For music fans the August bank holiday weekend was like the mecca of music.
The choice was abundant from Indiependence to Beatyard pumping out the sounds.
BUT QUIETLY TUCKED BETWEEN THEM WAS THE DUBLIN LIVE MUSIC TRAILS
In association with DublinTown, Faílte Ireland, Dublin City Council and First Music Contact, the Live Music Trails sees a series of acts located in unconventional music spaces across the city
We joined the trail at Wood Quay on the Sunday slightly late to the party, having missed the first two performances from NEW POPE and AIKJ at The Winding Stair Bookshop and Wowburger respectively.
Arriving to the back of Wood Quay to the custom built amphitheatre, to what we thought would be the venue, was a third of the band HALF OF ME setting up and getting ready to give an acoustic performance. A security guard pops up on the scene, says a few words and soon we’re traipsing along with the band to the front of the building to where in fact the pop up venue was indeed arranged for all along.
As we walked and talked with the musicians we couldn’t help but think: “How cool is this? How much closer could you possibly get to the artists?”
Finally the stage was set on the steps in front of Dublin City Council and HALF OF ME gave an intimate show to the eager onlookers.
A slight alteration to the schedule left us a little miffed, but only added to the adventure. Next up was MILES GRAHAM performing a stripped back version of his indie soul sound just outside Dublin Ink.
As the modest crowd grew in almost like a Forrest Gump style, the music lovers began to recognize faces as we marched through the city, guided by our little map. If it was only interactive we thought! But never mind that, there was something rather quant, intimate and old school about trekking from one spot to the other, with DVO MARVELL showcasing his craft at Meeting House Square.
PINE THE PILCROW mesmerized the audience in Oxfam Georges Street while MOOSMANN hypnotized us in the open space of Powerscourt Centre on a grand piano!
STRENGHT played Dame Lane just before an explosive end to the trail with CULT CALLED MAN taking over Wicklow Street in front of Mary’s Bar.
The following day the old faithful congregated once more. A travelling community was forming as the wonderful SINEAD WHITE set up the day perfectly on the steps of Wood Quay.
ELM, known for their Alternative Baroque Pop continued the Music Trail at Wowburger. A trek over to The Gutter Bookshop saw a streamlined STAY GOLD arrangement of hip-hop accompanied with an electric guitar.
NOT MONSTERS captivated the audience in Oxfam on Parliament Street as passer-byes on-looked in awe at live music in a charity store. A hop-skip and jump to another Oxfam but this time on Georges street began to feel like an Oxfam tour, which wouldn’t be a bad thing!
Shoppers searched for the perfect bargain while multi-instrumentalist INNI-K treated the music trailers to her indie folk transcendent vocals and sweet ukulele sounds.
Halfway into the second day of the Dublin Live Music Trails and friendships were forming between the rambling fans. Familiar faces forging into bonds over the communal objective, the Camino De Santiago of Music, the end line Mary’s Bar in sight. But who was thinking of the end at this moment!
Next on the bill was PARTICIPANT. Nestled on the edge of a couch in Accents Café Lounge with just an acoustic guitar this artist is as comfortable with his alternative soundscapes, textures and samples on a larger stage as he is with playing on the side of a sofa.
Self proclaimed singer song scribbler SAMYEL gave a true buskers performance up against a bike in The Dame District just opposite The Stags Head. A good-sized crowd was converging as the singer and his guitar kept the audience entertained.
An already perfect-programmed event saw the perfect ending to the Trail with an explosive set from the Progressive Garage Rock outfit EXPLODING EYES in Mary’s Bar.
And so the Dublin Live Music Trails sadly came to an end. But we met lovely people – including First Music Contact’s Steve Reddy, LE GALAXIE‘s Michael Pope and FIGHT LIKE APES‘ MayKay, discovered great new music and experienced it in new music spaces. Success all round and a compelling precursor to the up coming Hard Working Class Heroes Music Festival in October! Something not to miss!
