Intro by Gareth O’Malley So, Euro 2012 concluded recently.  They say football is a funny old game, and in a way, the same can be said of music. From a personal standpoint, I have found music both easier and much harder to handle this year. There has be …

Belfast ska punk legends Pocket Billiards have been making Ireland skank for ten mighty years! From their humble beginnings in the much-loved and ever-missed Giro’s they have grown to become a staple of the scene and an integral part of Belfast culture …

Anticipation and expectation reign supreme in the Speakeasy this evening, the crowd restless but positive, aware that they’re in for a treat tonight. And boy, are they right. San Francisco’s Deafheaven are first to creep onto the stage, their reverb la …

The last time I was in Whelans, it was to see We Were Promised Jetpacks; I remark, once I get settled in for the Simone Felice Group’s show, that the atmosphere couldn’t be any more different now. For one thing, it is an all-seated gig; and for another …

There is no mistaking that you’ve listened to something so full of piss and vinegar; vitriol and angst once the dying notes of ‘Clubfoot by Kasabian’ finish. Blitzkrieg pop by definition this is. This barnstorming opener is a sign of things to come, ea …

Just as ‘Calaveras’ release from last year was my early Christmas present, so happy I was to hear I get to get another one from the same band this year! ‘Christmas 86’ (nomen omen) is a 5 track EP from Upcdownc, released not even half a year after thei …

So the first Symbiosis event went really well – all the bands were great, and as some of you know already E&D nominees Three Colours were voted to go through to the final *smug look*. For those of you new to this, CogDissPR asked their favourite passio …

We here at Echoes & Dust are very proud to announce that we are putting forwards three of our favourite unsigned bands to take part in Symbiosis. Symbiosis have asked their favourite passionate proponents of new music to nominate their top up and c …

Ross Breen Little xs for Eyes Gabriel & the Hounds David C. Clements Rae Morris Leaders of Men — No disrespect to the other artists who were on the bill for this show, but I had not originally come to this showcase to review them. Last Sunday’s sh …

With this review I had a double eye-opening experience. I remember how a good while ago someone recommended to me Three Trapped Tigers based on my taste etc etc. Ok, let’s give them a go! And so I did. I found three EPs, enigmatically called EP, EP2 an …

There are a lot of things I’ve done at gigs. For instance, due to me having a naturally nervous disposition, there have been a few times when I’ve almost gotten sick from nerves before going on stage. I’ve only played a handful (less than 30 or so over …

Clutching an icepack to the place where my left kidney used to be, beer in the other hand, the opening grind of ‘Kill It In The Morning’ rolled out across the night’s venue. Despite the money haemorrhage, Cargo suited The Twilight Sad – a low ceilinged …

Clock Opera @ Electrowerkz, Islington, London. December 01 2011 Clock Opera are, without any shadow of doubt, the most exciting thing happening in music at the moment. I say this not as my opinion, but as an unequivocal statement of fact. Strong words, …

Photo by Alessio Michelini The Antlers/Little Green Cars – The Academy, Dublin, 17/11/11 Some bands don’t put very much into their live performances. Sometimes, you go to see a band and it’s almost like you should have stayed home and listened to the C …

Strange News from Another Star – Kings College London 7/11/11 If rock and roll history is to be believed, there were only 40 people at the Sex Pistols legendary first gig in Manchester in 1979, but almost all of them went on to form a band. Tonight it’ …