Scene and Heard

GIG WISE: One of the big announcements this week was The Who bringing their tour to the O2 in Dublin on Saturday, Jun 8.

Roger Daltrey and co have promised to play Quadrophenia in full plus a selection of other Who classic tunes. Tickets went on sale this morning, with prices starting at €69.50 plus booking fee. Bruce Springsteen has also added two dates in Kilkenny (Jul 28-29) to his tour. The slightly younger Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are also touring again, and even have a new album on the go. The synth-pop pioneers produced such songs as ‘Enola Gay’ and ‘Tesla Girls’ in their heyday, and will play a mixture of old and new material at Vicar Street on May 30. Mastodon get all hard and loud at the Academy in Dublin on Jun 12, while American singer Shuggie Otis is at the Sugar Club on May 4. In Cork, Martha Wainwright is at the Opera House tonight, while other interesting gigs include Mark Eitzel at Cyprus Avenue on Feb 21, Villagers at the Savoy (Mar 19) and Beth Orton at Triskel (Mar 24). The Savoy hosts a night featuring hugely successful club brand Ministry of Sound on Mar 8. London-based Irish DJ Shane Kehoe will be manning the decks for the occasion.

MUSIC NEWS: Despite talk of a make-up with Rihanna, cuddly Chris Brown (below right) could be in trouble again following reports of a fight with fellow R&B vocalist Frank Ocean. Apparently, a row began over a parking space at a recording studio they were both using, and it soon turned into a six-man brawl. Ocean later tweeted: “Got jumped by Chris and a couple guys. Lol.” Brown is currently on probation arising out of his assault on Rihanna. On a more positive note, Daft Punk have announced they’ve left Virgin for Columbia and will release their new album on the label in the coming months. Among the collaborators on the untitled long player are Nile Rodgers of Chic, and Giorgio Moroder. So far, the French duo have been denying the possibility of any live gigs. Eels also have a new album on the way and the band have been streaming it online. Finally, it’ll be interesting to see if Bob Geldof, 61, and his Boomtown Rats continue to tour after their recently-announced reunion gig on the Isle Of Wight in June. Once an amazing live force, they’d be a welcome addition to the festival circuit.