Scene + Heard: All the best entertainment news
LCD Soundsystem have followed up news of their surprise reformation with details of an appearance at the Lovebox festival in London in July. There’s no word yet of an Irish appearance for the group, but James Murphy has at least built relationships with Electric Picnic organisers with his Despacio project at the event last year.
Begin the unsubstantiated rumours now. Another boxoffice outfit announcing European festival dates are Arcade Fire, who will play in Spain and Portugal in July, with a new album also on the way from the Canadians. And Radiohead? Yes, also about to tour. Watch this space.
Today may be a day to get the credit card into operation with tickets going on sale for both Longitude and the third Macklemore and Ryan Lewis gig. The latter duo announced a ‘final’ third gig at the 3Arena for April 17. Longitude, meanwhile, has an impressive lineup with headliners Kendrick Lamar, Major Lazer and the National over three days (July 15-17) at Marlay Park.
In Cork, the Kino Winter Weekender runs over the next few days at the former cinema on Washington Street. Altered Hours (see feature) launch their debut there album tonight, while there’s a free spoken word event with Wasps versus Humans and Julie Goo tomorrow at lunchtime, with Wiggle doing their electronic dub thing tomorrow night.
Also in Cork, Illa J of the Slum Village collective is at Urban Jungle in the Mardyke Complex tonight as part of a tribute night for his late great brother J Dilla. Ballincollig continues its Winter Music Festival at the White Horse with De Dannan tonight and the Wainwright sisters on Saturday. There are more announcements expected today for the Marquee in Cork, including an appearance by The Corrs.
Two young Cork musicians are organising the Ortús Chamber Music Festival which takes place at venues in Youghal, UCC and the Sirius in Cobh from February 26-28. The
Irish Chamber Orchestra will begins its concert season with
Death and The Maiden at the Mansion House in Dublin on February 10, and at UCH Limerick the following night.
Another week, another must-see film in the cinema. Spotlight opens today, and has been widely tipped for Oscars for its tale of the Boston Globe newspaper’s investigation into child abuse and subsequent cover-ups by the Catholic Church. An extremely decent cast includes Mark Ruffalo (right), Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams. The famed Sundance festival is also on the moment, with seven Irish films being shown in Utah.
John Carney’s Sing Street has already screened to some warm reviews, while Rebecca Daly’s well-received Mammal stars Australian actress Rachel Griffiths. Meanwhile, among the films on the roster at Triskel in Cork from this weekend is My Skinny Sister, a moving Swedish drama about anorexia. On Wednesday, the same venue is also showing Evilspeak, the controversial 1981 horror, and before the screening, American film writer Kier-La Janisse will talk about pop-cultural paranoia.
The Blackwater Valley gets its first Fit-Up Theatre Festival from Feb 3-20 when three plays will run in such centres as Banteer, Youghal and Fermoy. See www.fit-uptheatrefestival.com. Banteer’s own drama group brings its production of John B Keane’s The Field to the Everyman in Cork next Thursday and Friday.
Cork also gets a new venue for drama from March 15, when the Gardens Theatre in Ballyphehane (adjacent to the secondary school) hosts A Great Arrangement, by Patrick Talbot. The play is based on the letters of Michael Collins and Kitty Kiernan.
