It can be a little overwhelming trying to decide which gigs to part with your heard-earned cash to go and see but, as any seasoned gig-goers will tell you, there aren't many better ways to enjoy yourself than in the company of an excellent band in a great venue. We've examined the live music listings for the month ahead and picked a selection of gigs which we feel will be well worth checking out. Read on for more...
Jessie J - The O2, Dublin - 16th October
While we've yet to fully forgive Jessie J for indirectly being responsible for Amanda Brunker's Oxegen appearance (Jessie pulled out, was replaced by Brunker for some reason) but nonetheless, she'll get a chance to make up for this with a hotly-anticipated headline show in Ireland's largest indoor venue.
Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit - Whelan's, Dublin - 16th October
Emerging from the same music scene in England which gave us Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons , Johnny Flynn has long been one of the shining lights of the UK guitar/folk scene. Flynn's third album 'Country Mile' has just been released, so expect some new gems.
MMOTHS - Dolan's, Limerick - 19th October
MMOTHS (or Jack Colleran to his ma) is one of the shining lights of Ireland's burgeoning electronic music scene. The extent of the texture of Colleran's music belies his youth and this will be a real treat for lovers of ambient grooves.
MGMT - Savoy Theatre, Cork - 20th October
MGMT are, simply put, one of the most fun live acts around nowadays. On the back of their incredibly well-received third album, the US band are taking in a brief Irish tour and it'll be well worth checking out their Cork pit stop in the Savoy.
Travis - Olympia Theatre, Dublin - 21st October
Travis will never quite recapture the glory days which saw them achieve huge success in the late '90s - but that's not going to stop them trying. The Scots have just released a new album 'Where You Stand' - their seventh - and will stop in Dublin this month to play some tunes from it.
Chic - Vicar Street, Dublin - 22nd October
Their appearance at this summer's Forbidden Fruit was one of the most talked about performances of the summer festival calendar and has left appetites considerably whetted for their Dublin return in the confines of Vicar Street later this month.
Local Natives - Olympia Theatre, Dublin - 24th October
Another band who impressed on the festival scene this past summer, Local Natives are no strangers to our country and the US band will make their latest appearance in the Olympia Theatre on the 24th of October.
Primal Scream - Leisureland, Galway - 26th October
One of British music's most enduring live acts, Primal Scream are still going strong over three decades after forming. Their tenth album More Light, which features collaborations with Robert Plant, Kevin Shields and more, shows that they're very much back to their best.
Glen Hansard - Town Hall Theatre, Galway - 29th October
The former Frame has enjoyed considerable success ever since opting to act in a low budget indie movie called 'Once', earning him an Oscar and a seemingly never-ending list of high profile fans. His solo career continues to flourish both and home and abroad and Hansard will take in another Galway show at the Town Hall Theatre at the end of the month.
Jake Bugg - Olympia Theatre, Dublin - 4th November
Jake Bugg is another act who impressed on an Irish festival stage this past summer, after appearing on the main stage of the inaugural Longitude Festival to considerable praise a few months back. The 19-year-old's self-titled debut is among the nominees for this year's Mercury Prize, so expect to hear a lot more about this chap soon.
Beady Eye - Olympia Theatre, Dublin - 7th November
Liam Gallagher's post-Oasis effort hasn't really hit the heights of his brother Noel's solo work just yet but their second album BE, released earlier this year, has signaled that they're on the right course. A must for any Oasis fans suffering from withdrawals, too.
The National - The O2, Dublin - 10th November
After playing an incredible show Live at the Marquee in Cork earlier this year The National aren't making their masses of Irish fans wait too long for their return when they play The O2 in Dublin on November 10th. This will be their first Dublin show since the release of Trouble Will Find Me at the beginning of last summer, so it's pretty safe to say that you can expect a pretty packed house down at the Docklands.
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