Tom Dunne: These are the things I'm looking forward to in 2024
L-R: Elvis Costello, Muireann Bradley, Spinal Tap's Christopher Guest
The year ahead promises to be the usual mix of things to look forward to and things to avoid. To ensure that this time next year you’ve caught more than you missed, you must plan ahead, and remember one thing: As Elvis Costello once said, “Music is too important too important to be left to musicians.”
So don’t leave them alone. Join them at gigs, buy the merch, ask for the records. To help you in that regard, some things to look forward to in 2024.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of A Century Ends, Gray returns to the first venue he ever sold out. It was exposure on the Donal Dineen era No Disco that led to this and gave him the confidence to make White Ladder. Already the hottest ticket of 2024.
The Dylan of the punk era with his long-time musical foil. I saw this show at the National Concert Hall. It is wonderful evening songs, stories, and jokes. How his dad learned to speak Spanish is worth the price of admission in itself.
Stepping out from the shadow of the excellent Big Thief, Lenker will be stretching her wings with a solo album and solo dates. I find her mesmerising and as an artist is on a rich run of form.
Hopefully these will go ahead as she has recently pulled some European dates on health. As significant an artist as Punk Rock produced and in Vicar Street! Be still my heart.
This May be the Last Time, as we said the last time, and may say again, hopefully.
I’ve recently heard the soon-to-be-released single. It reminded me that form is temporary but class is permanent. It is one of the best things I’ve ever heard her do.
The debut album from the 17-year-old Donegal guitar-picking prodigy already getting international attention following her New Year's eve appearance on Jools Hootenanny. A la Kate Bush in that she has already been signed for four years, but utterly different and utterly remarkable.
The Nigel Godrich – he of Radiohead fame - produced album is due in February. The two singles I have heard are already two of my favourite tracks of 2023. There is a purity to Idles like nothing else on earth.
This should be with is by the end of the month. It isn’t Radiohead, and yet when Thom Yorke sings, it is Radiohead.
If even 20% of the hype is true about this UK indie band, the debut will be biblical.
Think of the vinyl editions, the extra tracks, the podcasts!
Mott the Hoople’s All the Young Dudes, Bowie’s sublime Diamond Dogs, Joni Mitchel’s Court and Spark, Queen’s Shear Heart Attack, Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run, and Dolly Parton’s Jolene.
Bruce’s Born in the USA, The Smiths' debut, U2’s Unforgettable Fire, Prince’s Purple Rain, Echo and the Bunnymen’s Ocean Rain, Talking Head’s Stop Making Sense, and be still my beating heart (again) The Blue Nile’s A Walk Across the Rooftops
Green Days’ Dookie, Portishead’s Dummy, Weezer’s Blue album – the one with Buddy Holly- Blur’s Parklife, Oasis' Definitely Maybe, Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged, Jeff Buckley’s Grace, Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy.
Modest Mouse’s Float On – I’ll just leave that out there.
There is also growing excitement about new albums from The Cure, Britany Howard, Paul McCartney and Nick Cave. Plus reissues of extreme size from The Waterboys (This is the Sea) and Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs.
If that is not enough to send you running into the arms of 2024, production on the follow-up to This is Spinal Tap, the greatest rockumentary ever made, is scheduled for February.
The band, with the exception naturally of all drummers, are still with us. Their manager, Ian Faith sadly is not, but in his absence management of the band has passed to his widow, to whom they are contractually obliged to perform one last show!
Word of warning, mind: Tay Tay’s gigs are June 28, 29 and 30th. Might want to schedule that visit to your granny in Newcastle that you’ve been putting off.
2024, bring it on!
