01/02/2024
Hey you bunch of Celts and Neo Pagans, Happy First Day of Celtic Spring... that's Imbolc to you, or St Brigids Day if you prefer. February 1st it is, and is the sun not shining? ....Get behind me January...and put these notable early Feb dates in your diary for The Dublin Castle
Sat 3 February
The False Dots+SOFT+In Between Honey+The Metropolitan Elite
The False Dots – 45 years of The False Dots! What a ting! Celebrating their 4½ decades of super ska tinged irreverent p***y pop by playing some….super ska tinged irreverent p***y pop. Yay!
SOFT – punk stylings with a good dose of sleaze and wiggly lead. Unabashedly generic and cool for it- sort of The Godfathers, Pistols, Dictators, but they also breakdown into some Asiatic scales based psych with groovy keys (I Don’t Know What I Do This For)… good stuff SOFT Lads.
In Between Honey – Rather lovely blend of honeyed dreamo pop and shugaze indie…chiming wall of sound guitars and a clear as a bell clarion call vocal…Great sense of melody, lots of edge, insistent delivery, a psychedelic undercurrent. Very good…great songs like ‘Sunny Banus‘ and ‘Ludlow Street‘ sound like hits to me.
The Metropolitan Elite – Jamie Whelligan is a singer songer with a nice pastoral psychedelic pop feel… Julian Cope and Syd Barrett both resonate but also Tim Finn and Ian McNabb and a lot of George Harrison in there esp the voice… but he also fronts The Metropolitan Elite, who involve a little OMD shaped tech in their pop cosmiche.
DJs We Got Killedrs til 2am
Thu 8 February
The Glowworms+Racoon King+Radiator+Rebecca's Jewellery
The Glowworms– Gentle folk pop sorta elliot smith in places but a bit more upbeat, bright, catchy memorable tune.
Racoon King- Gently lilting folk with shades of Americana, quite understated but they’ve nice tunes, all very easy on the ear.
Radiator-Feisty indie rock with attitude aplenty. Singer looks like a young Frank Skinner band rock admirably with plenty in the way of tunes and hooks.
Rebecca’s Jewellery based in N. London, influenced by minimalism, analogue synthesisers and folk music; Rebecca’s Jewellery is a shared experience for all
DJ Sue til 2am
Fri 9 February
Streamer+The Blonde Parade+Susan.+Two Ply Duke
Streamer – Last time around, when Streamer performed to a packed Dublin Castle, their effortless blend of Rave Rock, searing lead guitar, dubby, electronica tinged anthemic pop, and intense Floydian dynamics, really had the crowd going Ape. It was a pleasure to witness, a band that can play, merge technology and rock and roll adroitly, mesmerise, and make you dance and sing along. They call it “Indie Trance” An entrancing performance it is too.
The Blonde Parade – Interesting dark and artful indie/post punk. From Glasgow, and chock full with great ideas and absorbing textures.
Susan – Susan. is an unapologetic sonic assault with a knack for unleashing chaos and turning it into art. With blistering raw energy and boundary-pushing sound, susan. is here to tear down the walls of conformity and shake up the scene. As their debut single “Commencer” firmly cements them into the scene, susan. are adamant that this is a wake up call.
Two Ply Duke – there is a big difference between 1 ply and 2 ply kids… 1 ply is made from a single layer, while 2 ply is made from two layers glued together, making them more durable and less likely to tear. As with these young ragamuffins. They could just clean up! Definitely not crap.
DJ Fuzz til 2am
Sat 10 February
Hunted By Elephants+Greyfox Conspiracy+Velvet Grip
Hunted By Elephants-Reviving the raw classic rock sounds of yesteryear, Hunted by Elephants are a high-energy 5-piece hard rock band, honouring the time-tested union of soaring vocals, growling riffs and energising drumming.
Greyfox Conspiracy- Seasoned musicians who’ve found a common ground where they can enjoy writing songs and playing live, and inspire a new generation of young musicians to keep the rock journey alive and thriving. Playing live shows is where these old grizzlies work best, Structured around the charismatic Greyfox Growl, the band create a show allowing each band member to demonstrate their own personality.
Velvet Grip-Catchy riff driven rock with plenty in the way of melody and hooks, soundwise it’s classic rock via southern rock with a soupcon of grunge
DJs We Got Killer til 2am
Sun 11 February
The Pogue Traders+Paul Maddog+Anto Morra+DJs
The Pogue Traders – Fantastic to welcome these guys and gal back to the Dublin Castle again, the finest Pogues homage imaginable, with every note, inflection, reel and run served up with passion, love and credibility. Wonderful stuff, and not so much a tribute as a continuation of that remarkable band’s incredible music.
And since Shane McGowan’s recent passing, the poignancy, poetry, intelligence and pure joie de vivre of those sensational songs resonate all the more. Not to be missed, in the best environment possible for a Guinness soaked party, and heartfelt tribute to Shane, the back room of the Dublin Castle on a winter’s Sunday afternoon. Slainte.
