Latest news with #DylanFlynn
Irish Examiner
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Forest Fest review: Peter Hook and Teenage Fanclub among highlights of Day 2
Forest Fest, Emo, Co Laois, Saturday July 26 ★★★★☆ If you, like me, are one of those sad sacks who bore all and sundry by moaning about the 'good old days' of festivals then Forest Fest in Emo, Co Laois will finally shut you up. Now in its third year, this boutique gathering sports a well looked after car park and campsite for a start. Once inside, the Village and Perfect Day stages are to your right, or head straight for the Fleadh (and some nice craft beer action) or the main stage. The site's compactness saves on shoe leather but means there's some sound spillage between stages, albeit nothing that'll spoil anyone's day. A great kick-off from Limerick's Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets, whose early Springsteen, saxophone-driven rocking eventually drew an enthusiastic crowd after a brief delay with the gates. These Charming Men's Smiths tribute was as superb as always. Therapy dotted their set with Philo-isms ('We need your helping hands') and they (and Kilkenny's Kerbdog) were like a shovel to the head but in a good way. Peter Hook & The Light provided an enjoyable time-trip, despite the fact that Hooky and his guitar player couldn't make up half a singer between them. I haven't seen two bass players on stage since the glory days of Spinal Tap but versions of Blue Monday and Love Will Tear Us Apart are always welcome. Teenage Fanclub at Forest Fest. A brief stop for a bit of head-banging to the concertina of Buille before joining a packed tent for the Classic Beatles. 'John's' wig disproved all of Isaac Newton's apple-related theories but that didn't stop a great show, almost drowned out by the communal singing. Later, we were treated to a spirited set from Manic Street Preachers. "Do you remember the 90s?' James Dean Bradfield asked. It's a safe bet most of this audience does. Huge cheer for Design For Life, as there always should be, and the rest of a career-spanning selection from the Welsh Clash, especially a particularly good You Love Us, which we undoubedly do, was equally useful. 'You're the people we're here for!' Right on. The sound wasn't great at the back, and the bar and the bathroom were a fair hike from the front of the main stage, and more toilets are always welcome. But these are minor quibbles at a festival where the staff were fantastic and there was a fine variety of food and drink. My night ended with Teenage Fanclub because there will always be something irresistibly attractive about the combination of overdriven guitars and harmonies. Everything they played was teleported in from some glorious jangly dimension, but the selections from 1991's Bandwagonesque, especially The Concept's heavenly coda, were a blessing. A near-perfect ending to a great day out. Where can I get a ticket for next year? Read More Mary Coughlan review: Ride On among the highlights of triumphant homecoming show in Galway
Irish Independent
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Galway musician Keagan Forde releases chilling new single
The chilling indie-folk track is the musician's fourth release as a solo artist, paired back to just vocals and guitar – two things Keagan does very well. The Loughrea man has played and crafted music for many years, currently gigging with the band Evoke and occasionally with Groev, having previously played with the Limerick group Dylan Flynn and the Dead Poets. His new track don't let me lose is his most raw and unrefined music to date thus far, with booming vocals expertly illustrating the pain brought across through beautifully crafted lyrics. Starting out slow and soft, delicately placed airy notes bring a melancholy to the song, with a gradually building tempo intensifying to a stunning vocal crescendo towards the latter half of the track. Speaking about the new release, Keagan said: 'don't let me lose is a song that I wrote when I was anywhere between like 23 to 24 up to like 25 to 26. It was a culmination of a load of really sad feelings about being lost and not really knowing where I am and who I am, and, you know, missing that younger part of myself, realising I'm getting a little bit older, and the fear of change, basically. Basically, it's a song about what I call 'the terrible 20s'.' In terms of his solo music, Keagan describes it as his 'passion project'. 'My solo music… It's a real passion project of mine now,' he said. 'It's not something I'm too eager about promoting in terms of like… I don't see the need to like consistently post [on social media]. I just want this song to connect with people, and I want the rest of my music to do the same. 'I'm just doing it for me, and I'm doing it have a bit of fun – I'm not really hoping for anything out of my solo career or anything like that. The ultimate goal is just to connect and write songs that connect with people - if that's one person or 100 million gazillion people I'm happy with either. 'These are songs that I've crafted as carefully as I possibly can, and I hope that they kind of represent that time in my life where I probably wasn't feeling too good… but now, things are on the up, and things are looking good.' Listen to don't let me lose on all streaming platforms now.
Irish Independent
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Five festivals in Laois not to be missed this summer
While Co. Laois is largely known for Electric Picnic and the Ploughing Championships, there is so much more on offer to help you sort your weekend plans for the next month and a half. Forest Fest Music and Arts Festival Forest Fest Music and Arts Festival is set to have five jam-packed stages of Indie music, Dance, Fleadh, International and Irish artists from July 25-28, 2025. Some of the weekend's headliners include Franz Ferdinand, Manic Street Preachers and The Stranglers alongside a major line-up of Irish artists from across Ireland including Pillow Queens, Dylan Flynn and the Dead Poets, Paddy Casey, Qween, Buíoch and Meadhbh Hayes. Tickets are still available with just two weeks to go until the festival, a single ticket for Friday is €85 and a weekend ticket is €150, more information can be found through Ossory Agricultural Show The Ossory Show promises a fun-filled day out for the whole family at the Ossory Showgrounds, Coolfin Rathdowney, Co. Laois on Sunday, July 27 2025. Attendees can expect an outing for the scrapbooks with over 300 competitive classes, vintage shows, live music , a truck show and much more. More details can be found at 61st National Steam Rally The countdown is on for one of Ireland's oldest and most loved heritage festivals as the 61st National Steam Rally makes its return to Stradbally, Co. Laois. There will be much to see and do over the bank holiday weekend kicking off on Saturday, August 2 with the Steam & Vintage Parade at 7pm. ADVERTISEMENT The rally has much to offer from majestic steam engines and vintage tractors, to music, crafts, trade stands, family attractions and more. Live music will take place throughout the weekend with the line-up set to feature Michael English, Robert Mizzell, Brendan Shine, Declan Nerney, Louise Morrissey, Olivia Douglas, Shawn Cuddy, and many more. There will also be a special gathering of International tractors, working displays, miniature steam, and live demonstrations, funfair rides, heritage exhibits, and family entertainment Whether you're a steam enthusiast, a music lover, or just looking for a great family day out, there's something for everyone at the National Steam Rally. Tickets are available at Laois Forest School Wellness Festival Attendees can looking forward to experiencing rejuvenation amidst nature's embrace at the Laois Forest School Wellbeing Festival over a weekend of holistic wellness including foraging, yoga, storytelling, and more, all set against the backdrop of the lush Doire Seoige oak forest on Saturday, August 9, 2025 Rosenallis Festival of the Mountain and Vintage Rally The Festival of the Mountain & Vintage Rally returns on Sunday, August 17, 2025 to Glenbarrow, Rosenallis, Co. Laois. Organisers have been busy behind the scenes as the festival field is said to have had an upgrade over the winter and is now significantly larger to host even more fun this year. From dog shows to free face-painting and amusements, there is something for everyone.
Irish Independent
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Limerick band who supported British rockers The Darkness to play Clare gig
The indie-rock collective will be bringing their energetic live performance to Pot Duggans in Ennistymon on July 19, with fellow Limerick musician Laura Duff providing support on the night. 'We have been trying to play a show in Clare for quite some time now, so to say we are excited is an understatement,' the band's lead singer, Dylan Flynn, said. 'I grew up in Limerick, but my family moved to Clare when I was a teenager, so it holds a special place in my heart. 'I spent most of my summer by the coast there too - there's just a special feeling in West Clare that you don't get anywhere else.' The band have been working on new music they are planning to debut at the Clare gig, with Flynn revealing to The Irish Independent that there will be a new single coming out just three days before their Banner County show. 'We have been working on loads of new music, including a single that's coming out on July 16, so we have loads of new material that we will be playing,' Dylan said. The gig announcement comes mere weeks after the Limerick five-piece opened up gigs in Limerick's King John's Castle and Kerry's Gleneagle Arena for British rock band The Darkness. The Justin Hawkins fronted outfit are most well known for their iconic 2003 hit 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love'. 'A couple of weeks ago we joined The Darkness for their Irish tour, where we played a couple of our biggest shows to date,' Dylan said. 'It was such a surreal experience, as they are a band who have existed in my life since I was a child, so it was great to share the stage with them. ADVERTISEMENT 'We really feel a momentum building right now, and this summer still has some exciting things ahead." Tickets for Dylan Flynn and the Dead Poets at Pot Duggans are on sale now.
Irish Independent
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Tipperary man runs 100km from Limerick to Galway in mammoth fundraiser effort
Chris Britton, originally from Clonmel and of the well-known Limerick band Dylan Flynn and the Dead Poets, has already raised €1,500 for the international humanitarian organisation, with his GoFundMe page remaining open for further charitable contributions. The charitable Tipp man has been attempting to get the 100km stretch done for approximately six months, but after various health obstacles he finally completed the run just over a week ago. Britton claimed a sense of adventure is what drove him to take on the challenge. 'A lot of people keep asking me why I did the run and to be honest, I don't know,' Chris laughed. 'I just really like doing these long distance things for fun. I feel like I get to see a lot of the country, and it's always a good adventure. I always enjoyed reading stories about Tom Crean and Antarctic exploration – I guess I'm just looking for a little bit of that in my life, without the minus 60 degrees temperatures.' Chris completed the 100km run in one go, with a small bit of walking interspersed over the 15 hours it took. 'Being constantly sick over the few months leading up to the run made me feel less prepared than I wanted to be for it, I suppose,' the musician reflected. 'By the time I ended up doing it, I knew I wasn't ready, but I was too frustrated to keep waiting. I was extremely lucky to have my friends out there to give me a hand. You know… you can overcome a lot physically, but if your mind starts to go as well, if you're physically and mentally hurting, then you know you're in trouble. So just having all those people keeping my spirits up was a big help. It helps you get over the hump when the pain is starting to creep in.' Despite the impressive magnitude of this charitable act, this is actually not the first massive feat of physical endurance Chris has taken on for charity. 'I think the first big challenge I did was in the middle of the pandemic – I did this really long hike that I really wanted to do, covering all the mountain ranges I would have hiked as a child with my family,' Britton said. 'At the end of it, I just thought if I share this, I think maybe people would give money and I felt like maybe I should do something to fundraise because if I do, maybe it'll raise money for a good cause. It felt like an opportunity to kind of make something good out of it, instead of me just wandering around in the wilderness.' 'It's kind of like I'm doing something that I had wanted to do anyway but using that to do some good,' Chris continued. 'Sometimes when I talk about, you know, the 100km run, when I'm in the planning stages and I'm talking to people about it, some of them ask me what's the charity? People ask me so much that I'm like, yeah, I don't actually have one, but I probably should do a fundraiser, because people kind of expect it almost sometimes, so it just seems like a waste not to. It feels like… why not?' So, why Concern this time? The Tipp man explained he has a deeper history with the charity tracing back to his college days. ADVERTISEMENT 'Around seven years ago now, when I was living in Cratloe student village in LIT, there were people coming around door to door on behalf of Concern asking people if they wanted to sign up to donate every month,' Chris said. 'I just got chatting to one of the guys and he explained what Concern do and why it was a good idea to support them. I've been giving them €7 per month ever since. I feel like it's probably a charity where your money goes a long way, where you can help people who are victims of war and in much more terrible situations than any of us will ever experience. I don't really have a personal stake in any kind of local charity, so I thought I'd stick with Concern because I've been supporting them for a long time.' As for what's next in terms of his fundraising, Chris said there is 'always something in the pipeline'. 'I think the next one I'm going to do is a full Iron Man with my friends in Barcelona,' Britton said. 'So maybe I'll put up some fundraisers for that too. After that, maybe I'll climb the highest mountain in every county… There's always something that, you know, always the next thing. As soon as you finish one thing, you're kind of like planning the next one.'
