The Christmas and New Year’s Eve Cork gig guide

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 18TH

• Fiona O’Connell & Etáin Collins @ Alchemy (7pm, free)
  A double-header of local singer-songwriters for the Barrack Street coffee shop.
  
• Delorentos @ Cyprus Avenue (7.30pm, €15)
  Dublin indie lads give big single S.E.C.R.E.T. an entire national tour on its tenth birthday, including upstairs on Caroline Street.
• Jack O’Rourke @ Coughlan’s (9pm, SOLD OUT)
  A pre-Christmas excursion to the back room on Douglas Street, for Cork’s homegrown singer-songwriter success.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 19TH

• The Nightmare Before Mockie Ah! @ Cyprus Avenue (7pm, €12.50)
  The season is approaching, and the drag family of the Haus of Mockie Ah! has come over all Tim Burton…
• The Art Crimes Band @ Crane Lane Theatre (9pm, free)
  Genre-straddling jazz quintet does the business in the back room of the Phoenix Street venue.
• Lisa O’Neill @ Coughlan’s (9pm, SOLD OUT)
  An intimate session on Douglas Street with a contemporary-folk force of nature.
• Boa Morte + Laurie Shaw @ PLUGD/The Roundy (9pm, €10)
  A holiday set from ambient-indie veterans Boa Morte, after a 2019 that saw them release album #3, ‘Before There Was Air’, and singer-songwriter Laurie Shaw, after a 2019 that saw him release multiple albums.
  
• Paul T & Steven Forde @ Dali (10pm, €5)
  Pre-holidays, post-college-exams house and techno session at the former cinema on Carey’s Lane.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 20TH

• Jimmy Crowley @ Nano Nagle Place (7pm, €10)
  The city’s great folk song collector presents ‘Songs from a Beautiful City’ in the Douglas Street convention centre’s Goldie Chapel venue.
• The Frank and Walters @ Cyprus Avenue (7.30pm, SOLD OUT)
  Cork’s well-loved and well-dressed indie-pop outfit finish up their thirtieth year with a sold-out anniversary gig upstairs on Caroline Street.
  
• David Keenan @ Live at St. Luke’s (8pm, €22.50)
  Emerging singer-songwriter headlines at the Northside sonic temple, having shared stages with a variety of Irish legends.
• Maria Somerville @ PLUGD/The Roundy (8.30pm, €10)
  Connemara post-folk songwriter (pictured) returns to PLUGD, with Sunshine Cult’s Mark Waldron-Hyden and Mantua in support, and DJ Cáit Fa ’til close.
• Liam O’Maonlaí & Brendan O’Regan @ The White Horse, Ballincollig (8.45, €20)
  Hothouse Flowers man shares the White Horse stage with composer and multi-instrumentalist.
• Horrenda, Dirty Casuals and more @ Fred Zeppelin’s (9pm, €8)
  Dublin death-metallers make their headline Cork debut at Fredz, with local riffers Dirty Casuals, punx Audible Joes and grindcore outfit Aborted Earth in tow.
• Hope is Noise, Horse & God Alone @ The Kino (9.30pm, €15)
  It’s a triple bill of homegrown heft: Leeside post-hardcore godfathers Hope is Noise, death-punk four-piece Horse, and post-metallers God Alone. DJ set til late from the Ping Pong folks.
• Techno All Night @ Dali (10pm, €tbc)
  Cork ‘melodic dark techno’ specialists provide a night that does what it says on the tin.
  
• The Kates @ The Brú (11.30pm, free)
  A supergroup of West Cork women come together to celebrate their influences and woman-penned tunes: Liz Clark (gtr), Eve Clague (elec gtr), Mide Houlihan (drums), Roisin Kilgannon (keys) and Paula K O’Brien (bass).

SATURDAY DECEMBER 21ST

• Vinyl Below @ Dali (8pm, €tbc)
  It’s the annual Xmas party for Dali’s resident house/techno evening, with the usual suspects keeping it going to the wee hours.
  
• RISEUP! Christmas Party @ The Poor Relation (8pm, €7)
  BASS! How low can you go? Find out as a killer line-up of selectors puts the RiseUp rig through its paces.
• mynameisj0hn @ PLUGD/The Roundy (8pm, €8)
  County Vinyl are on the lash for the evening, and Rusangano beatman John is the man of the hour for their holiday jollies.
• Tír na nÓg VI @ Connolly’s of Leap (8pm, €10)
  A night of house, techno and related sounds, as the TNNG residents go back under the hammers for a winter special.
  
• Ophelia’s Yes I @ Crane Lane Theatre (9pm, free)
  Legendary rapper and musician Ophelia McCabe leads an all-woman selection of players through the finest in roots reggae classics.
  
• Faddak @ Edison (9pm, free)
  House collective Faddak round up their debut year with a gig on Washington Street, with Steven Forde shoring up the lineup.
• Yenkee & Actualacid @ The Kino (9pm, €10)
  Graham Cooney & company headline at the former arthouse on Washington Street, plus HAUSU project Actualacid present a live set.
  
• Fleece @ The Kino (11.30pm, €5)
  The proceedings continue at the Kino, as the Fleece collective mark four years of house in Cork city.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 22ND

• Cork Penny Dinners Fundraiser @ DeBarra’s of Clonakilty (2pm, €tbc)
  An absolute rake of West Cork’s musicians and bands are out in force to raise funds for the city’s soup kitchen (and newest social housing partner).
  
• LOWmountain @ Levis’ of Ballydehob (7pm, €tbc)
  Long-running alt-country trio play a special early gig at Ballydehob’s village venue.
• Sunday Times! @ The Bowery Rooftop (8pm, free)
  It’s a residents’ reunion for the monthly dancing upstairs in the Tuckey Street nightclub complex.
• Fragments @ Edison (8pm, free)
  NATMAC & REFLUX on deck duties at the Washington Street cocktail establishment, hosted by the Underground Ovation folks.
• The Burma @ Cóbh Ramblers’ Bar and Lounge (8pm, €10)
  Local-born indie outfit make their hometown debut with a special gig at the home of Cork’s ‘other’ domestic soccer team.
• Crazy P Soundsystem @ The Kino (8pm, €20)
  Nottingham dance innovators bring their best tunes to the Kino for a Christmas party, with DJ Eddie Kay in support.
• Beoga @ Live at St. Luke’s (8pm, €22.50)
  Crossover folk phenomena take in the splendour of the former Northside church.

MONDAY DECEMBER 23RD

• Tiny Dancer with Dónal Dineen @ (3pm, €8/10)
  Give your wee ones a better first disco than you ever had, with a special session from the This Ain’t No Disco legend.
• Backstory with Dónal Dineen @ The Kino (8pm, €15)
  A six-hour, globetrotting, storytelling DJ set from the man that brought a generation their alternative tunes via (This Ain’t) No Disco and a legendary radio show.
• Stevie G’s Old School Party @ Cyprus Avenue (10pm, €5)
  Cork’s living hip-hop legend brings the nineties and noughties beats, with an on-stage show from Andrea Williams and the Hot Sauce Dancers.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 26TH – ST. STEPHENS’ DAY

• EndUp @ The Brú (2pm, free)
  What’s that? You want twelve c0ntinuous hours of house? To McCurtain Street with you. Jon Barry mans the decks alongside the residents.
  
• Bongo Steve @ Cyprus Avenue (10pm, €10)
  After years of live-percussion DJ sets and the like, local drummer Bongo Steve unveils his debut tranche of original material, including live marimba and loop-station antics.
  
• Paradox @ Crane Lane Theatre (11.30pm, free)
  Cork grunge loyalists play a special set of the genre standards for Stephens’ Night at the Crane, following their own recent singles releases.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 27TH

• The Blizzards @ Cyprus Avenue (7.30pm, €20)
  Bressie and the lads head upstairs on Caroline Street for a headliner at the newly-renovated venue.
  
• The Tan Jackets & Friends @ The Kino (8pm, €10)
  Cork psych-rock worshippers kick out the jams that influenced them, with a heap of local guests getting involved. All proceeds to Cork Penny Dinners.
• Talos @ Connolly’s of Leap (8pm, €15)
  Eoin French and collaborators go under the McNicholls’ famous hammers, for a winter gig out West.
  
• Declan O’Rourke @ Live at St. Luke’s (8pm, €28)
  Veteran Irish singer-songwriter headlines at the former church on St. Luke’s Cross.
• Elly O’Keeffe @ Coughlan’s (9pm, €10)
  An annual Christmas show for Cork singer-songwriter, and a launch for new EP ‘You’.
  
• Mockie Ah! Winter Ball @ PLUGD/The Roundy (9pm, €10)
  The Haus’ holiday proceedings continue with their end-of-year ball being headlined by Mother/PlayIrish DJ Kate Brennan-Harding.
  
• The 4 of Us @ The White Horse, Ballincollig (9pm, €27)
  Nineties indie hitmakers-turned-acoustic duo play a selection of tunes new and old.
• Jenny Greene @ Cyprus Avenue (11pm, €20)
  2FM evening jock and dance-music veteran brings a late-night set of house, electro and old-time floorfillers.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 28TH

• The Stunning @ Cyprus Avenue (7pm, SOLD OUT)
  ‘Paradise in the Picturehouse’ Galwegians continue fine-honing the eighties and nineties classics that made them part of daily life for a generation of Irish people.
• CXNT @ PLUGD/The Roundy (9pm, €5)
  Hard-drum exponents and Flood collective members Syn and Doubt are joined for their second instalment this month by collaborator Capricorn.
  
• R.Kitt & Dim the Lights @ The Kino (9pm, €10)
  Boiler Room-featured DJ and producer presents his full live show at the Kino. Dim the Lights selectors on hand for complementary selections.
  
• TABOO @ Dali (10pm, €tbc)
  Stevie, Chedder and Grillz make with the last turn-up of 2019, a night packed with Afrocentric beats and hip-hop smashes.
  
• Fish Go Deep @ Cyprus Avenue (11pm, €10)
  Greg and Shane’s first of two Xmas-season sessions takes place upstairs on Caroline Street, just off the duo’s 31st anniversary night (which makes their act the same age as your writer).

SUNDAY DECEMBER 29TH

• And So I Watch You From Afar @ Cyprus Avenue (7.30pm, €17.50)
  North Shore post-rock/metal quartet play their 2009 self-titled debut from start to finish for its tenth anniversary. A limited 4LP box-set of the album, plus a live recording from last year, will also be on sale.
  
• Brian Deady @ The Kino (8pm, €26.50)
  Homegrown soul success story Deady plays an intimate session at the Washington Street venue to cap off a busy year.
  
• Hothouse Flowers @ Live at St. Luke’s (8pm, €28.50)
  Liam O’Maonlaí and crew bring decades of pop hits to the pulpit at St. Luke’s.
  
• Strange Attractor @ Crane Lane Theatre (9pm, free)
  Dingle funkers load up for another Cork excursion, this time to the former house of burlesque on Phoenix Street.

MONDAY DECEMBER 30TH

• Myles Gaffney @ Cyprus Avenue (7.30pm, €12.50)
  Northside folk balladeer plays his annual big show upstairs on Caroline Street.
• Fish Go Deep @ Connolly’s of Leap (8pm, €15)
  Greg and Shane’s holiday excursion finishes with a now-annual night under the hammers.
  
• Jerry Fish @ The Kino (8pm, €25)
  A night for musical fish in Cork, it seems: Jerry Fish presents his theatrical ‘Songs and Tall Tales’ show to the Kino.
  
• The Light Runners @ Crane Lane Theatre (9pm, free)
  Afro-Caribbean sounds aplenty from a finely-honed squad of world-travelled reggae and soukous musicians.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 31ST – NEW YEARS’ EVE

• Bauld Lang Syne @ The Kino (7pm, €15)
  A big, bold session of alternative music from Cork City for the NYE proceedings at the Kino: Lowlek, Laurie Shaw, Arthur Itis and Elaine Malone are live, while Cathal & Elaine of The Altered Hours co-person the decks.
• The Service @ Crane Lane Theatre (8pm, free)
  Cork ska veterans help the Crane Lane Theatre ring in the New Year with a helping of genre classics, alongside doses of reggae and two-tone.
• TPM & The Mary Wallopers @ Connolly’s of Leap (8pm, €30)
  The brothers Hendy bring both their projects, hip-hop and trad alike, to a special session at Connolly’s, that also sees marauding Mams cleaning the gaff up and generally cramping your style around the venue, courtesy of the MyHouse DJs.
  
• Jack L. @ Cork Opera House (8pm, €30)
  That’ll be Mr. Lukeman and crew framing that silky-smooth croon for the big stage at the Opera House, then.
  
• Evolution DnB @ An Spailpín Fánach (9pm, €tbc)
  The only game in town if its drum ‘n’ bass you’re after: Aussie selector/producer Tamen headlines the Evolution collective’s NYE proceedings.
• New Jackson @ Dali (9pm, €12)
  David Kitt shores up the Carey’s Lane venue’s NYE celebrations with his first live set of electronica under the New Jackson name there, following previous deejaying appearances.
• Wired Deep @ Cyprus Avenue (10pm, €12.50)
  Cork collective assemble on Caroline Street to welcome 2020 along with wall-to-wall house and techno.