PERFECT 10
HERE’S OUR TOP TEN THINGS TO DO IN CORK THIS WEEK
LAUGH AND A HALF WITH CONAL
THE man dubbed Ireland’s ‘Ambassador of Comedy’, the inimitable Conal Gallen, will bring his hilarious ‘A Laugh and a Half ’ show to the Everyman Palace Theatre on Saturday night.
The more than two-hour show is packed with jokes, stories and songs that promises to leave the audience in stitches.
After 25-years of entertaining audiences around the world, Gallen has perfected the art of comedy with songs including ‘ The 50 Shades’, ‘Horse it into ya Cynthia’ and ‘Anna from Buncrana’.
Gallen has proved time and time again why he is Ireland’s funniest man with his side-splitting brand of mirth.
Tickets for the gig, priced at €22, are available from the venue on 021 450 1673.
SKA OUTFIT SET TO GIVE A SERVICE DOWN THE LANE
CORK Ska six-piece band The Service will play a free St Patrick’s night gig at the Crane Lane Theatre in Cork.
The band has been playing Ska, Reggae, 2-Tone and Rocksteady to appreciative audiences since 1994, packing out venues across the country with their easy sound and enigmatic stage presence.
Their two-hour set pays homage to some of the great Ska and Reggae legends covering a veritable kaleidoscope of songs by artists including Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat and Madness.
A live performance by The Service is guaranteed to get people’s feet stomping, head’s bopping and pulses racing.
VINCENT(S) GEARING UP TO ROCK CYPRUS AVENUE
THE Vincent(s) will bring their unique ‘guts ‘n’ all’ sound Cork’s Cyprus Avenue on Saturday night
Described by the Dandy Warhols Courtney Taylor - Taylor as ‘ the sickest and most totally believable heavy rock motherf ***er ever, The Vincent(s) recordings, noise and psych have their roots firmly planted in surf sounds and early 90’s alt-guitar grooves.
The Vincent(s) set their stall out early in 2013 with their debut ‘Asked Her to the Dance’ which caught the ear of Irish & international alternative press and radio.
They have followed this up with several Singles and an EP marking them as one of Ireland’s most exciting contemporary bands.
OPERA HOUSE TO HOST 3 TENORS
IRELAND’S hottest trio, Ray O’Hare, Dominic McGorian and RTE award-winner Derek Moloney (aka The Three Tenors) will bring their acclaimed live show to the Cork Opera House on Saturday night.
The trio will perform a thrilling and fast-moving show packed with an eclectic mix of feel-good and uplifting songs made famous by a host of famous artists including Frank Sinatra, Leonard Cohen, Pavarotti and The Dubliners.
The audience can look forward to a magical night of song and banter with the Tenors who love nothing better than to interact with their audiences both during and after each performance.
Tickets for the show from the venue on 021 427 0022 or at www.corkoperahouse.ie priced at €28.50/€32.50.
PASCHAL TO BRING ‘JOE SHOW’ TO GLEN THEATRE
SINGER Paschal Brennan will bring his tribute to arguably the greatest Irish singer of his generation, the much lamented Joe Dolan, to the Glen Theatre in Banteer on Friday night.
Brennan, whose voice bears an uncanny resemblance to Dolan’s, has taken his show all over Ireland, the UK and as far afield as Spain, entertaining audiences with his energetic showmanship, that perfectly encapsulates Dolan’s immense onstage presence
The show will feature his renditions of many instantly recognisable songs made famous by Dolan’s including ‘Make Me An Island’, ‘Good Looking’ Woman’ and ‘More and More’.
For tickets to the show, which promises to be magical trip band in time to the golden showband era, contact the venue on 029 56239.
For more information on this and other shows at the Glen Theatre visit www.glentheatre.ie
WANDERER JOHN BACK FOR WHITE HORSE GIG
CORK’S favourite musical son, the inimitable John Spillane, will be back on home turf on Saturday night for gig at the White Horse in Ballincollig.
During a career spanning more than three-decades, Spillane has sold more than 100,000 albums, won two Meteor Awards and seen his songs covered by a host of Irish folk luminaries including Christy Moore, Solas, Mary Black and Sharon Shannon.
His gigs are always very special occasions as Spillane treats guests to well known ditties and debut performances of new songs delivered with his roguish humour tinged with more than a dollop of typical Cork irreverence.
Tickets from www.eventbrite. ie priced at €15.
FOIL, ARMS AND HOGG AT THE COMEDY CLUB
DUBLIN based comedy trio Foil, Arms and Hog will make a welcome return to Cork for two gigs at the City Limits Comedy Club on Friday and Saturday night.
Described by The Scotsman as “fantastic and increasingly bizarre”, the threesome is renowned for their extravagant entries and grand finales set on either side of two-hours of mayhem and hilarity.
Their live show is a fastpaced mix of sketch comedy and stand up, with wickedly twisted characters, unpredictable scenes and high energy performances.
Fans can expect old favourites and raucous debuts as the lads marry the best bits of their back catalogue with new material.
Tickets for the show from the
venue on 021 450 7744.
INNOVATIVE NEW TAKE ON 1916 AT THE TRISKEL
JAZZ musician and composer Ronan Guilfoyle will première his innovative new piece ‘A Shy- Going Boy’ on Saturday night at the Triskel Christchurch Arts Centre in Cork.
Using composition, improvisation and audio Guilfoyle explores the life and time of his grandfather, Joe Guilfoyle’, who took part in the Eaters 1916 Rising and was a member of Michael Collins’ inner circle during the War of Independence.
The piece explores the different aspects of Joe Guilfoyle’s life, from his revolutionary youth – which involved many hair-raising and historically important incidents – to the dignified quietly-spoken elderly man that Ronan knew when he was a child.
Tickets for the show from the venue on 021 427 2022 priced at €15/€12.
BIG SLICE OF AMERICANA DOWN AT DE BARRAS
THE Bruce Unger Band will play a free gig in the atmospheric surroundings of De Barras Folk Club in Clonakilty on Friday night.
Now based in Cork, Canadian-born singer/songwriter Unger released his debit album ‘Blowin’ to widespread acclaim in 2009 and since then has been performing regularly around the county.
His latest project features Unger on vocals and guitar, Les Samson (Noel Reading) on drums and Mike Geaney (Eric Bell) on bass.
The band play a set of Americana style folk and blues mixing original material with covers by the likes of Townes Van Zandt, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and REM.
‘BIG MAGGIE’ AT BRIERY GAP
THE Sullane Players will bring their production of John B Keane’s ‘Big Maggie’ to the stage of the Briery Gap in Macroom for three performances from Friday to Saturday night.
The story of Big Maggie Polpin and her attempts to keep her family together after the death of her husband is an established theatre favourite.
The dialogue crackles with hilarious put downs as the indomitable Maggie deals with her family and unwanted suitors as it seems everyone wants a part of Big Maggie and her property - but she has other ideas.
Tickets priced at €10/€12 available from the venue on 026 41793.
For more information about other forthcoming shows and productions at the Briery Gap visit www.brierygap.ie.