The final Sweet Oblivion on 2XM… and Camden Crawl Dublin gigs

Tonight will see the last Sweet Oblivion go out on RTÉ 2XM at 11pm. It has been a hard decision to make, but for now I’ve decided to take a break from the show.

Sweet Oblivion has been going out on the digital station for almost four years, and aside from a year or two’s break I’ve been presenting a show under the Sweet Oblivion name for around 10 years, since the days of Cork Campus Radio in UCC… so it’s going to be strange not having a weekly show to make.

2XM is a fantastic resource and I was so lucky to get to play whatever I wanted, with no one telling me what I was playing was too out there, too familiar, too old or too new. It was a lot of freedom, and the station is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to get into the radio game. A huge thanks has to go to Mark McCabe and all at the station for their help and support over the last four years.

I have plans to archive the old shows, in case there are people who still would like to listen to them, so I’ll keep you posted on that.

I’m turning 30 this month, and life has changed a fair bit in the past year – this is just the latest change. And yet, it comes from some quite positive reasons, like a change in job that has in many ways enriched my life in ways I didn’t expect. Along with that comes a new focus and new opportunities, and I think I need the time that the show took up to just do new things and take a breather from churning out a weekly hour of music.

It was a privilege to get to do the show, not a chore, but when I realised I wasn’t giving it 100 per cent, I knew it was time to finish up.

A huge thanks to anyone who has listened to it at any stage over the past few years. I’ll still be doing my monthly podcast with the Ticket in the Irish Times, so Irish bands are very welcome to send their music to me for that.

Camden Crawl

It’s coincidental that the last show comes just days before the Camden Crawl Dublin festival, where there will be two shows under the Sweet Oblivion name. It’s in the Stag’s Head just off Dame St, and the bands that will be playing will be low-key and really lovely.

There’s Peter Delaney, Hidden Highways, Skelocrats, Soil Creep, The Holy Roman Army and Yawning Chasm. There is so much choice at the festival, with loads of big names, so I hope that we get a decent crowd at the Stag’s Head. If you’re at the festival, why not pop in on Saturday or Sunday night for a drink and some great Irish music?

Doors are at 7pm, the first bands go on at 7.30pm. On Saturday, Skelocrats, Yawning Chasm and Hidden Highways play (in that order), and on Sunday, Peter Delaney, the Holy Roman Army and Soil Creep play.

Here’s a taster:

Peter Delaney