Emergenza is the world's biggest festival for unsigned bands, with an average of 6,000 bands participating every year in 200 different cities all over the world. Every year the national finalists gets to spend three days in Germany at the Taubertal Open Air festival, where the world final takes place, with an average of 30,000 people showing up over the weekend. This is where, every year, the best band wins a professional production for their first album and where plenty of other musicians are rewarder for their skills with prizes from the festival's sponsors.

 

Every Monday, good quality stuff.

 

The National Gallery of Ireland's famous Vaughan collection of watercolours by JMW Turner (1775-1851) will be on display for the month of January. It includes Turner's most striking works in watercolour painted during his later European tours: the Doge's Palace in Venice, Lake Lucerne, and the fortresses at Bellinzona in Switzerland. This year the exhibition will be complemented by a display of seventeenth-, eight eenth- and nineteenth-century silhouettes and miniatures from the Mary A. McNeill Bequest, comprising works by John Comerford, Richard Crosse and William Grimaldi.

 

Comedian Brendan O'Carroll is bringing Mrs Brown to the BBC in a new TV series. A pilot show was filmed in front of a live audience in Scotland in October and will be screened by RTE, which is involved in the production, over the Christmas period. The BBC will also show the pilot later next year ahead of the screening of all six episodes.

 

 

Brian Walsh has been recording and writing music and lyrics for the last 13 years. With in excess of 100 songs, many routed in folk and others in alternative styles, the music made varies from strumming some chords, to minutes of hissing amps and feedback, to improvisation and experimentation with recording techniques. These bedroom recordings resulted in 4 demos which were handed out to friends under the name Howie Walshberg. In 2007 Brian got together with Simon Brennan in Dublin and put together a mini-album. Hours were spent going through synth sounds and working around guitar lines and loops to create “Cut the Engines, Raise the Sails”. It was an outlet for guitar pieces that could not find a natural home, and was an experiment to see how folk and ambient sounds would work. The light synths derived mainly from Brian Eno and gave the recording a relaxing and sensitive feel.

 

Rum cocktails and Jamaican soul.

 

The much-loved traditional pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk returns to The Gaiety Theatre. Join Jack and his beanstalk on a giant adventure, where Jack must outwit and outrun the giant. This classic tale will capture children’s interest and spark their imagination. When Jack swaps his cow for some magic beans, they grow into an enormous magic beanstalk. Can Jack climb the beanstalk, save the lovely princess from the giant and escape with all his arms and legs? Come along and follow Jack up the beanstalk to find out!

 

As described by themselves: "Yes, ladies & gentlemen & boys & girls, The Village on Wexford Street will host the weekly musical extravaganza which sees 6 acts go head to head playing three songs each in a cauldron of excitement. Then we roll out our famous Clap-O-Meter; a gigantic, scientifically homemade replica of The Empire State Building which lights up to the ecstatic reaction of an audience going bananas. The winner then goes forward on a journey through a perilous musical jungle until we are left with the King of the Kong, the grand prizewinner! It’s a Monster!!! "

 

 

Born in Belfast, raised in Scotland and living in Dublin for many moons now, Robin James Hurt plays guitar like a ‘demon gadgie’ (Edinburgh slang). He also sings like a wee bird, and composes and arranges fine folky music.

 

A little bit of everything, from singer-songwriter, to poetry, to drama. Check out Dublin's genuine local talent.

 

 

Includes light lunch. Bosco Hogan gives one of his finest and most accomplished performances in a richly drawn portrait of W.B. Yeats: the poet, the mystic, the visionary and the man. For lovers of great literature, theatre and Irish culture, I Am Of Ireland promises to be atmospheric, evocative and insightful. Bewley's Café Theatre are proud to present, in association with Focus Theatre, a revival of an entertainment on the life and work of one of Ireland's great creative icons.

 

 

A thrilling tale of a debt with the Devil… “Drink yourself up on to the next shelf in the basement. Drink to where possibility feels infinite and your immortality feels strong.” It’s Christmas Eve and Sharky has returned to Dublin to look after his irascible, ageing brother who’s recently gone blind. Old drinking buddies Ivan and Nicky are holed up at the house too, hoping to play some cards. With the arrival of a stranger from the distant past, the stakes are raised ever higher. In fact, Sharky may be playing for his very soul… In the midst of this raucous tale of drinking, craic and card playing, there is a tender story of a family, and of redemption. So, pull up a chair alongside Sharky, Nicky, Ivan and co and enjoy a great story, well told.

 

"We're Old- Fashioned" presents a brand new show featuring the songs of Hoagy Carmichael and Jimmy McHugh. Honor Heffernan, Jim Doherty and the trio perform everything from "Stardust" to "Sunny Side of the Street".

 

Cooney makes postmodern one-man black comedy videos backed by DJ tunes. Cabaret + weekly video showcase of work. Come weekly to see live comedy. Starts at 9PM and continues after the show with guests playing their music .