Forthcoming Events
Click on an event below to see details and buy tickets
Art Exhibitions in The Black Box Cafe:
1-26th May: Comforting Machine By Jennifer Baumeister
May
Tuesday, 13 May to Friday, 16 May - Reservoir Cats ↩
RESERVOIR CATS – 'LETS GO TO WORK!' (
Directed by Lindsay Charrington
Produced by Adrian Cooke
Tickets - £8/£6 concession.
doors 8pm
'In 1992 Quentin Tarantino turned
Joe has assembled a team to pull off a simple heist. But something has gone wrong, and the plan has blown up in their faces. One by one, the surviving robbers find their way back to their prearranged warehouse hideout. There, they try to piece together the chronology of this bloody fiasco - and to identify the traitor among them who tipped off the police. Pressure mounts, blood flows, accusations and bullets fly. In the combustible atmosphere these women are forced to confront life-and-death questions of trust, loyalty, professionalism, deception and betrayal. Reservoir Dogs is a story which is violent, clever, harrowing, funny, suspenseful and even - in the end - unexpectedly moving.
Only this time, it's not the guys who are going to go work. This time, it's the ladies turn as all the male parts from the original movie will be played by the finest female acting talent the Theatre Knights can muster.
Already a successful stage show in America the Theatre Knights will be rising to the challenge of being the first all female cast to bring this well known production to the stages of Belfast in all its glory with the added edge that a portion of all profits will be donated to the Belfast rape crisis centre.'
www.sirkusonfoot.com presents
PIGEON & PLUM'S Old Time Profanity Show!
17th May.
9pm-12pm
The first and still the best in alternative contemporary cabaret. Our attention to detail and quality of acts is by far the Best around.
Eccentric British Music Hall peppered with European Burlesque and a sprig of American Vaudeville. Contemporary Old Time Music Hall at its very best.
All patron's must dress in lavish and eccentric victorian dress. Prize for best dressed. The Black Box will be transporsted back to Victorian London, into a seedy decadent Music Hall of Yester year. SIRKUSONFOOT are pulling out all the stops for this the 7th in a line of legendary Shows unique to Belfast. Your chairman for the evening will be Mr Peragrine Ravenguard.
"I wish I had seen Pigeon and Plum's Vaudeville/ Circus when I was a
child. I would have packed up my gramophone and run away from home to
join them."
DUKE SPECIAL
aka Peter Wilson
Tickets £10 - Available from The Black Box Café
Red Rose Ball
www.lindamcdonaldfoundation.org
Monday 19 May 8pm
The Linda McDonald Foundation is organising a charity ball to raise funds for several orphanages in Bulgaria to help children aged 0 to 18 who require basic necessities like food, soap, nappies, sanitary items, clothing, i.e. - everything!
On the menu are mouth-watering snacks and complimentary drinks. You will be also able to enjoy the lovely voice of established singer Ceara Grehan, and live music throughout the night, which should be a sure-fire bait for those wishing to part with money to support a good cause. There will be many prizes to be won which include exquisite artwork generously donated by the Belfast Print Workshop.
The event is seeking to raise enough
money for goods to be sent over to
Linda McDonald visited these
orphanages in
The likes of
You can support us in any way possible, either by a single donation, or by providing goods or services that will help us make this event magic and raise even more funds. There will be raffle tickets, items for auction and other things that will make you tick.
Donations can be made directly to the foundation. The list of goods required is available on request. All the proceedings from the tickets for the Red Rose Ball priced at £25 will go directly to the project. Any support is bound to bring joy and smile to the children.
The famous Bulgarian rose valleys bring hope to the little Bulgarian orphans that with a little compassion will be able to blossom too.
For more details regarding the event contact Kristine on 07725 328025
For more details regarding the foundation contact Linda on 07515 894299
Moving on Music presents
CARIBOU
BORN RUFFIANS
doors 8pm
Tickets £10/£7
from Black Box (028 9024 4400) and online www.movingonmusic.co.uk
When Dan Snaith (aka Caribou) released his debut LP Start Breaking My Heart, it was praised worldwide as a unique statement in electronic music. His next 2 albums - Up In Flames and The Milk of Human Kindness took Snaith’s music to new heights of exposure and critical praise. 2007’s Andorra
(Merge/City Slang) is Snaith’s most emotive album, where his trademark
wide-screen production is married to a torrent of pop melodies. Caribou’s
live incarnation is inspired by the primal performances of bands such
as Lightning Bolt and Boredoms and by the motorik propulsion of Silver
Apples and early 70s Krautrock, and features Ryan Smith (guitars,
keyboards, melodica, percussion), Andy Lloyd (bass, vocals), Brad Weber
(drums, glockenspiel) and Dan (vocals, drums, guitars, keyboards,
percussion, omnipresent flutophone).
www.caribou.fm
Support comes from fellow Canadians BORN RUFFIANS. Debut LP Red, Yellow and Blue, was released worldwide on WARP records in February, produced by Rusty Santos, the New Yorker behind the controls of Animal Collective’s Sung Tongs and Panda Bear’s Person Pitch. They have toured live with the likes of Hot Chip and this is their first trip to Belfast.
www.myspace.com/bornruffians
"...completely necessary...endlessly enigmatic..." Timeout
21
May,
2MOVE: Ireland Belfast
The filmmakers will be present at this screening and
discussion event programmed to accompany Belfast Exposed’s current exhibition 2MOVE:
12
Angry Films by Jesse Jones (
A comment on issues of class, migration and labour in contemporary
Silent
Song by
Alan Grossman and Aine O’Brien (
A film about the Edinburgh-based exiled Kurdish composer Mohamed Abbas Bharam – one of many prominent Kurdish musicians residing in western Europe since the mid-1970s.
Whose Voice Is It Anyway? Excerpts of films by Anthony Haughey and Suzanne Bosch, Aska Tarach and Jakub Widerek (2007, 18mins)
Excerpts from a media participatory project produced in
As a follow-up to his
hugely popular debut album 'Sweetest Hour', celebrated
Support provided by a young developing artist Gareth Dunlop and his band.
Doors open 8pm
£10
8pm £15
SINNER
On May 5, one of Ireland’s most respected and eclectic performers, Brendan Quinn, is set to release Sinner Man; the long-awaited follow up to his critically acclaimed 2001 album, Small Town.
The first single from the album, Day’s Gonna Come, by Donegal writer Jody Gallagher, which has been receiving heavy radio play in recent weeks, is a comment on mankind’s crimes against the earth.
For this latest offering (‘the best record I have ever recorded’, according to Quinn) the ‘mighty Quinn’ has amassed the crème-de-la-crème of local musicians, including his long-term buddies, the legendary Henry McCullough (Joe Cocker’s Grease Band, Paul McCartney’s Wings etc) and Arty McGlynn (Van Morrison, JJ Cale etc), plus Nollaig Casey and Anton Glackin.
JENS LEKMAN (FULL BAND SHOW)
PLUS SUPPORT
"Pop is rarely as genuinely affecting, joyful or good as this." - The Guardian, 5/5
"He crafts sun-drenched tunes that swoosh inside your head... Listen and believe." - NME, 8/10
"Kortedala represents the most cohesive statement yet from an immensely talented artist." - Pitchfork, 9.0 album
review
"Joyous, danceable, at some times euphoric, at all times gorgeous." - Plan B
"Lekman marshals small orchestras, home-made Hustle-flavoured disco and subtly crafted acoustic indie pop to create an album that pulls off that simple, incredibly difficult achievement of elevating the mood without patronising the listener." - Word
Yip, it's that time of year again.... but instead of sitting in your living room crying 'Nul points!' along with Terry, make a trip down to The Black Box to watch Eurovision on the big screen... Dress up as Dustin or in the national costume of a competing country, or as a Eurovision star past or present and drink a selection of beers from around Europe... Not to be missed!
Doors & tax TBC
Ireland's entry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z28STzFIFBU
jordan's hideous attempt at Eurovison ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpmv4k7lfwM
voted the worst E.V. song of the 80's Greece's 'Kloun" (clown)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6LDzgW8Ob0
voted the worst E.V. song of the 90's Germany's 'Sing Sang Song"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Wuly2stJM
Cafe 6pm to 8pm
Belfast 2008: Protesting Deportations – What Next?
Still from Remote sensing (2001) by Ursula Biemann
In
collaboration with the Refugee Action Group, Belfast Exposed has organised a panel discussion
around the issue of deportation. This event has been programmed to accompany Belfast Exposed’s
current exhibition 2MOVE:
The government has set out its agenda of strengthening the
border and boasts that someone is deported from the
Open to
all, this discussion event will bring together participants from refugee
support and anti-deportation campaigns in
REVENGE THERAPY PRESENTS:
NOAH AND THE WHALE
+ CUTAWAYS
THE BLACK BOX
TUESDAY MAY 27TH
9PM / £5
www.myspace.com/noahandthewhale
www.myspace.com/cutaways
Noah and The Whale released their brilliant new single, Shape of My Heart, on Young and Lost Club on May 5th. The band, who recently played a blinder of a headline tour and a rapturously-received date with Kate Nash at the Astoria as part of the NME Awards shows, not to mention their series of stormers at SxSW, are embarking in a headline UK tour to follow a string of newly-confirmed dates with Adam Green and appearances at this Camden Crawl.
Noah and The Whale create the kind of pure, beautiful and inspired songs that soundtrack your dreams. Taking folk - in its broadest sense - as a starting point, and then running off in a hundred playful directions, this young, London-based four piece are effervescing with ideas and ambition.icle
21 year old Charlie Fink is the group's vocalist, songwriter and visionary. Blessed with an innate gift for melody and with a turn of phrase that can make the simplest sentiment seem like a revelation, Charlie honed his skills through a childhood immersed in music. "My Mum is a total folky," he explains. "Until I was about 14 she had me convinced she'd written 'This Land Is Your Land' by Woody Guthrie. I think she's a big part of the reason it feels totally natural for me to be onstage."
The band is completed by Charlie's brother Doug on drums, Tom on fiddle, and old friend Matt on bass and whatever else he can find in his deep bag of musical tricks. The band's live performances have earned them a loyal following on the London scene; they played more than 100 gigs in 2007 including supports with Feist, Broken Social Scene and Laura Marling, who often provides vocals and percussion for Noah’s live show and whose critically-acclaimed album, Alas, I Cannot Swim, Finks produced.
With two acclaimed singles - '5 Years Time' and '2 Bodies 1 Heart' under their belts already, Noah & The Whale are putting the finishing touches to their debut album which will be released this summer.
For more information, please contact Joe Dougan - joe@radiok.co.uk.
For the twinkles in your eyes and toes...
The creators of Glitter & Sparkle, the adult club sensation, will bring a sparkly atmosphere and new event for families to a magically transformed venue. Atmospheric lighting and decorations will blend with dashes of cabaret, music and dance. Dress up, step out and have a ball!
- Age: 4 - 8 yrs
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Tickets: £7
- Family ticket: £23
- Family plus ticket: £35
- Doors 7pm
For the twinkles in your eyes and toes...
Doors 3pm & 7pm
The creators of Glitter & Sparkle, the adult club sensation, will bring a sparkly atmosphere and new event for families to a magically transformed venue. Atmospheric lighting and decorations will blend with dashes of cabaret, music and dance. Dress up, step out and have a ball!
- Age: 4 - 8 yrs
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Tickets: £7
- Family ticket: £23
- Family plus ticket: £35
June
Sunday, 1 Jun - Belfast's Children's Festival: Dazzle & Twinkle ↩
For the twinkles in your eyes and toes...
Doors 3pm
The creators of Glitter & Sparkle, the adult club sensation, will bring a sparkly atmosphere and new event for families to a magically transformed venue. Atmospheric lighting and decorations will blend with dashes of cabaret, music and dance. Dress up, step out and have a ball!
- Age: 4 - 8 yrs
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Tickets: £7
- Family ticket: £23
- Family plus ticket: £35
Doors 8pm Tax £4
Belfast Metropolitan College
Featuring performance students from the ‘National Diploma in Music’.
Bands Include…
S.P.D. (Original Rock/Pop)
Switch Bass. (Soul/Groove)
Harlequinn. (Rock)
Plus Special Guests. TBC.
Back in 1997, veteran techno DJs Twitch and Wilkes (who
record under Mount Florida and Naum respectively), wanted to do more
than air their mammoth record collections. Inspired by early 80s New
York, they created somewhere where “things happen and ideas are
germinated”. Live music is integral to that experience. Bands form,
appear live (Liquid Liquid's performance was “a dream come true”) and
find inspiration at Optimo - Franz Ferdinand wrote Michael after a
hedonistic night there.
Apart from commercial trance (as opposed
to the Chris & Cosey variety) there isn't really anything that's
off the decks. They favour punk funk live percussion and clean
electronics, but often veer into goth, industrial and disco. “If you
can put a smile on people's faces, make them dance and think, then
you're functioning well as a DJ,” says Wilkes. “It's a bit of a
responsibility. You can mess with people's heads as well...” Listen
with care.
Details to follow shortly....
Plaid is a British electronic music duo comprising Andy Turner and Ed Handley, former members of The Black Dog, they have collaborated with female singers Mara Carlyle, Nicolette and Björk, and have released records on the labels Clear, Peacefrog, Black Dog Productions, and Warp Records.
Aside from their own material, Plaid have done extensive remix work for many other artists, including Red Snapper, Björk, Goldfrapp, and The Irresistible Force. Parts in the Post (2003) contains just a handful of Plaid's remix work to date.
Plaid often works collaboratively with video artist Bob Jaroc, whose animations often accompanied the music during live performances. They have developed a DVD consisting of new material and video artwork to accompany the music, entitled Greedy Baby. The project was completed on July 20 2005, and was first shown at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in the South Bank Centre, and subsequently at the BFI Imax cinema in Waterloo, London. Greedy Baby was released on DVD from Warp Records on June 26, 2006. Plaid are putting the finishing touches to their new album 'Scintilli', and have just signed on to write the STX for Michael Arias' next feature film 'Heaven's Door'.
on Greedy Baby:
"...a wonderful variety of music, at times sinister and dissonant
but also warm and playful, for Jaroc's often psychedelic visuals."
John Burgess - The Guardian 4/5
Piers Martin - Uncut 4/5
WITH ADRIAN CROWLEY
&Robyn G. Shiels
Following a two year absence since their last long-player, Vetiver return with a new album, Thing Of The Past. A set of cover versions of songs by some of band-leader Andy Cabic's favourite artists, the album offers a joyful and intriguing insight into some of the music that has inspired and informed the band, whilst remaking the songs very much in their own image and existing as a stunning and coherent album in its own right.
Vetiver have played all over the world--from New York City's Carnegie and Town Halls, to the Roundhouse in London and La Trastienda in Buenos Aires, sharing the stage with friends and performers including Devendra Banhart, Juana Molina, Bert Jansch, The Shins, Vashti Bunyan, Bright Eyes, and Joanna Newsom. Currently working on their fourth album, they will be touring the UK and Europe in May and June in support of
Thing Of The Past.
listen @
http://www.myspace.com/vetiverse
Moving On Music present
Doors: 8.00pm
For Martin, the music speaks to him and inspires him, and he constantly seeks to express that inspiration. With Dennis Cahill’s understated guitar outlining and intensifying the tunes, the duo appear almost at one when playing. Attuned to each other they are adventurous, enabling them to stretch the music while remaining true to its essential qualities.
Their live concerts are legendary, filled with tunes that caress and enter the soul, leaving the listener stunned and emotionally fulfilled.
Doors open at 8.30pm - dancing to midnight
Admission £6 each or £13 per couple.
Mirrors and hearts will be broken
Dare you brave the Bad Luck Ball at the Black Box on Friday 13th June? Unfurl your umbrella, put a ladder in your tights, spill some salt, and watch out for that black cat crossing your path, as penguin people promotions bring you a night celebrating superstition and mischief.
Come listen to the blues, torch songs and other heart-breaking music as our DJ belts out the tunes in between two of
Laura has been called “a rare and evocative songstress, usually found armed with only a piano and the scars of heartbreak". At the centre of the music is her voice - fragile, ethereal, haunting - providing an apt vehicle for songs which betray a rare kind of honesty. Stevenson doesn’t shy away from wearing her heart on her sleeve in her song-writing, something fans tell her they appreciate. The songs are carefully framed with her trademark cascading piano lines.
She has supported artists such as Juliet Turner, guitar legends Rodri
Tipped by The Irish Times as being one of thee bands to look out for in
2008, The Cherries bring you their exciting and unique blend of dirty
blues, sleazy cabaret, theatre, classical orchestral sounds and funk.
It is almost impossible to define their style as it encompasses elements from so many different genres but at the same time, the music in its own right offers something really special and fresh. The Cherries are an eclectic four piece featuring the talents of Joanne Kieran ( Keys and Vocals), Gemma McGowan ( Vocals and Shape throwing ) Rosana Schwarsacher ( Cello ) and Boots Wellington on Drums.
Verti
Doors & Tax TBC
Comprised of siblings Ivan (age 13) and Ada (age 11) the pre-teen punk duo have been tearing it up in the UK with two sold-out singles, rave reviews plus BBC and XFM airplay. Their spring UK tour saw them playing to packed houses and magazines from Newsweek (who called their "brief, bratty" songs "remarkable") to Artrocker (who put them on the cover and proclaimed them "the future of rock and roll.") to The Guardian, the NME and a host of others have written about the siblings while none other than David Bowie declared their first single “Genius.”
Tiny Masters Of Today's debut album Bang Bang Boom Cake, features 13 songs including their new Mute Irregulars single Radio Riot. The album was recorded in New York with production duties handled by legendary Jon Spencer Blues Explosion drummer Russell Simins and the Elegant Too. Simins, who frequently serves as the band's live drummer, plays on most of the album and there are a number of surprise cameos and collaborations brought out of the diverse New York music community Tiny Masters Of Today are growing up in. Kimya Dawson (Moldy Peaches), Fred Schneider (the B-52s), Gibby Haynes (the Butthole Surfers) and Karen O and Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) amongst others all lend their unique talents to tracks.
With Bang Bang Boom Cake, Tiny Masters of Today have delivered on the promise of their previous singles, bringing an outrageous punk pastiche that touches on everything from hip-hop to techno to good old-fashioned garage rock. Lyrically, they still skewer politicians and adults and phonies, but somehow manage to avoid wallowing in grown-up cynicism. While there is a serious undercurrent, it is equally matched with enough hilarity to create something that is both serious and fun. Serious fun.
"These
kids are heroes."--NME
"...the coolest young band in the world right now."--Observer
Music Monthly
"...remarkable"--Newsweek Magazine
http://tinymasters.net/main.html
http://www.myspace.com/tinymasters
A night of live music, showcasing a selection of
£4 (£5 at door). Phone 02890 232800 for more info.
MELT BANANA
PLUS PARTY WEIRDO
TICKETS £8
DOORS 8.30PM
Japanese noise rock band Melt Banana found more success in the U.S. and the
U.K. than in their own country, gaining a small but dedicated fan base among
American and European punk rock fans. Although their music sounds noticeably
different from any sort of traditional punk, it contains some punk elements:
shrieking vocals, overdriven guitars, and one-and-a-half-minute songs. Melt
Banana's unique style, however, comes as a result of the distinctly piercing
vocals of lead singer Yasuko O. As well as the frenzied, effect-charged
playing of guitarist Agata Searing, intense, and mind-blowingly fast are
perhaps the first adjectives that come to mind when listening to Melt
Banana's music. Try to imagine an even more energetic incarnation of the
Boredoms.
But, for many, the appeal of Melt Banana is not entirely limited to their music. Yasuko O's lyrics and song titles reflect a Japanese pop culture that is fascinating and strange, yet attractive to many non-Japanese fans. As time passes, their overshadowing influence is becoming more and more evident within the cultish following of the noise-core movement. The late great John Peel was a huge fan. However, it is the band's incredible severity and furious sound that has gained them the most recognition. Their shockingly intense live shows are that of sheer legend, with many fans leaving sweaty and exhausted, and Yasuko O often persevering through nosebleeds.
DAMON & NAOMI
PLUS SUPPORT
TICKETS £7.50
DOORS 8.30PM
Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang's music career started with modest goals but
grew to incorporate one of the most influential bands of the 1980s (Galaxie
500), a string of duo albums on Sub Pop records thoughout the 90s,
collaborations with some of the most adventurous rock musicians playing
today (Ghost, Michio Kurihara, Wayne Rogers), and most recently, the
formation of their own record label (20/20/20) and subsequent release of
their two latest Damon & Naomi albums, 'The Earth Is Blue' and 'Within These
Walls'.
In addition to their work as musicians, Damon & Naomi are the founders of Exact Change, a publishing house dedicated to avant-garde literature and artists' writings. As individual artists, Damon writes (and teaches) poetry and music criticism, and Naomi is a visual artist (photography and painting) and graphic designer.
July
Sunday, 6 Jul - The Hunger Mountain Boys ↩Moving on Music presents
THE HUNGER MOUNTAIN BOYS
Sunday 6th July 2008, doors 8.30pm
Tickets £10/£7 conc. from the Belfast Welcome Centre (028 9024 6609) or on-line: www.movingonmusic.co.uk
The Hunger Mountain Boys from
Massachusetts fly back across the Atlantic intent on keeping their
reputation as one of the hottest bands on the US roots music circuit,
intact. Following a hugely successful European tour last year, and
comments from leading radio presenters such as the BBC’s Mark Lamarr,
who described their music as “one of the best things I’ve ever heard”,
they arrive this time for a string summer festival appearances and a
select few club dates.
With four albums behind them, this trio interprets riproaring
roots-of-country, American old-time and early bluegrass with such
authentic panache that they have been invited to tour with greats such
as Taj Mahal, Ralph Stanley and Doc Watson. Their gift to crank out
“something nobody does better” has made them Stateside festival
favourites. Known in their native USA as roots-of-country heroes, fans
of the genre who love Hank Williams and prefer it when the music’s
handled in a “pared back to basics, but still in the old-style” mould,
say these days it’s this trio who are “setting the woods on fire”.
details to follow...
Venue Details
For booking details contact .