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Renowned for his cutting edge comedy and intrepid social commentary, Andrew has appeared on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, he is also the recognisable voice of MTV’s hit show Ex On The Beach. As well as being a regular on Radio 4 as the host of Welcome to Wherever You Are, he’s frequently on The News Quiz, which he has also guest hosted.

As seen on Qi (BBC Two),Live At The Apollo (BBC One), Have I Got News For You (BBC One), Celebrity Juice (ITV2) Mock The Week (BBC Two) Conspiracy Road Trip (BBC3) and High Road Low Road (rté)..

Throughout his career, Andrew has had many sell-out shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and has also performed at The Amnesty / Channel Four’s Secret Policeman’s Ball (alongside Eddie Izzard, Chevy Chase and Dylan Moran), Glastonbury, Kilkenny’s Cat Laughs, The HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Las Vegas (alongside Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock), and several appearances at the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival.

Andrew has recorded three specials (Conflict Revolution, Andrew Maxwell: Live In Dublin & Maxwell: One Inch Punch).

Written and performed by Ruairi Conaghan. Directed by Patrick O’Kane.

In this compelling and moving solo play, Downton Abbey’s Ruairi Conaghan tells the story of the murder of a loved one and the lasting and unpredictable trauma that flowed from it.

At a time when the violent legacies of Northern Ireland’s recent past have never been more important to talk about, this acclaimed show uses storytelling, song, poetry, humour, cinema and Shakespeare to tell this courageous, joyous, uplifting tale of recovery.

Performed with raw, courageous, soul-bearing honesty. If we can find empathy, there is always hope.

Selected Edinburgh Fringe reviews:

5 *****   “ I was profoundly utterly moved by Conaghans compelling play. An honest, important representation of the healing power of Theatre”   THREEWEEKS EDINBURGH

5*****   “ A master storyteller,using his skills with language to induce tears and laughter in equal amounts,”   ONE4REVIEW

“ An extraordinary solo performance with a deeply human story that resonates long after leaving the venue.”  FRINGE REVIEW

4****   “A fearless performance that comes straight from the heart” THE LIST

4****   “ Conaghan is a gifted and charismatic storyteller keeping the audience hanging on every word.”  BROADWAY BABY

4****    “ Conaghan’s brave story makes every emotion come to the surface” ENTERTAINMENT NOW

4****   “ Heartfelt, full of love, emotional, moving and rendered with grace” NORTH WEST END UK

1985’s Rain Dogs has been hailed as one of the most important albums of Tom Waits’ career. The middle child between 1983’s Swordfishtrombones and 1987’s Frank’s Wild Years, it is a loose concept album about “the urban dispossessed” of New York City.

Join us at the Oh Yeah Music Centre as part of the Out To Lunch Festival on Friday 10th January  as we celebrate 40 years of Rain Dogs.

We’ll be assembling the fantastic musicians from our 2023 Swordfishtrombones event, Kyron Bourke, Duke Special, Clara Tracey and Mike Mormecha who will offer their spin on this classic album.

The tickets are £20, strictly limited and unreserved seating. Bar service available throughout. 18+

“Every lyric was an effortless rhyme you could only dream of ever writing.” – Thom Yorke

“..bony and menacingly beautiful.” – Rolling Stone

Formed in Gillingham in 2020, The Zac Schulze Gang are an electrifying blues-rock trio built on the playing of front man Zac Schulze and joined by bassist Ant Greenwell and drummer Ben Schulze. ​​​​​

The gang create their signature sound by blending rock and blues with influences from punk, funk, country, jazz, soul, metal and pop.

​After earning a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in the country, they are now touring internationally across the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe and North America. They have toured and shared the bill with artists such as Samantha Fish, Jesse Dayton, Eddie 9V, Nine Below Zero, Aynsley Lister, Band of Friends and The Cinelli Brothers.

The gang have been nominated multiple times in both the 2023 and 2024 UK Blues Awards, winning the UK Blues Emerging Band of the Year award for 2024. They were also invited to play at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival 2023 in Los Angeles and made an appearance at Fairport’s Cropredy Convention in 2024 to large acclaim.​​​

​With a debut studio album on the horizon in 2025, the Zac Schulze Gang are setting up to be a future powerhouse of their genre.

“The Morricone Experience” is a tribute to the late maestro of film music who wrote over 400 film compositions in his lifetime, including the scores for audience favourites “A Fistful of Dollars”, “The Good the Bad and the Ugly”,” Cinema Paradiso”, and “The Mission”.

The ensemble comprises acclaimed solo international artists residing in Ireland. These include Dundalk locals Annemarie McGahon (viola), Francesca De Nardi (violin), Davide Forti (cello) and Annalisa Monticelli (piano) and Dubliners Katy Kelly (soprano) and Morgan Crowley (tenor).

Featured on RTÈ’s Arena, this ensemble played to a sold-out crowd in the Pavilion Theatre & Castletown House and are touring theatres throughout Ireland until the end of 2025.

The irrepressible Lucy Porter bounces back into action with a show all about regrets. Frank Sinatra had too few to mention, but Lucy’s got hundreds, and she’s prepared to go into graphic detail about all of them. Disastrous dates, professional calamities, ruined friendships and parenting fails. Lucy describes all the mistakes she’s made, works out why they happened, and ponders how her life would have turned out if she’d acted differently.

Lucy looks at the things we might all collectively regret – not sticking to the work-life balance we strove for during lockdown, not realising that clapping for the NHS wouldn’t be enough to save it, allowing people we thought were quite fun on TV to become politicians. 

 How does regret tie in with guilt and shame? As a middle-aged, middle-class, left-leaning ex-Catholic, guilt is one of Lucy’s top five hobbies (along with going to the garden centre, doing jigsaws, making bread and watching subtitled foreign dramas on Netflix. She’s also ashamed of all these hobbies.)

It’s not all negative though. If you regret something, you can use it to change your ways: see the thing you regret as your rock bottom, and let it spur you on to become a better person. Lucy looks at how she can use shameful or annoying things from her past to change her future.

Lucy regrets volunteering at the school fete when her kids were younger, because now she’s committed to being the Hook a Duck Lady twice a year for the rest of her life. Maybe she could learn to say No a bit more? /b>

“Impeccably punch-lined anecdotes… Genuinely delightful” **** The Telegraph

“A treat from start to finish” ***** The Herald

The Ulster Orchestra is delighted to return to Out To Lunch with a programme for a small group of its wind players.

Amongst the musical gems for chamber ensemble, you’ll hear Trois pièces brèves by Jacques Ibert, a work from Jazz Age Paris with an unexpected local connection, Malcolm Arnold’s quirky, witty arrangements of Three Sea Shanties (listen out for the drunken sailor!) and György Ligeti’s colourful and whimsical Six Bagatelles.

In conversation with Paul McVeigh

Charlotte Brontë, who dazzled the world with some of literature’s most vital and richly-drawn characters, spent her brief but extraordinary life in search of love. She eventually found it with Arthur Bell, a reserved yet passionate Irishman. After marrying, the pair honeymooned in Ireland – a glimmer of happiness in a life shadowed by tragedy.

That moment of joy was destined to be short-lived however, as Brontë died just nine months into their marriage. Her genius, and the aura of mystery surrounding her, meant she’d been mythologised even within her own lifetime – a process which only intensified after her death.

Observed through the eyes of Mary Nicholls – who encountered Charlotte on that fateful journey to Ireland, and who went on to wed her widower Arthur –Charlotte is a story of three lives irrevocably intertwined. Bound by passion and obsession, friendship and loss, loyalty and deception – this a story of Brontë’s short but pivotal time in Ireland as never before told.

Martina Devlin’s enthralling new novel Charlotte weaves back and forth through Charlotte’s life, reflecting on the myths built around her by those who knew her, those who thought they knew her, and those who longed to know her. Above all, this is a story of fiction: who creates it, who lives it, who owns it.

‘Charlotte is elegant and sophisticated but also completely gripping. Martina Devlin brilliantly creates the world around this iconic writer, with characters who have the power to surprise and compel. I loved it.’ Emily Hourican

‘In Charlotte, the raw gold of Charlotte Brontë’s marriage to Arthur Nicholls has been wrought in a wonderful artefact; this is a beautiful novel full of mystery, intrigue and story.’ Carlo Gébler

‘A powerful and compelling novel that expertly imagines the lives and times of those closest to Brontë, and captivates the reader with its cleverness and eloquence.’ Mary Costello

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Martina Devlin has written novels, plays and short stories. She has won the Royal Society of Literature’s V.S. Pritchett Prize, a Hennessy Literary Award, and been shortlisted three times for the Irish Book Awards.

She writes a weekly current affairs column for the Irish Independent for which she has won a number of prizes, including National Newspapers of Ireland commentator of the year. She holds a PhD in literary practice from Trinity College Dublin.

Belfast Harpist, Ursula Burns Launches her first record of contemporary harp compositions, “The Secret Melodies of Trees”. The album was produced by Donal O’Connor at Redbox studios in 2024.

After 30 years of performance, shows, albums and gigs, Ursula wanted to celebrate the milestone with her first instrumental harp album.

Supported by the Arts Council, the collection is recorded in the original ethos of Belfast Harper’s Assemble where the intent was to demonstrate the technique and composition of the harpers.

This is the Belfast Launch of the Record. Ursula looks forward to unearthing her secret melodies in her home town.

Three-time Edinburgh Fringe Best Show nominee, Josie Long tries out ideas and hopes for the best in preparation for a full show next year, but please be reassured that you are in the safe hands of an accomplished professional.

‘Idealism and irrepressible fun are never far from the surface when Long stakes to the stage’ (Guardian). ****

Katharine Timoney is a jazz singer-songwriter from Belfast.  Her music combines elements of vocal jazz and retro soul drawing inspiration from powerhouse voices such as Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin.

In 2023, the title track of her EP ‘Life Came into Colour’ won The UK Songwriting Contest (Jazz category) following significant radio support from JazzFM UK and Spotify who included it in their playlist, ‘Best Vocal Jazz of 2022’.

In May 2024, she released new music with her single ‘It Won’t Always Be This Way’ shortly after performing at Cheltenham Jazz Festival. Katharine’s next record is due for release in 2025.

Mancunian electronic pioneers 808 State, known best for genre defining records including: Ninety, Gorgeous, ex:el and Don Solaris, are inspired equally by the haunting of their home city’s industrial past (and, for that matter, the influence of classic Detroit techno) but still remain true to their career-long focus on what’s to come next…

“We’re trying to make a future for other people to immerse themselves in,” says Graham Massey. “That’s always been a big part of 808 State: these kind of landscapes of futurism.”

Originally formed by Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson in 1988, the group’s early work was a prominent influence on the UK’s burgeoning acid house scene.

808 State’s first album – Newbuild – is now regarded as a milestone in UK electronica. Quadrastate followed this and included Pacific State which became an end-of-night anthem at the Haçienda. The track broke out of the dance underground when it was picked up by daytime BBC Radio 1.

The band pushed against dance-celebrity culture with intentionally minimalist record sleeves and a reluctance to self-promote. In 1989 Paul Morley signed the band to the ZTT label, and the first fruit of this partnership, the album Ninety, was awarded 10 out of 10 by the NME. The Guardian declared that with this record, “808 State mapped out the future of club music, utilising techno, ambient and rock…”

Now in 2024/25, the band continue to perform across the world, led by original founding member Graham Massey, with their music continuing to inspire and influence crowds wherever they go.

Fiercely independent, Nashville-based recording artist, Ron Pope, carved his niche in the digital era’s early days with his breakout hit, “A Drop in the Ocean,” which has amassed over 1 billion streams, earning platinum status in the US, alongside double platinum status in Sweden.

His prolific songwriting is a natural fit for Music City’s Americana, roots, and country communities, garnering praise from publications such as Rolling Stone, Billboard, CMT, Relix, and The Tennessean.

With each release, including his most recent album, Inside Voices, released in June 2023, Pope continues to captivate audiences with his raw authenticity and profound storytelling, soul-stirring melodies, and introspective lyricism.

Beyond his own musical endeavours, Pope writes and produces for other artists, and serves as a guiding light for aspiring musicians navigating the ever-changing landscape of today’s music industry. Pope has been steadily releasing singles in 2024 that will culminate in his upcoming album in 2025.

“…Pope’s ability to express the sadness and uncertainty, doubts and desires that accompany life’s challenges and transitions translates on a universal level.” – American Songwriter

Natalie Haynes is a writer and broadcaster and – according to the Washington Post – a rock star mythologist.

She is the author of novels The Amber Fury, shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize; The Children of Jocasta, A Thousand Ships, which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020, Stone Blind which was long listed for the Women’s Prize in 2023. Her non-fiction books include The Ancient Guide to Modern Life and Pandora’s Jar and Divine Might which were best sellers in both the UK and the US.

Natalie has spoken on the modern relevance of the classical world on three continents, from Cambridge to Chicago to Auckland.

She has written and presented ten series of the BBC Radio 4 show, Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics.

Chicago-based bluegrass outfit Special Consensus has covered a lot of musical territory in the half a century since banjoist Greg Cahill founded the band in 1975. 

Two-time GRAMMY nominees and six-time International Bluegrass Music Association winners, the group has amassed an expansive discography of over 20 releases including 2020’s CHICAGO BARN DANCE which highlighted the important role the Windy City played in the early development of bluegrass music.

With their latest release GREAT BLUE NORTH, Special Consensus turns their gaze northward, across the great lakes, to Canada. The album offers a thoughtfully curated collection of well-known and obscure songs from Canadian writers and features collaborations with some Canada’s most notable bluegrass and folk musicians. 

Taken as a whole, GREAT BLUE NORTH expands Special Consensus’s musical footprint, furthering their legacy as Chicago’s premiere bluegrass ambassadors and establishing them as torchbearers for the international reach of bluegrass music. Cahill adds:  We hope the international bluegrass community will enjoy the new music and join us in celebrating the fact that bluegrass music truly has no borders!”

GREAT BLUE NORTH is the 21st Special Consensus recording. The Gordon Lightfoot song from the album “Alberta Bound” received the 2023 IBMA Collaborative Recording of the Year Award and the accompanying video won the IBMA Music Video Of The Year Award in September 2024. 

Special Consensus have been coming to Ireland biennially since the mid ‘90’s and have established an extensive legion of fans over the years. Always a special Out to Lunch show. 

To mark twenty years since the release of Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, Joel Harkin will be joined by a seven-piece band and special guests to perform the classic album in its entirety.

Just as resonant now as they were in 2005, Conor Oberst’s sprawling lyrics on I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning explore perennial themes of isolation, nihilism, American imperialism, and that last stubbornly inextinguishable spark of hope.

Sonically, the album charts a course through popular music from Beethoven, to the vigour of 1960s protest songs, to desolate country of the 1970s, and on through the alternative music of the 1990s and 2000s. This talented collection of friends and collaborators will faithfully recreate these ten songs about being very young and feeling very old.

Joel Harkin is a musician from Convoy, Co. Donegal who has made a home for himself in Belfast’s music scene. He has loved Bright Eyes for half of his life so far. He’s been looking forward to this for ages. “Let’s fuck it up, boys. Make some noise!”

Legendary 70s folk-rock pioneers LINDISFARNE return to form with a classic five-piece line up of long-time members fronted by original founder-member Rod Clements on vocals, mandolin, fiddle and slide guitar.

With a repertoire of unforgettable songs like Meet Me On The Corner, Fog On The Tyne, Lady Eleanor and Run For Home and a reputation for live performance second to none,

LINDISFARNE’s power to galvanise festival and concert audiences remains undimmed and is guaranteed to get the crowd on its feet and singing along.

LINDISFARNE 2025 are:

ROD CLEMENTS (1969-present) Vocal, mandolin, fiddle, guitars

DAVE HULL-DENHOLM (1994-present) Vocal, guitars

STEVE DAGGETT (1986-present) Vocal, keyboards, guitars

IAN THOMSON (1995-present) Bass, vocal

PAUL SMITH Drums

New Street Adventure
‘Every now and then a band shakes you from your reveries about pop’s golden past and reminds you there are still classic chapters to be written’, Paul Moody (Q Magazine)

Led by singer and songwriter Nick Corbin, New Street Adventure released two albums on the legendary Acid Jazz Records, producing soul-fuelled tunes cut with a distinctly British edge that saw Nick hailed by The Guardian’s Tim Jonze as having “an innate understanding of classic songwriting”.

The band toured the UK and Europe several times, headlining the likes of London’s Jazz Cafe and 100 Club, Hamburg’s Mojo Club and sharing the bill with the likes of Lee Fields & The Expressions, The Milk, Leroy Hutson and The Rifles, before separating in early 2018.

Carmy Love
Soul singer Carmy Love launched her solo career in 2021, with her debut 45 ‘Rebel / Thinkin’ About You‘ on Big AC Records selling out prior to its official release and gaining praise from Craig Charles (6 Music), Robert Elms (BBC London) and Norman Jay (Soho Radio) amongst many others.

Born and raised in North West London, Carmy had a rich musical upbringing: Her Mother and Step-Father were DJs on several underground stations including Roots, Unique and Flava Radio. The likes of Janet Kay, Louisa Marks and Chaka Khan all featured heavily during her formative years, whilst an early grounding in Gospel singing developed her vocal style and stage craft.

Having also sung with Cool Million, PM Warson, Charles and House Gospel Choir, Carmy was also an original member of New Street Adventure, making a major contribution to “No Hard Feelings” – NSA’s debut album on Acid Jazz – with her stunning backing vocals elevating the record to modern soul classic status.

The Gold Tips
The Gold Tips blow a non-stop soul hurricane. They emerged out of Belfast, fully formed, not too long ago. Their distinctive, righteous sound, created and driven by frontman Eamonn McNamee, is soaked in a deep love of Sam Cooke, Stax & Rock ‘n’ Roll and has already seen them pack clubs and carry them to festival main stages.

The band opened for the legendary Nile Rodgers & Chic to a sell-out crowd at Custom House Square, Belfast in August 2021 and Van Morrison on the same stage in 2022.

Their debut album ‘Parade’ released in February last year, is a 9 track, horn-drenched, glorious squall forged in the great sounds of the past and sounding absolutely of the moment.

Aaron Craig
Aaron Craig is a Belfast-based musician, singer, and songwriter. Influenced by the energy of rock with emotion of soul. Drawing inspiration from the rich musical heritage of various genres, he plays music that is both timeless and fresh.

Having reassessed her life through the prism of an ADHD diagnosis in last year’s funny and moving memoir, one of Britain’s most beloved and most scatterbrained stand-ups lets you back into her mind (warning: it’s cluttered in there).

Among other things, this show will be a love-letter to letter-writing, a trip back through her early years as a comic and woman-about-town, and a whirlwind tour of a chaotic, hilarious brain.

“She has plenty to say, and says it with pointedness and potency” Guardian

“Has the crowd in the palm of her hand’ The List

“Makes live comedy thrilling” Evening Standard

The Henry Girls are sisters Karen, Lorna and Joleen McLaughlin from the Inishowen peninsula in Donegal. Their musical sound, described as “full bodied and powerfully dynamic”, is infused with the rich cultural heritage of their native county with a transatlantic flavour.

Their ability to interweave traditional elements with contemporary influences has gained them critical acclaim and their signature three part harmony sets them apart.

The Henry Girls tour regularly and have performed at some major festivals and venues such as Glastonbury; Celtic Connections and Milwaukee Irish Festival.

They remain deeply connected to their roots and continue to draw inspiration from the natural beauty of the area they grew up in.

Never has the phrase ‘back by popular demand been so apt...

Aja, taken from the classic and iconic Steely Dan album, is an 8-piece musical powerhouse of a band whose members have over 40 years’ experience in the business.

They replicate in incredible detail the original recordings of the legendary Steely Dan.  Aja have been performing these classic songs for 15 years and have grown accustomed to packed houses of music lovers of all ages and genres.

Original guitar, brass, keyboard solos and vocal harmonies are as true as can be to the original album recordings.  Their 2-hour set generally consists of the entire Aja album in the first half and is a sight and sound to behold.

Aja are: Gerard Farrelly – Keyboards, Alan Cunningham – Drums and Percussion, Colm Lindsey – Guitars, Mark Wilde – Saxes, Serge Stavilla – Saxes, Tommy Moore – Bass and Vocals, Sinead Stone – Vocals, John Graham – Lead Vocals.

OTL is delighted to welcome Donal Ryan to the festival to talk about his work. Show includes Lunch.

Donal Ryan’s work has been published in over 20 languages to major critical acclaim.

The Spinning Heart won the Guardian First Book Award, the EU Prize for Literature and Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards; it was shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, long-listed for the Man Booker Prize and the Desmond Elliott Prize, and was voted ‘Irish Book of the Decade’. His fourth novel, From a Low and Quiet Sea, was longl-isted for the Man Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2018, and won the Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature.

His novel, Strange Flowers, was voted Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards, and was a number one bestseller.

His seventh book, The Queen of Dirt Island, was published by Doubleday in August 2022 and was an instant number one bestseller.It is an uplifting celebration of fierce, loyal family love and the powerful stories that last generations.

‘A life-enhancing talent’ – Sebastian Barry

The Swingtime Starlets are an all-professional close harmony trio, who perform songs from the 40’s Wartime Era, Hollywood’s Golden Age and Retro Pop!

Get your toes tapping, your sweetheart swaying, your jitterbug jiving and become entranced in the romance as this dynamic trio transport you through the eras of Swing, Jazz and Blues.

Let their renditions of the Great American Songbook and Hollywood’s Golden Era transport you through the years with their beguiling voices, close harmonies & vintage style!

“When three traditional music comets collide, sparks will surely follow”

Together, Mary Dillon, Dónal O’Connor, and Neil Martin create a spellbinding fusion of traditional and contemporary sounds. Their collaborative efforts promise to breathe new life into timeless Ulster songs and tunes, marrying Mary’s evocative vocals with the expressive interplay of fiddle, cello, harmonium & uilleann pipes.

This musical union is not only a celebration of Ireland’s rich musical heritage but also a testament to the enduring vitality of traditional music in the hands of these critically acclaimed and visionary artists.

Few singers are as cherished and revered as Mary Dillon. With a voice as pure as crystal and as deep as a spring well this two-time All-Ireland singing champion hails from Dungiven in County Derry. The ‘voice of Déanta’, she has captivated audiences with her emotive vocals and passionate delivery for decades.

Born into a family with a strong musical tradition, Mary’s voice possesses a timeless quality that effortlessly weaves together the past and present. Her ability to interpret traditional songs with authenticity and sensitivity has garnered her a dedicated following, making her a highly respected figure in the Irish folk & traditional music scene.

Dónal O’Connor comes from a long and distinguished line of Irish fiddlers and singers and his collaborations have variously included membership of Ulaid and At First Light, Lá Lugh and RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh’s touring ensemble.

He has established himself as one of Ireland’s leading producers and musicians, having played and recorded with the likes of John McSherry, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Duke Special, Davy Spillane, Ríoghnach Connolly, Steve Cooney, Bob Brozman & Karen Matheson to name but a few! He has composed music for theatre, television and film and has presented music shows for BBC ALBA, BBC NI, TG4, BBC Radio Ulster and Raidió na Gaeltachta.

Hailing from Belfast, Neil Martin is a highly accomplished cellist and composer who has left an indelible mark on the world of classical and traditional music in Ireland. Born with a passion for both genres, Neil’s journey has been defined by his ability to seamlessly traverse the boundaries between them, creating a unique and captivating musical identity. His work has been performed across the world from Ground Zero to Mostar Bridge and the Royal Albert Hall, as well as being played on the International Space Station.

As a producer, arranger and musician, Neil has contributed to over 100 albums and has performed in international venues, such as Carnegie Hall and Palazzo Vecchio.

Audiences can expect a rich tapestry of sound that transcends genres and resonates with the soul-stirring essence of Irish folk & traditional music.

‘We invite you to join us as we celebrate our 20th birthday with a kaleidoscopic casserole of music, art, dance, food, comedy and conversation reflecting over two decades of making and creating a difference in Northern Ireland and across the world with our global neighbours. Expect some surprise guests. Fabulous prizes to be won!’ – Beyond Skin

All ages welcome.

Northern Irish / Dutch duo Fräulein are one of the most exciting new live acts on the circuit. Cathartic 90’s flavoured alt-rock influenced by the likes of The Breeders, PJ Harvey and Big Thief, whilst incorporating cavernous grooves and sharply observational lyrics. 

The band’s early singles such as ‘Pretty People’, ‘Belly’ and ‘By The Water’ were championed by the likes of Spotify, CLASH, DIY Magazine, The Line Of Best Fit, KEXP, BBC Radio 1 & 6 Music.

The latest release ‘The Last Drop’ hears the fearsome pair double down on their shoegazed, grunge aesthetic which was deftly showcased earlier this year via their ‘Pedestal’ EP. Fräulein gathered top support from the likes of Clash, DIY Mag, The Line Of Best Fit, So Young, The Independent, Gigwise, Loud & Quiet, Radio 1 & 6 Music,all shining a light on the band.

Over 2023 the band toured with ARXX, Be Your Own Pet, Big Joanie and NovaTwins as well as their own debut headline tour – watch out for the debut album coming soon.

Superfly Funk & Soul Belfast are delighted to welcome Smoove & Turrell back to Belfast for rip-snorting DJ Set.

Smoove had met keyboardist Mike Porter through the local music scene in Newcastle and recruited him for his ‘Smoove Live’ project for the label Acid Jazz. Around Mike’s house one day they overheard a neighbour singing sublime melodies in his garage with friends which turned out to be none other than a young John Turrell practicing in a band called ‘The Stevies’. After a couple of further sessions ‘scouting’ him they finally knocked on the door and had a chat and hit it off straight away.

A man of many facets, John Turrell was a skilled carpenter, working and teaching the trade to apprentices at a local college as well as his musical endeavours. After the trio performed several gigs together with various other guest musicians it was agreed they would create some new material and so they started to write and arrange a clutch of tracks that Smoove would record and produce.

As always though with Smoove & Turrell the highs and the lows of life are represented and the hard times realism of some of the lyrics is tempered by the irrepressible dancefloor euphoria of others.

2018 saw the Georgie soul crew return with a stunning fifth album Mount Pleasant, after the success of Crown Posada, which gave the band multiple BBC Radio 2 playlists and 6 music spins.2019 then saw the band celebrating 10 years in the business with the release of “Solid Brass – 10 Years of Northern Funk” a retrospective of the biggest tracks from their blistering live shows with the added bonus of two new tracks – “I’m A Man” and “Give It Back”. A sell out Solid Brass tour saw them delivering a set of strictly the hits to rapturous reception.

The band returned in 2020 with “Stratos Bleu” their 6th studio album which went to No1 in the official U.K Dance Chart! Keyboard player Mike Porter’s collection of analogue synths came to the fore on the new album with a nod to the heady days of early 90’s clubbing which may be a surprise to some but in the context of this band as dancefloor favourites makes perfect sense.

For over 20 years until his untimely death in January 2004, Mairtin Crawford was at the centre of a Belfast literary culture that was passionate, provocative and politically engaged.

Lyrically gifted, his passing robbed us of a great talent who, as an editor and teacher, was also a great nurturer of talent in others.

Today’s event will mark Mairtin’s 20^th anniversary and be an opportunity for friends to remember Mairtin in poetry and song.

Mozart String Quartet No.23 Prussian

Elgar Sea Pictures

Danish trad. Peat Dance

Musicians from the Ulster Orchestra’s string section are joined by mezzo soprano Cicely Hé for a programme with emotional warmth and good humour – just what’s needed to transform a Tuesday lunchtime into something very special.

Mozart’s String Quartet No. 23 is full of wit, charm and almost operatic verve, it gives each instrument its time in the spotlight and it is famous for its strange silences and dissonance in the last movement, which invoke a premonition of an unknown future.

Elgar’s Sea Pictures tell an epic emotional story with the assurance that throughout life’s storms – and whatever lies ahead in that unknown future – love will win through. The composer specifically selected five poems written in response to the ocean, including one by his wife Alice, to inspire his ravishing and expressive writing.

The programme finishes with a Nordic ‘Peat Dance’, which is a type of Danish reel where men traditionally danced around pieces of peat. It is full of energy and originates from the Roskilde area of Denmark and nowadays, it is more common to see folks dance the ‘peat dance’ around their dance partners rather than turf… what better way to send you ‘reeling’ out into the afternoon?!

In their first-ever feature documentary nearly sixty years after they met as teenagers before the British Invasion music scene, THE ZOMBIES tell their story of navigating the tumultuous music industry over the decades and making one of the most influential albums of all time, Odessey and Oracle. “She’s Not There” made them the first British band after The Beatles to reach #1 in the US.

After years of touring and many missteps in the 60s, sadly the band missed out on their biggest moment yet, when “Time of the Season” hit #1 and became a global success, inspiring new generations each year. The band looks back on their journey, where true friendship led them to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Dir. Robert Schwartzman, US, 2023, 116 mins

For 20 years, the Broken String Band have been our leading purveyors of great bluegrass, roots and string band music.

Local musicians Michael Ashe (banjo and vocals), Ivan Muirhead (guitar and vocals), Philip Steele (bass and vocals), John Fitzpatrick (fiddle) and Adrian Muirhead (mandolin) all play with a totally infectious  energy, enthusiasm and feeling.

The band have played at many major events and festivals, in Belfast and beyond, from private parties to ‘The One Show’. An eclectic repertoire – from Doc Watson to Aerosmith – keeps ears interested and feet tapping. An unmissable afternoon of great food and quality music.

Tenx9 is teaming up with Out to Lunch Festival again for our first event of 2024 and our theme is In the Beginning.

Get in touch with your true stories at tenx9.com/submissions and join us in the Black Box on January 17 2024.

Tenx9 is a storytelling evening where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life. It was created in 2011 by Pádraig Ó Tuama & Paul Doran in the Black Box in Belfast. It aims to strip away the barriers that prevent people from sharing their experiences. It is always free of charge.

First come, first served!

(dir. Jed I. Rosenberg 2023)

Out to Lunch is thrilled to present the Irish premiere of Louder Than You Think (2023 SXSW Audience Award winner) about original Pavement drummer Gary Young.

When teenage guitarists Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg approached the older Gary Young to record an album in his DIY recording studio (from which the film takes its name), Young helped them out and played drums for the recording.

Little did any of them know that the noise they made would end up defining the low-fi indie music scene for a generation. Louder Than You Think tells not only the story of Gary Young (who sadly died in August) but is a celebration of the band itself as well as a gripping rumination human frailty, creativity, and the sh*t life throws at us.

Mixing never before seen archival footage and audio with interviews and even stop-motion animation – plus marionette puppet reconstructions! – he recounts Young’s story from before, during and after Pavement. Prepare to be slanted and enchanted.

“A shattering exploration of destiny, creativity, and existence … Essential viewing.” – No Film School