Some bits and bobs taking place over the next few weeks…

I interviewed the MC/rapper Costello yesterday for DCTV – the interview will feature on the community tv programme Community of Independents this Thursday on DCTV (and aertv.ie). Not being the world’s greatest expert on Irish hip hop, I approached the interview with a bit of nerves, but it turned out really well as Costello was well able to chat and was really open about the different subjects we talked about.

It was great education for me in what the Irish hip hop scene is up to, and I’ll be paying far more attention to it now (when you don’t know a lot about something, sometimes the inclination is to avoid it so you don’t make any ‘mistakes’… but when you get stuck into it, there can be great rewards!).

If you want to catch more Irish hip hop, head to Filmbase in Temple Bar, Dublin, on Thursday from 6pm for a Workin Class Records/FMC event featuring Costello, GI and Willa Lee. It’s part of the Love Live Music festival taking place that day.

The above (slightly washed out, apologies!) Impossible (Polaroid) pic was taken while he relaxed with some, ahem, herbal refreshment afterwards. There’ll be more pics on the COI Facebook page once I get them developed.

Onra will play at the Pavilion in Cork this Friday, with support from Cork’s own Colm Kenefick.  Onra recently released part two of his Chinoiseries series, which fuses Vietnamese pop from his homeland with his own beats. This should be a great show indeed – I’ve been to so many amazing gigs at the Pav, and when the dancefloor is sweaty and rammed, there’s no where else I’d rather be.

More details on the gig (tickets €8/€10) here.

Here’s a great Onra track (not from the Chinoiseries series):

Footy and music fans take note: Ronan Leonard will be bringing his show, Adventures of a Music Nerd: 1 Guy, 2 World Cups, to the Crane Lane Theatre from 22 June – 30 June for the Cork Midsummer Festival.

This comedic show will be “A loving ramble through the many World Cup songs that came out for Italia ‘90 (the one Ireland won… as our hero remembers it) and USA ‘94 (the one we didn’t).” Given Ronan’s passion for music, I’d wager you don’t just have to be a soccer fan to enjoy this. More details here and on Facebook and here’s an interview with him about it.

Finally, Yawning Chasm will launch their EP in Galway on Thursday 28 June at the Cellar Bar, thanks to Citóg. It’s no secret they are one of my favourite Irish bands (I play them on the show a lot) and are incredible live. This is worth travelling for, if you’re not in Galway. Supporting them will be the super Brigid Power Ryce and Raising Holy Sparks.

Here’s the Facebook event page.

Here is the official video for Whispered Sun (those ‘ooohs’ get me every time) directed by the talented Jimmy Monaghan. If I said the photos he and Declan and Aaron (the duo who are Yawning Chasm) take don’t inspire me, I’d be telling a very big lie.

And here’s a wee clip of Yawning Chasm that I took on my phone when they played in Designist.