Jim Carrollsday-by-day guide to the live music of the coming months
SUN JAN 11
Ben WeaverCrawdaddy, Dublin. Rootsy sounds from Minnesota
TUES JAN 13
Kerrang! Relentless TourMandela Hall, Belfast
WED JAN 14
Kerrang! Relentless Tour Academy, Dublin
THURS JAN 15
We Have Band
Crawdaddy, Dublin
One Day International
Róisín Dubh, Galway
Dudley Corporation
Pavilion, Cork
FRI JAN 16
Wild Billy Childish
Whelan's, Dublin
Mark Lanegan
Academy, Dublin
We Have Band
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Miracle Bell
Crawdaddy, Dublin
Aslan
Róisín Dubh, Galway
SAT JAN 17
Brad Pitt Light Orchestra
Crawdaddy, Dublin
Arlo Guthrie
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Wild Billy Childish
Black Box, Belfast
Teddy Thompson
Opera House, Cork
SUN JAN 18
Arlo Guthrie
Whelan's, Dublin
Staind
Mandela Hall, Belfast
MON JAN 19
Staind
Academy, Dublin
TUES JAN 20
New Kids On the Block
Odyssey, Belfast
Arlo Guthrie
Róisín Dubh, Galway
WED JAN 21
Max Tundra
Crawdaddy, Dublin
Uzi & Ari
Lavery's, Belfast. Recommended US indie act
New Kids On the Block
02, Dublin
Arlo Guthrie
Dolan's, Limerick
THURS JAN 22
James Yorkston
Crawdaddy, Dublin
Max Tundra
Róisín Dubh, Galway. Support from Uzi & Ari
Fighting With WireAuntie Annies, Belfast. Derry act to watch out for in '09
Dick Gaughan
Black Box, Belfast
Grand Pocket Orchestra
Pavilion, Cork
FRI JAN 23
Colin Bluestone & Rod Argent
Whelan's, Dublin
Keane
Odyssey, Belfast
Fighting With Wire
Spirit Store, Belfast
Max Tundra
Pavilion, Cork
James Yorkston
Speakeasy, Belfast
Paddy Casey
Róisín Dubh, Galway
Uzi & Ari
Lower Deck, Dublin
SAT JAN 24
Jinx Lennon
James Joyce Centre, Dublin. Dundalk's full-blooded truth machine
Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent
Róisín Dubh, Galway
Fighting With Wire
Think Tank, Dublin
Uzi & Ari
The Whisky, Cork
Primordial
Button Factory, Dublin
James Yorkston
Róisín Dubh (Upstairs), Galway
David Grubbs
Whelan's, Dublin
Paddy Casey
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Max Tundra
Black Box, Belfast
SUN JAN 25
Lucky Dragons
Joy Gallery, Dublin. US art-rock
Keane
02, Dublin
James Yorkston
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
The Streets
Olympia, Dublin
MON JANUARY 26
Fighting With Wire
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
TUES JANUARY 27
Akon
RDS, Dublin.
The rapper from Senegal
WED JAN 28
Of Montreal
Button Factory, Dublin. Avant-garde indie-pop
Akon
Odyssey, Belfast
THURS JAN 29
Amusement Parks On Fire
Whelan's Upstairs, Dublin. Indie rock from Nottingham
Solas
Button Factory, Dublin
Cowboy X
Whelan's, Dublin
FRI JAN 30
The Field
Crawdaddy, Dublin. Aka Swedish electronic producer Alex Willner
Amusement Parks On Fire
Róisín Dubh, Galway
Cowboy X
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
SAT JAN 31
Chris Brown
02, Dublin. Blockbuster r'n'b superstar
Ray LaMontagne
Opera House, Cork. Kicking off an Irish tour
Amusement Parks On Fire
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
SUN FEB 1
Michel Legrand
NCH, Dublin. Film composer with three Oscars to his credit
Pussycat Dolls
02, Dublin
Ray LaMontagne
Olympia, Dublin
Crystal Antlers
Róisín Dubh, Galway
MON FEB 2
Ray LaMontagne
Olympia, Dublin
Crystal Antlers
Whelan's, Dublin
TUES FEB 3
Villagers
Ruby Sessions at Doyle's, Dublin. Highly tipped new Irish band
Nanci Griffith
Solstice, Navan
Pussycat Dolls
Kings Hall, Belfast
Crystal Antlers
Whisky, Cork
WED FEB 4
Soulfly
Academy, Dublin
Cara Dillon
Button Factory, Dublin
Ray LaMontagne
Black Box, Galway
The Datsuns
Think Tank, Dublin
Nanci Griffith
Hawkswell, Sligo
THURS FEB 5
Ladyhawke
Academy, Dublin. Electro-pop with va-va-voom
This Town Needs Guns
Whelan's, Dublin
Ray LaMontagne
Waterfront, Belfast
Soulfly
Spring & Airbrake, Belfast
The Datsuns
Róisín Dubh, Galway
FRI FEB 6
Benjamin Escoriza
Button Factory, Dublin. Solo show from Radio Tarifa's frontman
God Is an Astronaut
Róisín Dubh, Galway
The Datsuns
Spring & Airbrake, Belfast
Nanci Griffith
Royal Theatre, Castlebar
SAT FEB 7
God Is an Astronaut
Academy, Dublin
Nanci Griffith
Glór, Ennis
SUN FEB 8
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Nanci Griffith
Everyman, Cork
Status Quo
Olympia, Dublin
Lamb of God
Mandela Hall, Belfast
MON FEB 9
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
Whelan's, Dublin
Teddy Thompson
Spring & Airbrake, Belfast
Lamb of God
Academy, Dublin
TUES FEB 10
Judas Priest
02, Dublin. With Megadeth and Testament
Wavves
Lavery's, Belfast. Fuzzy, fizzy noisepop
Teddy Thompson
Vicar Street, Dublin
Nanci Griffith
Siamsa Tíre, Tralee
WED FEB 11
Wavves
Whelan's, Dublin
The Wailers
Academy, Dublin
Judas Priest
Odyssey, Belfast
Luka Bloom
Pavilion, Cork
Nanci Griffith
Forum, Waterford
THURS FEB 12
Candi Staton
Whelan's, Dublin
FRI FEB 13
Candi Staton
Pavilion, Cork
Nanci Griffith
Helix, Dublin
SUN FEB 15
Lordi
Button Factory, Dublin
Parts & Labor
Crawdaddy, Dublin
TUES FEB 17
Oxford Collapse
Whisky, Cork. Sub pop act
Black Dahlia Murder
Button Factory, Dublin
Villagers
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
WED FEB 18
Eddi Reader
School Of Music, Cork
A Day to Remember
Whelan's, Dublin
Charlie Parr
Crawdaddy, Dublin
Oxford Collapse
Auntie Annies, Belfast
Mundy
Pavilion, Cork
THURS FEB 19
Kaiser Chiefs
02, Dublin.
Rise Against
Academy, Dublin
Mundy
O'Keeffe's, Clonmel
Crystal Stilts
Whelan's, Dublin
Oxford Collapse
Róisín Dubh, Galway
Mark Geary
Spirit Store, Dundalk
FRI FEB 20
The Killers
02, Dublin
Oxford Collapse
Whelan's, Dublin
Kaiser Chiefs
Odyssey, Belfast
Dreadzone
Academy, Dublin
God Is an Astronaut
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
SAT FEB 21
Eddi Reader
Academy, Dublin
Mark Geary
Pavilion, Cork
The Killers
Odyssey, Belfast
Dreadzone
Spring & Airbrake, Belfast
SUN FEB 22
Eddi Reader
Spring & Airbrake, Belfast
MON FEB 23
School of Seven Bells
Whelan's, Dublin
WED FEB 25
Il Divo
02, Dublin
Mundy
The Thatch,
Rahan, Co Offaly
THURS FEB 26
Hue & Cry
Empire Music Hall, Belfast
FRI FEB 27
Hue & Cry
Whelan's, Dublin
SAT FEB 28
Franz Ferdinand
Dolan's Warehouse, Limerick
Snow Patrol
02, Dublin
Blood or Whiskey
Academy, Dublin
Front 242
Button Factory, Dublin
Kieran Goss
Pavilion, Cork
SUN MAR 1
Amadou & Mariam
Vicar Street, Dublin. The blind couple from Mali
Snow Patrol
02, Dublin
Franz Ferdinand
Olympia, Dublin
WED MAR 4
Choice Music Prize
Vicar Street, Dublin. Showcasing the acts with Irish albums of last year
Gaslight Anthem
Button Factory, Dublin. Springsteen-friendly anthems from New Jersey
Emmy the Great
Limelight, Belfast
THURS MAR 5
Andrea Bocelli
02, Dublin
Emmy the Great
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Mark Geary
Whelan's, Dublin
SAT MAR 7
Deerhunter
Whelan's, Dublin. Plugging Microcastle album
Il Divo
02, Dublin
Peter, Bjorn & John
Button Factory, Dublin
Emmy the Great
Crawdaddy, Dublin
SUN MAR 8
Emiliana Torrini
Waterfront Hall Studio, Belfast. Icelandic singer-songwriter
Il Divo
02, Dublin
Smokie
Olympia, Dublin
WED MAR 11
America
NCH, Dublin. First Irish show.
Emiliana Torrini
Academy, Dublin
Il Divo
Odyssey, Belfast
FRI MAR 13
Lionel Richie
02, Dublin
SAT MAR 14
Lionel Richie
02, Dublin
SUN MAR 15
The Beat
Academy, Dublin
Smokie
Waterfront, Belfast
MON MAR 16
Lily Allen
Academy, Dublin
Lionel Richie
Odyssey, Belfast
TUES MAR 17
Lionel Richie
Odyssey, Belfast
WED MAR 18
X Factor Live
Odyssey, Belfast. Will anyone still be interested in this nonsense by March?
Kenny Rogers
INEC, Killarney
THURS MAR 19
Jinx Lennon
Sugar Club, Dublin
Snow Patrol
Odyssey, Belfast
X Factor Live
02, Dublin
FRI MAR 20
Jinx Lennon
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Snow Patrol
Odyssey, Belfast
Kenny Rogers
Equestrian Centre, Cavan
SAT MAR 21
Snow Patrol
Odyssey, Belfast
Jinx Lennon
Spirit Store, Dundalk
Joe Dolan: The Reunion Show
Vicar Street, Dublin
Kenny Rogers
Royal Theatre, Castlebar
SUN MAR 22
Joe Dolan: The Reunion Show
Vicar Street, Dublin
Kenny Rogers
Leisure Centre, Letterkenny
MON MAR 23
Snow Patrol
Odyssey, Belfast
TUES MAR 24
Kenny Rogers
02, Dublin
Jackson Browne
Olympia, Dublin
WED MAR 25
Kamelot
Button Factory, Dublin
Kenny Rogers
Odyssey, Belfast
Jackson Browne
Olympia, Dublin
THURS MAR 26
Tina Turner
02, Dublin. First of four sell-outs
FRI MAR 27
Hugh Cornwell
Academy, Dublin. Strangler hangs solo
Tina Turner
02, Dublin
SAT MAR 28
Hugh Cornwell
Spring & Airbrake, Belfast
MON MAR 30
Jinx Lennon
Róisín Dubh, Galway
THURS APR 2
Yo Majesty
Crawdaddy, Dublin. Superfly rappers from Florida House of Cosy Cushions Whelan's, Dublin
FRI APR 3
Christy Moore
INEC, Killarney
Jinx Lennon
Glen Centre, Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim
Presidents of the United States of America
Vicar Street, Dublin
SAT APR 4
The Fureys & Davey Arthur
Vicar Street, Dublin
MON APR 6
David Byrne
NCH, Dublin
TUES APR 7
Dance Nation Live
Odyssey, Belfast
David Byrne
Waterfront, Belfast
THURS APR 9
Jason Mraz
Academy, Dublin
Blaze Bayley
Rosetta Bar, Belfast. Fronted by Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden singer
FRI APR 10
Blaze Bayley
Fibber McGees, Dublin
SAT APR 11
Blaze Bayley
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Go: Audio
Academy, Dublin. Rising UK emo act
Tina Turner
02, Dublin
SUN APR 12
Go: Audio
Limelight, Belfast
Tina Turner
02, Dublin
FRI APR 17
Jinx Lennon
De Barra's, Clonakilty, Co Cork
The Enemy
Academy, Dublin
SAT APR 18
AC/DC
02, Dublin. The first real music test for the venue
The Enemy
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
SUN APR 19
Pink
02, Dublin
The Enemy
Dolan's, Limerick
MON APR 20
Supersuckers
Limelight, Belfast
Pink
02, Dublin
TUES APR 21
The Enemy
Róisín Dubh, Galway
WED APR 22
Pink
Odyssey, Belfast
The Enemy
Spring & Airbrake, Belfast
THURS APR 23
Pink
Odyssey, Belfast
FRI APR 24
The Saw Doctors
Olympia, Dublin
In Flames
Academy, Dublin
Brian Kennedy
Waterfront, Belfast
SAT APR 25
NOFX
Olympia, Dublin
In Flames
Cyprus Avenue, Cork
MON APR 26
NOFX
Spring & Airbrake, Belfast
TUE APR 28
Girls Aloud
Odyssey, Belfast
Morrissey
INEC, Killarney. First of four Irish shows for Moz
WED APR 29
Girls Aloud
Odyssey, Belfast
Morrissey
Leisureland, Galway
THURS APR 30
Girls Aloud
Odyssey, Belfast
- Concert dates are subject to change