UB40 are to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their seminal debut album, 'Signing Off', by performing the whole album live during a tour of intimate venues across Ireland and the UK throughout October and November 2010.

 

Every Monday, good quality stuff.

 

 

Having played to tens of thousands of fans across the UK and Ireland in 2009, multi-million selling Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is on tour again.

 

This exhibition will pay homage to the Dutch seventeenth-century artist, Gabriel Metsu (1629-1667) and his exquisite scenes of daily life, which rank among the finest of the Dutch Golden Age. It will also highlight some of Metsu's lesser known achievements in the fields of history painting, portraiture and still life. Metsu started his career in Leiden, where he painted biblical scenes on a large format. After his move to Amsterdam in the middle of the 1650s, he changed his specialisation to intimate scenes of daily life. As Metsu's style became more meticulous in the 1660s, he focused increasingly on representing the pastimes of the upper class. He died at the age of thirty-seven, having painted a varied oeuvre of more than 130 paintings. Few of his colleagues were as versatile as Metsu and his handling of the brush was almost unrivalled. Moreover, his paintings display a unique approach to daily activities, marked by a psychological interest in the people he portrayed. An accompanying catalogue will be published to coincide with the exhibition.

 

Multi-ethnic gypsy punk band from New York, well know for its theatrical stage shows. The band is touring Europe to present their latest work: "Transcontinental Hustle", released in 2010.

 

Dublin Rocks doesn't think much of Hairspray announcing their Dublin dates as being part of their "UK tour"... anyone want a history lesson? The West End’s favourite musical comedy, Hairspray, is coming to Dublin! Starring Michael Ball in the role of his life, Hairspray tells the story of Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart as she sets out to follow her extraordinary dreams, inspire her mum and win the boy she loves.

 

 

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!!! "