An impressive debut EP and a deal with Virgin have marked the trio out as ones to watch, writes Ed Power.

As a senator, Frances Black has recently been battling against Israeli settlements, but she is also looking forward to gigging again with her old friends, writes Ellie O’Byrne.

I once interviewed a wealthy author of popular novels, who said the only way to finish writing a book was to lock oneself away in one’s second home with just the housekeeper — not the butler — and spend four to six weeks keyboard-bashing without distraction.

Indiependence (Aug 3-5) in Mitchelstown has revealed its day-to-day lineup.

Children’s author Deirdre Sullivan appears at the Towers and Tales festival in Lismore on Saturday. She also works as an SEN teacher, and currently lives in Dublin, writes Des O’Driscoll

Camille O’Sullivan returns in Shakespeare’s poem of rape and its aftermath, writes Esther McCarthy

I can’t remember the first time I heard Bob Dylan or Van Morrison or even Lightnin’ Hopkins, but I remember the first time I heard Dolores O’Riordan, writes Michael Clifford.

A raucous atmosphere filled the National Concert Hall last night as some of rock ‘n roll’s greatest rebels gathered to celebrate the 60th birthday of Pogues singer Shane MacGowan.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Des O’Driscoll shares the latest news from the entertainment world.

Our regular contributors select their highlights of the year.

A special gig filled with international stars will celebrate the 60th birthday of Shane MacGowan.

Des O’Driscoll shares the latest entertainment news and his top tips for the week ahead

Joe O’Leary, formerly of the band Fred, runs Levis Corner House in Ballydehob, Co Cork. On Friday, the pub hosts two shows by Steve Poltz as part of the Culture Night celebrations.

Camille O’Sullivan is looking forward to starring in a piece forged from the works of Schubert and Buchner, writes Padraic Killeen.

Is that you, Ken Brockman?

No mere compilation could do justice to the sweep and fever-dream fecundity of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Thus Lovely Creatures, Cave’s first ever ‘greatest hits’, is best regarded as beginner’s guide to this eternal outsider rather than a definitive survey of his near four-decade career.

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Noel Baker samples the laid-back atmosphere in Skibbereen’s luxury haunt for visiting celebrities. Even Luke Skywalker has been a guest...

SINGER and musician Camille O’Sullivan goes all out on make-up and costumes for her exotic stage shows, but she wants her three-year-old daughter to have a different focus.

Weekend number 2 of Cork Midsummer Festival features a tour of local homes to view their art, dancing with buckets, and more, says Ellie O’Byrne

Offaly-born composer Amanda Feery won the Seán Ó Riada Composition Competition for this year’s Cork International Choral Festival and her piece will be performed on Friday in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral. She is also working on pieces for Crash Ensemble and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra.

The son of rock star Nick Cave fell to his death after taking LSD, an inquest has heard.

JOHN BLEK is not really called John Blek. ‘Blek’ is a moniker adopted for the stage, with the songwriter and producer keeping his actual name a secret (rumour has it he was born John O’Connor).

US comedian Marc Maron tells Richard Fitzpatrick about the time Barack Obama came for a chat in his garage.

Stax

Musician Nick Cave has paid tribute to his teenage son who died after falling from a cliff. Arthur Cave was found in the Brighton area on Tuesday at 6pm, police said.

Described as a ‘regular cat’ — even ‘a soulful cat’ , Van Morrison is not one for interviews, so it was a coup for Clive Davis to land an interview with the media-phobic Maestro , exclusively for the Irish Examiner.

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ALEC Ounsworth likes not being famous. For a few scary months in 2005 he was on the cusp of something akin to celebrity (the indie rock equivalent at least). The experience did not agree with him very much.

MUSIC NEWS:

MUSIC NEWS:

THEY have been described, by the New York Times as “one of the greatest bands in the world”. The Guardian has been similarly breathless, eulogising them as “one of the most extraordinary groups on the planet”.

Cillian Murphy is back for a second series as the fearless Thomas Shelby, leader of the marauding Peaky Blinders, says Susan Griffin

GIG WISE: With Electric Picnic out of the way, the next biggie on the Irish music horizon is the Guinness Amplify festival taking place through the five provinces on different weekends in September and October.

Robin Wright wishes she could watch her children grow up all over again.

Music promoter Peter Aiken, whose Live at the Marquee gigs have entertained more than 500,000 people in Cork’s docklands over the last decade, has promised to rock Leeside again next year, as well as releasing an album of the decade’s highlights.