`This man tells the truth'To all and intents and purposes, Billy Bragg is not the most suitable candidate for a typical rock music biographyWed Sept 30 1998 - 01:00
Paula FrazerIt's difficult to believe that someone as good as Paula Frazer could attract no more than 30 people to see her play a rare solo…Tue Sept 29 1998 - 01:00
The nightmare band finds its redemptionStranger things have happened: in a venue which has all the charm of a huge cattle shed, The Mavericks transported the audience…Tue Sept 22 1998 - 01:00
Tom RobinsonPloughing the social issue and sexual politics furrows for over 20 years now, Tom Robinson may not be the cutting edge artist…Tue Sept 01 1998 - 01:00
Ringo Starr & His All Starr BandYou want cheese? You got it. This wasn't gorgonzola, but Gorgonzilla: the BIG cheese.Fri Aug 21 1998 - 01:00
Paul YoungEpitomising the mid-80s approach to pop music (high-gloss production technique, reasonably classy material, smooth vocals and…Mon Aug 10 1998 - 01:00
Mesmeric moments of African magicIn theory, listening to three American acoustic blues guitarists, each with their own individual style and presence, should be…Mon Jul 27 1998 - 01:00
Growing Dublin festival paints the town blueBlues fans came in search of paradise and found it in DublinMon Jul 27 1998 - 01:00
Sinead LohanIt's possible there was no irony intended, but as Pink Floyd's Money faded away, on walked the latest-hyped (and hopeful) Irish…Tue Jul 21 1998 - 01:00
No slaking thirst for the bluesYou'd think Irish audiences would be weary of blues music by nowSat Jul 18 1998 - 01:00
Rocking start to Galway's festival fortnightThere's no undermining the spirit of the damp, tipsy breed of Irish people who made up the audience at Galway's Big Day OutMon Jul 13 1998 - 01:00
Galway enjoys its Big Day OutIt's not an easy task to please all of the people all of the time, but the eclectic and crowd-friendly bill of The Big Day Out…Mon Jul 13 1998 - 01:00
Man with a missionIt's taken quite a while for George "Buddy" Guy to become a star in his own rightFri Jul 03 1998 - 01:00
Wave of hits from Elton and BillyLet's get straight to the point - you'd have to be a person with absolutely no appreciation of the significance of the popular…Sat May 30 1998 - 01:00
It's music that still shimmersIt seems as if Eric Bibb brings the sunshine with him each time he arrives in IrelandMon May 18 1998 - 01:00
Kula ShakerThe second major gig of the Heineken Green Energy Weekend had all the trappings of a damp squib at a firework display: expectations…Tue May 05 1998 - 01:00
Talking today's countryAnother bank holiday weekend, another shindig in a festival townSat Apr 25 1998 - 01:00
The Great Western SquaresWhile an all-seated venue initially seemed to make no sense, as the evening wore on you could see the value of just sitting down…Tue Apr 21 1998 - 01:00
Easy listening of the highest orderIf you're a singer/songwriter on stage with just an acoustic guitar for company, there are essentially two methods of capturing…Tue Apr 21 1998 - 01:00
Harking back to glory daysTime was when Mike Scott grasped the nettle and came through the undergrowth gloriously triumphantWed Dec 17 1997 - 00:00
Songs of society's concernsGrowing old gracefully doesn't appear to be a problem for Joan BaezSat Dec 06 1997 - 00:00
JewelFrom the very beginning of last night's often excellent gig at the Olympia Jewel Kilcher sealed her worth as a singer/songwriter…Wed Nov 12 1997 - 00:00
Maddy PriorShe's been around the maypole more than twice, but still Maddy Prior manages to sound as natural and rustic as swishing autumn…Thu Oct 30 1997 - 00:00
Music from under groundIn 1966 Bob Dylan was involved in a serious motorcycle accident and this led to an extended period of withdrawal - he did not…Wed Oct 01 1997 - 01:00
SupertrampIt's been a long strange trip for the 'Tramp (as aficionados fondly refer to them)Tue Sept 30 1997 - 01:00
Christy Moore, James McNally, Eleanor ShanleyThe third evening of Gael Force offered up a variety of "Celtic" goods ranging from the insufferably twee (Eleanor Shanley) and…Thu Sept 11 1997 - 01:00
SupertrampIt's been a long strange trip for the 'Tramp (as aficionados fondly refer to them)Sat Sept 06 1997 - 01:00
Eric BogleIf there was a whiff of archetypal 1960s Folk Club ambience about Eric Bogle's performance in Whelans on Tuesday night, it wasn…Thu Aug 07 1997 - 01:00
John HammondWhat a perfect day for an outdoor acoustic blues session - hot sun, cool blues, and a laid back approach to traditionally stark…Tue Jul 22 1997 - 01:00
Best of the bluesIt's a wonder that a form of music so simplistic as the blues can have such a transforming effect on body rhythmMon Jul 21 1997 - 01:00
Michael Jackson serves up a thriller to his adoring fans at the RDSA concerned resident pacing outside a pub in Ballsbridge was not taking any notice of a group of Michael Jackson fans singing…Mon Jul 21 1997 - 01:00
Diana fails to keep us hangin' onDIANA ROSS is a cross-over pop/soul superstar who has long since sided with feel-good showbusiness techniques rather than remaining…Fri Jul 04 1997 - 01:00
Alexander O'NealALONG with the likes of Luther Vandross and Teddy Pendergrass, Alexander O'Neal defined the Loverman image of Eighties soul music…Wed Jul 02 1997 - 01:00
The Camembert of cabaretDIONNE Warwick enjoys a prestigious reputation in the classic pop/soul arena, but there was evidence at the NCH on Tuesday night…Wed Jun 25 1997 - 01:00
WHAT IN TARNATIONWHAT's in a name? Some musicians place huge importance in choosing band names, as if the letters, words or numbers should properly…Fri Jun 06 1997 - 01:00
COUNTRY WOMENTHERE is something reassuring about the self-confidence Trisha Yearwood exudesFri May 23 1997 - 01:00
Muted Black magicTHERE is a keen sense of Mary Black's music which is only rarely overcome, especially so in a live settingSat May 10 1997 - 01:00
Plenty to Crow aboutIN what was surely the most smoothly-run series of open-air rock concerts in recent years (smaller, more self-contained crowds…Wed May 07 1997 - 01:00
TAKING CONTROLTHE house where Mary Coughlan lives in Bray, Co Wicklow, is strewn with the detritus of young children and the fall-out of her…Fri Mar 07 1997 - 00:00
Dark side of the Thin ManThe Ballad of the Thin Man: The Authorised Biography of Phil Lynott & Thin Lizzy, by Stuart Bailie, Boxtree, 193pp, £15Wed Mar 05 1997 - 00:00
Stockings, suspenders but very little silkTHERE is nothing genteel 1 about this (or indeed, any) production of The Rocky Horror ShowWed Jan 15 1997 - 00:00
Celine DionBEFORE I mention anything about Celine Dion's Monday night performance, it should be noted that support band The Corrs played…Wed Nov 27 1996 - 00:00
Welcome to the rock'n'roll lotteryTHE brief was simple and direct: Take the A-Train to Cork to check out Murphy's Live Mix `96, a three day event that showcased…Wed Nov 20 1996 - 00:00
Music not as we know itTHIS is what Ireland's young people get up to on Friday nights while their parents are watching The Later Late Show.Sat Oct 26 1996 - 01:00
Classic blues guitarIT was a good experience to see Peter Green, who has been through so many bad times, vindicate his absence by playing some of…Wed Sept 11 1996 - 01:00
Harvest Time Blues FestivalEXCUSE me, but was this a Blues Festival or an endurance test? Harvest Time Blues is a mixture of both, for while there's no …Wed Sept 11 1996 - 01:00
The Roy Orbison StoryIT was Bruce Springsteen who once said that Roy Orbison's ballads were "always best when you were alone in the dark"Tue Sept 10 1996 - 01:00
Mix of the world musicTHE inaugural Global Radio weekender - a three-day festival of world music organised by the Dundalk UDC Arts Office - played …Wed Aug 28 1996 - 01:00
