Cavan at Electric Picnic #3

One time half of Dead Can Dance,Brendan Perry, solo for over 10 years now, minus a world tour in 2005, is still making waves in the music world.

Now based in Belturbet, Brendan Perry and his band play The Cosby Stage at the Electric Picnic on Saturday.

Fans can expect some blasts from the past, some old Dead Can Dance material, but mainly material from the most recent album and a taste of material that will be on his new album next year.

Brendan's music has a moody, atmospheric quality that fits his description of his music as "painting soundscapes".

"I incorporate a lot of different elements into the music," he says. "Atmosphere and ambience would be influenced by working on film soundtracks and scores. Also, from a theatrical background, I like the music to lend itself to being cinema-like in its scope."

Among his credentials: he wrote soundtracks for Sunset Heights, Child Of The Moon and Baraka; forming Dead Can Dance, he and Lisa Gerrard secured a record contract with 4AD releasing nine albums to considerable public and critical acclaim over a period of 16 years; they built up a significant cult audience worldwide, and Brendan's delighted with "how the audience has stayed with us over the years".

There's a world music feel to his work, and the influences are many-fold. A lot of Brendan's inspiration is internal."It comes from the imagination, as opposed to what affects me outside," he says, but the countryside gives "a peace and meditative-like ambience to my life that cities do not offer". "I draw from any given time or epoch. We're certainly not fashionable, we go with what turns us on. In that sense we make music for ourselves first, not for the market," he says.

Also performing with him will be fellow Belturbet musician, Peter Sheridan, together with the other band members, Astrid Williamson, Dan Gresson and Rory O'Brien.

Brendan Perry plays Belturbet Railway Station on Friday, September 3, at 8.30pm. Tickets at €15 are available from Multisound or 086-1275310. He plays The Cosby Stage at the Electric Picnic on Saturday, September 4, at 9.15pm.

© Anglo Celt

Cavan at Electric Picnic #2

Emilys Eldest an indie folk duo comprising well-known Cavan musician, Eileen Tackney, and Ben Tiernan from Oldcastle, are set to play at the Body And Soul stage on Saturday at Electric Picnic.

Eileen says they're delighted with the prestigious coup."It's a great opportunity, especially considering we're only together a year," said the Maudabawn native who is well regarded for her work with Song Sisters, Blue Valentine's Night Of Tom Waits Music and Cavan Cathedral choir, as well as teaching and arranging work.

When Eileen and Ben starting playing together after they met at a poetry reading, there was an instant creative connection. Their sound is an original, personal and experimental fusion of contemporary and folk music. Eileen plays keyboard, Ben the guitar and they share vocals. "We realised we work very well together and complement each other's music well. As far as we're concerned, this is a long-term venture," explains Eileen.

Eileen was at the Electric Picnic as a punter two years ago and didn't so much as have designs on taking to the stage."I hadn't even met Ben back then, so I wasn't thinking along those lines. It's great to be back as a performer this time," she says.

I'm expecting big things, not because she used to be my nextdoor neighbour, but because their sound is amazing, keep and eye out for their new self titled EP released September 12th.

Cavan at Electric Picnic #1

For Lisa O'Neill, from Ballyhaise, it'll be the third time performing at the Stradbally festival, but this time she's been upped to the main stage in the Body And Soul area..

The band will include Swedish Stina Sanstrom, Pixie Delamere from Dublin, Japanese harpist Junshi Murakami, Mossy Nolan from Galway on banjo and mandolin and Stephen Morgerley on double bass.

"I always liked listening to music, but it wasn't like it was a hugely prominent thing in our house," she says. "I got guitar lessons when I was about 15 and started singing then too... It was very enjoyable."

Lisa writes her own songs throwing in the occasional cover, naming Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Joni Mitchell, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, the Everly Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel and The Dubliners as influences, she describes her music as folk, pointing out that this means writing songs about the people. "Whether I'm writing about my own life or what I see around me, it is folk music, though some people would have different ideas about what folk is," says Lisa, adding that her influences are "storytellers".

Last August, she brought out her first album, Lisa O'Neill Has An Album.

Asked how it's going, she puts it simply: "We released it independently and we don't have many copies left, so I think that's good. It's selling and getting a nice reaction," she says modestly. Critics, however, are more lavish with praise."She's an exceptional talent who writes beautiful, funny and unusual folk songs which she delivers in her unique and awe-inspiring voice," was what the News Of The World said.

Lisa's busy writing new music at the moment, as well as doing gigs and working in Bewley's on Dublin's Grafton Street.

© Anglo Celt

Heathers Cover Modest Mouse.

The Wombats new video!

Cee- Lo : Fuck You

Seems to be the next big hit on the interweb.... a guilty pleasure

Radiohead live concert film!

In August 2009 Radiohead played a concert in Prague where more than 50 fans in the audience collaborated to shoot the band from every possible angle with cheap, hand-held flip cameras.

Their mission was to create a fan-made concert film that captured the true experience of being at the gig. Radiohead lent their support to the project, supplying their hi-fi audio recordings to the film makers.

The film is now finished and has been released online. The Radiohead Prague DVD is available to download for free or to stream on youtube.

As expected, there's been huge amounts of traffic to the site, causing some problems with downloading. But there's no end-date for the free download and the site clearly states the footage is: "Strictly not for sale. By the fans, for the fans. Please share and enjoy."

Radiohead shot and released a 10-song acoustic set in 2008 but haven't released a full concert film since 1995's Live at the Astoria.

Here's a sample of the Radiohead Prague DVD: