Skip to main content

2024-12-02 Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - The Academy, Dublin

Christmas came early this year for me.  Never did I think that  Me First and the Gimme Gimmes  would be playing Dublin, and never did I ever think I'd get to shoot one of their shows! Well, that all changed last week when they played the Academy in Dublin on a cold, damp, Monday night! I've been a fan since 1997, when one of the lads I worked with, brought in a copy of Have a Ball . It was love at first listen! I did manage to catch them live back in 2019 when they played the O2 Forum in Kentish Town , London, and it was every bit as good as I'd hoped, but it paled in comparison to Monday night in Dublin. So, how did it come about?  Well, back in 2013, I interviewed the band for a now defunct Irish website called Chunk.ie .  Over the years, I've stayed on their PR roster, so I took a chance and emailed my contact there.  Lo and behold, a few emails later and all was sorted, I was down to photograph the show. How was it?  Brilliant, amazing, fantastic,...

2023-04-22 Zaska - The Sugarclub, Dublin

I'm not quite sure where I first stumbled across Zaska, but I'll take a guess that it was another one of those glorious Twitter finds.  It doesn't really matter, I'm just happy I did!

I'm not 100% sure how to describe his music.  I've heard people call it soul, neo soul, funky, jazz... I call it sexual.  It makes you move, it makes you feel, most of all, it makes you smile, it's a thing of great beauty.  Does that make sense to you?

Anyway, on to tonight's show in the Sugar Club, Dublin.  I like this venue, I like shooting in this venue, the lighting is always good and so is the sound.  Plus, and this is a big plus, there are seats!

Zaska never plays alone, so, along with his band, tonight he was joined tonight by the wonderful Melina Malone on vocals.  Melina is the vocal equivalent of Zaskas music.  It's rich, creamy, smoky... filled with soul, just beautiful.

All in all, an absolutely wonderful night of soul music.  I can't recommend Zaska highly enough.  Go see him perform the next time he's gigging, you'll not be disappointed!

Now for the photos and even a video!












Popular Posts

Interview with King Kong Company

Originally published 10/09/2013 on Chunk.ie So, there I was, wandering around the Electric Picnic wondering who I was going to watch next. One of the lads said he had heard good things about King Kong Company and that we should check them out, so off we headed to the Body and Soul Arena to do just that.  As I mentioned in my review of the Electric Picnic, the gig was epic.  I figured we just had to interview them here on CHUNK.ie, and here it is! First things first, congratulations on a storming gig at the Electric Picnic. It completely blew me away.  Was this your first Picnic experience? We’ve been to many Electric Picnics over the years but just as punters, and it’s always been a great festival, so it was a fantastic experience to play at its 10 year anniversary. King Kong Company is a rather interesting name for a band, where or how did you come up with it? The name is taken from the film Taxi Driver. If you look closely, Travis Bickle is wearing a badge wh...
Read more

2024-08-02 Tribfest - North Kildare Sports Club, Kilcock

No one, and I mean no one, goes to TribFest to be cool.  After all, it's hard to look cool dancing to the music of Joe Dolan, ABBA, Tom Jones, Cher or Queen, well, maybe Queen, but... No, people go to TribFest to party, to listen to great music and most of all, to have fun.  Fun, that's the most important part of a festival, and it was in abundance this year! The festival was a three day affair this time out and, for the first time, kicked off with a night dedicated to hard rock and metal, featuring IE/DC (AC/DC), Live Lizzy (Thin Lizzy), Whiplash (Metallica) , Guns Reloaded (Guns n' Roses), and Legendary (Bon Jovi).  Was it loud?  Yes, yes it was.  Did it rock?  Most certainly!  Were the leather clad crowd entertained?  Most definitely.  What a way to kick off TribFest! Live Lizzy Whiplash Legendary Guns Reloaded IE/DC Night two of TribFest was a much more relaxed affair with sets from Mairead Rooney (Shania Twain), The Classic Beatles (The ...
Read more

2024-02-17 Only After Dark Burlesque Show - The Dark Horse, Athlone

It had been a few years since I'd visited Athlone, so, when I got the opportunity to shoot the Only After Dark Burlesque Show , I took it and made the most of the night! I started off meeting friends in Dead Centre Brewing for a few glasses of lemonade and a bite to eat.  It was very nice, staff were great, food was delicious, what more could you want? After that, it was time for a change of scenery, a change of pace and definitely, a change in atmosphere.  It was time for a bit of Burlesque! Only After Dark takes place upstairs in the Dark Horse , in a large open space, nicely decorated and, most importantly, with it's own bar.  During the show, to cut down on unnecessary movements, bar staff come to your table and take your orders,  it makes for a very pleasant experience! So, who performed on the night?  Well, the hostess, and indeed the lady behind Only After Dark, Miss Memphis Shell opened proceedings with a traditional burlesque routine, ending in nipple...
Read more