Ranked at number 9 in The Irish Times’ list of The Best 50 Irish Music Acts Right Now, beating other forerunners for the title such as Snow Patrol and even U2, Bell X1 returned to Belfast’s Empire Music Hall for an imitate acoustic set, an ideal venue for this performance. With its comfortable atmosphere and unique setting, it provided fans with the ultimate opportunity to get close to the music and the band.
BY JANETTE LOUGHLIN
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With catchy songs, great stage presence and a talented support act, Jimmy Eat World pleased the crowd on their return to Belfast. Opening for the band were More Than Conquerors, replacing the scheduled Minus the Bear who had to cancel during to ferry crossing problems. The band and its members are relatively young and unknown on the local scene, yet they are still talented musicians making them a good support act for the American band.
BY MARK STEVENSON
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Ellie Goulding’s return to Belfast was warmly-received by a capacity audience at the Ulster Hall. Following the popularity of this year’s success for the young star, Goulding’s autumn tour promotes the release of her new album, Bright Lights, which is already proving to be another success. Supporting Goulding was the Irish band, The Danger Is. Delivering powerful vocals in the style of Lissie and carried by a heavy bass and drum combo reminiscent of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, their sound is unique among the music trends of now – definitely one to watch.
BY JANETTE LOUGHLIN
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2010 saw The Drums quickly climb in to position as one of the most name-dropped bands around. They went from being placed fifth on the BBC’s Sound of 2010 list to playing venues all over the UK on NME’s Awards tour a month later. With influences such as The Smiths, Joy Division and The Shangri-las it’s not surprising that the four New Yorkers had the Mandela Hall audience under their spell in no time.
BY ABBYE NELSON
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Queen’s student representatives have expressed their concerns after the coalition government’s vote to increase the cap on tuition fees in England to £9,000 was passed on last Thursday. Although the fate of English students has been sealed, that of students in Northern Ireland still hangs in the balance.
BY KERRI-ANNE CAMPBELL
SU Council’s last meeting before the Christmas recess passed three amendments to the SU constitution and unanimously backed the reports of each sabbatical officer. Tuesday’s meeting also witnessed lengthy debate both on last week’s student protest outside Belfast City Hall, and on the proposal for a Republican Congress society at Queen’s.
BY CONNOR DALY AND SEAN ASHFORD
After a year-long break, Ireland’s most successful boy band, Westlife, have returned to the limelight with their eleventh album, Gravity. Previous to its release the band claimed this is the album “they have always wanted to make”, yet listening to the tracks, it is not quite clear why, because although the sound is perhaps more mature, it is not wholly distinguishable from their previous ten releases.
BY CATRIONA BURNS