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gig A Winged Victory for the Sullen A Winged Vict
ory for the Sullen is ambient output of Dustin O’Halloran and Adam Wiltzie. O’Halloran has created countless scores for film and TV, most notably Transparent and God’s Own Country. Wiltzie is a founder of other noted ambient outfit Stars of the Lid and has collaborated with the late Jóhann Jóhannsson on his scores for the Theory of Everything and Arrival, as well as working with O’Halloran on Lion. The Undivided Five is their fifth release and shimmers and swells in its symphonic grandeur. It’s a melodic palette as speckled as the sky is with stars. National Concert Hall, Tuesday March 3, €27.50-€34 GIG HMLTD Formerly Happy Meal Ltd until McDonald’s lawyers got in touch, HMLTD have been buzzing about for a few years now landing a ‘One to Watch’ slot in the Guardian back in 2017. For whatever reason, it’s taken until now for them to release their debut West of Eden which drops this month. Fuzzy, abrasive, urgent and assaulting, vocalist Henry Spychalski sums up the clarion call saying, “this is not dystopia, but a mirror up to late capitalism; where we are and where we’re headed. Sick dolphins lap at the tide, the insects have all dropped from the skies and the global economy enters free fall. Ecological catastrophe guaranteed. The West is dead. Atomised, alienated and apathetic.” You best be ready for when it comes falling. Sound House, Tuesday February 18, €18 Festival Spike 2020 Little large violas at the ready for the fourth installation of this little festival. It kicks off down Lost Lane with cellists from South Africa and Ireland in a double bill from Abel Selaocoe and Celtic Cello’s Clíodhna Ní Aodáin. The Homebeaters bring back Icelandic cellist Gyða Valtýsdóttir (pictured) and her band for the Saturday night highlight while the ubiquitous Glasshouse delve into their repertoire for a double bill along with Two Versus, comprising of Irish vocalist Suzanne Savage and New Zealander cellist Hugo Smit. Yocella is back with its “self-care practice of yin yoga, live cello, silence and poetry” and there’s numerous other strings to the bow of Spike. Speaking of, did you know that cello strings were originally made from sheep and goat gut? No? Well now you do. Various venues, Friday February 7 to Sunday February 9 spikecellofest.com FESTIVAL Scene + Heard At one level it’s quite a dispiriting time in our theatre world. The winding down of two of our most acclaimed and thrillingly innovative companies Collapsing Horse and Corn Exchange (see interview) raises serious questions about the sustainability of seemingly successful and established companies. If they can’t cut it, what hope is there for emerging ones? And some fundamental questions must be raised by the Arts Council to case-study these decisions and see what must change. Of course, the curtain will still be raised and Scene + Heard brings fresh hope and enthusiasm in this festival of new work which extends well beyond stage left and right. In its five years to date, it has proven an invaluable opportunity to put your best foot forward and see where the next step leads to. Besides workshops and networking opportunities for practitioners, for the public Scene + Heard promises a programme dipping into Satirical Sci-Fi, High-Farce, Dystopian Futures, Romance, Grotesque Bodies, Hurricane Comedies, Period Poverty, Climate Change, Aerial Drama, Suicidal Ukeleles, Music, Dance and much more. Draw breath, select and go! Smock Alley Theatre, Wednesday February 12 to Saturday February 29, smockalley.com/sceneandheard 88