IrishCentral music - b5cc3275d518416eacb61d676e8d84d1

Kilkennny Arts Festival to showcase exciting mix of music, theatre, dance and visual arts - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:42:23 PDT

By: JANE WALSH

August 2013 will see the 40th Kilkenny Arts Festival bring an exciting mix of Irish and International music, theatre, dance, craft, visual arts, literature and more to the medieval city located in the South-East of Ireland. Ireland’s oldest multi-disciplinary festival is celebrating an unrivalled legacy which has seen some of the biggest names and most exciting newcomers in the arts from around the world flock to Kilkenny.

Irish music mogul Louis Walsh is putting together a new boy band to rival One Direction (IrishCentral)

Mon, 13 May 2013 06:18:44 PDT

British Irish boyband One DirectionThe 'X Factor' judge - who previously created and successfully managed Westlife and Boyzone - has revealed he will be holding auditions for the first time in 12 years in Dublin from next weekend and is looking for five young male superstars to form his next big actIn a statement, the music mogul said: "It has been 12 years since I did auditions for a boy band, it's boys over 16 from anywhere, any nationality but they must be prepared to work hard; vocals are key I'm looking for 5 pop stars and I have a major record company and a high profile UK partner"The auditions, open to male singers aged up to 25 years, will take place over three days from Sunday, May 19, to Tuesday, May 21 at the Button Factory in Temple Bar READ MORE

Finally some new U2 music from Bono and the boys? (IrishCentral)

Sun, 12 May 2013 04:33:37 PDT

U2The drum beats in the press and the headwinds out of Dublin would lead us to believe that new U2 music might be seeing the light of day very soonA U2 fan has posted what he claims is material capturing the band in rehearsal for the new album they've been assembling over the last few years"Leaked U2 Jam Session (2010-2013)" is something you can easily put into your YouTube search engine and hear for yourself The band have been working on this album in various locations for at least two years with a number of producers, including Danger Mouse and Will READ MORE

Kicking off summer in flying form with top Irish music and cultural festivals in the US this May (IrishCentral)

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:39:49 PDT

By: JANE WALSH

From North New York to Illinois the Irish American community are kicking off the summer festival season in style with a sensational line up of events. Good Irish traditional, as well as more modern acts, arts and crafts, food, theatre and more are just some of the treasures in store this May.

New Irish festival GaelFest to showcase music, dance, sports, arts and literature (IrishCentral)

Tue, 07 May 2013 05:20:47 PDT

By: JANE WALSH

On Saturday, June 1st 2013, Claddagh na nGael will present a brand new festival, GaelFest, celebrating traditional Irish culture in all its varied forms and expressions.

Ed Sheeran to join Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards (IrishCentral)

Sat, 04 May 2013 10:03:29 PDT

Ed SheeranOther artists set to play at the annual music event, which will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 19, include David Guetta, Akon, Ne-Yo and Icona PopThey will join previously announced performers including Christina Aguilera, Selena Gomez, Pitbull, The Band Perry, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Miguel, Prince and Justin BieberNominations for the awards were recently announced with Taylor, fun and Maroon 5 leading the way with 11 nods each READ MORE

One Direction's movie to examine fans reactions to hearing their music (IrishCentral)

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:33:40 PDT

Poster for "This is Us"Director Morgan Spurlock - who is helming the documentary 'This Is Us' about the British boy band - was keen to explore "why" certain people were so obsessed with the 'Little Things' hitmakers, and even interviewed medical experts for their opinionsHe told the New York Post newspaper: "We ask the question 'Why them?' We talked to this one doctor who tells us what happens inside a girl's body when she hears One Direction - like what happens in her brain and what goes on inside of her"As well as exploring fans emotions, the 3D movie will also feature scenes of group hunk Harry Styles shirtless and Spurlock even filmed the five guys using the bathroom at the BRIT Awards earlier this yearHowever, it is unlikely that Taylor Swift will appear in the film after Harry - who is joined in the band by Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson - reportedly ordered all footage featuring his ex-girlfriend to be removed READ MORE

Roddy Doyle’s ‘The Commitments’ celebrates 25 years - revamped as a musical - VIDEOS (IrishCentral)

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:18:08 PDT

By: AMANDA DRISCOLL

“The Commitments”, the story of one Irish man’s dream to form a soul band in working class Dublin and originally a novel written by Roddy Doyle in 1987, became a runaway success in 1991 when it was made into a film.

Mischa Barton credits music with helping her fight depression (IrishCentral)

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:33:31 PDT

Mischa BartonThe 27-year-old actress - who was sectioned for two weeks under the US mental health act in 2009 - is also thankful to have a "great support network" around her who can help her stay "strong"Asked how she deals with her lowest moments, she said: "Music is massively important to me because I play a bunch of instruments I read tons and I write poetry, anything creative is a good outlet"I've always had a great support network around me READ MORE

Masters of Irish music The Teetotallers hit New York City - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:30:19 PDT

By: IrishCentral Staff Writers

Three giants of the Irish traditional scene, The Teetotallers - fiddler Martin Hayes, flute player Kevin Crawford (Lunasa), and singer and guitarist John Doyle (Solas, Joan Baez) - return to New York City after selling out Joe's Pub last year.

Kristen Stewart narrowly avoided Liberty Ross at Coachella music festival (IrishCentral)

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:33:12 PDT

Kristen Stewart & Robert PattinsonThe 23-year-old actress was left red-faced when she and boyfriend Robert Pattinson showed up to watch hip-hop act Jurassic 5 at the Californian music festival, only to discover the model - whose husband Rupert Sanders had an affair with Kristen last year - was standing nearbyAn eyewitness told The Sun newspaper: "Kristen has tried so hard to put everything from last year behind her - and she still feels incredibly guilty "She and Rob had turned a massive corner in recent months and they were both there to enjoy themselves"The last thing she wanted to do was make Liberty feel uncomfortable, either READ MORE

Seanie Monaghan is ready to impress against Dion Stanley at Radio City Music Hall (IrishCentral)

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:13:43 PDT

By: DECLAN O'KELLY

Light heavyweight Seanie Monaghan (17-0, 10 KOs) fights Dion Stanley (11-4) in a contest scheduled for eight rounds this Saturday night at Radio City Music Hall on the undercard of the Nonito Donaire/Guillermo Rigondeaux fight.

A look at books - photography, music, and coming of age stories (IrishCentral)

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 04:33:04 PDT

The Irish: A PhotohistoryBy Sean Sexton and Christine KinealySometimes a photograph can be a door you can walk through into the past In The Irish: A Photohistory, Sean Sexton and Christine Kinealy have assembled one of the most evocative and moving collections of the life of the Irish over the past two centuries that I have ever seenThe first Irish photographs date from 1840, six years before the unforeseen catastrophe that would come to define the tragedy of British colonialism in Ireland Many of the images contained in this collection are heart-stoppingly beautiful READ MORE

Oliver O’Connell and Mickey Dunne team up to highlight the importance of Irish Travellers to music tradition (IrishCentral)

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 04:33:00 PDT

Mickey Dunne and Oliver O'ConnellOn a brief tour of Massachusetts and New York next week are two very lively entertainers from Ireland who each in their own way are the bedrock upon which Irish traditional music survives and flows into the next generation Oliver O’Connell, originally from Doolin, Co Clare, is a historical storyteller, songwriter and musician He is teaming up with Limerick piper Mickey Dunne for a series of enlightening concerts that will provide a great deal of information about the importance of the traveling community in Ireland in preserving and passing on so much traditional music over the years READ MORE

Join us at St. Mark’s Church to enjoy an evening of music connecting Ireland and Boston (IrishCentral)

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 06:02:47 PDT

The Clermont Chorale from Dundalk, Ireland will join with Boston City Singers for a concert in St Mark’s Church in Dorchester on Friday the 5th April This will be a special event to raise funds for the Irish International Immigrant Center (IIIC) and both choirs are delighted to support the excellent work that the Center does for immigrants, particularly those from IrelandHeadquartered in Dorchester, Boston City Singers trains and inspires the artist, student and ambassador in each child and shares these developed talents throughout the year in public and private performances while venturing to places such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and Washington, DC for goodwill and performance tours Irish choir, Clermont Chorale, was formed in 2003 and has 35 members; drawn from all parts of County Louth and its neighboring counties READ MORE

It’s another Celtic invasion - Larry Kirwan’s great music in a broken music business (IrishCentral)

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 06:17:37 PDT

Larry KirwanMarch ushers in a wave of Irish music, and this reviewer gets to the point where the compilation CDs become drink coasters around the house Larry Kirwan has captained a new one, Celtic Invasion, that is decidedly different because it attempts to spotlight great music while changing the broken music business model “The music business is at its worst in the many years that I’ve toiled in it – and that’s saying something,” laments Kirwan “Where once fat men in cheap suits up on 57th Street ruled before being replaced by coke-snorting numbers-crunchers, now it’s young dot-com warriors who ‘lease’ your music and pay fractions of a cent whenever someone deigns to listen to a track READ MORE

Beautiful healing music in Newtown, CT with the Shamrock Traditional Irish music Society (IrishCentral)

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 04:17:23 PDT

Sliabh Notes, Matt Cranitch, Donal Murphy and Tommy O’SullivanNewtown, Connecticut --It was indeed a picturesque New England town in Connecticut before that awful day in December when a deranged young man perpetrated a senseless killing spree that claimed the lives of 26 beautiful educators and children who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time The world saw a different, harsher image of the bucolic town on the edge of suburbia just a few months ago than the one in my mind from a number of lovely visits to hear Irish music there hosted by the Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society (STIMS) rooted in Fairfield County I am a firm believer that music plays a very important part in the healing process when sadness and grief strike the heart, so there wasn’t a question that I would venture to Newtown once again for a concert READ MORE

Shadowy ninjas of Irish dance, Fusion Fighters set to debut March 17 (VIDEO) (IrishCentral)

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 11:47:15 PDT

Pray that they only use their awesome hip-hop, techno, disco, martial arts, Celtic dance powers for goodI discovered Fusion Fighters today when I opened a mysterious Facebook message sent in a plain brown envelope (new service, still in beta), and throwing caution to the wind, followed a cryptic shortened URL to its YouTube sourceNothing could prepare me for the Mcfunkadelicness I found, and now share with you:http://wwwyoutube READ MORE

Irish traditional music happenings around St. Patrick’s Day (IrishCentral)

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 04:47:15 PDT

Jameson's Revenge will be playing in ParsippanyIn Parsippany, New Jersey, the Sheraton Hotel has joined with Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann for a St Patrick’s party on Friday, March 15 starting around 8 pm in the Tipperary Pub READ MORE

Sober St. Patrick’s Day a musical festival (IrishCentral)

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 06:02:14 PST

John Whelan performing at last year's Sober St Patrick's DayWell, if last year’s event was any indicator, it certainly looked like the novel gathering at Regis High School in Manhattan for the first annual Sober St Patrick’s day was an idea long overdue The sold out crowd packed the Catholic high school with great enthusiasm and curiosity for the visionary occasion organized by television producer William Spencer Reilly READ MORE