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Blue Whale Final Gig
7 December 2024
One of the most fiercely unpigeonholeable, inventive, and downright enjoyable bands to ever come out of Ireland, Blue Whale have decided to call it a day. Come along for their final ever gig and give them the sendoff they deserve.
Comprising guitarists Michael O’Halloran and Ben Behzadafshar, drummer John Macormac and bassist Andrew Melville, Blue Whale were a supremely shapeshifting live proposition by the time the genre-mauling Process arrived in 2018. Andy Cairns of Therapy? was reminded of free-jazz pioneer, Albert Ayler “playing with a bunch of kids that grew up on Steve Albini records” while The Line of Best Fit said “the mathy, jazz-flecked brew hurtles through a thorny tunnel of riffs and percussive flailing–it should be utter chaos, but Blue Whale make it honeyed.” Last Immediate Images is their most recent release (2023). Recorded and produced by Gilla Band’s Dan Fox, the album is a masterful expansion, and deft deconstruction, of what the Quietus hailed as their “chaotic, yet controlled experimental rock.”
Lauded for evoking everyone from Deerhoof and Swans, to Slint and Captain Beefheart, all the while sounding uniquely incendiary; with a particularly fierce and fun dynamism seen on the live stage. Strain your ear elsewhere through Last Immediate Images and you might hear flickers and ghosts of ex-Tom Waits’ guitarist Marc Ribot, Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan, a slither of A Silver Mt. Zion, and the shuffle and energy of London jazz scene acts like Sons of Kemet.
Thank you, Blue Whale. It’s been a trip!
Christmas with the Swingtime Starlets
1 December 2024
Festive Hits with a Swingtime Twist!
Returning to Accidental once again after their fabulous sold out show in 2022, The Swingtime Starlets invite you to ‘Step into Christmas’ the Swingtime way and join them in celebrating the musical magic of their hugely popular close-harmony Christmas show! With many sold out performances throughout the year, the Starlets are delighted to be back performing their Andrews Sisters-inspired celebration of timeless classics and crowd-pleasing festive favourites- all of course with their signature Swingtime twist! It’s the perfect occasion to don your glad rags, Deck the (dance!) Halls and Jingle Bell Rock your way to Accidental with friends and family for what will be a Merry and Bright, Christmas Cracker of a night!
It is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year aso why not step into Christmas the Swingtime way!
RÓIS ‘MO LÉAN’ EP Launch
12 October 2024
RÓIS is a composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and electronic artist from Fermanagh, whose songs breathe new life into a forgotten Ireland. Blending elements of folk, sean-nós, electronics, and jazz harmony, RÓIS’ genre-bending sound transports listeners to a land of the ‘Sidhe’ - the Irish underworld of myth and folklore.
With shapeshifting sets, no two performances are ever the same, as audiences accompany RÓIS into her sound world. Expect twists and turns of tempo and genre, and moments of sheer magic, as she conducts the energy of the room. This is a place where the ancient meets the new. A place of earth and wires.
Róis’ ethereal voice has been compared to the likes of Meredith Monk, Björk and Hatis Noit. It is a vocal style rooted in traditional sean-nós singing, as she summons the dead and the forgotten, with ancient ‘keening songs’.
The result is an extraordinary audio-visual experience, where myths and synths meld together to create music that is both ancient and pioneering.
RÓIS will support her forthcoming EP, “MO LÉAN”, with a run of dates in October; ‘The Irish Wake’ tour.
TerRain Festival
18 May 2024
TERRAIN is a new, one-day festival embracing modern classical and improvised music in the broadest possible sense. Featuring some of Belfast's best local performers, Ioana Petcu-Colan (violin), Aisling Agnew (flute), David McCann (cello) and David Lyttle (drums), as well as exciting guests Lina Andonovska (flutes) and Cathal Roche (saxophones), the programme has been designed by NHM's Ian Wilson to give a flavour of what’s happening in new music right now, with terrific work by living composers from Ireland, the UK, Europe, the USA, Japan and Australia.
The festival also features fabulous improvisers playing solo and together for the first time. Structured in groups of short performances, the day is packed yet easy to take in; with something for everyone!
Presented by New Horizons Music in association with Moving on Music and the Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland. Funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
Group 1
Cathal Roche - soprano saxophone, performs his “Air Stream 82S: Evelyn”
Ioana Petcu-Colan - violin, presents classics of the contemporary solo repertoire including Michael Finnissy’s “Ének”, Morton Feldman’s “For Aaron Copland”, Linda Buckley’s “Exploding Stars” and Ellen Taaffe Zwillich’s “Fantasy for Solo Violin”
David Lyttle - drums, performs an improvised set
Group 2
Aisling Agnew - flute & David McCann - cello, with a programme including brand new duo works for flute(s) and cello chosen from the TERRAIN Festival Call for Scores, as well as Elliott Carter’s “Enchanted Preludes” and Kaija Saariaho’s “Mirrors”
Lina Andonovska presents a programme of exciting pieces for flute & bass flute including Liza Lim’s “Bioluminescence”, Rebecca Saunders’ “Bite” and Dai Fujikura’s “Glacier”.
Group 3:
David McCann, cello, plays a set of contemporary cello solos including “Invisibility” by Liza Lim, “Vigour, Rigour, Jigger” by Greg Caffrey and the late Ivan Moody’s “O tower wreathed in gold”
Ioana Petcu-Colan - violin and Aisling Agnew - flute present a programme of duos for flute and violin including Jane O’Leary’s “A Winter Sketchbook” and Daniel Kessner’s “Nuance”
Lina Andonovska - flute(s) [incl. contrabass], Cathal Roche - saxophone(s), and David Lyttle - drums present a trio improvisation to finish the day with a bang
Crime & The City Solution (live /acoustic)
14 May 2024
Crime & the City Solution is proud to announce the launch of a three-piece acoustic version of the band that will be known as Crime & the City Solution (Acoustic) or Crime (Acoustic) for short.
Inspired by the Bonney/Adams duo that toured the US and Europe with Mark Lanegan in 2019, Crime (Acoustic) is born of a want to play the material in the style that many of the songs were first born, to enjoy an intimate atmosphere that captures the simple joy of friends playing together for friends, unmediated by technology.
Crime (Acoustic) will feature Bronwyn Adams (violin and vocals), Simon Bonney (vocals) and Joshua Murphy (acoustic guitar and vocals) and will operate in addition to the bigger full-electric line-up. It will perform songs from the Crime back catalogue as well as selected songs from Simon’s solo recordings.
The OM Collective #2
10 May 2024
For the first time since December 2021 The OM collective returns to the Accidental Theatre featuring performances from its founder members and a new addition from the North Coast. Good Friend, Brian Robb, Peter Brogan, Gerard Forrestal, Adele Sawey and Cameron Gibson
The OM collective presents a night of performances from the OM collective, a group of musicians from across Northern Ireland whose bond was forged through the Open mic scene in Belfast and beyond. A group of friends supporting each others musical endeavours coming together to create a night of original music and maybe a few covers to boot!
Electric Circus with Darragh Morgan
3 May 2024
Electric Circus presents an exciting programme of contemporary music for bass clarinet and electronics, including several UK premieres.
Electric Circus is Ireland’s newest contemporary music ensemble. With a focus on works that foreground the intersection of acoustic instruments and spatialised electronic sound, the group commissions new work, develops interdisciplinary projects and facilitates artist residencies in North-West Ireland.
Electric Circus is an initiative of Northern Lights Project and is managed and directed by Peter O’Doherty.
Electric Circus with Sarah Watts
17 February 2024
Electric Circus presents an exciting programme of contemporary music for bass clarinet and electronics, including several UK premieres.
Electric Circus is Ireland’s newest contemporary music ensemble. With a focus on works that foreground the intersection of acoustic instruments and spatialised electronic sound, the group commissions new work, develops interdisciplinary projects and facilitates artist residencies in North-West Ireland.
Electric Circus is an initiative of Northern Lights Project and is managed and directed by Peter O’Doherty.
Dom Martin
3 February 2024
UK-award-winning blues artist Dom Martin brings his solo show to the Accidental Theatre, where you can watch him in-person at the Theatre itself, or from the comfort of your own home anywhere in the world as the gig will be broadcast online.
Dom Martin is a Belfast born multi award winning artist who burst onto the music scene in 2019 with a unique guitar style and voice, captivating audiences everywhere.
BBC Radio 2 presenter Cerys Matthews - “Absolutely wonderful stuff” Classic Rock Magazine - "The Belfast guitarist is a sprawling talent" Walter Trout - "Dom Martin is amazing! A unique, genuine, vital artist"
makingascene.org - "The likes of Dom’s talent only comes around once in a lifetime"
Blues in Britain Magazine - "Now and again you stumble across a rare talent of such sheer genius that you actually wonder whether what you have witnessed can possibly be for real. Dom Martin is one such talent"
Music-News.Com - "Dom Martin is an absolutely fabulous performer"
Rock & Blues Muse - "It’s obvious that Dom Martin is the next rising star in the global roots scene. Jump aboard now before he passes you by"
Revue (Album Launch)
1 December 2023
After a summer touring in France and the UK, indie-folk band Revue are back in their hometown of Belfast to launch their debut album, Why Can’t You Stay - a collection of songs about grief, catharsis and resiliance inspired by losses suffered as the music was being written.
Expect classic, rootsy songwriting and arrangements that range from fragile acoustic accompaniment to soaring, organ-drenched explosions.
Support from the Coastal Trees, a beautiful indie-folk group.
Black Triptychs (Album Launch) with This Ship Argo
25 November 2023
Two years in the making, Black Triptychs will release their debut album 'Black Triptychs'.
With their improvisational acoustic sensibility enriched with a sample and effects based electronic substructure, Paul Fox (samples and electronics) and Tom Hughes (cello and effects) have attempted to capture the intimacy and shadow from their live shows into an ambient listening experience intended for long walks or staring into space.
They will be joined by This Ship Argo, the moniker of Aileen McKenna; a producer, musician, composer, vocalist and remixer based in Belfast.
Oram Awards Series: Lou Barnell
7 October 2023
Lou Barnell presents To Fly Out In The Heat Of Day, a new immersive performance fusing experimental audio-visual composition with alchemical sculptures and wearable sensor technology.
Lou Barnell is an award-winning vocalist, sound, and performance artist, one of Sound and Music's New Voices 2022 composers, and winner of the 2021 Oram Awards.
Her work gives language to her experience of being a neurodivergent woman in a synaesthetic world of sound, hyper-focus, and sensory overload. In 2019, she created 'Live Dreaming' - a concept that reconsiders her body as a mirror, reflecting and refracting parallel states of dreaming and performance.
Oram Awards Series: Poulomi Desai
2 September 2023
Oram Award winner Poulomi Desai is a multidisciplinary artist and curator. She is self-taught and for over 30 years, has been involved in performance, live art, sound and photography installations interrogating the politics of identity, listening and perception, inspired by her activist and DIY post punk background.
She subverts broken sitars into new electronic instruments for improvised performance, melding circuit bent toys, modified cassette decks, optikinetic instruments, kitchen knives, redundant electronics, axes and massage tools. She works with collage, video, field recordings, VLF radio noise, petri dish bacterial photography and ideas of ‘electromagnetic black noise’, embracing chance, loss of control and questioning 'authenticity'.
Queer We Go Again
26 August 2023
Join us for Quire's end-of-year musical showcase - Enjoy songs from across the decades, in a rousing evening filled with queer joy
Quire is Northern Ireland’s first and only LGBTQ+ choir. Quire began in 2005 with around 15 members. Today it is an ensemble of 40+ queer singers strong from diverse backgrounds with varied musical experiences and voice types.
Queer We Go Again is a presentation of songs by a variety of artists through the decades.
Songs for Sudan 2
28 June 2023
This is the second Songs for Sudan, hybrid benefit concert in Belfast. It is a response to war in Sudan, supported by the School of Arts English and Languages, Queen's University Belfast (QUB). There will be live music from Juanita Rea with Chip Bailey and Cameron Gibson, a set from Rory Nellis and a traditional dance by the Sudanese Youth Group.
The programme includes fun sing-alongs and drumming, inspiring poetry and paintings from Sudanese artists and moving personal testimonies from people who had to flee from Khartoum. There will be conversations with Ayah Aljunaid, Dr Manal Mahdi and Tayseir EL Shaikh about what is happening in Sudan, the role of protest art during the Sudanese Revolution and the wealth of Sudan and Africa as a whole.
Iranian Night
18 March 2023
After two sell-out shows last year, Behnam Pour and friends are back again to celebrate Now Ruz, Iranian New Year.
Come join Behnam and his friends for an evening of celebration and entertainment! Iranian Night Now Ruz Celebration is an event featuring the beautiful sounds of the santoor, traditional Iranian singing and dancing, and a festive atmosphere. Whether you're a fan of Iranian music or just looking for an enjoyable evening out, this event is sure to be one to remember. Don't miss this unique and inspiring event - join us for Iranian Night - Now Ruz Celebration!
Iranian Night
12 November 2022
Behnam performed at a recent book launch in Accidental's theatre, and awed the crowd with his incredible playing of the santour, a 72-string instrument from the Middle East. So we snapped him up for a show of his own - which sold out!
So Iranian Night is back due to popular demand! After a sell-out show in July, Behnam Pour and friends return to fill your senses with Persian joy, while highlighting the current plight of women in Iran. Behnam will once more play his beautiful santoor - a 72-string Iranian instrument - and Hamed Jafarian and Sara Sanaee will sing, as they bring you Persian music old and new.
Iranian Night
23 July 2022
Acclaimed Iranian santour player Behnam Pour brings the delights of Persia to Accidental with his intricate music, alongside poet Majid Forghani - and some surprises!
Behnam performed at a recent book launch in Accidental's theatre, and awed the crowd with his incredible playing of the santour, a 72-string instrument from the Middle East. So we snapped him up for a show of his own, and he's bringing along not only his amazing music, but local Iranian poet Majid Forghani to read his poetry.
With surprise guests, on stage and off, this family-friendly show is one for everyone to enjoy, soaking up the culture of Iran and beyond.
Dean Friedman
15 July 2022
Hailed by critics and fans alike as a one of the finest songwriters of his generation, Dean Friedman has achieved legendary, pop-icon status for chart-topping hits, Ariel, Lucky Stars, Lydia, McDonald’s Girl and more.
Following Friedman's sold-out, 40th Anniversary Tour, Friedman returns to the stage armed with a stunning collection of his insightful and compelling, true-to-life ‘story songs’ - songs of pathos and humor that deal with family, friends, neighbors, work and the seemingly trivial, yet ultimately essential stuff of everyday life.
A consummate entertainer, Friedman is performing solo, on guitar and keyboard, featuring songs from throughout his four-decade career, including familiar, radio hits and fan favorites, drawn from his eight studio albums. Invite family and friends and join Friedman for an evening of powerful, poignant and hilarious songs about the ordinary and extraordinary lives we share.
Justin Curran
16 April 2022
Justin Curran is an Irish singer/songwriter currently living in the French alps. Since 2018 Curran has been writing and releasing music regularly from his home studio in Chanay, the Alps.
With his debut album of 2012 (The Lonely Stroll) Curran toured the UK, Channel Islands and Ireland. Playing alongside such acts as The Charlatans and The Levelers with his band Curran is stripping down the live sound to himself on guitar and harmonica with his percussionist for the 2022 Tour which sees Curran playing dates in London, Brighton, Belfast (UK) Val Cenis (France), Berlin, Haarlem, Wijk Aan Zeet (Netherlands), Dublin, Galway (Ireland), Denver and Nashville (USA).
Curran will be performing songs from his two albums ‘ The Lonely Stroll’ and ‘The Light Shines Thru The Darkness’ which will both be on sale before and after the show.