Backline Dispatches

Playing for James: A Tribute to Drummer James Spillane at

Playing for James: A Tribute to Drummer James Spillane at Crane Lane There are gigs where the bands are the…

Anatomy Of A Gig

Anatomy Of A Gig When I decided to put on a live rock gig in Cork — alternative rock, original…

The Gigging Trap – A Very Vicious Cycle

Musicians need gigs to get known — but often need to be known to get gigs. Being a musician is…

Four Acts, One Town, One Big Question

On July 4th, Backline Live is testing a simple question: can original live music work outside the usual city-centre venues?…

Hag Roast, Alice in Chains, and the Weight of a

I had never paid any attention to the bass guitar until about a year ago. Then I came across a…

Why Every Intermediate Guitar Player Should Spend Six Months Playing

I had never paid any attention to the bass guitar until about a year ago. Then I came across a…

Stories, interviews, live reports and discoveries from the independent music world.