It’s a weekend where it feels like half of Northern Ireland has migrated south to Dublin for the hugely anticipated Metallica concerts.

Whilst Gary Barlow and a couple of mates masquerading as Take That bring cheesy glitter and glam to the eastern banks of the River Taff so an infinitely more appealing triplet of US nu-metallers shake the western side with s gargantuan heavyweight thunder and lightning pugilistic bout.

Its another fantastic year for Download Festival fans as the 2026 Edition sported not just a killer line up - but also way more to do and see.

As we make our way to Belfast, it is a lovely warm evening and everyone is very excited especially as the American and Canadian bands are touring Europe for the Festival season.

The rock spectrum has never been wider. From, 24 hours previously, at the opening day of Download – where the powered kinetics of Halestorm more than ably demonstrated that they were the day’s true headliners – through to this evening and the evergreen aura of the original space warriors Hawkwind the altar is broader than ever.

Dogstar are opening up their All In Now Tour in Dublin’s 3Olympia and the LA Alt Rock trio couldn’t have chosen a better place to have done it.

By the time anyone got near The Salt Shed on June 3, Chicago had already started playing opening act. Not music. Something uglier. Traffic. Construction. Parking lots packed tight enough to feel personal.

A Perfect Circle had not graced British stages in eight years. two consecutive nights at Brixton on the 3rd and 4th of June — marked the opening salvo of the band's first UK and European tour since 2018, when they had supported their fourth album Eat the Elephant.

When this show got announced it put a broad smile on my face, getting to see this trio again in Dublin was going to be an absolute joy, and that’s exactly what it turned out to be.

Beth Hart appeared at Oxford’s New Theatre on June 4th (a rescheduled date from the earlier UK tour), supported by Wille and the Bandits. 

In a world of constant turmoil and unrest, we naturally radiate towards familiarity, comfort, and warm memories. It’s no wonder then, that there are 400 souls crammed into this converted 19th century church on a windy Friday evening.

Review and Photography: Stephen Brophy for MPM Forty years of any band is something to celebrate and the Pixies are currently out doing just that. When you have the influence they have over their career and a catalog with the depth of theirs it’s always interesting on what’s going to make it to the set. Was also going to be …

What do ‘Fish n Chips’, ‘Bangers n Mash’ and ‘Sunday Roasts’ all have in common? Bear with me on this one, it isn’t what you think. Agreed, they are types of English classic cuisine, but they’re also the chants of 1800 sweaty rockers at a sweltering Saturday night at Bournemouth’s O2 Academy.

As we make our way into Belfast on a warm Thursday evening, it’s been a crazy week of gigs. The festival season is on in Europe so a lot of bands are coming to the Emerald Isle.

The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived!! The mini bus is packed with impassioned fans and the atmosphere is charged as we motor towards the big smoke via Donegal and Derry.

31 years after they split up, and mere weeks after their first gig since 1994, the actual legendary Sugar hit Belfast’s Ulster Hall during a mini heatwave.