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 8 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 8 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 4 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 1 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 6 1999 - 00:00
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
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
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 9 1999 - 01:00
AcousticIn Britain, Joan Armatrading (left) is the blueprint for the soul-searching female singer/songwriterSat Oct 2 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 Sep 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 Sep 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 Sep 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 Sep 13 1999 - 01:00
TradThis paper described Cran's 1998 release, Black, Black, Black, as "challenging"Sat Sep 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 Sep 2 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 7 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
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
TradAt times, it has seemed De Dannan was more a launching pad for Irish singers than anything elseSat Jul 24 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
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
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 9 1999 - 01:00
Al GreenHow can living legends overcome the demands of their history? By being as good as or better than what we have read about them…Wed Jul 7 1999 - 01:00
FolkA rare concert in these parts, the pairing of husband and wife Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson (left) is an inspired commercial…Sat Jul 3 1999 - 01:00
Marianne FaithfullShe's been around a block or three, but there's something about the perceived myth of Marianne Faithfull that has some semblance…Tue Jun 29 1999 - 01:00
RootsVery much an unknown quantity as a performer on this side of the Atlantic, roots artist Beth Nielsen Chapman is the writer behind…Sat Jun 26 1999 - 01:00