Steven O'Rourke posted on October 13, 2008 20:00
There's a recession on you say? Really? You wouldn't have known it with the calibre of international acts visiting Ireland in Rocktober 2008. Everything from 80's synth pop to hill-billy rock is catered for and it all gets underway with potentially the greatest single gig Ireland will experience this year.
The headliners might be Los Campesinos! but you can bet your last recession euro that a significant portion of the crowd will be equally attracted by 'lo-fi Ohio fuzzmisters' (to quote GOTF) Times New Viking and LA's finest punk two piece, No Age. Los Campesinos! are, of course, the Welsh seven-piece who formed in Cardiff University in 2006 and released Hold on now, Youngster... to great acclaim in February of this year. Not a band for resting on their laurels, this tour is timed to coincide with the release of their sophomore effort, We are Beautiful, We are Doomed, on October 27. Yes, that's two albums in 33 weeks! The gig, which is part of the Drowned in Sound Shred Yr Face Tour takes place in Whelan's on Friday October 17.
Los Campesinos!: You! Me! Dancing!
One of the greatest peformances Key Notes has witnessed this year was from Holy Fuck at Oxegen. Canada's finest export play The Academy on Monday October 20. For those of you who don't know anything about Holy Fuck, they've been described as 'creating the equivalent of modern electronic music without actually using the techniques—looping, splicing, programming and the like—of that music.' It's jaw-dropping stuff to see them live and Key Notes cannot recommend a better way to spend a wet Monday evening in October. In fact, Key Notes can't think of better way to spend any evening in any month than watching a band at the very top of their game and whose talents can only spark one reaction: Holy Fuck!
Holy Fuck: Milkshake
Described as one man blues phenomenon, Seasick Steve will now play The National Stadium on Wednesday October 29. This gig was originally to take place in the grounds of the Irish Museum of Modern Art but the indoor venue will better suit the California native's unique blend of bluesy hill-billy rock. The one-stringed guitar hero is in town to support his appropriately titled new album, I Started Out With Nothin And I Still Got Most Of It Left. Tickets remain available for this gig for €10 less than they were orginally priced. However, it should be noted that Amy Lavere has replaced My Morning Jacket as support for this gig. My Morning Jacket will instead play a headline show in Tripod on the same night.
Seasick Steve: Dog House Boogie
Also visiting these shores this month are Cyndi Lauper (Savoy Cork, 17 October), Human League (Tripod, 26 October) and Noah & The Whale (Whelan's, 28 October).
If there's anyone Key Notes has missed, and there's bound to be, please feel free to plug them in the comments below.
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