Steve Ryan is a songwriter, guitar player and educator. A founding member of Giveamanakick and currently of Windings, Steve has also collaborated with the Rusangano Family, Denise Chaila and Naive Ted among many others. Steve is currently Course Director of the MA Songwriting in the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick.
the next new low
everything is nearly always falling apart when the next new low play, but somehow the well-crafted songs save us and we all leave with a comfortable glow.
the next new low refers to the journey from a terminal diagnosis to its inevitable end. alot of the songs directly reference this journey and its aftermath but don’t be misled, the music is a celebration of life, with humor, pathos and wit abound.
the next new low have been busy recording in 2024 and played National Concert Hall as part of the Metronome series and appear on RTE’s Music from Ireland series.
“They’ve got the precision of Vulfpeck, the coolness of Parliament and the energy of James Brown” HotPress Magazine
Grooveline: one of Ireland’s most dynamic and exciting upcoming bands. The 6 piece style bending band rooted in funk blend (High energy Funk, Groove, hip-hop, Rock ,Jazz and trad) to make a completely refreshing sound that is “unlike anything in the Irish music scene “ (Rua media)
This captivating sound comes together with their raw and explosive energy to create an “exhilarating live show” (HotPress) and with the ability to “encapsulate the crowd into an immersive bubble of ultimate fun” (TradFest).
Grooveline are becoming one Dublins most electric and saught after acts. Since December 2022 they have sold out headline shows in Whelans, the workman’s club and the Róisín dubh, the Grand Social, Supported Kíla in the National Stadium. Won Dublin battle of the bands, played at Whelans Ones to watch and played at the St Patrick’s day Festival Dublin, went on a festival tour around Ireland and headlined Dublin culture night in temple bar.
Search Results are a three-piece alternative rock band based in Dublin. Fionn, Jack and Adam formed Search Results after moving to Dublin in 2019. They bonded over their love for punk, garage rock and folk, emulating the energy of bands such as Parquet Courts and The Velvet Underground. ‘Information Blip’, the band’s debut album, was released to streaming and vinyl in September ‘23 in partnership with ‘Blowtorch Records’.
Infatuating live energy on stage has delivered sold out local headline shows and support slots with Sweeping Promises (US), Haru Nemuri (JPN), Jeffrey Lewis (US) and Pissed Jeans (US). In January of this year, they played their first UK dates supporting Lawn Chair (DE) in the Windmill Brixton, and returned in March for their first London headline show in the Shacklewell Arms (@badvibesuk)
Recently included in ‘Protomartyr’s Joe Casey tells us about his Top 11 Albums of 2023’ on Brooklyn Vegan – Joe says ‘Search Results demand your attention. What I hear is a great band untethered to specific genre chains, which in this time of mood playlists and the like, is a wonderful thing.’
‘Each member tilts on their own axis, yet share in a singular language that embodies the indie rock ideal at its very best’ – Stevie Lennox, The Thin Air.
Do You Believe In The Power Of Rock & Roll?
An afternoon Of Spoken Word With John Robb
This is a brand new spoken word show currently on tour. John Robb talks about a life in music, his best selling book ‘The Art Of Darkness/The History Of Goth’, being the first person to interview Nirvana, coining Britpop, his adventures on the post punk frontline and so much more.
JOHN ROBB:
John Robb is a many-faceted creature.
Not just a well known face from TV but also a best selling author, musician, journalist, presenter and pundit, music website boss, publisher, festival boss, spoken word artist and frontman of The Membranes/Goldblade.
John Robb is all these things and more.
His recently released book ‘The Art Of Darkness – The History Of Goth’ is a worldwide pop culture best seller.
He grew up in Blackpool before punk rock came along and saved his life and he formed The Membranes – the highly influential post punk band whose current albums keep pushing forward with added choirs and textures and are critically acclaimed.
He was one of the leading post punk fanzine writers in the UK with ‘Rox’ before he went on to write for the rock press with Sounds in the 80s. He was the first person to interview Nirvana, and coined the expression Britpop and was instrumental in kick starting and documenting the Madchester scene with his writing.
His music and culture website louderthanwar.com is currently the 5th most read music and culture sites in the UK and at the front of diverse modern culture.
He is a constant on TV and radio commenting on music, culture and politics and one of the UK’s leading in conversation hosts who has his own successful youtube channel and his own books & music festival in Manchester every year called ‘Louder Than Words’.
He has written many books such as best sellers ‘Punk Rock – an Oral History’ and ‘The Stone Roses and the Resurrection of British Pop’ and in 2021 wrote a book about the leading eco energy boss Dale Vince from Ecotricity called ‘Manifesto’.
Current projects include a new book with Alan McGee as well as his own autobiography and a collected works of journalism (Do You Believe In The Power Of Rock & Roll?).
Do You Believe In The Power Of Rock & Roll? is a history of alternative rock from John Robb, with the music still ringing in his ears. This collection follows John’s journey from the late 1970s, when he was first caught up in punk’s high-octane thrill, to the present day, via the early days of the rave scene, the birth of electronic and techno, and myriad bands that spun off on their own idiosyncratic paths.
John was the first person to write about Nirvana, he coined the term Britpop, and he documented the Stone Roses’ rise out of Manchester before anyone else was interested. He was at every pivotal gig, and has interviewed every key player in the business, including Jordan, the queen of punk, founding father of new American rock Steve Albini, goth-rock guitarist Daniel Ash, infamous Oasis co-founder Noel Gallagher, and music greats like Lemmy and Poly Styrene.
Few others have witnessed first-hand so many important moments of the last forty years of rock history. Here, they come together to form the essential history of a personal quest to document the ever-changing soundtrack of the modern world.
Tara Breen, Pádraig Rynne and Jim Murray are a trio composed of musicians at the forefront of our tradition.
Tara Breen has numerous All Ireland titles on the fiddle and tours regularly with The Chieftains, Stockton’s wing and as a solo performer. Pádraig Rynne is considered a leading figure in Irish music and is founding member of well-known bands such as NOTIFY and Guidewires. Jim has been one of the most sought after and busiest musicians of his generation over the past two decades recording and touring with some of the best known folk musicians in the world. Their 2021 release “Nasc” is regarded as one of the finest albums in recent years from an Irish Traditional outfit and was winner of the best traditional album in the 2022 American Celtic listener supported radio awards.
“Sure-footed, engaging and joyful music from a dynamic Clare duo. Expert musicianship, courageous creativity and sweetness of melody” – Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, RTÉ Radió na Gaeltachta
Expect a performance from the gentle to the rhythmical and everything in-between. Embark on an odyssey of wonder, joyfulness and upbeat music as three incredibly talented and creative folk musicians shape melodies from past and present into something dynamic and irresistible.
BIOS:
Described as “one of the freshest sounds in Irish music” by fRoots, Pádraig Rynne is a virtuoso musician, prolific composer and is regarded as the finest concertina player in Irish music today. With an MA in Music Technology and with a passion for experimenting in diverse genres Pádraig is recognized for his re-freshing explorations into the Irish tradition and for his ground-breaking band NOTIFY, described by the New York Echo as “cinematic in scope”.
A worthy description as “a musical wizard” by Music Network, Tara Breen is the fiddler with the legendary band, The Chieftains. She is an all-round extraordinary musician who has 11 solo All-Ireland titles. Tara is also the winner of both the coveted Fiddler of Dooney and Michael Coleman Fiddle competitions and was invited to perform at Dublin Castle for the Queen of England during her State visit to Ireland. Tara has numerous recording credits to her name and regularly guests with artists such as Carlos Nunez, Stockton’s wing and the Trí Tones.
Jim Murray has been touring the world full time as a professional musician since the age of eighteen. Jim is considered Sharon Shannon’s “right hand man” having recorded and toured with her over five continents. He also released two critically acclaimed albums with long term partner Seamus Begley in 2001 and 2008 which collectively scooped many prestigious awards such as The Irish Times and Hotpress Traditional Irish Music Album of the Year. Since Jim’s arrival on the world stage, he has gained the respect of both national and international musicians and has performed and recorded with artists such as Sinead O’Connor, Steve Earl, Shane McGowan, Altan and Mary Black to mention but a few.
“Rynne and Breen have fabulous chemistry together and have found backing musicians who are more than mere accompanists but who are stakeholders in the game” – Dan Neely, The Irish Echo, New York
PRESTON REED:
ÁINE TYRELL:
STEVE ÓN ‘DINGS:
NIAMH REGAN:
Jim White and Marisa Anderson
Acclaimed Australian drummer Jim White, who is surfing the crest of critical praise, not only for his debut solo record All Hits: Memories but also the first Dirty Three studio record in 12 years, Love Changes Everything. Jim will be performing an improvised music set with acclaimed American guitarist Marisa Anderson which will be inspired by Swallowtail, their lauded latest release on Thrill Jockey records. Both artists have performed at CIGF in the past but this will mark their first collaborative performance together in Ireland.
Jim White and Marisa Anderson
Swallowtail – Thrill Jockey Records – May 10, 2024
The collaboration between renowned drummer Jim White and acclaimed guitarist Marisa Anderson is a natural union of two of the most intuitive players and listeners working in music. White and Anderson are each very in-demand as collaborators in no small part because of their mastery, versatility and highly expressive playing. The duo have each amassed an impressive body of work, and remain at the vanguard of their practices due to an insatiable curiosity and delight in exploration of new avenues of expression. Their 2020 debut
The Quickening exemplified that daring spirit as an exercise in trust: two musicians who had never performed together before committing those first moments in time to record. 2024’s Swallowtail is a deepening of that trust, White and Anderson completely immersed in the moment, each attuned to the other fluidly moving as wind and water.
Swallowtail was recorded in the Australian coastal town of Point Lonsdale, Victoria with engineer Nick Huggins (Resting Bell Studio). White was coming off a month of international touring and Anderson traveled to Australia for the duo’s first few performances, the remote setting and calm provided the ideal backdrop. “It was a big change of vibe and scenery,” says Anderson, “to be out of the city and on the coast with no distraction and to be working with an engineer (and avid surfer) who is attuned to the cycles of tides and sunrises and sunsets and ocean rhythms. I think all of that got into the music as we were making it.” The coastal cadence is evident in Swallowtail’s more gradual temporal shifts. Movements ebb and flow, in an undulating constant motion whose dynamic flourishes closely resembles their adaptive live performances. “When we play live we don’t stop, there are no breaks in between ‘songs’,” notes Anderson, “we segue naturally between movements and ideas. Sometimes we are together, and sometimes we are apart, sometimes the segues become the pieces.” The natural development of the duo’s own singular meter, this early in their collaboration, is nothing short of revelatory.
The duo avoids preconceived movements, instead focusing on their musical conversation. As Anderson puts it, “The ideas aren’t the music, they are the pathway into the musical possibilities.” Their trust in one another and skillful interplay create an effervescence throughout the album. There is an organic ebb and flow to the duo’s motions that brings a sense of serenity and ease to spontaneous transitions, each swell and retraction sounding as free as it does inevitable.
Swallowtail is a journey of steady change. White and Anderson’s preternatural alchemy as a duo allows each fleeting gesture to feel featherlight and stirring while maintaining an inquisitive spirit. Their music is an enchanting and illuminating celebration of process as joy. Swallowtail lives at the precipice of slowly unraveling revelation and the thrilling unknown, White and Anderson finding beauty in pursuit of uncovering the next moment and what possibilities lie ahead of them. The album evokes both the natural setting of its recording and the natural expanses around home. Reminiscent of the grace of its namesake’s movement through the garden’s flora, Swallowtail is a beautiful listen whose depth unfolds with the dance of this astute and untethered duo, guiding us nimbly through nature’s vistas and our dreams.
Chris, a Clonakilty native who has emigrated to the UK, has been floating around the music scene for 18 years, gracing many pubs in Clonakilty from DeBarras to Faheys and everywhere in between.
Inspired by folk styles, Chris plays a mix of acoustic style covers and originals.
On his return to the Clonakilty stage after a long hiatus, he is extremely excited to play an acoustic set at the Clonakilty Community Resource Centre.
THE MONKS
Formed somewhat accidentally in Monk’s Lane, Timoleague in 2014 from the embers of some of West Cork’s much loved bands, this Clonakilty foursome have put down a busy few years, gaining momentum and with it an ever-growing cult-like following. While members have come and gone over the years, the current lineup of Ciarán Calnan, Timmie O’Brien, Ronan Archbold and Jack Archbold have been ever-present since 2021, performing countless shows both at home and abroad. With almost 100 years of gigging experience between them, they know how to put on an unforgettable show which guarantees to leave you craving more. Above all, it’s about having the craic and making sure the crowd do too, which is something The Monks deliver in abundance. Expect a rocking mix of songs from the likes of Thin Lizzy, Foo Fighters, The Killers, Fontaines DC, QOTSA, Radiohead, Paolo Nutini, Milky Chance, The Waterboys, The Beatles, The Cranberries and some original twists on many more traditional Irish and contemporary rock, pop and folk tunes. If their CIGF 2023 performance is anything to go by, this is one not to be missed, so strap in and enjoy the ride!