Kristen Sinclair

This review originally appeared in the now-dufunct GiggingNI in 2017. Returning to Belfast for the first time in five years, American pop rockers Train finished up their Play That Song Tour at the Waterfront Hall last night. Having penned some of the most recognisable songs from the last decade or so, they played to a nearly full house of fans eagerly awaiting their come back. Before the San Francisco five-piece take to the stage to wrap up their headline tour, tonight’s support comes in the form of Hannah Grace , an up and coming talent making waves in the UK music scene with her incredible vocal prowess. You might be familiar with Hannah’s work as her enchanting cover of Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ soundtracks the most recent Lloyd’s Bank TV ad campaign. She emerges in the dim light of the stage without introduction, accompanied only by her guitarist. Immediately her soaring notes and mesmerising whistle tones fill the auditorium in a style reminiscent of London Grammar...

This review originally appeared in the now-defunct GiggingNI in 2017. Now in its seventh year, Limavady’s Stendhal Festival returned to Ballymully Cottage Farm this weekend for two days of music, art, poetry, theatre and comedy. The event takes its name from the syndrome first described by French author Marie-Henri Beyle in 1817 – the experience of being exposed to “an experience of great personal significance, particularly viewing art”. Stendhal Festival, like its namesake, encapsulates the full spectrum of creativity experienced by humans, and boasts a line-up of too many incredible acts to be enjoyed in a mere 48 hours. As Ireland’s best small festival, our finest local talent – coupled with some UK acts and those from further afield – flocked to the County Derry countryside for what was to be Stendhal’s busiest year yet.  As campers make their way to pitch (read: wrestle) their tents, the dreamy, 80s-infused pop rock of Beauty Sleep fills Ballymully whilst festiv...

This review originally appeared in the now-defunct GiggingNI in 2017. Last year two of Scotland’s best loved acts, eighties titans Simple Minds and Edinburgh songstress KT Tunstall , collaborated on an acoustic reworking of ‘Promised You a Miracle’ ahead of the band’s unplugged album Acoustic in November. Tonight, they share the stage at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall for a stripped back gig of their biggest hits, without the help of electric guitar and synthesisers.  Even before support act KT Tunstall begins proceedings, rather unusually Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr creates an intensely personable rapport with the audience from the get-go; he enters the stage alone to introduce his friend and collaborator and shares fond memories of previous gigs in Belfast’s Ulster Hall. Not that Tunstall needs much of an introduction, as an energetic one-woman show who has graced the last decade with some of its best folk pop hits. Armed only with her acoustic guitar, a tambourine ...

This review originally appeared in the now-defunct GiggingNI in 2017. Source: GiggingNI Rarely do established musicians’ side projects take off quite like Mike Rutherford’s. As a founding member of Genesis, the English guitarist’s venture with Mike + the Mechanics produced a fantastic catalogue of pop rock albums and even a US no. 1 single with ‘The Living Years’ in 1988. However, despite a hiatus and drastic lineup changes, the now six-piece are back on the road with their Word of Mouth Tour, and Belfast’s Mandela Hall is the first stop on their UK and Ireland leg.  The night’s support comes in the form of Ben McKelvey , a confident young lad who emanates genuine excitement to be warming up the crowd for such legends. Armed with simply an acoustic guitar and flanked by his so-called ‘boxman’ Marc (who drums with his hands on the box he sits on), he introduces his first song ‘Work for Free’, dedicated to the headliners. The pair plays vigorously and with a makeshi...

This review originally appeared in the now-defunct GiggingNI in 2017. Source: GiggingNI Hailing from a large family of musicians, French-Canadian songstress Martha Wainwright is something of a stand-out talent in the world of folk rock. Her main connection to the NI music scene is her duet ‘Set Fire to the Third Bar’ with Snow Patrol back in 2006. Her gig for Open House fest tonight marks her return to Belfast, having last played the Grand Opera House in the city in 2008. It also forms part of the promotional tour for her latest album, Goodnight City . Playing to a sold out crowd at listed church building Redeemer Central on Donegall Street, fans congregate from early in the evening under the soft pink fairy lights and paper lanterns which adorn the nave.  Casually taking to the makeshift ‘stage’ facing a small sea of wooden chairs, Toronto’s Bernice begin their set with little introduction. Spidery vocals courtesy of frontwoman Robin Dann characterise the band, h...

The review originally appeared in the now-defunct GiggingNI in 2016. Along with the likes of Rio , Dare! and True , ABC ’s 1982 debut The Lexicon of Love ranks high among the most quintessential albums of the eighties. Boasting no less than four Top 20 hit singles, the band’s magnum opus deals with the themes of heartbreak and searching for meaning in relationships, all whilst filling dancefloors throughout the decade. Now thirty-four years on from their debut, Martin Fry, lead vocalist and the only remaining original member, is touring The Lexicon of Love II , released this year as the impressive follow-up to the record that changed his life. The Limelight is plastered with posters for tonight’s gig and the venue is steadily filling under the soft colourful lights of the opening DJ set. Playing genre-appropriate music to a crowd of predominately eighties kids, the likes of Depeche Mode, Pet Shops Boys and The Human League transition seamlessly into one another in prepa...

This review originally appeared in the now-defunct GiggingNI in 2016. Source: GiggingNI   It’s not often that nine of the country’s most exciting new musical acts can be found on the same bill, playing the same venue and all for one ticket. However, Spectrum Festival 2016 created just that. Saturday night saw the highlight of Sound of Belfast 2016’s programme of events, culminating with an incredible line-up of local talent at Elmwood Hall. The iconic venue played host to a range of bands and solo artists from an array of genres to showcase the very best Northern Ireland has to offer; that’s everything from indie rock to folk and classical. Headlined by Lisburn-based alt-rockers Mojo Fury, local favourites Gnarkats and Radio 1 Big Weekend’s Hot Cops also shared the stage for a noisy night. Beginning the night’s proceedings in the sparsely packed hall, Letterkenny-born Joel Harkin plays a short set of harmonious lo-fi, armed with his acoustic guitar. The 22 year-old se...

This review originally appeared in the now-defunct GiggingNI in 2016. Returning to Tubby’s Farm near Hillsborough for the seventh year running, the ever popular Sunflower Fest once again played host to a fantastic array of local Irish talent this weekend. Encompassing music, art, food and spoken word, the rolling fields of County Down were filled with brightly dressed campers, students and families alike, to enjoy the diverse and eclectic range of entertainment on offer. The organisers of Sunflower Fest are certainly no strangers to the cliché ‘something for everyone’, with stages covering (and often mixing) nearly every genre of music from rock, folk, electronica, ska, blues, indie pop and even heavy metal. Getting day two of the festival underway on the Main Stage is quintet The Late Twos , whose fiery indie rock attracts Saturday’s first spectators, enticing many picnic blanket and deck chair-wielding festival goers from their tents. The Belfast lads’ short set is super...