MacD on Music: Summer of Soul (and Rock, and Metal, and Punk)

It’s getting to that time of year again. The days are getting longer, the weather’s getting warmer maybe (I’m in Finland at the minute, so I really have no idea what it’s like at home), and brilliant gigs are happening everywhere.

The next few months are going to be busy for music lovers, with gigs coming up from artists across the entire musical spectrum. This week I’m going to be looking at some of these upcoming shows and, over the next few weeks, I’ll be talking to a lot of the acts that are going to be playing here.

Night Demon

May 23rd this year sees metal band Night Demon play Sandino’s. Long-time readers may remember that last January, I spoke to Night Demon frontman Jarvis Leatherby about the Frost and Fire Festival that took place in the Nerve Centre last summer.  The group will be playing a headlining gig that is sure to be a brilliant show for lovers of all things heavy.

The Marra

Now, a band that should be familiar to both long- and short-term readers: The Marra are a local group made up of Shane MacGowan (not that one) (guitar), Ryan Ward (vocals), Conall McCool (lead guitar), Cale O’Donnell (bass) and Brian McCloskey (drums) who have recently released their first single, ‘That’s Just the Way’.

The group features some of this city’s finest musicians and are sure to be on their way to big things. In the meantime, they’ll be playing Sandino’s on the 18th May.

Daddy Long Legs

For those looking to fill that gap from the Marra to Night Demon, New York legends Daddy Long Legs will be playing Sandino’s on the 21st May. Described as “New York City’s most beloved blues bashers”, the group will be making their return to Sandino’s for a show that’s promised to be one of the best you’ll see.

Stendhal

Now, jumping on a few months (and slightly further away than Sandino’s), let’s take a look at Stendhal. The legendary Stendhal festival is returning this year to Ballymully Cottage Farm and, as usual, is boasting an incredible line-up (with even more to be announced). This year sees a mix of returnees and newbies at the festival, including:

Winnie Ama, who last year played two sets on days one and two, one featuring just herself and guitarist Jonathan Cari, and the other with her incredible full band.

Boy M5 have been going from strength to strength in recent times. Having released a number of singles (including a great cover of the Phil Collins/drumming gorilla classic ‘In the Air Tonight’) the group has also shared the stage with the likes of Dermot Kennedy, Orla Gartland, Kidaline and Mickey Harte. Recently, too, the group could be seen supporting rising star Cora Harkin at the launch of her debut single ‘Glad I Got Away’.

Red Eye Pariah are another group making their return to Stendhal this year. The group, who first appeared in this column after their appearance at last year’s festival, recently made their Bennigan’s debut (see: this column two weeks ago) and have recently released their EP ‘Koala Tea’. If last year’s set was anything to go by, they’re bound to be a group not to miss.

Invaderband have been going for over a decade now and have released two excellent albums (both available in Cool Discs). Since the release of their first album in 2017, the group have been nominated for the NI Music Prize in 2017, 2021 and 2022 and are sure to put on a brilliant live show.

Tramp, a band who’ve graced these fine pages more than any other, will be making their Stendhal debut this year. Tramp have, to date, released two excellent singles (‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Snakes & Rabbits’) and put on a phenomenal live show. Their festival set is sure to be no exception, so make sure to see it.

Now, social time. It’s going to be a long list this week, so get comfortable.

Night Demon play Sandino’s on the 23rd May and can be found on Instagram @nightdemonmetal.

The Marra play Sandino’s on the 18th May and can be found @themarra_band.

Daddy Long Legs are playing Sandino’s on the 21st May and can be found @officialdaddylonglegs.

The above gigs are presented by Music Capital. For more information and upcoming gigs, look them up on Facebook and Instagram @musiccapital.

And as for the Stendhal selection, here we go:

Winnie Ama can be found @winnie_ama_, Boy M5 are @boy.m5, Red Eye Pariah are @redeyepariah, Invaderband are @invaderband_derry and Tramp are, of course, @thisistramp.

More information about Stendhal can be found @stendhalireland or stendhalfestival.com.

And that’s it for this week. Next week will see me talking to ... buy the paper and find out.