Photo Highlights From Live @ The Marquee Cork 2015.

Throughout 2015 I certainly attended more concerts than I documented on this blog.

Obviously there should be a particular reason for not updating about the shows I went to but I have to admit that I will have to blame it on my own disorganisation.
However I always bring the camera and  photos aplenty were taken at the many shows I attended and I will be posting more of these later.
I was fortunate enough to get to 5 gigs at The Marquee, Cork in 2015, obviously a diverse selection but all very memorable and thoroughly enjoyable. 

Beck @ The Marquee Cork
June 16th 2015.

Mike Scott
The Waterboys @The Marquee Cork
June 28th 2015.

Nile Rodgers@ The Marquee Cork
July 10th 2015

Status Quo @ The Marquee Cork.
July 12th 2015.

ZZ Topp @ The Marquee Cork
June 22nd 2015.

New Album From Richard Thompson.

I'm really looking forward to the new album by the ever brilliant Richard Thompson, set for release June 23rd next. This will be no less his 42nd release in as many years and will coincide with a tour including a Dublin date (Vicar Street on September 1st.).
Jeff Tweedy is the producer on this album entitled 'Still' which if this single 'Beatnik Walking' is anything to go by will be one of the most anticipated collections of the year,

Freestyle Dancing To The Smiths.

This is one of the best things I have seen on YouTube for a long time and I think very worthy of a mention. Mylia Noir a student from Berlin has recently posted some freestyle dancing videos to songs of The Smiths and Morrissey. Hopefully there will be more to come if the demand increases. A new generation of Smiths and Morrissey fans are certainly out there and I think this will help carry the torch.
This is her video for 'What Difference Does It Make' also check out her YouTube channel to see her dance routine to 'Still Ill' and 'November Spawned A Monster' all equally brilliant.

                         

The Frank And Walters 25th Anniversary Concert At Cork's Opera House. October 25th 2014.

Paul Linehan lead vocals and bass.

                                         

One of Ireland's truly greatest bands The Frank And Walters were celebrating in style last Saturday night at home in their native Cork city. It was the band's 25th anniversary and the venue was a packed, sold out show in The Opera House located in the heart of town.

Preceding their performance tonight all four band members along with several hundred fans assembled at Grand Parade and marched to the concert venue to the sound of  The Barrack Street Band. Support onstage came from The Minutes and Rubyhorse but it was clear that everyone there just wanted to see their heroes The Franks.

Twenty five years is a long time in one's life and for many including myself there are a lot of great memories of The Frank And Walters music. I was lucky enough back in the 1990's to get promo cassette tapes of bands from record labels such as Setanta Records. I remember one time in particular receiving a floppy vinyl promo of the band back in the very early days. I also remember seeing them play support to The Wedding Present in Limerick's Savoy Theater over 20 years ago. 

Tonight was more of a reassurance of their brilliance than a trip through nostalgia as they kicked off their set with 'Tony Corcoran' and delighted the crowd again and again by playing almost everything important from their back catalogue. 'After All', 'Fashion Crisis Hit's New York', 'Colours', 'Michael', 'How Can I Exist' were just some of the highlights.  Between each song the chanting from the crowd 'we are, we are the frank and walters......' could be heard throughout the venue.

It was evident tonight that there is a huge loyal following to The Frank And Walters and probably most people assembled there have been fans from the beginning. Their music has an honesty and as much relevance to me and many others of our generation as The Smiths or The Cure or Joy Division ever had. This is a band who has survived and that's what is the most important, they never sold out to become obnoxiously overpaid rockstars but they have provided many of us with the soundtrack of our lives. May they continue to do so and we will look forward to their next album which will be a welcome release in 2015. It was a delight to see them being appreciated and celebrated in such a fine way last weekend and I will stand by my opinion that they are Ireland's greatest band.