Cork Gig Guide (April 23rd-29th)

The Magnetic Fields make their bow in Cork with their first ever Irish appearance outside of Dublin taking Stephen Merritt and co. to Cork Opera House, IMRO’s venue of the year. Despite the MF frontman being a reluctant performer, hopes are still pinned on this one as a potential gig of the year. Expect ukuleles, synthesizers, heartbreakingly funny love songs a plenty. Click here to read the recent G-Man interview with the man himself.

Rhythm and roots in the form of a late show from Dublin’s Jezzebelle opens the week in The Crane followed in Cyprus Avenue on Tuesday by London folkies Dry The River, who featured on the BBC’s high profile Sound of 2012 list at the end of 2011.

Watford sisters The Staves bring their laser-accurate harmonies back to Cork for the third time in six months with Wednesday’s Caroline Street visit their first headlining show on Leeside. To find out more about Emily, Jessica and Camilla see a recent interview with the harmonious trio here.

The remainder of the week is bursting with belly-fulls of Irish talent: the sultans of string – The Mandolas – down in Clonakilty on Thursday; serial crowd-pleasers Ham Sandwich in Cyprus Avenue on Friday; a busy one for The Pavilion on Carey’s Lane with a benefit concert featuring John Blek & The Rats and more at 2pm before two of the hottest slices of Irish indie-pop pie (Terror Pop and Bouts) hitting the stage at about 9pm as part of another free Saturday night Pav gig.

Rounding the week off are two more bookings of homegrown talent; The young talents of When Good Pets Go Bad and September Girls combine to put on what should be a fun show in the Triskel Arts Centre on Saturday followed on Sunday by the not-so-young-yet-mind-blowing talent of Interference is unleashed on De Barra’s.

Monday, 23rd April
– Jezzebelle in The Crane Lane Theatre (11.30pm)

Tuesday, 24th April
– Black Sun presents Okkyung Lee in The Guesthouse, Shandon
– Jazz Improv in The Crane Lane Theatre (9pm)
– Niall McCabe Band in The Crane Lane Theatre (11.30pm)
– Dry The River in Cyprus Avenue
– Hank Wedel & Edel Curtin in The Pavilion

Wednesday, April 25th
– Paddy Mulcahy & Tessa O’Connor in Bradley’s of Barrack Street
– That Falling Feeling in An Bróg
– The Aftermath in The Crane Lane Theatre (11.30pm)
– The Staves in Cyprus Avenue

Sunday, April 29th
– The Magnetic Fields and Katie Kim in Cork Opera House
– The Calvinists in The Crane Lane Theatre (11.30pm)
– Circus Cat in The Pavilion (Bar)
– Interference & Paul Tiernan in De Barra’s (Clonakilty)