The original ‘24 Hour Party People’ are back with the definitive line-up for the first time in over 19 years; Bez, Gary Whelan, Mark Day, Paul Davies, Paul Ryder, Rowetta and Shaun Ryder. ‘Hallelujah’ it’s the Happy Mondays. After dominating the pop charts in the late 80s and early 90s, the Mancunian band will take to the Main Stage on Sunday, playing classics from their well-known albums ‘G-Man’ (1987), ‘Bummed’ (1988), ‘Pills ‘n’ Thrills’ and ‘Bellyaches’ (1990) along with more recent releases. ‘Step On’ & let the good times roll with the Kings of Madchester.
KAISER CHIEFS
Riot starters Kaiser Chiefs are comprised of vocalist Ricky Wilson, guitarist Andrew White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick Baines and drummer Nick Hodgson. The Leeds natives resurrect the spirit of The Jam with their ‘I Predict A Riot’ supercharged power pop hit that quickly electrified Britain and further afield when it was released in 2004, followed by their debut double platinum album ‘Employment,’ which remained in the top ten charts for several months, becoming one of the best-selling artists of 2005. Not forgetting their second album; ‘Yours Truly, Angry Mob’ (2007), yielded ‘Ruby’, a number one single in the UK. 2008 brought their third album ‘Off With Their Heads’, and following a three-year hiatus, they returned to the studio & released ‘The Future Is Medieval’ in June 2011.
THE CORONAS
Top Irish act The Coronas have risen through the ranks to become one of the biggest bands in the country, with three hit albums to their name, many awards and a succession of hugely well received live tours. When Danny O’Reilly (vocals/guitar) met Graham Knox (bass) for the first time, O’Reilly was only two weeks old while Knox had barely escaped his mothers’ womb. All their lives they were surrounded by music but it wasn’t until O’Reilly began writing songs at the tender age of 13 that they decided it would be cool to start a band. They recruited Terenure College school friends Conor Egan (drums) and another close friend to form Kiros and performed their first gig on a Saturday afternoon in a run-down pub in Dublin’s city centre to about 10 friends. The lads were all of 15, already hooked. Their adventures as Kiros, however, were short-lived as the band broke up before they turned 18. O’Reilly, Knox and Egan, however, continued to create music but soon they began to miss the thrill of live gigging and, calling themselves The Coronas, they decided to start playing to anyone who would listen. Expect them to liven up the main stage on Saturday night with their foot stomping singles ‘Addicted To Progress’ and ‘Mark My Words’.
Rev Run (Run D.M.C.) & DJ Ruckus (DJ Set)
Rev Run is one of the most iconic figures in music. The front man of seminal hip-hop group Run-D.M.C., Rev has sold tens of millions of records worldwide and is widely credited for ushering rap music into mainstream culture. An inductee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Run-D.M.C. was named the greatest hip-hop artist of all-time. Describing his considerable impact, Rolling Stone writes, “Run took hardcore hip-hop from an underground street sensation to a pop-culture phenomenon…It was Run that introduced hats, gold chains, and untied sneakers to youth culture…In the process, Run helped change the course of popular music, paving the way for rap’s second generation.” Recently, Run has become a highly sought-after deejay and public speaker. Run’s daily inspirational words of wisdom are followed by nearly 3,000,000 people on Twitter,
DJ Ruckus is America’s most in-demand celebrity deejay. Known for his effortless ability to fuse hip-hop, rock, electro, house, soul, funk, and reggae, Ruckus’ deep passion for music was established at an early age. “I grew up in a very musical home. My parents had an incredible record collection. From The Beatles to Curtis Mayfield, we were always listening to and learning about music at home. When I play, I aim to share my love of music with the crowd.”
Together, Rev and Ruckus have performed at the world’s most recognisable nightclubs, festivals throughout Europe and high-profile events – the Super Bowl, Oscars, and American Music Awards. Their high-energy DJ/MC show has drawn rave reviews.
BEARDYMAN
Darren Foreman, better known as Beardyman, is a musician from London renowned for his beatboxing skills and use of live-looping technology. He found world-wide fame when he uploaded The Kitchen Diaries; a spoof cookery show which used beats as ingredients on to various video-sharing sites, which led to appearances on Lily Allen’s chat show, a support slot on Groove Armada’s U.K. tour, and a performance at Glastonbury. The “King of Sound and Ruler of Beats” according to the BBC, is not to be missed at this year’s festival.
KENNY DOPE
Kenny “DOPE” Gonzalez is one of the most prolific artists of the modern music age. The four time Grammy nominated musical genius has been entertaining and astounding the masses alike with his fusions of house, hip-hop, Latin, jazz, funk & soul, reggae, alternative pop and broken beats for 20 years. Known as a living encyclopedia of beats and tagged with the nickname “DEBO” by his closest friends, Kenny is a purveyor of sonic masterpieces. Dope’s history is synonymous with New York City’s vast and rich heritage of dance music and melting pot vibes that hardly any other place on the planet can offer. From raw bloc party vibes to the baby-powder utopia of clubs – you can be sure to come across a Dope beat sooner or later.
HOT 8 BRASS BAND
The Hot 8 Brass Band are an original bona fide marching brass band from the city of New Orleans, who most recently featured in series 2 of ‘Treme’ as both actors and performers. Founded by Bennie Pete, Jerome Jones, and Harry Cook, The Hot 8 have been playing traditional New Orleans brass band music professionally since 1995. The band have most recently appeared at The Apollo with Dr. John, Lou Reed, Nicolas Payton and others for the annual Great Day in Harlem. They have released three critically acclaimed recordings and are featured on the latest Blind Boys of Alabama recording on Time-Life Records.
FUJIYA & MIYAGI
Fujiya & Miyagi are an electronic trio of singer and guitarist David Best, synth player Steve Lewis, and bassist Matt Hainsby. They are deeply indebted both to vintage ’70s Krautrock and the ’90s bands that were themselves influenced by the likes of Neu! and Kraftwerk, from Stereolab and Broadcast to Aphex Twin and the Orb. The group started in the coastal city of Brighton, England in 1999, when Best and Lewis first met in a pickup football game. Taking their name at random from Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid and a brand of stereo equipment, Best and Lewis recorded their first album, Electro Karaoke in the Negative Style, as a duo, releasing it on the Tirk Records label in 2003. In preparation for touring behind the album, Best and Lewis formed a full-band iteration of Fujiya & Miyagi, including bassist Grunder and drummer Matthew Avery. When recording sessions started for the band’s second album, Best and Lewis felt the four-piece lineup didn’t work in the studio and reverted briefly to a duo before adding Hainsby on bass and additional keyboards. Thus constituted, Fujiya & Miyagi completed their second album, Transparent Things, which was released in the spring of 2006. The band’s third studio album, Lightbulbs, was released in 2008, and 2011′s Ventriloquizzing found the group exploring its darkest terrain yet with the help of producer/engineer Thom Monahan (Vetiver, Devendra Banhart).
CRAZY P
With one of the best live dance music shows on the planet, Crazy P have been leaving their mark on the landscape of British dance music for the last 15 years. To trace the origins of Crazy P we have to go all the way back to 1996. This was the year that brought together James Baron and Chris Todd. It was the era of Ataris, Akais and bedroom studios and, through their love of bending and reshaping old records from many different genres, a production partnership was born in the backstreets of Nottingham. After a couple of releases under various different monikers, the work attracted the ears of deep house label Paper Recordings based in Manchester and the creature that is Crazy P was born. Their first four albums ‘A Nice Hot Bath With’(1999), ‘The Wicked Is Music’ (2002), and ’24 Psychedelic Freakout’ (2003), and ‘A Night On Earth’ (2004), coupled with the addition of live band members Tim Davies, Matt Klose, and the vocals of the inimitable Danielle Moore saw Crazy P gain acclaim, record sales, DJ gigs, and most pertinently, live shows, across the world.
KRAFTY KUTS
Krafty Kuts, is without doubt one of the world’s greatest DJ’s. Lauded in the UK, worshiped in Australia, acclaimed in America, where ever he plays he is guaranteed to cause a commotion with his riotous skills. So far in a glittering career he has gained dance music’s top accolades including Best International DJ at the Australian Dance Music Awards, Breakspoll’s Face of Breaks 2003 and Best Breaks DJ at the M8 Ibiza awards 2006, in only his first year as a resident. A stunning haul at Breakspoll 2007 saw him claiming Best Album for his debut long player ‘Freakshow’, Best DJ for a record third consecutive year and to cap it off, the richly deserved Outstanding Contribution to Breakbeat award that acknowledged his long journey to the acme of club culture.
JAPE
Jape is the solo project of Richie Egan, bass player with Irish instrumental rock group the Redneck Manifesto. Very much the band’s musical alter ego, Jape has little in common with the Redneck Manifesto, excepting perhaps the left-field but accessible approach both take to their styles of music. Jape’s music is primarily of the folky singer/songwriter mold, with alternative rock and electronic overtones, and comparisons have been made between Jape and both Beck (a noted influence) and David Kitt, with whom Jape collaborated to produce the 2004 single “Floating.” Jape’s 2011 “Ocean of Frequency” album won the Meteor Choice Music Prize in Dublin’s Olympia in March this year. Jape are now the first act to win the award twice as they won the 2008 award for their third album “Ritual”.
RAF DADDY (THE 2 BEARS)
Raf Daddy – aka Raf Rundell of The 2 Bears and Joe Goddard first began crossing paths in the DJ booths of London town. Booked separately, they regularly ended up playing back-to-back, coming together through a love and admiration for Detroit techno, Chicago house, hip hop, UK garage and bashment. With a mutual disinclination for dance music elitism, they set about writing and producing two critically acclaimed EPs, honing a unique blend of tough, soulful music, that has a twinkle in its eye and a wiggle in its rear end.
DELORENTOS
Irish 4-piece Delorentos recently released a new 12-track album, “Little Sparks”, their third Top 10 Chart Release to date. Recorded with Mercury Music Prize Award Winner Rob Kirwan (PJ Harvey), the 12 tracks are the fully-fledged fruits of the band’s recordings over 2011 and display a depth of songwriting prowess that ably eclipses the band’s first two albums and offers a real insight into the ever-growing potential of the band. It follows hot on the heels of the recent 4-track EP (of the same name) which came packaged with a full colour, 40 page magazine that the band devised and edited – with the help of their friends – and was accompanied by a successful acoustic tour of Ireland (the band’s first ever).The band have been celebrating the release of the album in Ireland with a series of one day Pop-Up Shops around the country, taking over disused shops and offering a unique experience for their fans to meet them and buy albums, t-shirts et al from the band members themselves as well as being treated to live acoustic performances throughout the day.
THE MINUTES
Dublin cousins Mark and Shane have been playing together since they were nippers – all Fisher Price guitars and Chad Valley backlines. The Minutes got serious sometime in the mid-Noughties with the recruitment of Tom, and mapped out a star chart using Johnny Marr, Lenny Kaye’s ‘Nuggets’ album and Thin Lizzy as the principal sources of illumination and inspiration. The band invested in some serious vintage amplification, (when Orange meant speakers not a phone company) and a classic power trio sound started to ooze from the cabinets. Cojones the size of cartwheels and the horsepower to deliver. The Minutes’ debut album ‘Marcata‘ takes its name from the upstate New York recording studio where the band nailed the record in a five day blowout; under the watchful eye of Head Tape Wrangler Kevin McMahon (The Walkmen, Titus Andronicus). James Felice of The Felice Brothers guests on a couple of tracks. Further contributions to the heady brew came from John Goodmanson (Jaguar Love, Fight Like Apes, Catheters) who mixed two tracks and Ireland’s own Rocky O’Reilly; who produced the searing ‘Heartbreaker’. The Minutes return to Sea Sessions for a second year in a row due to popular demand.
SIMON & OSCAR (OCEAN COLOUR SCENE)
Ocean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band formed in Moseley, Birmingham in 1989. They have had five Top 10 albums and six Top 10 singles to date. Simon & Oscar themselves command sellout crowds just as much as they do with the full band, and never fail to disappoint with hits such as ‘The Day We Caught The Train’, ‘Hundred Mile High City’, ‘Better Day’ and ‘Travellers Tune’.
LTJ BUKEM FEAT MC CONRAD
LTJ Bukem is the stage name used by the drum and bass musician, producer and DJ Danny Williamson from London. Most associated with the jazzy, atmospheric side of drum and bass, and his record label ‘Good Looking Records’, which defined and remains near-synonymous with the subgenre. He DJs extensively around the world, often under the Logical Progression or Progression Sessions banner, with other ‘Good Looking’ artists and house MCs Conrad and DRS.
HAM SANDWICH
Ham Sandwich are a five piece Irish rock band, with members hailing from County Meath and Dublin. Charismatically fronted by Podge McNamee (vocals/guitar) and Niamh Farrell (vocals) the line-up is completed by Dave McEnroe (bass guitar), Brian Darcy (guitar) and Ollie Murphy (drums). The band have steadily built upon a devoted following in the Irish alternative music scene, and have been noted for their incendiary live performances. In addition to their reputation as one of Ireland’s best live rock acts, Ham Sandwich have released a number of critically acclaimed singles and EPs; which have been distinguished by the consistent quality of all the songs contained therein. The band have played alongside such internationally renowned artists as Electric Six, Whitesnake, Pere Ubu, Isobel Campbell, Mark Lanegan, My Morning Jacket, The Bluetones, I’m from Barcelona and The Buzzcocks amongst others.
TOBY KAAR
Toby Kaar is a producer and live performer from Cork at the forefront of Ireland’s exciting electronic music scene. He turned heads with his energetic live sets last summer at a number of festivals, as well as tours with And So I Watch You From Afar and Gold Panda. Although he won’t have any official releases of his own until his university studies are completed he has found time to remix for a number of acts – Owensie, Funeral Suits, Nouveaunoise and The Cast of Cheers to name but a few.
He was recently voted the second Most Exciting New Artist of 2011 in Nialler 9’s Readers Poll, one of Jim Carroll’s, Irish Times 10 Acts to Keep an Eye on in 2012 and one of State Magazine’s Faces of 2012
“Cork electronic music producer already producing tracks with oodles of good ideas and intentions. Also has the live chops to support everyone from Nathan Fake to Ben Frost.” – Jim Carroll, The Irish Times.
BILLY SCURRY
Billy has been a stalwart of the Irish scene for many many years. From the early days of The Temple of Sound in the very early 1990′s right through every venue in the country Billy has been at the pinnacle of the Scene. He’s most recently guested at The Electric Elephant in Croatia along with his own regular club nigh “Fever.” He’s a brilliant selector of innovative music, excellent mixer and one of the most versatile Irish DJ’s. He is widely regarded as the most talented DJ this country has ever produced. Expect a Disco tinged House and Techno set for Sea Sessions.
THIS CLUB
This Club is a well-oiled machine that has been playing the bars, venues, clubs and stadiums of Ireland, the UK and the United States since records first began. Johnny Holden (lead vocals, keys), Philip Broadbery (guitar, vocals, synths), Kieran Walkin (bass, vocals, synths), and Max Carpio (drums, vocals, programming) have been on a quest to find the perfect piece of ageless dance music. Many different artistic backgrounds encompass the group’s make up, which makes for a rich and layered sound. Originally named Hoarsebox, they chose to change their title in order to suit the new direction their music has recently been taking. Since first going to Mississippi in 2009 to begin work on their debut album with producer Dennis Herring, the band have experienced many changes, both in their personal lives and in terms of what influences their music. Dancing, screaming, shouting and multi-layered vocal acrobatics are still at the heart of what makes this band tick. But a decision to explore musical interests beyond the guitar, piano, bass and drums set up, which they had been known for as Hoarsebox, meant they felt it was necessary to come up with a new name to describe a new sound. ‘This Club’ is in fact the name of the first song the four guys ever wrote together but at the heart of that song is also what’s at the heart, soul and liver of this band: the desire to get people shaking their butts from Friday night all through to Monday morning.
WE CUT CORNERS
Irish duo We Cut Corners write short songs on drums and guitar. The critically acclaimed debut album ‘Today I Realised I Could Go Home Backwards’ was released in Ireland in 2011 and was nominated for the Choice Music Prize for Irish album of the year. (Hot Press) 4**** “Lyrics are great throughout, reminiscent of Belle & Sebastian at their most sweetly caustic.” This buzz band should not be missed on the sunny shores of Bundoran in June.
Mishap – 2011 Battle of the Bands winners
Mishap were spawned of a bright beam of light which shot from the Heavens, cutting the night! With an eclectic taste of various greats such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Muse, Radiohead and even Rage against the Machine! These Boys leave no stone unturned in their battle to create a unique sound from a casual blend of eccentric alternative rock with 12 spoonful’s of 60’s Pop! Relying on both tight vocal harmonies and smart instrumentation, it would shock anyone to think it’s coming from just 3 members. Having come away winners of 2011 Sea Sessions Battle of the Bands, Mishap are keen to show the Main Stage what they’re made of. It’s a feat not to be missed!
NEON WOLF
Song writing can be tough. Musicians and bands have the arduous task of creating melodies and hooks that make their songs both memorable and enjoyable for their audience. This is made more difficult when one of your band members is living on the other side of the planet, a struggle thrown in the face of Kilkenny band Neon Wolf. Although faced with this all too common story of emigration, behind the scenes, the songwriting never stopped. The band created a new set of songs and a new type of sound which enthralled their audiences when they reformed in early 2011, “All of Its Yours” being just one example of the fruits of this labour. Since then Neon Wolf have been going from strength to strength. Their live shows have won over fans throughout the country, with a sound that takes influences from Death Cab For Cutie, Foo Fighters, and The Naked And Famous to name a few. Their infectious brand of alternative pop-rock has also caught the attention of respected Irish media names such as Hotpress magazine’s Stuart Clarke, and national radio presenter Ian Dempsey. The bands exploits didnt evade the attention of acclaimed mixer and producer Richard Rainey, famed for his work with such acts as U2 and Paul MacCartney. Rainey was only too happy to produce his own mix of “All of Its Yours” a feat the band have drawn great confidence from.
YUKON BLONDE
Yukon Blonde is Jeff Innes (Guitar, Vocals), Brandon Scott (Guitar, Vocals), Graham Jones (Drums, Vocals), Andy Bishop (Bass) from Vancouver, BC. Armed with a collection of songs written in the back of a van, in venue parking lots and on the open road, Yukon Blonde went into the studio in the summer of 2009 to record their first album – which was recently released in both Canada and USA by Bumstead Records, receiving rave reviews from such publications as Exclaim, Under The Radar and Billboard. They are currently touring across North America, with 3 Canadian tours, 3 USA tours and one European tour including showcases at SXSW, NYC, Chicago and L.A. The band will stop off in Bundoran during their world tour, to perform ‘Warm Summer Harmonies’ from their album ‘Tiger Talk’. The track, ‘Radio’, assaults the speakers with a brash stomp worthy of early Elvis Costello, while ‘Oregon Shores’ blends its bouncy rhythm and sunny vocal harmonies with an epic, face-melting guitar solo, whilst another of their popular songs, My Girl, taps into power pop greatness with its “whoa-oh” refrain. Expect these tunes to become your anthems of Spring/Summer!
Bitches With Wolves
Starting as a con to a club promoter at a party in London two years ago, Bitches With Wolves was born with nothing more than an eye set firmly on the stars, a good wardrobe, a gig date and a random song title. Since that debut performance, Bitches With Wolves – a.k.a. James O’ Neill and pack – has snowballed from playing open-mic nights in clubs to performing live in front of 6,000 people at this year’s Oxegen festival. Along the way, Bitches With Wolves has supported a slew of diverse yet stellar artists including Fatboy Slim, Erasure, Datarock, Calvin Harris and Hercules & Love Affair to name but a few. Musically, Bitches With Wolves mainlines electro beats with a pop sensibility with lyrics that sing of sin, joy and heartache. Darkly delicious, the end result is one that transports the listener to a place of cosmic and sonic escapism. Following a successful summer in 2011 on the Irish festival circuit and with a debut EP scheduled for release in October, Bitches With Wolves continue to galvanise a solid and loyal fan base. Expect a return to the studio in October to complete work on an a debut album that will see an international release in Spring 2012.
Pete Isaac (Jelly Jazz)
Pete Isaac is best known as the DJ promoter behind the seminal southwest club-night Jelly Jazz since January 1992. In its early days during the height of the southwest’s rave culture, Jelly Jazz started out to provide a weekly diet of soul, funk, latin, hip hop and break-beat all with a jazz twist to them. The blend worked and the unpretentious, ‘sweat dripping off the walls’, ‘dance till you drop’ attitude and atmosphere driven relentlessly by the musical passion of resident DJ’s Pete Isaac and Griff soon became a major force in Southwest club-culture. As a DJ, Pete is known for energetic, hard-driving combinations of happy dancefloor jazz, soul, funk, afrobeat, latin, ska, and reggae cut up and mixed with all their modern derivatives in hip-hop, breakbeat, house and drum and bass. In an era when most club-nights tended to play one genre of music, at one tempo all night, Jelly Jazz defined itself with variety. The signature sound of Jelly Jazz is bongos, beats, and bass-lines with scratchy guitars, wholesome horns, and wailing organs. Above all it’s got to be funky!
Michael Keep Schtum
Michael Keep Schtum started DJing in the early 90′s and shortly after became a sound engineer and then a producer. In the midst of recording and producing artists and bands from all genres, he also built a solid reputation as a dj in many bars and clubs around Dublin, the UK and Europe. After a hiatus from Djing for a few years, when he lectured in Sound Engineering and Music Production for various colleges and organizations, he returned to DJing and Promoting a few years ago. Since then Michael has played in numerous venues all over Dublin city along with ‘Keep Schtum presents’ in Bia Bar.
Michael is probably best known as being one half of production duo ‘Keep Schtum’, who have gained a lot of attention at home and abroad for their series of disco re-edits. He also hosts Keep Schtum Radio on Power FM (Monday 5pm – 7pm)
Dom Servini (WAH WAH 45S)
Dom Servini is a DJ, radio jock, music journalist, club and live promoter and one of the main players in the eclectic music scene in London. Main man at Wah Wah 45s with Adam Scrimshire, Dom has been instrumental in releasing music from artists such as the Hackney Colliery Band, Part-Time Heroes, Resonators, Bev Lee Harling and Stac. Over the past decade Dom has DJ’d across the globe, from touring Japan, the USA, Canada and Australia, to regular gigs in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. UK gigs have included his famous weekly residency with Gilles Peterson, ‘Goin’ Downstairs’, and regular gigs at The Scala, The Jazz Café, Floripa, Bloomsbury Lanes, Queen Of Hoxton and much more. His energetic and open-minded mix of anything soulful, be it afro, jazz, house or hip hop, make him a club favourite.
Scribble Sound System
The Scribble Sound System was formed in February 2009, when Scribble DJ’s Tom Beary and G. Frequency joined forces with MC Little Tree and session musician Chucky to create Dublin’s freshest collective. Dancehall, Reggae, Dubstep, Soulful beats and G. Frequency’s original hip-hop productions are used as a solid foundation and then mixed with live scratching, effects, vocals and percussion. Scribble Sound System soon expanded to include Dublin hip-hop legends Harry Moschops & Ophelia MC topping the bill at the Castlepalooza festival in 2009 & 2010. Scribble Sound System headlined the ‘Little Big Tent’ at the Electric Picnic Festival 2011 with new member Bosh MC on vocal duties. Also on stage that night were extended family members Jess Kavanagh & Barry O’Neill. 2012 will see the release of ‘The Virus Kids ep’ on Scribble Records.
