MusicTown returns to the National Concert Hall for the second year running and for an extended 5-day period of multi-room live collaborations, running from June 14th – 18th inclusive.
MusicTown is a shapeshifting programme of live events created to reflect this ever-changing world of live music in Dublin City. Within this programme, there is music as experimental theatre, a reflection of one of history’s great singers/composers by a group of young musicians, an all-ages DIY afternoon show, a 62-year-old songwriter performing his solo work live for the first time, a sensational young performer from Fermanagh summoning the ancient and the modern, and much, much more.
Staged throughout the nooks and crannies of the National Concert Hall, this year’s MusicTown will feature main auditorium performances from Fermanagh sensation Róis collaborating with Crash Ensemble; Glasshouse tackling the works of Scott Walker; and Crash Ensemble once again, this time joining forces with former Revelino man Bren Berry, who charmed audiences with his debut album earlier this year. Playing a pivotal role in 2025’s MusicTown programme, Crash Ensemble will also collaborate with acclaimed vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Anna Mieke in a performance featuring interpretations of existing and developing work.
Also on the bill is a very special – and very rare – performance from Operating Theatre, the music/theatre group formed in the 1980s by godfather of Irish electronic music and renowned composer Roger Doyle, alongside acclaimed actor Olwen Fouéré. Operating Theatre were recently honoured by Caroline Polachek, who released a version of their song ‘Spring is Coming with a Strawberry in the Mouth’.
Cellist Eimear Reidy and experimental all-rounder Natalia Beylis come together in The Kevin Barry Room for a matinee performance of She Came Through the Window to Stand by the Door and other works for piano and cello, creating evocative and intoxicating music that conjures webs of woodland landscapes, kosmische moonrises and odysseys of drone.
Foggy Notions consistently platforms the most exciting emerging talent from Ireland and abroad and MusicTown ensures this continuity. Irish/French artist Goldbug will be joined by Crash Ensemble for a very special showcase of music from his forthcoming album, co-produced with Chris W Ryan, and mastered by Heba Kadry – which follows an art rock tradition, with a sound that nods as much to the lo-fi sampling of downtempo electronic music as it does to the orchestral compositions of old Disney soundtracks.
Finally, but by no means least, MusicTown presents an all-ages daytime event curated by DIY Dublin promoters Swimsuit Issue featuring emerging l Irish bands, Makeshift Art, Hotgirl and Softdrink Millionaire.
Evidently, MusicTown places a strong emphasis on the magic of collaboration. Why is it so important?
“Collaboration stimulates creativity and generates new work. Even the most solitary musicians can benefit from sharing ideas, stepping into someone else’s perspective,” says Leagues O’Toole of Foggy Notions, “Writing, producing and performing music in the modern world isn’t always easy. A lack of venues, facilities, and platforms from which to be heard amongst the ever-accumulating mountain of work hosted online can be disheartening, and counter-creative. Artists will often find their greatest allies are other artists, people they can relate to, work with and, in some cases, build a community with.
“This year’s programme feels particularly exciting to me; It can be fascinating to catch artists outside of their release cycle. For instance, it’s been a while since we heard from Anna Mieke and perhaps a while before she releases again, so perhaps we’ll hear developing work. Bren Berry has made a really inspiring and heart-warming debut solo album long after he considered his career as a musician to be over. He wants people to turn his music inside out and explore new perspectives so his collaboration with Crash Ensemble is perfect. Operating Theatre were active throughout the 1980s as a vehicle for experimental theatre but they subsequently made some incredible music which has stood the test of time. It was so rewarding to see someone like Caroline Polacheck pick up on it.
“Glasshouse recently performed a set of Ryuichi Sakamoto that journeyed throughout his varied career so we thought we’d challenge them to do something similar with Scott Walker’s musical journey, which is fascinating to say the least. As I’ve often said, Crash Ensemble are a national treasure in my mind, their insatiable appetite to collaborate with different musicians and styles of music. They never back down from a challenge and I’m excited to see them work with two of Ireland’s most exciting young artists, Róis and Goldbug.
“Nataia Beylis and Eimear Reidy made this incredible work a few years ago called She Came Through the Window to Stand by the Door that I feel hasn’t been heard enough so I’m excited to see them perform this and other works for cello and piano. Swimsuit are DIY promoters presenting exciting new Irish artists every month in a tiny room above the Anseo pub. This is an opportunity for them to curate in a new space and for a younger all-ages audience. The country is bursting at the seams with brilliant new music but we need kids to hear it too. Music can and is as important to a 13 or 14 year old as it is to someone in their 30s.”
THE PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE, DAY-BY-DAY:
