FIVE BANDS TO SEE AT HWCH 2015
This year's new music festival of Irish artists gets underway in seven venues across Dublin city and if you only see these five over the coming days, you'll be doing well.
Hare Squead @ The Academy
(Thursday:10.15pm)
They might just have finished school, but there's no denying this Dublin trio are moving in the right direction. Displaying prowess as rappers and singers, their frenetic upbeat songs that cross the boundaries between rap, dance, pop and R&B, swell with a more than adept band in a live setting.
Bitch Falcon @ Hangar
(Friday, 9:30pm)
After a period of male-heavy instrumental rock dominated the discourse in the last ten years in Irish rock, it was refreshing to see a female-dominant band with a kickass name rocking out and releasing great rock singles. Bitch Falcon are making grunge sound cool again.
Talos @ The Academy
(Friday, 9:35pm)
Eoin French was formerly a member of a promising but shortlived Cork band Hush War Cry, and he's taken his beautiful brittle falsetto to his latest solo project Talos, which melds ambient electronic and piano singer-songwriter styles to a unique effect.
Rusangano Family @ The Academy Green Room
(Saturday,10.15pm)
Limerick has always loved hip-hop, but has it ever had a rap group as talented as this? Ennis producer Mynameisjohn and rappers GodKnows and Murli have a hyperactive energy, moves and a delivery that no other Irish rap group can match. They'll be playing lots of new music from their forthcoming second album on Saturday.
Pleasure Beach @ The Academy
(Saturday,10pm)
If you're a fan of the Boss, The War On Drugs, Arcade Fire and Tom Petty, you'll find plenty to love in the music of Belfast band Pleasure Beach. Formed after the demise of Yes Cadets, their stadium-fitted indie-rock as heard on debut single
Go
has made them the talk of the festival.
FIVE PANELS TO CATCH AT HWCH 2015
Jim Carroll is chairing a bunch of industry panels at this weekend's HWCH Convention at the National Digital Reseach Centre (NDRC) in Dublin's Liberties. Here are five talks he reckons you shouldn't miss.
How important is social media?
(Friday, 2.30pm)
Advice and guidance from Lucy Blair (Motive Unkown), Jenny Headen (We Are Redhead) and John McCallion (consultant) with HMV's John Balfe chairing.
The view from the top: Rob Hallett
(Friday, 4.30pm)
After a lifetime in the live music game – including 10 years as president of AEG Live, working on tours with everyone from Leonard Cohen to Justin Bieber – Rob Hallett has gone solo with Robomagic. Expect strong opinions on the live-music business and the potential for disruption.
The artists talk back
(Saturday, 2pm)
Lewis Jackson (Enemies), Ollie Murphy (HamsandwicH), Sorcha Brennan (Sleep Thieves) and Michael Pope (Le Galaxie) talk candidly about what's on their mind.
Getting on the road in Ireland
(Saturday, 3.40pm)
A workshop on how to book a tour around the country, featuring Joe Kelly (St Lukes Cork), John Hennessy (Seoda Shows, Limerick) and Gugai, (Róisín Dubh, Galway), with Body & Soul's Jenny Wren.
Will the last music journalist out please turn off the lights?
(Saturday, 4.30pm)
Jessica Hopper (Pitchfork), Hugh McIntyre (Forbes and Noisey), Dev Sherlock (Hype Machine) and Blaithnaid Healy (Mashable) on what they're doing to make a living and what they reckon comes next.
For more HWCH tips and tricks, see Una Mullally's Pop Life blog post
