TWO DOOR Cinema Club, Codes, and Wild Beasts, three bands many tip to become the major acts of 2010, will all play Strange Brew in the Róisín Dubh within the next three months.
The Strange Brew clubnights take place every Thursday in the Róisín and have become the place to hear, in the words of music promoter, DJ, and Strange Brew founder Gugai, “indie beats, alternative rock, and good vibrations from the past, the present, and the not too distant future.”
“That tagline has always been the ethos and that goes for both the live show and the clubnight straight afterwards,” Gugai tells me. “It goes for the more left-field acts and music you might not hear anywhere else. Also a lot of the shows are free admission and the pay in ones are mostly low ticket prices and there are not many places which offer that.”
The club is set to continue that ethos into 2010 and already boasts an upcoming run of shows featuring exciting up and coming Irish and British acts and bands with fearsome reputations for their live shows. Also, as it is a new year, there will be new additions to the make up of the Strange Brew nights.
“Starting in February the upstairs bar in the Róisín will feature live shows after 12 midnight,” says Gugai. “It won’t just be acoustic acts, it will be full bands. It means people can stay for the clubnight after the live show downstairs or go to the top bar if they want to continue to see live music.”
So what is the Strange Brew line-up for the next couple of months? Galway band Lost Chord play next week [see separate interview], followed by the Out On A Limb Records night on February 4.
“OOAL are one of the best record labels in Ireland and they have a lot of releases coming out this year,” says Gugai. “Windings is Steve from Giveamanakick’s band. They supported Modest Mouse in Galway on the second night and were amazing and Ten Past Seven, Hooray For Humans are brilliant and are also playing. OOAL will also be DJing upstairs afterwards.”
Cellist Vyvienne Long, formerly of Damien Rice’s band, plays on February 11. “Her music is beautiful,” says Gugai. “She’s really coming into her own and people are saying 2010 will be the breakthrough year for her.”
Making a welcome return on February 18 are bluegrass wildmen Hayseed Dixie. They have played some incendiary gigs in the Róisín in the past with their barnstorming bluegrass take on classics by AC/DC, Black Sabbath, and Queen.
“It sounds like it’s going to be a gimmick, but when you hear them you realise it isn’t,” says Gugai. “They are phenomenal musicians. The sheer energy of their live act is mind blowing and audiences will be blown away. It will be a fun night.”
Irish act Codes are tipped as ones to watch in 2010. They have already been nominated for a Choice Music award for their debut album Trees Dream In Algebra. “They are an exciting band,” says Gugai. “They are receiving much airplay, and big label attention from Britain.” See them on February 25.
Fellow Irish act Two Door Cinema Club (from Bangor, Co Down ) play Strange Brew on March 4. “They play superb, exciting, pop music,” says Gugai. “2010 will be their year according to everyone from Nialler9 to The Sunday Times. It’s up-beat, catchy, quirky pop, and their album takes that to even newer heights.”
Gugai admits to being “very excited” by Wild Beasts who play on March 25. “I can’t stop smiling about this one,” he says. “Two Dancers was one of my albums of 2009. They play mesmerisingly beautiful indie. Expect this show to sell well out in advance.”
The most intriguing act in the Strange Brew line-up is possibly Stornoway (Saturday April 17 ), a rather eccentric outfit from the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.
“Think Belle and Sebastian crossed with XTC,” says Gugai. “Their first single was all about endangered species of fish and the proceeds from it went to the Marine Institute! I expect to see them on all the ‘best of 2010...’ polls.”
Also confirmed for Strange Brew are Tom McRae on March 12, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble on April 15, and Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip (April 22 ).
