Live and kickingWhen Geoff Wilkinson and Mel Simpson raided the Blue Note back catalogue (with the label's blessing, of course), they were pioneering…Mon Feb 17 1997 - 00:00
A little spice of our ownWHEN producer/director Anita Notaro and associate Caroline Henry wanted to add a bit of spice to next Friday's IRMA Awards, they…Sat Feb 15 1997 - 00:00
Ocean Colour SceneOCEAN Colour Scene's big out in Dublin quite the blowout we had been hoping for - oh, it was solid enough all right, with all…Sat Feb 15 1997 - 00:00
Placebo, Whelan'sIT'S great when a band books a gig in a small venue, then suddenly has a Top 10 hit, guaranteeing maximum stuffage and a sense…Wed Feb 12 1997 - 00:00
Only the hardcore hear the entreaty"C'mon kids", entreated The Boo Radleys on their fifth album of the same nameMon Feb 10 1997 - 00:00
PlaceboIT'S great when a band books gig in a small venue, then suddenly goes and has a Top Ten hit, guaranteeing maximum stuffage - …Mon Feb 10 1997 - 00:00
Hippity-hopBIG question hangs over the Heineken Weekender in Galway the question is, will Tricky definitely make the scene or will he maybe…Sat Feb 08 1997 - 00:00
DADROCKERS UNITESOMEWHERE back in the grey mists of time, Birmingham band Ocean Colour Scene were just a bunch of young hopefuls who didn't seem…Sat Feb 08 1997 - 00:00
Ballroom blitz with crust on topTHIS year's Heineken Rollercoaster countrywide jaunt features Scheer, The Glamtarts, Watercress and Exit, with Dave Fanning returning…Fri Feb 07 1997 - 00:00
LongpigsTHE Sheffield hand with the somewhat porcine monicker have been building up a steady standing on the live circuit, and they've…Mon Feb 03 1997 - 00:00
Pick of the BratsTHE fourth Brat Awards, held on Tuesday at the Camden Centre in London, were hosted by radio DJs Mark Radcliffe-and Marc Riley…Sat Feb 01 1997 - 00:00
GeneMARTIN Rossiter is in an unenviable position: caught between Britpop and a hard placeSat Feb 01 1997 - 00:00
Walking up to simplicityONE fine morning in 1995, Merseyside band The Boo Radleys set their alarms for the heart of pop, and the world was suddenly roused…Sat Feb 01 1997 - 00:00
Gene genies show their bottleMARTIN Rossiter must have been pretty piqued when the music press continuously referred to him as "Morrissey Minor", because …Sat Jan 25 1997 - 00:00
A yen for passionWHEN Japanese pharmaceutical giant Yamanouchi promised its continued financial support for Dublin's Passion Machine, it was a…Sat Jan 25 1997 - 00:00
The French have a ball in DublinTHERE'S a distinct frisson in the air today, as hordes of French rugby fans fill the streets of Dublin in anticipation of adding…Sat Jan 18 1997 - 00:00
Kula ShakerI don't know if the spirit of Gerry Garcia was there, but the style of George Harrison was definitely present and correct when…Tue Jan 14 1997 - 00:00
NME/Miller Brats Bus TourIT'S not all boring Britpop round our way, and here come four new bands from the UK just to prove that there's still room for…Mon Jan 13 1997 - 00:00
BRAT ATTACKOUT of the way, Dadrockers - the Brat Bus is pulling in and there's a gang of reckless, rebellious teenagers on boardSat Jan 11 1997 - 00:00
U2 pops in for world exclusive with Fanning"ALL is quiet on New Year's Day" goes the old U2 hit, but barely one week into 1997 the post-holiday silence has been broken …Wed Jan 08 1997 - 00:00
All things brash and beautifulTHE word "pop" finally enters the Irish music industry lexicon in rock bands and solo artists finally get with the new pop programme…Fri Jan 03 1997 - 00:00
Anything goesTHE Dublin dance scene in 1997 is moving so fast you'll need to drop that heavy handbag to keep upSat Dec 28 1996 - 00:00
Gigs a go goIT'S the last decision you'll ever have to make in 1996 but it may be the most crucial; where to go for New Year's Eve? Fudge…Sat Dec 28 1996 - 00:00
All well worth stylistic sacrificeOH, yeah, it's been a great year for Ash, and they ended it last night with their biggest ever headline gig, the Point Theatre…Sat Dec 28 1996 - 00:00
A band which burned brightlyTHE rock year has had its ups and downs, from the triumph of Oasis in Dublin, Cork, Loch Lomond and Knebworth to the tragedy …Fri Dec 27 1996 - 00:00
In bed with MaradonnaANDREA Corr, singer, glamour-puss and youngest member of Dundalk's most famous siblings, sits demurely in the bar of the Westbury…Tue Dec 24 1996 - 00:00
Marc AlmondIT wasn't quite the camp in Christmas panto we might have expected from the former lead singer of Soft Cell, and anyone who came…Tue Dec 24 1996 - 00:00
SINGLE FILEBEING a bit of a rock'n'roll gambler (I'd have a wager on Oasis selling 10 million copies of their third album), I phoned up …Fri Dec 20 1996 - 00:00
Andy WhiteTHE affable, acoustic-based music of Andy White was never going to have a profound effect on people's lives, and his songs are…Wed Dec 18 1996 - 00:00
Neneh CherryTHE new Red Box venue in Dublin's POD nightclub was given a man-sized launch last night when UK hip-hop diva Neneh Cherry ended…Wed Dec 11 1996 - 00:00
DodgyTHREE was a crowd at the SFX last Saturday night, as Dodgy's augmented line up attempted to realise the band's wide, organic …Mon Dec 09 1996 - 00:00
Dodgy jammersONCE upon a time there were three happy hippies from Birmingham named Nigel, Andy and Matthew, who travelled the length and breadth…Sat Dec 07 1996 - 00:00
Look back in langourTHEY look like two giant packets of Benson &, Hedges, and they come with a stern warning that "rock n roll can seriously …Fri Dec 06 1996 - 00:00
Boyz (N Girlz) come out to play"IT'S only a teenage wasteland," sang The Who back in 1972, but for music industry moguls, those tender years of adolescence …Fri Dec 06 1996 - 00:00
Skunk AnansieTHEY may be part of the new Britpop pack, but Skunk Anansie look further afield than Camden or Manchester for their grunge-metal…Wed Dec 04 1996 - 00:00
Letting it roarECHNO, punk or rock'n'roll - take your pick; The Prodigy have blown apart all barriers with their psychotic, pyromanic dance …Sat Nov 30 1996 - 00:00
MAGIC MUNDYHIS debut album may have the gelatinous title of Jelly Legs, but the time is coming soon when Edmund Enright will have to prove…Fri Nov 29 1996 - 00:00
Sheryl CrowSHE'S the ultimate LA rock chick all long hair and hipsters, with a Fender guitar slung across her skinny frameMon Nov 25 1996 - 00:00
STRICTLY LOUNGEIT'S summer 1996, and a small but suave coterie of lounge lizards gather every fortnight at McGrattan's restaurant in Fitwilliam…Sat Nov 23 1996 - 00:00
Def LeppardROCK `n' roll ain't dead - it's just suffering from a bad dose of metal fatigueThu Nov 21 1996 - 00:00
Some faith is restored in saviour of the rainforestSOME of us have long since lost our faith in Sting, and we've refused to worship at his devil's altar of jazz; last night, however…Mon Nov 18 1996 - 00:00
Every step he takes dogged by detractorsEEE by gum, that Gordon Sumner lad from Newcastle is a talented un all rightSat Nov 16 1996 - 00:00
