PERFECT 10
HERE ARE OUR TOP TEN THINGS TO DO IN CORK THIS WEEK
GRÁINNE THROWING SHADOWS AT SPAILPÍN
GALWAY singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Gráinne Cotter will bring her Irish tour marking the release of her new single and video ‘Shadows’ to Cork’s Spailpín Fánach tonight (Thursday) at 8pm.
‘Shadows’ is a meditation on disconnection, on what it means to be alone, on the beauty of nature and, in particular, the sea.
Cotter’s ethereal vocals, at times reminiscent of Florence Welch and Natasha Khan, are interspersed with jazz flute, harpsichord, and soaring strings creating an unmistakeably original and idiosyncratic sound – a singular fusion of jazz and folk which she has been refining for years.
Interestingly, the video for ‘Shadows’ was filmed in a private forest in Conamara, art-directed by Leon Butler, and is notable for featuring the spacesuit used in David Bowie’s ‘Blackstar’ video, a major coup for the video production team.
Admission is €10 at the door.
IRISH GUITAR QUARTET AT THE CURTIS AUDITORIUM
AS part of the Cork Orchestral Society’s exciting 2019 programme, the Irish Guitar Quartet will play a concert at the CIT School of Music’s Curtis Auditorium next Thursday night (May 16).
Having received international acclaim as soloists, Quartet members Jerry Creedon, David Keating, Fiona Falvey and Aengus Kirakowski make up one of Ireland’s premier instrumental ensembles, combining their talents to create exciting, dynamic and engaging musical performances.
Effortlessly crossing genres, the Quartet play music in a variety of styles including Latin, Far East, folk and classic from the American songbook.
The concert programme will include Bizet’s ‘Carmen Suite’, Luigi Boccherini’s ‘Introduction and Fandango’, Phillip Houghton’s ‘Opals, for 4 classical guitars’, JS Bach’s ‘Little Fugue’, Patrick Roux’s ‘Comme un Tango’, Leo Brouwer’s ‘Cuban Landscape with Rain’ and Almer Imamovics’ ‘Sarajevo Nights’.
Tickets are from www.corkorchestralsociety.ie.
FREDDIE WHITE AT THE TRISKEL CHRISTCHURCH
VETERAN Cork singer/songwriter Freddie White will be back on home turf when he plays an acoustic gig amid the intimate surroundings of Triskel Christchurch Arts Centre on Friday night.
Freddie has been part of the fabric of the live Irish music scene since the 1970s, be it with seminal bands such as ‘Scullion’ and ‘ The Fake’, or as a solo artist.
Over the years he has built up a reputation for his live shows, and whether interpreting the songs by Randy Newman, John Hiatt and Guy Clark, or performing his own songs, his gigs have become the stuff of legend.
His set-list for the Triskel will include favourites such as ‘Martha’ and ‘Desperados Waiting for a Train’.
Tickets from www.ticketsolve.ie are priced at €22.
SKA WITH THE SERVICE AT THE CRANE LANE
CORK Ska six-piece band ‘ The Service’ will play a free gig on Saturday night at Cork’s Crane Lane Theatre next Saturday night.
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 songs by Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, The Specials, The Beat and Madness.
The band has also been recognised by some of their heroes, playing support to ‘ The Specials’, ‘ The Selecter’ and ‘Bad Manners’.
A live performance by ‘ The Service’ is guaranteed to get people’s feet stomping, heads bopping and pulses racing.
FOIL ARMS AND HOGG ON THE DOUBLE IN CORK
DUBLIN-based comedy trio ‘Foil, Arms and Hog’ will bring their new show ‘Craicling’ to the stage of the Cork Opera House for performances tonight (Thursday) and Friday night.
Described by ‘ The Scotsman’ as “fantastic and increasingly bizarre”, the trio 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 fast-paced mix of sketch comedy and stand-up, with wickedly twisted characters, unpredictable scenes featuring a class on how to hold a baby; a Gregorian chant about life as a monk; and the assassination of a classically trained actor.
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 shows from the Opera House box office on (021) 427 0022 are priced at €26.
TAKE IT EASY WITH THE CORK DEZPERADOS
CORK collective Dezperado will bring their musical tribute to ‘ The Eagles’ to the stage of the Everyman Palace Theatre on Sunday evening, with proceeds from the gig going directly to MS Ireland.
The 11 members of the band are all well-known faces on the Cork music scene and remain faithful to the authentic guitar and rhythm sound of ‘ The Eagles’.
They take this a step further, with impeccable attention to detail incorporating three-part harmonies sung by four male and two female vocalists with the addition of a brass section recreating the legendary atmosphere of an Eagles concert.
The Opera House gig will feature a set-list incorporating all of the classic Eagles hits including ‘Hotel California’, ‘ Take It Easy’, Take It To the Limit’, ‘Desperado’ and ‘Lyin’ Eyes’.
Tickets at €25 are available from the venue on (021) 450 1673.
RUAIRÍ DE LEASTAR AT THE SIRIUS ARTS CENTRE
THE Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh will continue its 2019 ‘Sirius Supper’ series of evening concerts, combining the best in local cuisine with live music on Friday evening from 7.30pm in the company of singer/songwriter Ruairí de Leastar.
For the past 15 years, Ruairí has been honing his craft and enrapturing countless audiences with his ‘ songs of hope and fervent wisdom’.
An accomplished songwriter from a young age, de Leastar has fronted multiple successful bands and duos and has also shared the stage with a clutch of Irish musical luminaries including Duke Special, Lisa Hannigan, Jerry Fish and Foy Vance.
A musician of true passion, he also possesses a voice that rivals some of the greats.
Tickets for the evening at €20 are available from www.siriusartscentre.ie.
RACE AND TASTE FEST AT THE CORK RACECOURSE
THE Cork Racecourse in Mallow will this coming weekend play host to the inaugural ‘Race and Taste’ festival, a two-day extravaganza showcasing the best in Cork food, music and ‘ the sport of Kings’.
The event, which will run over Friday and Saturday, will bring together a mouth-watering selection of Cork’s leading food producers in a specially curated food village at the Racecourse, with live music provided The Frank and Walters on the first night.
Across the two days there will be culinary workshops and demonstrations featuring some of Cork’s leading chefs, including Rory O’Connell, Lily Higgins and Martin Shanahan; and rugby pundit Brent Pope will talk through some of the sought-after wines on the market.
On the track, there will be a full card of flat racing on Friday evening, with a seven-race National Hunt card on Saturday.
Tickets are from www.corkracecourse.ie.
THE SOUND OF HANK AND RAY AT CHARLIE’S BAR
VETERAN Cork singer/songwriter Hank Wedel will return to Charlie’s Bar on Cork’s Union Quay next Monday for the latest instalment of his by-now legendary residency with long-time collaborator Ray Barron.
The very epitome of a modern-day troubadour, Wedel gigs all across Cork, often playing as many as three venues in a single night.
A consummate performer who has been at the top of his game for many years, he has shared the stage with the likes of Bono, Declan Sinnott and Shane McGowan.
With Hank on vocals and guitar and Ray on mandolin, the pair play everything from Bob Dylan to Finnish waltzes putting together a great show that will set toes tapping, hands clapping and put everyone in a great mood.
TRAD GIANTS ALTAN TO PLAY CITY HALL CONCERT
PERHAPS no Irish traditional group in recent years has had a wider impact on audiences and music lovers throughout the world than the band ‘Altan’.
Cork music fans will be able to see why this is when the band takes to the stage of the city Hall for an eagerly anticipated concert on Saturday night at 8pm.
With their exquisitely produced award-winning recordings, ranging dynamically from the most sensitive and touching old Irish songs all the way to hard-hitting reels and jigs, and with their heart-warming, dynamic live performances, Altan have moved audiences from Donegal to Tokyo to Seattle.
Throughout, there has been the unwavering commitment of the band to bringing the beauty of traditional music, particularly that of the Donegal fiddlers and singers, to contemporary audiences in a way that brings out all its qualities and destroys none.
Tickets from www.tickets.ie are priced at €20.