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gig Join Me In The Pines Bell XI head David Gerag
hty has been ploughing a sideline furrow with his Join in the Pines project. Monomania is the second album released under this guise and it’s a total ‘80s thrill bag. Welcome to the unabashed world of crisp linen, shoulder pads, finger-clicking and hip-swaying. Lost Lane, Saturday October 19, €15 festival Ireland Music Week The Hard Working Class Heroes moniker has been retired in favour of a more straight-up statement of intent. This annual showcase offers the chance to catch a decent snapshot of the scene right now. You’ll catch acts who will fade from view over time, those who will religiously plough their trade here and those choice few who are destined for bigger stages in years to come. Some big swinging delegates are invited over to cast an eye on proceedings. Some names triggering our interest include April, Elkae and Maija Sofia (pictured). An old school rule of thumb is the earlier the slot, the more likelihood of discovering the ‘next big thing’. Though a few headliners are on then cusp also. On the conference side, heavyweights include Geoff Travis from Rough Trade, Almudena Heredero, director of Primavera Pro and Dev Sherlock, music festival programmer with SXSW. The Grand Social, Lost Lane, The Button Factory, Workman’s Club, Chocolate Factory, Studio 10 Tuesday October 1 to Saturday October 5 (conference Tues/Wed/Thurs, showcase Fri/Sat) €12.50/€25/€35 (live shows) - €65/€100 (conference) irelandmusicweek.com Queer Club Nights Grace / Strawberries gig Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Grace are providing a badly needed sweaty shakeup of Queer club culture in the capital. Firstly, in deference to great club experiences as evidenced in cities such as Berlin, you leave your selfies and social media updates at the door. A sticker is placed over your camera enabling to live in the moment rather than just record and project it. Grace is hewn to the safe and tolerant spaces where prejudices and spectators are kept out in the cold. They also, hopefully, seem to be inspiring the scene with Strawberries, a ‘genre hopping queer night’ launching this month also. Strawberries, The Sound House, Saturday October 5, €7/€10 Grace # 6, 39/40 Arran Quay, Saturday October 26, €11 With their new Bad Boys of Jazz album dropping at the end of November, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are ramping it up and in town for two shows. First up, they’ll perform a special Fela Tribute Set in honour of Nigeria and Africa’s greatest artist Fela Kuti which will be preceded by a screening of Music is The Weapon, the 1982 documentary which Kathleen C Fennessy of the Seattle Weekly perfectly encapsulates saying, “For the uninitiated, it’s hard to explain – in mere words – how one man could so successfully mate the sexuality of James Brown with the righteous politics of Bob Marley and sinuous sounds of Miles Davis.” The following weekend, the Ensemble are back in their spiritual home previewing material from their new album. It’s the best imaginable fun we’ll have with eight brothers in our lifetime. Sugar Club, Saturday October 19 (Fela) & Friday October 25 (Bad Boys), €20 88