Event of the week
All Together Now
Friday, August 4th to Sunday, August 6th, Curraghmore Estate, Co Waterford; 1pm; €235; ticketmaster.ie
Chapter four of All Together Now is surely its most ambitious yet, with far too many music acts and events (across more than 15 separate stages) to list. From top to bottom, though, a seam of quality runs through the line-up, from – deep breath – the headliners (Iggy Pop, Lorde, Jamie xx, Loyle Carner, Villagers, Lankum, Sugababes) and those enticing music acts you simply have to check out (including Fight Like Apes, The Cope, Susan O’Neill, Daniel Luke, Sprints, Bricknasty) to the always interesting nook-and-cranny items (including All Curious Minds, Donal Dineen’s Backstory and Jameson Connects: The Circle). Full details on alltogethernow.ie and/or the festival app (Apple/Android).
Gigs
A Night with River Daughter
Tuesday, August 1st, Whelan’s (Little Whelan’s), Dublin; 8pm; €15/€11; whelanslive.com
It isn’t very often that a suitable city centre venue space is made available for jazz gigs, but over the past 18 months, Whelan’s has restructured its smaller rooms to accommodate such possibilities. Each Tuesday, under the umbrella title of Lulu’s Jazz Club, musicians get a chance to experiment, express and/or let rip. River Daughter is a trio comprising three recent graduates of Dublin City University’s jazz and contemporary music course – Rufina Tishina, Rory Fleming and Emily O’Rourke, each of whom have years of experience under their respective belts. Anyone with an ear for Ornette Coleman, Bill Evans and Emily Remler, with a side order of judicious improv, should make a beeline.
Jon Anderson & the Paul Green Rock Academy
Tuesday, August 1st, Vicar Street, Dublin; 6.30pm; €54.65; ticketmaster.ie
Now that various members of the classic line-up of UK prog-rock band Yes are either no longer with us or are diversifying into splinter groups, the music is being kept alive by one of its original members, vocalist/songwriter Jon Anderson, who is steadfast in adhering to the intricate, noodling nature of the genre. The work of Yes continues to have a steadfast following, however, which is why getting a chance to hear the band’s classic 1972 album, Close to the Edge, performed in its entirety is something the fans won’t want to miss.
Indiependence
Friday, August 4th to Sunday, August 6th, Mitchelstown, Co Cork; 4pm (Friday), 2pm (Saturday/Sunday); €209/€189/€159/€64.50; ticketmaster.ie
One of Ireland’s longest-running open-air music festivals (it started many years ago on the back of a truck) continues its post-pandemic rise with a substantial Irish line-up. With the exception of UK music acts Anne-Marie (Saturday, August 5th) and Editors (Sunday, August 6th), and US act We Are Scientists (Sunday, August 6th), it is, pretty much, green, white and orange all the way. The biggies include The Coronas, Belters Only, Inhaler, Two Door Cinema Club and Ham Sandwich, but over the weekend we advise you to keep an ear out for Katie Phelan, All Tvvins, Fya Fox and Nell Mescal.
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Musical
Titanic the Musical
Until August 5th, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin; 7.30pm; from €21.50; ticketmaster.ie
An interesting choice, you might think – how on earth can the story of one of the most tragic disasters of the 20th century be turned into a musical? Five Tony Awards (including Best Score, Best Musical, Best Book) points to its success in this regard, as Maury Yeston’s songs drive home the storylines of hope, love and class structure with due respect and solemnity.
Photography
Influence and Identity
Until October 8th, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Kilmainham, Dublin; free; imma.ie
Sub-titled “Twentieth Century Portrait Photography from the Bank of America Collection”, this collection features 25 world-renowned photographers that captured their subjects in moments of candidness, reflection, detachment and lightheartedness. From Virginia Woolf (by Gisèle Freund) and Marc Chagall (by André Kertész) to Miles Davis (by Lee Friedlander) and Groucho Marx (by Richard Avedon), the quality of the work is striking and, crucially, open to interpretation.
Visual art
Shelter
Until Sunday, November 12th, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin; free; nationalgallery.ie
The Shell/Ter Artist Collective (S/TAC) features new work from five Irish artists: Diana Copperwhite, Allyson Keehan, Niamh McGuinne, Sharon Murphy and Geraldine O’Neill, each of whose output is harmonised by a range of items selected from the gallery’s collection as well as subtle, complementary themed work by international artists. Housed in the Print Gallery, the work includes O’Neill’s sculptural piece, Diminished Vision; Murphy’s installation, The Twelfth House; McGuinne’s etching Hirsute; Keehan’s oil on panel, Pink Velvet Scenario; and Copperwhite’s The Right to be Forgotten, which, the artist says, concerns her continuing interests “being further shaped and enriched by being part of a collective”.
Film
31st Gaze International LGBTQIA Film Festival
From Thursday, August 3rd to Monday, August 7th, Dublin; various times/venues/prices; gaze.ie
Count the numbers: 114 films from 25 countries, 12 Irish premieres, 10 European premieres, six world premieres, and no end of features, shorts and documentaries make their debut at this year’s Gaze IFF, which marks the 30th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ireland. The festival’s special guest, Blackpool-born performance artist, film-maker, actor and comedian David Hoyle (”the indisputable icon of the avant-garde”, according to Theatre Weekly), features in the film Hedda (after Ibsen), while the music strand includes It’s Only Life After All, a documentary about the Indigo Girls. The Closing Gala screening of Australian comedy/drama Of an Age takes place in the Lighthouse Cinema on Monday, August 7th (as do the Gaze Annual Awards).
Still running
Galway International Arts Festival
Until Sunday, July 30th; various times/venues/prices; giaf.ie
The final weekend of Ireland’s most comprehensive arts festival is upon us, so try not to miss Enda Walsh’s Cloakroom (The Shed; theatre), The Laughter Loft (King’s Head; comedy) and Onomatopoeia (Festival Printworks Gallery; visual art). Full details on the festival website.
Book it this week
Write by the Sea, Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford, September 22nd-24th; writebythesea.ie
Explosions in the Sky, Vicar Street, Dublin, November 6th; foggynotions.ie
Depeche Mode, 3Arena, Dublin, February 3rd; ticketmaster.ie
Jah Wobble, Whelan’s, Dublin, February 9th; selectivememory.ie
