DaraNothing if not ambitious, Dara O'Toole surrounds himself with a phalanx of musiciansSat Feb 12 2000 - 00:00
CountryIt's rare that an Englishman captures the rumbling and ragged Americana sound, but Londoner Bruntnell (right) carries it off …Sat Feb 12 2000 - 00:00
Dick GaughanBroad-shouldered, brickie-like and stocky (with a long-haired pigtail the only tell-tale sign of a career lived outside the construction…Thu Feb 03 2000 - 00:00
FolkOne of the few proponents of contemporary folk who gives a fierce relevance to what he sings, Scotsman Dick Gaughan (right) has…Sat Jan 29 2000 - 00:00
Reedy Freedy offers flat chatWith a thin, reedy voice somewhere between Neil Young's and Nils Lofgren's, a voice perfect for swooping down and carrying you…Wed Jan 26 2000 - 00:00
A seasoned soulScience And The Secrets of Nature by William Eamon, The Stones of Venice by John Ruskin and I Come From Behind Kaf Mountain by…Sat Jan 22 2000 - 00:00
John PrineElevated to the status of grizzled grandfather of Americana, John Prine took to the stage, with his two associates, looking spruce…Wed Jan 19 2000 - 00:00
Nowt like folk for cult survivorWhen John Prine plays Dublin's Olympia theatre on Monday night it will be as much a cause for celebration for him as for his …Sat Jan 15 2000 - 00:00
Pop and puppy love in full swingI've been moved more while watching episodes of The Simpsons, but Aisling (10) thought the gig was "brilliant" and Sarah (6) …Sat Jan 08 2000 - 00:00
MusicFeaturing an impressive line-up of Irish and international roots/acoustic acts over the next nine consecutive nights, the Celtic…Sat Jan 08 2000 - 00:00
RockGreeted with open arms by Irish music fans (initially through airplay by the likes of Donal Dineen and Donal Scannell, and latterly…Sat Dec 18 1999 - 00:00
Pet shopping still greatVery few successful chart acts (over 30 Top 20 hit singles in the past 15 years) are this goodThu Dec 16 1999 - 00:00
All in the mindIt is unusual that a low-key but respected singer/songwriter would ever want to willingly sacrifice a burgeoning career for a…Sat Dec 11 1999 - 00:00
Olympia bill for Buffalo AniA self-styled punk folk singer who can appeal to mature folkies as well as climbing up college radio charts, Ani DiFranco is …Sat Dec 04 1999 - 00:00
John SpillaneWhile the choice of Vicar Street for a headline concert proved to be somewhat over-ambitious, there was no doubting that, given…Wed Dec 01 1999 - 00:00
AcousticThe son of a Life journalist, a school boarder in Delaware (where he was friends with an adolescent Liza Minelli) and a singer…Sat Nov 20 1999 - 00:00
New-look `Riverdance' returns to Dublin in JulyRiverdance - The Show is to return to Dublin in July next year for a six-week run, although the show's producer, Ms Moya Doherty…Fri Nov 19 1999 - 00:00
Gorky's Zygotic MynciMutating between buzz-saw DIY punk rock and naive, pastoral pop music, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci are from Wales, yet are as far removed…Mon Nov 15 1999 - 00:00
Unmissable, a battling 1960's starWhen it comes to startling originality in the context of pop music, The Kinks' Ray Davies is difficult to beatSat Nov 06 1999 - 00:00
RootsIT's an idea that other lead singers and songwriters of successful groups should take note of but probably won't - the creative…Sat Oct 30 1999 - 01:00
Monkey businessIt happens far too often in Irish rock music - meat and potatoes are rarely garnished with a decent dressingSat Oct 30 1999 - 01:00
Sir George Martin - an Evening of Beatles ClassicsNo one could deny the influence Sir George Martin had on The Beatles, and by extension popular musicTue Oct 26 1999 - 01:00
TradLong regarded among his peers as Ireland's Master Uilleann Piper, Liam O'Flynn (left) has journeyed from Planxty to the BBC Proms…Sat Oct 23 1999 - 01:00
Kirsty MacCollLeaving Brazil and going direct to Cuba via chilly end-of-pier Britain, Kirsty MacColl's first bona fide gig in Ireland for many…Tue Oct 12 1999 - 01:00
Bowie plays Dublin after successful NetAid concertDavid Bowie arrived in Dublin yesterday, fresh from Saturday's hugely successful NetAid concertMon Oct 11 1999 - 01:00
CountryHe's a rhinestone cowboy all right, and at a leathery 63 shows no signs of retiringSat Oct 09 1999 - 01:00
AcousticIn Britain, Joan Armatrading (left) is the blueprint for the soul-searching female singer/songwriterSat Oct 02 1999 - 01:00
CountryIt's the stuff of archetypal tear-sodden country music songs - single mother drops out of high school, raises two children, waits…Sat Sept 25 1999 - 01:00
Brian Kennedy - Vicar StreetThere was more to this than meets the eye, but before we get to Brian Kennedy we just have to mention support act Juliet Turner…Thu Sept 23 1999 - 01:00
Folk/RockMary Black's success shows no signs of diminishing, which says more for her dogged persistence and obvious popularity than any…Sat Sept 18 1999 - 01:00
Mark Eitzel, BrianLast Saturday evening in the Temple Bar Music Centre was a male-dominated gathering of downbeat people, bereft of love and losers…Mon Sept 13 1999 - 01:00
TradThis paper described Cran's 1998 release, Black, Black, Black, as "challenging"Sat Sept 11 1999 - 01:00
The CharlatansThe second gig of the Transmissions series of New Digital Sounds might have been more grounded than the first (Flaming Lips on…Thu Sept 02 1999 - 01:00
An equal opportunity eroticism entertainerIt might not have the kudos and pulling power of other major blues festivals, but the Monaghan-based Harvest Time Blues Festival…Sat Aug 28 1999 - 01:00
The guitar is the attitudeBlues guitarist Mick Taylor, noted esteemed rock writer Robert Palmer, was the most accomplished technician who had ever served…Sat Aug 28 1999 - 01:00
The Brady punchAn effective chronicler of mid-life turmoil, Paul Brady is a master of the tough acoustic guitar songSat Aug 21 1999 - 01:00
Richard Thompson - HQFor a man with such a body of work behind him, narky old Richard Thompson tested the audience with up to six songs from his soon…Wed Aug 11 1999 - 01:00
Folk/RootsAlways the critics' favourite and never the huge commercial entity he should rightly be, Richard Thompson (left) initially forged…Sat Aug 07 1999 - 01:00
Nina SimoneIf you wanted to be placed on the edge of your seat, not knowing whether you were going to sit back comfortably or fall headfirst…Mon Jul 26 1999 - 01:00
Blind Boys of AlabamaJust when you thought the Blues Festival weekend couldn't get any better, along comes The Blind Boys of AlabamaMon Jul 26 1999 - 01:00
Screamin' Jay HawkinsOn Friday evening, amidst sweltering heat and the push of a packed house, Jalacy (Screamin' Jay) Hawkins strolled onstage at …Mon Jul 26 1999 - 01:00
TradAt times, it has seemed De Dannan was more a launching pad for Irish singers than anything elseSat Jul 24 1999 - 01:00
FolkNow out on her own, following a long stint in Throwing Muses, Alabama-born Kristen Hersh is generally perceived as a kooky singer…Sat Jul 17 1999 - 01:00
FestivalsFirmly entrenched in the Irish festival calendar as the biggest and best blues event of the year, it seems that the Dublin-based…Sat Jul 17 1999 - 01:00
Shania Twainother 9,999 people sardine-packed into the broiling RDS Simmonscourt on Saturday evening, it was akin to the Second Coming.Mon Jul 12 1999 - 01:00
So just who is Michael Stipe?So how exactly does a shy art student with poor skin and intriguing hair become an international pop star? How does a guy who…Sat Jul 10 1999 - 01:00
Ron SexsmithThe world might think it doesn't need yet another singer/songwriter but it has one in the bulky frame of Ron Sexsmith whether…Fri Jul 09 1999 - 01:00
