bugbear bookings

	DUBLIN CASTLE
	FEBRUARY LISTINGS
MONDAY 1ST FEBRUARY	ESPIONAGE OF THE LOC- high energy funk reggae! THE FUTURISTIC- An interesting blend of Klaxons with some hints of Prodigy. KENNY BOGAN- Classic Celtic singer songwritings from Amsterdam via Dublin. 2000FASTWOMEN- Snappy indie hip-hop collective with an eclectic array of samples and beats, ranging from ambient to what could be Billy Cobham (maybe). Very interesting and very hard to pigeon-hole... perhaps a bit of early Massive Attack in hre too.
TUESDAY 2ND FEBRUARY	GLASSWERKS
WEDNESDAY 3RD FEBRUARY	THE IRON DOOR CLUB- The Pigeon Detectives style of jaunty indie rock... chirpy, happy-go-lucky kinda stuff. Plus those all pervading Arctic Monkeys and Libertines influences- like the man said, one of Derby’s finest acts.. THE BANTER THIEFS- Coming on a little like Pete Doherty's solo stuff... but these fine fellows look deceptively young and clean! Clean lines in the songcraft too.. THE UNIVERSAL- As you might expect from an act named after a Small Faces classic there’s a lorra Stevie Marriott in here- plus yer Modfather Mr Weller and Ocean Colour Scene nuances too , making for an Ace Face shindig supreme..
THURSDAY 4TH FEBRUARY	DAVID CARROLL AND THE MIGRATING FELLOWS- Winningly describing himself as the hardest working Austro-Czech-American-Irish-Jew in the songwriting business , DC and his fine fellows rock a kind of skued country rock/pop.. Think The National meets Eels... nice.. IN LIKE FLYNN- Falsetto vox sits atop riffy rocknrollmaking …this sound like The Gang Of Four gone disco tits. Has that sort of hard rocking edgy wigging out vibe with syncopated drums that reminds slightly of Hendrix meets Electric 6...or really early Japan...or Zappa ?! THE UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT- Adam Green gets mixed with some Interpol. The Coral in here too and definitely loads of The Basics.... REMish at times too... just very nicely vibed up folkyindiepoppiness from Sheffield... THE IDLERS- Think Bloc Party and Razorlight meets The Libertines. Wicked catchy tunes.
FRIDAY 5TH FEBRUARY	BUBBLEGUM SCREW- whilst we all ponder the denouement of their name, rest assured that if it's Breton fisherman shirted acid toned rocknroll somewhere between The Patti Smith Group and The Dead Boys you're after... CASH FOR CARS- Sounding sweetly like Kasabian meets Queen Of The Stone Age... DEGREES RISING- Think Razorlight with their pop chops well and truly turned on and the D.R vibe shall be thine. SUPERBIA- Janglesome 60s threads get interweeved with Dylanalike songcraft and some punchy powerpop is born.
SATURDAY 6TH FEBRUARY	DARLING BONES- The Libertines meets second-wave ska. Catchy and infectious pop-punk with more emphasis on the punk. THE STANLEY BLACKS- Those marvellously coiffured cocksure stage enhancers The SBs return to grace us again with their swish take on The Kooks getting punked up a bit.. FUSILEERS- Growlsome rocknroll with a sub psychedelic dark heart. THE CAMPAIGN- Buzzcocks, early Husker Du and a touch of the Joey Ramones about the vocal. Romford based, nifty little punk pop toons. Lotsa skinny ties and waistcoats , white slipon shoes etc..and indeed I also hear The Flamin' Groovies… the Saints, this really is powerpop.
SUNDAY 7TH FEBRUARY	THE UNDIVIDED- Placebo meets Bloc Party. VITA AND THE VISCIOUS- All a bit indie-Suzi Quatro meets Blondie. But don’t let that put you off! This is fabulous pop fun… good tunes, well-presented and probably young and gorgeous from the bleedin’ sound of it. MUFFX- Queens of The Stone Age via Eagles of Death Metal ... from the south of Italy... Doors style keys pound and sweep delightfully and you may also care to think of Gillan era Deep Purple.... KAIROS- Very much along the lines of The Kooks... sweet summery melodic tunes. Or The Libertines without the punk factor. Nicely… SHEEP BO PEEP- Melodic Brit Rock Classique..
MONDAY 8TH FEBRUARY	EXIT- Anthemic widescreen and quite possibly stadium-bound melodic rock, un-ashamadly lighters-aloft stuff with a big sound and strident riffage. ALEX STORK- Buoyant and rich with 60s/70s rock vibes, a solo project with groove to go.. THE DEAD DELTA- Rifftastic blues rock ..a bit like when Primal Scream went all rawk on us, but better, the heaviosity of The stooges with the swagger of The Rolling stones at their low down and dirtiest. "Heavy soul rock" they say…spot on, good stuff. MANTANGO- Big, impassioned could be stadium sized indie-pop-rock. Every song sounds like that moment after the girl and boy split up in a US blockbuster movie but Goddammit it works a treat.
TUESDAY 9TH FEBRUARY	THEY WALK AMONG US- Melodic post grunge... Like QOTSA but slightly less rocky or like Pearl Jam slightly more rock. THE COMMITED- Like a less frantic Fall Out Boy... they're most definitely not short of ideas/dynamics and the guitar work is really good... Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly can also be heard, as well as 30 seconds to Mars... REGENCY- Screaming Trees meets Afghan Whigs.
WEDNESDAY 10TH FEBRUARY	LORD NUMB- The Reject Club's Jesus...big brash 80s pop vibes with lots of space and clever production. New Order shaped cerebral dance music with plenty going on down below too. Reminds me of Dr Calculus...via Underworld...and Dep Mode...The 'I Dream Of Bowie' track is really very good. A fantasy trip round all the coolest muso types of the 70s in NYC- could give LCD a run for his money. SPIDERSLEG- Thus - Our Rob from the Reject Club- New Orderly bass riddims, crisp drum patterns, ethereal keys , off stage vox and plenty of squelchy disco pop vibes. Nice. Cabaret Voltaire meets Hot Chip? Punky guitars step up later and things get a little post punk, always perky sounding.. MBV/JAMC vibes on board and all cool and happening. They look and sound like an angry Kraftwerk… THE FRIDAY NIGHTS- Arctic Jam Monkeys. From Dunstable. Where I once fell out of a tree. These fellows are mucho agile and swing it most ably.
THURSDAY 11TH FEBRUARY	MACCAVELION- Melodic indie pop... Belle and Sebastian meets Orange Juice via Idlewild... SILVERS- Sounds like The Divine Comedy meets Bloc Party. Rhythmic and triffic. ALIGHT- Incubus meets Foo Fighters indeed- and quite a lot of Nirvana- a spritely commercial sound with hooks and looks , captured production wise by one Simon Gogerly who engineers some band called U2.... An intelligent and accessible grunge lunge, not overly heavy, plenty of radio friendly brightness- good band. IT’S A TRAP- Bloc Party ... it's got an indie edge a la The Pigeon Detectives too, and a lot of Cure for good measure...... oh yeah... let's not forget We Are Scientists.
FRIDAY 12TH FEBRUARY	THE COMMON EARTH- Tori Amos meets Cat Power via Mirah... freakin brilliant indeed! ONLY JOE- You get Da Funk then you get Yer Ska, but it’s all popped up in a breezy British soulful stew with wry humour and sweat enducing dance workouts assured. THE GRIZZLEY ENDS- Punk Rock band drawing influence from bands like the Clash and Blink 182.
SATURDAY 13TH FEBRUARY	KADEJCI- Nirvana inspired grunging lunging indie rock, but actually the guitar chimes rather than grunges, giving it a more pop friendly feel, there's also a lot of Smashing Pumpkins to enjoy in here… THE STAYAWAYS- Spidery Libertines on acid riffology meets a punchy Jam like roustabout quality and plenty of zippy Futureheads energy and song stylings. MOTORCYCLE DISPLAY TEAM- Groove rock par excellence referencing all sorts from Zep to The Doors to Prince. Groovy, yes…rocking, likewise.. BRIDES OF KONG- Reggae meets swampy voodoo punkabilly.
SUNDAY 14TH FEBRUARY	THE BIG DIFFERENTS- Madness... some Specials …ska tinged but with a bedrock of, er rock... not a bad tune in sight too. SHERMAN- Tame Macca style late Beatles balladeering and render it in as soporific a way as possible- which works! Unlike Coldplay et al there's a genuine emotive charge about this understated though it is. 'Tangerine' comes on like late era XTC/Andy Partridge and is very lovely- judicious use of strings/woodwind- lotta talent here. THE JERZEY STREET BAND- Springsteen and Dylan and all that jazz…well, not jazz at all…Americana supreme. KALEIDOPHONE- Dancey indie with a Wombats' style edge... Pigeon Detectives and Blur here too... a bouncy triumph..
MONDAY 15TH FEBRUARY	THE HEIST- Soundgarden meets Lost Prophets through a Foo Fighters lens... Vocals remind us of Eddie Vedder and yes indeed, they're very good... THE MARTINI SESSIONS - ‘It is not hard to see how they’ve earned their army of followers, wonderful stuff!” Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music....a punked up Elbow of a more angular Doves- that big Northern passion pop thing's there but so are some great glam rock drums and chant a long vox via scraping guitars , this being the new 2010 spring single 'Where I Want To Be'..Surface To Air say- 'Led by their charismatic, Basouki wielding frontman, Kristos Kabiotis and fellow members Michael Healy (Guitar), Dan Morrison (Bass), Ed Smith (drums) and Richie Duncan (guitar), the Geordie six-piece enjoy a 60s sound reminiscent to The Small Faces and the La’s.' THE NIGHTCODE- Killers via Joy Division meets early U2. THE ELECTRIC WASTED- A cross between The Stooges ( first LP) and Deep Purple with Rainbow perhaps and a lot of Whitesnake.
TUESDAY 16TH FEBRUARY	GLASSWERKS
WEDNESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY	THEE PIATCIONS- Remember The Stairs? Anglo garage psych tendencies are explored similarly here via some shimmery shoegaze stylings. GREGOR AND THE MARTIANS- Jangle pop with a kind of Buddy Holly/early 60s pop feel with a smidge of Brett Anderson. Nice. The music is more akin to Glasvegas via The Arcade Fire and Interpol and a healthy dose of spaced out Bowie classique. WHIM OF GOD- Seductive pop rock from the beautiful Mid pyrenees En France. JUN AND THE PARADOX MIND- Janglesome yet forceful shugaze gone psychedelia from La Belle France.
THURSDAY 18TH FEBRUARY	PRIMA DONNA- 80s and 90s pop rock with proggish tendencies, bits of Sting and The police and Tears For Fears as well THE POPSOCKS- Rocking a rather strange mix of The Libertines and some bizarre but biting synth noisage... Jamie T's another reference... And The Wombats.... like yeah! It’s a joyous jumble of really good things – let’s add Half Man Half Biscuit and The Wedding Present... HONEYTONE CODY- A slowburning spectral guitar shored up by a Zeppelin via Pixies rhythm section and mournful but quite beautiful vocals .Yes , this incisive female fronted 3 piece are very 4AD… good stuff , nicely atmospheric. What happened to Howling Bells? STATEDANCER- The Coral pirouette atop The Palace of Westminster as Happy Mondays tango down The Mall with The Boo Radleys dressed up in full flamenco garb.
FRIDAY 19TH FEBRUARY	APRIL IN THE SHADE- Swish soul thru alternative pop textures are most ably explored. Resonant with a really sweet warm toned female voice. She sounds a little like Joni Mitchell. Never a bad thing. ALBANY- Radiohead shapes thrown groovily. They have similarly structured artful ballads. Bountiful.. MELATONE- Solo artist into multi-layered psychedelic pop awash with cool beats in the vein of Bark Psychosis. Spiritualized spring to mind too, pretty celestial and up-lifting. ADAM WILSON HUNTER- Right in between Van Morrison and Counting Crows... I think it's a luverly vibe you have here Mr Wilson Hunter…
SATURDAY 20TH FEBRUARY	GAMBLING HEARTS – Excellent Britpop thru alt Americana what with the punchy riddims and grizzled and jangled guitars. KEKLEXY- Former members of Czec/Brit alt rock thru electropop overlords The Mastermindz rejigged into a similar yet contemporised rocknroll beast. THE PEPPERMINT HUNTING LODGE- Hardcore punkish attack mixed with indie and electronic soundscapes to smart effect. DOWNSLIDE- Electro metal crossover a la Enter Shikari... Great band!
SUNDAY 21ST FEBRUARY	THE FIELD PEOPLE- Willfully old school what with the amassed wailing vocals and keening guitars. It’s at times a campfire singalong. Then it’s a blues rocking groove out. The Grateful Dead are in here in spades, late era Byrds too and some Stones n Creedence . And a nice Moby Grape vibe. Do it well, old school hairy rock outta Israel. SACRED- Rock pop all girl band hard edged punk thru metal toches a la The Runaways. SMALL GODS- Early Pink Floyd via Gomez thru a Weller sort of groove... B-SHAKE- A grunged post punk alt rock feast. From Belgium, are coming over to film their new video and to make their London debut and want to film part of their video in The Dublin castle. Then they shall! An artful punk out is the sonic scenario. Not bad but not good either. Incubus is a base point perhaps.
MONDAY 22ND FEBRUARY	ED ZEALOUS- Snappy indie-de-jour with driving bass lines, hooky analogues and urgent vox, bit like Bloc Party perhaps? great outfit! HACKNEY BOOTS- Weird and wunnerful combination of awkward squad post punkness, hiphop and a touch of blue eyed soul- the edgy stuff wins out though. Pil/ Basement 5/Killing Joke/Bauhaus- 'Gelling indie, basement and urban'....deffo…Singing drummer y'know... THE STRANGEWAYS- Idlewild bake a cake with a chisel concealed inside as Lost Prophets wangle work in the kitchens to better source some provisions and Placebo hover overhead, dropping a rope ladder from their er chopper.... NOT SQUARES- These New Puritans meets Vampire Weekend... their spikey shouty catchy oi oi oi choruses and franctic guitar and synth use make you wanna fall into some form of epileptic attack and take to the dance floor like there's no tomorrow... this one's a winner!
TUESDAY 23RD FEBRUARY	MILK- Radiohead meets Explosions in the Sky with some Aphex Twin and the interesting use of found sounds/samplology...girl singer lends it a little sweet pop flavouring too. Fab Eastern motifs in a psychedelic stylee. INCA HOOTS- Synth driven pop along the lines of The Cure on a very radio friendly tip. THE PROTLANDS- Folk-rock a la Mumford & Sons... big build-ups a la Arcade Fire and a bit of Frank Turner and The Coral... very very very well done... A new contender in our midst. DOLLIE PRONTO- Crisp alt pop rock... We're thinking Kings Of Leon.. you can expect great tunes and a solid performance!!
WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY	EUPHORIA AUDIO- Anthemic stadium worthy rock... Great vocals (bit similar to Chris Cornell's)... some elements of Faith No More and Pearl Jam too. JAY LEIGHTON- Marvellous melancholic pop which has an Elbow vibe but there's also a Scott Walker feel to the arrangements, and things even gets a bit Snow Patrol via U2 for other tracks ... LION O'BRIEN- Pavement get off on a pop tip, or is this more akin to a breezier Cake?... Well I wont mention The Magic Numbers if you don't ,but this band specialize in a nifty folk hued popola….aaah, some brilliant plinky plonky piano too….I'm thinking The Smiths on Sunny Delight spiked with good drugs….
THURSDAY 25TH FEBRUARY	HOLY COVES- Kasabian style pop psych anthems.... The Stone Roses, The Verve all reverb-ed up to the core... Huge sound. Good stuff. THE BEAUCHELLEATS WILDE- The Pogues via Iggy through The Libertines... INSTANT FLIGHT- Out and out psychedelicists, clobber n all…have even been working with Arthur ‘Fire’ Brown…strange things happening future times ago…worthy acidity with a pop pulse. BAREFOOTBEWARE- Hitting a funk punk vein like mid era Talking Heads thru A Certain Ratio whilst sporting Libertines and Artic Monkeying tendencies, albeit in a clinch with Combat Rock era Clash.
FRIDAY 26TH FEBRUARY	THE OPERATION- Very well executed uplifting melodic rock. Has a hard rockin' AC/DC thru Deep Purple element but with skipping funky pop touches all over the shop. Big powerful lurching rock and roll. IMMA- Rock metal band but with sweet and sensitive playing on some very deft material. The pedigree of the band speaks volumes. Headed up by scintillating frontwoman Erika, you just can’t take yer eyes off the stage. Influenced by Skunk Anansie, Korn and Kate Bush but always strikingly fresh and original. Japanese for ‘Now’ y’know… ANYTHING IN MIND- White Stripes via Bob Dylan and always with a surging, crowd pleasing energy. TILTED SMILE- Taking the Led Zep groove and relocating it in a post Americana pop landscape, TS are such a hot and grinding act that they got to record their LP live in the Sun Studio….
SATURDAY 27TH FEBRUARY	NO TOKYO- Post-baggy Manc rock …sounds like the first Roses album via Doves with sudden and welcome bursts of Kasabian like rock action. RED STAR- Dark pop flavours with Radiohead always apparent if not overbearingly so…Omami rather than sweet or sour, but delicious… SUBMANIKS- Weird and wired hybrid of 60s psych and sassy Hendrix rock outs... wah wahs all around and a load of Beatles sonics... Coral style melodies give the overall result an extra aural attraction too.... GIF MIC HILD NIME 5000AD- Trout Mask Replica like wigouts only without the Captain effect at the microphone…i.e it's instrumental, and actually bloody well done …even the song titles are Beefheart-esque. Aaah, atonal refreshment..
SUNDAY 28TH FEBRUARY	ROCK N' ROLL CABARET