Hailing from the same county as the infamous Christy Moore, BLOOD OR WHISKEY have more in common with Irish – Londoners THE POGUES than with their countryman.

Rough, rugged, heartfelt vocals over paddybeat/punk music complete with tin whistle, bouzouki, accordion and banjos.

Their second album ‘No Time to explain’ shows a band that is progressing with each & every release. It’s no wonder they’ve shared the billing with some of the greats including Mister Dubliner himself, Ronnie Drew.

They have successfully toured America and have played several major European tours.

KILNABOY was hatched in the cold dark February of “004, comprising of 5 fellows and 1 lass whose mission is to spread our own peculiar brand of dirty, filthy, folkery pokery to the world and hopefully plant a subversive seed along the way.

Bringing traditional folk into line with the aid of punk & roots undertones, this eclectic brand of upbeat magic and madness will have you jumping from table to table and flailing on the dancefloor  wildly.

KILNABOY, the name, originates from the tiny village of same name on the West coast of Ireland. It has no deep or powerful meaning and to be honest the band didn’t give it a great deal of thought. However the name has stuck and has grown to be loved, much like the tunnel mushrooms in the back of the Kilnaboy van.

THE DUBTONES are a four piece punk ska reggae band from Dublin. Originally formed in 1999, they played a handful of gigs, lasted 14 months and disbanded, leaving behind 14 tracks of original material in the form of their demo – ‘Whole New Nation’.

They reformed in 2004 with some original members and some new. They played their first gig within 3 weeks of reforming and have been gigging regularly since then. They have supported many big name bands on the punk circuit both here and abroad.

‘One For the Road’, their debut 6 track mini LP was released last year to great reviews.

Solid ska punk with a big nod to THE CLASH – this band deliver the goods.

THE BLAME are high energy street punk’n’roll, born and raised on the streets of New York. From the forgotten borough of Staten Island, they have been around for over 10 years and part of the punk scene since it started.

They have a ‘fuck you’attitude, but in a good natured way.

Their music is fuelled by anger and emotion and an honesty that some may find offensive. Their shows are strong and powerful yet humorously entertaining at the same time. They might come across as a serious band, and they are, but some of the members are slightly demented, which often makes for an interesting show!

ROOSKY are a Dublin Indie/punk band. They originally met during the punk/hardcore scene in the early 1990’s at gigs by the likes of SNUFF, NOMEANSNO, HUSKER DU and these bands can be heard as influences in the ROOSKY sound.

Members of ROOSKY were previously involved with bands such as Pincher Martin, Stomach & Arnheim, all big Dublin bands of their time, between them releasing several albums and a number of radio sessions.

Last June saw the release on CD of ‘Body Mass Index’, which is a sizzling piece of work that rattles in your brain and won’t get out, the grooves get under your skin, man!

ESTEL are a progressive, experimental, psychedelic band from Dublin with their influences being satan, underground music from the 1950’s to the present day; including prog, punk, metal, kraut, no wave, new wave and all other crazy types of shit.

Estel has been in existence , in one form or another, since 1997, having released several albums on their own Little Plastic Tapes label, the most recent being the fairly disturbing ‘The Bones Of Something’

This recent album sounds like something from one of David Lynch’s bizarre acid dreams, never mind one of his films!

DROPPIN’ BOMBS are a 3 piece band from Blandchardstown who play ska hardcore punk along the lines of choking victim, leftover crack, Inner Terrestrials.

They have been around for over 4 years now, playing all over the country and are undergoing a lengthy European tour this summer.

This band put on an exceptional live show, a tight set due to dedicated practice and continual hard slog of gigging.

Stunt are a seven piece ska/punk band from Belfast who have been gigging throughout Ireland since 2003. combining a blend of reggae, punk and hardcore they have created a unique sound world of their own which never fails to impress.

Through their exciting live shows and performing with a number of well established ska punk bands such as Capdown, Leftover crack and Sonic Boom 6, they have established themselves at the forefront of the Belfast ska/punk scene and they still have much more to come!

The Excuses play on  Friday 1st august, this Sligo based thrash punk band have been around for 3 years now and gone through as many line-up changes in that time. They play fast, hard, intense punk rock music, short, sharp manic bursts of furious punk energy – 30 minutes of an all out aural assault!

Trad Edgy are a local Leitrim based 3 to 4 piece trad based punky ensemble.

Only Fumes & Corpses are a hardcore punk band based in Galway, around since 2005. They come from a DIY background and take their influences from all types of punk, hardcore, metal etc and lyrically they focus on social, political and some personal issues.

They have recorded 2 eps which have sold well and toured extensively throughout Ireland and Europe.

Smoke Like A Fish are the top ska band in Wales today, having released over 4 highly successful full length cd’s (on the world famous do the dog label).

This seven piece band have been around for a long time now and know all the tricks to get a crowd going and having a good time, they are no strangers to the festival scene.

From out of the murky depths of North West Ireland comes Doctor Bloodmoney, peddling their unique and highly original sound, which is a blend of the musical backgrounds of each member, encompassing rock, punk, pyschedelia and even dance music.

One could start by describing influences such as Sonic Youth, 13th floor elevators, MC5, Rolling Stones, but that would only be half the story as Dr Bloodmoney sound like themselves!

Great melodies, weird drones, mind bending guitars, pumping bass and hard hitting rythms are the order of the day with this exciting new band.

Dublin garage spazmo rockers Moutpiece, a fiery collective of absurdity and madness, rolled into rock’n’roll machine of power.
Loud, fast, obnoxious bursts of guitar fuelled mayhem, the band was formed by Gaz Moutpiece and Derek Gihad, armed with a blistering bag of riffs and a voracious thirst for everything, they recruited Tommy Trousers on bass duties and set off on the road.

Tours of Holland, Ireland and festival appearances ensued and the spazmogaragepunkrocknroll was brought to the masses, who enjoyed it immensely.

“Italian style meets British 2tone” was the slogan adopted by The Offenders at the beginning of their career and it is still without doubt the best way to sum up what the group is about.

Formed in 2005, within a few months they were in the studio to record their first demo, which included the anthem – ‘rude boys on the dance floor’.

They played many clubs and festivals during the following year and by the end of 2006 they were back in the studio to record their first LP from which the single ‘Hooligan reggae’ was released.

In June 2007, Hooligan Reggae was released in Germany by Conehead records which led to extensive touring of Europe and to the recording of the first self named LP –‘Hooligan Reggae’ which became a European top seller in the underground ska scene.

Formed in the early part of the Pliocene age, BATS (featuring ex-members of Martha Washington) have spent millions of years developing their sound from a series of intermittent bleeps to the sexy sonic bullets they create today. 4 out of 5 BATS hail from Ireland ’s alpha-smoke- Dublin , while the other crawled his way on bloody knuckles out of the haunted town of Carbury , Kildare in the mid 1600’s. In early 2007 BATS began peddling their love around the island and have since played support to such acts as Gang Gang Dance, Down I Go, The Locust and Liars. December 2007 sees the release on independent label Armed Ambitions of their debut EP entitled ’Cruel Sea Scientist’ and the frightening of some smaller children.

Stanley Imbiss & Johnny Clash founded rockabilly skiffle band Dead Plants in the early 1990’s. “We piled in the van, headed south and became a traveling band, moving from town to town. We played anywhere & everywhere on the grand stages & in the gutter, from Hamburg to Havana and from San Francisco to Saint Bonnet le Chateau. In Ireland we hooked up with Trashcan Kurtz, the harmonica man from Cork city”. Recent members to the Dead Plants collective include Tom Smith on drums, Smokin’ Pete on harmonica & Terry Squeeze on accordion, Tony Higgins on drums.

“Due to the effects of prolonged alcohol abuse the following symptoms may begin to emerge; mood swings, anxiety, depression, loss of weight, creation of bad punk rock bands.” El Bastardo were thusly formed in 2002 by three local lushes who, having bored each other senseless with tales of possible musical synergy due to each member owning a Fudge Tunnel record, decided to put theory to the test.

Five years later and a glittering band output comprising of approximately near zero releases and a few gigs in the local pub, El Bastardo continue to over achieve given that many in the band are functional alcoholics and borderline schizophrenics.

Aron Bennett (guitars, flute, keyboards) and Loz Fitzgibbon (bass, harmonium, vintage fx, keyboards) formed Green Monitor in 2003 as a project to showcase their more experimental ideas. In 2003 drummer and percussionist Clive Gash joined the duo adding his knowledge of world percussion and sex magick to bring Green Monitor to the next level.

That year the band contributed several tracks to the award winning Irish Burning Man documentary ’Dust Devils’ and released their eponymously titled debut album ’GREEN MONITOR’. 2008 sees the release of a new EP featuring the vocals of Annette Buckley. All multi instrumentalists, when playing live the band change from instrument to instrument weaving together a sonic tapestry. On stage they seduce the audience, lulling them into a state of beatific bliss before mashing up the dance floor..

Hardworking Rockabilly Blues band Hightown Crows are Hinton Admiral (guitar), Rufus Stone (double bass), Emery Down (percussion), Canford Cliffs (harmonica). These guys play Quality Raw Rockin’ Blues. “We’ll play (almost) anywhere! We'll play your Wedding, they'll be twisting in the aisles! Let us play your Wake, we love a good cry! Having a Birthday Party? Cawl on the Hightown Crows!.

Ilya K are three individuals on a quest for a common goal. The goal? To write, record and perform great original music. The Band are well on their way to achieving this goal after being recently crowned champions of the highly prestigious Murphy's Live 2007 competition. The final, which took place in May of last year, was judged by some well known names in the Irish music scene including Ashley Keating of The Frank and Walters and Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy. This accolade is a testament to the energy and commitment the band have shown since it's formation in late 2004. To date Ilya K have recorded two singles, an EP plus numerous recordings for inclusion on various compilations as well as having the glorious honors of being the first band to play on the mystical Hill of Tara and paradoxically, the first to play a lap dancing club in Ireland (though not on the same night!). Their debut album, Anesthesia Ad Infintum is due for release in July 2008.

Flynn’s mesmerizing vocals, Jinx describes himself as “in the pursuit of the perfect one chord ,one note song to hypnotize and uplift you and make you feel like shouting ‘I’m Spartacus!’ when you punch the air and leave the venue”. Jinx has released albums: Know Your Station Gouger Nation; 30 Beacons of Light for a Land Full of Spite, Thugs, Drug Slug, And Energy Vampires; and Live At The Spirit Store and was subject of RTE documentary ‘Noisemaker’. “Dundalk agit-rocker-cum-rapper Jinx Lennon is the antidote to every bland, identikit singer-songwriter you've ever heard” (Neil Dunphy, Sunday Tribune) "Grim, yet humorous tales of Rohypnol, racism, unnecessary dieting, punishment shootings and drug addiction are his weaponry and live they are unleashed with an intensity rarely seen on Irish stages" (Michael Carr, Inside Cork)

Jung Turks are James P. Rooney (drums, percussion, hand sonics) and Edward D. Rooney (nylon string guitar). They play what is known as Œjãipha - this musical form is based on the belief that the artist is a channel through which the infinite reveals. Through study of Œjãipha masters from Duluth, Calw, Paola, Algeciras, Jajouka, Belfast and Aracataca the brothers' palette has developed and musical boundaries diminished.

Since their inception in the spring of 2005 they have performed to audiences across Ireland, on occasion in the company of such subterranean heroes as The Redneck Manifesto, giveamanakick, The Jimmy Cake, The Dublin Guitar Quartet, Ten Past Seven, Blood On The Wall, Larrikin Love and Orson.

Brighton’s most gloriously inbred miscreants play their first Irish date. Their Hillbilly sound is best described in their own words:

“Take yourself away to that special place ya go to, when it's late at night, yer Pa's come in drunk and looking for a little action, yer Sister's out with the football team and Ma ain't finished her shift on the porn lines. That safe place ya go to where the birds are singing, the combine still works and the fence round the pig sty ain't got no holes.

That gentle place where it's OK to wear frilly panties, where Slim Whitman sings sweetly to Doris Day after she's just cleaned the house and baked a pie…

Now, imagine that a half starved, wild eyed, knife wielding farmhand steals the pie from the window ledge, punches Slim in the throat and drags Doris in to the cellar and she kinda looks like she's looking forward to it...

well.... we can do the soundtrack if ya like...”

Songs like Sister Fister and Banging In The Nails need to be heard to be believed.

Los Langeros have ploughed their own idiosyncratic path over the last few years of their volatile existence creating a sound unlike any other, encompassing as it does punk, rockabilly, hardcore, bluegrass, doo-wop, reggae, surf and country.

Each of their three independently released cds reflects a different aspect of this development and their incendiary live shows are the stuff of legend (or at least urban myth). They have recently recorded a radio session for 2fm (and were described by Dan Hegarty as 'wildmen’ and ‘superheroes’') and released a split 7' single with fellow Leeside freaks Ten Past Seven with who they share the ‘Highest Bands in Ireland’ crown.

“Mad, bad and dangerous to know” (Evening Echo)

“One of the best live acts you’re likely to see” (Inside Cork)

“We need more of this madness” (Hot Press)

RSAG is a multi-instrumentalist who records, performs and produces all his own material. Live RSAG plays drums / percussion and sings. The backing tracks are recorded in his studio. Visually, he has created a virtual band which is projected on a screen behind him. Think of Joy Divison, Talking Heads, Fela Kuti , New York rockers, ESG with the visual impact of Gorillaz. RSAG, aka Jeremy Hickey, has been writing and recording in a home-based studio for the last three years.

RSAG was born, and in January 2007 the self-titled debut album raised its head above ground. It was snapped off quickly, with its limited run of 300 copies selling out in record shops all over the country. Live is where Jeremy Hickey and his Rarely Seen Above Ground visual backing band will take shape and form; live is where the super new sounds will merge with the sights and explode our senses. This is so much more than just music, it is a friendly, full-sensory virus with no known cure. Get the illness soon, you deserve it.

Spank is not a singer/songwriter. Spank are: Eoin O' Sullivan on Guitar and vocals; and Cian O'Mahony (formerly of The Buds) on Drums and percussion. Together they play a Gritty, Pounding Swamp-Blues with dark lyrics and growling vocals.

“Make no mistake, Spank is raw… bluesy dark guitar and hypnotic rhythms suddenly burst into all out war as his vocal like razor blades screamed across the stage and through very bodies of everybody present. This guy sings from the pits of personal Hell, tells his stories of drugs and sex and every word is given freely and passionately to you, the listener.” (-Allan Meek)

Spellbound are a four-piece Neo-Psychobilly band from Dublin , Recently reformed after a fifteen-year hiatus. The band were originally formed in 1986 by brothers Frankie and Adrian Hayes, from Bray. Unlike other Irish bands of their time, Spellbound decided to look directly to mainland Europe, where their 1988 debut album ‘MYSTICAL MADNESS’ was very well received and notched up many thousands in sales (amazingly, that album was never released in their home country, where the band remained relatively unknown). The boys blazed a brief trail across the Rockabilly and Psychobilly festivals of Germany and Scandinavia before, it seemed, vanishing back into the ‘Hellfire’ woods of County Wicklow .

Ten Past Seven are Matt on Bass, Ger on Drums and Rory on Guitar. Having witnessed the live monstrosity of Cork bands such as Weevil (RIP) and Rest, they were inspired to create their own blend of instrumental madness. There followed a few weeks of intense writing, in which instrumentals were loudly and violently excreted from the artistic parts of their brains. Debut album "Shut up your Face" was released on Outonalimbrecords in January 2006. The band spent the end of 2007 recording and touring the ‘Highest Bands In Ireland’ 7” split-single with Los Langeros.

Terrordactyl formed in April/May 2006 from former members of Puget Sound Kelsey & Apostles. The band recently released a self titled four song Ep. Mick and Lar also play drums and guitar respectively in Adebisi Shank. Lar plays drums in Vimanas also. Owensie plays mandolin in Domhnach Dubh. Jill messes about on melodica and keytar in her room/is part of Porco Dio and GZ Collective.

“A tremendous swell of beautiful post-rock/math-rock noise which sent shivers down my spine.” (Nialler9 Blog)

Skazz Formed in Early 2007, but had been playing under the name of Doonbeg Swing and jazz for several years. Aswell as having an international reputation as a Jazz and Swing band, they have also aquired status as one of the only true ska bands in the country today. After rave reviews at SKA SPLASH FESTIVAL UK, AND THE INTERNATIONAL CORK JAZZ FESTIVAL. trier jazz festival germany. their following has grown in leaps and bounds. In short, they are a music monster, that just keeps on getting bigger and better.

SKA! SKA! SKA! SKA!