Highlights: Rhythm Weekender: First Serve, Onra, Hot 8 Brass Band & Hypnotic Brass, Cold Specks, Fennesz, Star Slinger, Stoneybatter BYOB nights, Bats, Maria & The Mirrors and Obey City.
This is the weekly list of recommended Dublin gigs taking place over the next seven days published every Tuesday. All times are 7.30/8pm unless stated. Feel free to recommend events not present in the comments below. If you’re looking for tickets to sold out gigs try #ticketfairy on Twitter.
Ticket giveaways:
- Rhythm Weekender – full weekend pass @ various venues
- Friday: Thread Pulls, Yximalloo, Withering Zithering @The Joinery (€8, BYOB)
- Saturday: Cheap Freaks, The #1s, Sweet Jane, September Girls, Niburi, White Collar Boy DJs @ 27 Prussia Street
- Monday: Bedlam: Obey City @ The Workman’s Club (€8)
- How to enter – Email [email protected] with your full name, the gig in the Subject line you’re entering for and phone number before 4pm THURSDAY to enter.
Day: Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun | Mon
Tuesday October 16th
- Leanne Harte, Morax, The Howyas, Siren Alley @ Whelan’s (€5)
New Irish music night. - Ruby Sessions @ Doyle’s (9pm, €6)
Long running revered acoustic night.
Wednesday October 17th
- Cold Specks @ The Sugar Club (€14)
Moving gothic choral folk lady. - Cat Dowling @ Whelan’s (€8)
Former Alphastates singer, new single ‘Cruel’. - Strangeways: Goth Trad, Kieran Craddock, Ancient Alien @ Lost Society (€12, 11pm)
Japanese dubstep? Sure whatever you’re having yourself. - Jacques Lu Cont, Star Slinger @ The Academy (Free, Facebook registration)
DJ sets for the launch of Absolut Unique. - Marina and the Diamonds @ Olympia (€27.50 – €30)
Interesting artist now makes unimaginative pop music, plays bigger venues.
Thursday October 18th
- Rhythm Weekender: First Serve, Onra, Mixtapes From The Underground @ Meeting House Square (€25)
De La Soul side project and the mighty Onra kick off the mini-festival. - Forward/Slash Re-Launch: Simon Bird, Lemonada, Bantum, Adultrock DJ set @ Twisted Pepper (Free)
Former Bernard Shaw night moves to the momma venue. R Kelly’s Trapped In The Closet will be shown too. - E! Live: CFit, Heritage Centre, Modesto, Juliet’s Rescue @ The Mercantile (Free)
Entertainment.ie hosts Irish bands for free. - Laura Sheeran @ Odessa Club (€10)
Experimental gothic classical artist. - Junior Spesh: Peaks EP launch, We Arrive Alive, We Is Cloud @ Twisted Pepper (€7, 10.30pm)
Live electronic duo launch free EP with support from two post rock bands.
Friday October 19th
- Thread Pulls, Yximalloo, Withering Zithering @The Joinery (€8, BYOB, WIN TICKETS)
12″ launch for ‘You Melt Words’ / ‘5/8 Rhythm Here’. - OneTwo OneTwo Music Documentary Festival @ The Lighthouse (from 7pm)
Dig! / Hits So Hard. - Daithí and Elaine Mai with Rachael Boyd @ The Workman’s (€8)
Promising young Galway musicians team up. - Monster Hero presents: Catscars, Woven Skull, I Heart The Monster Hero, Skinny Wolves DJs @ 27 Prussia Street (€10, 9pm, BYOB)
Alternative BYOB bizness in Stoneybatter. Also amazing artwork. - Rhythm Weekender: Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators, Hot 8 Brass Band @ Meeting House Square (€20)
Live soul and brass. Support from North Strand Kontra Band. - Maria & The Mirrors @ Whelan’s (Free, 11pm)
Batshit crazy tribal noise UK trio. Promises to be “fucking wild”. - Swamp81: Loefah, Mickey Pearce, Subrewind DJs @ Twisted Pepper (€15, 10.30pm)
Once-off night feat. Loefah and the label that brought us records from Boddika, Joy O, and Addison Groove. - Rhythm Weekender: Onra (DJ set) Nu Bromantics @ The Grand Social (€5, 11pm)
Afterparty DJ sets.
Saturday October 20th
- Fennesz, Cian Nugent, Withering Zithering, visuals by Donal Dineen @ Unitarian Church (€12)
Considered experimental, ambient and acoustic music performed on an altar. - OneTwo OneTwo Music Documentary Festival @ The Lighthouse (from 2pm)
A Joyful Slog, In Bed With Madonna, Sound It Out, Stop Making Sense. - Bats, Turning Down Sex, No Spill Blood @ Whelan’s (€10/ €15 with LP)
Science-obsessed rockers launch album 2: The Sleep Of Reason. - Communion: Traz, TJs, Sons Of Caliber, Boat To Row @ Academy 2 (€8)
Folk night with bands from UK, Ireland and Australia. - Autumn Owls @ The Grand Social (€10/€15 with CD)
Post CMJ album launch for the indie-rock trio. - Cheap Freaks, The #1s, Sweet Jane, September Girls, Niburi, White Collar Boy DJs @ 27 Prussia Street (€10, 9pm, BYOB, WIN TICKETS)
Two Stoneybatter BYOB alt gigs in two nights? This is the rockier of the two. - Rhythm Weekender: Derrick May @ Twisted Pepper (€15, 11pm)
4 hour set from the Detroit leg-end. - Rhythm Weekender: Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Dublin Afrobeat Ensemble @ Meeting House Square (€22.50)
Do these guys live here now?
Sunday October 21st
- Rhythm Weekender: Taylor McFerrin @ The Bernard Shaw (6pm)
Brainfeeder man’s show - OneTwo OneTwo Music Documentary Festival @ The Lighthouse (from 2pm)
Not Dead Yet, No Distance Left To Run, The Devil & Daniel Johnson, Searching For Sugarman. - 12 Sundays: Shane Mannion @ The Bernard Shaw (5pm)
Sunday shenanigans. - You Kiss By The Book, Derrick Devine @ The Stag’s Head (€6/€10 with album)
Family Tree launch party.
Monday October 22nd
- Bedlam: Obey City @ The Workman’s Club (€8, WIN TICKETS)
Brooklyn trap producer.

Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.