By Elle Kelleher Dublin-based alt-rock powerhouse Bitch Falcon have conquered festival stages from Cork to Toronto, from Los Angeles to Cheltenham, causing pounding hearts and pounding eardrums wherever they go. University Express sat down with guitarist/vocalist Lizzie and drummer Nigel, to chat about their upcoming album, the situation with the scene and surviving a pandemic…
In a moment in time where the existence of live venues and the live music industry itself rest on increasingly fragile ground, many artists are in a financially precarious position. In the age of streaming, platforms like Spotify perpetuate the idea that music is something that can be procured for €9.99 a month, while the…
Welcome to UCC, or welcome back! I’m hoping this finds you in good health and with an inbox free of emails that contain the line ‘In These Troubled Times’. Unless Fiona, Maeve or Fergal have used it in their editorials. Jesus, am I going to get fired before we even go to print? Forget it….
by Elle Kelleher The Irish music industry was severely impacted during COVID-19. With all gigs cancelled, professionals around the country suddenly found themselves without income and, as the majority of full-time musicians are self-employed, with their eligibility status for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment in a precarious position, unsure if taking the odd gig here or…
The live music industry has been devastated by COVID-19. Cyprus Avenue, The Roundy, Cork Opera House: They’ve all been shut since March, and the future is uncertain as phase four stretches into the future. With the law restricting indoor gatherings of fifty-plus (inclusive of staff and band), many venues are waiting it out or still…
Mick Flannery’s latest album, Alive, is a live recording of a concert performed way back in 2019 at the Cork Opera House. At a time when much of the live music industry has been thrown into uncertainty due to COVID-19, the proceeds of the album are going to Mick’s band and sound engineers. Alive wonderfully…
The spirit of community and togetherness is something that really stands out when looking at the schedule of events for Half Moon Festival and the stunning range of innovative collaborations between different artists taking place across the weekend. One example of such collaboration is Cell, which premieres on the festival website on Saturday at 5pm….
If you live in Cork, you’ve probably walked Half Moon Street hundreds of times. It’s the road joining the Crawford Art Gallery’s square to the city’s quays, running alongside the Opera House and multinational shopping venues. On your right as you walk from the square to the Lee, you’ll see a plethora of Irish writers…
It’s a proper summer. The sun is shining. Beaches are open again. It’s RAG Week: Icebergers Edition. All in all, a great summer for festivals to be literally illegal. Fortunately, Half Moon Festival will be here to fill that gap in the last days of June. Named after the road next to the Crawford Art…
In the past three years, one of the hallmarks of Irish music has been ‘collectives’, collaborative indie labels growing connected audiences and trading advice. Most of these are based in a specific county: rap/hip-hop label PX Music in Limerick, for example. Lots of good music comes out of it, but these micro-scenes can feel very separate,…