Your Greystones Gigs

Wish you were her…

t’s a struggle to leave the house these days, given our big feck-off tellies and endless online distractions… 

The good news is, to help those tired of living la vida sofa, there’s plenty on offer around de town.

Up and gunning for a little more rock agus roll now, The Whale has been playing a blinder, bringing the good, the superbad and The Hothouse Flowers to town.

Which is crucial, given that The Hot Spot is no longer among us, and Pluck’s in Kilmac’s old school cabaret gigs are coming to an end on July 29th.

So, put on your drinking pants before it’s too late – and party like it’s 2019…

Good to see Dann’s are back on the gig circuit, the Friday night gigs up and gunning. On the first Friday of each month, Steve Belton gets his cigar box-guitar-toting mojo working, with Woodsy & guests on August 18th and the omnipresent Fisher Kings on the 25th. For September, it’s Belton on the 1st followed by Phelim Drew on the 8th, Brian Meakin & Friends on the 15th, the return of Woodsy on the 22nd and Big Muddy on the 29th. In October, it’s Belton on the 6th, Phelim on the 13th, KJ McEvoy Trio on the 20th and Big Muddy on the 27th. Details here.

The diddley-aye will be turned up to 11 at The Horse every Wednesday as their weekly Seisún by the fire makes a welcome return. Fiddles at dawn, people, kick-off at 9pm. More details here.

Talking of which, the long-running Dann’s diddley-aye is moving to The Beach House with their new Tuesday night Snug Sessions, led by Liam Ruth and the notorious Eddie Dunphy. Kick-off is 9pm, details right about here.

And if you’re looking for your trad fix on a Thursday night, The Grove Bar is the place to be, with the diddley-aye there kicking off at 9pm. We’ve been assured by regular Tony McGowan that the sessions are “always good, sometimes brilliant”.

Those musicians who like to dance to a difficult drummer will be happy to know that the monthly Jazz Jam Sessions are back up and gunning, making the move from the defunked Hot Spot to Dann’s downstairs on Sunday, September 17th, 4pm to 6pm. As always, anybody attempting to play a sweet melody will be locked in a room with Daniel O’Donnell’s 100 Greatest Hits. Call Dara MacMahon on 0868146926 if you want to get involved. Details here, and on Facebook here.

THURS5OCT23 8PM €25 The Whale Reginal D. Hunter: The Man Who Can See Through ***
America’s answer to Lenny Henry, Reginald D. Hunter has managed to carve out a surprisingly successful career in the UK, appearing on just about every TV comedy panel show there over the past few years. That he’s now playing the likes of The Hot Spot (back in 2022) and The Whale suggests those halcyon days might be behind him though, as Albany-born Reginald Darnell Hunter brings an hour of sorting out the facts from the fiction in these increasingly confusing and fake times. If you can believe that. Tickets here.

FRI6OCT23 8pm The Whale Mute The TV
A big part of the Wicklow music scene, brothers Dylan and Elliot Crampton take a busman’s holiday from their solo releases to have a little fun with their side project, Mute The TV. With three singles out over the past few months, and close to 1,347 releases between them in the past five years, the guys have no end of material to pull from. And this time out, they’ve got a full band. Kick-off is 8pm, waiting list here, interview here.

SAT7OCT23 2pm 8pm €20 The Whale Wicklow Stories Film Festival
Highlighting local filmmakers (including, hey, Laura Whitmore), and premiering a documentary all about Rise At The Cove, The Whale plays hosts to the Wicklow Stories Film Festival this year with screenings at 2pm and 8pm. You can find out more right over here, and grab a ticket here.

SAT14OCT23 8PM €30 The Whale An Intimate Evening With Paul Byrom
The title may suggest an Only Fans extravaganza, but the globe-trotting Paul Byrom is actually coming to town to play not only highlights from his eight studio albums but also fan favourites from the likes of Les Miserables, The Cranberries (who – fun fact – were originally called Les Miserables), Paul Brady and that Sondheim fella. As well as his kick-ass band, Paul will be bringing along special guest Chris Comhaill. Tickets here.

SAT21OCT23 8PM €25 The Whale Conor Guilfoyle Octet: The Music Of Gerry Mulligan 
One of Ireland’s most respected jazz musicians, Conor Guilfoyle here pays tribute to the late, great American saxophonist Gerry Mulligan. Divided in two, the concert will first feature charts made famous by Mulligan and Chet Baker with a unique quartet bereft of guitar or piano, whilst the second half of the show will see the full octet take on charts by Mulligan which haven’t been performed since the 1960s. Tickets and info here.

FRI27+SAT28OCT23 8PM €28 The Whale Playback: 50 Years Of Bowie’s Aladdin Sane
Released on April 19th 1973, less than a year after his landmark breakthrough album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, David Bowie wrote Aladdin Sane in the haze of fame, drugs and a seemingly endless global tour. It resulted in an album gloriously frayed around the edges, as the young Davey Jones embraced the role of rock messiah and sex god. Hits such as The Jean Genie and Drive-In Saturday reflected the end-of-the-world party atmosphere that would lead Bowie to 1974’s apocalyptic Diamond Dogs before a turn to the light with the US breakthrough Young Americans a year later. Taking us back 50 years are the well-regarded Playback, taking the idea of Greystones’ own UFO of tackling classic albums from beginning to end but actually making some money out of it. Tickets here.

FRI10-SUN12NOV23 €18/€15 8PM (4PM SUN) The Whale Little Women
The Cullen clan’s Arclight Theatre Company return to The Whale for their 4,237th show this year, bringing Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel to the stage. Charting the lives of four sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy – as they blossom in 19th century England, this timeless tale has been adapted for the screen and the stage regularly. So, it’ll be interesting to see what the Cullens can bring to the fable. Tickets here.

THURS16NOV238PM €20/€18 The Whale Social Fabric Podcast Live: Dermot Whelan 
Having just completed a nationwide tour exploring the new wonders of wellbeing and mindfulness, radio fave Dermot Whelan is naturally drawn to Greystones so he can share his feelings about, well, his feelings. Andrea Splendori is the man with the clipboard, as his Social Fabric podcast goes live once again. Tickets and info here.

FRI17NOV23 8PM €20 Karl Spain: Well, What Did You Expect?
Try as we might, we have not been able to source a recording of Karl Spain delivering what is a much-loved stand-up routine of GG’s wherein Joseph lets off some steam to his mates about his spoilt stepson, Jesus. If he ever tries to complain, sure the missus “thinks he’s God’s gift”. Not only that, Mary reckons the lad – who spends his days just hanging out with his 12 mates – “walks on water”. For this routine alone, Karl Spain deserves a place in The Comedy Hall Of Fame. For now though, he’ll have to make do with The Whale on Friday, November 17th. Which is pretty much the next best thing. Tickets here.

FRI1+SAT2DEC23 8PM €20 The Whale Chris Kent Back At It
Having made his Greystones debut at The Whale in February 2022, Cork’s finest Chris Kent is back with a brand new show at the beginning of December. And the show is a new beginning too. Since that 2022 show, the man went back to his regular job as an electrician, but, hey, he just didn’t feel that all-important spark. And given that there’s no future in electricity, the man is back on the road. Fully charged. Interview here, tickets here.

SAT16DEC238PM €32 The Camembert Quartet The Whale
Said to be inspired in part by Greystones’ near-legendary Baskerville Sisters, this fine Dublin quartet mix grooves with giggles. Which is no doubt what drew Ryan Tubridy to the lads when he needed a Late Late Show house band, getting to rock out with the likes of Robbie Williams and Rod Stewart over 12 glorious years. Come join them for some festive funk at The Whale, where they might just have a special guest singer or two. Just not Robbie. Or Rod. Just to be clear. Tickets and info here.

We’ll be adding more gigs as the weeks progress. In the meantime, you can check The Whale here, and whatever else is going on in this town here.