@irishmj

Another night, another gig in the Moat Theatre in Naas.  Just a night after 'Nothing Compares', I was back there for the latest Skylarks Music Club gig. Tonight's gig was headlined by Sarah McQuaid with support from Sive . Sarah is currently on an Irish tour.  If she's in a town near you, I'd recommend you go!  Tour details can be found here . Now for some photos: Sarah McQuaid Sive

To mark the first St. Brigid’s Day public holiday here in Ireland, the Brigid 1500 programme of events was launched to celebrate and commemorate St. Brigid in Kildare. As part of the celebration events, Hot Press , in association with Kildare Village , Kildare Co. Co . and Brigid 1500 , put on Nothing Compares: A Celebration of Irish Women Artists in the Moat Theatre . The concert on the night included sets from  Megan O'Neill , Gemma Dunleavy , Tolü Makay , Susan O’Neill , Mary Stokes , Eleanor McEvoy and Imelda May , along with poetry recitals from Ireland 'first lady' Sabina Higgins  and Laura Murphy, Herstory ’s poet-in-residence. Highlights on the night were the audience singing the chorus to Gemma Dunleavy's 'Up de Flats' and then Eleanor McEvoy performing 'Only a Woman's Heart' which brought tears to many eyes. The whole night was MC'd superbly by Trishauna Archer . Right, on to the photos: Megan O'Neill Gemma Dunleavy Tolü Makay Sus

When you get an email from HotPress asking if you want two tickets to fo see The Murder Capital play a small intimate gig in Aloft Dublin , you'd be crazy to say no, so after talking to myself for a while, I said yes! I'd not seen The Murder Capital before, but I'd heard lots of great things about them and was looking forward to the gig.  I didn't bring the camera along, well, I did, just not the big one, I brought my small Sony DSC HX60. I figured it was a HotPress gig and they'd have their own photographers in the crowd and I was only there as a punter, so the Sony would do just fine. The Murder Capital were absolutely fantastic. I always think it's the sign of a good band if they can replicate the passion and intensity of a studio album when playing an acoustic set, and The Murder Capital had no problems doing this!  I can't help but feel that these guys are going to be massive on the festival circuit this year! My only gripe on the whole night was the

It's been a quiet January, not many gigs lined up due to getting the latest version of man flu! Thankfully, on Thursday night, I got to go to my first gig of 2023, and to make things even better, it was in my local theatre, the Moat . So, local producer and studio owner Willie Headon (Poppyhill Studios) runs a night called Willie's Folk Night.  I think tonight was its first time in the Moat Theatre and featured Willie, Johnny Gleeson, Pete Kavanagh , Eleanor Shanley and Mike Hanrahan . The show lasted over 2 hours with Willie, Johnny and Pete playing the first hour with Eleanor and Mike playing the second. It was a great night of music, I managed to catch up with some other local musicians and talk about future plans.  So yeah, a great night! Anyway, on to the photos:

I don't normally do a ' Best O f', but a friend of mine, who is a photographer that I really do admire, asked me for it, so here we are... So, in no particular order, here are, what I think are, my 10 Best Photos of 2022 . First Class and Coach - Workmans Cellar, Dublin, 13th April, 2022 Denise Chaila - King Johns Castle, Limerick - 20th August, 2022 Paddy Casey - Naas Wild Food Festival, Naas - 10th September, 2022 Daire Heffernan - Merchy Christmas, The Grand Social, Dublin - 18th December, 2022  Kynsy  - Workmans Cellar, Dublin - 2nd December, 2022 Pussy Riot - Opium Rooms, Dublin - 15th November, 2022 Zaska - The Grand Social, Dublin - 30th October, 2022  Tolka Hot Club - Civic Centre, Tallaght - 22nd October, 2022 Shollah - Tebi Rex and Friends, Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge - 15th October, 2022 Jerry Fish - The Playing Fields Festival, Clane - 26th August, 2022

This is kind of strange I started 2022 going to see Cat Dowling in Whelan's  and I ended 2022 going to see Cat Dowling in the Workman's Cellar . It certainly wasn't planned like this though. I'd tickets to see Paddy Casey on December 28th in Whelans and had arranged with Le Boom to take some sexy photos at their gig on New Years Eve in the Centre Point .  Unfortunately, a stubborn chest infection decided to kick my arse and I spent the last week feeling like death warmed up and I rang in 2023 in bed, asleep. Anyway... How was the show?  It was fantastic. Can I remember much more than that?  Well, given the fuzzy state of my head at the moment, no, no I can't.  I did meet Cat afterwards for a chat, but I didn't hang around too long, it was a work night after all!  Oh, support on the night was from the rather fabulous Zoe Hayter . Here's a short clip of Cat performing 'I Never Knew', perhaps my favourite track from her album 'Animals'. Right,

Bigdoggs Xmas Xtrava Geansai is an annual charity event organised by local musician Jonny 'Big Dogg' Warren , in aid of Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland. It's a simple idea, a host of local artists get together and the punters donate, donate, donate...  Along with Jonny, some other great local artists such as Kovanta , Pete Kavanagh and Niamh Strong performed on the night. If you want to donate, just click here !