Week 29 - Go see a band or artist that I've never seen before (catchy title!)

I've been lucky to get to some really good gigs the past 12 or 18 months. There were the usual festivally big band type gigs but there were a few smaller ones that particularly blew me away.

Swords

I'd never been to Dingle before heading to Other Voices last December but apart from it being a beautiful part of the world with incredible pubs, it also plays host to some of the best up and coming musical talent from Ireland and further afield!

Swords are a 3-piece from Dublin produced an incredibly energetic set in John Bennie's Pub. Their mix of keyboards, synths, samples, drum and brilliant bass lines, along with Diane Anglim's superb vocals really set the place alight.

Well worth checking out their latest album 'Tidal Waves' which came out in July of 2016.

http://www.swordsband.com

R.S.A.G. (Rarely Seen Above Ground)

Canalphonic is a really great little festival in Rathmines area of Dublin that has really gone from strength to strength the past few years. With some really interesting venues like a barber shop and an art gallery, they bring really good music into some really good spaces.

My highlight of last year's Canalphonic was RSAG, a one man hurricane of musical madness called Jeremy Hickey who played outdoors in a tiny little yard at the side of Lock 6 Café on the Grand Canal. The small crowd lapped up every drum beat and really got into the set every bit as much as the Kilkenny man himself who truly looked like he was enjoying every second! One of those great gigs the leaves you buzzing for hours after.

http://www.rarelyseenaboveground.com

Ailbhe Reddy

This one was a little different in nature to the RSAG gig! Thirty Four is a great little coffee shop in Portobello in Dublin that is also home to Home Beat Events. They do a series of little gigs in November and December called '34 Saturdays' where great local musical talent come in and do an unplugged set for a small crowd of coffee (and music!) lovers.

Ailbhe Reddy is one of the people I saw there at the 34 Saturday sessions and I was really impressed. She did an acoustic set with 2 backing vocalists but it was the quality and humour in her writing that really stole the show for me. We saw her again at Other Voices in Dingle Courthouse and she had the audience eating out of the palm of her hand so she's definitely someone to look out for.