It's hard to believe that Lavery's Bunker is celebrating only its first birthday this weekend, given the sheer number of bands who have played there since it first launched. It's fitting, then, that regular guests The Dangerfields join in the festivities by kicking of the weekend long extravaganza tonight, with a special early show. Supporting the wild-eyed punkers will be The Deaf Club, Underline and inventive rockers, Jedi Jane. Tomorrow night, it's the turn of another old favourite to pay tribute to the venues milestone as The Jane Bradfords bring along their brand of electropop and indie, before DJ Cut La Roc takes over the turntables at the Gigantic club night. Then it's back to business as usual at Bradbury Place watering hole with another solid line up of local acts throughout next week, starting off on Wednesday with Slomatics, Stand Up Guy and Hypocrites supporting US band Kylesa. On Thursday night, things don't really get any quieter as Ninety Nine Knives create their own peculiar blend of old-school hardcore, emo, metal and a splice of punk alongside fellow amp assassins, Vitaria. Completing the bill are all-girl rock foursome Magenta from Bangor, who'll be injecting a bit of fun and much-needed glamour into the otherwise testosterone-heavy proceedings.

Well done and good luck to Belfast's new wave quintet Ed Zealous who'll be representing Ireland at Boston's NEMO Festival in the good ol' US of A tonight, the third largest band showcase event held in America.

They've also just signed a management deal with Van Morrison's ex-manager, as well as completing their first video promo for their new track, Mario. When they're back from Boston, by strange coincidence, they're at Londonderry's Bound For Boston on October 13, no doubt full of tales about musical goings on in the strange new lands, far across the sea.

There's another Bostonian connection with local music as the Beantown radio station WMFO 91.5FM are sponsoring Valfest, a forthcoming festival of music by bands mostly from West Belfast at St Gall's GAA Club, on Saturday, October 21. Acts already confirmed are, not surprisingly, soul-rocking organisers The Vals, as well as Black Tokens, Thrones Of Roll, Bad Boat, The Shots, White Noise and Firebobbies, plus an acoustic set by Merseysiders, Amsterdam.