<img src='' title='Event Category: Music' alt='' id='templ_icon_' width='' height='' /> Event Category: Music

LYRA is one of the most striking talents to have emerged from Ireland in the past few years. Hailing from County Cork, she’s established herself on both the domestic and international stage with a string of exciting, vibrant singles accompanied by a unique style of visual presentation that is never less than stunning.

The last year has been particularly thrilling for LYRA, with the spectacular success of her one-two punch of hit singles: the ultra-catchy ‘Lose My Mind’ and the uplifting, dancefloor collab with John Gibbons on Stevie Nicks’ classic ‘Edge Of Seventeen’. In addition to these big tunes, she’s released successful collaborations with dance artist UNSECRET and Bill Whelan on ‘Riverdance: The Animated Adventure.’ She also soundtracked An Post’s Irish festive campaign with her track ‘The Magic Of Christmas’.

LYRA started 2023 with ‘YOU’, just ahead of her debut UK headline tour. ‘YOU’ follows the triple threat hit parade of ‘Lose My Mind’, ‘Edge Of Seventeen’ and ’29 Box’, which have racked up over 12k radio spins in the last year. ‘Edge Of Seventeen’ has powered to over 4M streams and counting.

Building on a rock solid foundation of inimitable songcraft, studio know-how and an extraordinary vocal presence, LYRA continues to develop her writing and performance skills to new levels of confidence and unfettered self-expression.

Her new single ‘Lovers’ gets the love hearts pumping under the mirrorball and is out now!

Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

Self-described ‘experimental no-wave bitch-punk’ outfit I Dreamed I Dream should be a music journalist’s worst nightmare – but it all just works.

Based in Cork, the band takes their home city’s post-punk legacy and their own wider noise-rock influences as a base for a transgressive sound that’s seen them gig around the country – breaking the fourth wall at festivals like Dublin’s MusicTown and Cork Midsummer, as well as opening for M(h)aol, The Altered Hours, Gina Birch and The Frank & Walters.

Indeed, it’s not all that far from this foundation that debut single ‘Apparition’, recorded at Wavefield Studio and produced by Brian Casey, manifests itself. A steadily-paced, swirling, menacing slab of eighties-inflected shoegazing underpins charismatic vocalist/bassist Claire Aherne’s hollering recall of various degrees of torrid existential horror, steeped equally in lucid, articulate lyricism, and the idiosyncratic Leeside snark that resides in the band’s DNA.

But while it’s an effective primer on the band and its raisons d’etre, it’s only the beginning for a band whose material to date has pulled in sonic elements and reference points from any and all directions – from walls of hectic, misogyny-haunted noise like ‘Tintin Haircut’; to ‘214’, a sean nós-inspired koan to suburban youngfellas and the commuter buses that contain them.

Armed with anger, humour and heart, as well as a healthy disregard for musical convention, they’ve terrorised gig-going audiences up and down the country. But with their debut single under their belts, and their upcoming debut extended-player in the can, I Dreamed I Dream are about everyone’s problem.

‘Apparition’ by I Dreamed I Dream is available on all streaming platforms from the 22nd of September.

STRICTLY OVER 18s

Although at home in a variety of musical styles, Cork Trombonist/Composer/Arranger, Paul Dunlea concentrates primarily on Jazz and Improvisation. This has furthered his reputation as one of Irelands most in demand musicians.

Dunlea has performed/toured/recorded with the likes of Michael Bublé, Cassandra Wilson, Frankie Valli, Liam O’Maonlaoi, Mick Flannery, Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire), Bryce Dressner (The National), Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Billy Drummond, David O’Rourke, Rourkestra, Sachal Vasandani, John Clayton,National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, The Dublin City Jazz Orchestra, The New Irish Jazz Orchestra, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Hot House Big Band, Freezeroom & Brian Deady.

Featuring new original music and arrangements by Paul Dunlea played by some of the best improvising musicians from Ireland and the UK.

Paul Dunlea – Trombone, Compositions
Paul Booth – Sax
Ryan Quigley – Trumpet
Paul Dunlea – Trombone
Scott Flanigan – Keys
Michael Janisch – Bass
Andrew Bain – Drums

STRICTLY OVER 18s

Romania: Songs of Love and Longing is the newest release from Romanian born, Irish residing singer Aleka.

Over the last 10 years, Aleka has cemented her reputation as one of the most exciting and versatile vocalists in the Irish jazz scene. The music features arrangements of traditional folk melodies, using elements of jazz and rock propelled by the thrilling rhythm section of Chris Guilfoyle on guitar, Barry Donohue on Bass and Matthew Jacobson on drums.

This will be a unique night of music, be certain not to miss it!

THIS CONCERT IS TAKING PLACE AT THE GRANARY THEATRE, UCC

Experience the magic that is vocalist Laoise Leahy and her band – the Johnny Taylor Trio – when they bring their experimental and beautiful Jazz programme to The Granary Theatre in UCC as part of the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.

Laoise and her band will explore the darker corners of contemporary jazz music, evocatively journeying through life, love, loss, time, space and hope.

As Jazz Artist-in-Residence at Cork Opera House, Leahy is ready to unveil the fruits of her labour in an unforgettable performance that will include stunning original compositions weaved in with gems from vocal artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Cécile Mc Lorin Salvant, Jazzmeia Horn, Laura Mvula and Aretha Franklin.

Join us for an evening of jazz that is as distinctive as it is captivating, live at the Granary Theatre during the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.

Vocalist: Laoise Leahy
Piano: Johnny Taylor
Bass: Barry Donohue
Drums: Dominic Mullan

The concert will run for 70 minutes with no interval

THIS CONCERT IS TAKING PLACE AT THE GRANARY THEATRE, UCC

Mike Denver, one of Galway’s favourite sons is riding the crest of a wave. His audience is vast throughout Ireland, North and South and he is now making inroads in the UK with some sell-out concerts in England and Scotland over the past couple of years.

With his excellent backing band Mike presents a two and a half hour high energy concert show which features all his hits including ‘Tommy K’, ‘Wasn’t That A Party’, ‘Galway Girl’, “Blown Away’, plus hits from the 60’s and 70’S.

Mike is always joined on stage for his shows by some of Ireland’s top singers. For this concert his guests are Brendan Shine and Dominic Kirwan.

The annual Cork Opera House Christmas Concert returns this December, featuring some of the brightest rising stars of Irish opera singing seasonal classics accompanied by the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra and Cork Opera House Jazz Artist-in-Residence Laoise Leahy!

A selection of the Cork Opera House Cara O’Sullivan Associate Artists will perform at the Christmas Concert, with bass-baritone Rory Dunne, soprano Kelli-Ann Masterson and tenor Dean Power performing alongside Cork Opera House Jazz Artist-in-Residence, Laoise Leahy.

The Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra will perform with arrangements by John O’Brien, joined by the MTU Glór Choral Society, who recently won the Choir of the Year Competition at the Cork Choral Festival. On Monday night we will also have very special guests from St Killian’s School in Mayfield.

This year the programme will feature a number of popular Christmas hit songs as well as choral numbers and carols, with some ‘fairy tale’ duets from the Cara O’Sullivan Associate Artists! Patrons can expect to hear classics such as ‘A Spaceman Came Travelling’, ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas’ and ‘All I want for Christmas is You’.

Join us at Cork Opera House for a wonderful evening of sublime festive fare.

projective, a new collaborative and creative force, comes together for their debut gig in The Green Room, Cork Opera House.

This 7-piece group is a diverse pool of musicians and writers that have crafted an original repertoire of RnB, Neo-soul, Jazz and Hip-hop.

Having previously collaborated individually with various artists and projects such as Neubrí, SAL, Negro Impacto, Salamay, and many more, projective are now excited to embark on their new journey in original music.

projective includes:
Ciara Stacey
Diamond Nzekwe
Leanne Curtin
Daniel Brazil
Abdul Saidi
Michael Riordan
Cian Harris

Support from Hánt, the moniker of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Dylan Howe.

Singer Karen Underwood is synonymous with great live music in Cork, not only during the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, but as a result of many years enthralling audiences with a variety of styles and shows, making Karen one of the city’s most loved musical icons of the last couple of decades.

For this year’s Jazz Festival, Karen herself turns to some of her own icons, both past and present, as she and her band give their unique take on artists such as Gregory Porter, Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone and Nat King Cole, amongst many others. “I want to bring images from the past and present to the stage,” says Karen, “not only to sing a song from these amazing people, but to tell a story too.”

STRICTLY OVER 18s

South Central legends, The Pharcyde, emerged from the bustling LA hip hop scene of the early ‘90s. Their album, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, was heralded as a new and fresh departure from their gangster rap predecessors on the West Coast, bringing some welcome humour and eccentricity that paved the way for the likes of Jurassic 5 and the Hieroglyphics collective.

The Pharcyde, featuring Imani, Fatlip and Slimkid3, will be joined on the night by Souls of Mischief, another West Coast outfit who continued a legacy of alternative US hip hop and make this a rare double bill in Cork of true instigators.