The Goo 1
Editors Note JOHN BRERETON Contributors: Ethan Go
lding Paul McDermott Garry Baylon Cliodhna Ryan Niall McGuirk Oran O’Beirne Dan Hegarty Mick Herrity Nikki Raymond Andrew Lambert Lorna Brown Norma Burke Fearghal Curtis Greg Whelan Des Traynor Conor Farrell Craig McComish Billy O’Hanluain Georgia Hallion Paul Fitzpatrick Design & Layout: foxandmouse.ie Photography: Norma Burke (front cover) Billy Cahill Alex Curran Illustration: Glenn Brown Editorial: John Brereton jb@hkm.ie Listings Editor: Christine O’Growney Listings: thegoolistings@gmail.com Sales: Stefan Hellenious sh@hkm.ie - 087 3271732 Kevin Gibbons kg@hkm.ie - 085 8697078 Published by: HKM Media, 73 Leeson St Lower, Dublin 2 As we speed into the heart of the Christmas mayhem it’s still hard to believe that this will be the first year since 2019 that we’ve celebrated the Festive season in venues and clubs. Back then it would have been impossible to imagine that we all wouldn’t have been hugging each other the following year in The Soundhouse, Bello Bar, Whelans or The Workmans, dancing in The Sugar Club, Opium or The Button Factory or moshing in The Grand Social, Thomas House or Fibbers. Thankfully for most of us that scenario has faded and life is somewhat back to normal but the tough challenges ahead for the music industry are still very real. Rising energy costs will see tougher stances on rentals etc which will in turn affect the bands and artists who are just embarking on their musical journey so we genuinely hope that the government recognise this and organise a support system that keeps the independent concerns afloat while making it viable for independent artists to put on shows. Catherine Martin and her team have been brilliant over the last few years so it does feel like we are in safe hands. The rest is up to us to continue to support these acts by going to their shows, buying their records and gifting their merch to our music loving family and friends. Merchandise is a vital source of income to every artist and it’s brilliant that the wonderful Merchy Market returns this Christmas to give artists an opportunity to make 100% profit on their goods while giving fans of the artists involved a lovely moment to connect. We talked to one of its instigators, Conor Cusack in this issue. We also caught up with one of the country’s best loved musicians, Richie Egan, a.k.a Jape who has just released an album that wonderfully evokes that post rave haze and its freedoms. We also feature the Dublin Bowie Festival, now celebrating its 8th edition. The festival is always a beacon of going out out light in early January as the city slowly re-awakens from the blurry hangover of Christmas and New Years festivities and this year the DBF organisers are delighted to welcome back Dubliner Gerry Leonard who was Bowie’s guitarist, co-writer and musical director for Bowie throughout most of the second millennium. In the spirit of Bowie’s edgy creativity reside our other featured band, Meltybrains?, who are about to release their first recorded output in over four years. Infamous for their stunning live shows, the band headline The Button Factory on Sat Dec 17th. To finish up for 2022 I’d like to thank all the bands and artists who have inspired us to set this magazine up in the first place, all the venues, cafes, bars, record stores, music shops and other cultural institutions that graciously stock our mag, all our brilliant contributors, photographers, social media posters, listings editors, graphic designers, publishers, advertisers, printers and distributors who have made this new venture possible, and finally to all our readers whose messages of support and encouragement brighten our days and fuel our resolve. Happy Christmas to you all and here’s to a brilliant 2023!. PAGE 3