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Posts Tagged Ireland

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April 1, 2022 by Simon Sweetman

Noelle McCarthy: Grand

Grand: Becoming My Mother’s Daughter Noelle McCarthy Penguin It’s quite possible that Grand by Noelle McCarthy is the best memoir of 2022. One of the best books. It is brand new. Out this week. There has been much hype. All of it justified. There will be more hype. And so there should.
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Alcohol, Alcoholism, Auckland, bFM, Book, Book Review, Featherston, Grand: Becoming My Mother’s Daughter, Ireland, Memoir, Noelle McCarthy, Noelle McCarthy: Grand, NZ, Radio, RNZ, To follow me in all the right places check out the Linktree right here. And to subscribe to my Substack newsletter “Sounds Good” click here ·

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February 14, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 335 

Hothouse Flowers, Don’t Go [Single] (1988) Hothouse Flowers – good band! Saw them live a couple of times, once still in their ascendancy and then many years on. They still sounded great. Good show. Very capable. But it was a school night. In a wee pub down the road. And no one seemed to really give a fuck – […]
Posted in Blog, The Vinyl Countdown · Tagged 1980s, 1988, Dire Straits, Don't Go, Eighties, Hothouse Flowers, Ireland, Irish, LP, Pop, Record, Saved, Single, The Vinyl Countdown, The Vinyl Countdown # 335, Vinyl ·

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November 9, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

Sweetman Podcast: Episode 141 – Gerry Paul

Welcome to episode 141 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and La Petite Chocolat. Now – as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can now get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there and have it saved in your Spotify library to access each new episode; or via Anchor/FMyou can get the […]
Posted in Blog, Podcasts · Tagged #141, Anchor/FM, Apple, Art, Author, Chat, Children, Coastella, Conversation, CubaDupa, ep.141, Festival, Gerry, Gerry Paul, Grada, Hank The Wrestling Shark, Interview, Ireland, Irish, iTunes, John Prine, John Prine Showed Me His Pussy On Instagram, Johnny Cash, Kelly Joe Phelps, Kids, Kids Entertainer, Kiwi, La Petite Chocolat, Mel Parsons, Music, Musician, NZ, NZ Irish Festival, Off The Tracks, Paul, Podcast, Poem: John Prine Showed Me His Pussy On Instagram, Producer, Promoter, Soundcloud, Spearfishing, Spotify, Stitcher, Sweetman Podcast, Sweetman Podcast # 141, Sweetman Podcast # 141: Gerry Paul, Sweetman Podcast: Episode 141 – Gerry Paul, T Leaf T, The Staves, Tim O'Brien, Two Oceans Trio, Writing, Yeastie Boys, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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August 23, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The 1001 Albums Challenge # 83: The Undertones – “Hypnotised”

Everyone that likes music knows at least one thing about The Undertones – you know that John Peel loved Teenage Kicks so much he played it twice in a row; when the veteran DJ died the station paid tribute by playing that song through twice. You might also know Feargal Sharkey – who went on […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 1001, 1001 Albums, 1001 Albums To Hear Before You Die, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, 1980, A Good Heart, Feargal Sharkey, Hypnotised, Ireland, John Peel, post-punk, Punk, Teenage Kicks, The 1001 Albums Challenge, The 1001 Albums Challenge # 83, The 1001 Albums Challenge # 83: The Undertones – “Hypnotised”, The Undertones, The Undertones – “Hypnotised”, Undertones ·

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March 1, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Undertones: Two NZ Shows – First Time Ever in NZ! (July, 2017)

The Undertones – Ireland’s legendary pop/punk band has announced its first ever New Zealand shows, San Fran in Wellington, Tuesday, July 11 and Kings Arms, Auckland, Wednesday, July 12. The tour celebrates their four decades together. Tickets for both shows are on sale immediately from 8am today (Thursday 2 March) from UnderTheRadar. TThe Undertones NZ tour […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 2017), Akld, Auckland, First Time Ever In New Zealand, Gig, Ireland, July, Kings Arms, Live, PR, Promo, San Fran, Teenage Kicks, The Undertones: Two NZ Shows – First Time Ever in NZ! (July, Tour Announcement, Two NZ Shows, Undertones, Wellington, Wgtn ·

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December 6, 2015 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 782

Enya, Orinoco Flow  [Single] (1988) I wonder if any of the people that claim to hate Enya – to write her music off as the water-coloured soundtrack for sleeping they’re sure it is – have actually listened. I mean beyond this song. I love a bit of Enya. A bit of Enya Brennan, a bit […]
Posted in Blog, The Vinyl Countdown · Tagged 1988, Clannad, Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, Enya, Enya Brennan, Ireland, Irish, LP, Orinoco Flow, Out of the Blue, Record, Single, The Vinyl Countdown # 782, Vinyl, Watermark ·

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July 27, 2015 by Simon Sweetman

Stubs: #116 – Tommy Tiernan, Wellington, 2011

So often I’m disappointed by stand-up comedy – I’ve watched and listened to so much. I spent my teenage years going over and over anything and everything by Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin and Robin Willliams (and Bill Cosby) and all of that only sent me off in other directions to find […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Comedian, Comedy, Dominion Post, Gig Review, Ireland, Irish, Live, Live Comedy, Opera House, Stand Up, Stand-up Comedy, Stub, Stubs, Stubs: #116 – Tommy Tiernan, Tommy Tiernan, Wellington 2011 ·

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November 10, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

Gig Preview: Mick Flannery and John Spillane – NZ Tour (November 2014)

Over four nights next week – through Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Auckland – two of Cork’s finest singer-songwriters will perform a series of shows. The Irish musicians Mick Flannery and John Spillane have solo careers (Spillane has been a member of traditional/folk groups as well as working independently; Flannery has four solo albums out since […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 2014, Cork, Gig Preview, Gig Preview: Mick Flannery and John Spillane – NZ Tour (November 2014), Ireland, John Spillane, Mick Flannery, November, Tour, Tour Announcement ·

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September 8, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

Stiff Little Fingers: No Going Back

Stiff Little Fingers No Going Back Mondo Recordings/Southbound Here’s a brand new Stiff Little Fingers album – recorded after 11 years off, well 11 years without an album, the band’s founding member Jake Burns continues to whip out the Stiff Little Fingers sound with his touring version of the band – and some of these […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, Buzzcocks, Flat Pack Philosophy, Ireland, Jake Burns, No Going Back, PledgeMe, Punk, Stiff Little Fingers ·

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October 30, 2013 by Simon Sweetman

The Legend of Liam Clancy: NZ TV Premiere

  The Legend of Liam Clancy Director: Alan Gilsenan Sky TV: Arts Channel This TV mini-series/documentary sees its NZ TV premier this Saturday, November 2, 8.30pm on SKY Television’s ARTS Channel. It’s a fantastic film. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were the first musical superstars from Ireland, their folk songs went on to influence […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Arts, ARTS Channel, Autobiography, Book, Competition, Film Review, Giveaway, Ireland, Irish Music, Liam Clancy, Memoir, Music Documentary, Sky, Sky TV, The Clancy Brothers, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, The Legend of Liam Clancy, Tommy Makem, TV Documentary ·

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