Formerly a "battle of the bands" type competition for unsigned Irish acts, this year The JD Set is getting a total change of format.
The JD Set has run for the past eight years as a competition but this year sees some of Ireland's most respected musicians collaborate on a unique live project. The free gig will see the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon rework Vampire Weekend's fantastic self titled debut album with the help of Cathy Davey and Jape.
Having chosen the album in question, which features favourites like 'Oxford Comma' and 'A-Punk', Hannon said, "I'm so pleased to have been given the opportunity by the JD Set folks to rework one of my all-time favourite records, the debut and eponymously titled album by Vampire Weekend. The reason I’ve chosen it is because stylistically, it’s an ingenious marriage of indie pop, African rhythm and classical harmony. Musically, it's a collection of beautifully honed melodies and taut, perfectly structured chord progressions. Lyrically it’s all witty, occasionally barbed snap-shots of Ivy League colleges and Long Island lawns, regularly veering off on idiosyncratic tangents. But mostly it's because it kicks ass and makes me happy!"
Tickets for the exclusive performance at The Button Factory on Friday April 1st are free and will be available via registration from February 1st on www.thejdset.ie.