POST CATEGORY : BarryGruff Presents

BarryGruff Presents #9: The Statics, Keith Moss & Wayfarer :: Flanagan’s :: Newbridge :: Thursday Sept 27th

I’m very excited about this one, especially after the absolute blast at the last gig in Flanagan’s, I’m not sure the place has recovered yet.

Ready or not BarryGruff Presents #9 is here & returns to Flanagan’s Bar, Newbridge for a special Arthur’s Day show on Thursday, September 27th. There’s a great night of live music ahead with headline performances from The Statics & Keith Moss and support from Wayfarer. There’s more info below & the ‘Facebook Event’ is right here.

Fresh from a storming show at this year’s Castlepalooza, Dublin 4-piece The Statics, bring their jangly infectious indie-pop sound to Newbridge for the very first time. Echoing the likes of The La’s, John Power & The Coral, there’s is heart warming indie-goodness with twangy rhythmic guitars, rich distinctive vocals and sing-a-long choruses, played with energy, refreshing honesty and assured sense of style.

Similarly it’s a first Newbridge outing for Dublin-based Keith Moss, who has been garnering plaudits for his music since winning IMRO’s ‘Young Songwriter of the Year’. Something of a punk poet, Moss’s music is a curious work of rare beauty which positively drips with passion and emotion. A great time to catch him live before his debut album is released in October through Reekus Records. Meanwhile support comes from Newbridge’s very own Wayfarer, whose soft and gentle folk sound is something of beauty.

It’s FREE in as usual and the show kicks off at 8.30pm & as it is Arthurs’ Day expect some Guinness related drinks promotions too.

BarryGruff Presents #8: The Annulments, The Cedar Sound, Appo & DJs :: Flanagan’s :: Newbridge :: Sat Sept 15th

‘BarryGruff Presents’ #8 is here & returns to Flanagan’s Bar, Newbridge on Saturday, September 15th.

It’s going to one hell of a night w/ 3 great live performances from The Annulments, The Cedar Sound, Appo & DJ sets till 2am from Robbie Coffey & Cormac Brady (Super Extra Bonus Party).

Dublin quartet The Annulments’ sound comes from a broad blend of influences, taking in blues, folk country, dixieland, mountain minstrelsy, soul and rock and roll. With a respect for these musical traditions, they create wonderful and arresting tales of unjust love, mislaid plans and labours lost. The Annulments are a band whose stock is steadily on the rise.

Accompanying them on the bill are The Cedar Sound and Appo. Compiled of members from Kildare and Dublin, The Cedar Sound have hit the gig trail this year, taking their Americana Folk sounds with them across Ireland. Meanwhile Appo, one of Newbridge’s finest troubadours, returns for his second performance of the series. He and his gravely bluesy-folk remains one of the town’s best kept secrets.

Entry is FREE as always and the show starts at 9.00pm and runs until 2.00am in Flanagan’s, Newbridge on Saturday, September 15th. For more info & Facebook event.

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BarryGruff Presents: Our Krypton Son, Conor Mason and The P Affection :: The Twisted Pepper :: Dublin :: Sat August 25th

 

I’m delighted ‘BarryGruff Presents’ is on its way back to Dublin again, this Saturday, August 25th. We’re taking over The Twisted Pepper on Middle Abbey Street for what promises to be a great night.

I’m especially excited to have three of the best acts in Ireland (and three of my favourites) – ‘Our Krypton Son’, ‘Conor Mason’ and ‘The P Affection’ – with me on this one. There is more details and tracks from the acts below. Doors at 8pm and admission is €7, hopefully plenty of you can make it along to what will be a really special night. [Facebook event]

Our Krypton Son (Smalltown America):

Chris McConaghy aka Our Krypton Son hails from Derry, where he cut his first musical teeth with psychobilly art-rockers Red Organ Serpent Sound. Having graduated unscathed from those rambunctious ranks, Chris established his song writing credentials sharing stages with David Kitt, Gemma Hayes, Jape and Cashier No. 9 around the Irish club circuit. Gathering plaudits as a writer of note, Chris gathered close musician friends together in early 2010 to create Our Krypton Son. Our Krypton Son’s muse traverses the songscapes of Wilco, Costello, Bowie, Waits and Orbison. McConaghy’s voice is at times fragile, tender and touching and on occasion shimmers romantically in rare, Irish sunlight.

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Our Krypton Son – Catalonian Love Song

Our Krypton Son – Nowhere

 

Conor Mason (Armellodie Records):

Also hailing from Derry, music has been present in Mason’s life from a young age. With three albums under his belt, Mason has now found his space on the musical landscape, not dissimilar to that occupied by luminaries Matthew Jay or Elliott Smith. His latest album, Standstill, is a masterpiece in song writing, flowing gently by, amid a sea of soft lilting vocals, whispering lyrical poeticisms and subtle instrumentation. His music is permeated by an air of richness, comforting tranquillity and shrouded in melancholy. This is Conor Mason’s first Dublin show in sometime and one definitely not to be missed.

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Download: Conor Mason – Better Than Nothing

Conor Mason – Out of the Blue 

The P Affection (NIPPI Records):

The P Affection is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Padraig McCauley. The Naas based band’s self-titled debut was released to rave reviews and their recently released follow-up Cakes For Occasions has exceeded even their lofty expectations. They have grown as a band, their sound even tighter; a wondrous blend of indie-pop, rock, ska, and folk is formed into a distinct and cohesive sound, all of their own.

The P Affection – My Main Squeeze

The P Affection – Gone Fishin’

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BarryGruff Presents: One Year On | Some Idle Chit-Chat

Saturday last marked the one year anniversary of the very first ‘BarryGruff Presents’ show. Granted, a year isn’t really a long time in the grand scheme of things but I thought I’d share some musings from the year.

As with a lot of ideas, it spawned from chatting over a few pints, where by myself and Stevie decided to try doing some small gigs in our local in Newbridge, Flanagan’s. So, the idea was simple, bring music I’d been pushing on the blog, from the internet into a real world live setting. It has work fantastically well and we’ve been lucky to have witnessed some outstanding performances from some of the finest up and coming talents this country has to offer.

It may come as a surprise to many that while Newbridge has a wealth musical talent (this mixtape is just a small bit of proof), we have been pretty much starved of live original music in recent years (that’s a whole other post). This was our attempt to redress this imbalance. Live music is vital if we are to ever to sustain a vibrant music scene and this problem isn’t confined to Newbridge. I’m sure there are towns like Newbridge the length and breadth of this island, which are virtually starved of live music.

We just utilized what we’ve got and worked with it, Flanagan’s is far from a perfect for these shows but works remarkably well. Now, I’m lucky, not only did I cut my teeth putting on shows with Culture Factory but I have two top guys with me (Stevie & Poggy) who have the equipment and know how to make it possible. Of course we’re not alone and credit is due to the many people putting on gigs and promoting new talent across Ireland. I suppose the point is we’ve opened up a new place, somewhere artists couldn’t/hadn’t played previously which is most important. There needs to be more than 7 or 8 places for bands to tour. Although music is increasingly discovered and consumed online, it is vital to remember music is best witnessed live, as a collective experience. Time and time again when acts play here, people are blown away by music they have, or have not heard before (proving the limitations of my blog  too).

Having the gigs in a pub works and is a pretty natural partner. Not only are the shows free but people are comfortable in a boozer, overcoming the issue of getting people from pubs to venues, which I assume extends beyond Newbridge, to many towns across Ireland. 

What we’re doing is only small but I’m immensely proud of the achievements so far and I’m sure that lads are too. Expanding to Dublin has been exciting too but there is something uniquely special about the Newbridge gigs. I’ll be honest, it was pretty nerve racking to begin with. It had been quite sometime since I had done anything in the way of gigs but it has been a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience. Long may they continue.

The next ‘BarryGruff Presents’ takes place in The Twisted Pepper, Dublin on Saturday, August 25th with ‘Our Krypton Son’, ‘Conor Mason’ and ‘The P Affection’. More info here. (There will be another Newbridge show announced soon too).

BarryGruff Presents #7: Trap Door, Nathan Conway, Ciaran Lenehan + DJs :: Flanagan’s :: Newbridge :: Sat June 30th

‘BarryGruff Presents’ #7 is here & returns to Flanagan’s Bar, Newbridge on Saturday, June 30th. 

It’s going to one hell of a night w/ 3 great live performances from Trap Door, Nathan Conway & Ciarán Lehehan, a bar extension and DJ sets from Cormac Brady (SEBP), Robbie Coffey & Myself,  BarryGruff till 2am.

Dublin trio Trap Door were absolutely brilliant in The Workman’s a few weeks ago. They combine a rich mix of punk, folk, ska and hip-hop with insightful flowing and streetwise lyrics. In a similar approach of one Jamie T, Trap Door take the listener rumbustious rattle through urban life, something borne out on their excellent debut EP, Lata Town, with songs of lyrical depth, plenty of youthful lairiness and rebelliousness (download it here for free).

Accompanying them on the bill are Nathan Conway and Ciaran Lenehan. Since releasing his first album with The Bottlestoppers in 2011, Nathan Conway has been back in the studio developing an ever more sophisticated Soul and Country Music sound. Meanwhile Dublin folk rocker Ciaran Lenehan has played with the likes of Damien Dempsey, Frank Turner and Wallis Bird, brings his engaging and eloquent songs to Newbridge once again for a second BarryGruff show.

Entry is FREE as always and the show starts at 9.00pm until 2.00am in Flanagan’s, Newbridge on Saturday, June 30th. For more &  Facebook event.

!Kaboogie/ PosterFish/ BarryGruff present: DJ MEK, Neil Bucannon, Deviant & Imploded View :: Saturday June 16th :: King 7, Dublin

I was absolutely thrilled with bringing ‘BarryGruff Presents’ to Dublin for the first time last Friday, in The Workman’s Club.

I am equally thrilled to be involved in another Dublin show; ‘BRAINMELT!’ in King 7, Capel St., Dublin 1. It’s a three-way split between !Kaboogie, PosterFish & BarryGruff and the line-up of DJ MEK, Neil Bucannon, Deviant & Imploded View speaks for itself. This is going to be a blinder of a night, no doubt about it! 

It’s all happening this Saturday, June 16th in King 7, Capel St., Dublin 1. Admission: €5 before 11pm / €10 after. The Facebook event page is here and there’s more details on the acts below. I hope to see some of you there.

DJ MEK

Producer, remixer, award-winning scratch deejay, messer, and all-round talented fecker…. DJ MEK has been bangin’ out the quality since the late 80s. Mek is probably best known for being “the cat behind the decks” in legendary Irish hip-hip band Scary Eire, and for winning a ridiculous amount of awards for his turntable skills. We are verrrry excited about this one!

 DJ Mek Mid 80’s Hip Hop Mix

Neil Bucannon

Aka, Djackulate and Moschops, aka, Paddy and the Heart Brake Kidd, Neil Bucannon uses a patented hardware and wax “audio fun system”, consisting of 4 turntables, 1 cdj, MPC1000, SP404, Korg KP3, Pioneer EFX500, Loop pedal, Rane mixers and unwanted records Neil takes bits of everything to create an audio Art Attack without PVA glue.

Download: Neil Bucannon Live in Galway 2010 – Community Skratch Music

Deviant

Deviant makes skratch music. Unadulterated by synthesizers, untouched by guitars, not a delay pedal in sight. Just records, hands, turntables, mixer, loop pedal and multitracker. Deviant has been musically active since 2001, promoting the Rootdown and GC Underground nights (with international hip-hop luminaries Edan, The P Brothers, DJ Noize and Supernatural), as part of four piece turntable band Vince Mack Mahon (with Jimmy Penguin, Mikey Fingers and Tweek) and as a founding member of Community Skratch, a non-profit collective dedicated to promoting the arts of turntable manipulation and sample culture. His recent live-sets have been mind-blowing, and his mixes, remixes, and original releases have been unreal. Have a listen for yourself…

Imploded View

Imploded View aka Jerome McCormick is Longford based beat-maker whose forte is experimental electronic music. Using a whole manner of retro synths and 1/4 inch Reel-to-Reel tape machine he creates extremely chilled ambient sounds. This is a rare opportunity to see him perform before the release of his debut LP later this year.

Download: Imploded View – Across The Snow

BarryGruff Presents: Trap Door, Knoxville Morning & Ginola :: Friday :: June 8th :: The Workman’s Club :: Dublin

The ‘BarryGruff Presents’ shows in Newbridge have been great and long may they continue! I’m absolutely thrilled that ‘BarryGruff Presents’ will be hitting the capital for the first time this Friday (June 8th) in The Workman’s Club.

We’ve got three top bands on the bill; Trap Door, Knoxville Morning & Ginola, followed by Gav (We Are Losers/ADULTROCK) spinning some tunes till the early hours. I really hope to some of you on Friday, it’s going to be a cracking night and best of all it is FREE in. 

Admission Free/Doors 8pm & The Facebook Event Page is here. Here’s a few words on each of the bands. 

Trap Door

Dublin trio Trap Door combine a rich mix of punk, folk, ska and hip-hop with insightful flowing and streetwise lyrics. In a similar approach of one Jamie T, Trap Door take the listener rumbustious rattle through urban life, something borne out on their excellent debut EP, Lata Town. With songs of lyrical depth, plenty of youthful lairiness and rebelliousness; Trap Door are a band to contend with.

Trap Door – Lata Town

Knoxville Morning

Knoxville Morning began life as a side-project of Band on an Island’s Ciaran Dwyer, before in time, growing into something far bigger. Joined by fellow BOAI members, Stefan Murphy, Gavin Elsted, Brian Gallagher, Claire Prendergast, Stephen Fahey and Laura Caffrey, they have created an inviting blend of folk, country and Americana, with an Irish twist. Knoxville Morings’ self titled debut will be released on this summer.

Knoxville Morning – Baseball Song (w/ Claire Prendergast)

Ginola

Like your music loud? Then look no further than Ginola. This ragged Dublin punk trio have hardly put a foot wrong over the past twelve months, impressing with a number of singles, split releases and numerous scintillating live shows. Their forte is loud highly charged punk-rock with hopping basslines and battering drums.

Ginola – Thruster

BarryGruff Presents #6: w/ Sive, Padraig McCauley & The P Affection and Sea Area Forecast :: Flanagan’s Newbridge :: May 25th

So, ‘BarryGruff Presents’ returns to Flanagan’s Bar, Newbridge for its sixth instalment on Friday, May 25th.

The first 5 shows have been fantastic & ‘BarryGruff Presents’ #6 promises to be no less impressive, with the delectable talents of Sive, Padraig McCauley & The P Affection and Sea Area Forecast on show.

Sive, the brainchild of Naas musician Sadhbh O’Sullivan, who’s recent debut album We Are Moving was greeted by rave reviews. Drawing from a wide variety of alternative rock, jazz and folk influences, Sive’s gorgeous sound fuses these influences, with excellent musicianship and charm.

Accompanying them on the bill are Naas-based Padraig McCauley & The P Affection, whose genre hopping sounds of their debut album received notable acclaim last year. Meanwhile Newbridge based Sea Area Forecast take time out from prepping their debut EP, indie, folk and rock sounds. It is going to be yet another memorable night. 

Entry is FREE as always and starts at 9.00pm Friday, May 25th. More info & Facebook event here.

Sive – Sunkissed

Download: Padraig McCauley & The P Affection – Lingo

Sea Area Forecast – Marvelous With Tin

BarryGruff Presents #5: The North Sea w/ Death In The Sickroom :: Flanagan’s Newbridge :: April 26th

So, it’s gig #5 for ‘BarryGruff’ Presents’. This Thursday (April 26th) we’ve got The North Sea & Death In The Sickroom, entry is FREE as always and judging by the previous gigs, this is going to be a great night!

Dublin 5 piece The North Sea made quite an impression over the past 12 months which has seen them playing shows across Ireland and the UK including Indiependence, Knockanstockan, Whelan’s One To Watch and supporting Whipping Boy. They are currently prepping the release of their brand new EP and having already witnessed comparisons to The Wedding Present, The Stone Roses and The Smiths. 

Accompanying them on the bill are fellow Dubliners Death In The Sickroom, whose own happy-go-lucky jingle-jangle indie-pop is worthy of huge praise too.

Over the past few months we have been lucky to witness some or Ireland brightest emerging musical talents and this will be no different. The show takes place in Flanagan’s, Newbridge on Thursday, April 26th and kicks off at 8.30pm. More info & Facebook event here.

BarryGruff Presents #4: Ghost Estates w/ Neon Wolf :: Flanagan’s :: Newbridge :: April 8th

So, it’s gig #4 for ‘BarryGruff’ Presents’ in Flanagan’s, Newbridge on Easter Sunday, April 8th. Entry is FREE as always and judging by the previous gigs, this is going to be one hell of a night!

Dublin 5 piece Ghost Estates made quite an impression in the past 12 months. A number stellar singles and storming live shows, including Electric Picnic and Hard Working Class Heroes, earned them a lot of praise from this blog and earmarked them as definite ‘one’s to watch’.

They are currently readying their debut album for release in June and the band brings their delectably tight indie sound to Newbridge for the first time. Accompanying them on the bill is Thomastown band Neon Wolf, whose own unbridled feel-good indie-pop has caused more than their fair share of a stir and they left quite an impression the last time they were in town.

So, forget about those Easter eggs, this is going to be a great night and one not to be missed! Entry is FREE as always and starts at 8.30pm, Easter Sunday, April 8thth. More info & Facebook event here.

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Neon Wolf – The Good Life

 Download: Ghost Estates – October

Download: Ghost Estates – Forever or Never