The Nialler9 Dublin Gig Guide // May 21st - 27th

Highlights: Todd Terje, ASAP Rocky, Life Festival, Dublin City Soul Festival, Africa Day, Lana Del Rey, Enemies and Haim.

Ticket freebies this week:

A pair of passes to Luke-Sital Singh (Wednesday), Sounds Of System Breakdown (Friday), Enemies / Andrew Weatherall & Sean Johnston aka A Love From Outer Space (Saturday). Full details of each show and how to enter below.

• How to enter – Email [email protected] with the gig above in the Subject line you’re entering for along with your full name and phone number in the body before 5pm the day before the gig to enter.

If you’re looking for tickets to sold out gigs try #ticketfairy on Twitter.

Skip to day: Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun | Mon

Tuesday May 21st

•  John Smith @  Tower Records (free, 5:30pm)
  [Instore]  Singer/guitarist and Lisa Hannigan band member plays songs like ‘Salty And Sweet’
•  The Ruby Sessions: John Smith @  Doyle’s (€6, 9pm)
  [Acoustic]  Long-running acoustic weekly night with sometimes surprise special guests.

Wednesday May 22nd

• Alicia Keys, Miguel @ The O2 (€)
  [R&B] Blackberry’s creative director and the new Lionel Richie in the house.
• Luke Sital-Singh @ The Little Museum of Dublin  (€11.50, WIN TICKETS)
  [Folk] Promising young Londoner.

Thursday May 23rd

•  No Means No @ Whelan’s (€16)
  [Punk] An existential punk rock party.
• Pieta House Afterparty @ The Pygmalion (€6, €8 after midnight)
  [DJs] Johnny Moy, Kelly Anne Byrne, Ivan Varian, Gavin White, Colin Perkins.
• Spies @ Button Factory (€10 with CD, €8 without)
  [indie/rock] Launch of Distant Shorelines single with Myles Manley on support. 
• Junior Spesh: Beach, Terriers, MeltyBrains?, Peaks @ Twisted Pepper (€7,10:30pm)
  [Eclectic] Interesting lineup of Irish bands and electronic producers. 

Friday May 24th

Festivals

• Life Festival @ Belvedere House (€138 for weekend, Sunday €70)
  [Dance/Electronic] Features Leftfield, Modeselektor, Amon Tobin, Floating Points, Mmoths. Funkineven, Boddika and more. Lineup.

• Heineken Live Project: A$AP Rocky @ The Academy  (Sold out)
  [Rap] Dublin debut for Rocky.
• Choice Cuts: Mixtapes From The Underground, Niwel Tsumbu, Leafzang, The Animators @ The Sugar Club ( €10)
  [Soul/rap] Part of the Dublin Soul Festival.
• Moscow Metro @ The Workman’s Club  (€8)
  [Indie/rock] Limerick four-piece with The National-esque sound.
• Neighbourhood Wash: Jennifer Evans, Richie Jape @ The Joinery  (€8)
  [Folk] Presented by Donal Dineen.
• Teatronik, Ickis Mirolo, Zoid, Dorota Konczewska @ The Cobalt Cafe  (€6)
  [Electronic] Launch of ambient electronic duo’s debut album Teatronica.
• Gardiner Street Gospel Choir @ O’Reilly Theatre, Dublin (€15)
  [Modern choir] Launch of new Lift Your Voice EP covering contemporary songs.
• Sounds Of System Breakdown, Pikachunes, Liza Flume @ The Grand Social (€10, WIN TICKETS)
  [Indie/electronic] Launch of second album Nomad.
• The Riptide Movement @ Olympia  (€16.85)
  [Rock] I don’t get the appeal but there are enough of you who do to fill the next two nights in the Olympia.
• Craig Charles, DJ Kormac @ Twisted Pepper (€12, 10:30pm)
  [DJ] BBC6 Music DJ and Corrie actor plays Funk & Soul. He’s very good apparently.

Saturday May 25th

Festivals

• Life Festival @ Belvedere House (€138 for weekend, Sunday €70)
  [Dance/Electronic] Features Leftfield, Modeselektor, Amon Tobin, Floating Points, Mmoths. Funkineven, Boddika and more. Lineup.
• Dublin City Soul Festival @ Merrion Square Park  (Free, Noon – 6pm)
  [Festival] The Eskies, The Barley Mob, Fox E & The Good Hands, Hallelula Choir and more.

• Colours Afrobeat Orchestra feat. Tony Allen @ The Sugar Club  (€20)
  [Afrobeat] Part of the Dublin City Soul Festival. Live clips.
• HAIM  @ Whelan’s (Sold Out)
  [Pop] Three rock/pop sisters make Dublin debut.
• Widowspeak, His Clancyness @ The Workman’s Club (€12)
  [Rock] Dreamy rock’n’roll all-round.  ‘Locusts’ / ‘Machines’ 
• Enemies @ Button Factory (€10, WIN TICKETS)
  [Rock] Launch of Embark, Embrace album that was debuted right here.
• Andrew Weatherall, Sean Johnson @ Twisted Pepper (€15, 10.30pm, WIN TICKETS)
  [Electronic] Playing music as A Love From Outer Space.
• Hidden Agenda: Todd Terje @ Button Factory (€15, 11pm)
  [Dance] Inspector Norse man is definitely sick of that song. He has others though.

Sunday May 26th

Festivals

• Life Festival @ Belvedere House (€138 for weekend, Sunday €70)
  [Dance/Electronic] Features Leftfield, Modeselektor, Amon Tobin, Floating Points, Mmoths. Funkineven, Boddika and more. Lineup.
• Dublin City Soul Festival @ Merrion Square Park  (Free, Noon – 6pm)
  [Festival] Blood Red Mountain Band, Gardiner Street Festival, Bionic Rats, St. John the Gambler.

• Africa Day @ Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park (Free, 11am -5pm)
  Live] 2 stages of live music including Colours Afrobeat Foundation, Madu, Niwel Tsumbu’s The Multiverse, The Amazing Few, Gypsy Rebel Rabble, Stone & Jezreeol and a rap stage.
• Lana Del Rey @ Vicar Street (€44)
  [Melodramatic pop] LDR’s first Irish show. About time.
• Listen At Lilliput @ Lilliput Press (€8, BYOB)
  [Acoustic] Jennifer Evans, Charles Marshall, Annie-Marie O’Farrell.
• Biggles Flys Again @ The Stag’s Head (€6/€8)
  [Indie/pop] Listen to to Remember Saturday album.

Monday May 27th

• Lana Del Rey @ Vicar Street (€44)
  [Melodramatic pop] Lana added another show.

Niall Byrne

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,  Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter,  and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.

patreon.com/nialler9