PERFECT 10
HERE’S OUR TOP TEN THINGS TO DO IN CORK THIS WEEK
SKA-TASTIC NIGHT OF ROCKSTEADY SOUNDS DOWN AT THE CRANE LANE
FANS of Ska music are in for a treat tonight (Thursday) when roots six-piece Skazz set to play a free late-night gig at the Crane Lane Theatre.
Having started out as a swing/jazz outfit, Skazz graduated towards the original Ska sound of the 1960’s - a heady mix of Caribbean beats fused with American jazz and rhythm and blues.
The band’s pre-reggae/rocksteady tempos and cross rhythms have earned the band praised from music insiders and seen them share stages with such musical luminaries as The Skatalites, Prince Buster, The Pioneers, Winston Francis and Delroy Williams.
Tonight’s gig promises to be a very special event for Ska aficionados and fans of the late 1970’s Two-Tone sound alike.
THE WEIRD AND WACKY WORLD OF COMEDY AT THE EVERYMAN PALACE
THE latest in the monthly series of ‘alt-comedy’ nights in the bar at The Everyman Palace Theatre will take place from 10.30pm on Friday night.
Billed as ‘Ireland’s only dedicated alt-comedy club’ and hosted by self styled local “moral booster” Tadhg Hickey, ‘ The Thanks’ takes over the venue on the first Friday of every month.
A self-declared ‘ haven for weirdos’, the night provides a setting for meandering, seemingly nonsense comedy with a few traditional punchlines thrown in for good measure.
It features an alternating line-up of comedians, plenty of laughs and no shortage of off the wall musings, yarns and comic observations.
Admission each night on the door priced at €10.
PAULINE SCANLON AND BAND LIVE AT BALLINCOLLIG’S WHITE HORSE
Critically acclaimed folk/trad singer-songwriter Pauline Scanlon will play a gig at the White Hose in Ballincollig on Thursday, September 8.
The Dingle-born artist, who is also a member of the band Lumiere, is regarded as a major force within Irish music, creating a bridge between the traditional while also acknowledging shifts in contemporary styles.
This is no more evident than in her recently released record ‘Gossamer’, her first solo album in a decade, combines acoustic and electronic showing Scanlon still has her finger on the pulse if the Irish music scene.
Tickets for her White Horse gig from www.eventbrite.ie priced at €15 plus booking fee.
STRANGE OCCURRENCES AT THE CASTLE HOTEL IN MACROOM
THE Briery Gap will continue their cinema season with a screening of the thought-provoking ‘Strange Occurrences in a Small Irish Village’ at the Castle Hotel in Macroom next Wednesday evening.
The film explores the big question of faith in a small Irish village after witnesses claimed to have seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary at Knock in 1879.
Declared a Marian Shrine, the village now welcomes more than 1 million visitors annually, with the film exploring their stories in addition to offering a reflection of the Church in modern day Ireland.
Admission to the screening, which is being held in association with the Sulán Fil Society, will be €5 at the door.
HYDRA QUARTET TO PLAY LUNCHTIME CONCERT AT TRISKEL
THE first in a series of three lunchtime string quartet concerts at the Triskel Christchurch Art Centre will take place this Saturday at 1pm.
The concert will feature a performance by the talented Hydra Quartet, four award-winning Irish musicians who have studied at some of the leading colleges in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe.
The programme will feature works by Mendelssohn (String Quartet in A minor OP.13) and Shostakovich (String Quartet no.10 in A flat major Op.10).
Admission will be €5. The other concerts in the series in October and November will feature performances by the Beara and Vanbrugh Quartet’s.
LUKA BLOOM SET TO BRING HIS NEW BATCH OF SONGS TO THE INEC
FOLLOWING the release of his latest album Frugalisto, singer/ songwriter Luka Bloom will bring his latest Irish tour to the INEC acoustic Club on Friday night
The Kildare native, the younger brother of the legendary Christy Moore, has been gigging since the tender age of 14, initially supporting his brother and then touring with the likes of Planxty and the Pogues.
A prolific songwriter, Bloom has recorded and produced more than 20 albums and has played sell-out gigs across Ireland, Europe, the US and Australia
His Irish tour offers fans an opportunity to hear songs from the new album as well as many tracks from his extensive back catalogue.
Tickets for the gig, priced at €22.90, from the INEC box office on 064 667 1555.
US DUO HUNGRYTOWN GEAR UP FOR VILLAGE ARTS CENTRE CONCERT
AMERICAN folk duo husband and wife team Hungrytown, will bring a slice of Americana to the Village Arts Centre in Kilworth on Friday night.
Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson from Vermont have been writing music and touring together for more than a decade, earning acclaim for what one critic described as “the quality and authenticity of their songwriting.”
The duo’s introduction to folk music came following the death of a close friend who left them her entire collection of albums, inspiring Rebecca and Ken to start writing and recording their own material.
Tickets for the concert, priced at €15, from 087 649 2514.
PAULA GOMEZ TO BRING A TASTE OF SPANISH FLAIR TO DE BARRA’S
SPANISH born, West- Cork based singer/songwriter Paula Gomez will play a gig amid the intimate surroundings of De Barra’s Folk Club in Clonakilty on Sunday evening.
Heavily influenced by traditional blues roots, her music has a unique feel with lyrical imagery, strong melodies and a powerful delivery combining to produce a sound that has put her firmly on the radar of fans and critics alike.
With several EP’s and one album under her belt, Paula has performed to sold-out audiences across Ireland and in her native Spain in addition to supporting Mark Black on her 2015 tour.
Admission to Paula’s 9pm gig at De Barra’s will be a pocket friendly €5.
A LIFE LESS ORDINARY – THE STORY OF ALICE MILLIGAN ON THE STAGE
THE Cork Arts Theatre will host a one-off performance of Susannah McKenna’s fascinating play ‘Alice Milligan – A Girl of Genius’ on Saturday night.
The play tells the story of Milligan, a journalist, political activist, feminist, theatre pioneer and ‘Cultural Ambassador’ who was an icon of the great Irish renaissance of the late 19th century.
Described by actress Fiona Shaw as “possibly the best kept secret in Irish history”, Alice Milligan counted WB Yeats, Maud Gonne and Roger Casement among her close coterie of friends.
This one-woman play shines the spotlight on her extraordinary life and her remarkable contribution to Irish culture.
Tickets for the play from the venue on 021 450 5624 priced at €12.
NIALL CONNOLLY BACK ON HOME TURF FOR COUGHLAN’S LIVE GIG
CORK born singer/songwriter Niall Connolly will be back on home turf on Thursday, September 8 when he plays a gig at ‘Coughlan’s Live’ on Douglas Street.
Connolly has built a worldwide following thanks to his impressive catalogue of studio recordings and frequent tours of Europe and the United States.
His observations on life in his adopted home of New York City, as well as his descriptions of the faces and places encountered along the way, have cemented a leading reputation among his musical peers, and has led to his songs being covered by a wide array of artists.
At the core of every song is the story, one that unfolds a layer with each listen.
Tickets for the Coughlan’s gig are €12 from the venue at coughlanslivebookings@gmail.com in advance or €15 at the door.