So I'm back from Los Angeles, well I got back two weeks ago, but my laptop has been fucked recently and I've been busy getting on top of everything that's been building up in my absence.
In a word Los Angeles was... astounding. We were only there for 6 nights with another spent in Las Vegas... Sin City indeed, but we covered allot in that short time.
The gig at The Roxy went really well, I've included a few snaps that were taken on the night.
Enjoy.
Niall x
A review from Dan at Americana UK, one of my favourite websites and obviously the BEST place on the web for all things Americana going down in the UK! I really admire what these guys are doing, so cheers for the review!
Niall Quinn "A Vodka For The Girl Who Changed My World" (Self Released 2008)
Insert tall Irish striker jokes here
Niall Quinn crops up on MTV 2 quite often as a talented new song-writer and he follows up his recent album 'Under the Same Sky' with this 5 song EP (plus bonus video). Three of the songs on the EP are Quinn solo, and these are the strongest songs on offer. The recording quality of the two band efforts ('Silly Little Girl' and 'I'll Be Okay Without You') is not the strongest, taking away from the overall effect of the tracks.
Quinn is an interesting lyricist dealing with all the requisite singer song-writer woes. Vocally, his upper register is not a million miles away from Feargal Sharkey (Teenage Kicks cover anyone?).
'A Vodka for the Girl…..' is an engaging and interesting listen, but it is possible that Quinn could do a lot better with a larger recording budget and more time taken to produce and arrange his songs.
Date review added: Saturday, April 12, 2008
Reviewer: Dan Wilkinson
Please pop by to www.americana-uk.com, it's scope is huge and there's tons of interesting stuff to keep you busy on there! x
On Thurs 21st August I'll be performing at "On The Rox", above The Roxy in West Hollywood, L.A.!
A little about the venue...
The Roxy itself is one of America's most legendary and influential music venues. It was opened on September 23rd, 1973 by Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler, along with original partners David Geffen and Elliot Roberts, who took over a building occupied by a strip club called "The Largo".
The history of The Roxy Theatre is paved with icons. From Neil Young's performance at it's opening night to Bruce Springsteen's now-classic 1975 performance. Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention recorded most of their celebrated "Roxy & Elsewhere" album there during December 1973 and Warren Zevon's live album "Stand In The Fire" was recorded during five shows he played at The Roxy in 1980. Hundreds of famous and yet-to-be-famous bands have graced it's stage over the years including Guns N' Roses, Miles Davis, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Doors, Tori Amos, Al Stewart, Pearl Jam and David Bowie... to name a few.
I'll be performing at "On The Rox" above the club and overlooking Sunset Blvd. The appropriately named after-hours club has been the setting for some of Hollywood's hottest celebrity parties. Calling the small "On The Rox" club legendary is an understament. In it's past it's been host to a tremendous amount of grotesque debauchery. It was a regular hangout for John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Alice Cooper and Keith Moon during Lennon's "lost weekend" in 1975 and The Doors and Led Zeppelin spent time there during the hedonistic 70's. In the 1980's "On The Rox" became a hangout for Charlie Sheen, Robert Deniro and Jack Nicholson and hosted parties arranged by "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss. It's also infamous as the club where John Belushi partied before fatally OD'ing.
The club was completely revamped in 2003 and recently, "On The Rox" has hosted private DJ nights as well as after-parties following big shows downstairs; drawing in Hollywood blondes like Jessica Simpson. On a Tuesday night not long ago, Kings of Leon were spotted heading upstairs to rock out with the Mooney Suzuki after their Roxy show.
So, through the side door entrance, up the dark stairway and into the blue neon lit lair, equipped with two stripper poles and adorned with an extensive collection of artist performance photos and you're there. "On the Rox" really is a legendary hide-out!
So, yeah I really can't wait to perform in California!
I really hope any and all of you based in L.A. can come down and show your support!
Cheers! x
Yup, 'Under Same Sky' will be featured on MySpace Mars Planets Radio on Thurs 10th July at 7pm, and from then onwards at :
www.myspace.com/myspacemarsplanetsradio
Thus far, there have been 4 shows on Mars Planets Radio. XFM DJ Alex Zane hosts each. Now, each week there's a chance for someone to share the mic with Alex as co-host... well, the votes are in and after his first show last week as co-host, Joe Davies has beat the competition to return for the next show on Mars Planets Radio at 7pm on Thurs 10th July.
Joe has been asked again to choose an unsigned act to play. He chose me!
Can I please ask everyone to show their support for Joe, to listen in and to vote for Joe to hold on in there for another week! He really is very good!
Please tune into the show here:
www.myspace.com/myspacemarsplanetsradio
I've added the MySpace Radio Player to my page, so you can listen there too.
The show will run for a week when the Mars Planets Radio page is opened, before switching to the Past Shows section, where it can still be opened for listening. x
2 songs, new to this page... My April Fool & Down The Road (An Early A.M. Lullaby) Enjoy! x
Oh, and I'm also featured on a new compilation CD/MP3 Download from Fatea Records.
It's called 'Fatea Showcase Sessions - Session 1 - Songsmiths' and features 'Looking After Me':
Niall Quinn
Song: Looking After Me
Biography: Niall Quinn has won awards for both his voice and his writing. "A Vodka For The Girl Who Changed My World" His star is on the rise NME featured this hard grafting singer songwriter in a recent issue.
Website: http://www.niallquinn.co.uk
You can view more details of the compilation here:
http://www.fatea-records.co.uk/
Thanks to Neil for featuring me on the CD/Download and for all his continued support! x
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A little summing Katie came across. The piece is from The London Lowdown blog (http://www.thelondonlowdown.blogspot.com/) and is for our support slot at Kane's show on 9th June last year at The Barfly... 'It was an all-acoustic night and first on was singer/songwriter Niall Quinn. Niall's particular brand of country influenced folk was reminiscent of Ryan Adams, and his tender voice is the perfect foil for his lyrically charged songs. For a selection of songs Niall is joined on stage by Katie Harnett, a singer whose voice sounds like it made its way here by way of Nashville.' Cheers to The London Lowdown for such a lovely little piece. x |
'ello all,
'just a quick update on what's goin' on wit' us. I'm currently workin' on some new melodies. I've been absorbing all things country, even more than usual, recently and I guess it's rubbed off on what I'm coming up with. Oh, and I'm also playing some shows in L.A. in the summer which I'm very excited about!
I'm away on me hols to Spain next week and Katie will be away on hers thereafter, so we'll be out of action until the end of May. Gigs will resume in June, including a return to Halfmoon, Putney on Mon 16th June!
Ta ra
Niall x
P.S. Oh, check out Alberta Cross and The Felice Brothers, if you fancy some great new Americana
Hi all,
Well, it certainly has been a while since my last proper post. Apologies and all. This is only because I've been a busy boy recently and Christmas is always an exhausting time of year for everyone. So, anyways, I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and good luck with everything you'll be getting upto in 2008!
At the moment I'm rehearsing some new songs with darlin' Katie for a Broken Heart Special at The Good Ship in Kilburn on Valentine's Day!
I must dash now, but I'll get back to posting, regular, weekly entries now that the waves have settled.
See you at sea!
Niall xx
'ello all,
Doing fuck all at work at the moment so I thought I'd send out a little "Hey-Ho". Some shows are being switched around at the mo and rehearsals are continuing with Katie on some new tracks and saucy cover songs. Been playing more piano recently and I'm planning a few shows on the keys soon. I now have a residency of sorts at a new acoustic evening being held at the outrageously hospitable and exquisitely filthy Dirty South in my hometown of Lee every second Monday of the month. I'm very excited at the prospect of hosting and performing each night.
Had a great weekend with the family Quinn who came from Belfast to stay at my parent's place for the weekend. Bought about 30 films last night on VHS for 10p each. Plan to sit and watch every one by the end of the week. Yes, I'm that busy!
Ta ra for now. x
