbell, now all famous in their own right. In 1969 with his brother Finbar, he was the special guest for the Clancys Brothers and Tommy Makem throughout the USA and Canada. In 1971 he moved to mainland Europe where he toured for seven years with Finbar, building up a huge following particularly in Germany. Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics has credited Eddie as teaching him his first chords on guitar when they met up in the North East of England while Dave was still a teenager. The band became an instant success and had a string of hits including When you were Sweet Sixteen, The Green Fields of France, Red Rose Café, The Old Man, Steal Away, Her Father didn’t like me anyway, Clare to Here and Leaving Nancy. The Fureys & Davey Arthur are responsible for some of the most stirring music ever to capture the public imagination. Their folk based music has received standing ovations in some of the biggest concert halls of the world and they credit their musical ability to their parents, Ted and Nora, who were well known musicians themselves. They encouraged their sons to play music from a very early age and there was live traditional music in their house almost nightly. Over the years some of their greatest admirers have ranged from the neighbours they grew up with in Ballyfermot to the top sports people and politicians of the world and have performed for leaders such as our President Michael D Higgins, former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Irish President Mary McAleese and Pope John Paul. Tony Blair has publicly stated that his favourite peace song of all time is the Fureys “Green Fields of France”.   Their emotive songs stir many emotions….tears and laughter, sadness and joy. A Fureys concert is always a night to remember.   Ticket Information:   Tickets on sale Tuesday 23rd April priced €30 (including booking fee) available from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. +353818 719 300 - Republic of Ireland customers http://www.visitdublin.com/event/10_Days_In_Dublin_Festival_201310 Days in Dublin is an alternative independent festival in Dublin which draws together the best of music, comedy, film, visual arts, and the performing arts, while maintaining an open and inclusive programme. We aim to provide an opportunity for a diverse range of performers to present their work regardless of their professional standing or experience. We hope that we can combine brand-new ex...citing and experimental acts with high quality established performances creating a festival for all of Dublin. We will not judge performances on themes, content, or political motivation. If you think you've got a show, if you think you've got a gig, we want you to do it, and we want you to be part of our festival. For more info: including calls for submissions, line-ups and programming information check out our website www.10daysindublin.com The line-up for 10 Days in Dublin 2013 is yet to be announced.   http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Brian_May_and_Kerry_Ellis_The_Born_Free_TourTickets go on sale Thursday 14th February Queen’s legendary guitarist Brian May is teaming up with rock Goddess Kerry Ellis for a stunning candlelit, acoustic show at The Olympia Theatre on 30th June. After the phenomenal success of the sell-out charity show, Anthems: The Concert, at London’s Royal Albert Hall in May 2011, Their UK tour of Anthems: The Tour and the release of Kerry & Brian’s single Defying Gravity, Kerry & Brian will now be taking their majestic brand new acoustic show to Dublin. The Born Free Tour will electrify The Olympia Theatre audience with rock superstar, Queen guitarist Brian May performing new arrangements of songs he has specially chosen to be sung by Kerry, accompanying her on both guitar and vocals. Brian May says: “Kerry Ellis is now acknowledged as a phenomenon, equally at home in Musical Theatre and Rock.  I was convinced from the moment we worked together on We Will Rock You nine years ago, that she was destined to be a worldwide star.  The challenge was to develop songs and arrangements to allow that amazing voice to reach its true potential.” The Born Free Tour follows a series of acclaimed performances by Kerry & Brian together over the past few years. They stole the show when they performed together on the Royal Variety Show in 2008, they performed live together again at BBC Proms in the Park and at 2010’s The Night of 1000 Voices, and most recently, they opened the Remembrance Day concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The Born Free Tour follows the 2011 success of Anthems: The Tour and their pounding club remix of ‘Defying Gravity’ - the lead track from the musical, Wicked, and a standout song on Kerry's debut album. “Big voice, big production, big numbers!”- Daily Express “Ellis’ huge voice and May’s scorching guitar riffs pack enough energy to blow the roof off”- The Sun Kerry Ellis starred in the leading role of Elphaba in Wicked at the Apollo Victoria in the West End and the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway. She played Fantine in Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre and Ellen in Miss on ts UK tour. She won widespread acclaim for her performance as Svetlana in the spectacular Chess in concert at the Royal Albert Hall. She first met Brian May whilst appearing as Meat in the Queen and Ben Elton musical, We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre. Most recently, Kerry played Nancy in Oliver at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Brian May’s legendary compositions and performances for Queen have earned him worldwide acclaim. He has composed such hits as ‘We Will Rock You’. ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’, ‘I Want It All’, ‘Save Me’ and ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’. Queen has released a total of 18 Number One albums, had 18 Number One singles and 10 Number One DVDs. They have sold over 300 million albums worldwide; making them one of the world’s best selling music artistes. Brian was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005 for ‘Services To The Music Industry’. Ticket Information: Tickets from €36.50 including booking fee go on sale Thursday 14th February at 9.00am from online at www.ticketmaster.ie and from all usual ticketmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Maroon_5  Multiplatinum pop-rock superstars Maroon 5 will play The O2 Dublin, June 29th, with special guests Neon Trees. Tickets from €39.50 (including booking fee), onsale now. Tickets will be available to purchase from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and online at Ticketmaster.ie (limited to 8 per transaction). This 3 time Grammy-winning quintet are considered one of the most popular bands of the last decade and have topped the charts with massive hits including “This Love”, "She Will Be Loved”, "Makes Me Wonder" and more recently the Multi-Platinum selling #1 Single Moves Like Jagger, which held the #1 spot in the Irish Chart for over 4 Weeks and was one of the most successful singles of 2011. Following the massive success of Moves Like Jagger and the follow up single, the Platinum selling #1 Payphone, Maroon 5 released their 4th studio album Overexposed to critical and commercial success, with the album debuting at #1 on the iTunes Chart.  Their newest album captures Maroon 5’s decision to open itself up to risk. The album contains collaborations with legendary hitmakers Max Martin (Britney, Justin Bieber) Benny Blanco (Katy Perry, Gym Class Heroes) and Ryan Tedder (Beyoncé, OneRepublic). Adam Levine acknowledges that the title of the new Maroon 5 album is something of an inside joke. The name is a wink at the Los Angeles-based band’s seeming omnipresence, particularly since Levine joined the cast of NBC’s The Voice. Levine says that of all the band’s albums, Overexposed feels “both most and least like Maroon 5. There are lots of traces of the past, but it also hints at a new idea,” the singer explains. “More than anything I think this record says that it’s always cool to try—that you should always be willing to take a step beyond whatever feels comfortable.” The new single One More Night, taken from Overexposed, is available to download now.   MAROON 5 OVEREXPOSED TOUR With Special Guests Neon Trees Tickets are available from the Ticketmaster desk in the Dublin Discover Ireland Centre, Suffolk Street, Dublin 2 or online at www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Iberian_Percussion_ExtravaganzaBe enthralled by the vibrant rhythms of Coetus, a one-of-a-kind percussion group from Barcelona. Expect the unexpected as the band rouses your ears, feet and heart with their sounds of celebration. Presented by The Ark in association with The Big Bang Festival in celebration of Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union 2013. Ages: All the family Family ticket €40 for 4 tickets Part of Lights, Camera, Music! at The Ark   http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Rod_Stewart_Live_The_Life_Tour Tickets on sale Thursday 15 November at 9.00am Following his sell out Shows in 2010, ROD STEWART has confirmed he will return to Ireland in 2013 to play the RDS Arena Dublin on Saturday 29 June as part of his ‘Live The Life’ Tour.  During Rod Stewart’s iconic five decade-long career, he has sold more than 150 million albums worldwide, scored countless hits, earned 18 Grammy nominations – winning one for ‘Stardust - The Great American Songbook: Volume III’ – and in 2007 was bestowed the prestigious CBE title by the Queen. A two-time US Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, Rod first made himself heard in the early 60’s with Long John Baldry, Steampacket and Shotgun Express, as well as his seminal work with Jeff Beck and the Faces. He found his solo voice with a string of classic albums: ‘An Old Raincoat Will Never Let You Down’, ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’, ‘Never A Dull Moment’ right through to ‘Atlantic Crossing’, ‘A Night on The Town’ and ‘Blondes Have More Fun’, and went on to record five acclaimed volumes of his ‘Great American Songbook’ series. His long-awaited memoir, Rod – The Autobiography, has just been released by Random House and is already topping bestseller lists around the world.  His first ever Christmas Album will be released by Universal Decca on 16 November and includes duets with Michael Bublé, Mary J Blige and Cee Lo Green. Ticket Prices: Seated: €54.65 / €76.00 / €86.00/ €106.00 General Admission: €76.00 Euro Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide 24hr Credit Card Bookings:- +353818 719300 (ROI)         http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Silver_SeasTickets go on sale Thursday 21st March “They combine the knowingness of classic-period Steely Dan with the pop surge of a classic radio act like the Turtles and harmonies that could have wandered in from Mad Men” The Word Magazine “At it’s best Chateau Revenge delights…. and the likes of What If It Isn’t Out There? and Somebody Said Your Name are just gorgeous” The Guardian “This is uncurdled pop music, the kind of thing you could sprinkle on your dreams and eat with a spoon” The Word magazine “The best band in the world!” Danny Baker The Silver Seas’ Daniel Tashian and Jason Lehning were raised deep within the Nashville music scene. Tashian’s dad Barry was lead singer of the Boston-based, mid-sixties cult combo The Remains and subsequently toured with Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band. Lehning’s dad Kyle is a well-respected country music producer and the former president of Asylum Records Nashville. While the young Lehning apprenticed behind the boards, Tashian was developing into a formidable singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Tashian, has a knack for creating instantly memorable melodies to pair with often plaintive lyrics, though he’s no show-off; his craftsmanship seems effortless, as if he just dashed off these sneakily addictive numbers in his spare time. Grammy-winning producer, arranger and keyboardist Jason Lehning doesn’t polish these songs to perfection because they sound gorgeous in nearly naked form. “We’re a good team,” says Lehning. “We bring to each other what the other one doesn’t have. Daniel’s an incredibly spontaneous person and I’m an incredibly pragmatic person. When we work together, we get to be ourselves in a really good way. That makes a nice balance and it’s really enjoyable for me.” Ticket Information: Tickets go on sale Thursday 21st March priced €19.00 (including booking fee) available from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. +353818719300 - Republic of Ireland customers http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Colm_O_Caoimh_Guitar_Master_Class_at_Steeple_SessionsVenue: Unitarian Church, 112 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 Colm O Caoimh has been a huge presence on the Kilkenny music scene in recent years and is a founding member of Caladh Nua who have burst onto the Irish music trail with two exciting albums "Happy Days" and "Next Stop". His solidly imaginative playing and delicate finger-style is described as being both the backbone and powerhouse of CaladhNua. Colm O'Caoimh took his first tentative steps in music through classical piano and violin, but it was his intrinsic passion and love for Irish music that eventually drew Colm, a fluent Irish speaker, to the guitar. Through a distinctive and unfaltering style influenced by guitarists such as Jim Murray and John Blake, his abilities were soon in popular demand both as a live performer and a studio session player. As an accomplished pianist and bassist, Colm is a regular guest of the trail- blazing Jeremy Hickey of RSAG (Rarely Seen Above Ground) among many others. Colm has re-defined the guitar accompaniment of Irish Music, bringing to it influences of Jazz and swing, all the while grounding the music with his own unique driving, earthy rhythm. Coupling that with the subtleties of his numerous finger picking styles, it is widely believed that Colm is one of the most versatile and talented guitarists in any genre of music today. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Mick_McAuley_Accordion_Master_ClassVenue:  Unitarian Church, 112 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 Head of the Mulcahy Family, Mick Mulcahy is much in demand as a tutor. To his credit his students (and daughters) , Louise and Michelle are both recipients of the TG4 Young musician of the Year Award. Mick performs and teaches regularly at festivals worldwide including; the Willie Clancy Summer School, Masters of Tradition Festival Bantry, South Sligo Traditional Music School, Meitheal Summer School, Blas International Summer School University of Limerick, Na Piobairí Uilleann Dublin, Cairde na Cruite Festival Co. Louth, Milwaukee Irish Festival, Davis & Elkins Irish Music Festival West Virginia, Catskills Irish Music Festival New York, Texas Irish Retreat Music School, Tocan Traditional Irish Music Festival France, Lorient Celtique Festival Brittany, Camden Town Irish Music Festival London, Gundagai Traditional Irish Music Festival Australia http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Azealia_Banks_at_The_Academy_DublinAzealia Banks, the critically acclaimed MC, singer & songwriter has just announced details of an exclusive headline performance at The Academy, Dublin on June 26th 2013 Fast becoming a global phenomenon, Azealia’s controversial single 212 catapulted the 21 year old Harlem native into the ears and eyes of the music and fashion elite. With the video for 212 reaching 47.5 million views, Azealia Banks has firmly established herself at the cutting edge of popular culture. Ticket Information: Tickets priced €22.90 inclusive of booking fee go are on sale from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_xxTickets onsale @ 11.00am Tuesday 18th December Following two triumphant sold out nights at The Olympia Theatre and the ecstatically received Main Stage performance at this year’s Electric Picnic Festival, those who were there and those who missed it will be delighted to hear that London band The xx announce their return to Ireland next June, playing The O2 “…Every note played was as bright and precisely chiseled as a cut diamond, no matter how subdued the song in which it was set.” Hot Press, Olympia show, Dec 2012 “Understated, romantic and damn near perfect!” The Irish Independent, Olympia show, Dec 2012 The xx are currently riding a wave of success having recently released their second album 'Coexist' to effusive praise from fans and media like. After hitting the No.1 spot in the UK charts and No.3 here in Ireland, they fullfilled one of their long-standing dreams by performing with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Click here to listen back 'Coexist' has been produced by The xx's Jamie Smith and is the follow up to their Mercury award-winning 2009 debut 'xx'. It was recorded between November 2011 and May 2012 in the band's own studio in London. “xx marks the spot of a newly mature band..highly accomplished second offering that sees the band refine yet further their stately brand of minimal electro-indie”- Irish Independent, Day and Night "As ever, The xx's spendthrift songcraft and production pushes their (significant) strengths up front, the result is magical”- Totally Dublin 'We're so excited to share with you the news that our second record 'Coexist' is out. After a long time on the road, we took a break, created our own studio and wrote these new songs that we're so looking forward to playing to you. We will be touring throughout the summer and beyond, and hope to play somewhere near you soon'. The xx Mellow, minimalist, shy, ghostly…are The xx, with the sincerity, the simplicity, the undeniable talent, and most of all their ability to leave a whole room of people of all ages in collective awe.   'Coexist' is out now on Young Turks The xx are: Oliver Sim, Romy Madley Croft, Jamie Smith. Ticket Information: Tickets priced €32.50 standing/€36.50 seated (inc. booking fee)  go on sale 11.00am Tuesday 18th December from Ticketmaster and usual outlets. www.ticketmaster.ie / Ph +353818719300 The xx set reviews from Electric Picnic Festival: 'Throw away all those pre-conceptions because The xx stole the show'- The Irish Times http://www.visitdublin.com/event/BlondieMCD Presents Blondie The Olympia Theatre Tuesday 25th June 2013 Blondie, fronted by new wave goddess, pin-up and pioneering frontwoman Debbie Harry, have confirmed Irish dates next summer including Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on Tuesday 25th June 2013! One the great pop icons of New York's celebrated late '70s new wave punk scene, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Blondie are set to release their latest album Panic Of Girls later this year. In an incredible career spanning over 30 years Blondie have sold more than 40 million records worldwide and have a back catalogue containing hits such as Denis, Atomic, Heart of Glass and Hanging On The Telephone. Blondie was originally formed in 1974 by art student/guitarist Chris Stein and ex-folkie and ex-Max's Kansas City waitress, vocalist/songwriter Deborah Harry. Drummer Clem Burke and keyboard player Jimmy Destri joined in 1975. The band played the fabled New York downtown circuit of CBGB's, Max's Kansas City and Mothers, amassing a major following before recording their first album Blondie which was released in 1977. In 1982, Blondie produced The Hunter which included the single "Island of Lost Souls," their final U.S. hit before Chris was felled by a rare and often fatal genetic disease, which led to a sudden hiatus for the group. Debbie went on to appear in numerous films and plays and to create music in various contexts. In recent years she has been the featured vocalist of the Jazz Passengers. Jimmy left music for a while to become a family man and contractor. Chris produced various bands in New York. Clem continued to record and tour with top acts. Sixteen years later the band members were used to being apart, but miraculously they were still talking. The friendships were still there. The doors were ajar. Responding to a request, they reformed to play a concert and had so much fun and found so much chemistry remaining that they decided to try to make some new music. That worked out so well that they re-formed and made a new album, No Exit, the seventh Blondie studio album, produced by Craig Leon, who had actually produced the band's first single, "X-Offender," and worked on the first album assisting producer Richard Gottehrer. In 2008, they celebrated the 30-year anniversary of Blondie's Parallel Lines with a re-release of the iconic album that gave the band their first #1 hit in the U.S., "Heart of Glass," and went on to sell over 20 million copies - an extraordinary feat achieved only by an elite club of artists. Debbie Harry was recently voted in the Top 5 of the greatest frontmen and women ever coming in ahead of artists like Freddie Mercury, Kurt Cobain and Liam Gallagher. Ticket Informaiton: Tickets for The Olympia Theatre are priced from €44.05 inclusive of booking fee and on sale now from Ticketmaster. Please note, Stalls standing & Circle seats are sold out. A very limited number of Upper Circle unreserved seats only left to buy. We expect these to sell out soon. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Simone_FeliceTickets on sale Thursday April 18th Fresh from his sold out Barbican show and European tour with Conor Oberst and following his Autumn 2012 sold out Union Chapel concert, acclaimed American songwriter Simone Felice returns to the UK and Ireland to preview new songs. As well as debuting material from his next release, the acclaimed wordsmith will be performing many of the classics his devoted followers hold dear from his time with The Felice Brothers and The Duke & The King. Simone Felice is a celebrated songwriter, author, and poet. He was born on 4 October 1976 in Palenville, New York, a small working-class hamlet in the Catskill Mountains. At the age of 12 Simone suffered a brain aneurysm and was pronounced clinically dead for several minutes. Recovering from emergency brain surgery in a local hospital, he spent two months in intensive care, relearning basic motor skills, including reading and writing. When he was 15 he formed a punk band with friends, making weird noise-rock in his grandpa’s barn. Their emphasis was on head-banging and freaky storytelling. By 18, he had quit school and was fronting the band (by this time calling themselves Eight Body Trunk, in homage to the 1950’s Lincoln Continental an aging 'mafioso' drove up and down the streets of their shabby town) as they played barns, bars, and low down clubs, including New York City’s fabled CBGB’s. Eventually the young rockers went their separate ways and Felice began writing poetry and vignettes, leading to the publication of his first collection, The Picture Show, when he was 22 years old. He began performing these bizarre monologues regularly at the historic Nuyorican Poets Café in New York’s lower east side, garnering the young poet invitations to read in London, Harvard University, San Francisco and Berlin. In 2004 and then 2005, Simone published his first short works of fiction, Goodbye Amelia, a coming of age story about a small-town girl with secrets to keep and a hunger to see the world, and Hail Mary Full of Holes, a fable noir about a prostitute struggling to survive at the dawn of the Reagan era. In the Fall of 2001, just after the attacks on New York City, Simone began writing songs with his brother Ian. Together they retreated to the woods they grew up in, where jobless with a cheap guitar they wrote and made recordings (two archived collections known as The Big Empty and Mexico) with their friend Doc Brown. In this manner the two brothers clocked four years in complete obscurity, sowing the seeds of what would become (with the edition of younger brother James in the Winter of 2006) The Felice Brothers, whose subsequent albums Tonight at the Arizona, The Felice Brothers, and Yonder is the Clock have garnered international praise, earning these Upstate New York natives an inarguable place in the Great American Songbook. Over the group’s history, from starting out playing New York’s subways and streets, to Radio City Music Hall and beyond, brother Simone has been one of its key lyricists and arrangers, co-writing some of the boys’ most beloved songs, including Don’t Wake The Scarecrow, Frankie’s Gun, Run Chicken Run, Ruby Mae, Whiskey in My Whiskey, Love Me Tenderly, Hey Hey Revolver, Mercy, Wonderful Life, Ponzi, Your Belly In My Arms, The Devil Is Real, and Radio Song to name a few. At the request of iconic record producer Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Beastie Boys, Adele, et al), Simone flew to California in the late summer of 2008 to play drums on the Columbia Records release I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers. Lending his signature Catskill Mountain funk to the Avett’s riveting songwriting and Rubin’s thoughtful production, Felice appears on some of the albums stand-out songs, including the title-track and lead single I and Love and You, which helped send the album to #1 in the Billboard folk charts. In the winter of 2009 personal tragedy reared its head when Simone and his long-time love lost their first child in a late-term miscarriage. It was then that he retreated to a cabin in the Catskill’s with old friend Bird and began writing and recording the songs that would (unknown to them at the time) become The Duke & The King’s album debut. Taking their name from the itinerant Shakespeare theatre grifters in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the project released its gripping Nothing Gold Can Stay in the Summer of 2009 to critical acclaim, being hailed as one of the most haunting and honest albums of the year. 2010′s follow-up Long Live The Duke & The King has been similarly praised. Felice’s first novel, Black Jesus, was recently bought by award-wining publisher Allen & Unwin (Atlantic Books/Faber&Faber) and Random House, which will release a German translation in spring 2012. It tells the story of a young Marine shipped home to his nowhere town after being blinded in action by a homemade bomb, and the unexpected friendship he finds with a mysterious dancer who arrives there fleeing darkness and violence of a different kind. Part love story, part protest of the broken promises lying at the heart of the American dream, Black Jesus is a passionate, twisted hymn to the marginalized and forgotten. On 2 June 2010, after a series of fainting spells, Simone underwent emergency open-heart surgery at Albany Medical Center when doctors discovered that a childhood congenital disorder had left the 33 year old with an irreversible calcification of the aortic valve, leaving only 8% blood-flow to the body and brain. Just two weeks after the surgery he joined his brothers on stage at Pete Seeger’s annual Clearwater Festival to help rid their beloved Hudson River of industrial waste. The following month Pearl Felice was born, a healthy blue-eyed girl who came in a summer thunderstorm. In the year following his heart operation and Pearl’s birth, Felice did what he’s always done: He wrote songs. With a renewed clarity and sense of purpose, Simone bent to his new work, leaving behind any past monikers, or preconceptions they might hold, in search of something pure, something truly his own. Players on these new recordings include friends from Mumford & Sons and The Felice Brothers. The album was written and produced over a year’s time, at five unique locations: Felice’s barn-attic at home in the Catskills-New York, an abandoned High School in Beacon-New York, The Old Church in North London, a Manhattan apartment, Dreamland Studios in Woodstock, and was ultimately woven together with mastering guru Greg Calbi (Patti Smith, John Lennon, Dylan, Springsteen, et al) in New York City. As one listens, this seems the album Felice has been labouring towards since he first began writing and making music, as it truly showcases Simone’s extraordinary storytelling and lyrical style; a unusually rich balance of the sacred and the obscene, heartache and hope in the same breath. A self-revelatory work uncommon in its purity and depth, ‘Simone Felice’ was released in April 2012, cementing Felice’s place as one of the great songwriter-poets of his generation. Simone lives less than a mile from the creek-house he was born in, and travels his own country and abroad sharing his songs and stories. Ticket Information: Tickets on sale Thursday April 18th priced €15.00 (including booking fee) from www.tickets.ie, www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Mick_Conneely_and_Dave_Munnelly_in_ConcertVenue: The Unitarian Church Dave and Mick are master musicians no doubt about it, they have the credentials: the track record, the bands, albums and collaborations, but here you get more than just great musicianship, you get a dialogue, a conversation happening now, not parroted lines from some slickly rehearsed ensemble, that is the real excitement here. Cleary they have practice long and hard, there are gaps and stops and changes of rhythm, which the boys hit spot on, but you'd be forgiven if you thought they'd just walked into the pub and played straight of the cuff." – Seán Laffey - Irish Music Magazine A member of the newly formed DeDanann, Mick Conneely is one of the most respected fiddle players of his generation. He has played & toured with many artists, most notably De Danann, Mary Bergin, Frankie Gavin, Mairtin O'Connor, Noel Hill & Tony Linnane, Tony MacMahon & Micho Russell, Matt Molloy, Kevin Crawford, Luanda, David Munnelly, Carl Hessian, Niall Ó Callahan, Jackie Daly, Svend Kjeldsen, and Michael McGoldrick to name only a few. Accordion player David is known for his colourful style which inhales bold bass fingerings, complex arrangements and modern compositions; and exhales hints of the Roaring 20′s and the energy of a box of dynamite coupled with a masterful knack for letting a tune take its own time for a completely unmistakeable and brilliant sound. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Fat_Freddys_DropTickets go on sale Monday 25th March priced €39.50 including booking fee Seven-Headed Soul Monster Returns Lock up your bass bins! Perennial soul shakers Fat Freddys Drop are ready to lift the lid on their new album Blackbird and have just announced a headline show for Dublin’s Vicar Street, 23rd June. Fresh from a run of barnstorming, sold-out shows across Europe in late 2012, where they road-tested and refined the music that has formed the basis for their third full- length studio album, Freddys are bristling with new ideas. The third full-length studio album from the seven-headed soul monster documents a rich period of writing, recording and playing, and continues the band’s aim to stretch themselves by integrating diverse styles and approaches into their music. The writing and recording of Blackbird has seen Freddys increase their armoury of drum machines and synths, pushing their sound deeper into the realms of Afro- and dub-laced electronica. The first official single to surface from the album is Silver And Gold a staple of the band’s European shows for nearly a year. Released as a free digital download on Freddy’s Soundcloud, the track sounds like the monster love child of George Clinton, The Congos & John Lee Hooker. The band first emerged from the underground club scene of Wellington in 1999, jamming along to instrumental mixes of funk, house and hip hop records dropped by DJ Mu (aka Fitchie) at parties around the Capital. Thirteen years later and Freddys are still together, still doing things in their inimitable way and still getting better and better Ticket Information: Tickets go on sale Monday 25th March priced €39.50 (including booking fee) available from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. +353818719300 - Republic of Ireland customers. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/bryn_terfelRTÉ Concert Orchestra Bryn Terfel “A born communicator who loves words as much as music, he has reached out to audiences way beyond the rarefied temples of opera house and recital hall . . .” - The Times (London) The RTÉ Concert Orchestra is delighted to announce, as part of its Signature Series 2013, the sensational Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, for one powerful Dublin performance in June 2013. One of the most sought after international voices, Terfel has won two Grammy Awards, four Classical Brit Awards and Her Majesty the Queen’s medal for Music. With a masterfully rich, resonant voice and an ability to bring abundant personal charisma and enthusiasm to his performances (in roles as varied as Figaro and Wotan), he has left a trail of standing ovations from the Metropolitan Opera to Sydney Opera House. Don’t miss this operatic king accompanied by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Presented by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Rihanna_Diamonds_World_Tour Tickets  go on sale at 8.00am this Friday, 30 November from Ticketmaster outlets and online atwww.ticketmaster.ie  Worldwide superstar Rihanna - the “#1 Person On Facebook” with over 62.5 million fans – is bringing her DIAMONDS a TOUR to Europe in 2013. The RIHANNA DIAMONDS WORLD TOUR which begins March 8th in the United States is scheduled to stop in more than 28 cities across North America prior to its European takeover. The European tour starts in Bilbao, Spain on May 26th and runs through July with stops already announced in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. And now as confirmed this evening by MCD and Live Nation Global Touring, Irish fans will also have the chance to catch Rihanna on her Diamonds World Tour when it visits the Aviva Stadium, Dublin on Friday, 21 June.  Rihanna is currently dominating global charts with “Diamonds,” the fastest-rising single of her career to date, and the first single from UNAPOLOGETIC her 7th studio album for Island Def Jam in just seven years – released November 19th. “Diamonds” also just marked Rihanna’s 12th time at number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and with only a six-year, one-month, two-week stretch between her first #1 chart topper with “SOS” on May 13, 2006 and the release of Diamonds last week, she is officially the fastest female artist ever to receive 12 number one titles at the top of the Hot 100. It is also Rihanna’s 23rd Top 10 hit on the chart.  When it debuted four weeks ago, “Diamonds” garnered #1 postings at iTunes in 27 countries, and Top 5 iTunes in 55 countries. The recipient of six Grammy Awards® and seven Billboard Music Awards, Rihanna has sold over 37 million albums and 146 million digital tracks worldwide, and currently holds the record as the top-selling digital artist of all time.  Forbes named Rihanna the world’s #1 social media star with over 2.9 billion views on YouTube/VEVO, the most ever for any female artist, over 62.5 million Facebook fans, and over 26.5 million Twitter followers.  In addition to her 11 Hot 100 #1 singles and overall 22 Top 10 singles, she also has 18 #1 singles on the Billboard Dance Club Song Charts. Rihanna Diamonds World Tour is promoted world-wide by Live Nation Global Touring. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Frankie_Gavin_and_De_DanaanOne of the most influential bands in Irish traditional music, enjoy the rhythmic beat of the bouzouki, the melodic fiddle of Frankie Gavin, bass by Paul O’Driscol, guitar by Colm O’Caoimh and lead vocals by Michelle Lally supported by the accordion and bodhran. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/A_Night_For_ChristyTickets will go on sale Friday 10th May at 9.00am. The Olympia Theatre are proud to present 'A Night For Christy' on Friday 21st June 2013. This unique event will feature the best of Aslan songs performed by the best in the industry as they come together to show their support for Christy Dignam on this very special night. The one-off event will feature performances from Bressie, Danny O'Reilly (The Coronas), Horslips, Ryan Sheridan, Paul Brady, Shane MacGowan, Mary Black, Don Mescall,Tom Dunne (Something Happens), Jerry Fish, Steve Wall (The Stunning), Gavin Friday, members of Westlfe, Paul Walsh (Royseven) and a host of very special guests yet to be announced. All artists have handpicked their favourite song from the Aslan setlist and will step into Christy's shoes for one night only. It's an unmissable night for fans as they can experience each performers' own interpretation of an Aslan song performed with Aslan exclusively in the Olympia Theatre on Friday 21st June. The final line up is a closely guarded secret and the night promises to be full of surprises and excitement as fans will be eager to see who will take to the stage next and what song they have picked from the Aslan setlist. Performances on the night will include fan favourites Crazy World, Too Late For Hallelujah, This Is', Chains, This Time, Gotta Make It, Down on Me, Catch Your Fall and many more. Speaking today from the bands' HQ, Aslan guitarist Billy McGuinness said “This is an unmissable experience for ALL Aslan fans, and who knows the main man might might make an appearance himself!” Aslan, who took their name from the heroic lion in C.S. Lewis's series of books chronicling the fictional land of Narnia, (Aslan is the Turkish for 'Lion'), emerged from the working class areas of Finglas and Ballymun in Dublin's Northside, in the mid 1980s. They released a demo single, 'This Is', in the Spring of 1986, which was a huge hit and became the longest ever play-listed single on Ireland's RTÉ 2fm. The band have since gone on to have a long- spanning and impressive career taking in International tours, big hits and legions of dedicated fans across the world. Ticket Inforamtion: Tickets priced €30  will go on sale from www.ticketmaster.ie and usual outlets nationwide on Friday 10th May at 9.00am. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Lumiere_in_ConcertVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Sephen's Green, Dublin Éilís Kennedy's voice has ready access to the soul without need for scaffolding or spotlights. For over a decade, hers has been one of the most underrated voices in Irish music. Her natural and genuine interpretations of songs, both old and new, sung in her native Gaelic and in English, were previously heard in her multiple collaborations and solo offerings as a recording artist. The other half of the musical whole is Pauline Scanlon, an award-winning singer from the same Kerry town of Dingle. She is part of a tradition of Irish female voices from Sinead O'Connor to Enya, all personal interpreters of their physical and spiritual landscape. Scanlon has two critically received albums to her credit as well as extensive touring experience all over the globe. Donogh Hennessy was born in Dublin. He started playing guitar at about the age of 14. He moved to Dingle in west Kerry at 17 where he first started to listen to Irish traditional music. A very much in demand guitar player, Donagh has toured all over the world with The Sharon Shannon Band, Lunasa and various others. Together, they offer a distinctly feminine sound and feel, where voice is the primary instrument and Ireland as motherland is re-imagined. With Lumiere, the song and its delivery are the primary focus, technical concerns gives way to feeling as song and singer effortlessly merge. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Mark_Owen_at_Olympia_TheatreTickets go on general sale at all Ticketmaster outlets  Friday 10th May at 9.00am Take That superstar Mark Owen has been confirmed to play a very special show at the Olympia Theatre on Wednesday 19th June. The Art Of Doing Nothing by Mark Owen will be released by Polydor on 10th June. It is the singer/songwriter’s fourth solo album and most collaborative today, and his first since Take That reunited in 2006. It is, says Owen, an album about each everyone’s “massively significant, tiny little speck life”. 'Stars' will be the first single from the album both to be released on June 10th. This record fills the gap where Owen was supposed to be putting his feet up. When Take That finished their record-breaking Progress tour in 2011, they agreed to take a break for a year. Except, contrary to his new record's title, Mark Owen isn't very good at doing nothing. He had to be doing something. So he sat in his garden and did some sketches for an animation, then some painting. When Ben Mark and Jamie Norton, his long-time song writing partners turned up, what he's done for most of his life naturally became the focus. “I’ve been making songs for 20 years now and I don’t really know what else to do,” he says, “it’s my hobby and my day job all in one." Gradually, the trio's chats developed into a concept: The Art of Doing Nothing. It was a notion of creating by not forcing things, by just letting the moment take over. “We didn’t think too hard about the songs,” says Mark. For the obsessive Owen, this was a new approach. The result is Owen's most free-spirited record yet, imbued with his own vulnerable, charismatic blueprint. It was recorded at The Rabbit Hutch, the studio located at the bottom of his garden. That sense of freedom is best captured in the expansive, swaggering pop swirls of first single ‘Stars’. It’s that rare thing; an intimate anthem, the sort, perhaps, that only someone who has spent most of his adult life playing stadiums could come up with. Others get to leave their mark too: the delicate orchestral swirl of S.A.D. features a mesmeric vocal from Salford chanteuse Ren Harvieu (“she had a beautiful energy, she was amazing,” remembers Mark), whilst Heaven’s Falling’s stomping synth-pop is bolstered by a frenetic appearance from London rapper Jake Emlyn. “It just pours out of him, he’s amazing, full of charisma and life,” says Owen. Ticket Information: Tickets including booking fee priced from €29.90 (Upper Circle) and €34.50 (Standing & Circle seats), go on general sale at all Ticketmaster outlets and www.ticketmaster.ie next Friday 10th May at 9am. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Bonnie_Raitt_Slipstream_2013_Tour"Evokes the warm amber and light grain of crystallized honey… gripping." – New York Times "Tight and polished" – Rolling Stone Bonnie Raitt has announced a hugely welcome return to Ireland for the first time since 2004 and will play at Vicar Street, Dublin on 19th June 2013 as part of her Slipstream 2013 tour. In April 2012, Bonnie released her first new album in seven years ‘Slipstream’ to widespread acclaim. Now, in summer 2013, she will bring her daring bluesy sound, steeped with inimitable slide guitar and soulful vocals, to the UK for much anticipated live shows. After an emotional period, with such triumphs as her 2005 release and tour for ‘Souls Alike,’ and 2009 national tour with fellow blues legend Taj Mahal alongside the tragedy of losing her parents, her brother, and her best friend, Raitt decided to step back. “I took a hiatus from touring and recording to get back in touch with the other part of my life,” Raitt says of her decision to recharge her spirit and regain her personal balance before returning to action. There’s no doubt that Raitt is re-energized. 'Slipstream' marked her biggest chart debut in the United States in two decades and is one of the top 5-selling independent albums of the year & 'Slipstream' has been nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Best Americana Album. Rolling Stone affirmed Raitt's impact, highlighting the "sheer verve and skill" that made her one of only two women among the "100 Greatest Guitarists" in their latest issue, having already established her one of the top "100 Greatest Singers" of all time. The title ‘Slipstream’ is very significant for Raitt, who notes: "I'm so inspired and so proud to continue these traditions, whether it's reggae or soul or blues. I'm in the slipstream of those who came before me, and I'm leaving one for those behind me." Bonnie Raitt is an institution in American music – a nine-time Grammy-winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with tens of millions of albums sold worldwide, she has undeniably changed the landscape of soul, rock, and blues. Tickets priced €49.00 on sale from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Moya_Brennan_and_Cormac_De_Barra_in_Concert_at_the_Steeple_SessionsVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Sephen's Green, Dublin Moya Brennan and Cormac De Barra both come from large musical families in Ireland and their mutual admiration for each other naturally developed into a stimulating musical relationship. Their new album, Voices & Harps, is the culmination of their friendship and creative synergy over the past decade. They combine the simplicity, depth and beauty of the extraordinary skills which make them unique in their own field. The album and workshop unveils a new chapter in their partnership. Grammy award winner, Moya Brennan is the singer of Clannad as well as having a successful solo career. She has sung on most of the world's great stages and has collaborated with many notable artists including The Chieftains, Paul Brady and Bono. She is also part of the female traditional group, T with the Maggies. Cormac De Barra is renowned internationally as a versatile harp virtuoso. He continually pushes the boundaries of the Irish harp through his work with a wide array of artists, including Hazel O'Connor, Julie Feeney and Clannad. Cormac also tours and records with his brothers Fionán and Éamonn in the family group, Barcó. Besides his busy performing schedule he regularly gives workshops and master classes around the world http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Cormac_De_Barra_Harp_Master_Class_at_the_Steeple_SessionsVenue: Unitarian Church, 112 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 Cormac De Barra is a harper and television presenter and comes from a family of traditional Irish musicians and singers. He is the third generation of harper in the family and first studied with his grandmother, Róisín Ní Shé, in Dublin. He went on to study concert harp in the USA. As a traditional harper, Cormac has recorded and toured with his brothers Fionán and Éamonn in the family group Barcó and performed with many groups and musicians including fiddle player Máire Breatnach, Sligo-based trad group Dervish, Brian Kennedy and Clannad. Cormac has pushed the boundaries of Irish harp beyond the traditional and the classical through his collaborations with a variety of artists including actress and punk icon Hazel O'Connor and composer and singer Julie Feeney. Theatre performance credits include music for Playboy of the Western World at the Ambassador in Dublin, Tine Chnámh and Mallachtaí Muintire at Project Arts Centre, Mysteries 2000 at the SFX, Dublin and W.B. Yeats' Cuchulain Cycle at The Riverside, London. He also made his acting debut alongside Hazel O'Connor in a show called O'Carolan's Dream at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His first recording Barcó and his duo CD Double Strung with harpist, Anne-Marie O'Farrell, received much critical acclaim and his latest CD Tarraing Téad with Máire Breatnach on fiddle & viola was released in autumn 2010. Numbers Limited. Master classes are open to non-musicians. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/A_Concert_for_BloomsdayVenue: Unitarian Church, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 Round off your Bloomsday in St Stephen's Green with an evening of music by The Gaudete Singers and readings by the renowned Author Bruce Arnold. The programme will include settings of Joyce's poetry; some from his collection "Chamber Music", as well as settings of W B Yeats and Samuel Beckett. This will be complemented with readings by the renowned author and journalist, Bruce Arnold. We hope you will come to hear these suitably Joycean words and music and join us for a glass of wine afterwards. Ticket Information: Tickets: €15 available on the door (conc. €10, students €5 with ID) including a glass of wine afterwards. Event takes place from 8pm to 10pm. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/A_Date_With_Doris_with_Aileen_DonohueWest End Performer, Aileen Donohue sings the hits from Que Sera Sera to Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps with songs from the musicals Calamity Jane, Pillow Talk and more. Musical Director; Robert Scott. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Harry_Bird_and_the_Rubber_WelliesThese international travelling folksters present their joyful cabaret of sing-a-long choruses and music populated by pirates, lizards, cracks in the wall, hummingbirds and Basque cyclists, in a performance that will also feature beautiful animations. Come in your most colourful wellies for a foot-stomping time! “One of my favourite bands of recent years” Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2 Ages All the family Family ticket €40 for 4 tickets Part of Lights, Camera, Music! at The Ark http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Neil_Young_and_Crazy_HorseExtra tickets released, Los Lobos added to the line up and custom digital Neil Young Radio Station announced. Extra tickets from €60 released for June 15 date at the RDS.  Extra tickets will go on sale this Friday 19th April at 9.00am Details announced of custom digital Neil Young radio station, created by Radio Nova, Following the positive reviews that greeted the recent expansive double-album ‘Psychedelic Pill’, Neil Young & Crazy Horse can now confirm details of an Irish date next summer playing Dublin’s RDS Arena on Saturday 15 June. Neil Young & Crazy Horse recently completed a North American tour and are next scheduled to tour Australia and New Zealand in March. ‘Psychedelic Pill’ opens with ‘Driftin’ Back’, a gripping, 27-minute epic which starts with an acoustic intro (the only section of the album which was recorded in Kamuela, Hawaii) before it pokes down pathways that have been hinted at before, but never fully explored. Jesus, the Maharishi and Picasso make appearances in the song, Young noting how the images and messages associated with them are invariably corrupted or misconstrued. And, he fears, his own message and art have been corrupted and diminished by the very technology that has made it more accessible. Two other songs on the album touch in similarly expansive musical territory, the elegiac ode ‘Ramada Inn’ and the spirited prayer of ‘Walk Like A Giant’. Other highlights include ‘Born in Ontario’ which offers further detail and new perspectives to the explicitly autobiographical thread that winds back to ‘Helpless’; ‘Twisted Road’ is a joyous thank-you note to some of the others who inspired (and continue to inspire) him, with Bob Dylan (“Like Hank Williams chewin’ bubble gum / Askin’ me ‘How does it feel’”) at the fore; and the title track is phased, swirling stomp in which he honours the rock ‘n’ roll spirit at its most pure. Ticket Information: Tickets for Neil Young & Crazy Horse at the RDS Arena Dublin are priced from €60.00 and go on sale Tuesday 18 December at 9.00am from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide  by 24hour Telephone +353818719300 (ROI), +3538442774455 (NI) or book online www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Bon_Jovi_Live_at_Slane_CastleLocation: Slane Castle, Slane, Co Meath Bon Jovi have announced a trio of top Irish acts will join them for their highly anticipated Slane Castle concert on Saturday 15th June. The Coronas, Bressie and Hamsandwich will perform at the Meath venue with the Jersey rockers. Thin Lizzy headlined the inaugural concert in the summer of 1981 and since then Slane has hosted some of the most memorable and largest outdoor concerts in Ireland. The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Queen, Bob Dylan, Robbie Williams, David Bowie, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Kings Of Leon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis and REM are just some of the world renowned acts that have played at the venue The best just got bigger. Bringing their signature brand of rock ‘n’ roll back to the people, Jon Bon Jovi today announced from a live press conference held at Slane Castle that Bon Jovi will hit the road in 2013 to fill stadiums and arenas worldwide with “Bon Jovi Because We Can – The Tour” including a headline date at the historical Slane Castle on Saturday 15th June. Speaking of the announcement Lord Henry Mountcharles today said: "I have seen Bon Jovi live and was deeply impressed. They are one of the most successful touring acts in rock and roll history. Over the years I have been bombarded with requests for them to play Slane. Last week one from America read "Bon Jovi at Slane?! Could my dreams have come true! "Now I am thrilled to say those dreams are a reality." Blazing a trail across the globe, the tour will kick off in North America in February, just in time for Valentine’s Day, and travel throughout Europe, the Far East, Africa, Latin America and Australia. The band’s return to the road in 2013 will cap an incredible run which has secured Bon Jovi’s status as the essential live rock band – having performed more than 2,700 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 35 million fans, and earning the #1 grossing worldwide tour twice in just three years. “Because We Can – The Tour” will also debut brand new songs from new album What About Now, due out in Spring 2013, loading even more ammunition into the band’s huge arsenal of hits including “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” “It’s My Life,” and many more. With one of the greatest catalogues of songs in the history of rock n’ roll, Bon Jovi has sold more than 125 million albums and racked up a stellar resume of career accomplishments. Ticket Information: Tickets are available  from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide, by Telephone +353818719300 or online: www.ticketmaster.ie Tickets are limited to 8 per person. Under 16s must be accompanied by parent/guardian 25 or over. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Hairy_BowsiesThe Hairy Bowsies are a comedy ballad group featuring Ding Dong Denny O'Reilly & Scribbler O'Donohue (Joe Rooney). This is a full show featuring songs like: The Craic We Had The Day We Died For Ireland & The Potatoes Aren't Looking The Best. This is a high energy night with hilarious comedy ballad songs, funny monologues and a dancing tree. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Fresh_and_OnlysThe Fresh & Onlys (Mexican Summer) Friday June 14th The latest of many marvels to come out of San Francisco, that inexhaustible source of bands that insists on reproducing almost all the aspects of pop and rock from times past, answers to the name of The Fresh & Onlys. The band, a project shared by Tim Cohen and Shayde Sartin, goes much further than a simple revival taking a little from here and a little from there, sometimes from fifties rock, or from elastic garage or from the immaculate pop of the Byrds. With a handful of self-edited singles and cassettes, a self-titled debut from 2009, sophomore full length "Grey Eyed Girls" from 2010 and the EP "August in my Mind" the Californians newest release “Play It Strange” , is an incredible record of cheerful pop that can sound like R.E.M at times and the Cramps at others. To view video: Presence of Mind, Click Here Ticket Information: Tickets €13.00 (including booking) from www.tickets.ie & www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Harvest_a_tribute_to_Neil_YoungHarvest are Ireland's premier Neil Young tribute band and have toured all over the country since 2009. Harvest play a selection of songs from Neil Young's classic albums "Harvest", "After The Gold Rush", "Harvest Moon" & "Freedom". Fans can expect a 2hr+ set of songs from a career and back cataloguewhich spans over 40 years, including “Heart Of Gold”, “Old Man”, “Harvest Moon”, “Rockin’ In The Free World”, “Cowgirl In The Sand”, “Down By The River”, "Helpless”."Southern Man", "Comes A Time", "Cinnamon Girl", "Powderfinger", "Words" and "Ohio". As one fan recently put it, "Harvest play the songs that Neil doesn't". Harvest play at The Sugar Club in Dublin on Fri 14th Jun. Ticket Information: Tickets are €10 and are available at www.ticketmaster.ie  If you like Neil Young, you will love Harvest. Some quotes from fans: "Amazing gig tonight in Dolan's...come back soon!" "Had a great time at the gig and looking forward to the next one!!!!" "Fantastic gig. Really enjoyed it...Turn up the lead guitar - he is class" "super gig lads, well impressed! savage set list too" "Marathon gig lads, really enjoyed it, http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Robbie_Williams_Take_The_Crown_TourTickets go on sale on Thursday 28th February at 8:00am Robbie Williams is bringing his "Take The Crown Tour" to Aviva Stadium Friday 14 June with very special guest Olly Murs, for what will be a spectacular live show. Robbie hits the road this summer for a massive 21 date European tour including four nights at Wembley stadium. Over 600k tickets have now sold for the UK alone and in record time. This is a testament to the British icons' incredible and enduring appeal. Robbie: "I got such a buzz out of playing live again last year. The shows we did reminded me how special it is to play my songs in front of a huge audience, with all the excitement and adrenaline that it can bring. Bring on the tour!! ". Olly Murs "Everyone knows that I've been a huge admirer of Robbie for such a long time. He really is the consummate pop star. Robbie has been such an inspiration to me and I really still can't believe that we will be touring together!". In a career swarmed with awards, Robbie has sold a staggering 60 million albums (more records than any British solo artist in history). Six of these albums are among the top-selling 100 albums in the U.K. ever! Williams also appears in the Guinness Book of World Records for selling 1.6 million concert tickets in a day in 2006! Robbie's new single "Be A Boy" is due for release on 8 March. It is the opening track off his No.1 smash hit album "Take The Crown". Ticket Information: Tickets go on sale on Thursday 28 February at 8:00am. Tickets are priced from €69.50 and limited to 6 per transaction. Tickets will be available online at www.ticketmater.ie and all usal ticketmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Tri_lingual_Beckett_What_Would_I_Do_Without_This_SilenceVenue: Alliance Francaise, 1 Kildare Street, Dublin 2 Beckett poetry event with harp and visual art. Beckett's poetry is his least known work. Mouth on Fire are bringing it to the fore in three languages, performing his poetry at the Alliance Francaise in Dublin (French, Irish & English). Hearing the words in three languages with harp music (Anne Marie O Farrell) and visual imagery (Margaret Lonergan) heightens the experience; all poems translated by Gabriel Rosenstock. Produced by Mouth on Fire Theatre Company, Supported by Foras na Gaeilge and Alliance Francaise. This is a free event. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Danny_O_Mahony_and_Micheal_O_Rathallaigh_in_Concert_at_the_Steeple_SessionsVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Stephen's Green Danny O'Mahony is an accordion player and music teacher of renown from Ballyduff in North Kerry and is instantly recognised for his very distinctive and personal style of playing traditional Irish music. Danny, as well as teaching in the University of Limerick, is a presenter and producer of traditional music and song programmes for Radio Kerry. Danny released a solo recording 'In Retrospect' which features Danny playing alongside Patsy Broderick on piano, Cyril O' Donoghue on bouzouki and Johnny 'Ringo' McDonagh on bodhrán & bones. In Retrospect is an instrumental fusion of generational tradition where nostalgic tones are enhanced by the innovative instrumentals of a serious talent. A debut delight' – Irish Music Magazine. Micheál Ó Raghallaigh is widely regarded as one of the finest concertina players of his generation. He has recorded with many artists and has produced two solo albums to critical acclaim. He also recorded albums with the group Providence and Táin Céilí Band. He has toured Europe, Scandinavia and the USA, and is much sought after as a performer and tutor. Mícheál and Danny recently released a duet album called 'As It Happened?'. They got together in Co. Meath, as friends do who each other's style and the result is a recording of unmitigated, simple perfection, music which is not note for note but which exudes a soulful , raw communication between two great musicians. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Tallest_Man_On_EarthTickets on sale Monday 11th February @ 9.00am This summer will see the return of the Swedish artist The Tallest Man On Earth to Dublin following his ecstatically received sold out performance at Vicar Street in October 2012. The beautiful and intimate setting of the Iveagh Gardens will only enhance the magnetic, incomparable atmosphere that occurs at Kristian Matsson’s live shows. Very special guests will be announced in the coming weeks to join TTMOE on his biggest for his biggest Irish concert to date. “unforgettable live performances with one of the boldest, most captivating voices around.” – NPR “Matsson was born to sing these songs.” UNCUT Kristian Matsson, aka the Tallest Man on Earth, is a 29-year-old songwriter from Dalarna, Sweden. The first recordings from the Tallest Man on Earth surfaced in 2006 via a self-titled EP released on the Swedish independent label Gravitation. Matsson followed this EP with his 2008 full length, Shallow Grave, an album that drew accolades from the likes of NPR and Pitchfork. Many in North America were introduced to the Tallest Man on Earth on a tour with Bon Iver, including a stop for two shows at the legendary New York City venue Town Hall. The Tallest Man on Earth was winning over audiences through powerful performances, taking the stage alone with his acoustic guitar and captivating the crowds night after night. Fans continued to discover the Tallest Man on Earth through subsequent tours and word of mouth. In 2008 he visited KEXP's studio in Seattle and in 2009 performed for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series, which continued to help inform audiences. He was still touring without a publicist or a North American record label, but fans were devouring his stunning performances, both as real-life audience members and internet voyeurs, scouring the web for new fan videos of shows. In early 2010 Matsson signed with U.S. record label Dead Oceans and announced the release of his sophomore album, The Wild Hunt. Once again, it was a record rooted in songwriting and a deep folk tradition, with Matsson's wordplay and deft guitar work at the center. Praises for the Tallest Man on Earth continued to build, and throughout the tour in support of The Wild Hunt and the follow-up EP, Sometimes the Blues is Just A Passing Bird, the crowds grew in fervor and size. He sold out venues like Webster Hall in New York City, The Fillmore in San Francisco, Shepherd's Bush Empire in London and took the stage at festivals like Coachella, Green Man, Roskilde, Pitchfork and Sasquatch. The Tallest Man on Earth toured the world, with sold-out shows in places like Australia and South Africa. The word continued to travel. He also performed "King of Spain" on the legendary Jools Holland show. Matsson spent the winter months of late 2011 and early 2012 in his home studio in Dalarna, recording There's No Leaving Now, his third full-length album. It's another stunning set, and in support of this new album the Tallest Man on Earth is headlining a show at Town Hall, returning to the stage where he opened for Bon Iver and took some of the first steps of his journey. Ticket Information: Tickets on sale Monday 11th February @ 9.00am priced  €33.50  (including booking fee) from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Martin_Hayes_in_Concert_at_the_Steeple_SessionsVenue: The Unitarian Church, St. Stephen's Green A candle-lit concert of traditional Irish music by world class legendary fiddler, Martin Hayes. Martin Hayes is regarded as one of the most extraordinary talents to emerge in the world of Irish traditional music. His unique sound, his mastery of his chosen instrument – the violin – his acknowledgement of the past and his shaping of the future of the music, combine to create an astonishing and formidable artistic intelligence. He is the recipient of major national and international awards: the prestigious Gradam Ceoil, Musician of the Year 2008 from the Irish language television station TG 4; previously Man of the Year from the American Irish Historical Society; Folk Instrumentalist of the Year from BBC Radio; a National Entertainment Award (the Irish 'Grammy'); six All-Ireland fiddle championships. Come see him in concert at the Steeple Sessions in Dublin this July. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/SlayerDue to overwhelming demand Slayer have added a second show to The Academy on Tuesday 11th June. The first show on Monday 10th June is now sold out. Slayer were one of the most distinctive, influential, and extreme thrash metal bands of the 1980s. Their graphic lyrics deal with everything from death and dismemberment to war and the horrors of hell. Their full-throttle velocity, wildly chaotic guitar solos, and powerful musical chops paint an effectively chilling sonic background for their obsessive chronicling of the dark side; this correspondence has helped Slayer's music hold up arguably better than the remaining Big Three '80s thrash outfits (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax). Naturally, Slayer have stirred up quite a bit of controversy over the years, with rumors flying about Satanism and Nazism that have only added to their mystique. Over the years, Slayer put out some high-quality albums, including one undisputed classic (Reign in Blood), and saw the numbers of naysayers and detractors shrinking as their impact on the growing death metal movement was gradually and respectfully acknowledged. Slayer have survived with arguably the most vitality and the least compromise of any pre-Nirvana metal band, and their intensity still inspires similar responses from their devoted fans. Slayer were formed in 1982 in Huntington Beach, CA, by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman; also recruited were bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo. They started out playing covers of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden songs, but quickly discovered that they could get attention (and fans) by exploiting threatening, satanic imagery. The band was invited by Metal Blade's Brian Slagel to contribute a track to the Metal Massacre, Vol. 3 compilation (a series that also saw the vinyl debuts of Metallica and Voivod); a contract and debut album, Show No Mercy, followed shortly thereafter. While Slayer's early approach was rather cartoonish, their breakneck speed and instrumental prowess were still highly evident. Two EPs, Haunting the Chapel and Live Undead, were released in 1984, but 1985's Hell Awaits refined their lyrical obsessions into a sort of concept album about damnation and torture and made an immediate sensation in heavy metal circles, winning Slayer a rabid cult following. Slayer remained quiet for a few years; the only new material released after 1990 was a duet with Ice-T recorded for the Judgment Night soundtrack on a medley of songs by the Exploited. After leaving the Forbidden, Paul Bostaph signed on as the new drummer for 1994's Divine Intervention, which was released to glowing reviews; thanks to the new death metal movement, which drew upon Slayer and particularly Reign in Blood for its inspiration,Slayer were hailed as metal innovators. The album was a massive success, debuting at number eight on the Billboard album charts. The band continue to tour and there are plans for a new album. Ticket Information: Tickets €42.50 on sale this Friday 8th March from Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.ie. Over 18’s – ID required http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Scott_Ian_Anthrax_Speaking_Words_Tour_2013The tour comes in light of his highly successful spoken word evening at The Garage, London in November 2012. "In a rare outing Scott will do a spoken word performance. The show is very entertaining and funny, filled with stories from his 30+ years of travelling around the world. The night concludes with a Q & A where the audience gets to ask Scott what they want to know." “My first 'Speaking Words' tour and I get to do it in the UK and Ireland? Really? Wow, how fucking cool is that!!! My one-off show in London went so well and now I get to speak words at you all over the place. Thank you for having a superior sense of humour. I'm calling it 'Speaking Words' because the pretension of saying I am doing a 'Spoken Word' tour is too much to bear. This ain't no poetry reading. This isn't an evening of sensitive discourse. It's an evening of ridiculous truth. It's me talking (swearing) about this insane life I've led over the last 31 years, the people I've met and the shit that's happened. And when I'm done swearing, you can ask me anything you want, the floor is yours. Cheers my friends, see you in May and June.” Scott Ian In a career spanning three decades, Scott Ian, as the co-founding member of Anthrax, helped to create the “New Wave of American Heavy Metal” or as it’s more commonly known, “Thrash Metal” in the mid-80’s. Scott is widely known as the face of Anthrax, and for being a constant and extremely recognizable figure in the worlds of music, poker, comics, movies and television. In a rare outing Scott will do a spoken word performance. The show is very entertaining and funny, filled with stories from his 30+ years of travelling around the world. The night concludes with a Q & A where the audience gets to ask Scott what they want to know. Scott Ian’s ‘Speaking Words’ tour will be sponsored by Metal Hammer magazine. "Geek, author, guitarist, icon: when it comes to recounting the history of metal, Scott Ian's the man - catch him while you can" Alex Milas – Editor Metal Hammer     Ticket Information: Tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.ie & usual outlets nationwide, Sound Cellar & Into The Void Records. Mainly seated show - unreserved seating, This is an 18+ event. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Philharmonia_Orchestra_Christoph_von_Dohnanyi_conductor_Paul_Lewis_piano As part of the International Orchestras Series in The International Concert Series 2012/2013 Opening work to be announced Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 Dvorák Symphony No. 9 in E minor, From the New World The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the world’s great orchestras. Acknowledged as the UK’s foremost musical pioneer, with an extraordinary recording legacy, the Philharmonia leads the field for its quality of playing, and for its innovative approach to audience development, residencies, music education and the use of new technologies in reaching a global audience The Orchestra’s extensive touring schedule this season includes performances in more than 30 of the finest international concert halls in Europe, and China with conductors including Esa-Pekka Salonen, Lorin Maazel and Kurt Masur. Throughout its history, the Philharmonia Orchestra has been committed to finding new ways to bring its top quality live performance to audiences worldwide, and to using new technologies to achieve this. Many millions of people since 1945 have enjoyed their first experience of classical music through a Philharmonia recording, and in 2011/12 audiences can engage with the Orchestra through webcasts, podcasts, downloads, computer games and film scores as well as through its unique interactive music education website, The Sound Exchange. Christoph von Dohnányi became Honorary Conductor for Life of the Philharmonia Orchestra at the start of the 2008/09 Season. This highly successful partnership began in 1994 when he was appointed Principal Guest Conductor and, from 1997 onwards, he held the position of Principal Conductor. Dohnányi is also in demand as a guest conductor in the US and regularly conducts the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, The Philadelphia, New York Philharmonic and The Cleveland orchestras. Paul Lewis is internationally recognised as one of the leading pianists of his generation. His many awards have included the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Instrumentalist of the Year Award, the South Bank Show Classical Music Award, the Diapason d’or de l’annee and many more. Recent and forthcoming highlights include concerts in Europe and the US with the London Symphony Orchestra, performances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, LA Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, London Philharmonic, Phiharmonia, NHK Symphony, Boston Symphony, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus and Tonhalle Orchestras. Paul Lewis studied with Ryszard Bakst at Chethams School of Music and Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, before going on to study privately with Alfred Brendel. Along with his wife the Norwegian cellist Bjørg Lewis, he is artistic director of Midsummer Music, an annual chamber music festival held in Buckinghamshire, UK. Presented by The National Concert Hall       http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Who_Quadrophenia_and_moreTickets are on sale this Friday, 1 February at 9.00am The Who, one of rock’s legendary and defining bands, has announced an Irish and UK arena tour where they’ll perform their iconic 1973 double album Quadrophenia in its entirety, along with a selection of Who classics. The critically acclaimed Quadrophenia marked the British band’s second rock opera (after Tommy), raised the bar for rock albums as an art form, hit #2 on the UK album chart and massively influenced the future of UK style, fashion and culture – from Paul Weller to Bradley Wiggins, from Paul Smith to Noel Gallagher.  The album’s title is a variation on the popular usage of the medical diagnostic term schizophrenia and exemplifies the four varying personalities of the band members who created the album. IGN placed Quadrophenia at No. 1 on its list of the greatest classic rock albums of all time and Q magazine placed Quadrophenia on its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. It features such classic Who songs as “The Real Me,” “5:15” and “Love Reign o’er Me.” The band, founded in 1964, brought together four different personalities and in effect produced a musical hurricane.  Each of them was a pioneer. Wildman drummer Keith Moon beat his kit with a chaotic elegance; stoic bassist John Entwistle held down the center with the melodic virtuosity of a solo guitarist; raging intellectual Pete Townshend punctuated the epic universality of his songs with the windmill slamming of his fingers across his guitar strings; and Roger Daltrey roared above it all with an impossibly virile macho swagger. They exploded conventional rhythm and blues structures, challenged pop music conventions, and redefined what was possible on stage, in the recording studio, and on vinyl. The film Quadrophenia starred a young Sting, Phil Daniels, Ray Winstone, Trevor Laird and Lesley Ash. John Lydon (Rotten) was screen tested for a part, but the idea was dropped when insurance became an issue! Quadrophenia became one of the key influential, independent British movies, alongside other gritty real life films (known as ‘angry young man films’), like “Scum”, “The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner” and “Look Back In Anger”. This new concert version of Quadrophenia, personally directed by Roger Daltrey, focuses on the original album and replaces the narrative used in previous stage versions with powerful imagery projected on an array of massive screens, designed to support, complement and propel the musical content of the work by setting it in the context of the history of the band. This is achieved to startling effect. “Quadrophenia and its coming-of-age story unfolded in songs that blended nuance and noise, a spectacle grand and gritty,” writes the Orlando Sentinel. The Who’s 10-date Ireland and UK tour features founding members Roger Daltreyand Pete Townshend, who will be joined by Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), Simon Townshend (guitar/backing vocals), John Corey (keyboards), Loren Gold (keyboards/backing vocals) and Frank Simes (musical director, keyboards/backing vocals). Pete Townshend on “Quadrophenia” Why do you think the music, the themes of “Quadrophenia”--both the album and film adaptation--resonate so strongly today? In 1972 I was twenty-eight, writing about London and Brighton in 1963 and 1964 when the band was just starting. I was still young enough to remember how it felt to be sixteen or seventeen, and at war with my parents, bosses and authority. I could still remember that feeling of struggling to fit in, something that happened to me when I was even younger, around fourteen, and everyone around me seemed to have got their lives on track. This is such a universal experience for young people that it has echoed. (It also seems that many of the first fans of the album don't want to let it go; it connects them now, just as it did the band, with the important emotions and frustrations of growing up, the poignancy of it all. The film took the musical journey into the real world, and gave it flesh. That could have been a problem, but the Mod look is subtle, and cool, and so it doesn't suffer the way some other youth films have. I've come to appreciate that the film has become almost more important than the album in some ways, especially in the visual age we live in.) In this singles-driven digital age, there are artists now singing the praises of the album as an art-form and playing their own albums from front-to-back onstage.  Since ‘Quadrophenia’ represents the album aesthetic in its highest form, what are your thoughts about the importance of albums these days for artists and audiences? Mod was over in the South of England by the spring of 1965, and in a sense the band had changed too. We were less pure, less an R&B band and becoming more of a singles-oriented pop band. So there is an irony in the fact that when I decided we needed to reconnect with that vitally important and colourful period of our career, and our lives as young men trying to pursue a dream of becoming famous and respected, I realised I would need a double album. I'm pleased to hear about artists who uphold the album as an art-form. Album. Art. The questioner's words here, but I have often been ridiculed for using them about  pop music in the past. The digital medium is only just starting to lend itself to long form work. So I expect to see more of it. It was once thought new music fans had a low attention span; but what they reveal is immense commitment to researching what touches them most deeply, and as the internet gets faster they can find what they seek more quickly. Once a connection is made, it can be extremely deep and long-lasting. This is really just another echo: this is how it was back in the '60s. Singles first, then albums. Maybe the preponderance of singles on the internet has made the album feel special again? Maybe the old way of listening to music – in longer sittings – is finding its way back into vogue? A journey, for example, is an opportunity to listen to something longer, and easy to carry mobile music has made that possible. Ticket information: Tickets are on sale this Friday, 1 February at 9.00am from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and online at www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/GoitseGoitse’s distinctive sound lies in the quality of their own compositions interspersed with well-known traditional tunes. Young, talented and winning feverish plaudits for their Donal Lunny produced second album, Transformed. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/PictureHouse_at_Vicar_StreetPictureHouse have announced details about their new album which will be launched with a gig in Vicar Street on June 7th. Fresh off the back of their sold out show at The Village and appearances on The Late Late Show and The Pat Kenny show,  the recently reformed and new look PictureHouse enlisted fans to help name their new album “Evolution”. Recorded in Sweden and Ireland over a 14 month period, “Evolution” includes a number of co-writes with Lasse Anderson, who boasts Emilia’s “Big Big World” amongst his credits. His Dad, Stig, was ABBA’s manager and occasional songwriter. Best known for the summer hits “Sunburst”, “Heavenly Day”, and “Everybody Loves My Girl”, Picturehouse have been live favourites for over a decade having toured relentlessly with the likes of The Corrs, The Saw Doctors, Runrig, Meat Loaf, Mel C, Texas, Bon Jovi, The Divine Comedy, Fish and Big Country, they also famously played to over a million people in 1999 earning countless rave reviews and plaudits along the way. Ticket Information: Tickets for this highly anticipated gig on June 7th are available NOW from www.ticketmaster.ie & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide priced €23.00 (including booking fee). +353818719300 - Republic of Ireland customers http://www.visitdublin.com/event/JoyceSong_in_the_Tower_John_Feeley_and_Fran_O_RourkeLocation - Martello Tower Sandycove Joyce’s interest in classical music, especially opera, is well documented; less well known are the pervasive allusions throughout his writings to songs from the Irish tradition. In a series of recitals John Feeley and Fran O’Rourke with Joyce’s recently restored guitar will perform Irish songs with a Joyce connection. Included in the programme will be the forgotten air used by James Joyce for his concert performance of “Salley Gardens”, and Goldsmith’s song “The Jolly Pigeons” which Joyce taught to the actor who played Tony Lumpkin in his Zurich production of She Stoops to Conquer. Joyce’s favourite Greek/French song, recently rediscovered, will also be included. These recitals take place in the Martello tower in Sandycove which feature in the opening pages of Ulysses. The performance of Joyce’s favourite Irish songs, to accompaniment on Joyce’s own guitar, in this intimate atmosphere promises to be a very special event. On Sunday 9 June Feeley and O’Rourke will be joined by internationally acclaimed Irish poet Paul Muldoon who will read from his work. Ticket Information:  Tickets from Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire: www.paviliontheatre.ie  Wed 5—Sat 8 June, Mon 10 June: €18 Sun 9 June (with Paul Muldoon): €30 As capacity is limited, early booking is advised http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Global_Express_A_Family_Concert_for_Young_ChildrenRoom: Main Auditorium Presented by Paul Rissmann James Cavanagh conductor   R. Strauss Introduction (Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30) [2’] Copland Hoe down (Rodeo) [3’30] Bizet Habanera (Carmen Suite No. 2) [2’] Bizet Les Toréadors (Carmen Suite No. 1) [2’] Anderson The Irish Washerwoman (Irish Suite) [3’] Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel) Pictures at an Exhibition (excerpts) [15’] Paul Rissmann The Meerkat Tango [4’] Zimmer (arr. Lavender & Longfield) Pirates of the Caribbean (highlights) [3’] Presented as part of FORTE! The RTÉ NSO’s Musical Discovery Programme Concert with on-screen presentation and audience participation Music to engage, excite and entertain the whole family! Prepare to be transported into space by Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra and back down-to-earth again (the Wild West, to be exact) to become a cowboy in Copland’s Rodeo, a bullfighter in Bizet’s Carmen, a Pirate of the Caribbean in music from the film, before losing yourself in Mussorgsky’s magical and mysterious Pictures at an Exhibition. You’ll even get an opportunity to sing along with the audience as the orchestra performs the curiously named Meerkat Tango written by our presenter Paul Rissmann. Ticket Information: Prices: €15 (adult) €13.50 (concessions) €10 (child) 10% discount for Groups of 10 or more 5% discount for Groups of 5 or more and RTE Subscribers. Family tickets available Presented by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra http://www.visitdublin.com/event/The_Legend_of_Luke_Kelly_Pavillion_TheatreChris Kavanagh and the band have been performing this heartfelt tribute since 2001. They are honoured to be the first to tribute the late Dubliner. They have been selling out shows home and abroad for years now, and have also recorded an album of self penned songs, with the influence of Luke Kelly on board. Chris was honoured further when The Dubliners asked him to perform on their 2011 German tour. He was so successful that they invited him on stage again at their 50th anniversary shows in Dublins Vicar St. Chris is also featured on their anniversary DVD. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Handels_Messiah_ConcertRoom: Main Auditorium RBS Europa Choir and the Dublin Handel Orchestra directed by Jeremy Jackman Catherine Redding, Soprano Sharon Carty, Mezzo-soprano Thomas Herford, Tenor Johny Herford, Bass Jeremy Jackman, former King’s Singer and Chorus Master of the London Philharmonic, is now one of the UK’s most highly regarded choral conductors. This special performance of Handel’s well-loved Messiah is based on original performances conducted by the composer. The RBS Europa Choir from the UK are joined by the Dublin Handel Orchestra and a quartet of distinguished international soloists including Ireland’s Catherine Redding and Sharon Carty. Ticket Information: Prices: €30, €27.50, €25, €20 (Choir Balcony) Concessions: €27, €24.75, €22.50, €18 (Choir Balcony) 20% discount for Friends of the National Concert Hall 10% discount for Groups of 10 or more. Presented by The RBS Europa Choir http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Forbidden_Fruit_Festival'A festival like this has been a long time coming, one that combines music, art, fashion and simple good vibes into a two-day city-based event' (Irish Times). Kasabian and Primal Scream will headline this year’s Forbidden Fruit festival in Dublin. The two-day event, set to take place in the grounds of IMMA at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on June 1-2, will also feature sets from Chic, Crystal Castles, James Blake and Four Tet. Irish acts including Le Galaxie, Fight Like Apes and Tieranniesaur will also perform. The full Forbidden Fruit line-up is: Saturday June 1: Kasabian, Crystal Castles, James Blake, Neon Neon, Lee Scratch Perry, Iamamiwhoami, Le Galaxie, Fight Like Apes, Kormac’s Big Band, Tieranniesaur, Girls Names. Sunday June 2: Primal Scream, Chic, Four Tet, Everything Everything, Woodkid, Austra, Daphni, Daughter, Cyril Hahn, Mykki Blanco, Bondax, New Jackson, Frank B. Ticket Information: Tickets are on sale from online www.ticketmaster.ie and all usual ticketmaster outlets nationwide http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Help_a_Dublin_Child_The_GigFM104 in conjunction with the ISPCC is delighted to announce “The Gig” on Bank Holiday Friday, May 31st in the Olympia Theatre, featuring The Original Rudeboys, Ryan Sheridan, This Club & many more special guests to be added! Tickets priced from €35 on sale now via Ticketmaster. All proceeds will be donated to FM104’s Help a Dublin Child. There on the night, will be Jim-Jim and Nobby and the Strawberry Alarm Clock team, Adrian and Jeremy the FM104 Phoneshow and PJ Gallagher. This is always a great night and a sell out, so get your ticket now from Ticketmaster! http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Slam_Dunk_IrelandVenue: The Academy Dublin - Three Rooms Slam Dunk are very pleased to announce that they are extending their critically acclaimed festival even further this year and will host a show in The Academy, Dublin on Wednesday 29th May. Slam Dunk Ireland will take over The Academy, with live shows in the main room and Academy 2, and Lockdown DJs playing in the Green Room. Tickets from €18 will go on sale this Friday at 9am from Ticketmaster.ie and Ticketmaster outlets. But the party doesn't stop there! For attendees over 18 years of age, the Green Room will then host a special aftershow party starting once the live acts finish, with Lockdown DJs playing until late. Slam Dunk have selected a handful of outstanding bands already performing at the main festival, and are bringing them over to Dublin to give music lovers a chance to experience Slam Dunk Festival on a smaller, but just as incredible scale. Confirmed to play this brand new and exciting extension of the festival are rock champions Four Year Strong and pop punk favourites The Wonder Years. The last time these two bands shared a stage in Ireland was back in 2011 on the Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour. There's something for fans of heavier acts as well, with the mindblowing Bury Tomorrow and Yashin confirmed. And local music is represented by current Kerrang! faves Wounds, Red Enemy and Jody Has A Hitlist. Currently the lineup will see the following acts play across two rooms in the venue: Four Year Strong The Wonder Years Bury Tomorrow Yashin Man Overboard Fireworks Wounds Red Enemy Jody Has A Hitlist Slam Dunk creator Ben Ray says ‘After running Slam Dunk Scotland for a number of years, and with the addition of Wales last year it felt only right that the next step would be to take it over to Ireland. We choose Dublin as we have already been invited over there a couple of times to run the club night and we have made some great friends over there. I’m happy now to say there is a Slam Dunk event which is fairly near to everyone in the UK and Ireland, allowing everyone to come and see this great line-up! Ticket Information: Tickets for live show €18.00 incl. booking fee (over 14s admitted - no alcohol served) Tickets for the live show including after show party €22 incl.booking fee (over 18s only - full bar - ID required) http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Lana_Del_Rey Sometimes stars emerge. Sometimes stars are thrust upon us. And sometimes stars simply slip into the atmosphere as if propelled by something otherworldly. It is into this last category that the astonishing presence, voice, look and feel of Lana Del Rey falls. Musical stardom is not an option with Ms Del Rey. It is her vocation. She calls herself the "gangsta Nancy Sinatra" and defines her genre as "Hollywood pop/ sadcore", a dramatic new loop for pop music. Her look she describes as"Lolita got lost in the 'hood". Get used to it all. This isn't just soundbite, it's Lana's reality. After scrapes in and out of the music industry, holding onto the fastidious dreams of the possibilities for Lana Del Rey, a breathtaking musical landscape began to emerge. Brittle, emotional, cascading with cinematic reference points, her songwriting started to turn technicolour. The tainted glamour of 'Video Games', with its lyrical leanings towards the verbal loquacity of hip hop and its noir-ish melodic feeling for torch singing, was a beginning for her. "I had found a sound that thrilled and intrigued me. Shockingly enough, 'Video Games' was a key moment for me. I was chasing hits, fast songs. I would be wondering 'how am I going to pole-dance in the spotlight to this, then?' I put up 'Video Games' for myself. It was slow, it was a ballad, it kind of had no chorus. I put it up on Youtube and it worked. Every day there were thousands more views. I just sat there wondering where these people were coming from. I had no idea how they'd heard it but people came and started talking to me because of that song. It was not what I expected. But what a relief. If I could have a shot at singing my Hollywood glam ballads as well as my more upbeat gangsta brother versions of those songs, that would be great. Just not having to try and sing like other people." Lana faced the fear while clocking up strong experiences to back up her magical musical storytelling.  All of these intimacies coalesced on the debut album Born To Die released early 2012. Complementing the lush orchestration of 'Video Games', there is a mountain of music that she has crafted lovingly in the studio. From the haunting timbres of 'Born To Die' to the hip hop influenced 'National Anthem', Lana Del Rey's music sounds unique like it has arrived bespoke to the artist. Lana has received 3 nominations at this year’s MTV EMA Awards – Best Alternative, Best New and Best Push.  BORN TO DIE – The Paradise Edition is released on 9th November 2012  with 8 brand new songs including ‘Blue Velvet’ and the new single ‘Ride’. Tickets are available  online at  www.ticketmaster.ie and also available from all usual Ticketmaster outlets http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Friends_In_Low_Places_The_Rodeo_Tour_2013Fresh from a sell-out nationwide tour in 2012 which included the INEC and the Waterfront in Belfast, Due to phenomenal demand Friends In Low Places’ better known as “The Ultimate Garth Brooks Experience” makes its return to Dublin’s Vicar St. Venue on Saturday the 25th of May. Friends In Low Places is fronted by well known country singer Trevor Smith and features an array of top class to make up the completely live and very talented eight-piece band. You can expect to hear all the greatest hits of American country-music legend Garth Brooks who rose to fame worldwide in the 1990’s with his own brand of country music which spawned such classic hits such as, “If Tomorrow Never Comes”, Friends In Low Places”, “The Dance”, “Baton Rouge”, “Shameless”, “Unanswered Prayers” and many more! Garth Brooks became the biggest selling solo artist of the 20th Century as he packed out stadiums and concert halls around the world with his electrifying live performances. You can expect the same electrifying show that Garth is renowned for with the state of the art light and sound production at “Friends In Low Places”. Their new show features an amazing lighting production, flames, ramps, moving platforms and much more! This show really is a must see for any Brook’s fan and is promised to offer you the next best thing to the man himself! “If you can’t make it to see Garth Brooks live, Friends In Low Places is as close as you’ll get to experiencing the country legend’s dynamic stage performances. This fond tribute show uncannily matches the great man’s country authenticity with an exciting standard of showmanship and stage-craft that are rare in modern country music.”  - Jackie Hayden - Hot Press Magazine Ticket Information: Tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.ie  & Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/WidowspeakWidowspeak is an American band comprised of Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas, known for its dreamy, western-tinged take on rock and roll. The outfit formed in 2010 and released two singles in 2011 (Harsh Realm, Gun Shy) followed by a debut album (self-titled) in the summer of that year, all on Brooklyn label Captured Tracks. Widowspeak was praised for its reverential spaciousness, Hamilton’s haunting voice, and Thomas’s spindly, Morricone-esque guitar lines; both drawing on 1950′s pop ballads and 1970′s psych, creating languid call-and-response melodies. The band then toured extensively, wearing in their warm, nostalgic sound. Widowspeak began to write what would become their second record, Almanac, at the start of 2012, as popular fears of the apocalypse became imminently close to realization. Though not totally convinced of catastrophic disaster coinciding with the year’s conclusion, Hamilton nevertheless began writing lyrics seeped in doomsday imagery, darkness and dread, inspired by the idea of such a universal experience of the end. The album was recorded by Kevin McMahon (Swans, Real Estate) in a hundred year old barn in the Hudson River Valley of New York State during the transition from summer to fall. Producing with McMahon, Thomas expanded on the band’s demos, crafting layers of guitar, Rhodes piano, organ and harmonium. Almanac was released by Captured Tracks in January 2013. To view video: Locusts Click Here Ticket Information: Tickets €12.00 (including booking) from www.tickets.ie & www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/3rd_Ballinteer_International_Male_Voice_Choir_Festival Venue: St John the Evangelist Church, Ballinteer Avenue This is the 3rd International Male Voice Choir Festival held in Ballinteer - following on the success of the previous festivals in 2008 and 2010. The visiting choirs - Coro la Martinella from Italy and Choeur d'Hommes d'Ajou from France will join us at a reception in the Mansion House hosted by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Naoise O Muiri, on Friday 24th May. On Saturday 25th May, all choirs will visit Marlay Park Farmers Market, and will give impromptu performances throughout the morning. They will visit the Guinness Store House in the afternoon - prior to the Gala Concert in St John the Evangelist Church on Ballinteer Avenue at 8pm. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Alicia_Keys_Girl_On_Fire_The_Tour Tickets on sale next Thursday 29th November at 9.00am Fourteen-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, and producer Alicia Keys will hit Irish shores next May when she showcases her highly anticipated fifth studio album, GIRL ON FIRE. Keys will set the UK and Ireland alight with arena dates in Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, London, Belfast and Dublin. GIRL ON FIRE will be released in Ireland by Sony on 23rd November 2012. “I’m in love with this album!! It is full of new beginnings, new perspectives and fresh starts,” said Keys. “I’m so excited to be touring again and it’s great to be back in the UK!!! I Love it here and I’m looking forward to performing and feeling the energy of the crowd—there’s nothing like it. I plan to bring you something Emotional and exciting! I’m a brand new me!” Since the 2001 release of her monumental debut album, songs in A minor, Keys has built an unparalleled repertoire of hits and accomplishments with more than 30 million albums and 30 million singles sold worldwide, and over one hundred award wins, including fourteen Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards and three MTV Europe Awards. The first single off the upcoming album of the same name, “Girl On Fire” featuring Nicki Minaj, is now available to download. The album was written and produced by Alicia alongside collaborators Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Bruno Mars), Salaam Remi (Amy Winehouse, Nas), Frank Ocean, Emile Sande, and Jamie XX among others. The announcement of Alicia Keys’ forthcoming GIRL ON FIRE – THE TOUR comes hot off the heels of Keys’ show-stopping performances at the MTV EMA’s 2012 in Frankfurt, Radio 1 Xtra Live in Birmingham and on The X Factor. Ticket Information: 24hr Credit Card Bookings +353818719300, Book on line www.ticketmaster.ie Also available from all usual Ticketmaster outlets  http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Albert_Lee_and_Hogans_HerosAlbert Lee, by common consent one of the world’s finest guitar-players, needs no introduction to Country Music & Rock fans. He has worked with some of the world's top artists, from Emmylou Harris to the Everly Brothers, Dolly Parton to Eric Clapton. In November 2002, at Eric's request, Albert appeared at the star-studded Memorial Concert for George Harrison at London's Albert Hall, and was featured alongside Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill and Eric Clapton at Eric’s 2007 and 2010 Crossroads guitar festival. He is also a member of Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, and fronted the band at the O2 arena on the night of the Led Zeppelin reunion concert. Albert is a double Grammy award winning musician, whose talents continue to be in demand by fellow performers the world throughout. http://www.visitdublin.com/event/ZuccheroItalian superstar Zucchero has announced an Olympia date on Monday 20th May. The Grammy award nominee has sold over 40 million records across the world during his 40 year career including a number 1 hit in Ireland with Senza Una Donna. On Friday, October 19th the first worldwide single "Guantanamera (Guajira)" was simultaneously on radio and available across all digital stores. New album "La Sesión Cubana", recorded in Havana and featuring collaborations from some of Cuba's most important musicians, was released worldwide on November 20th. "La Sesión Cubana", produced by Zucchero and Don Was, and mixed by Michael Brauer, combines seven brand new songs with six newly arranged Zucchero hits ("Baila", "Un Kilo", "Così Celeste", "Cuba Libre", "Everybody's got to learn sometime" and "L'Urlo"). The new recordings consist of the first single "Guantanamera (Guajira)", adapted by Zucchero into Italian, original compositions "Love is all around" and "Sabor a ti", and covers "Never is a moment", "Nena", "Pana" and "Ave Maria no morro". "Nena" and "Pana" are in Spanish, the second one in duet with the brilliant artist Bebe, and "Ave Maria no morro", sang in Portuguese, is a duet with one of the most prestigious singers of contemporary Brazilian music, Djavan. Zucchero describes his new album in his own words: My music, as everybody knows, comes from blues, from soul, from gospel. This project is a trip from New Orleans to Cuba via Mexicali. Latin, Cuban, tex-mex sounds and rhythms melt together dancing. "Hasta l'asta siempre". Ticket Information: Tickets for Zucchero live at The Olympia Theatre on sale now from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and online at  www.ticketmaster.ie http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Urban_Mojo_BluesBand: The Mojo Witnesses Dates: Friday 1st March, Friday 5th April, Friday 10th May & Friday 7th June Paying homage to the legends of blues and classic rock. Live music as it should be. Loud and rockin'... Members: Gerry Atrix - Guitar & vocals / Andy Winneris - Guitar & vocals / Johnnie The Fox – Bass / Keith the beat – Drums Entry is Free of charge   http://www.visitdublin.com/event/Weekly_Sunday_Jazz_Brunch_at_Cafe_en_Seine_with_Stella_Bass"...a talented young singer" (Irish Independent) Stella Bass, one of Ireland’s top young jazz singers continues her weekly residency in the elegant surroundings of Dublin’s top café bar, Café en Seine. Each Sunday, her quartet plays swing and light jazz favourites from the Great American Songbook from 2pm - 4.00pm in the relaxed environment of this stylish and cosmopolitan venue - from Ella Fitzgerald to Louis Armstrong to Frank Sinatra…even Amy Winehouse and U2 have been given a jazz twist by this talented and entertaining quartet! This event occures weekly, every Sunday.