DÚN LAOGHAIRE EVENTS

Following the success of its 2018 event, the much–anticipated Vinyl Festival returns to Dún Laoghaire in November, promising once again to be an unmissable experience for music fans and vinyl record aficionados alike. The festival will take place in a selection of venues around Dún Laoghaire, including The LexIcon Library Studio, The National Maritime Museum, The Pavilion Theatre and The Lighthouse.

Taking place over three days from 1st-3rd November, the Vinyl Festival will involve a collection of talks and discussions relating to all aspects of vinyl recordings – from writing, recording, producing and performing, down to examining sleeve design and liner notes, as well as looking at the importance and significance of vinyl records in our culture today.

Highlights of the festival look set to be two live gigs featuring Johnny, Barry & Jim of Horslips on the 1st & 2nd in the Pavilion Theatre (43 years on from recording their Horslips Live album in Dún Laoghaire’s old Pavilion!), and Line of Duty/This is England actor – and part-time DJ – Vicky McClure’s DJ set in The Lighthouse on the Saturday night.

Other events likely to garner great interest are Newstalk’s Tom Dunne playing tracks from the Beatles’ Abbey Road and discussing its recording and legacy as it celebrates its 50th birthday, plus Liam O Maonlaí discussing the Hothouse Flowers’ debut album, People, playing some of the tracks on vinyl AND live on piano!

The festival brings together a wide selection of talent including international musicians, writers and filmmakers, all of whom will take part in a broad series of discussions, and play a selection of their own favourite vinyl records, so it promises to be an extra special 3-day event with a difference. The line-up also includes Leslie Dowdall, Damian O’Neill & Michael Bradley (The Undertones), The Cranberries’ Noel Hogan (discussing the band’s latest and final album, In the End), authors Stuart Cosgrove, Geraldine Quigley and Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, as well as directors Richie Smyth and Kevin Godley examining the relationship between video and vinyl sales. Established radio DJs Dave Fanning, Tom Dunne, Peter Devlin and Dan Hegarty along with journalists, Roisin Dwyer and Nadine O’Regan, will act as moderators and interviewers for the discussions.

Irish Record Fairs will be on site on Saturday and Sunday, so there will be plenty of opportunity to go crate-digging!

Brian O’Flaherty and Neil Goodman, directors of the Dún Laoghaire Vinyl Festival commented on how the festival came about: “A mutual love of music, the excitement at the return of an old format that many felt was gone and a wish to celebrate it in our local community – these are the reasons we created the Dún Laoghaire Vinyl Festival in 2018. This year’s event will be even bigger and more varied, with something for audiophiles of all ages and musical tastes: from punk to soul, from recording to sleeve design – with vinyl, the music is only part of the story.”