Five For Your Radar: Smiths drummer, Cork music weekender, Power Ballad...
Paul Rudd (left) as Rick in Power Ballad and Mike Joyce (right) of The Smiths.
Mike Joyce, legendary drummer of The Smiths, and who has played with the likes of Sinéad O’Connor, Public Image Ltd, Buzzcocks, Suede, and Julian Cope, released his acclaimed autobiography in late 2025. He brings the candid memoir to the Savoy for a night of stories as he answers the question ‘where did it all go right?’ — a question he and bassist Andy Rourke, with whom he had a deep and very special relationship, used to often ask each other.
The music festival Open Ear celebrates its 10th anniversary this June, exactly 10 years since the inaugural event on the same weekend in 2016. It brings together all that is wonderful and weird in Ireland’s experimental and electronic scenes, set against the wild beauty of Sherkin Island. With only one performance happening at a time, the experience is intimate and immersive. The line-up is proudly mostly Irish, with a few special international names for those in the know.
Heineken Greenlight rolls out across Irish cities over consecutive bank holidays, including Cork this weekend. Across the weekend, guitar fans can catch Inhaler, Florence Road, and Men I Trust, while dance heads get Jazzy, Nightmares on Wax, and Jenny Greene. BBC 6 Music DJ and ex Fun Lovin Criminals frontman Huey Morgan closes things out on Sunday at Seventy Seven.
Following the Oscar-winning success of and the charm of (released 10 years ago!), writer/director John Carney returns with , another heartfelt story about music and ambition. When Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves — even if it means risking everything he cares about.
Having toured across the country over the past month-plus, the legendary Mary Black brings her farewell tour to Cork Opera House this week. She says: “I’ve been thinking long and hard about retiring and have finally decided that the time has come for me to step away from life on the road.” Her band includes Clonakility guitarist Bill Shanley, Pat Crowley, Richie Buckley, Nick Scott, and Liam Bradley.
