Essential Gigs

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Friday, May 02, 2008

To a recent generation of clubbers, memories of weekends misspent at the legendary city centre venue Vico's are a bit like that old quote about the sixties — if you can remember it, you weren't really there!

These days, things are rather more low key and a new singer/songwriter night gets underway there next Thursday, with an appearance by Belfast songstress Penny Nixon. Now a solo artist and back living in Belfast, Penny's had quite an impressive back story, including writing for and performing on dance act Coast 2 Coast's Home and Dutch duo Rank 1's Such is Life. The track Home has been featured on many compilations and hit the MTV Dance Charts number one slot, while Such Is Life went Top 10 in Benelux, Germany and Scandinavia. Performing at Vico's, with local virtuoso guitarist Steven McKnight, will be a far cry from the days she played to 44,000 people in Amsterdam's Ajax football stadium, although her haunting vocals sound just as good in any environment.

Stiff Kitten present their second local and live showcase next Wednesday, with Co Antrim post-rock instrumentalists ASIWYFA in the headline slot and support from both LaFaro and Two Door Cinema Club. LaFaro's live outings have been relatively few and far between lately but after some serious rehearsal time with a different line-up, the Belfast rocksters should be back on top form. Bangor indie/alternative rock trio TDCC complete the bill — things get underway at the Bankmore Square venue at 9.30pm and admission's a fiver.

Belfast's community television station NvTv have joined forces with Alternative Ulster's Johnny Tiernan and this year's Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, to present a series of live acoustic sets by some of our finest local artists. Taking place over four nights at the Northern Visions Studio in Donegall Street, the event kicks off on Tuesday with a pared-down set by the aforementioned ASIWYFA and American singer/songwriter Pixie Saytar.

On Wednesday, it's the turn of Jonny Tiernan, who'll be selecting two of the bands he knows will make it big — one of which is Panama Kings, who headlined the opening night of the NI:NG showcase in London last month.

On Thursday, Cat Malojian joins No Dancing labelmates Desert Hearts and Robyn G Shiels as well as Mike Mormecha, singer and sometime drummer with Mojo Fury — all performances will be recorded for NvTv's Kick Out The Jams show.