Wall of Mouths

Title: Therapy? confirmed as Motorhead support

Therapy? confirmed as Motorhead support

23 Jun 2006

Irish rockers Therapy? have been announced as the support for Motorhead’s visit to Dublin.

They’ll be charged with revving up duties when Lemmy and the boys play The Point on October 31 - a suitable day indeed.

Andy Cairns, Michael McKeegan and Neil Cooper were last seen in the capital as headliners of the second stage at the first day Download, where they gave their first Irish airing of their 11th album, One Cure Fits All.

Tickets for the Hallowe’en extravaganza are upwards of €49.25.

Therapy? will also be playing a number of festivals over the summer, including Guilfest in Guildford, where they headline the Rock Sound stage on Sunday 16 July, and the Sziget Festival on Obudai Island, Hungary on 9 August.

Super performance, the tent was dead for most of the other bands throughout the day, it was stuffed for T? Some of the new material I thought sounded much heavier live (Rain Hits Concrete as a case in point). Great banter with the crowd and there was still a hardcore following who stayed when the Gunners came on at 8. Rock You Monkeys / Teethgrinder / Going Nowhere etc all went down a storm, what a band - never fail to deliver!

Gunners weren’t bad either.

Title: Download Stage Times

T? 7.15pm - 7.55pm

http://www.downloadfestival.ie/news/index.asp

Title: Across The Line to stage secret gigs

Across The Line to stage secret gigs

19 May 2005

If it isn’t enough that Belfast’s premier music show has returned to television, ATL is hosting two exclusive live gigs

To celebrate the return of Across The Line TV, some “top secret” gigs are being staged at the BBC’s Belfast studios on May 27 and 29.

Performing live on the Friday night are Therapy? and The Answer, with Damien Dempsey and The Thrills appearing on Sunday, May 29.

A strictly limited number of tickets will be made available, and details of how to access them will be revealed over the coming days on Across The Line TV and Radio.

Donna and Rigsy can be seen on Tuesday nights at 10pm on BBC2 Northern Ireland, with next week’s show – the second in the new series - features Coldplay, Duke Special and Rivals among others.

I think you are all right in many ways, T? in Dublin is an annual event, they move venues (Ambassador / Village / Olympia), the crowd size is puzzling to me - varies from 1,000 - circa 600. You must consider though the age of T? fans who were early fans - they are less likely to attend a show today as they are late 30’s to mid 40’s, now have wives and kids and baby sitter issues. T? had their mainstream appeal shot, and that was in Troublegum days.

To those in Dublin, I have seen them in Belfast & Utrecth, similar sized crowds in all. There is a much younger generation now of T? fans who arrived very late to the party, these are making up for the earlier fans who have moved on.

T? spent a long time before they nailed their colours to the mast in terms of which music style they felt they were in, the Ozzfest inclusion answered that question, yet the DVD interviews showed punk & metal are both popular within the band.

I would like to see them play the Iron Maiden / Marilyn Manson show - where they have the chance to be heard by maybe 60,000 people as opposed to 800 once a year in Dublin. They switched promoters this year to Raglane.com and they were advertised well, but I think an all-ages show might produce bigger numbers.

Thems my thoughts!

Title: From T? In Sweden Interview

Belfast residents will have a shorter wait. Therapy? are booked for a live studio performance for BBC NI on May 26, followed the next day by an open air gig to celebrate 25 years of BBC Radio Ulster.

Title: T? Hotpress Interview in Sweden

Euro Files

25 Apr 2005

As popular with the Europeans as with their home crowd, Therapy? return to Lund for the first time in ten years. Shilpa Ganatra catches up with the lads to find out how their tour is going and what the rest of the year holds in store.

Things about Sweden: 1) they like their cobbled streets. 2) they really like their drink 3) Perhaps because it reminds them of home, there’s been a small Irish invasion. Not only have The Revs recorded their new album in Malmö as reported two issues ago, but in the next city along, Therapy? continue the Swedish leg of their European tour with a corker of a gig.

Lund’s Mejeriet (dairy factory to us) is treated to an 80-minute set which has something for everyone, with Andy Cairns and co flitting between songs for the diehard fans (‘Neck Freak’ and ‘Meat Abstract), those with an ear for technical performance (‘Not That Kind of Girl’ and ‘Teethgrinder’) and of course those who only bought Troublegum (‘Die Laughing’ and ‘Screamager’). All delivered with the enthusiasm of a band who act like it’s their first gig, but with the benefit of 14 years of experience.

Rewind a couple of hours, and Michael McKeegan explains the new Therapy?: “It’s become instinctive. In a live setting, there’s times where we’re playing off each other and it feels very comfortable, I always feel I know what’s going on.”

“It’s weird when you analyse it,” mulls drummer Neil Cooper. “It just happens, it just works.”

This intuition is grounded by the guiding principle that what feels right to the band, is right, whatever other opinions are. As Andy puts it, “we’re not Burger King, it’s our way or no way.”

The Lund crowd love ‘em for it – unusually but quite rightly, songs from latest album Never Apologise Never Explain go down as well as the Troublegum era ones, and the encore callback is almost militant. The most novel sign of their warm welcome is that a bar in town invents a cocktail in their honour: the Therapy? features Vodka, Midori, grapefruit juice and Sprite, and is a bargain at a mere 45 Kronor. But with the band back on form and this tour the tightest yet, why no dates in Ireland?

“If you’re an Irish band playing Dublin, people won’t come out to see you because you’re constantly playing there,” answers Andy. “I’d rather play to a packed hall once a year. But we’ll see what happens at the end of 2005.”

Belfast residents will have a shorter wait. Therapy? are booked for a live studio performance for BBC NI on May 26, followed the next day by an open air gig to celebrate 25 years of BBC Radio Ulster. This is part of their busy summer schedule, which will see them play the UK’s Download festival and one in Estonia, and [deleted on Andy’s request, so we don’t ruin any surprises for the people involved - Rene]. None of which happen before No End In Sight’s This Is Menace album is released on April 24, which features Andy among its list of all-star guest vocalists.

So it’s understandable that work on another Therapy? record has taken a back seat until later in the year.

“We’ve not done much for it at the moment,” explains Neil. “With Michael in Belfast, Andy in Cambridge and me in Derby, we can’t meet for rehearsals every Wednesday like other bands. But we’re all talking, and we know where we’re going.”

What’s the direction then?

“That would be telling! But we have a plan.”

Which is…?

“A cunning one,” laughs Michael, in lieu of a proper answer. But with Never Apologise… still running its course, that will suffice for now.

Shilpa Ganatra

Title: Free Therapy? Gig - Get tickets now!

Free party for Belfast with BBC Radio Ulster

25 Apr 2005

The Thrills, Therapy, The Revs and The Undertones are among the bands performing for the BBC Radio Ulster celebrations

BBC Radio Ulster turns 30 next month and is celebrating its birthday with two nights of free live music.

The open-air festivities take place at Belfast’s Custom House Square on May 28 and 29, with the line-up announced as follows:

Saturday, May 28: Leya, The Revs, The Undertones, Therapy?, The Thrills

Sunday, May 29: Andy White, Juliet Turner, Cara Dillon, Altan, Brian Kennedy

Admission is free but by ticket only. Apply for a ticket online, or by phone (0870 333 1918) or text (08000 153350). You can also send a letter to:

The Ticket Unit
BBC Northern Ireland
Broadcasting House
Ormeau Avenue
Belfast
BT2 8HQ

Title: Therapy? man joins metal supergroup

Therapy? man joins metal supergroup

05 Apr 2005

Andy Cairns from Therapy? is just one of the musicians who’s signed himself up for This Is Menace

Woe betide that a crazed Daniel O’Donnell fan throws a hand grenade into the studio because there wouldn’t be a balls to the wall rock ‘n’ roll outfit left!

What we’re referring to is This Is Menace, a Reindeer Section-style ensemble comprising Pitchshifter’s Mark Clayden and Jason Bowles and nine of their equally rowdy mates.

Hot Press is obviously biased, but our fave track on their No End In Sight album, ‘F8’, features Andy Cairns from Therapy?

Lining up alongside him are Colin Doran (Hundred Reasons), Casey Chaos (Amen), Matt Davies (Funeral For A Friend), Mikee Goodman (SikTh), Jeff Walker (Carcass), Karl Middleton (Twin Zero/earthtone9), Justin Hill (SikTh) and Paul McCallion (Hiding Place).

Due on April 24, we very much doubt if you’ll be hearing any of the tracks on Lyric FM.

The Hot Press Newsdesk

http://www.hotpress.com

Title: C’mon T? Outdoor Gigs Time!

Would love to see T? support the Iron Maiden / Marilyn Manson show in August

Title: Phantom FM Heavy 100

Phantom FM Heavy 100

Here they are! The Phantom FM Heavy 100 - the top 100 albums of all time as selected by the listeners to 97.3 Phantom FM - Dublin’s Weekend Rock. The chart was compiled from votes received up to December 22nd, 2003 and the chart in its entirity was broadcast on December 26th, 2003. A huge thank you to everybody who voted - wherever you are on the planet!

POS. ARTIST - ALBUM TITLE
1 Jeff Buckley - Grace
2 Radiohead - OK Computer
3 Nirvana - Nevermind
4 Radiohead - The Bends
5 Pixies, The - Doolittle
6 Therapy? - Troublegum *
7 Damien Rice - O *
8 Beatles, The - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
9 Pixies, The - Surfer Rosa
10 Stone Roses - Stone Roses

http://www.phantomfm.com/resources/heavy100.htm

Title: Host A Convention?

Would T? ever consider hosting a convention for the hardcore fans, like The Stranglers do? A weekend somewhere, live music / play rarities / Q&A with the audience / sign stuff / show their favourite movies / do unplugged tunes and the like.

Time has proven that T? fans loyalty is second to none, this would be a great platform to meet an greet.

Title: End of the Year

That is quite an optimistic post by Andy on how the year went for them, and how the immediate future looks. The album rocked (Rock You Monkeys), the gig blew me away (Animal Bones!), the new merchandise sits well. Enjoy the rest, happy new year to you and the other two, thanks again for being T? and sticking at it!

Hope to catch you at some festivals in ‘05!

Title: Irish Times Review

I missed this one, does anyone know the journo’s name by any chance? Brian Boyd used to cover all the T? stuff in the Times, in fact he championed the act for several years when most other Irish journo’s had them written off as Noise-Mongers?

Title: New Song

They played an edit of ‘Shadowplay’ from Unknown Pleasures, She’s Lost Control is on the same Joy Division album.

Title: Kerbdog add second ‘one-off’ show

Kerbdog add second ‘one-off’ show

10 Dec 2004

Cormac Battle’s cult band Kerbdog have announced an extra Dublin date, but insist the reunion will go no further than the live dates

With their previously announced date there a complete sell-out, Kerbdog have confirmed a second Temple Bar Music Centre, Dublin show on February 4.

Tickets priced €17.50 are on sale now.

Huge cult favourites during the ’90s, the Kilkenny outfit insist that the reunion’s a one-off but who know what’ll happen when they hear the roar of the crowd again!

For those of you who missed out on the grunge/hardcore/nu-metal years, the band’s singer, guitarist and main songwriter is none other than 2FM man Cormac Battle.

Title: The Band are very quiet?

I know the touring schedule has been pretty chop-chop, but not a word in quite awhile?

Title: Welcome Home Lads!

Andy You’re A Star

06 Dec 2004

Northern rockers Therapy? are back in the saddle with their tenth studio album Never Apologise, Never Explain – and as Andy Cairns tells Tanya Sweeney, their rabble rousing punk ethic remains as sharply ingrained as ever.

Ten studio albums down the line, Therapy? frontman Andy Cairns seems to be feeling his age.

“We’re getting to the point where we’re meeting younger bands, like Biffy Clyro and Amplified, who are telling us that they have our posters on their wall and that Therapy? were their favourite band,” he maintains. “It makes you feel old, but at least you know what you did at the time worked – there were kids in their bedrooms who formed bands ‘cos they heard you.”

Therapy? may well be regarded as the elder statesmen of Irish rock, but it hasn’t stopped them from unleashing an album of boundless and ferocious energy. Their 10th studio outing, Never Apologise, Never Explain, manages to re-ignite the Ulster trio’s breakneck momentum.

“I thought it might be hard to keep up momentum, but it wasn’t,” admits Cairns. “There’s a real nervous energy, from nerves and adrenalin that myself and Michael have naturally. I’m constantly surprised that we keep the energy level up every night. Having been around for this length of time and having so many records, we need to play quite long sets. The days of going on, drinking a crate of cider, falling over after 25 minutes and calling the audience a pack of cunts…those days are gone! We have to have some degree of professionalism at this stage.”

It could well be that the band’s newfound zeal is down to a change in personnel. Drummer Neil Cooper has been recruited to replace Graham Hopkins, making him the third drummer in five years.

“Neil was the final piece of the jigsaw when he joined,” recalls Cairns. “When we began to write and rehearse he gave the band more focus. A lot of bands have guitarists going through the revolving door constantly, but with us, we’re trying to be unique. And none of them have died in a bizarre gardening accident!”

Additionally, the line-up has been whittled back down to three members – Cairns, Cooper, and bassist Michael McKagan.

“It’s been really good for me,” reflects Cairns on the line-up change. “When we had the cello and guitar, to be frank, I got lazy on the guitar and didn’t put much thought into it. With the three of us, there’s no room for error. I have to make sure that everything works together as we have to make more noise with less people.”

The band may be feeling as sprightly as ever, yet they still encounter their fair share of detractors who argue that, 10 years down the line, Therapy? are simply no longer in fashion.

“With the last two records we’ve been getting critical acclaim, but it can still be tough,” admits Cairns. “We might say to some organiser, ‘We’d like to be on that festival bill,’ and they might say, ‘You might have worked for us five years ago, but not now’. That can be frustrating sometimes.”

Fortunately for Cairns, some people do appear to be coming around to his way of thinking.

“In 2001, around the time of Shameless, our label were saying stuff like, ‘This whole nu-metal is really big right now. There are people doing stuff with hip-hop beats and people with short hair playing guitars’. We were going, ‘Cast your minds back to 1992, when we were the short haired pillocks’. A couple of years ago, we said we wanted to do an old-skool punk record, which the label weren’t too keen on. Now, you can’t move for rock’n’roll bands wearing their Converse and playing punk metal.”

Having found a happy home within Spitfire records, Therapy? have decided to concentrate on making the music they want to, regardless of fad or trend.

“Being on a major label took a little bit of the hunger away,” recalls Cairns. “Anything that would happen commercially would be great, but it’s not expected of us, which is amazing. At the end of the day, we’re still the same little fan-boys that grew up in Ulster, really.”

Therapy? play Mandela Hall, Belfast (December 7) and the Ambassador, Dublin (8).

Hotpress.com

Title: Smoking in the Boys Room

Motorhead came out on stage smoking, but had them out within about 30 seconds, so clearly there are warnings given to the bands. Fans smoked also, but the bouncers were quick to pounce!

Title: Meeting Point - Dublin Gig

The Parnell Mooney is exactly across the road from the front entrance to the Ambassador, its a bloody kip, but beats those half litre beers they now serve in the rip-off Ambassador. Not sure if the band get a slice of the bar, knowing MCD probably not!

Venue-wise there is a smoking exit to the left of the stage which is a bonus though!

Don’t forget to vote!

Title: Hail the Nordie Invasion! (Gigs)

Hail the invasion of the Nordies!

* 03.12.04 The Undertones, The Village, Dublin, 7.30pm, €22.50

http://www.theundertones.com

* 06.12.04 The Wildhearts, Limelight, Belfast, 9pm, £16.50 (Sterling)
* 07.12.04 Therapy? / Winnebago Deal, Mandela Hall, Belfast, 9pm, £12.00
(Sterling)
* 08.12.04 Therapy? / Winnebago Deal / Tokyo Dragon, Ambassador, Dublin, 7.30pm, €28.00

http://www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk

* 09.12.04 SLF, Time, Co Kildare, 8pm, €16.50
* 10.12.04 SLF / Enemigos, TBMC, Dublin 8pm, €23
* 11.12.04 SLF / Enemigos, Empire Music Hall, Belfast, 8.30pm, £14.50

The Enemigos (featuring Pete ‘Radiators’ Holidai, Cait ‘Pogues’O Riordain)

http://www.slf.com / http://www.theradiators.tv

Title: Babyteeth

52
Therapy?: Babyteeth
1991 wiiija records

Title: Troublegum

Therapy?
Troublegum
(25/100 Greatest Irish Albums)
(A&M Records)

17 Nov 2004

The most unlikely record to get into the UK top 5 since Motörhead’s No Sleep ’Til Hammersmith, Troublegum turned Therapy? into pop stars for one gloriously rambunctious summer.

With a cover of Joy Division’s ‘Isolation’ and Andy Cairns admitting that ‘Screamager’ was inspired by The Undertones’ ‘Teenage Kicks’, there’s a strong sense of the trio paying tribute to their heroes. The stand-out was ‘Nowhere’, a classic tale of youf alienation, which ten years on still raises a smile with its opening “Heaven kicked you out/You wouldn’t wear a tie!” gambit. It also confirmed Fyfe Ewing as one of the best drummers to paradiddle his way out of this isle.

If you’re wondering who the bloke with his head in the dustbin is, it’s celebrated artist and photographer Nigel Rolfe who’s made something of a career of getting bollock-naked in public.

The 100 Greatest Irish Albums

Title: Vote For T? Hotpress 100 Greatest Irish Albums

http://www.hotpress.com/2763839.html

* Babyteeth
* Pleasure Death
* Troublegum

Title: T? Gig Promoters

MCD own the venue (Ambassador), Raglane are the promoters. Ticketmaster are distributing the tickets. It is being heavily advertised on Irish radio, through the promoters ezine and like the previous post stated posters were prevalent at the Motorhead gig so no fear its happening!

Title: Raglane Promoters

http://www.raglane.com are promoting T? in Dublin.

Title: T? Support

http://www.raglane.com/therapy.html

WINNEBAGO DEAL
ON WITH 80S MATCHBOX B-LINE DISASTER

Winnebago Deal are the greatest shit-kicking rock Œn1 roll duo this grubby isle has produced in years. Over the course of a mini-album, EP and a clutch of memorable live shows have casually shit on their new rock contemporaries from a great height with their debut album, ŒDEAD GONE1.

Winnebago Deal are in the frontline trenches, ready to go over the top any moment now. There1s a war on rock mediocrity to fight and these boys are tooled up and ready to do battle. The grenade pin is between clenched teeth - let1s go!

Title: NANE Review - Hotpress

Therapy?
Never Apologise, Never Explain
(Spitfire Records)
01 Nov 2004

Ten studio albums down the line, most bands tend to slide into either stylistic complacency, or worse, total obscurity. As the elder statesmen of rock, Therapy? have decided that the best way forward is to recreate the sound of their younger years.

Having toyed with their style on albums like Infernal Love and High Anxiety to variable effect, this latest offering is a true return to menacing, Pleasure Death-era form. The line-up has been whittled back down to a team of three, which goes some way to explaining the uneasy, pent-up energy evident on tracks like ‘So Called Life’ and ‘Long Distance’. ‘Die Like A Motherfucker’ is sure to cause mayhem at live shows, yet ‘Last One To Heaven’s A Loser’ is as juvenile-sounding as its trite title suggests.

Overall, Never Apologise, Never Explain is joyously and reassuringly loud, though it’s difficult to pinpoint any track which boasts the truly anthemic power of ‘Teethgrinder’ or, for that matter, ‘Die Laughing’. ‘Dead’ is perhaps the closest thing to a track that boasts cross-over appeal. Other than that, Andy Cairns and co. are back to being uncompromisingly, relentlessly and unapologetically loud…and the album is certainly all the better for it.

Seemingly happy enough to leave the poppy, Americanised stuff to the likes of The Darkness, Therapy? have decided to concentrate on being ballsier than any other British or Irish rock act. Overall, Never Apologise, Never Explain is not-so-plain sailing in some rather wonderfully scuzzy and choppy waters.

Tanya Sweeney
Rating: 7 / 10