The media attention toward underground/unsigned acts in Ireland is very limited. Hotpress would be the biggest music magazine in this country and they usually only devote two pages to upcoming acts thus not really providing them with alot of coverage, especially since those pages are at the back of the magazine. The Ticket and Day & Night only really cover the bands when they do something big or get signed up. Gigsmart has long championed the unsigned process. And even here on Cluas, there has been alot of reviews and interviews with unsigned acts (some of which crop up every year in the end of year polls). Other newer magazines like Connected, Mongrel, Event Guide and Totally Dublin touch on the scene slightly. Basically there is a lack on concentration on the scene. It could be argued that there are not enough good bands out there for the mainstream to bother with the underground scene. Then again, it could be argued that there is. All a matter of preference and experience. Experience in the sense of people who actually know what type of bands are out there, what venues host these acts and if they offer anything different. I don't think Ireland needs an NME but a bit more coverage of unsigned acts would be a welcome feature in the mainstream media. Alison Curtis, Jenny Huston, John Walshe and Dave Hegarty all play unsigned bands on their radio shows so not much wrong there. Although I think the radio shows stay within a barrier of indie/rock aimed at a teenage audience. Donal Dineen and Rattlebag are usually on at times when alot of people can't tune in, but they are also good. A music talk show would be a good idea if it was handled well and incorporated various genres. Slowly but surely, there are more bands breaking out of Ireland. This is down to ambition, their talent and the fact that they are getting more professional. Alot of the bands who are launching themselves in the UK etc now have PR companies handling their affairs. This can be a bit of a pain, as some of them aren't very welcoming to freelance journalists and smaller publications (of course they will tell you differently). But the future does look bright for some acts: Republic Of Loose got some media attention in the UK last year, Jove, Hal, Wallmark, Mainline and La Rocca are all about to launch themselves beyond the Emerald Isle. So hopefully international media will pick up on them and realise that there are some really good bands in Ireland. Sorry for the rambling...hope it slightly answers your question

lots of bands seem to get close. then get stuck in a rut or something and end up playing the tbmc as returning heros. when in fact they have done f**k all. Why did damian Rice make it? I think the album had a good original sound ie diffrent type of song structures and chords that gave it a sound. it was obvious that this was not just another c**t with a guitar. Even though he has milked it till the blood has run and deserves hate for this.

I'd disagree Bonzo. Many good bands out there.

One reason is that they don't spend long enough touring outside of Ireland. If you want to break America you're going to have to spend at least six months of the year touring and promoting yourself. That's how U2 did it back in the day. It's hard work been successful. Franz Ferdinand sold over three millions albums last year, the majority of which were outside of their home country but look at how many gigs, festivals, award shows, interviews, radio sessions and TV appearances they did. I can't think of any Irish band that works that hard. And why would you want to work that hard abroad when things are so cushy back home. It's awful hard on the old ego to go from being one of the biggest acts in your own country to being complete unknowns elsewhere. I'm sure Glen Hansard doesn’t get hassled for autographs when he's walking through the streets of NY but back here he can fill Morley Park. But then what's the point of touring abroad if you're pedalling inferior produce? Unfortunately there simply aren't enough decent bands in the country. Considering the population of our Island we should be producing a lot more quality acts then we currently are. Greater Manchester has a population of less then 2.5 million and in the last 25 years they've managed to come forward with The Smiths/Morrissey, The Stone Roses, The Buzzcocks, Joy Division/New Order, Doves, The Chemical Brothers, The Fall, The Charlatans, The Happy Mondays and Oasis. What have we produced? Mundy? He'd struggle to be successful as a busker in any other country. That's the problem with this country; we constantly drop our standards when we're dealing with our own. Have you ever seen the Frames get a better review than 3 stars in any magazine outside of Ireland? The reason that these bands are getting ignored elsewhere is because other countries aren't making allowances for them. The people who are writing for Mojo/Q/Uncut/NME/Word etc aren't afraid to give the likes of Paddy Casey an honest (i.e. bad) review because they're not afraid of bumping into him in Whelan’s the next night and having to explain themselves. Our standards are just too low. If you're an Irish teenager growing up listening to Tom Dunne and reading Hot Press the given belief is that if you make music as good as the Frames, Bell X1, David Kitt, Paddy Casey, Mundy, Gemma Hayes etc then you're up there with the best of them. You're not. You're languishing in the lower divisions of the world music scene. The media in this country should spend less time pushing mediocre domestic artists and more time pushing outstanding international ones. Then maybe our current batch of musicians would aim there sights (and there standards) a little higher and strive to make quality music that's good enough to succeed abroad.

Good points made Stroller. But there are some really good bands out there like the Redneck Manifesto who could make an impact internationally if their songs were maybe a little more radio friendly or their record company pushed touring, press etc in foreign lands.

I think we could in fact do with a paper/magazine on simuilar lines as the NME. ie. without the tabloid element and all the other bulls**t. I don't believe myself that it could be sucessful as a weekly venture, there really just isnt that big a sceane here and therefore not enough interest. But every two weeks like hotpress would be good. Like you say Gar, those 2 lousey pages towards the back of hotpress is just scandalous in my opinion.

Well as I said Gigsmart have done alot for unsigned bands in this country for a long time now. And they are expanding now into Loudmouth Magazine which should be out next month. So anyone who has a slight interest in Irish acts should maybe buy a copy of this magazine, if it is laid out well with interesting features in it.

not many bands seem to have the balls to be really different or to go against the grain, which is how bands make it I think. Franz ferdinand wanted to make rock music you could dance to without digital help(no remixers,loops etc) and look were that got them. The rednecks and a few others stick thier necks out and get noticed. You dont have to be epic to make it.

No you don't have to be epic to make it but there are alot of bands who do things differently e.g. Republic Of Loose, Redneck Manifesto, Sack, The Chalets. Maybe we expect too much from these bands or not enough, maybe we (as a concious music alert people) expect bands to be fairly average - this might stem from the lack of great Irish bands recently or from the Irish attitude of never expecting too much success or praise. Think I'm rambling again so I'll just stop. Anyway, for a couple of decent acts on tomorrow night. Check out: Mighty Stef in Sugar Club Wallmark in Whelan's

I think we also need to realise that in terms of buzz and hype about a band, Dublin/Ireland is a backwater. Think about the buzz there was about Rep of Loose going back a year. If they were based in an English city, they would have had a great deal of media attention. Right now, if you were serious about being successful in a band, I'd head for Glasgow or some other Dublin sized city over the pond. Going to England to tour is just not the way forward. The best was is to go there and 'own' a city. Also, whilst Pilchard is correct about hard work, many a good band has failed to generate interest outside of Ireland through the management having no clue about how to tour, promote and make ends meet outside of Ireland.

I think music quality is little to do with sucess, at least I hope not or otherwise Aslan are fantastic and better than, say, My Bloody Valentine!