The Autumn: Winter series continues this Friday, Saturday

THE SUPERBLY titled Autumn:Winter Collection series of shows continues with a double-header of gigs in the atmospheric St. John’s Church this weekend, with some of Limerick’s top bands taking to the stage on Friday night and Sharon Shannon bringing her accordion to the altar on Saturday night.

The series - which will see Bell X1 and Villagers appear in the church in the coming months - marks a special date this Friday when promoters Eightball.ie celebrate the ninth birthday of the Limerick Event Guide with a very special show in the intimate 14th century church.
The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra, We Should Be Dead and Walter Mitty and The Realists will provide a very special show to celebrate the milestone, while an after-party will take place in the Loft at the Locke Bar, featuring top local DJs Leon and A2DF, Greenwood and Broken Funk.

Chart-topping trad musician Sharon Shannon takes to the stage the night afterward, providing fans the opportunity to see the Clare-born artist - one of the finest of her generation - perform her popular songs in the jaw-dropping venue. Shannon’s debut solo album, which featured U2’s Adam Clayton, became the biggest-selling Irish folk album ever, and was released after she quit university in Cork in the late 80s to concentrate on music, later joining The Waterboys.
“School for me was like prison, so to be able to just do what I loved and get paid for it and be free during the day, to just learn more music and be myself and be happy, was amazing,” Sharon has said.
Saints & Scoundrels, her most recent album, features songs from a superstar cast that includes Imelda May, Jerry Fish, The Waterboys, Carol Keogh and Shane MacGowan.
Backed by her four-piece band, Shannon will perform an evening of the finest traditional music from her extensive and number one selling back catalogue, which should prove to be a big hit with local music fans.

The Limerick Event Guide 9th birthday takes place on Friday, October 29, Sharon Shannon on Saturday, October 30.
Doors for both shows open at 8pm. Tickets are available from Euro Empire on 061-317211.

Rubberbandits, Sharon Shannon for St. John's Church series

THOSE nice folks over at Eightball.ie have given us a heads up on the next acts to form part of the Autumn:Winter Collection series of shows to be staged in the delightful St. John’s Church, which already includes sold out gigs with Bell X1 and Villagers over the next two months.

The local promoters have announced a further three series dates, including a rare opportunity to see the superb Sharon Shannon in the intimate 14th century church, plus a unique and innovative “Intimate Evening With The Rubberbandits”.

Eightball.ie will also celebrate the ninth birthday of the popular Limerick Event Guide magazine with a show featuring the cream of the crop of local musical talent at the end of October.

The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra, We Should Be Dead, Walter Mitty and The Realists, Nick Carswell and the Elective Orchestra and more will come together to celebrate the LEG’s ninth birthday, followed by a party in The Loft @ The Locke Bar afterward, with top local DJs taking to the stage, including Leon and A2DF, Greenwood and Broken Funk.

Chart-topping trad musician Sharon Shannon will take to the stage in St. John’s Church the night afterward, providing fans the opportunity to see the Clare-born artist - one of the finest of her generation - perform her popular songs in the jaw-dropping venue.

Backed by her four-piece band, Shannon will perform an evening of the finest traditional music from her extensive and number one selling back catalogue, which should prove to be a big hit with local music fans.

However, the gig that has us most excited is the news that dastardly duo, The Rubberbandits, will step onto the St. John’s Church alter for a night of insanity and hilarity - big news after selling out a gig in Dolan’s Warehouse recently, and ahead of scheduled national television appearances, including a regular slot on RTE’s top rated comedy show.

The plastic-bag wearing comedians/rappers are planning a live interview as well as performing some of their most popular songs, and this is a must for any self-respecting Rubberbandits fan.

The Limerick Event Guide 9th birthday takes place on October 29, Sharon Shannon on October 30 and the Rubberbandits on November 20.

Tickets are available from Euro Empire on 061-317211.

Caprice and the Meteor Ireland Awards

One of the more interesting evenings I have spent recently was last Tuesday in the company of this lady - well, I was in the same room as Caprice, trying hard to pretend I wasn't drooling in her direction..

Yes, attended the Meteor Ireland Music Awards - in other words I spent my St. Patrick's Day in the company of the 'great and the good' from the Irish music scene, plus various luminaries from the television and modelling worlds, and some other assorted celebrities.

Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson), Louis Walsh, Bernard Dunne, Padraig Harrington, half of RTE, Michelle Doherty, Westlife/Boyzone, Grainne and Sile Seoige, Lorraine Keane, Duke Special, MTV's Laura Whitmore, Republic of Loose and more milled around beforehand, adding some level of glamour to the occasion.

RTE tried hard to inject the proceedings with a feeling of pomp and ceremony, but watching clips on television last night, it all felt a lot flatter than it did on the night. There was a mixed bag of performers, but the performances themselves were surprisingly good. Even Boyzone sang live, or at Keating and the other fella did anyway, whatever about the other three, who hardly looked like they were even attempting to mime..

Kelly Jones and the Phonics dragged themselves from obscurity to open the show, playing a medley of songs from their recent Best of collection, an exercise that really served only to remind what a decent band they once were, mixing Maybe Tomorrow with More Life in a Tramp's Vest, Local Boy in a Photograph etc.. time to knock it on the head now, methinks.

Amanda Byram hosted, but spent most of the show trying to liven proceedings up with a series of bawdy jokes that fitted ill-at-ease with the largely teen audience that did its best to explode eardrums as James Morrison, Enrique Iglesias (can you believe this guy has sold 60 million albums and is soon-to-be Mr Kournikova) Boyzone and the Blizzards all performed, vying for their attentions and single-buying power.

Elbow were class, scooping Best International Band to the bemusement of most in attendance, and performing a storming version of Grounds for Divorce that reminded how good they were at Electric Picnic (look forward to Oxegen then)

Unsurprisingly The Script won the major awards on offer, the screams alone in the RDS suggesting that they will sell a lot more than the 600,000 records they have already flogged..

There were some poignant moments, a tribute to Ronnie Drew and the humanitarian award for Fr Shay Cullen, doing terrific work with abused children in the Philippines.

Hard luck to the Zoo Crew from Spin South West, Conor Quaid and Michelle McMahon being our only local representatives, who were between by Dublin 98FM, who undoubtedly had half of the nation's capital voting for them.

Wallis Bird won Hope for 2009 - good for her and nice cartwheel onto the stage, but unlucky on Fred, who would have been my personal choice.

Clare woman Sharon Shannon wrapped up proceedings with the exceedingly awful Galway Girl - can you believe the most downloaded song of last year? Says it all really.

(must say I'm delighted with myself for getting a pic of Caprice up on the blog)