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2021-11-17 For Those I Love - Olympia Theatre, Dublin

I can't remember the first time I stumbled across For Those I Love , I think it might have been on the Tommy Tiernan Show  in early 2021, but I'm not sure...  Anyway, the debut album, also called For Those I Love was released in March 2021 and I obviously bought it.  If you haven't heard it yet, I'd suggest you go buy it, it's probably the album of the year.  A week later, tickets for a gig in the Olympia Theatre went on sale.  That, in itself, is pretty spectacular. The Olympia is a decent sized venue, and For Those I Love were a relative newcomer on the scene... Needless to say, it sold out and, well, I was there and what a night it was.  It was a gig filled with love for lost friends, anger that friends were gone, joy at the crowd reaction and, well, the cheers for Shelbourne Rovers! Look, it was just an epic night, just incredible and probably the gig of the year! Support on the night was from the brilliant Jordan O'Leary of The Scratch who kicked things
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2021-11-13 Pete Kavanagh - Moat Theatre, Naas

It had been a while coming thanks to Covid, but Pete Kavanagh finally got to launch his debut album ' Join Up the Dots ' in the Moat Theatre on Saturday night, and what a night it was! Pete literally bounced on to stage, gone were the worries that this gig might never take place due to lockdown fears, it was on and it was happening! From the off, the night was filled with laughter and we were treated to a run through of the album with the crowd singing along at times. The album isn't all happiness though, there are sombre moments, such as ' Mercy ' which deals with the Church / State  Mother and Baby Homes scandal. Anyway, it was a fantastic night, great to see the album get the launch it deserved and great to see Pete get the credit he richly deserved! Support on the night was from  Mairéad Carroll  who treated us to a set that included, song, poetry and some beautiful fiddle playing! On to the photos:
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2021-11-02 Janet Devlin - Soundhouse, Dublin

I first saw Janet Devlin on X Factor way back in 2011 and then she disappeared off my radar for the next 8 or 9 years.  Then, after all that time, she popped up on my social media accounts and I started following her. Over the last few years, Devlin has been very open about her struggles with her mental health and alcohol issues and released a book called ' My Confessional ' that dealt with a lot of those issues. So, when she announced a Dublin gig, I figured I'd head along and see what's what, and that's how I ended up in the Soundhouse last night! She literally bounced on to stage and straight into two songs before even stopping to take a breath!  I'd love to tell you what she played, but honestly, I can't, I'm just not that familiar with her work.  What I can tell you though is that it was a bloody good gig, I really enjoyed it! Support on the night was from one of the best buskers you'll see in Dublin, Saibh Skelly .  Keep an eye out for her, s
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2021-10-27 Firebirds Festival - St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare

Over two nights in St Brigid’s Cathedral in Kildare town, we got to see some of the best that Irish music has to offer! Organised by Paddy Casey and Sophia Cadogan , Firebirds was described as a two day music event, a mini indoor festival! Tuesday night started with  Grievous Boy .  I'm a fan of Irish Hip-Hop but I'd not heard of him before, It didn't matter, I enjoyed his set and hopefully I'll get to see more of him in the future. Next up was  Saoirse Casey  complete with a string section.  It was, I think, her best live performance to date, simply beautiful. What can I say about the next performer,  Gemma Hayes .  She hadn't played live in many years, but you'd never know it.  She came, she played, she conquered.  I loved it!  I can't wait to see her play again! Tuesday night closed out with  Mundy .  I've lost count of how many times I've seen him play, but each time it's a crowd pleasing gig.  So many great songs!!! And then that was that,
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2021-10-23 Peco - The Old Drapery, Rathangan

The last time I saw Peco live was back in December 2019, in, as it happens, The Old Drapery in Rathangan.  So it was nice to return there to catch his return to the live scene! It's a lovely venue, as the name suggests, it was an old drapery store, and they've kept the restoration of the building true to the old style, which helps creates a lovely atmosphere. Anyway, Peco treated us to a selection of old and new songs and the crowd la[[ed it all up and sang along! It was great to catch up with Peco,  the band and LiveLoudMusic  before the gig.  Looking forward to seeing a full electric show soon! Check out the photos below: I headed to ##Rathangan see ##Peco perform for the first time in almost two years. Great to catch up with him. ##Gigs ##LiveMusic ##Irish ##IrishMusicParty ♬ original sound - IrishMJ
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Mercy Video Shoot - Update

Well, it's been one hell of a few days since Pete Kavanagh released Mercy and the coverage it's received has been fantastic. To start with, HotPress , the Irish music bible, said some nice things about it! Then, the nice folks over at IMRO had this to say: And finally, for now at least, the folk over on the Sleeping Bag Studios podcast had this to say (starts at 28:05): SBS Podcast · 2021 Episode 134 - An Array Of Innovators & Brand-New Tunes So yeah, it's been a good week!  If you haven't heard the song yet or seen the video, why not check it out below?
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2021-10-15 Tolu Makay - Vicar Street, Dublin

Not content with being in Vicar Street on Thursday night, I returned 24 hours later to see the incredible  Tolü Makay perform. Tolü really came to public attention last year with her superb cover of the Saw Doctors track, N17 .  Since then, she's been a firm favourite on Irish TV screens and radio. On to the gig...  I'll just quote what I said on Twitter: "I've been to a lot of gigs, but tonight's gig, Tolu Makay in Vicar Street, was simply incredible. From the first note I was hooked. I sat there, like a love struck teenager, in awe. What an absolutely amazing voice she has, simply amazing. I'm still smiling." Support on the night was from Lucy McWilliams .  She's got a nice, soft smoky voice and I really liked her set. I think we will see her on the festival scene when it returns! So that is that. I think it was, without any doubts, one of the best gigs I've ever been at.  There's nothing more to add. On to the photos: @irish_mj The incredi
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