(Not) The Northern Ireland Music Awards

There is increasing frustration amongst Northern Ireland’s musicians at the announcement of the Northern Ireland Music Awards by AU magazine and Oh Yeah. This act alone was enough to start a war of words on the internet as the Trolls hit sites like Fast Fude and Twitter to complain at the lack of accountability and impartiality of a body and a magazine that are so heavily Government funded. These protesters feel strongly that these two companies do not represent the Northern Irish Music Scene as a whole, but that they exist only to serve themselves. While this is the main bone of contention the musicians also feel that it is not inclusive, as NI produces a wealth of talent across all genres that seem to have been ignored. In other words people want to know what gives AU Magazine and Oh Yeah the right to decide who gets a NORTHERN IRELAND Music Award? Continue reading “(Not) The Northern Ireland Music Awards”

The Un-‘Sung’ Heroes of Pigstock ’11

Once again Festival season is upon us and the NI circuit is getting better. This weekend it was the turn of Killinchy, Co. Down which was hosting it’s relatively new Pigstock Festival. It is a Festival still in it’s infancy but to attend you would never know. A fantastic line up of the best in local music, Pigstock does a wonderful job giving the chance for unsigned acts to play to the people.

Like the now legendary Glasgowbury Festival, Pigstock is an amazing up and coming festival which is fast becoming a must attend. Headlined this year by ASIWYFA and LaFaro as well as showcasing a wealth of talent by some of the most hardworking and often ignored bands on the scene.

Now anyone interested in reading about Pigstock have no doubt read counless reviews about Mojo Fury, LaFaro and ASIWYFA mainly because all those pretentious Musos generally write about little else. Always looking to review the big names so they can look back from behind the McDonalds counter and think, ‘I wrote about them, once’.

Even BBC Radio Ulster’s Across The Line, who claim to bring us the ‘best new music from Northern Ireland’ have fallen into a similar trap. In fact the very people who use our money, as licence payers, to review new music on our behalf, and how do they pick which band to review?It seems if you are mates with those who work for ATL then you are guaranteed a review and that’s from their own mouth. Continue reading “The Un-‘Sung’ Heroes of Pigstock ’11”