Maija Sofia and Elaine Howley live at Levis Corner House
From Thursday, May 27th, free, youtube.com
Quiet Lights have been putting on some great gigs in the southwest without much fanfare over the past three years, and they're not about to let the pandemic stop the music. The latest in their online series of events features two fine artists live from Levis in Ballydehob, in west Co Cork. The Galway singer-songwriter Maija Sofia has gained huge praise for her Choice Music Prize-nominated album Bath Time, which explores history, art and folklore through a female periscope. Elaine Howley, who is originally from Tipperary, developed her experimental style from playing in psychedelic, ambient and alt-folk bands around Cork city. This dynamic double bill will be available on Levis' YouTube channel for the next two weeks.
International Literature Festival Dublin
Until Sunday, May 30th, various times and prices, ilfdublin.com
Just a few days left to catch some serious literary vibes in this year's virtual festival. Start off today with something not too taxing: a masterclass on epic worldbuilding with the fantasy writer Jonathan Stroud (Thursday, May 27th, 4pm, €15). Also, the writers Sinéad Gleeson and Jakuta Alikavazovic will be chatting about the power of translation, and how it has helped them reach new readerships (Thursday, May 27th, 6pm, €5). The acclaimed children's author Frank Cottrell-Boyce will talk about his latest book, Noah's Gold, a fun adventure that shows how sometimes it's better to leave your phones off (Friday, May 28th, 4pm, €5), and the novelist Jhumpa Lahiri will chat about how she found her literary voice when she switched from writing in English to writing in Italian (Friday, May 28th, 8pm, €8). The Irish-Nigerian writer and activist Emma Dabiri talks about her book What White People Can Do Next, a manifesto for driving real change in equality and inclusion (Saturday, May 29th, 4pm, €5).
Breaking the Silence is a special night of words and music from the National Concert Hall, in which writers, artists, musicians and survivors respond to the dark legacy of mother and baby homes (Saturday, May 29th, 8pm, free). Sebastian Barry will deliver the third and last of his Laureate Lectures, The Fog of Family (Sunday, May 29th, 4pm, free), and Salman Rushdie will talk about his new essay collection, Languages of Truth (Sunday, May 30th, 6pm, €8). Wrapping it all up is an evening with Dublin Literary Award-winner Valeria Luiselli, whose novel Lost Children Archive won the €100,000 prize. Luiselli will be in conversation with her fellow Dublin Literary Award-winner, Colm Tóibín – not to be missed (Sunday, May 30th, 8pm, free).
Moby Doc Premiere Stream
Friday, May 28th, 8pm, £12 (€13.90), dice.fm
"My life as a musician has taken me to some very odd places," says Moby, and in this documentary, the genre-busting singer, musician and DJ takes us on a wild trip through his life, from an unhappy childhood in New York to his early rave hit, Go, which signalled the start of a drink-and-drugs binge, to his world-conquering album, Play, which not only sold in gazillions but also saw every track controversially licensed for commercial use. Through all the wild twists and turns of his life, Moby learns that money, fame and acclaim don't buy you happiness – you have to dig deep to find that yourself. This livestream is introduced by Moby himself, and there'll be a Q&A at the end – expect it to be surreal.
Margaret Atwood and Max Porter: A word after a word after a word is power
Monday, May 31st, 6.30pm, €8, crowdcast.io
The Festival of Writing and Ideas in Borris, Co Carlow, continues its spring series online with the return of the Booker-winner Margaret Atwood, in conversation, once again, with her fellow author Max Porter. Anyone who attended their last chat at Borris House, in 2018, will know that Porter is adept at getting the best out of Atwood, and it should be no different online as the two discuss everything from fiction, poetry, philosophy, religion, the environment, technology, myth and magic, not to mention Atwood's passion for birdwatching, and reflect on the awesome power of words.
Razorlight: Live Online Concert
Wednesday, June 2nd, 8pm, €19 and €25.50, stabal.com
Been wondering where these guys have been for the past decade? No, me neither. But we do remember when this London quartet strutted on the scene with the single Golden Touch in the early noughties, and then topped the charts with indie anthem America, dividing opinion along the way. It all fell apart after that, though, with band members leaving, and their singer, Johnny Borrell, doing an Axl Rose and forming a whole new Razorlight line-up. Now the band have re-formed with the original line-up of Borrell, Andy Burrows, Bjorn Agren and Carl Dalemo, and they'll be celebrating with an online gig where they'll perform their best-known tunes. You can buy a regular ticket or a deluxe 30-day online pass with behind-the-scenes access.
