From the lovely alan good, he might be from cork but he's not a bad journo.
GigSmart Christmas Bash
The Button Factory, Temple Bar, Dublin
Wednesday December 23
Doors 7.30pm, admission €8, includes entry to nightclub following gig
Forget
Jedward's questionable antics on The Late Late Toy Show, the real
Yuletide homecoming of boys-done-good is to be found at The Button
Factory on December 23, when Monaghan misfits mike got spikedheadline
the smiley feelgood rockfest that is set to be the GigSmart Christmas
Bash.
Fresh from another year of flaunting their schizo-rock
wares around the USA - where they've made LA's famed Whisky A Go-Go
venue their backyard, played more cities than you've had hot dinners
and sold their lurid tales of the life of four mental Paddies on the
road in search of the American dream to the Sindo- the eclectic
four-piece are back on home soil to road-test some material from their
forthcoming second album, which is slated for release in 2010.
Following
the release of a top 30 single and critically acclaimed debut album,
Caveat Emptor, the 'Spiked decamped to the States in 2006, a venture
that has seen them expand their fanbase significantly with every
coast-to-coast tour, land a slot on the famed Vans Warped Tour and sign
to one of America's top management companies, Associated Talent
Management, who also feature the likes of the Dead Kennedys on their
roster.
Their intoxicating combination of influences and sounds
makes mike got spiked a nightmare to pinhole but a joy to listen to,
while dollops of mischievous on-stage banter augment the band's unique
live experience.
Also garnering plenty of praise and attention
are Dublin ska-punk outfit The Upgrades, who too are quite fond of
supplying melody-drenched eclecticism, bundles of energy and tons more
fun and games than your average work Christmas shindig.
Despite
only dropping their debut album, Take A Risk, in May of this year, the
four-piece have racked up a hugely impressive CV, including opening
Europe's largest ska-punk festival, Mighty Sounds 2008 in Prague, a
slot on the Irish leg of the Taste of Chaos tour and seeing their
irrepressible track Nothingrepresent Ireland on United Colours of Ska
Volume 4, a compilation of the best ska bands from around the world.
It's also worth mentioning that they have the funkiest MySpace page
we've ever laid eyes on.
Cut from a slightly different but no
less rockin' cloth are The Chapman Society, who are deservedly basking
in the glow of the critical acclaim for their debut full-length
offering, entitled Arnold Sideways, which impressed Hot Press
sufficiently for it to have four stars bestowed upon it amid the
conclusion that "the playing is never less than provocative. Wonderful".
Similar
praise was accrued for their EP, Grenade, which nestled nicely into the
bosom of their ever-widening fanbase earlier this year - just after
they made it all the way to the final five of the prestigious JD Set in
April.
Like mike got spiked, this Dublin four-piece are taking
the opportunity to give their album material a festive airing prior to
the record's release in late January, and while favourable comparisons
to Morrissey and The Who pockmark their songwriting subtleties, it's
their more fiery sensibilities that draw the tunes together and pack a
serious punch in a live setting.
And so to the night's opening
act, Val Normal, who might be younger and less experienced than the
rock brethren they will be sharing the stage with, but take great
pleasure in proving time and time again they can cut the mustard - no
matter how illustrious the company.
A three-piece refreshingly
devoid of any monstrous rock-star egos - "We don't have a particularly
cool image or style; we just like playing music the best we can", they
claim - Val Normal draw from all the best bits of the likes of Jimmy
Eat World and Biffy Clyro to create a hybrid rock sound with plenty of
attitude.
Get there early to find out what the bands are about
for yourself, and give your ears the Christmas gift they've been
yearning for.
Learn more:
mike got spiked-
http://www.myspace.com/mikegotspikedThe Upgrades-
http://www.myspace.com/theupgradesThe Chapman Society-
http://www.myspace.com/thechapmansocietyVal Normal-
http://www.myspace.com/valnormalAlan Good.