Joey Bada$$, Liam Gallagher, Annie Mac: Ireland’s best rock and pop this week

Saturday, October 28

Annie Mac
Samhain Festival, Weston Airport, Dublin; €49.50; ticketmaster.ie
Our very own Annie Mac is returning to our shores to loosen up the hangars of Weston Airport, just outside Lucan, with a headlining DJ set at Samhain Festival. She will be joined by 2 Many DJs, Eats Everything, Mele and the Dublin DJ hero Kelly-Anne Byrne. This is the festival's first time at Weston, and getting the go-ahead was almost a close call, with locals objecting to the weekend-long event. Thankfully, it's all going ahead, and you can party at an airport. Finally, says you – Louise Bruton

Metropolis Festival
RDS, Dublin (continues Sunday); €49.75 -€119.50; ticketmaster.ie
The two-day electronic and dance festival is back, but with a new October date rather than its usual November slot. So for the first time you have a bank-holiday to recover. Hallelujah. With Richie Hawtin, Leftfield and Todd Terje headlining, it's a male-heavy line-up – a criticism that Metropolis has faced before – but add Le Boom and Peggy Gou to your hit list, have a goo at the art installations and catch some talks in Industries Hall – LB

Steely Dan
3Arena, Dublin, 6pm (also Monday); €79.50 (sold out); ticketmaster.ie
It's rare indeed that such a smart, sophisticated bunch of musicians have managed to slide through the decades without losing an iota of credibility. Therein lies the value of never being a flavour of the month in the first place. Formed in 1972 by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (who died in September), Steely Dan have always been noted for their forensic approach to sonic detail. Call it what you will – jazz-rock, ironic pop, whatever you're having yourself. The Dan can. Simple as. Special guests are The Doobie Brothers – Tony Clayton-Lea

Aimee Mann
National Stadium, Dublin, 8pm; €40; ticketmaster.ie
An enduring presence as a solo act from the early 1990s, Aimee Mann has produced a steady stream of quality pop and rock without getting the recognition she deserves. Such is life in the entertainment industry, of course, but Mann continues unassailable. Her latest album, Mental Illness, is her best in years, which is saying something. Special guest is the US performer Jonathan Coulton – TCL

The best rock and pop gigs for the week ahead

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Metropolis festival: everything you need to know

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Eamonn Campbell funeral punctuated by song and laughs

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Other Voices
The Duncairn, Belfast, 8pm; othervoices.ie
With just over a month to go before the annual Other Voices pre-Christmas shindig in Dingle, Co Kerry, the good ship OV sails to Belfast, where it slings its hook for a few days. During the day the event's head honcho, Philip King, presides over The Belfast Edge, a multistranded conference that delves into the intersection between culture, technology, business and education. Come evening, the Other Voices Stage will host the Grammy-nominated trad group Beoga, the Derry punks Touts, Donegal's Rosie Carney, Athy's Picture This, and Portadown's Jealous of the Birds. Any tickets left? Don't even ask – TCL

Metropolis after-parties
Various venues, Dublin (also Sunday); metropolisfestival.ie
A few Metropolis after-parties are happening, including Laurent Garnier at the Button Factory and a special guest at Chelsea Drugstore on Saturday night. On Sunday you'll find Adam Beyer at Hangar and Jeremy Underground and Hubie Davison at the Grand Social. Tickets are on sale at the festival; a few will also be available at the venues, but only people with a festival ticket or wristband will be allowed in – LB

Sunday, October 29

Turning Vampire Mixtape
Vicar St, Dublin, 7.30pm; €31.50; ticketmaster.ie
You are duly advised to dress up like it's 1899 for this spooky extravaganza, brought to you as part of Bram Stoker Festival 2017. Music guests on the night include Lisa Hannigan, Saint Sister, Paddy Casey, Wyvern Lingo, Kier (from Delorentos) and Niamh Farrell (from Hamsandwich). Expect cover versions, original material, make-up, a really VIP special guest and a selection of songs associated with horror movies. Fancy dress? It's up to you. Good times? Sorry, but that's essential. You have been scarifyingly warned – TCL

Liam Gallagher
Samhain Festival, Weston Airport, Dublin, 7pm; €59.50 (sold out); ticketmaster.ie (also SSE Arena, Belfast, Monday, 6.30pm; £35; ssearenabelfast.com)
It seems some of us still hanker after a bad-boy rock star, and if anyone typifies that these days it's (still) Liam Gallagher. Despite his less than polished ripostes to life, the universe and pretty much everything, he can rip through the Oasis songbook just as well as his more reserved, wittier older brother, Noel. He also has a half-decent solo album, As You Were, under his belt, which contains several classy rock-pop tunes that should get the capacity crowd humming along (even if they've come to the hangar for much more familiar material). The gig is presented as part of Samhain Festival 2017. Special guests in Dublin are The Strypes and Touts. Special guests in Belfast are The Strypes and Kyle Falconer – TCL

The Altered Hours
Live at St Luke's, Cork, 7.30pm; €20; liveatstlukes.com
As a complete alternative to the jazz offerings at this year's Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, you'd do much worse than getting your head around this gig. The Altered Hours have been melting minds in the Cork area and beyond for more than six years with terrifically bendy, warped psych-rock that has few betters. The Irish musician and acutely aware soundscape artist Katie Kim is one of the support acts; another is Will Carruthers, formerly of Spacemen 3, Spiritualized and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The latter two alone would be good enough to venture out for. Having The Altered Hours headline is the cherry on the cake – TCL

Tall Tales: In The Company of Wolves
Secret location in Meath; €35-55; hgcreations.yapsody.com
Taking place in an allegedly haunted boarding school in Kells, Hunt & Gather's Halloween BYOB event – running between 10pm and 5am – has it all. Spooky Beour, SYLK, Caz9 and Reveller will be performing on the night, along with DJ sets from PrYmary Colours, Justyna Koss, Handsome Paddy and Shrem's Carousel of Über Nerdiness. Tickets are selling quickly, so hop on board the carousel. A bus to and from the venue is included with your ticket – LB

Monday, October 30

Joey Bada$$
Olympia Theatre, Dublin, €36.60; ticketmaster.ie
The booker for the Olympia Theatre has been working absolute magic lately, and with the addition of the Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ our winter gig schedule has just got even better. (The clocks go back on October 29th, so it's officially winter now. Welcome!) By the time Mr Bada$$ reaches Dublin he will be a week into the European leg of his All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ world tour. Standing tickets are sold out, but tickets for the upper circle are still available. Snap them up before someone else does – LB

Tuesday, October 31

Foy Vance
Olympia Theatre, Dublin, 8pm; €22.95; ticketmaster.ie
Thanks to his own perseverance, help from friends such as David Holmes and Ed Sheeran, a dollop of luck, and sync deals with American TV shows (including House, Vampire Diaries and Arrow), success for the Northern Irish singer-songwriter has arrived as he settles into his 40s. This show, billed as an Evening with Foy Vance, could be viewed as a thank you to his long-term fans. Expect songs old and new performed solo on guitar and piano – TCL

Wednesday, November 1

London Grammar
Olympia Theatre, Dublin, 8pm; €39.50; ticketmaster.ie
There's an awful lot to be said for the group that just minds its own business. Although we occasionally need shouty, mouthy rock stars (see Liam Gallagher, above), we also require counsel and sophistication. Enter London Grammar, a UK trio who, almost four years after their debut album, If You Wait, released their follow-up, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing, earlier this year. Such a lengthy gap often points to trouble, but the trio's latest batch of songs shows no such sign. Elegant electronic pop delivered with no fuss? The key word is classy – TCL

Oh Wonder
The Academy, Dublin; €19.90; ticketmaster.ie
The London duo have a long-standing relationship with Ireland, so theirs is a welcome return. Their latest album, Ultralife, is a sugary-sweet alt-pop indulgence that's sure to put a bounce in your step, or give you a cavity, even on the darkest of days. This gig is currently sold out, but keep an eye on Twitter for anyone trying to sell their tickets. It will be the perfect comedown gig to the bank-holiday weekend – TCL

Thursday, November 2

Matthew E White
Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, 8pm; €21; paviliontheatre.ie
Almost five years ago the American songwriter released his debut album, Big Inner, and immediately had critics gasping for plaudits. Uncut magazine called it one of the greatest of modern Americana. Unusually, this gig is plugging not a soon-to-be-released record but new songs that may (or may not) appear on White's in-progress third album. Relatively intimate venues? New material mixed with previously minted classics? Matthew E White solo and without a safety net? Sign us up immediately – TCL