Jim Carrollon music
Music makers hit Dingle for the holy show
Ryan Adams, Daniel Lanois, Fight Like Apes, Candie Payne, Seasick Steve, The Charlatans and Sinéad O'Connor are among the acts set to feature on the new season of RTÉ's Other Voices. The show will also feature appearances from Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Paddy Casey, Dark Room Notes, Dry County, Halfset, David Geraghty, Foy Vance, The Answer and others.
Filming for the show's sixth season will commence in St James's Church, Dingle, Co Kerry on November 30th. Executive producer Philip King sees the gathering as more of "a musician's festival" than a TV show.
"It's a context for all these musicians to come together," King adds. "They talk about it to other musicians. Steve Earle might mention it to someone or Duke Special will say you should give that show in Dingle a go.
"They know this is a place where music is cherished. The thing happens in the church, but it emanates out around the town. Things happen and that's the magic of Other Voices."
Planning for the show is a year-round affair that begins with music producer Aoife Woodlock's talent search at the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.
"Aoife will come back with a hit list of acts and we start with that." King says. "This is the edge of Europe and there are huge difficulties attached to putting an event like this together. People have to want to make the effort to come."
Despite the show's lengthy tenure, discussions with RTÉ are always tough.
"RTÉ has contributed hugely to making this show and giving people a platform which wouldn't be there otherwise,"
he says. "But it's always difficult because you have to sit down every year and convince people that the show should and must be done. Slots and budgets are always difficult to find."
King doesn't find the show's usual late-late slot a problem because of changes in viewing patterns.
"The broadcasting eco-system has changed and more people are watching Other Voices online. I watch my own children with the Sky Plus box and you realise the schedule is dead. Technology has enabled people to watch what they want when they want it."
Other Voices 6 will be aired on RTÉ2 in 2008
The acts just keep rolling in
If Irish music fans think live venues are busy at the moment, there's little sign of a let-up for early 2008. In fact, a host of acts are already confirmed for the first three months of next year, including visits from Band of Horses, Steve Earle, Editors, Eels, Pharoah Sanders and Queens of the Stone Age, as well as tours endorsed by music magazines NME and Kerrang.
However, there's no indication yet that any of the Big Three promoters intend to repeat their shows in tents in Dublin 8. Despite some successful outings from Arcade Fire, Bloc Party and Buena Vista Social Club, some promoters are nursing heavy losses due to their move to temporary accomodations because of renovation at the Point Depot.
December sees the Live at the Marquee season in the Phoenix Park with Kanye West, Duran Duran, Justice (supported by the excellent Teenagers), MIA and Cascada.
MT USA on disc
Long before Other Voices and No Disco flew the flag for music television in Ireland, there was MT USA. Running from 1984 to 1987, the Sunday afternoon show took its cues from broadcast newbie
Each episode featured presenter Vincent Hanley standing on various New York street corners introducing videos from such stars as ZZ Top, Cyndi Lauper, The Bangles, Men Without Hats and, in case you had forgotten, the legendary Dennis Deyoung. A double-CD and DVD compilation featuring acts from the show's heyday goes on release today.
Sounds Balkan
The Balkan music invasion continues. Following visits this year from Macedonia's Kocani Orkestar (of Borat soundtrack) and Romania's Fanfare Ciocarlia, December will see Siberia's Boban Markovic Orkestar tour Ireland.Catch Markovic and his 14-piece orchestra at Letterkenny's Cultural Centre (December 5th), Sligo's Model Arts (6th), Bray's Mermaid Arts Centre (7th), Cork's School of Music (8th), and Dublin's Button Factory (9th).
