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Can anyone say what’s ‘ambient’ music for a taxpaying musician?

IT’S hard to believe how far we’ve come since the cold blues of January 1. While we’re not back yet (Can ANYONE get the Assembly to define ‘ambient’ music for the taxpaying musician? Míle buíochas), scenes at Stendhal in Limavady and test events in the south are visual reminders of the hard-won progress that industry activists and professionals have fought for all year. With the last six months in mind and a positive eye on the horizon, we’re able to have a proper inspection of our creative output this year without a grimace. After all, we’ll be able to SEE some of these people sooner or later. With this in mind, I’ve collected a handy list for the intrepid supporter of local banjo pluckers to peruse, a top 10, if you will, of the best albums released in the year of our Lord 2021 so far. In no particular order, here’s my selection of the crème de la crème...

IRISH MUSIC SCENE: Thumbs-up for Stendhal is a huge win for fans and performers alike

LIVE music is back and the north is leading the charge. In an unusually clear-headed move, the Assembly has voted to remove restrictions on outdoor events. This comes off the back of tireless campaigning and activism by the NI music industry and by a new cultural task force set up to tackle a post-Covid world for the arts, and the payoff is immense.

An avalanche of Irish music released this week

IT’S certainly been a week readers, one of ups, downs and circles. With the likes of Stendhal festival and Electric Picnic growing ever closer, the cultural standoff between creators and legislators at every end of the island continues to rage as prime time for festivals slips away into the summer. Conflicting advice and deadlines see the likes of the singular artists’ flagship festival ‘All Together Now’ cancelled for the year in the same week that ‘Sea Sessions’ announced their headline lineup and CMAT headline Academy show tickets went on sale.

IRISH MUSIC SCENE: It’s a sunnier outlook for summer festivals

AS the rare sun beats down, festival organisers have begun rolling out the necessary precautions needed to formally open their campsites and stages for the summer. With the very curious position the North finds itself in with regards to the easing of restrictions, outdoor entertainment will prove to be a litmus test for what sort of gigs we can expect in the winter. In the South, Electric Picnic is postponing its opening by three weeks, but the bravado of their press statement suggests that bookers view this as a temporary setback rather than a death toll. Meanwhile, in Limavady, the mighty Stendhal Festival announced on Friday that they are confident that Stormont will stick to their guns and announced a further run of acts taking to their Karma Valley stage – bringing the total line-up to 200 bands and comedians. I’m not a spiritual man, but I do believe Karma would find us all in credit over the next few weeks. Festivals are not the only ones rolling out dates, however. A tour was announced for Belfast alt-jazz cult Robocobra Quartet, 25 million euro were doled out to the live music industry in the South to support events in the summer and Dublin's Button Factory announced a series of events that will inject some life back into the city. Socially distanced shows will begin inside the venue from July 5. With capacity capped at 85 tickets per show, these will be the first series of indoor gigs in over 18 months on the island. With performances from the likes of Melina Malone, Aonair, Alex Gough, Local Boy, Scattered Ashes and more, it’s a unique collection of Irish talent that already has several sold-out shows. With a blueprint for providing this sort of entertainment in a confined, controlled area, the Button Factory sheds some light on a return of normality that will ultimately lead to brighter, better places.

IRISH MUSIC SCENE: Stamp On It with Belfast trio Dea Matrona

A PILOT music event in the South has been met with mixed results over the past few days. First, the basics: Singer-songwriters James Vincent McMorrow and Sorcha Richardson, plus a crew of 40-plus live industry officials, played an organised gig in Iveagh Gardens in Dublin. Patrons were sectioned in a socially distanced manner. All safe, all good, right? Whilst the face of this might look fantastic, reports of issues with ticket allotment (it seems the elected officials who barely hid their contempt for the arts over the last year had zero problem securing tickets) and of any necessary testing at the event call the spirit of what happened into dispute. Good for the crew and artists, get your wages, but the optics of what could be seen as a PR stunt by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil shouldn’t be ignored.

MUSIC: Rappers Kneecap announce live Belfast date

REJOICE, for music has returned to the glens and alleyways of the North. Potentially. News broke this weekend from Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey of an indicative date where researchers and scientist reckon that holding a guitar in a public space WILL NOT make everyone around you catch Covid… Wait, I’m being told that was never an issue? Go figure.

A number of pilot events signals a return to live music across the island

YOU might approach your local watering hole this week to meet up with some friends you’ve not seen in a while and be greeted by the sound of glorious, thunderous, real music. You might find yourself thinking “Wow, the Assembly finally got off their hands and provided some concrete advice for establishments regarding the return of working musicians!” You’d be wrong. Remember folks, Spotify playlists on a PA = good. Letting human beings who have been out of work for over a year return = bad. Glad I cleared that up. In the meantime, a number of huge pilot events in the south of the island signal a resounding return for the events industry. Early reports promise little but indicate that a huge number of patrons will soon be able to engage in our nation’s favourite cultural pastime. A fully-seated music festival in Phoenix Park that will play host to 3,600, further outdoor seated events that will host up to 500 ticket holders and indoor shows in Killarney, Galway and Cork are all on the table. Despite earlier speculations,the word on the street is vaccinations are not a prerequisite to attend these events, which will only speed up our return to normal.

MUSIC: Legend Rab will be remembered as one of Belfast’s greatest ever guitarists

Blues fans and soul brothers woke up on Sunday 23rd to a community in mourning – Rab McCullough, a veritable legend of the Northern Irish music community, passed away during the weekend following a cardiac arrest. A career musician who shared the stage with the likes of The Police, AC/DC, Van Morrison and Rory Gallagher, Rab was known the world over as a tremendous performer. He was driving force behind the band Baraka, a group that combined a show band intensity with the blues laden world of 20th century heavy rock.

MUSIC: Boucher Road party looks positive

AVA, the premier festival for electronic music in Ireland, announced in past months that they will be firing ahead with their plans in the hope of showcasing an Irish-talent heavy lineup in September. With improving vaccine conditions, the likelihood of AVA’s two day Boucher Road party looks more and more positive – which makes the company’s latest announcement of a one day conference of conversation and live-streamed DJ sets all the more exciting. With appearances from legendary Irish radio presenter, Annie Mac and a DIY release workshop hosted by Mark Gordon, CEO of Score Draw Music, the day’s program is poised to be an essential one for electro-heads. It’ll be broadcast live from AVA’s official website on May 28th, and I urge you to check it out.

Light at the end of the Covid tunnel, but the Irish music scene continues to suffer

A PLETHORA of releases buoyed the Irish music industry this week. Some focused on Bandcamp exclusive releases that took advantage of the site’s waived fees last Friday, such as country duo Cryan’s collaboration with Donegal producer Uladh. In other parts of the country, electronic artist Fears released their debut album Oiche, a stark and barren LP driven by minimalist production and arrangements. However, such releases came off the back of the announcements that Irish festivals Sea Sessions and Forbidden Fruit would delay another year's performances in the face of unclear guidelines from Dáil Éireann. Similarly in the North, Stendhal Festival organisers in Limavady called for clarity from the Executive weeks after their summer 2021 date and lineup announcement. They were joined by bookers of Open House and Belsonic, who voiced concerns for the future and called for a government-backed cancellation insurance scheme that would protect jobs in the face of Covid-19. I’ll not hold my breath for a measured, thoughtful response from Stormont.

Incredible music on offer – but when can we see the bands play live again?

Confusing legislation on what walls mean which beer gardens can open up for the citizens of the North aside, it's hard for me to view the bank holiday weekend as anything other than a tremendous step forward for the arts community. While the Executive’s sneering contempt for the independent artist remains, as evidenced by the continued ban on live music (I’ve heard comparisons to Footloose, but it seems more akin to Cromwell’s extremist Presbyterian mandate of ‘No Craic For The Masses’), it’s hard to imagine that we’ll return to the level of lockdown present during the last four months, which can only mean good things for the creative sector. This was echoed by several announcements in the South that provide a clearer timeline for the return of the live music and nightlife industry. Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, indicated that several pilot events will take place in the coming month to gauge the size, structure and success of indoor and outdoor gatherings. Further decisions about the re-opening of indoor hospitality, mass gatherings and more will be decided at the end of June following the return of outdoor beer gardens, cultural events and museums on May 10.

Imelda May’s latest album debuts at number one in the Irish charts

IT’S been a week in Irish music of welcome returns amongst the established and cult favourites. There's plenty of cause to celebrate in what felt like the busiest string of announcements of the year, from new releases, event/artist safety and a definite step towards a return to normality. First off, congratulations are in order for Irish singer and songwriter Imelda May, whose new album ‘11 Past The Hour’ debuted at the peak position on the Irish charts.

MUSIC: Sending you off with good vibes from Orla Gartland and Robert John Ardiff

IRISH music old and new comes together for us to celebrate this week, as a host of institutions and artists announce new projects and tracks. Firstly we have Music Generation, the leading music education programme on the island, calling for established professional musicians to apply for a role within the organisation. MG has been a powerhouse in giving children and young people access to high-quality schooling since its inception, and applicants are invited to create meaningful work, communities and development within the minds of the next generation of Irish musicians. With the application process occurring online, the deadline for interest is April 30th.

MUSIC: Spring has sprung with more gig dates announced in a week of colourful vibes

WITH the million mark passed for Covid-19 vaccinations and rumblings of the Executive allowing the re-opening of public houses with outdoor seating, the march to normality for the arts and the creative sector continues. Just in time too, with tour announcements from folk songwriter Dani Larkin and pop group Wild Youth (amongst others) emerging in recent days.

MUSIC: Breaking the lockdown as tours are announced and a favourite returns

BELFAST'S proud history of producing some of the world’s best in electronic music and production goes back to nearly half a century. From David Holmes to Bicep, the capital has long been home to some of the best international talents that are on offer in the vast genre – and this week, another storied institution within the scene announced its return. AVA Festival, which was forced into a Covid hiatus last year, announced its return in sweeping fashion with a huge line-up of artists from all over the world. With its reputation for packing out venues, weekend-long parties and sweat-inducing memories, AVA has come to represent the best of what makes Belfast and Northern Ireland a powerhouse in electronic music – a grassroots organisation that is artist-led and continually exceeds the expectations of an independent arts festival. Its line-up announcement will be a welcome sight to the thousands of ticket sellers around the globe who attend every year.

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