Hard Working Class Hero’s 2009

Hard Working Class Hero’s is a 3 day music showcase for unsigned Irish bands. A bloody great idea but a bit disappointing this year. 

No big surprises. Adebisi Shank were by far the best band of the weekend. Followed by Funeral Suits, Villagers, We Cut Corners, Robotnik and Kill Krinkle Club. Honorable mentions to Kyon, Yes Cadets, Sweet Jane and Tiny Magentic Pets and Heritage Centre. 

I dunno, maybe im gettin jaded with Irish music, or just extra fussy as i’m exposed to so much of it first hand. Or maybe there really isn’t a lot of exciting tunes happening here right now… have they all emigrated?

All i can say is Thank Fuck for Adebisi Shank… if it wasn’t for them, the weekend would have been a wash.

oh and as for the Photography Exhibition…. best not mention the war.

Psychonavigation (sugarclub)

The Sugarclub was the venue for the 9th birthday party of PsychoNavigation records… This Irish label has put out recorded gems from R.S.A.G. and Electric Penguins (whom I just adore). Now the Sugarclub is shite for a gig, great for table quizzes, plays, screenings and what have ya… but there is nothing worse than completely tiered seating at a venue. It makes the audience and artist sickenly uneasy, especially during that quiet bit of a song when someone gets up to pee and has to shuffle through rows of bloody cinema seats. Anywho…enough of that rant, onto the music!

Tiny Magnetic Pets, The 202′s and Neosupervital took the stage (in that order) as well as a host of other DJ’s. Unfortunately for everybody the turn out was awful…and it got worse as the night went on. The live music was good… 202′s gave me a tiny tingle with their tune “Shoot You Down”. Special kudos to Neosupervital in particular who made that extra effort to rile the dwindling crowd. Running up and down those stairs with his wee wireless guitar … it was the most exciting bit of the evening *sigh*

You can read a full review of the gig written by Celina Murphy in this weeks Hotpress (picnic edition)

*been listening to Electric Penguins as i wrote this post…may i suggest you listen while you read… ah go on!*

TMP