Microdisney, Forbidden Fruit, Nick Cave, LCD Soundsystem: the week’s best rock and pop

Microdisney
National Concert Hall, Dublin Saturday June 2nd 8pm €38/€34/€29.50 nch.ie

There's more than one thing to celebrate here. Firstly, there is the regrouping – some 30 years after they split up of an Irish band that caused an authentic stir way back when with some superb albums and many vigorous live performances. Secondly, Microdisney will perform in its entirety one of Irish rock music's most assured albums, The Clock Comes Down the Stairs. And thirdly, the band will be presented with the inaugural Imro/NCH Trailblazer Award, which celebrates seminal albums by Irish musicians, songwriters and composers. Expect many people of a certain age to cautiously wipe away "something" in their eye. TCL

Forbidden Fruit Festival
Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin Saturday June 2nd-Monday June 4th €54.50-€162.50 ticketmaster.ie

Depending on which way the wind blows, you might be able to hear whispers of Justice, War on Drugs, Thundercat and Four Tet live from your back garden but, for guaranteed sound and entertainment, maybe you should just pick up a ticket for Forbidden Fruit. Weekend and day tickets are still available, but if one burst of sunshine happens in the run-up to the fest, those tickets will become gold dust. In the name of bank holiday fun, think quick. LB

Lykke Li: So Sad So Sexy review – the erotic power of lovelorn misery

---

Kanye West: ye review: Big-hearted and introspective

---

Life after boy bands: how Westlife and Boyzone coped when reality hit

---

Lindi Ortega
Grand Social, Dublin Saturday June 2nd 8pm €15 thegrandsocial.ie

[ thebelfastempire.com ]

Having lived in Nashville, Tennessee for some years, it is no surprise that Canadian singer-songwriter Lindi Ortega has been influenced by the city's undisputed reputation as a hotbed of country music. Ortega, however, takes a different route than some of Nashville's more conservative devotees. Albums such as 2012's Little Red Boots, 2013's Cigarettes & Truckstops and her most recent, Liberty, sees her channel country music greats (Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton) and fuse her own singular vision therein. Highly recommended. TCL

LCD Soundsystem
Malahide Castle, Co Dublin Tuesday June 5th 7.30pm €69.50 ticketmaster.ie

Less than two years ago, LCD Soundsystem played Electric Picnic to such a reception that some ears are still ringing. What Malahide will make of James Murphy's robust dance/techno/rock anthems won't be too surprising, as the band has previous in the let's-go-nuts stakes. While Murphy and co do the honours as the headliners, let's hear it for the special guests: Irish electro artist and DJ Shit Robot (aka Marcus Lambkin) and Swedish singer Lykke Li, whose new album, So Sad so Sexy, is released next Friday. TCL

G-Eazy
Olympia Theatre, Dublin Tuesday June 5th & Wednesday June 6th €37.50-€40.05 ticketmaster.ie

With tickets selling so quickly for G-Eazy's Olympia gig on June 5th, a second date has been added on the 6th due to demand, but we can't hold this rush entirely down to the American rapper. With Birmingham rapper Stefflon Don and Cali act Yung Pinch as support, Mr G probably has them to thank for shifting tickets. Under-14s must be accompanied by an adult at this gig and ID will be required to gain entry to the bar. LB

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Patti Smith
Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin Wednesday, June 6th 5pm (sold out) ticketmaster.ie

Nick Cave was last in Ireland six months ago for the 60th birthday celebrations of Shane MacGowan, but this time he has his band with him and a back catalogue that is celebrated as one of the most original of the post-punk era. There is an added bonus here, however, and that's special guest Patti Smith, who (three years ago to the month) had a stormy time of it when she last played this venue. Between Smith's charisma and sheer force of presence and Cave's profound (if sometimes repetitive) material, you're looking at an evening of advanced quality and depth. TCL

Mik Pyro
Whelan's, Dublin Wednesday June 6th 8pm €16 whelanslive.com

Over the course of the past few decades there have been some Irish bands that could have/should have but for whatever reason didn't. One of these was Republic of Loose, who were, godammit, just too funky for their own good. Classy, supple songs in the soul/hip-hop/funk mode notwithstanding, the band's former lead singer, Mik Pyro (aka Mick Tierney) hasn't been shy in stepping forward, and can still be seen onstage in compact venues belting out blues and soul classics. Tonight is good news, then, but there's more: tonight, Pyro launches his new single, Very Strange, as well as previewing several tracks from his forthcoming debut solo album. Oh, and there'll be a batch of RoL songs, too, just to keep everyone happy. TCL

Kodaline
The Marquee, Cork Thursday June 7th 7pm €33.50 (sold out) ticketmaster.ie

Malahide Castle, Co Dublin Friday June 8th 6pm €49.90 (sold out) ticketmaster.ie

First Bono and now Steve Garrigan – what is it with rock stars and their backs? Last month, Kodaline had to cancel their performance at London's Victoria Park due to Garrigan's gradual recuperation following emergency surgery on his back, but the band assures their Irish fans they'll be up and running for these two June shows. Often regarded as a lighter version of their influences, there is nonetheless a melodic sensibility that can make songs such as Follow Your Fire (the latest single) stand out from the crowd. Expect the fanbase to lap this one up, as the band deliver a mix of old favourites and some new material from their forthcoming album. TCL

The Magic Numbers
Empire Music Hall, Belfast Thursday June 7th 7.30pm £19 thebelfastempire.com

Cyprus Avenue, Cork Friday June 8th 9pm €17.50 cyprusavenue.ie

The Magic Numbers are one of the most resilient bands around, and still they continue to release good records (the most recent being last month's Outsiders). Formed 16 years ago, the sibling act (Romeo and Michele Stodart, Angela and Sean Gannon) has seen major label assistance arrive and leave, yet the group has never capitulated, preferring instead to soldier on. Such resolve has served them well, and if you're a fan of solid pop/folk/rock songs you could do an awful lot worse than dropping in on them. If for some reason you can't get to either Belfast or Cork, fear not, as the Numbers also perform on Saturday June 9th (Róisín Dubh, Galway) and Sunday June 10th (Whelan's, Dublin). TCL

Loma
Upstairs in Whelan's, Dublin Thursday June 7th €15 whelanslive.com

Loma is what happens when the indie rock band Shearwater, led by Jonathan Meiburg, and Emily Cross and her former husband Dan Duszynski's cathartic indie act Cross Record collaborate. Loma's debut self-titled album was released in February and it's a beautifully paced, reflective record that highlights the individual skills of the three musicians. Haunting in parts, Meiburg's songwriting assists Cross in pushing her vocals into a dreamy territory. This should be an incredibly intimate gig, enhanced by the size of the venue. LB

Shaw Sessions: Sleep Thieves
The Bernard Shaw, Dublin Thursday June 7th Adm free thebernardshaw.com

Dublin-based group Sleep Thieves make the sort of music that dominates every room it's played in. Dark, brooding and pulsating, the swirling synths quiver under Sorcha Brennan's bewitching vocals as their electropop music acts like a siren call to a smoky dance floor. After a short break, the group made their return in March with their new single Aching Bones, a song that's fit for any sci-fi drama series. Stranger Things have happened . . . LB

Sister Nancy
Róisín Dubh, Galway Thursday June 7th 8pm €22.90 ticketmaster.ie

Sugar Club, Dublin Friday June 8th 8.30pm (sold out) ticketmaster.ie

Sister Nancy's Bam Bam is one of the most prolific songs in the Jamaican  dancehall canon and, with monster hip-hop acts likes Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lauryn Hill sampling it over the years, Bam Bam is on its nth lease of life. The response from West's 2016 single Famous meant that Sister Nancy could retire from working as a nine-to-five accountant and hit the road as a performer again, thankfully arriving in Galway and Dublin. LB

Homebeat & D Light Present: Ships and I Am The Cosmos
D Light Studios, Dublin Thursday June 7th €11.50-€20 homebeat.ie

As double-headers go, Ships and I Am The Cosmos are a pretty delicious pairing. As this year's deserved winners of the Choice Music Prize Album of the Year for their debut record Precession, Ships are on a bit of a roll, and I Am The Cosmos are always good for a sweaty dance. Playing in the old woollen mills of D Light Studios, this event is BYOB and bound to be VG. LB

The Lost Brothers
Liberty Hall, Dublin Friday June 8th 8pm €25 ticketmaster.ie

The year is proceeding at a fast clip for Oisin Leech and Mark McCausland. The Lost Brothers released their latest album, Halfway Towards a Healing, at the start of the year, and haven't had time to look back since. Having recently returned from shows in Australia, the duo are set to play their biggest headline gig to date. That's good news for two musicians who have spent the best part of 10 years chipping away at the coalface of even moderate mainstream success. They're not alone on such a momentous evening – special guests include Steve Wickham (The Waterboys) and members of Giant Sand, the Arizona alt.Americana band with whom Leech and McCausland collaborated last year. TCL

Scala & Kolacny Brothers
Olympia Theatre, Dublin Friday June 8th 8pm €33.50/€32.50 ticketmaster.ie

No, there won't be the full complement of 150 members of this most unusual ensemble on the Olympia stage, but you can bet your bottom bitcoin that as many as can be will be squeezed in. Essentially, this venture is an indie/rock choir blending choral arrangements of songs such as Creep (Radiohead), The Blower's Daughter (Damien Rice), Every Breath You Take (The Police), Yellow (Coldplay), Nothing Else Matters (Metallica) and far too many more to list. An added bonus for fans is the development of the stage show over the past 10 years to include clever visual effects and equally smart choreography. TCL