Gigs for 2025 - post your reviews here

stairs inside the cellar near toilets bring you upstairs

Yeah, it’s well signed but like every small venue in Dublin, it’s still a maze. I always dread to think what would happen in these places if there was a fire. Has it ever happened?

On that cheery note, enjoy the night. I’m still at home, need to get my **** sorted…..

Thanks. I’m sticking to the Cellar again….

Queen Extravaganza at the Olympia tonight was my first show for 2025.

Quite a few kids at the show, it's great to hear Queen classics being played live.

My next show isn't until Iron Maiden now.

Borderline was, on the whole, just incredible! The quality across the board was amazing, in some ways it's slightly depressing seeing such talent in a fairly low key setting, but selfishly it's a privilege

I started with Adore, the one band I really wanted to see. They were good but maybe not as great as I hoped, the sound mix meant the vocals were a bit lost, which meant the songs slightly blurred, but there's no denying they have all the ingredients to be great, really enjoyed them

After they finished I headed down to the cellar and caught the last couple of songs of Amy Michelle, late addition to the lineup. Her guitar playing was lovely and her voice was beautiful, would definitely like to hear more of her

But I was in the cellar to see Automotion. I was cynical of them riding on the attention of having Liam Gallagher's son in their ranks but they were properly brilliant, the best band I saw tonight. Sometimes dreamy shoegaze, sometimes balls out post-rock, always great musicianship and so tight as a band. Properly, properly brilliant

I then headed back upstairs for Honesty. A kind of "what if" band for me as I never really hit the club scene and feel like I'd have loved it, they were so good. Behind a translucent screen with great AV, the overall show was so good

They finished early so I dashed down for Makeshift Art Bar who sounded great, but I couldn't get into the stage area to watch them!

Slight lull for me then as I went back up for PVA who didn't work for me. The bass was shaking the ceiling but the mix let them down, just couldn't hear what it was meant to be, so I went back to the cellar for Dog Race. They sounded good but the singer's voice just didn't work for me, couldn't get into it

But then it was Shelf Lives... holy maloney! Just incredible energy, so much fun, great crowd control, decent mosh pit. Loved every second of it, just great fun!

Headed back up for Mandy, Indiana then but could barely get in the room. They sounded great but I couldn't really get into it.

After that I started to think about the bus home and being up with the kids tomorrow so I bailed. I didn't love the sound of OneDa and couldn't be bothered waiting for Yard, though they sounded good

Overall though, absolutely brilliant. Maybe a bit over crowded at a few points but generally brilliant, delighted I went. Thanks to @Irish Aris for the ticket!

Managed to snag a Saturday Borderline ticket. Adore were good but not as good as the previous time i saw them. I did enjoy the accidental use of theremin throughout one of their songs though! Freak Slug were ok, suffered from the same problem as most modern shoegaze in that it's very lightweight and poppy. Downstairs then for Makeshift Art Bar who all looked familiar to me as if i'd seen them all in other bands, probably not though. If you like Gilla Band and Chalk etc you'll dig this lot. Expect them at a festival near you soon. Stayed downstairs for Dog Race, don't really know what to make of them, probably not my cuppa overall. Shelf Lives were good fun. Imagine if Confidence Man got tired of superslick clubbing and headed into rock and punk instead. Then finally, Mandy Indiana who were hit and miss for me but that's probably 'cos i was stuck down the back of the room where the sound wasn't as good and my legs were telling me to go home. Feel like i'm doing them a disservice there. If i was nearer the front to get the full volume i'd probably have enjoyed them more. They did have one very slow, sparse tune with phenomenal bass that put me right in the zone. Think i'd have liked more of that from them.

I've said it before but i can't wait for the mullet/shaved locks/bumfluff paedo moustache look to disappear. I've not seen one person yet carry it off. It's dreadful.

Very impressive fanship.

I have no idea who Frank Turner is 😂

Shame on me I guess.

Enjoyed Snow Patrol in the 3Arena last night. Perfect setlist with a mix of hits and a few new songs thrown in. A bit of an underrated band, they put on a good show and I'd recommend going to see them this summer

Next up James Blunt in the 3Arena

Snow Patrol are pretty decent their main problem is the waft of crap that tried to take after them Walking on Cars, Keane, Kodaline etc etc. They have in part the misfortune of polluting Irish airwaves for decades and it hasn't even been with their own music!!

Waiting to see The Violet Breaks in the Workman’s facing the Liffey.
Why do they put 7pm doors and 82 minutes later you are still waiting? Just like airports…..

So the support is 30 minutes late already. If only they could find a microphone and tell you what’s going on. 🙄

Yes, we have to remember they are not charities and without them we wouldn’t be able to hear great live music. (Last night was not one of those moments though, TVB just not my thing at all but their fans loved them).

As a disrupter, I see so many opportunities for a better customer experience when it comes to live music events. Hopefully one day I’ll get to test them out.

Fat Dog in Opium last night were ok. I couldn't get into it really. Didn't seem a patch on the Grand Social gig a few months back. Crowd were enjoying it though so maybe it was just me.

Yeah, I was up front with a few people and we spotted her being a bit clingy and noted that he didn't come into the crowd. Had an absolute blast though, disappointed we didn't get Satisfaction like at the end of the Grand Social gig.