Highlight of the Week
Coldplay
From Thursday (29th of August) to Monday (2nd September), iconic British band Coldplay will take the stage at Croke Park, Dublin for four consecutive sold-out shows starting at 5pm. Tickets for these hot gigs, available via ticketmaster.ie, have once again proven the band’s galactic appeal. Depending on who you ask – Alan McGee, ex-boss of Creation Records, regards them as “bedwetters,” while according to The Guardian, they’re the band students tend to appreciate. However, their popularity remains unbeatable, as evident from their filled concerts. The show promises to astound with performances from their 2021 release, ‘Music of the Spheres’, and songs from their eagerly anticipated future album ‘Moon Music’. This extravaganza spanning four acts – Planets, Moons, Stars, Home – boasts an array of hit tracks, dazzling lights and laser shows along with eco-friendly confetti explosions, promising a powerful stadium show.
Live Performances
Bonnie “Prince” Billy
Fans of notable US singer-songwriter Bonnie “Prince” Billy, also known as Will Oldham, are in for a treat. Starting on the 24th of August, with a show at 8pm in Dolan’s, Limerick for €36, available at dolans.ie, the artist embarks on an extensive Irish tour. Shows continue with another at Róisín Dubh, Galway on Sunday the 25th, at Dublin’s National Concert Hall on Monday the 26th and lastly, Whelan’s, Dublin on Tuesday the 27th. Although tickets for some of these events, accessible via roisindubh.net, nch.ie and whelanslive.com, are already sold out, Oldham’s Irish followers will still have the chance to enjoy a collection of his deep, innovative and genre-defying music drawn from his expansive thirty year portfolio including his latest album ‘Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You’.
Girl in Red
On Tuesday, 27th of August, the popular artist Girl in Red will perform at 3Arena, Dublin at 6.30pm. Fans can book tickets at €40 from ticketmaster.ie. Be sure not to miss the show.
Pop sensation Marie Ulven Ringheim, otherwise known by her stage name ‘Girl in Red’, stands out in the music industry for her unique artistic flair and clear messages of unconditional love. The 25-year-old Norwegian has come a long way in her decade-long career, moving from uploading her songs on Soundcloud to being signed by Awal and then Columbia Records. Not known for deviating from her original style, Ringheim’s two albums – ‘If I Could Make It Go Quiet’ from 2021 and ‘I’m Doing It Again, Baby!’ from this year – consistently tell tales of romance, mental wellbeing, and her journey as a queer individual.
Renowned punk-pop band ‘Blink-182’ are set to perform on Monday, August 26th at the SSE Arena in Belfast (tickets sold out) and on Tuesday, August 27th at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, Dublin. Fans have been eagerly anticipating these rescheduled shows which were initially due last year. After three decades of playful antics and iconic tattoos, the band is still making waves. Their upcoming concerts feature the classic combination of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and Travis Barker performing tracks from their latest album ‘One More Time’ and old favourites. The support act is the American pop-punk band, The Story So Far.
The stage show ‘Gatman!’ will run from Thursday to Saturday, August 29th-31st, at the Everyman Theatre, Cork.
Tadgh Hickey debuts a solo theatrical piece telling the tale of a penniless alcoholic named Murph trying to overcome his addiction before meeting his son in his cherished hometown Corkopia. The performance is scheduled to be held at the Project Arts Centre, Dublin, on Friday, September 6th, Saturday, September 7th and Tuesday, September 10th.
Meanwhile, the Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival will take place from Friday, August 30th to Sunday, September 1st featuring a wide range of storytellers, including the likes of Tom Muir from the Orkney Islands, Hjörleifur Stefánsson from Iceland, Zahra Afsah from Iran and Clare Murphy, John Spillane and Padraig Ó Briain from Ireland. Bear in mind the essentials for your serene retreat to Co Cork island: sources of light, money, and suitable shoes. The location boasts exceptional beauty with regular ferries operating from Baltimore village, located 12km off the island.
In the world of visual art, the Grilse Gallery in Killorglin, Co Kerry hosts Crosscurrents, an exhibition by Dutch artist Gerda Teljeur, based in Wexford. On view until Sunday, September 22nd, the event marks the first solo exhibition by the artist since 2013. Teljeur’s works, noted for their precision and thoughtful contemplation, explore themes around human beings and the environment.
Finally, the architectural exhibition, The Reasons of Towns, is open for viewing at Áras Inis Gluaire in Belmullet, Co Mayo until Friday, August 30th. Visit the Architecture Foundation’s website for more information.
The showcase of Valerie Mulvin’s architectural craft is characterised as a public event intended for sharing factual tales, forgotten traditions, and potential futures for Irish hamlets and their inhabitants. This feat has been partially inspired by her just released book, Approximate Formality. It puts a spotlight on Mulvin’s extraordinary craftsmanship on Irish towns utilising text, sketches, miniature models, annotations and keepsakes. This exhibition occurs at the Swift Cultural Centre in Trim, County Meath, from September 12th to September 26th.
GazeFest is still underway. The first occurrence was a success. This year’s installment features a more robust ensemble of Ireland’s outstanding and developing shoegaze bands, influenced also by the gaze genre. Bands performing include Virgins, Affection to Rent, and Skyless. The event will take place on August 30th at Grand Social in Dublin at 8pm for €8, and on August 31st at Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast at 2pm for £13, which is an all-age gig, tickets available on eventbrite.ie.
Things to book this week include the IFI Documentary Festival at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin which starts on September 25th and ends on September 29th. For music lovers, Giant Sand is performing at the Bello Bar in Dublin – tickets at foggynotions.ie, and Anthrax is performing at the 3Arena in Dublin on November 24th – tickets available on ticketmaster.ie. For comedy fans, Jarlath Regan will be performing at the 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin on January 11th – tickets available on ticketmaster.ie.