POLARY’Alternative, left field pop is the chosen playground for Polary and boy, do they know it well. Effortlessly blending heavy, moorish guitars with nostalgia inducing synth work, thus making the perfect backdrop for those bright pop vocals.’@wearepolary SLEEP WALKING ANIMALS With their unique harmonious sound, atmospheric tones, poetic lyrics and foot stamping anthems, this folk/rock band is one to watch. @sleepwalkinganimals MY PET FAUXES Described as “one of the finest live acts around” by BBC Introducing, My Pet Fauxes are a new indie pop/rock band from Nottingham. With their hit single “Twist It” hitting over 50,000 streams on Spotify alone, their sound has been described as “an indie-pop dream” by LeftLion. @mypetfauxes

The Star-Nosed Moles -fizzy lofi punk pop with a kind of discombubulated Dr Feelgood element and some hard rocking power chords with walking basslines…certainly a touch of Wilko in the guitar stylings. Quirky and cute and located quite close to the garage. Officer – born in Glasgow and grown up in Northern Ireland.. Officer AKA Dc Logan is an Indie Soundscape Songwriter from The Corner of The Ferns. Playing angsty but soulful stark post punk plus something a little more balladeering and wide eyed, has scope, has potential, hits a loud rock guitar driven quasi stadium rawk vibe too…could be the next U2! A nice tremble and tremor in the Celtic Soul channelled vocal, know what they’re doing this lot. ‘Stratospheric and yet disarmingly intimate’ – RCM. Slow Like A Feeling – Electronic beats with postpunk guitars and keyboard, interesting blend of 80s sounds with hard-hitting guitar accompaniment as well as some unique/nostalgic vocals fronting a nice new sound that transcends many genres. People People – Crisp rocking pop of an Adult Oriented Rawk bent with good tight playing and groove rock sensibilities, plus wonderful wigout lead guitar.

Craic Boi Mental – We were disappointed not to experience the full joi of the Boi in Spring 2020, when Craic Boi Mental’s Dublin Castle Paddy’s Day show was blown out by Covid. Since then his TikTok has blown up mental and he’s dropped a new, critically acclaimed album. Irish rapper. Irish themes. Irish accent in tact but it’s all about the humour and the charm here with this ‘Autistic Legend’… check out his wonderful ‘Tayto Gang Anthems’. Brilliant work.. LEONTAS – electro and dark narco rock collide with some balladeering elements- a bit of Depeche Mode in leather trews and heroin chic times maybe, some Trent Reznorisms… but mainly coming from a soulfully sung rocknroll place informed partly by Zep et al. Good voice, catchy emotive songs. Psycho Yogi – Gnarled narky snarky art punk cum jazzbo experimentation, but always with a fab sense of fun amidst the conceptual expressionism schism. These guys used to come and do Bugbear shows waaaay back…and they are back. Might appeal to peeps who dig the likes of Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, This Heat or The Contortions. Tizane – causing quite a stir at last, quite so, and talent will out…this barely out of her teens singer songwriter turns head with frank lyrics, stark beats and a killer ice maiden with soul kinda vocal… all in a pop friendly package. Fascinatingly individual covers of R.E.M and Smiths classics now added to her fine set of original songs.

The Kubricks- Played many a Dublin Castle Bugbear happening over the years and it’s fantastic to welcome them back as part of their extensive Autumn 2021 UK tour.  Formed in London, The Kubricks are a seven-piece band who mix ska, reggae, and infectious melodic pop.  After surfacing in 2013 with their debut EP, “Wasters & Wannabes”, The Kubricks soon became one of the must-see ska bands of this generation. Tracks from their debut release were supported by Huey Morgan on BBC Radio 2, and Tom Robinson (BBC Introducing – 6Music), and The Specials’ bassist, Horace Panter championed the band, claiming “I can hear Madness, The Ruts, Squeeze and The Clash in there…” The timing was perfect, and coincided with a new interest in ska music, as many of UK’s festivals began dedicating entire stages to the genre. Riding on the back of this wave, the band soon found themselves supporting legends such as UB40, Bad Manners and The Toasters. The Kubricks have honed their commanding live set, headlining their own shows and playing festivals across the country. After a highly acclaimed debut album and further well regarded releases The Kubricks are back to shake us out of our lockdown blues. They have played to tens of thousands over the years with appearances at Boomtown Fair, Bearded Theory’s Spring Gathering, Wickerman (Scotland), Godiva, Dance Ska La (France), Brownstock, and The London International Ska Festival, amongst many others.

Camden Rocks All Day Rock n Roll Bonanza… Also with  Pryma Kabuki

In To The Scare! with The Glare live @ the legendary Dublin Castle- Happy Hallowe’en!!  Powerhouse girl duo The Glare have teamed up with Bugbear to host a fantastic night of music mopnthly, tonite featuring First Frontier (Dangerous duo dealing out garagey grunge with a nod to Nirvana) plus Dead Rat Society (jazzbo techy pop and industrial, experimental sampleology combined beautifully to create some slabs of arresting sound packed with political satire and noirish sensibilities. Cool!) and a headline show from The Glare themselves. In To The Glare is a night to tear up the stage and tear down the barriers that divide us. A platform for artists to showcase their sound in a safe and inclusionary space. We welcome everyone who loves music and wants to catch an eclectic mix of sound and madness, hosting the finest new talent emerging from the underground.  Get involved with In To The Glare monthly in London’s finest pub venue, commencing 7:30pm PLEASE ADHERE TO COVID SENSIBLE PRACTICES. WASH YOUR HANDS. STAY AT HOME IF UNWELL. WEAR A MASK IF YOU WANT TO. THE DUBLIN CASTLE HAS HAND GEL STATIONS AND VIRUSKILLER UV HEPA FILTER EQUIPMENT IN SITU. ENJOY YOURSELF AND STAY SAFE!

Laurie Wright & The Lockdown – Gloucester Town’s secret weapons, the fiery fizz of Laurie Wright’s songcraft and acidic pop delivery augmented brilliantly by crack band The Lockdown, all fab players, and a dedicated harmonica blaster in the mix too. A fantastic blend of edgy indie and roots staples from folk and rhythm n blues traditions, this band have mass appeal. For fans of Dylan, The La’s, Tom Petty, The Stones…  Sun Pinned Leaves – Already 3 albums in (and counting no doubt) Christopher Brown and Neil Faulkner are veterans of an always healthy Kent and Sussex music scene, which is probably how they mange to hone such musically sophisticated material imbued with a beach bum’s sense of relaxed adventure. They also pull off the very clever trick of being incredibly eclectic (a drum and bass riddim here, an Ian Dury like refrain there, a Britpop motif hither, a heart wrenching ballad thither) whilst not really sounding like anyone else. Brilliant pop music basically, belying their other  (also ace) punk rock activities (Nuffin to see here). Super Swamp Jellyfish -sunny side up somewhat psychedelic Summery pop, sensational! Charlie Harman – Bath ace face and troubadour.

Back in February of last year, just before everything went tits up, we had one of the finest ska and rudeboy reggae nights imaginable when Bugbear get on board with not only Ball Of Fire but also Coast To Coast ….And we’re very pleased to say we’re doing it again…Starring The Estimators and their joyful and peerless brand of brass imbued authentic ska and rudeboy reggae and ably supported by The Bighead, North Hants purveyors of prime pop reggae. And between the bands and right til the end of the night in the wee wee hours it’s fabulous to welcome DJ Cello on the decks playing reggae, ska, latin and soul. Unmissable.

Rock N Roll Book Club – JC Carroll, (Still) Annoying The Neighbours-  The Members‘ songwriter and guitarist JC Carroll, discussing his much praised memoir in suitably punk rock surrounds, the equally legendary Dublin Castle, as Book Club begins bouncing back from lockdown with aplomb. (Still) Annoying The Neighbours is the Autobiography of JC Carroll…Bank clerk, songwriter, musician, shopkeeper, Pantomine scriptwriter, film composer and Internet concert performer. From bank clerk to punk rocker, From bedsit in North London to rock and roll heaven in Hollywood, “(still) Annoying the Neighbours” takes its title from the lyrics of The Members anthem “The Sound of the Suburbs” and traces the journey of Members Songwriter and guitarist JC “Jean-marie” Carroll, a boy with three girls names, catapulted from suburban obscurity into the punk rock limelight and then flung back onto the music business scrap heap .. This is what JC writes in his book about his most famous song:- “I felt a responsibility to play “The Sound of the Suburbs”. That song could and would bring happiness to people that had grown up to it: it was the sound of their youth and bouncing around to it in a sweaty club for three to four minutes could and would take them back to a time where they were 17 years old with a full head of badly bleached hair, a 28-inch waist, and a fake leather jacket covered in pins and badges. That song was no longer just a song: it had become a time machine, an elixir of yoof, a magic pill that they could neck with a pint of lager to bring that youth club disco in a scout hut spinning back. It was not just a song, it was “The Sound of the Suburbs”. It was the aspirations and ambitions of thousands of bored provincial teenagers from a hundred satellite towns, bottled and aged in a cellophane wallet” Members roots, fruits and shoots shaped disco provided by Tony Bugbear, Q And A by Mr Simon Waller. PLEASE ADHERE TO COVID SENSIBLE PRACTICES. WASH YOUR HANDS. STAY AT HOME IF UNWELL. WEAR A MASK IF YOU WANT TO. THE DUBLIN CASTLE HAS HAND GEL STATIONS AND VIRUSKILLER UV HEPA FILTER EQUIPMENT IN SITU. ENJOY YOURSELF AND STAY SAFE!

Kape Kanaveral-Infectiously catchy indie  equally informed by the proto-punk,  early Talking heads and U.k Post punk early X.T.C maybe…Bite OfKarma-Halfway between indie and alt rock a dose of Artic Monkeys and a good measure of Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stoneage, decent fizzing tunes played with plenty of conviction The Buddha Pests – indie with a very strong post punk element… think Can with a bit of Pixies, a bit of Pigeon Detectives (gone punk), a lot of Buzzcocks here too…  Big clanging guitars and a ferocious bass and drums onslaught plus a semi deranged vocal reminiscent of Richard Hell if Richard Hell came from Homerton or Hounslow...yeah this rocks, a bit of Husker Du, some early Damned and Dead Boys too.  Girls Like Us-All girl grunge but with a brooding post punk angle, tense Joy Div bass and drums, edgy atmospheric tunes, neat.

Growing up listening to The Jam has lead Ben McKelvey to also be influenced by the likes of Bruce Springsteen , Noel Gallagher’ s High Flying Birds , Johnny Cash and Frank Turner . This collection of legendary inspirations is evident in his music, as Ben’s rich melodies and musical storytelling will easily find it’s home with any fan of more contemporary artists like George Ezra , Vance Joy or Mumford & Sons . Produced by Jake Robbins ( Natives ), Ben McKelvey ’s energetic ‘ Wild Child ’ is an uplifting fast-paced album about freedom, believing in your dreams and ultimately regret. The lyrical content starts out as being about the teenage dreams of aspiring musicians, but right at the end, it is tinged with a sense of sadness as regret comes creeping up; thinking about a life that could have been. Driving drums, swooping guitar solos and hypnotic bass lines all work together in perfect harmony as Ben ’s vocal delivery effortlessly portrays his storytelling talent.

Sheffield comes to London care of Big Tee Enterprises- and he is indeed becoming an OAP, although the bands are youthful at least! The cream of punk, grunge, indie and rock outta Yorkshire and beyond. NB EARLY START- First band 7pm. PLEASE ADHERE TO COVID SENSIBLE PRACTICES. WASH YOUR HANDS. STAY AT HOME IF UNWELL. WEAR A MASK IF YOU WANT TO. THE DUBLIN CASTLE HAS HAND GEL STATIONS AND VIRUSKILLER UV HEPA FILTER EQUIPMENT IN SITU. ENJOY YOURSELF AND STAY SAFE!

Stones N Roses – U.S. band performing an unlikely but convincing and indeed uber entertaining mash-up of Guns n Roses and Stone Roses, and hey maybe some Rolling Stones too!…all played with total conviction and aplomb “An unreasonably thrilling, hilarious and altogether genius affair. A gutsy re-imagining of rock and roll history played with verve, nerve and heart.” as one gentleman of the press has it, or as legendary producer John Leckie said ‘Gobsmacked!’…so come on down and get a fabulous smack in the gob. Independent Country – 6 piece doing indie covers in the style of a good ‘ol shit kickin’ country and western band, or showband. Cover Artic Monkeys, Smiths, Oasis etc…and a wonderful reading of Primal Scream‘s ‘Rocks Off’… PLEASE ADHERE TO COVID SENSIBLE PRACTICES. WASH YOUR HANDS. STAY AT HOME IF UNWELL. WEAR A MASK IF YOU WANT TO. THE DUBLIN CASTLE HAS HAND GEL STATIONS AND VIRUSKILLER UV HEPA FILTER EQUIPMENT IN SITU. ENJOY YOURSELF AND STAY SAFE!

Sheep on Drugs are a British techno/Industrial music group, formed by Duncan X (a.k.a. King Duncan) (vocals) and Lee Fraser (a.k.a. Dead Lee) (computers/guitars/keyboards/vocals) and currently composed of Fraser and Johnny Borden (vocals/keyboards). Originally classified as part of the rave movement, the duo emerged in the early 1990s with a string of singles, including “Motorbike,” “15 Minutes of Fame” and “Track X” (later covered by Grace Jones as “Sex Drive”). “15 Minutes of Fame” reached the lower reaches of the UK Singles Chart as did “From A To H And Back Again” 1919 formed in December 1980 in Bradford and set about recording heavy, melodic, intense dance music with no frills and pretensions. They were an early contributor to what became the Goth genre.” (Gods and Alchoves) 1919 had chart success with the singles “Caged”, “Repulsion” and “Cry Wolf”” as well as the 1984 LP “Machine”, and recorded two Peel Sessions. In 2014, founding guitarist Mark Tighe  reformed the band, recruiting Rio Goldhammer from the Leeds underground scene to perform vocals. The “‘Madness Continues’ Sessions” live-album quickly emerged, along with the self-released Death Note EP. Two European tours and a host of festival appearances later, 1919 signed a deal with Westworld Recordings in 2016 to release a new album, “Bloodline”, 35 years after their first. But it was to be no fairytale. In January 2017 Tighe lost a short battle with cancer, leaving a chasm at the heart of the band. Bloodline was released to critical acclaim in 2017, with Vive le Rock’s Pete Woods writing “Good goths come to those that wait” in an 8/10 review. Louderthanwar said “‘Bloodline’ will bewitch you“, and Sonic Seducer calling its “nightmarish-hypnotic gloom” a “fitting tribute” to Tighe’s legacy.  GULZ started as a one man bedroom project of a singer-songwriter/producer from Newcastle Upon Tyne, and has since evolved into an irresistible four-piece that can’t stop selling out shows across London and the North East. Proud residents of pirate studios in Camden, the band have spent the last year fine-tuning their sound. It’s loud, it’s pop and it’s sweeeet. From recording every instrument of his tracks in his bedroom to recording in live studios with some of London’s most exciting producers and sound engineers, Gulz and the band have come a long way. The boys have racked up regular spins from Amazing Radio, London’s ‘Hoxton’, ‘Shoreditch’ and ‘Soho’ radio as well as ‘BBC Introducing’.  Press features have seen the band begin to make a name for themselves with edits in ‘Vibez magazine’, ‘NEVolume Magazine’, ’Alternative Fix’, ‘IT’SALLINDIE’, ‘RockNBold’ and ‘Totally Wired Magazine’. DJ and Radio Presenter Charlie Ashcroft has featured GULZ’s tunes on his infamous ‘Fresh Finds’ Spotify Playlist, with GULZ’s latest release leading to a full interview on BBC Radio. With a string of shows lined up in London and beyond,  following a *sell-out-run-to-date*, the boys are confident they can give you a very good show. Expect chaos, laughter, major chords, plastic pint cups, and guitar-occupied boogieing . This is just the beginning.

Gary Clail Soundsystem –  The Brizzle roofer turned magical, mercurial MC cum radical and righteous sound system manipulator is back and then some…his latest album ‘Violence’ is the ‘End Of The Century Party’ for 2021, an absolute cracker of a record and a return to form right up there with his best On U Sound material. With fellow Bristolian legend brass and woodwind man Tony Wrafter (Tricky, Glaxo Babies, Maximum Joy etc) as his musical right hand man there’s a deep resonance at play with this fabulous new material, still hot on social comment but head warpingly good to dance to too. Gary will be MCing, live mixing, DJing and collaborating with other artists tonight and ongoing monthly in the DC as part of his ongoing residency, rudely interupted by Covid 19 in Spring 2020. Dubvocaliza – roots rock reggae, righteous rock and sensual soul all entangled sweetly for some nicely nicely in the area vibes.  The Impersonals- 3 piece, with a street vibe to their attitude heavy punk pop and ska, plenty of melody and power, highly enjoyable. Recent tunes have a more pop sensibility, top tunes played with verve, possible nod to Blur in places also Jamie T. Threads On Canvas – punkish alt indie, do a groovy cover or 3, e.g one of of I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor…and the crowd go wild. Sounds good sung by a female, feisty stuff.

Oliver Shaw- Last year Oliver Shaw released his second Paul Tipler produced long player ‘Of Darker Plains’ just in time for a jolly old Pandemic and innumerable lockdowns, of course…so, off the back of his rather wonderful Dublin Castle residency Ollie and his ace band have decided to jaunt back in time a wee bit and give this excellent album of poetic psych, garage and indie rocknroll the spotlight it deserves. Come along and get yourself a signed copy, and enjoy a brilliant night of assorted artists, of different stripes but all very high quality, curated by Oliver Shaw and presented by Bugbear. Also featuring George Sanders And The Parallels (influenced by the likes of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Oasis, The Who & Foo Fighters), TMC Squared ( classy set of protest songs cum lovelorn examinations of the human condition. Hook laden country pop flecked song craft), the enigmatic Hazelle (young solo female lofi songstrel), and Triangle Face (first time solo outing for Tramadaols and O.S .E mainstay Harvey)….DJ Mark Stuart will nice you up between the sets and after Ollie, should you fancy a little midweek boogie down abandon!

Tuppeny Bunters – A boy/girl duo who hooofeckin ray sound NOTHING LIKE THE WHITE STRIPES! haha…piano and drums, some showbiz/cabaret leanings via a bit of frantic pop psych and experimentation…is that a theremin or are you just pleased to see me?…….I’m put in mind of Badfinger somehow….a bit of Mott, a bit of this and that but a lot of Bunters…lotta fun Das Clamps –  Two piece band in shape of clams doing Cramps covers, tunes that The Cramps loved and our own cramp…. Martin Savage & The Jiggerz – Punkish girations from a 3 piece, sweet.

Pat Fish sadly passed away recently. Rest In Peace The Jazz Butcher, an indie pop legend. The outpouring of grief for him has been so impressive. Pat was clearly a deeply loved and highly loveable man. So sad we won’t be meeting him and enjoying his wonderful music tonight.  Micko And The Mellotronics – Veering between bleepy found sound electronica, jaunty post punk and psychedelic eccentric pop, the career of Micko Westmoreland has been fascinating. Now hooked up with full band including former late era Banshees guitarist John Klein, Micko takes to the stage perhaps at his most rocknroll oriented yet.   You may remember Micko from his role in Ewan McGregor glam schlock flick ‘Velvet Goldmine’ too, and for his musical endeavours with soooo many of the great and good including Terry Edwards, Neil Innes, The Blockheads, Kevin Eldon, Horace Panter from The Specials, The Stranglers, Les Rhythmes Digitales and celebrated artist Harry Pye…who said polymath? Mulitimath perhaps…Silent Egg– Saskia Rothstein-Longaretti is playing it cool on socials right now, but if you know the secret of The Silent Egg…then you know…an art pop omelette or garage tinged punk soufflee Un oeuf is an oeuf. Eggstatic.

Punky Reggae Party wereb supposed to be kicking off a residency with us the very evening lockdown#1 kicked in, so to say this show has been eagerly anticipated is a bit of an understatement! PRP cover early Clash, Damned, Stranglers, SLF, The Ruts (Leigh from Ruts DC is eve in the band!) etc… along with the Reggae orientated songs those amazing bands wrote or covered themselves. Tonight in the perfect surroundings of the ever wonderful Dublin Castle… Slowtime Mondays – spritely young 4 piece playing crisp punkers and skankers… Papal Plot– Refreshingly youthful nouveau punk..I guess they’re young as they’re only using Instagram haha…spirited and witty like punk used to be, a bit of an Eddie Argos like feel to the lead vocal, gritty and groggy early Buzzcocks cum Swell Maps feel to the beefy, boisterous tunes. Highly promising.

Art4MentalHealth present a Punktastic Christmas Spectacular- all proceeds to MIND, Camden. 

Rubbish Oasistributeband – Wryly named after them Gallagher boyos penchant for rubbishing other bands in interviews, so please don’t be put off by this suitably sardonic humour… luckily these fellas ain’t rubbish at all…hence their the Fauxasis of choice with the official Oasis fanclub. You’ll be stunned by the proximity of their expression of the classics (and yes, they do all the classics) to the waxings you know and love….and they even leave a little room for a bit of individual expression, but it’s all cool…and to paraphrase Liam you should be arsed to come to this gig. Or if you dig Oasis and you choose to miss, of you they might say, as Noel had it “He’s like a man with a fork, in a world of soup”… Sharp Class – superb high energy young mod band outta the Midlands.

It’s an undisputed, stone cold fact that Warner Hodges is one of the most instantly recognisable guitarists playing today. One who has played a major role is creating what we now call Alt. Country or Americana. Warner has put together a band capable of running Black Sabbath into Merle Haggard and back out into AC/DC. Very special guests on the night will be London legends The Dirty Strangers, who carry a torch for rootsy Rock ‘N’ Roll, and one of York’s finest singer songwriters Boss Caine.

The Vibrators – From Pure Mania in 1977 onwards The Vibrators set out their stall as the accomplished but still utterly kick ass end of Romantic punk n roll, showing the upstarts how it’s done. Searing, scintillating speedin’ rock and roll that they pulse along at such a pace commanded brilliantly by long standing lynchpin Eddie at the drums, you can’t possibly relax for a second coz yer having such a good time. They don’t ease off the gas for a second.  Eddie reconvened with legendary songwriter and frontman Knox, original bassist and uber producer Pat Collier and guitarist John Ellis (Peter Gabriel, The Stranglers etc)  just before lockdown and created the critically acclaimed album ‘Mars Casino’..we are exceedingly excited to say that iconic lineup gathers together tonight in The Dublin, so it really is one festive vibration you must not miss… Steve Hooker Stripped Down Stompin Band  – super charged dirty Essex Delta rocknroll trio fronted by long standing guitar guru Mr Hooker, a powerhouse who get a reet good and grinding riffology going and take it to the dancefloor with a sleazy Link Wray twang and a bulbous Bo Diddley beat…damn good. DamageUK – Nuffin‘s re-emergence on the UK punk scene after a nigh on 30 years absence has been a revelation, a joyful punk pop explosion of delight…and here’s what might have happened next if they hadn’t quit safety pins and gone off and got proper jobs…Brian Damage guitarist from Nuffin and bassist Paul Flynn have recruited some new chaps and in DamageUK explore some darker post punk terrain and a fair bit of Clash-ness. Some nice Joy Division-ish guitar figures and some prowling Ruts touches too.

Xmas Eve Anarchy In Camden Town!… with… Omega Tribe – the sassiest of sassy anarcho punk pop bands fromed in 1981 and revitalized since 2016…produced by Penny Rimbaud and feted for their kicking melodic pizzazz their LP, No Love Lost is something of a lost punk classic, so find one! And find them here in the bubblin’ troublin’ Dublin  all their glory tonight. anarchistwood – Taking conceptual punk pranksterism cabaret to new highs, new lows, the renounced Maciej Zurows (Melodie&Rhythmus) put it thus… “as if the (hyped) 1977 music industry event known as ‘punk’ hadn’t taken place”, imagining instead an “alternative history where the anarchic proto punk from Cleveland and Detroit seamlessly led into No Wave, Post Punk and Industrial and is still happily evolving” Fabulously challenging but accessible punk pop attack fronted by the enigmatic and unstoppable Frank Cutter, for fans of Destroy All Monsters, Bikini Kill, Teenage Jesus, X Ray Spex… Swaraj Chronos – melodic noise and social commentary are their chief weapons, but nobody expects the Swaraj inquisition, although they do. Here they be. As fabulous a bunch of groovy misfits as you could wish for.   

Bugbear celebrate 25 years of putting on gigs (mostly) in The Dublin Castle during which time we have presented everyone from Muse to Madness, Amy Winehouse to The Libertines…and tonight Next Big Thing Greedy Soul are in the house for a special local as ya like New Years Eve Knees Up. All the Dublin’s kick ass DJ will be present and correct spinning a perfect off yer bonce NYE selection til the wee wee hours. Jobs a good un, you know where to go. Here’s to the next 25 Years, well, at least the next 25 minutes…

The Skapones – a reet skanking pleasure…a ska band who play sassy Specials/Beat influenced originals as well as a buncha classics..a punky reggae tease all the way from..The Tees… as in Tyne Tees… oh never mind. Anyway these effortlessly Bonny Lads are leading lights in the Specialized Project, a wonderful phenomenon that raises money for Teenage cancer Trust & Youth Music UK and produces some amazing music from the post 2 Tone Brit ska and mod/scooterist scenes. Amazing bands have been tributes in the course of all this, and The Skapones with ace Skapones versions of ‘ Police On My Back’ (on Combat cancer- A tribute to The Clash), ‘Midnight Ravers’ (One Heart – A tribute to Bob Marley) and ‘Smithers Jones’ (2017 Specialized tribute to The Jam.). Support this band and their good works and have a brilliant night out in the Ancestral Seat Of British Ska into the bargain.

Bugbear get back on board with Coast To Coast and get Intensified care of DJ Cello and you couldn’t wish for better top ranking partners for a ska and boss reggae based evening’s entertainment in London’s premier skanking destination, The bubblin’ troublin’ Dublin Castle! Starring Intensified – perhaps the longest serving authentic 60s style ska, rocksteady and reggae act on da circuit. “The band’s good-time feel, obvious love of this music and confidence in its wide appeal has led to near legendary status.” Amen.  Four studio albums, an early compilation album and a live album, plus several 7” singles have received much critical acclaim in the music press, fanzine world, on the web and on radio stations across the globe.  And tonite ably supported by Rocksteady Drop, plus!… between the bands and right til the end of the night in the wee wee hours it’s fabulous to welcome DJ Cello back on the decks playing reggae, ska, latin and soul.

Irish singer-songwriter Rory & The Island released his latestt single ‘Miss This’ last Summer – writes The Journal Of Music… ‘Miss This’ explores the basic little joys we all miss during this crazy situation, and has become a firm favourite during Rory & The Island’s successful weekly Facebook Live broadcasts which have built up something of a cult following with an average of 30,000 weekly views over the past year. Rory & The Island has had 12 Top 20 iTunes singles in Ireland in the past decade. His most recent single ‘When The Lights Go Down (Valhalla)’ reached Number 1 in early November 2020 and raised a few eyebrows when it kept Miley Cyrus, Lizzo and Dermot Kennedy off the top spot for the weekend. The single also climbed to Number 8 in the UK iTunes Songwriters chart. Rory’s journey began as lead singer of indie-rock band The Revs, who alongside being hotly tipped by the likes of U2, found themselves topping the Irish charts with two top 5 albums and a string of successful tours that made waves throughout Ireland, Europe and even reached Australia with a top 30 single – as well as beating Damien Rice, Relish and Six to take both the Meteor IRMA award and the Hot Press Award for Best Newcomer. After the bands split in 2007, Rory moved to a remote island in the Canaries where he opened a live music venue ‘The Island Bar’. It was there the Donegal songwriter performed weekly residency shows building up a following of people from all over the world that would travel to the island to come and see him perform. It was also here that Rory & The Island was born – with Rory Gallagher beginning his solo project under the name to avoid any confusion with the Ballyshannon/Cork Blues Legend. Two albums later, Rory & The Island independently earned himself 8 top 30s, 2 top 10s and a Number 1 single in the Irish Charts alongside performing all over the UK and Ireland supporting the likes of Ocean Colour Scene, Feeder and Alabama 3. 2019 saw Rory leave the island, return back to Ireland and extensively tour, filling out rooms around the UK and Ireland with his London show at The Dublin Castle selling out within 48 hours of going on sale.  

The Satellites- Unabashed big bollocked Punk-Rock band from Acton, West London. Formed in 1977 on October 4th, twenty years to the day that the Russians launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite. Ya see?! Singer Derek Gibbs took on an early mantle of punk rock fame as the model on the front of the infamous 1977 ‘New Wave’ compilation album…every young punker had one, and admired Del’s beer flobbing antics before they ever heard his sonorous singing. They supported Gary Numan’s Tubeway Army on their first ever gig in that sainted year of ’77, and have played with all the great and the good of punk in the ensuing years….proper punk… and tonite they play with… DamageUK – Brian Damage outta Nuffin‘s new band, bringing his cousin Paul Flynn from those top geezers on bass, plus Reg Charles on drums. So think post Nuffin, post punk, think 1979 and the riffing has slowed down and it’s gotten a tad more dare I say new wave- like the difference between early Lurkers and the stuff they did later- or any of them bands come to mention it. Songs echo Clash circa London Calling, plus some nice Joy Division-ish guitar figures…dynamic stuff. The Assassination Bureau– frantic wanton punk rock and sensational spaghetti western vibes from this boy/girl/boy 3 piece- give it plenty too, some nice whammy bar twang and a keen eye on melodic content too. Isla Dogs – Bass Guitar and Vocals, Dave D. Void – Guitar and Vocals, Will D. Beest – Drums Audio assassination. Hits to order. Executed in 3 minutes or less…

Riff Raff, some of whom may look familiar if you like checking out Feckin Ejits, ya get me? Like the man said, these sounds lead the way. Fuck art, fuck everything, let’s dance. Skimmington Ride– Superb, Full-on Pogues meets the Dubliners mash up

STRAIGHTEN OUT are the premier Stranglers tribute band out there…with an extensive set-list that spans two solid hours as they re-create the ‘early years’ sound of The Stranglers, complete with a keyboard rig that is the same model as the original used by Mr. Greenfield himself in the 1970’s…! The growling bass sound and the quirky guitar riffs are all there to be heard as is the dual vocal ‘attack’ from the two frontmen a la Burnel-Cornwell as they rip through all the classics: ‘Peaches’, ‘Hanging Around’, ‘No More Heroes’, ‘5 Minutes’, ‘The Raven’, ‘Walk On By’, ‘Straighten Out’, ‘Down In The Sewer’ and many more as they cover virtually the whole of the first three Stranglers’ albums and beyond… Straighten Out – live and unleashed – will take you on a nostalgia trip that transports you back to those raw, powerful, exhilarating times when The Stranglers emerged through the quagmire of mediocrity to produce some of the finest tunes ever written…Straighten Out will put you back in that place…!