Scene and Heard
“I actually see people dictating to me, behind me, through… they call it the third eye, but the Japanese reckon you’ve got at least eight, apart from the two here. I’ve seen ghosts behind me in period costume dictating songs on a couple of occasions,” said the Pogues singer. Incidentally, his ‘Fairytale of New York’ is among the favourites for the Christmas No 1 slot after it’s 25th anniversary re-release. Meanwhile, NME reports that Adele’s album 21 has dropped out of the UK Top 40 for the first time since it was released in January, 2011. We also hear the fastest selling album of the year has been Now That’s What I Call Music! 83, which has shifted 295,789 copies in one week. Finally, Susan Boyle’s publicity people raised an eyebrow or two on Twitter earlier this week when they publicised the Scottish singer’s forthcoming release with the hashtag #susanalbumparty. Block out the first three letters.
GIG WISE: While the big news this week was the announcement of Bruce Springsteen’s summer tour of Ireland, another gig out in time for the Christmas present market is Rihanna’s appearance at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Jun 21. Tickets from €59.50 +bf. Hot Press’s Freezer Sessions are at Rearden’s in Cork next Thursday with a lineup that includes the Riptide Movement, RSAG, Walking On Cars and Saint Yorda. Free tickets available via the Hot Press website. Also in Cork, the Triskel has trad supergroup the Gloaming on Wednesday, and Declan Sinnott next Saturday (this page will carry an interview with Sinnott on Monday). Over at the Savoy, Richard Hawley makes his eagerly-awaited appearance on Thursday, while Felix Da Housecat does his DJ thing at the venue tonight. Unfortunately that event clashes with the 24th birthday bash at the Pavilion by Leeside’s original house cats, Fish Go Deep. Meanwhile Martha Wainwright’s mini tour of Ireland takes in Cork Opera House on Feb 1; the Róisín Dubh in Galway the next night; and Pepper Canister Church in Dublin on Feb 3.
