Scene and Heard: Neil Young Cancelled gig in Israel due to security concerns

GIG WISE: All roads lead to Longitude in Marlay Park, Dublin, this weekend, and stage times are available on the festival’s website.

Poor Ben Howard has to follow Bastille for his 9.30pm slot tonight, while tomorrow features Disclosure at 9.30pm, preceded by Haim. Massive Attack headline a Sunday bill that also has James Vincent McMorrow and Rudimental. And speaking of festivals, the Electric Picnic (August 29-31) has announced that TV music show Other Voices will have its very own stage at this year’s event.

Their roster has yet to be announced, but presumably it will be peppered with singer-songwriters and the other types of acts that make it to the televised version. Snarky Puppy have announced a gig for the Sugar Club in Dublin for November 11, while tickets are already on sale for Interpol at the Olympia on February 10. Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl is back on the road with a trio, and is at Whelans on October 29.

In Cork, the annual Folk Festival (October 2-5) has announced a line-up that includes Mosaic, something of a supergroup with Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny in their ranks. North of the city inMitchelstown Caves, the only tickets remaining for the annual series of gigs are for Ger Wolfe and O Emperor tonight. Tomorrow, with Delorentos and Sam Brookes; and Mick Flannery and The Young Folk on Sunday are sold out.

MUSIC NEWS: Some attendees at Neil Young’s gig at the Marquee in Cork last week held up bits of paper urging the singer to cancel his gig in Israel, and he actually did. However, a statement from Young’s camp seems to indicate that he hasn’t suddenly been converted to the merits of the international artistic boycott of that country. Instead, last night’s appearance in Tel Aviv was cancelled due to “tensions which have rendered the event unsafe at this time”.

He dodged any political issues or humanitarian statements by saying he would look forward to playing “in Israel and Palestine in peace”, and made a donation to music charities for youths on both sides of the divide. Meanwhile, fellow music veteran David Bowie sent a message to a charity event in London earlier this week confirming that he’s working on new tracks. Finally, Irish band Two Door Cinema Club have cancelled their appearance at Lattitude in England tonight due to an unspecified stomach illness that has struck singer Alex Trimble. Their place at the Suffolk event has been taken by Lily Allen.

CLUB LIFE: The Savoy in Cork has been pulling in some big names recently and the latest two superstar DJs added to their roster are Judge Jules (August 3) and Paul Van Dyk (September 19). There’s an interesting double bill at the Button Factory Dublin on Wednesday when Tycho from San Francisco will be supported by German producer Ulrich Schnauss.

COMEDY CAPERS: Tommy Tiernan will be filming a new video at his appearances at the Glebe Gardens Amphitheatre in Baltimore, Co Cork, on August 19-20. Brendan Grace is at Ballymaloe Grainstore in East Cork on August 8, while US comic Toby Muresianu is at City Limits in the city tomorrow.

FILM TIPS: Monty Python have reformed for a series of shows they claim will be their last, and Irish fans can get in on the action with a live Omniplex screening of Sunday’s performance from the O2 in London. Participating cinemas include Cork, Limerick and Dublin.