2004 has been good for us...but hell it’s just got better.....

The long established Heineken Green Energy Festival is back again and this year takes place in Dublin over the course of the June Bank Holiday taking in Dublin Castle, the Olympia Theatre and various venues across Dublin.

This year's line-up features our very own (ours as in collectively Independent Record’s) Josh Ritter, Morrissey, Iggy Pop and The Stooges and The Streets all playing Dublin Castle. The details are as follows (whatever you read elsewhere, the tickets for Josh’s show are 29.50, that’s 10 Euro cheaper than two of the other shows);

JOSH RITTER
FRIDAY 4th JUNE
DUBLIN CASTLE

Very special guests to be announced.

Following his sell out shows in Galway, Dublin and Cork this February Ritter returns. Idaho-born Josh Ritter has been adopted as one of our own. A mature, thoughtful songwriter, Ritter is a purveyor of good, old-fashioned, guitar-based songs about ordinary life. Josh Ritter has a wonderfully evocative, raw voice that echoes with rock n' roll’s past, and a savvy lyrical sense that enriches its present. Josh’s second album, Hello Starling, released in 2003, shot straight into the Irish Album Charts at No 2 and was a worthy follow up to ‘Golden Age Of Radio’ which introduced him to Irish audiences.

Tickets priced from €29.50 including booking fee will go on sale on Saturday 20 March from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. Telephone 24 hrs 0818 719 300 (N. Ireland & UK; 0870 243 4455) or log onto www.ticketmaster.ie

JOSH RITTER also plays solo Irish acoustic shows in May at

Monday 17th May           Town Hall, Dundalk
Wednesday 19th May    An Giraniann, Letter kenny
Thursday 20th May         Hawkswell, Sligo
Friday 21st May             Glor, Ennis
 Saturday 22nd May      Dolans Warehouse,  Limerick
Sunday 23rd May         Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny

MARK GEARY APRIL DATES

Well, the theory is Mark’s new album is pretty much in the can by now and after he returns from the U.S. he makes a quick jaunt around Ireland.

Saturday 17th April  T2, Ennis
Ph:  065 6843103

Sunday 18th April
Rosin Dubh, Galway
Ph : 091  586540

Monday 19th April  
Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh
Ph:021 481 3790

Tuesday 20th April
Cleeres, Kilkenny
Ph:056 62573

Wednesday 21st April
The Lobby, Cork
Ph:021 4311113

Thursday 22nd April - off

Friday 23rd April  
Whelan’s, Dublin
Tickets : Road Records / Soundcellar & Ticketmaster

Saturday 24th April
Spirit Store, Dundalk
Ph: 042 935 2697

Sunday 25th April
Auntie Annies, Belfast
Ph:028 9050 1660

Monday 26th April  
Sardinos, Derry
Ph:028 7130 9297

Tuesday 27th April  
Mcgarrigles, Sligo
Ph: 071 41667  

Wednesday 28th April
The Boathouse, Limerick

THE HANDSOME FAMILY

And last but never least, our favourite Gothic Americanna husband and wife duo Brett and Rennie Sparks (who were helping pay our bills long before we had a gold record on the wall....or ready to go on the wall) have a track ‘the Forgotten Lake’ included on the latest Other Voices compilation album. It will hopefully breathe new life into the beautiful ‘Singing Bones’ album (from whence the original comes) and we’re trying to get them to Ireland during the summer.

www.independentrecs.com
(Still copies of Whipping Boy’s heartworm for sale on the site store)