Ryan’s star continues to rise

Ryan McMullan

Mandela Hall, Belfast Tonight, 8pm

Following a sell-out show at the Limelight, up-and-coming Portaferry singer/songwriter Ryan McMullan plays his biggest headline show to date at the Mandela Hall.

The 26-year-old has spent several years honing his craft, playing local bars and supporting the likes of Foy Vance and Ed Sheeran, while debut EP Listen and last year’s follow-up A Winter’s Coat showcase his musical talent.

With a sound reminiscent of Paolo Nutini and early Tom Waits, his voice and potential has caught the attention of other local singer-songwriters, including Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, who described Ryan as “one of the most exciting artists to come out of Northern Ireland, voice of an angel”.

Visit ticketmaster.ie for details.

The Go! Team

Festival Marquee, Custom House Square, Belfast Tonight, 8pm

The long-running Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival is back for another annual outing.

Now in its 19th year, the event features live music, comedy and visual art at venues across Belfast over the next 10 days.

Highlights include tonight’s show from The Go! Team, who crashed the music scene in 2004 with their Mercury Music Prize nominated debut album, Thunder, Lightning, Strike.

New album Semicircle was released earlier this year and their boisterous live set features the finest indie pop songs, selected from a songbook encompassing all five of their albums.

Support this evening comes from The Correspondents, who mix jazz and blues with electro and drum ‘n’ bass.

For details, visit cqaf.com/ the-go-team.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

SSE Arena, Belfast Wednesday, 6.30pm

Noel Gallagher’s solo project, the High Flying Birds, is still doing the business with last year’s David Holmes-produced third album Who Built the Moon? topping the charts.

While an Oasis revival may be on the cards somewhere down the line, for the time being local fans will have to content themselves with Noel’s performance at the SSE Arena, which comes just over a month before brother Liam’s solo return to these shores for an outdoor show at Belfast’s Ormeau Park on June 16.

Noel’s show features support from Baxter Drury.

Visit ssearenabelfast.com for details.