The Guide: The events to see, the shows to book, and the ones to catch before they end

Event of the week

Fight Like Apes

Saturday, April 6th, 3Olympia, Dublin, 7pm, €38.45, ticketmaster.ie

They were the best of the best, but then they faded from view. They were the best of the best, and then they returned – but they will not, we have been advised, be around for very long. In other words, catch ‘em while they’re here again. Back in their day, Fight Like Apes gave it socks (and other items of worn clothing), but threw down the microphones about eight years ago. Fronted by the apparently untiring MayKay, the band made a surprise return to gigging last year, and followed that toe-in-the-water experience with the announcement of further (and somewhat sporadic) live shows. If you can remember them from their heyday, then you’ll know what level of intensity, fun, and interaction to expect. If you haven’t, then you had best prepare yourself for a “did that really happen?” experience. Special guest is (so says MayKay) “beaut unit” Ailbhe Reddy.

[ Fight Like Apes: ‘Things are so different now. It’s cool to be sober; it’s cool to go to therapy’ ]

Gigs

Bryson Tiller

Tuesday, April 9th/Wednesday, April 10th, Vicar Street, 7pm, €35.65 (sold out), ticketmaster.ie

Two sold-out nights at Vicar Street constitute major popularity in our book, but when you have over 1 billion plays on streaming platforms perhaps it’s no shock. In his early 30s, Bryson Tiller knocked it out of the proverbial park at the age of 18 when he released his debut mixtape, Killer Instinct Vol. 1. It took four years for Tiller’s official debut album, Trapsoul, to be released but since then only the pandemic has slowed him down. The roll resumes this week with the release of his fourth (self-titled) album.

Sophie Coyle

Friday, April 12th, Bello Bar, Dublin, 8.30pm, €15 eventbrite.ie

The title of Sophie Coyle’s forthcoming album, Cuentista, translates from Spanish as “storyteller”, and spinning a compelling tale is precisely what the Dundalk, Co Louth, musician/songwriter excels at. Recording for Cuentista started during the pandemic at Black Mountain Studios, and finished last year, but these shows will also feature songs from her 2018 debut album, Blame Me for the Storm. Support (at Bello Bar) is SELK, and Gar Cox. The album launch tour dates continue on Saturday, April 13th, Spirit Store, Dundalk, County Louth; Thursday, April 18th, Róisín Dubh, Galway; Sunday, April 21st, American Bar, Belfast.

[ Sophie Coyle: Blame Me for the Storm review – killing you softly with storytelling ]

Dagny

Friday, April 12th, The Academy, Dublin, 7pm, €22.90, ticketmaster.ie

Norway’s Dagny Norvoll Sandvik knows what it’s like to serve an apprenticeship – 14 years ago, she left her hometown of Tromsø for the UK, from where she aimed to kick-start a career. In between working part-time in a variety of low-paying jobs, she performed her original songs in tiny clubs but within a few years had managed to land support slots with Elton John, Sting, and Bryan Adams. By 2015, Dagny’s indie-pop sad-banger Backbeat had come to the attention of influential radio presenter Zane Lowe – by mid-2016, the song had accrued over 20 million plays on Spotify. Dagny’s success has continued apace, but why a small venue for such a multimillion streamed artist? In other words: Don’t miss.

Elsewhere

Monday, April 8th, O’Reilly Theatre, Dublin, 7.30pm, €35/€30, oreillytheatre.com, Friday, April 12th, Íontas Arts Centre, Castleblayney, County Monaghan, 8pm, €25/€17, iontascastleblaney.ie

Nominated for two Irish Times Theatre Awards, Michael Gallen’s riotous opera (based on the true story of barricaded hospital gates and declarations of Soviet independence – in, no less, Monaghan, in 1919) strikes a steady balance between serious thought and amusing commentary. Libretto by Gallen, Annemarie Ní Churreáin and Carys D Coburn. Tom Creed directs. Also Wednesday, April 17th, Cork Opera House, corkoperahouse.ie, and Wednesday, April 24th, Town Hall Theatre, Galway, tht.ie

[ Elsewhere: Agitprop opera combines the serious and the comic ]

Traditional

A Celebration of Music Network

Thursday, April 11th, Whyte Recital Hall, Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin, 7.30pm, €49.50/€25, eventbrite.ie

The dedicated work of Music Network, Ireland’s national music touring and development organisation, is celebrated at this event through performances from a quartet of acclaimed Irish traditional musicians. Featured are cellist/uilleann piper Neil Martin, singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, fiddle player Paddy Glackin and pianist Ryan Molloy. All proceeds raised by this event will support Music Network’s community programmes nationwide.

Podcast

How to Gael

Monday, April 8th, Liberty Hall, Dublin, 7pm, €??, ticketmaster.ie

Launched late last year by Louise Cantillon, Doireann Ní Ghlacáin and Síomha Ní Ruairc, the How to Gael podcast is the bilingual fluid chat fest you never thought you needed. The podcast is formulated around advice on numerous “How to…” areas (how to organise your fridge, how to be a stan, how to have self-discipline, how to hygge, and so on). Topics on previous podcasts, meanwhile, include “notions – the good, the bad, and the passive aggressive”, “which podcasters have the most sway politically?”, “would you die for your country?”, and perhaps our favourite, ‘if you were a bird, who would you sh** on?”.

Literature

A Fool’s Errand

Saturday, April 6th, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, 8pm, €20/€18, triskelartscentre.ie

This celebration of Dermot Healy’s book-length poem, A Fool’s Errand, is a significant new work for live visual art (Diarmuid Delargy), musicians (Emer Maycock, Nick Roth, Dónal Siggins), and a narrator (Lalor Roddy). Featuring the recording of 49 voices (Healy’s family, friends, and colleagues), the series of poems has been described as an investigation of destiny chronicled by the passing of time and the lingering presence of death. Adrian Dunbar directs.

Still running

Aladdin

Until Sunday, April 14th, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin, 7.30pm, €85/€65/€55/€26.50, ticketmaster.ie

Adapted from Disney’s 1992 animated feature, this crowd-pleaser features the songs, the laughs, and the vibrant colour of a justifiably acclaimed stage production. Yeukayi Ushe pops up as Genie, while Gavin Adams features as Aladdin, and Desmonda Cathabel plays Jasmine.

[ A show-stopping genie finally brings Disney's stage musical fully to life ]

Book it this week

The Woman in Black, Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, May28th-June 1st, ticketmaster.ie

Ne-Yo, The Marquee, Cork, June 12th, ticketmaster.ie

Stevie Nicks, 3Arena, Dublin, July 3rd, ticketmaster.ie

Megan Thee Stallion, 3Arena, Dublin, July 14th, ticketmaster.ie