Cork gig guide: December 10th-December 16th

Lower Dens – Half Moon, Sunday

‘Tis getting cold but the gigs continue to be mighty warm…

Vocalist Jana Hunter‘s Baltimore indie babies Lower Dens are the big international draw this week as The Half Moon continues her strong Winter listings. That’s taking place on Sunday night with tickets still available at €15 a pop.

The last KC Session of the calendar year kicks off in a couple of hours over in The Crane Lane while it’s the first of two movie nights on Caroline Street as soundscape knights Sigur Ros‘ Valtari film experiment receives the first of two Cork screenings in Cyprus Avenue on Monday (and again on Thursday).

It’s back to the same venue on Tuesday as Cyprus Avenue welcome their second Japanese visitors in the space of a week with experimental rockers Boris teaming up with former Hooray For Humans bassist Matt Hedigan’s No Spill Blood for a loud one on Caroline Street. For something a little different on Tuesday evening why not pop a head into The Quarter for an experiment in collaborative storytelling brought to you by those sickeningly talented Pretty Handsome Studio folk. For more details on how your illustrative or storyteller attributes can be put to good use see the official facebook event here.

Bradley’s of Barrack Street’s regular Wednesday night session welcomes The Pearls, a local folk group who have been creating a little bit of stir with recent gigs. I am yet to catch them live and they have nothing online but could be worth the stroll up Barrack Street before northern rockers Gascan Ruckus close the night with a late one on Phoenix Street.

The Man Whom makes his maiden bow in Coughlan’s with local songwriter Anna Mitchell charged with heating duties for the folk-lovin’ crowd on Douglas Street on Thursday.

Besides Lower Dens on Sunday, the weekend’s big hitter comes in the triple threat of U.S. label Sargent House‘s post-hardcore quartet Native, Cork rockers Terriers and Limerick natives We Come In Pieces taking to Fred’s on Saturday for a memorable pre-Christmas shindig.

For those happy to travel then fill the tank up and head for Clon as former Husker Du songwriter and drummer Grant Hart plays the first of a couple of southern dates with a date in De Barra’s on Sunday evening.

FREE GIG OF THE WEEK
It’s not the full band but David Nelligan & Andy Wilson play an intimate, stripped down show in Bru on MacCurtain Street Wednesday night.

**************************************************WIN TICKETS**************************************************
To win tickets for Kormac’s Big Band in The Pavilion, Sunday December 23rd: click here for details

**************************************************WIN TICKETS**************************************************

*Film fans see Triskel Arts Centre‘s listings for the week over on the official website here.

Monday, 10th December
– KC Sessions The Art Crimes Band with Suadela Bellydance, Lennoko, Venetian Blue, Tanya Louise and Fintan Lucy in The Crane Lane Theatre (8.30pm)
– Ka Tet in The Crane Lane Theatre (11.30pm)
– Film: Sigur Ros – The Valtari Film Experiment in Cyprus Avenue
– Night at the Movies (Film) in The Roundy

Tuesday, 11th December
– Boris and No Spill Blood in Cyprus Avenue
– Pretty Handsome Studios present: Doing a Line – Storytelling in The Quarter
– Síomha Brock in The Crane Lane Theatre (11.30pm)

Wednesday, 12th December
– The Pearls in Bradley’s of Barrack Street
– David Nelligan & Andy Wilson in Bru
– Gascan Ruckus in Crane Lane
– Corkapalooza featuring The Reverse, Chinese Elevator Music, Annie Sutton and The Pearls in The Pavilion
– The Empty Orchestra in The Roundy

Thursday, 13th December
– The Man Whom and Anna Mitchell in Coughlan’s
– Film: Sigur Ros – The Valtari Film Experiment in Cyprus Avenue
– Charity gig presented by SVP and UCC: Radio Caroline in The Gateway
– Weak Wrists (electronic night): in Gulpd Café (Triskel Arts Centre)
– Moya Brennan in Triskel Arts Centre’s Christchurch

Friday, 14th December
– The Music Social Record Fair & Hang-out in Mother Jones’ Flea Market (6pm-9pm)
– Vita, Rory Francis O’Brien and 2 Men from Dublin with Beards in Bradley’s of Barrack Street
– Solar Taxi in The Oliver Plunkett

Saturday, 15th December
– Big Bag Of Sticks in The Crane Lane Theatre (8pm)
– Native, Terriers and We Come In Pieces in Fred Zeppelins
– Red FM Jingle Bell Ball with Fred in The Pavilion
– Saint Yorda in Pine Lodge (Myrtleville)

Sunday, 16th December
– Protobaby in The Crane Lane Theatre (11.30pm)
– Lower Dens in Half Moon Theatre
– History of Dance: Donal Dineen in The Pavilion
– Grant Hart (Husker Du) in De Barra’s (Clonakilty)
– Santa with The Bluestars in Pine Lodge (Myrtleville) 5pm

Coming later in December
17th – Grant Hart (Husker Du) in Cyprus Avenue
21st – The Stunning perform Paradise in the Picturehouse in The Savoy
22nd – The Altered Hours and The Great Balloon Race in The Pavilion
23rd – Kormac’s Big Band in The Pavilion
26th – John Blek & The Rats in Cyprus Avenue
29th – Le Galaxie in The Pavilion
29th – The Frank & Walters play Trains, Boats and Planes (20th Anniversary) in The Savoy
29th – Andy Stott (Modern Love) in Triskel Arts Centre’s Christchurch
31st – Mick Flannery in Cork Opera House