Jim O'Donoghue Martin 11 posts 0 comments

If you've ever listened to the glorious HeadStuff Podcast - and if not, why not?! - you'll have heard the work of Video Blue as he's the man behind the jaunty intro tune. There's more to the man than raising the curtain on conversations in…

''Is this a concert or a cattle mart?'' In hindsight, Colm Mac Con Iomaire's unannounced support slot set the tone. The marquee was three-quarters full and his beautiful rousing compositions faltered due to a more audible noise coming from…

The haunting vocals of Beth Gibbons and dynamic musical palette of Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley make their Stradbally debut in 2014. A little surprising considering they've been active since 2008 following a lengthy hiatus. A trip-hop…

On a muggy late-June evening, Fiona Bevan is due to play the exclusive members only Soho House. Tickets were not available to buy, so this rather has the feel of a private showcase. The room is full with sofas and plush wing chairs, and…

The sun was still beating down on Dalston as your correspondent approached the Servants Jazz Quarters just before 7.30pm.  I overhear the bouncer turning away three keen underage fans. Being the epicentre of hipster cool, I sympathise…

How long is a piece of string? How much time do you have? Arbitrary questions with even more capricious answers. James, over thirty years since forming and six since their last album release are about to drop a new one called La…

Guitar music. The first and last bastion of Pop's short history. Beguiling and bewildering, its power is often under and indeed overestimated. 'Alternative' doesn't mean anything anymore, certainly if it's the alternative to the already…

Headstuff readers, if any of you are in London on St. Patrick's weekend; this is for you. For those of you who are not, this is still for you. The following is a propaganda piece. Necessary because I'm about to tell you about an…

A Decade of Musical Semi-Consciousness: The Best Songs of the Noughties. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If I could go back to the eleven year old standing in the CD shop, with about three old Irish pounds to spend, I’d choose…

A family is gathered together in their living room, somewhere in Ireland. The rain is beating at the window, as the mother draws the curtains to a close. The father removes the framed Sacred Heart from the wall. The children studiously…