This week’s Cork Gig Guide assumes you’re not already heading out to Macroom for Townlands Carnival festival at any stage. If you’re away on a day ticket, check out our list of must-see bands at TLC, including Irish bands and international talent.
THURSDAY JULY 19TH
Garageland @ Crane Lane Theatre (8pm, €13.50)
This month’s Leeside Garageland excursion: N9-approved wordsmith Darce, Rufus Buck, Red Sun Alert, and Echosoul.
Qadasi & Maqhinga @ Connolly’s of Leap (9pm, €10)
Acoustic duo bring traditional Maskandi music from South Africa to Leap, for a night under the famous hammers.
County Vinyl @ Dali (10pm, free)
Resident Phil and Bríon on duty as part of Dali’s weekend-long excursions into house, tonight via disco, afro and Beamish.
Crow Black Chicken @ Crane Lane Theatre (midnight, free)
Clonmel/Cork globetrotters bring their power-trio blues-rock to the Crane Lane for a free gig.
FRIDAY JULY 20TH
David Keenan @ Connolly’s of Leap (8pm, €10)
Folk expressionist heads out under the hammers for a Connolly’s excursion.
Dan O’Keeffe @ An Spailpín Fánach (9pm, €7)
Indie-ish, folk-ish singer/songwriter plays upstairs in the North Main Street venue. Support from Laura Duff and Jake Kalilec.
Gary Fitz, Olan & Darren Li @ Dali (11pm, €5)
A triple-threat of local deckwreckers on duty til the wee hours, with cheap-in and cheap drinks for people broke from festivals, holidays, etc.
The Hanley Brothers @ Cyprus Avenue (11pm, €8)
Cork-based youngfellas/brother duo flex their selecting and production muscles upstairs on Caroline Street.
SATURDAY JULY 21ST
Jessie Kennedy & Justin Grounds @ Prim’s Bookshop, Kinsale (6pm, free)
Part of Kinsale Arts Weekend, singer-songwriter Kennedy is joined live by regular collaborator/violinist Grounds, continuing to renew old Irish songs with elements of electronic, ambience and field recording.
A Litany of Failures Vol.2: Cork Launch @ The Roundy (9pm, €7)
Launch for new indie/post-punk compilation platter (cover pictured), as part of a national round of gigs. Headlined by post-punks Any Joy, with support from shoegazers The Sunshine Factory and Dubliners Nervvs, all among the bands featured.
Senzar @ The Poor Relation (9pm, €7)
Dublin blackened/death/noise metallers hit the Poor Relation, with support from Drogheda doom outfit OKUS and Cork prog/doom outliers Mendicant.
United Bottles @ Fred Zeppelin’s (9.30pm, €tbc)
Belfast punx, ex-Runnin’ Riot, continue the legacy of their hometown’s scene. Support from Dubs Jobseekers and a solo set from Audible Joes’ Mick Stone.
John Daly @ Dali (10pm, €tbc)
The Smoke Clears man brings his blend of ambience, dubby resonance and danceability to the venue on Carey’s Lane (‘John Dali’ jokes to be made in the link above).
Johnny Moy @ Cyprus Avenue (11pm, €10)
Veteran DJ, with residencies in New York institutions like Twilo, Limelight, Centro Fly, and Save The Robots, DJs before and after a screening of LCD Soundsystem gig film ‘Shut Up and Play The Hits!’.
SUNDAY JULY 22ND
Bitch Please @ Connolly’s of Leap (8pm, pass-the-hat)
Aussie brother-sister duo Esther and Will Henderson, making their way directly onto a Micromedia screen in Cork city near you with the best band name/pseudonym in quite a while.
LOWMountain @ DeBarra’s of Clonakilty (8pm, €5)
West Cork folk storytellers continue their tenth-anniversary swing of their home turf with a trip out to Clon’s landmark gig venue.
Declan O’Rourke @ Trident Hotel, Kinsale (8pm, €27)
Singer-songwriter and collaborators continue a recent run of Cork spot-dates with a Sunday appearance to close Kinsale Arts Weekend.
To submit gigs for consideration to the Nialler9 Cork gig guide, email: mikemcgrathbryan(at)gmail.com, or slide into the DMs: @mike_mcgb.
While you’re here, check out Red on Red, your writer’s new podcast for Cork’s RedFM, spotlighting the city’s independent music community. This week: we’re talking to The Point of Everything blogger and podcaster Eoghan O’Sullivan. Listen, subscribe and catch up here, or find us on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and more.
