Orange Juice Back Together!

Christmas has come early to I Have Grave News. The original line-up of the best Scottish group ever are to regroup to receive an award. Orange Juice, whose later line-up split up following a benefit gig for the miners at London’s Brixton Academy in January 1985, are set to be honoured by Nordoff-Robbins Scotland, after frontman Edwyn Collins’ astonishing […]

The Sound of Santa Coming

I freely admit that I’m a sad Smiths anorak. Sorry, aficionado. I always get those confused. Anyway, every book, magazine, not to mention record, that I could find and afford bearing their name which was released during the 1980s, I own. Up to six different versions of the same single, 7″, 12″, different sleeve images, tints, […]

State Is Back! Back!! Baaack!!

And it’s more beautiful than ever. Read all about it or, in fact, read it over at State.ie.

Planet Of The Apes

Today sees the Irish release of Fight Like Apes‘ debut album, Fight Like Apes And The Mystery Of The Golden Medallion. For me, and not to over-state the case, this release is a major milestone in Irish music history. For the current pop generation, FLApes represent something that is truly theirs; in sound, image and […]

Heard About Your Band…

As the colleges go back, new students all over Ireland will start forming bands to distract themselves from study. I do wonder if it’s really worth all their effort, though. As Wilde said, “we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” It’s a safe bet that Oscar didn’t […]

That new Oasis drivel

Oasis are back – and they’re worse than ever. They’ve been finding it harder to get away with their shameful, career-long dearth of ideas in recent years but, even by their own execrable standards, their forthcoming single, ‘The Shock of the Lightning’ has to be a career low. “Love is a time machine/ Up on the silver screen/ It’s all in […]

This Just-in: King-Sized Tut-Tuts at Hot Leg’s Glasgow Faux Pas

While no one has ever accused ex-Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins of possessing subtlety or panache, a little research could have gone a long way to helping the Glasgow debut of his new “man rock” outfit Hot Leg go a bit more smoothly last night. The ‘Leg were delighting an enthusiastic crowd at King Tut’s Wah […]

Killing Joke

There’s an almighty hoo ha (do hoo has come in any other size?) in the media over the Killers’ “afterthought” gig at the Academy on August 20th – a whole night before they play Mawwrleee Pawwrrk. Apart from the happy fact that it’s way cheaper to see them indoors, in comfort, with a proper bar […]