A Night in with Marian Keyes
Thursday, February 4th, 6.30pm, €22.50 and €11.50, ticketsolve.com
She's one of Ireland's most successful writers, initially written off as a purveyor of chick lit but confounding the critics by revealing a greater depth and humour to her writing, a keen mind tuned to the beat of everyday life, and a superb storytelling talent that has propelled her 14th novel, Grown Ups, to the top of the bestseller lists and the top of many people's must-read lists. This night in with her is to mark the paperback release of Grown Ups; a full-price ticket will also get you a physical copy of the book, delivered to wherever you are. Keyes will chat about why she likes to write about contemporary issues, where she finds inspiration, and how she manages to make readers laugh time and again.
Tom Grennan
Friday, February 5th, 7pm, inklick.live
Pop stars are a fidgety lot – they're not built for sitting around waiting for lockdown to be lifted. British singer-songwriter Tom Grennan has decided he's had enough, and has teamed up with InKlick x Metropolis to put on a virtual gig for his fans, where he'll debut tracks from his forthcoming second album, Evering Road. (The album is named after the street where he lived with his ex-girlfriend, so I'm guessing break-up record.) "I've missed performing live so much and am buzzing to get back on stage again," said Grennan. "I've got something super special planned and cannot wait to see you all singing along with me at home!" Thanks to the magic of modern technology, some lucky fans will have the chance to appear virtually on stage with Grennan and interact with their hero. Just mind you don't knock over his mic stand. The admission fee? Just pre-order the album.
Comedy KARLnival Zoom Online with Karl Spain & friends…
Friday, February 5th, 7.30pm, €10 (join in with the slagging and silliness) and €8 (just watch from a safe distance), eventbrite.ie
The puntastic virtual comedy gigs continue at the Roisin Dubh in Galway with special guest Al Murray the Pub Landlord, pouring out flagons of wit directly into your livingroom snug. Also joining host Karl Spain is Kerry funnyman (or funny Kerryman) Bernard Casey, who knows all about making people laugh online, and So You Think You're Funny? finalist Aideen McQueen.
A Night In with Bridgerton author Julia Quinn
Sunday, February 7th, fane.co.uk
It's Netflix's fifth most successful debut series ever, a runaway success that has turned the traditional costume drama topsy-turvy, and shown just what you can do with a great story, memorable characters, superb actors and lots of frocks and frills. Julia Quinn has made period drama sexy again, and here she chats to Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury in the series, about why romance novels are back with a bang, and how Quinn went from medical school dropout to hugely successful author, with 18 novels on the New York Times bestsellers list. But what we really want to know is, when will the next Bridgerton series land in our parlours?
#DouglassWeek
February 8th-14th, Free, douglassincork.com
This celebration of the great abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass was originally planned for 2020 to celebrate the 175th anniversary of his visit to Ireland, but has now been reconfigured to encompass a week of online talks, workshops and events exploring the dynamics of slavery and freedom, and examining the struggles for equality and independence both in the US and in Ireland. There's so much happening over the week, under six separate strands, that it's pointless for me to highlight individual events – just download the brochure and pick and choose for yourself. All the events are free, so feel free to immerse yourself in a fascinating – and very relevant – slice of history.
Chrissie Hynde and Fiachna Ó Braonáin – An Obsession with Bob Dylan
Tuesday February 9th, 6.30pm, Pay what you can: €6, €10, €15, crowdcast.io
The Festival of Writing and Ideas in Borris House has been rescheduled twice due to the pandemic, but the team behind it is hoping this wonderfully erudite weekend will go ahead next June. Meanwhile, to help us through lockdown, the team is presenting the Winter Series, a whole bunch of online talks that should keep your cultural radar ticking over until all this is over. Tonight, the Pretenders boss lady and the Hothouse Flowers guitarist will chat about their shared obsession for Dylan, and Hynde will discuss how she used her time in lockdown to reinterpret songs from Dylan's vast back catalogue.
Secret Song
Saturday, February 13th and Sunday, February 41th, 8pm, €25 (weekend ticket) €15 (day ticket), leviscornerhouse.com
Every year, hidden deep in the wilds of West Cork, a music festival takes place at Levi's Corner House in Ballydehob. The line-up is a closely guarded secret, and when you arrive at the pub, you never know who's going to be playing – or where in the pub they'll be playing. It could be in the back garden, in the parlour, or even in a tiny cupboard. Secret Song usually happens in June, but didn't happen last year for obvious reasons. Now, the pub has decided to stage a virtual Secret Song in February, with a line-up of excellent artists cleverly arrayed around the premises, and delivering memorable performances over two magical days.
Mogwai – As The Love Continues
Saturday, February 13th, 8pm, £15, mogwai.scot
Scotland's finest purveyors of post-rock have a new album, As the Love Continues, and they'd like to share it with you via this special live-streamed show at Glasgow's Tramway Theatre. The instrumental band led by Stuart Braithwaite have been remapping the boundaries of rock for more than 25 years now, and their new album will see them continuing to go boldly into lush, widescaped sonic territory and blazing a trail for other post-rockers to follow. The gig is filmed and recorded by the band's long-term collaborator Antony Crook, and the album will be a chance for the Mogwai not-so-young-anymore team to hear the new album performed in its entirety.
