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We here at Across The Line would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the bands, punters, listeners and web surfers for a fantastic 2011.
Remember to tune into a very special Across The Line show on boxing day. We will air set from this years Belsonic festival听and gigantic homecoming performance at T-Vital. Across The Line Dance will be bringing yultide beats on Friday 30th of January.
We are taking our Xmas break for the next week and will be back very soon, so until then, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!听
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Bell X1 and Jape at Mandela Hall, Belfast Friday, December 16th 2011. It didn鈥檛 kick start straight away. While Jape鈥檚 opener 鈥淥ne of Those Days that Just Feels so Long鈥 caught our attention, it took a little while for us to totally hand ourselves over to Jape鈥檚 curious rhythms and synthetic beats.
In the end, we鈥檙e grateful for a lively, enthusiastic set. 80鈥檚 synth and poppy guitar encouraged freaky dancing throughout the Mandela while that heavy reverb had the heart clapping along.
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MCD have announced that the annual will take a break in 2012 returning in 2013. A statement issued on the Oxegen website explains, 鈥"Oxegen, like Glastonbury, is taking a year off in 2012 and will be back July 2013."
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Rumours have been rife over the last few weeks with several indications alluding to the absence of the festival in 2012. The early bird tickets for 2012, usually released at this time of year, did not go on sale. Also, the announcement of The Stone Roses as headliners at Oxegen鈥檚 鈥榮ister鈥 festival T in the Park but not the Punchestown festival was a massive hint that it may not take place in 2012.
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To find out more on what鈥檚 happening visit the
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Smalltown America have announced they will curate a label showcase gig at the Crawdaddy in Dublin on January 13th as part of the Independence Month Series. The event will see Smalltown artists such as LaFaro, Fighting With Wire, More Than Conquerors, Former Monarchs, Our Krypton Son and Wiltz take to the stage to showcase the Northern Irish labels wares.
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The Independence Month Series will take place at the Crawdaddy throughout January. These shows have been put together by several Irish labels to celebrate the vibrant independent music scene that our country currently finds itself in, with each label getting the opportunity to share the creative fruits of their artists.
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Details have been released today regarding the 8th annual Belfast Nashville Songwriters Competition. The BelNash festival听will host over one hundred acts across thrity five venues throughout Belfast from February 22nd - 26th.
Some of the acts playing include: , , John Oates, , and many more. A full list of the artists playing can be found at the Belfast Nashville website.
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Several gigs have recently been announced to add to the already plump festive gig glut. Irish singer songwriter will play the Black Box on February 22nd.
have announced they will play the Mandela Hall on March 31st with a gig the next night in the Olympia in Dublin. They tour in support of their experimental electro meets metal new album 'The Path of Totality'.
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We here at Across The Line are more than just a little excited about Christmas. The presents, the movies and the food are the easy bit, but trying to figure out what shows to go to is proving to be a little more difficult. Let听Rigsy help you out with a handy guide of just some standout shows happening this Xmas. Remember to check out our gig guide for loads of other听choice gigs!
were in fantastic form Friday past, opening yet another memorable Every time we see them in fact, they're just that little bit better.
Festive rating - 4 stars: For some reason, Silhouette's music soundtracks Christmas cheer rather well. In our head, anyway.
The aptly named Belfast Brawl sees five of the most brutal, riff-tastic bands chug it out. No one expects to make it out in one piece.
FR - 1 star: A 'brawl' - that's not very festive, is it?!
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Experiencing something of a rebirth five years after frontman Justin Hawkins jumped ship for some much-needed rehabilitation, The Darkness return to Belfast tonight a band riding the wave of new-found success and a more laudable reputation than ever before. Sure, they鈥檝e encountered their fair share of derision and mockery in their time, but there鈥檚 a vague sense that, this time, they mean business. However, the question remains: is there any truth to this and 鈥 more importantly - is it finally time to cut them a bit of slack?
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Carryduff's have announced details of their latest Irish tour today which includes two dates supporting and听three dates in Belfast. They will play the following dates:
Dublin: The Button Factory - 14th January
Belfast: The Odyssey - Supporting Noel Gallagher - 16th February
Dublin: The Odyssey - 17th February
Galway: Roisin Dubh - 23rd February
Dublin: Academy - 24th February
Cork: Cypress Avenue - 25th February
Belfast: Empire Music Hall - 1st March
Belfast: An Culturlann - 2nd March
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Life is busy in the world of . , a film Vance and created the film score for听has been shortlisted for an Oscar in the 'Best Short' category.
Foy's show at the Playhouse House in Portrush has just sold out, but fear not. If you want your yultide fill of Mr Vance then听you will be delighted to hear he听recently recorded a live session听in London for the people at . His session sits on the orbited by the likes of Frank Turner, Wilco and The Antlers.
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More gig news!
A whole bunch of great shows have been announced for the south - hip hop superstar Drake will play the O2 (Dublin) on March 24 while Magnetic Fields will play The Olympia (Dublin) and The Opera House (Cork) on April 28 and 29.
Legendary singer-songwriter Tom Petty will play two shows in Ireland next year - The O2 (Dublin) and The Marquee (Cork) on June 7 and 8. Meanwhile, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds will support The Red Hot Chilli Peppers for their Croke Park show next June.
The Stone Roses have announced that they will play a one off show in听Phoenix Park, Dublin听as part of their reformation听tour on July 5th 2012.
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Wild Beasts Stiff Kitten, December 2nd, 2011
It鈥檚 mid-December and the end of year "best of" lists are coming in thick and fast. Surely enough, as was only to be expected ever since it was let loose in May, Cumbrian indie-rockers Wild Beasts鈥 fourth album Smother features right up there on the most prestigious and beyond. Without question then, 2011 has seen the band arrive in ways they have threatened for years now, and tonight鈥檚 packed house is both a reflection of this and proof that this has turned out to be one the most anticipated gigs of the year.
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Quite a few shows of note coming up ('tis the season after all) but one stands out this weekend as a triple bill not to be missed. Saturday night see's , and play The Spring and Airbreak. RunawayGo were our GOTW last monday听 and played a blinder听 'nuf said. Fighting with Wire are a reliable treat - more now than ever given they're on the verge of releasing a long awaited second album and a mammoth tour across Europe with post-hardcore legends Helmet.
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Lucy Rose cuts a small figure on the Mandela stage, but she brings a big presence, delivering a set of folky tunes in a delicate voice. She gets people on board early, with a big cheer from the half-full hall at the end of the opening song. Lucy tells us that she normally plays with a full band, but tonight it鈥檚 just her and a cellist delivering an acoustic stripped-down version of the songs. It works well, the dreamy poise of the songs coming over clearly, and the combination of guitar and cello makes for an effective sound. Winning the crowd over, she gets a raucous cheer at the end, especially from the big noisy blokes in the now nearly full crowd.
Bombay Bicycle Club hit the stage to a roar; everyone seems up for this. Anticipating an evening of rosy, melodic music to send us home with a Christmassy glow, we get much more than that - from the outset, Bombay are here to rock. Opener 鈥楽huffle鈥 gets a good response, and when 鈥楧ust on the Ground鈥 comes soon after, we are already getting a sing-a-long.
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Internet sensation will play The Speakeasy in Belfast on February the 26th. The Limelight will host on April 27th and Sound of 2012 nominees on the 23rd of April while English indie听gents will play next door in the Spring and Airbrake on March 4th 2012.
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Southend on Sea goth rockers have announced they will return to Belfast to play The Mandela Hall on Sunday May 13th. This leg of the tour see's the band wrap up a lengthy trot on the road promoting most recent, critically acclaimed, album 'Skying'.
Word online has it they will be treating fans to some brand new tunes too!
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It鈥檚 clear that cold noses, icy streets and the probability of bruised bums weren鈥檛 going to stop anyone from missing what was the ATL 鈥楪ig of the Week鈥, with an impressive showing early doors at The Stiff Kitten.
Fresh off their tour of Ireland, bring it home for the release of their second single 鈥楧elicate Man.鈥 The indie rock 5 piece are becoming renowned for their high powered performances, so Friday night was held in high expectations.
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Tonight's ATL, we're delighted to say, will be our annual carol service. Now in it's ninth year, the carol service is one of our favourite show's to put together. While we've been lucky enough to have a bunch of our favourite bands record Christmas songs just for us over the years, tonight's show is looking up to be the best of the lot.
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A Plastic Rose have issued a call out for extras to get involved in the promo video for the first single from their debut album 'Build From the Ground Up'.
The video will be shot on Sunday 11th of December in Glenariff Forest from 10am till 3pm. For more information on how to take
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Kicking things off in decidedly unconventional fashion, BEW (Barry鈥檚 Electric Workshop) AKA Barry Cullen, is a forward-thinking noisenik whose shifting walls of analogue noise border on sought-after attacks. On a one-man experimental crusade via an array of homemade pedals, his partiality to droning waves and caustic racket, though no means mind-expandingly innovative in scope or vision, reveals a commendable and brazen take on improvisational live sound. We were promised noise and, for all intents and purposes, we鈥檝e readily received it from the fore.
Hats donned, self-professed alt-rock three-piece Sinner Falls take things intro more structured territory with their impassioned and alchemical force. With frontman Lorcan Falls鈥 ad hoc soliloquies and wah-wah infested guitar solos, it鈥檚 a raging set marked by the likes of 鈥楽ilence鈥 (a track melding 鈥榃ar Pigs鈥 and 鈥極rion鈥), 鈥渁 song about our horrible future鈥, 鈥楥entrifugal Bumble-Puppy鈥, and the frantic riffdom of 鈥楰ill Me First鈥, a highlight that sees drummer David Donnelly鈥檚 drive come to the fore. A rare triad of talent and decency, Sinner Falls keep growing in leaps and bounds.
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Following on from Rigsy鈥檚 praise of 鈥楾hat New Band Smell鈥 in The Big List and on our Across the Line blog I felt under big pressure to bring the goods to this weeks new band update. I鈥檓 pretty sure we are on to a winner with these three treats.
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Maiden City Metal from former members of No Mean City and Hybris
Hook laden indie from the mystery shrouded three piece. Who are they? What do they look like? What next?
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Some of you may have noticed our monthly column in The Big List fo which Rigsy tends to bang on about - well, whatever's on his mind or floating the collective ATL boat.
Here's this month's effort, with the relevant links and directions if anyone fancies a little further listening....
That new band smell....so sweet!
Every week on Across the Line, we have a feature called 'That New Band Smell', hosted by floppy haired social butterfly Philly Taggart. While I like having Philly about the office because he's the only man on the planet capable of making yours truly look butch and macho, he's really here because of his remarkable knack for digging out gems and reserving us the best seat on future bandwagons.听
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North coast听three piece听Strait Laces premiered their short film 'Kids Like John Need a Hero / The Glorious Dead' last week at Katy Daly's and now have made the film available online. The video听can be viewed by following . There are a few blue words in the video, so beware of the swear!
The short film is themed around two tracks from the debut album from Strait Laces which is available from their
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Obvious choice this, given they won us over for life during a recent session. are the most welcoming collection of people we've met in quite a while - both on and offstage! Hugely engaging duets from David and Fiona, big hooks, proper singalongs....they're just one of the most reliable bands we have. Especially given they'll be all nice and warmed up for us having just completed a full Irish tour.
'We're super excited about Friday night's show in the Stiff Kitten' explains bassist Chris Jackson.
'It's great to be back home after a long tour & we're looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd. If you're up for dancing, singing & general mayhem, this is the gig for you!'
SOLD!!
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Runaway Go and play The Stiff Kitten, Belfast on Friday night.
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Tonight鈥檚 gig features a pleasing return for (ahem), Flipping Road Trip. The last time we saw this little lot they were melting our faces off on the floor of the Bunatee, and we were mightily impressed. Tonight is a little more restrained, as it鈥檚 10 o鈥檆lock on a school-night and they鈥檙e up on a stage this time, but it鈥檚 still a fearsome performance.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just some aul fellas playing music we couldn鈥檛 play in the 90鈥檚,鈥 quips Ricki O鈥橰awe. This may be true, but they carry it off with a style and aplomb that many so-called 鈥榖uzz鈥 bands would sell their drummer for. This is American style art-rock by the people who grew up with it, people with nothing to prove and who are willing to have fun with it. And that鈥檚 what counts.
Following that we have Dublin鈥檚 Land Lovers with their pleasant indie-pop stylings. Coming across like the mid-point between Pavement and C86, their music meanders between saccharine sweet love songs, to off the wall psychedelic musings. In many ways their music is suggestive of the Coral鈥檚 lysergic sea shanties, possessing that very special brand of looseness that can only come about after endless hours in the rehearsal studios.
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Northern Irish festival Glasgowbury has announced that the submission period for the 2012 festival is now open.
To submit for Glasgowbury 2012, all you have to do is email submissions@glasgowbury.com with a link to your website, social networking site, third party site with a link to your music etc - wherever your music and a bit of information about you/your act is included. When emailing it is advised that you use 'Glasgowbury 2012' as the title of your submission.
For more information visit the
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Details of the has been announced. The festival that encompasses comedy, music and talks will take place between 4th and 29th if January in the Cathedral Quarter in Belfast. For full details on events check out the
Canadian DJ returns to Belfast on June 7th 2012 to play the Kings Hall. He returns just over a year听since his last visit to Northern Ireland after a sold out UK tour and will have in tow his ever imaginative stage show.
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