Weekly Cork Gig Guide: 12th-18th August 2013

Holy moley, Midlake AND Swans in Cork…

It’s all change for Midlake as they return to Cork for the first time since playing the Marquee in June 2010. A new direction and album (in the shape of Antiphon), a new lead singer (Eric Pulido steps into the pointy shoes of the departed Tim Smith) and two completely new members (Jesse Chandler on keyboards, piano and flute and Joey McClellan on guitar) means it’s a toss-up what Tuesday night’s show is going to sound like. Announced as part of a three-date warm-up mini-tour ahead of the Texans’ “real” European tour at the end of the month, tickets for the Cyprus Avenue show shifted quicker than you can scream “holy 60’s sounding organ bliss”.

Michael Gira‘s black birds of anti-rock swoop into the same venue just three nights later. Reactivated and reinvigorated, Swans stretched their wings sonically further than ever on 2012’s The Seer considered by Gira as thirty years in the making. Live the experience in the flesh Friday in Cyprus Avenue.

Also going down around town this week:

• Long Beach punk veterans T.S.O.L. in The Crane Lane Theatre (Monday)
• Another evening of improvised music with musicians from some of Cork’s finest alternative bands in Gulpd Café (Monday)
• French hardcore from Dead Like Me in Bradley’s of Barrack Street (Tuesday)
• Devon songwriter Peter Bruntnell with band in The Crane Lane Theatre. See a lovely duet with Rumer below. (Wednesday)
• Guitar genius and Joanna Newsom‘s right-hand man Ryan Francesconi returns with violinist Mirabai Peart‘s bow in tow for a date in De Barra’s. Click here for an interview from 2011 (Thursday)

FREE GIG OF THE WEEK
Sunday: The Would Bes and Elastic Sleep in The Bowery/The Slate.

Monday, 12th August 
– Monday Club Session in Coughlan’s
– Drop-D presents: T.S.O.L, Hope Is Noise, Vagrants and Sound of Impact in The Crane Lane Theatre (8pm)
– Improvised Mondays (featuring members of various Cork bands in Gulpd Café (Triskel Arts Centre)

Tuesday, 13th August 
– Songwriter Sessions with Paula Gomez in L’Attitude 51
– Dead Like Me, Kawtiks and Ilenkus in Bradley’s of Barrack Street
– Aislinn Hegarty & Míde Houlihan in Bru
– Jazz Improv in The Crane Lane Theatre (9pm)
– King Modo in The Crane Lane Theatre (11.30pm)
– Midlake in Cyprus Avenue

  Wednesday, 14th August 
– Fireside Sessions: The Bradley Sisters, Bruce Carter and The Eulogys in Bradley’s of Barrack Street
– Peter Bruntnell Band in The Crane Lane Theatre
– Sundown Sessions in The Raven
– Empty Orchestra soundtrack ‘The Phantom Carriage’ in The Roundy
– Sitting Room Session: in De Barra’s (Clonakilty)

Thursday, 15th August 
– Sacred Harp Singers in Camden Palace Hotel (7pm)
– Lee Delta Blues Club: Paula Gomez in The Corner House
– Stephanie Coleman & Cleek Schrey in Coughlan’s
– Pulses of Tradition in Triskel Christchurch
– Ryan Francesconi & Mirabai Peart in De Barra’s (Clonakilty)

Friday, 16th August 
– Friday Night Feast: in Coughlan’s
– Swans in Cyprus Avenue
– Penny Dreadful Launch in The Roundy
– Pulses of Tradition in Triskel Christchurch
– The Vincent(s) in De Barra’s (Clonakilty)
– Elastic Sleep in Pine Lodge (Myrtleville)

Saturday, 17th August
– Paula Gomez Band in Coughlan’s
– Picturehouse in Cyprus Avenue (8pm)
– Archie Hamilton in Cyprus Avenue (11.30pm)

Sunday, 18th August 
– The Would Bes and Elastic Sleep in The Bowery
– Julie Feeney in TBC (Baltimore)
– Christine Deady in De Barra’s (Clonakilty)

– For more gigs and dates see the overall gig guide here