Sunday 27 December 2009

Monk to talk about Paradise City Belfast

Pied Piper has been told by the man himself that legendary rock DJ Monk is to break a 15-year silence to talk about his involvement in Belfast's only classic rock club night, Paradise City. The hooded one will post an exclusive statement on www.paradisecitybelfast.blogspot.com at midnight on NYE - i.e. the dawn of the new decade, the dawn of Paradise City.

Wednesday 16 December 2009

Schenker gig cancelled

Saturday's Michael Schenker gig at the Ulster Hall has now been cancelled, officially "due to unforeseen circumstances".
Refunds are now available from wherever you bought your tickets.

HED-liners

Nu-metallers (HED)PE are playing the Spring and Airbrake on Friday 12 May. Support comes from Threat Signal, Attila and Gacys Threads.

Take your seats

Saturday night's Michael Schenker gig at the Ulster Hall is an all-seated affair - unless a shed more tickets are shifted between now and then. Support is from our very own Sweet Savage. It will be a real shame if the mad axeman, now reunited with Gary Barden, takes to the stage in front of a half-empty hall, so why not shell out some of whatever shekels you have left and treat yerself to a last minute Chrimbo present.
A limited number of tickets also are available for And So I Watch You From Afar the previous evening.

Sunday 13 December 2009

Slayer for Belfast? And the Crue?

Rumours - and I stress that these are only rumours at this stage - are circulating that Slayer are lining up a Belfast show in late July.
With Kerry, Tom et al already confirmed for Sonisphere, word reaching PP is that it may be a double bill with the awesome Anthrax and at least one other act from the Knebworth bill...
Talk on the grapevine is that another Sonisphere act, the one and only Motley Crue, also are considering Belfast as a warm-up show.

Howlin for a bassist

Local rockers Howlin Widow are urgently looking for a bass player.
A band with their roots very firmly in the classic heavy rock tradition, they have gigging and recording commitments to fulfil and so need a four-stringer pretty damn quick.
All they are asking is talent and dedication. Well, you can’t ask for much more, really.
If you think you fit the bill, contact
jasonhendry3@hotmail.co.uk, bigdamnroach@hotmail.com or tombclark1_@hotmail.com. Check out the band’s MySpace site for more info, tracks, etc.

No tale of woe @ Limelight

And so, all too soon, 2009 winds its weary way into the annals of history – and, wow, what a year it has been, one which proves that the local rock and metal scene is, despite all the contrary prognoses and the ignorance of the mainstream media, alive well and lifting the muthafuggin roof off every venue around.
This point was well proven with the last Rockd of the decade at the good ol’ Limelight, with another darn fine fine collection of bands ripping the place apart and starting the festive season off in style.
Openers Devilmakesthree were well into their stride when I wandered in, and they’re probably as close as Belfast is going to get to a Swedish death metal experience. Good stuff.
The last time I reviewed Sinocence I dismissed them as “metal by numbers”: well, I’m man enough to admit that it was an unfair comment. While they are not the most original band on the planet, they are a hard-working group of lads, playing good old fashioned traditional hard rock – with enthusiasm. 2010 is going to be a huge year for them, especially with a support slot on Blaze Bayley’s UK tour, and I sincerely wish them well.
Which brings us neatly to Eyesclosed – definitely one of the most impressive bands I have seen in the past 12 months. Think The Mission meets Ministry meets Rage Against The Machine. Tight, powerful, great musicianship and a highly charismatic and individual frontman in Hytham.
Fellow Dubliners Two Tales Of Woe hit the stage apace and kept it up, with a blistering set of straight up party metal: I’ve seen these guys described as doom metal, but they’re too fucking happy for that.
And so, another year comes close to its dying and another looms large on the horizon – and its gonna be one helluva ride, what with the mighty Metallica, Machine Head, Pearl Jam and Deep Purple already booked, Motley Crue and a Slayer/Anthrax double bill rumoured to be among those heading our way, and a whole raft of talented local acts gigging their collective arses off, not to mention the launch of Paradise City!

Thursday 10 December 2009

Cork Winterfest

The metal world’s attention turns to the deep south – the deep south of Ireland that is – next weekend, with the fourth annual Cork Winterfest on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 December.

Waylander, Sorrowfall and Overoth are the local contingent appearing alongside the likes of Skyforger, Hail of Bullets and Grand Magus at the An Cruiscin Lan.

The Friday evening is being headlined by Latvian folk metal legends Skyforger, returning to Ireland for the first time in four years. They will be ably supported by our own Waylander as well as Old Season, Orpheus (from Waterford), Red Enemy (from Kildare) and Dead Label (winners of the 2009 Crypt Trials All-Ireland Battle of the Bands.

Saturday is the main day, with no fewer than 12 bands taking to the stage, starting with doomsters This Weary Hour. Waterford’s Saviours Of Sin, Ravenage, Cork’s own Five Will Die, Decayor and Dubliners Two Tales Of Woe (who are headlining the Limelight this coming Saturday) take proceedings through into the early evening, and a double bill of Belfast mayhem, courtesy of Overoth and Sorrowfall.

Then it’s Dublin’s turn, with Gaesa and gaelic doom titans Mael Mordha, before Swedish power trio Grand Magus celebrate their signing to Roadrunner and Holland’s Hail of Bullets take the party into the wee small hours.

Weekend tickets cost €55, plus booking fee, from www.corkwinterfest.com, with day tickets also available on the door for €20 for Friday and €40 for Saturday (although, be honest, are you going to go all that way just for one day).

Wouldn’t be an idea to replicate this over consecutive weekends in Cork and Belfast? I’ll plant the seed and see if it grows…

Watching from afar (or nearby)…

And So I Watch You From Afar - Belfast’s own four piece juggernaut - bring local music back to the Ulster Hall when they headline an all-star, all-local bill on Friday 18 December.

ASIWYFA will be joined at Belfast’s most prestigious rock ‘n’ roll venue by LaFaro, Cashier No9 and Adebisi Shank.

ASIWYFA’s Ulster Hall gig marks the revival of the annual local music Christmas show as spearheaded in the 1970s by the godfather of the Belfast music scene, Terry Hooley and his independent label, Good Vibrations.

Terry told Pied Piper:

“It’s great to see such an exciting and fresh local act headlining the Ulster Hall at Christmas alongside superb supporting acts, LaFaro, Cashier No9 and Adebisi Shank. Local heroes like the Undertones and Rudi used to fill the Ulster Hall and with such a dedicated following, I have no doubt these bands will uphold this tradition!”

Adam Turkington, from the Ulster Hall - which is promoting the show alongside Derry-based record label Smalltown America - added:

“The reopening of the Ulster Hall earlier this year with the ‘Do You Remember the First Time’ gig and ‘Fringe’ programme made us reflect on how important this venue is for Northern Irish music. The local music scene is more exciting than it has been for years and we want to harness the iconic power of this building to showcase the fantastic talent we now have to offer.”

“Each of the bands on this bill demand to be heard on the big stage, just like Rudi and The Moondogs did in the 70s.”

This Ulster Hall Christmas show with a difference marks ASIWYFA’s Belfast return from an extensive UK and Ireland tour. Simultaneously dreamy, hypnotic and apocalyptic, each of their songs is an instrumental masterpiece.

Renowned for their incendiary live performances, ASIWYFA have also been enjoying rave reviews for their eponymous début album, which has been Huw Stephen’s ‘Album of the Week’ on Radio 1, awarded four Ks in Kerrang!, 10 out of 10 from Radio One and was listed in Rock Sound’s Top 50 Albums of 2008.

All this on top of being named ‘Band Of The Year’ by Radio Ulster’s Across The Line, earning a place in Alternative Ulster’s ‘Top Ten Northern Irish Songs of our Lifetime,’ being listed in Rock Sound’s ‘Ones to Watch 2009’ and enjoying glowing reviews from the NME.

Tickets (just £8 when pre-booked) are available from the Ulster Hall and Waterfront Box Offices, by calling 028 9033 4455 and online at www.ulsterhall.co.uk

There is a Credit/Debit card handling charge of £1.00 per ticket for bookings made by telephone. Online bookings attract a charge of just £1.50 per transaction. A fee of 50p per booking is payable for tickets forwarded by post.

Tickets for all events at the Ulster Hall and Belfast Waterfront are now also available from selected Xtra-vision stores across Northern Ireland. Full details are available from box office on 028 9033 4455 or online at www.waterfront.co.uk

Wednesday 9 December 2009

2010 gig listings

It may, or may not, be hard to believe, but it is just slightly more than three weeks to the dawn of the second decade of the 21st Century - and what a year 2010 is already shaping up to be.
From the might of Metallica and the legend that is Deep Purple (appearing in Belfast for the first time in their monumental 40-odd year career), to the ever thriving local pub and club scene, it is going to be one helluva party!
Just to give a little taster - and cementing this blog's reputation as one of the primary sources of news on the local rock and metal scenes - I present for your perusal a listing of all the gigs of which Pied Piper is aware from January onwards. Please note, that the information here is as accurate as I have at the moment and the details of some of the gigs still need confirmed: indeed, a few of the gigs have themselves to be confirmed, but I have stayed away from rumour and speculation and stuck to what I can verify to the best of my ability.
Sit back, take a deep breath, a swig of your favourite poison and hang on tight, 'cos the ride starts here...

Wednesday 6 January
Ozzmium
The Front Page – Doors 8pm £TBC

Thursday 7 January
Black Freeway / Arcane Fire / Sinner Falls
Lavery’s Bunker – Doors 8pm £5

Friday 8 January
Sweet Taste
The Rosetta – Details TBC

Saturday 9 January
Sweet Savage / Soundstone / Sweet Taste / Thunderchild
The Pavilion – Doors 8pm £TBC

Wednesday 13 January
The Rupture Dogs / B.O.Y
Auntie Annie’s – Details TBC

Thursday 14 January
Bandwagon
Lavery’s Bunker – Details TBC

Thursday 14 January
Urban Crime Spree
The Pavilion – Details TBC

Sunday 17 January
‘Battle Of The Bands’
Lavery’s Bunker – Details TBC

Thursday 28 January
Paradise City
Madison’s Basement – Doors 9.30pm £3

Thursday 28 January
Sister Marko
The Rosetta – Details TBC

Friday 29 January
Sister Marko / Third Harvest
The Rosetta – Details TBC

Friday 29 January
Metallitia
Spring and Airbrake – Doors £9pm £11.25

Saturday 30 January
Waylander / Natan / Burial
The Limelight – Doors 5pm £TBC

Saturday 30 January
We Are Resistance / Skruff
QUB Students’ Union – Details TBC

Wednesday 3 February
Marduk / Anaal Nathrakh
The Limelight – Doors 9pm £19

Thursday 4 February
Castero / Awaken Dominion / Existing Threat
Lavery’s Bunker – Details TBC

Friday 5 February
Pearl Jem
Spring and Airbrake – Doors 9pm £11.25

Saturday 6 February
Anger Management / By Any Means
The Limelight – Doors 5pm £7

Saturday 6 February
Vampires Rock
Belfast Waterfront – Curtain Up 8pm £19 - £25

Saturday 13 February
ZEro poInt zero (+ support TBC)
The Pavilion – Doors 8pm £TBC

Tuesday 16 February
We Are Resistance
Auntie Annie’s – Details TBC

Saturday 20 February
Sweet Taste / Others TBC
The Limelight – Doors 5pm £TBC

Saturday 20 February
AC?DC (+ support TBC)
Spring and Airbrake – Doors 9pm £11.25

Sunday 21 February
‘Battle Of The Bands’
Lavery’s Bunker – Details TBC

Thursday 25 February
Paradise City
Madison’s Basement – Doors 9.30pm £3

Friday 26 February
Paradise City – Live
Trucker Diablo / Black Freeway / Circadian
Oh Yeah Music Centre – Doors 6.30pm £3

Saturday 27 February
Interrogate / Others TBC
The Limelight – Doors 5pm £TBC

Monday 1 March
Machine Head / Hatebreed / Bleeding Through / All That Remains
St. George’s Market – Doors 7pm £29

Thursday 4 March
Blaze Bayley / Sinocence
The Limelight – Doors 9pm £16

Saturday 6 March (TBC)
Sweet Savage / Annexe / Den Of Thieves / Ashanti / Triple X
The Rosetta – Details TBC

Sunday 21 March
Skindred (+ support TBC)
The Limelight – Doors 8pm £13

Sunday 21 March
‘Battle Of The Bands’
Lavery’s Bunker – Details TBC

Thursday 25 March
Paradise City
Madison’s Basement – Doors 9.30pm £3

Saturday 27 March
Winger / Stormzone / Worldsend
Spring and Airbrake – Doors 9pm £20

Sunday 18 April
‘Battle Of The Bands’
Lavery’s Bunker – Details TBC

Monday 3 May
Bolt Thrower (+ support TBC)
Spring and Airbrake – Doors 9pm £TBC

Tuesday 11 May / Wednesday 12 May
Metallica (+ support TBC)
Odyssey Arena – Doors 6.30pm £49 - £55

Saturday 10 April
Ashanti / Others TBC
Spring and Airbrake – Details TBC

Tuesday 13 April
Airbourne (+ support TBC)
Mandela Hall – Doors 7pm £19

Friday 23 April
Glamour Of The Kill / Yashin
Auntie Annie’s – Doors 9pm £8.50

Saturday 8 May
Distortion Project – Decade of Aggression
Triggerman / Honey For Christ / Interrogate / Sorrowfall / Slo-Matics / Residual Effect / Sincence / Howlin’ Widow / Gacys Threads / Lesshelp / Two Tales Of Woe / Overoth / Condemned / Devilmakesthree / War Iron
The Limelight – Doors 1pm £TBC

Wednesday 23 June
Pearl Jam (+ support TBC)
Odyssey Arena – Doors 6.30pm £TBC

Monday 28 June
Deep Purple (+ support TBC)
Custom House Square – Gates 6pm £38

Saturday 3 July
Trans Belfast
Gacys Threads + more TBC
Belfast Waterfront – Doors 8pm £TBC

Tuesday 8 December 2009

Paradise City launch confirmed

It has been confirmed that Paradise City, Belfast's new classic rock club, will launch at Madison's, on Botanic Avenue, on Thursday 28 January. We will downstairs in the hotel's simply rocktastic night club - think the old Rock Bottom meets the Cavern Club! Doors open 9.30pm, and Monk will be delivering a three hour set, from 10pm - 1am. Admission is a mere £3.
Further nights are booked for Thursday 25 February (that's the night before the Paradise City - Live gig at the Oh yeah centre) and again exactly one month later.
Don't forget, Monk will be posting his track listings on the PC Facebook group page in the week before the show, so sign up now to make requests!

Monday 7 December 2009

Pearls of wisdom

Pearl Jam have confirmed Belfast's Odyssey Arena on 23 June as one of a handful of venues and dates for their summer 2010 tour. Tickets cost £41.50 for both seating and standing, and go on sale on Friday (11 December).
It's turning out to be a hard rockin' year next year, and with this blog's companion website, www.myspace.com/piedpiperbelfast, now officially one of the top three on which to keep abreast of the Belfast rock and metal scene, I'll be doing my best to make sure you read it here first.