42 gigs and clubs to see in Cork over the holiday season
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 19TH
- Cork Animal Care Society Fundraiser @ Fred Zeppelin’s (9pm, €3)
Alt-rockers Red Sun Alert, pop-punks Skies Behind and rock four-piece Outsound get together to raise funds for Cork ACS.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 20TH
- Elaine Malone, Saint Caoilian and Damsel @ PLUGD Records/The Roundy (9pm, €tbc)
Cork-based singer songwriter plays Cork as part of her first ‘tiny tour’, having released E.P. ‘Land’ earlier in the year. Support from Luke O’Neill’s Damsel and the patron saint of lovelorn pop balladry, Caoilian Sherlock. - Anna Mitchell and Band @ Coughlan’s (9pm, €12)
Grunge-inflected folk-rocker takes to the stage on Douglas Street with the full band in tow after releasing her self-titled second album this year. Support from Shane Joyce. - Fleece @ Dali (10pm, €5)
Cork house collective celebrate three years together by heading upstairs on Carey’s Lane for a big session with the residents. - Wired Deep @ Cyprus Avenue (10pm, €5)
It’s the end of the exams up in UCC, so naturally it’s time for a Wired Deep night, with support from Vica Versa and Jive DJs.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 21ST
- The Lost Brothers @ Live at St. Luke’s (7.30pm, €25)
Harmony-laden folk duo return to St. Luke’s after the January release of much-fancied long-player ‘Halfway Toward a Healing’. - DJ Deece @ Connolly’s of Leap (8pm, €10)
Deece headlines a massive throwdown of Cork electronics for Tír na nÓg, with the Hanley Brothers, County Vinyl, and Coulstock also minding the tunes. - Out of Space @ PLUGD Records/The Roundy (9pm, €tbc)
The one-year anniversary of Out of Space’s monthly residence at the home of PLUGD Records sees Automatic Tasty headline proceedings, with Aoife O’Neill and Elie Bukassa also on the decks. - Raw Vision @ EDISON (9pm, free)
All-female lineup of techno and related sonics, live-streamed via local online outlet Underground Ovation. - Bailer, Worn Out & God Alone @ Dali (9.30pm, €12)
A triple-threat of Cork hardcore and post-metal, with some of the city’s hardest-working outfits: Bailer return from intensive UK touring to close their 2018, Worn Out play their final show with axeman Isaac Riordan, and God Alone continue to premiere material from their debut album, released last week.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 22ND
- David Keenan @ Live at St. Luke’s (7.30pm, €20)
Soulful, genre-defying singer-songwriter and his Unholy Ghosts collaborators take to the stage in the Northside’s sonic temple. - Mick Flannery @ Connolly’s of Leap (8.30pm, €20)
Alongside five (!) sold-out gigs in Coughlan’s, veteran singer-songwriter Mick Flannery takes an excursion under the hammers. Support from Niamh Regan. - Post-Punk Podge and The Technohippies @ The Poor Relation (9pm, free)
Limerick’s finest agitpop provocateur and his collaborators descend upon the city for a free pre-Xmas gig, courtesy of Cosmonaut Music. Support from (speculative) Cork supergroup Celebrity Power Couple. - Prospekt Xmas Special @ EDISON (9pm, free)
Prospekt residents are joined by Ant of Generic People, Mark Scanlan, Boogie Block, Agnes and Kevin Stack for a night of disco, house and related sounds. - Sunshine Cult Records Showcase @ PLUGD/The Roundy (9pm, €5/€10 with sampler tape)
Cork cassette label Sunshine Cult puts on a whole night of musical goodies: shoegaze and reverb from collaborative show Perish + Soft Focus, Laurie Shaw sideproject Foolish Mortal and techno brother-duo Mikron. - Under the Rose x Hessle Audio @ Dali (9pm, €13.50)
Dali’s techno residency presents two-thirds of the Hessle Audio label, with appearances from Dimensions faves Pearson Sound and Pangaea. Support from Gary Fitz.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 23RD
- No Covers SVCC Pre-Busk @ Oliver Plunkett Street (2pm, donations)
Artists involved in tonight’s Undivided fundraiser for Sexual Violence Centre Cork hit the city’s main busking drag, to bring their originals to the people amid the chaos of peak Xmas shopping panic. Proceeds to SVCC. - Undivided: Sexual Violence Centre Cork Fundraiser @ Cyprus Avenue (6pm, €10)
If there’s one must-see gig this season, it’s fifteen of Cork’s best and brightest bands, artists, producers and DJs in one spot, all for Sexual Violence Centre Cork and promoted/organised by ten (!) local promoters, an unprecedented scale of collaboration for Cork music in modern times. The lineup: The Altered Hours, Cuttin’ Heads Collective, Stevie G, Horse, Elaine Malone, Gadget and the Cloud, Vicky Langan, Arbraz, Laurie Shaw, Dim the Lights, Cara Kursh, Any Joy, Aisling O’Riordan, Red Sun Alert, Agnes & Him and Twitch Jnr. - Dim the Lights @ Dali (7pm, €tbc)
An early party for Paul and Gilly, with disco and boogie-friendly tunes ’til 12.
MONDAY DECEMBER 24TH
Nothing, apparently. Odd enough, actually, considering there’s usually a few people working in retail, pubs and the like that rightly need to blow off steam someplace.
TUESDAY DECEMBER 25TH
The Crane Lane is apparently *not* opening at midnight tonight, as has been done the last few years. So, there ye are, now.
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26TH
- The Light Runners @ Crane Lane Theatre (9pm, free)
Hard-hitting roots reggae featuring members of renowned soukous bands Zaiko Langa Langa and OK Jazz, just off the release of debut record ‘War and Migration’. - Stephens’ Day @ Dali (9pm, €tbc)
Three Dali residents, Jon Barry, Gary Fitz and Philip Deasy, join forces for the venues’ Stephens’ Day special, with house, techno and bass ’til close. - 5lowershop Soundsystem @ The Kino (8pm, €8)
Cork-based soundsystem welcomes aboard a diverse crew of local DJs spinning everything from breaks, ragga and jungle to techno and IDM, to mark its twentieth anniversary to the day. - Talos @ Connolly’s of Leap (8.30pm, €15)
Having co-headlined the Jazz and released his major-label debut this year, Eoin French and collaborators end the year with their second live date under the hammers this season, following a sellout on the 30th. - The Tan Jackets @ Crane Lane Theatre (midnight, free)
Cork city supergroup comes together to mark the legacy of proto-punk and sixties psychedelia, including Saint Caoilian and members of The Altered Hours, O Emperor, Fixity, The Great Balloon Race and Une Pipe.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 27TH
- The Bones Below @ DeBarra’s of Clonakilty (9.30pm, free)
Clonakilty blues/folk outfit plays its first headline show at DeBarra’s, having played at the town’s International Guitar Festival earlier in the year. - Mockie Ah! Studio 54 Ball @ Cyprus Avenue (11pm, €10)
Ireland’s biggest drag family hosts a New York-flavoured soiree at the new Cyprus Avenue, with DJ appearances from GLAMO and Surly Cue, alongside drag performances from the Haus of Mockie Ah!
FRIDAY DECEMBER 28TH
- Gwada Mike, Agnes and more @ Edison (7.30pm, free)
Mike’s ‘Techno & House’ night returns with sets from Agnes, Leslie Goldfinder and AMR, back-to-back with the man himself. Does what it says on the tin. - Joe & Steve Wall @ Live at St. Luke’s (7.30pm, €26)
The Walls/Stunning duo run through their catalogue in an intimate show, following the March 2018 re-record and release of career album ‘Once Around the World’. - Elly O’Keeffe @ Coughlan’s (9pm, €10)
Singer-songwriter returns to Cork for Christmas and her annual Coughlan’s gig, playing tunes from new E.P. ‘You’. Support from Dan O’Keeffe. - Kíla @ DeBarra’s of Clonakilty (9pm, €20)
Trad-fusion trailblazers mark thirty years together with a special gig at Clonakilty’s world-renowned folk outpost. - Taboo @ Dali (10pm, €12)
Cork’s afrobeat/hip-hop night returns to Dali for a New Year’s special, with Stevie G, Grillz and Chedder manning the decks.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 29TH
- Little Green Cars @ Live at St. Luke’s (7.30pm, €25)
Dublin rock/folk five-piece return to St. Luke’s, having criss-crossed the continent in support of 2016’s ‘Ephemera’ album. - The Queen and the High Priestess @ Levis’ of Ballydehob (8pm, donations)
Musicians from all over West Cork come together to not only pay homage to Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone, but do so to benefit Sexual Violence Centre Cork. - Fish Go Deep @ Connolly’s of Leap (8pm, €15)
Greg, Shane and West Cork collaborator Colm host Fish Go Deep’s Christmas party under the hammers. - Corner Boy @ Crane Lane Theatre (9pm, free)
World-travelled Wexford folk outfit play at the Crane Lane off the back of the release of their ‘Goodbye Old Holy’. - Vinyl Below @ Dali (10pm, €tbc)
The Vinyl Below residents take to their home turf upstairs on Carey’s Lane for a Christmas special, with house and techno all night. - Alan Fitzpatrick @ Cyprus Avenue (11pm, €25)
UK techno headliner and We Are the Brave bossman plays a special holiday gig upstairs in the ‘new’ Cyprus Avenue.
SUNDAY DECEMBER 30TH
- Jerry Fish @ Live at St. Luke’s (7.30pm, €25)
An Emotional Fish man and solo singer-songwriter comes to St. Luke’s with his Songs and Tall Tales acoustic show, straight from his festival Sideshow attraction.
MONDAY DECEMBER 31ST
- Sundown New Year’s Celebration @ The Sextant (6pm, free)
DJ Gwada Mike and guests bring a selection of reggae and dub indoors at the Sextant to ring in the New Year. - Hothouse Flowers @ Cork Opera House (8pm, €26)
Veteran Irish rockers mark the launch of new album ‘Let’s Do This Thing’ and continue over three decades of touring with an NYE gig at the Opera House. - Connolly’s Yacht-Rock NYE (8pm, €30)
Yep. Nautical gear, and sensitive yet distinctly ’80s MOR ahoy. More as we have it. - Fish Go Deep @ Dali (9pm, €15)
Greg and Shane return to their stamping grounds to welcome in the New Year, kicking off their thirty-first year of spinning house in Cork city.
