The front bar is the only bit thats open at the minute, the venue part should be open near the end of this month.
From what I've heard there putting all the toilets underneath and there's going to be a bar in the smoking area (making an upstairs section) The venue part is being made bigger and the band room is being turned into a smaller venue area for a more "intimate" gigs. Don't hold me to all this it could just be nasty rumors I've heard but if it's true it could be very nice.

About time they done something with that s**t-hole. The Music Centre's being overhauled too from what I heard.

Delorentos are playing there Friday week, so I think that's when it's official open again.

So it's back to pub rock business then.

Delorentos are awesome. Good support acts both nights too: Fight Like Apes on Friday and Ham Sandwich on Saturday.

Apes are excellent, da Sandwich are pretty decent, but I'm afraid I have to file Delorentos in the cabinet marked "what's wring with Irish music" along with the likes of Blizzards. I've seen both of them live and while they are in slightly different genres, they seriously lack any stage presence, originality, or even decent tunes. Plus they look like hicks - esp that Blizzards dude, who also gets minus points for mumbling between songs. I can see why they appeal to the general public, but in my (humble) opinion, the general public is an ass - this is actually more of a fact than an opinion, proven by the manner in which the Irish public votes in general elections.

FLA have it all - great songs, stage presence and a singer that kicks serious ass.

I don't really know how a fan of indie music could say Delorentos don't have decent tunes. They have s**t loads of them. You can't really compare them to The Blizzards in terms of the quality of their songs.

I tend to be out of the loop with all these local bands, only Delorentos tune I've heard is that "stop" one, no idea what it's actually called, only heard it while half awake on Phantom in the mornings. It's alright, not amazing though, and for some bizarre reason it makes me imagine a bunch of indie boys doing a Diana Ross and the Supremes routine, which is mildly amusing and cheers me up until I can get my first cup of coffee in.

Looking forward to this one, been following them for bout 3 years, really like them alot....
i am probably on the other side of james' thinking, i actually think ham sandwich are apalling, just not my thing i guess....
still annoyed i was out of the country for hybrasil..

lookin forward to seeing how the venue looks and to see if the sound is still as good....still the best venue for up and coming bands or intimate gigs....

Delo's are great. Looking forward to seeing the new Whelans. i hope they don't change the name. I think it opens next wednesday in fact. jamieT, what band are you in?

Have a guess - first person to get it right wins a prize!

To paraphrase - "I don't really know how a fan of indie music can have an opinion".

I'm much more of a fan of electronica these days - indie schmindie has lost a lot of it's appeal to me these days. I was around in the 80s/90s & saw a lot of the GREAT indie bands first hand, so most of the current revivalism does nothing for me. Delorentoss being a case in point - heard it all before. Apes throw a different light on it, the Dels just follow the herd - they will never lead it.

I don't think the word 'electronica' really means anything anymore. But, go on...

Electronica sadly often means nerd with a laptop devoid of ideas post-Warp records era IDM making stuff you can't dance to.

I suppose that's a reasonable summation! I'm probably more into the indie-electro stuff, like Hot Chip, CSS, and the more keyboardy stuff like Goldfrapp and Ladytron.

Ladytron are class, I reckon Witching Hour is probably one of the best and under-appreciated albums of the decade. They were good before, but they've evolved from their retro 80s electropop into this mad MBV influenced victorian gothic steampunk, er..thing. Not so much a rock/dance crossover as completely removed from either.

I see what you're getting at - the Valentine's influence, they wear proudly on their sleeves, but you can certainly dance your socks off to "Everything you touch", as I did like a mad thing at the Leccy Picnic!!

Oh you can dance to it alright, when I say "removed from either" I mean they've just totally gone off on their own little tangent outside of what everyone else in the indie-dance crossover thing did after electroclash. They are neither openly embraced darlings of indie, nor do they fit comfortably alongside the likes of Felix da Housecat like they once did. I suppose getting dropped by your label can force a serious re-think. It's great to see bands evolve like that.

Shock, horror: JamesT and I actually agree on something ( I *heart* CSS ).

Delorentos are OK. I may pop along to see Fight Like Apes - loving that song Phantom keep playing by them ( not sure what the name of it is - the chorus goes "Lend me your face" )