Event of the week
Patti Smith
Monday, October 6th, 3Arena, Dublin, 6.30pm, €76.25, ticketmaster.ie
Few artists can claim to be more popular in their late 70s than they were in their 20s, or for their 50-year-old debut LP to still be viewed not only as a landmark but also as one of the most radical and influential albums. Patti Smith is that artist, and Horses is that album. In this anniversary show, Smith will play it in its entirety, as well as songs from subsequent records, plus cover versions that will probably include Them’s Gloria and Bob Dylan’s Masters of War. Prepare to be wowed by one of rock music’s most groundbreaking women.
Gigs
John Grant
Saturday, October 4th, National Stadium, Dublin, 7pm, €40.50, ticketmaster.ie
From Queen of Denmark, his 2010 album, to The Art of the Lie, from 2024, John Grant is a songwriter who doesn’t bother with self-censorship. Across his back catalogue are songs about self-delusion (Where Dreams Go to Die, from Queen of Denmark), his diagnosis as HIV-positive (Ernest Borgnine, from his 2013 album Pale Green Ghosts), and sexual confusion (Mike and Julie, from his 2021 album Boy from Michigan). Allied to the autobiographical themes are a range of music styles that Grant effortlessly cooks up into a mix of playful, melancholy and all points between.
Niamh Regan
Saturday, October 4th, Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Co Kildare, 7.30pm, €23, riverbank.ie; Friday, October 10th, Bello Bar, Dublin, 7.30pm, €23
Emerging from the pandemic with a glorious debut album, Hemet, Niamh Regan consolidated her position as one of Ireland’s best new songwriters with its 2024 follow-up, Come as You Are, an emotionally probing collection of songs that hauled truths and insecurities through hot coals. Regan is working on material for her third album, so amid familiar songs there could be a new tune or two. Lucky you. Also Cleere’s Theatre, Kilkenny (October 16th), Phil Grimes Pub, Waterford (October 17th) and Black Gate, Galway (October 19th). Tour continues until Friday, November 7th; niamhregan.com has full details.
David Keenan
Saturday, October 4th, Nacional de Cuba, Derry, 7.30pm, £17.50, tickets.ie; Thursday, October 9th, Mike the Pies, Listowel, Co Kerry, 8pm, €20, mikethepies.com; Friday, October 10th, DeBarras, Clonakilty, Co Cork, 8pm, €17.50, debarras.ie
“I’m chasing myths around Ireland, seeking out local stories and folklore as I go,” says David Keenan, one of Ireland’s more exploratory singer-songwriters. In keeping with the title of his forthcoming fourth studio album, Modern Mythologies, Keenan is playing at small venues in every province to prove that the magic of performing in front of people hasn’t gone away. No better man. Tours until Saturday, November 15th; davidkeenan.com has full details.
RM Block
Stage
Belfast Girls
Friday, October 10th, Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Co Louth, 8pm, €20/€18, droichead.com
Set in 1850, Jaki McCarrick’s play (“crisp and absorbing”, according to New York Stage Review) follows five young Irish women as they embark on a three-month voyage to Sydney. Each woman has a reason to leave Ireland for Australia, but not all secrets are meant to be shared. Ebby O’Toole-Acheampong, Leah Rossiter, Fiona Keenan O’Brien, Catriona Wiliams and Debra Hill feature. Rhiann Jeffry directs. Also, An Grianán, Letterkenny, Co Donegal (October 14th-15th), Ramor Theatre, Virginia, Co Cavan (October 17th), Hawkswell Theatre, Sligo (October 21st-22nd), Garage Theatre, Monaghan (October 24th-25th), Smock Alley, Dublin (October 28th-November 1st). Tours into November.
Visual art
Picasso: From the Studio
From Thursday, October 9th, until Sunday, February 22nd, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, €5 (booking required), nationalgallery.ie
A landmark exhibition explores the key locations in France that influenced Pablo Picasso’s art, from his arrival in Paris at the start of the 20th century to his Mougins-based studio, in which he worked from 1961 to 1973. Features paintings, sculptures, ceramics and photographs.
Festival
Baboró
From Friday, October 10th, until Sunday, October 19th, various venues, times and prices, baboro.ie
Ireland’s flagship arts festival dedicated to children and families returns with dance, visual art, music, puppetry and more. Creative workshops include Sing Write Record (Saturday, October 11th, with the recording artist Emma Lohan), A Taste of Storytelling (Wednesday, October 15th, with the chef JP McMahon), Let’s Make Comics (Saturday, October 18th, with the artist Kate Escolin) and Stop Motion Animation (Sunday, October 19th, with the multidisciplinary artist and educator Jane Cassidy). Discussions for adults include Community Gathering for Creatives (Wednesday, October 15th) and Touring Performance to Schools (Thursday, October 16th).
Film
Indie Cork
From Sunday, October 5th, until Sunday, October 12th, Arc Cinema, Cork, various times and prices, indiecork.com
The 13th Indie Cork film festival is its final edition – and it’s bowing out in style. Highlights include Ange, which premiered at Cannes in May, White Snail, which won the Special Jury Prize at Locarno Film Festival in August, the Irish-language documentary Buried Alive, and Low, from the Cork film-makers Owen Warren and Felix Castaldo. A bonus is the inclusion of Kate Bush’s Little Shrew, from 2024, in the festival’s international short-film competition.
Still running
Common Threads: A Voyage of Music & Art
From Friday, October 10th, until Sunday, October 12th, various venues, times and prices, Burren, Co Clare, commonthreads.events
It’s an inventive road trip, a mini festival and a focus on music, craft, wellness, food and conversation. Tickets are at a premium for this three-day trail of cultural discovery, which features music from Niamh Regan (see above), Martin Hayes, Morgana, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Róis, Bantum and co-curator Daithí.
Book it this week
- Rachel Galvo, Ambassador Theatre, Dublin, December 5th,ticketmaster.ie
- Courtney Marie Andrews, Whelan’s, Dublin, February 21st, foggynotions.ie
- Ron Sexsmith & Band, March 4th-12th, Irish tour, ticketmaster.ie
- Happy Mondays, Vicar Street, Dublin, April 22nd, ticketmaster.ie
