Jam-packed lineup of live music in Dundalk's Toales

Loads of great live music gigs in Toales on Crowe Street in Dundalk this week.

Thursday 17th April - Fireside Sessions presents Dominic Jones plus Porter Boys Social Club at 9pm - free admission.

Thursday 17th April heralds a new face to the Fireside Sessions - Dominic Jones, a heretic and an Englishman trained in the arts of loquacious persuasion and embodied gobshitery.

Successfully blending lamenting with flattery, he ekes out narrative melodies that will return to you whilst you convulse in the dead of night or void your bowels in a portaloo in Stradbally.

The most existential Teletubby in Leinster, he reliably informs us that "unless the clay is in the mouth the singer's singing is useless".

Above: Dominic Jones

Support on the night comes from Porter Boys Social Club who were grown in a lab by Bertie Ahern and a conglomerate of Fianna Fáil backbenchers at the height of the recession in a bid to bring the boom back and restore the party to its former “glory”, but these brothers went rogue and retreated to the drumlins of south Monaghan to train with the PintMen in the ancient art of hooliganism and debauchery.

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Now they’re out for revenge on their former masters, and this time…. it’s personal.This is one acoustic session not to be missed, and as always it's free admission!! Show starts 9pm.

Saturday 19th April – Ren Marabou and the Berserkers + String Cut Puppets + Shock Sorrow + The Spudguns - Admission €10 - Doors 7.30pm

Toales Live Venue will once again shake its foundations on Saturday, April 19th, with a night packed full of blistering riffs, raw energy, and genre-spanning performances.

Featuring a powerful four-act lineup, the evening promises to be a highlight on the local music calendar.

Toales is fast earning a reputation as a serious destination for hard rock and metal fans, solidifying its place on the live music circuit.

This upcoming event underscores that status with an eclectic bill of heavy, alternative, acoustic, and garage rock acts.

Ren Marabou and the Berserkers, from Donegal, take the headline slot. Known for their ferocious live shows, the Viking Metal/Norse Pagan Rock band blend roaring vocals, thunderous riffs, and mythological themes into a sound that’s both aggressive and atmospheric. Signed to United Music Mafia and Split Screen Management, they recently released their latest album, Tales Of Rune.

Above: Ren Marabou and the Berserkers

Joining them are String Cut Puppets, an alternative rock outfit from Londonderry. Their performances balance anthemic hooks with emotional depth, offering a gripping and energetic live experience.

Shock Sorrow, a duo formed by Keith and Steff Caffrey, add a more intimate tone to the night with their acoustic rock set. Their music explores themes of love, grief, and healing through heartfelt lyrics and evocative guitar work.

Opening the evening are The Spudguns, a raw and raucous surf-garage band from Arklow. Known for their DIY approach and gritty, infectious sound, they promise to set the tone with a lively, high-energy performance.

With a diverse lineup and a venue growing in national recognition, Saturday’s show at Toales is shaping up to be an unforgettable night for music fans seeking both power and passion in live performance.

And at just €8 admission, it offers ridiculously good value for an evening of top-tier live music.

Easter Sunday 20th April – Rushifield A Tribute To Rush + Snowblind - Doors 8pm. Admission €10 @ Eventbrite / €12 on the door.

Rush- 19 Studio Albums. 11 Live Albums. +40 million album sales, +2,000 concerts. Only The Beatles and The Stones have more consecutive gold and platinum albums.Renowned for their elite musicianship, epic songs and unswerving ambition: Rush's Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart invented a genre that would deliver them worldwide acclaim from an adoring fanbase, and a begrudging respect from music industry gatekeepers.

Influential to bands such as Metallica, Dream Theater, Primus, Tool, The Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, and countless others - their distinctive yet evolving sound ensured their title as the "high priests of conceptual metal" (Kirk Hammett).

Rushified pays homage to Canada's finest: Prog Hard Rock Masters Rush. On the night, expect to hear standards from the classic Broon era alongside deeper cuts that didn't get aired by the band too often (if ever!)