Scene + Heard: Entertainment news from the week
McLean may be 69, but he’s just a callow youth in comparison to BB King, 89, who was hospitalised earlier this week for what was described as diabetes-related dehydration, but he’s home again and feeling “much better”. Recent health problems have forced the blues legend to cut his performances to a measly 100 shows a year.
As reported last week, Joni Mitchell was also taken to hospital with an unspecified illness last week, but a statement on her website seems to indicate she’s also on the mend: “We are encouraged by her progress and she continues to improve and get stronger each day.”
Meanwhile, at the other end of the age scale, Justin Bieber may be coming to dubstep rave near you, with the revelation that he’s recruiting Skrillex and Diplo to produce his next album.
And while those two American button-pushers are in heavy demand, you’d have to imagine their phones aren’t getting half as much action as Mark Ronson’s. Among those draining his cell power has been Lana Del Rey, with a collaboration already underway on tracks for her next album.
You may associate the National Concert Hall with classical music and posh Dubliners, but the venue really has been hosting an eclectic range of interesting gigs in recent times.
Tickets went on sale this morning for a series of summer gigs, packaged as ‘This Must Be The Place’. First up is Marc Almond on August 1, followed by American folk-rocker Sun Kil Moon on Aug 6, and rarely seen English musician Keaton Henson on Aug 15.
Don't forget tickets for @MarcAlmond, Sun Kil Moon & Keaton Henson go on sale tomorrow (Fri 10) at 10am on nch.ie pic.twitter.com/J7KhBmexH1
— National Concert Hall (@NCH_Music) April 9, 2015
The latter figure famously suffers from severe stage fright, which is why his gigs are such a rarity. Also in Dublin, emerging outfit The Shades play their first headliner in the Mercantile on April 25.
Further south, the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh, Co Cork, has The Rails on May 2. You mightn’t have heard of the duo, but you’ll certainly know some of their associations. James Walbourne is guitarist with The Pretenders, while Kami Thompson is daughter of UK folkies, Richard and Linda Thompson.
Paul Brady is at Cork Opera House on Saturday, April 25.
One for the diaries next Saturday is Love, Like at the Hanover in Cork, featuring a host of the city’s top DJs, including Fish Go Deep, Stevie G, Angi, etc.
Admission is €10 and all proceeds go to Yes Equality Cork.
Openings at mainstream cinemas today include assassin flick John Wick, starring Keanu Reeves; and comedy sequel Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.
Next week, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck will get a general release, but in the meantime, you can see the documentary at Triskel in Cork from Sunday, and the IFI in Dublin from today. We’ll have an interview with director Brett Morgen on these pages on Monday.
Tomorrow, Triskel is also showing a production of Hamlet, starring Maxine Peake, which was filmed at Manchester’s Royal Exchange.
Cork Cine Club has The Great Museum (Das Große Museum) next Thursday at St John’s College. Presumably, the observational documentary from behind-the-scenes at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna is more exciting than you’d imagine.
Jools Holland is back on BBC Two with his excellent Later... show, with Tuesday’s episode featuring a typically impressive lineup of Blur, Laura Marling and The Vaccines.
Fans of the late Terry Pratchett will be pleased to hear that his 41st and final Discworld novel, The Shepherd’s Crown, has been set for publication in September.
.@TransworldBooks have announced Terry Pratchett's final Discworld book, The Shepherd's Crown https://t.co/inia9A9ANh pic.twitter.com/BUuqmwrIKf
— Waterstones (@Waterstones) April 7, 2015
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
