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Irish Times
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Murder Capital at Iveagh Gardens: A killer set subjects leafy Dublin to a satisfying salvo of mosh pit mania
Murder Capital Iveagh Gardens, Dublin ★★★★☆ Shortly before leading the 'death to the IDF ' chants that generated international headlines , punk duo Bob Vylan used their polemical Glastonbury set to praise artists who had made sacrifices to speak out in support of Palestine . They name-checked the perpetually controversial Kneecap - but also Cork / Dublin band The Murder Capital , whose summer tour of Germany was hit by cancellations after a number of venues vetoed the display of the Palestinian flag on stage. No such issues beset their show at Dublin's Iveagh Gardens . The flag that caused such trouble in Germany is arranged just over the shoulder of singer James McGovern, who leads a chant of 'Free, free Palestine'. But if the political aspect of the gig goes off without a hitch, The Murder Capital initially struggle against the hazy, lazy Saturday evening vibes of the city centre venue. Nestled in the heart of Georgian Dublin, the Iveagh Gardens make for a beautiful backdrop. However, the pint-and-chat ambience is an unsatisfying fit for a group whose music pulsates with menace and fury. Daylight is not their friend, and McGovern is initially frustrated by the easygoing audience. 'I'm seeing a mosh pit here. I'm not seeing one here. Let's see some f**king energy baby,' he says, as the five-piece kick off with The Fall. READ MORE Early in their career, The Murder Capital were spoken of in the same breath as the all-conquering Fontaines DC . They were regarded as kindred spirits, having emerged at about the same time from the bubbling Dublin post-punk scene. But they're very different artists, as made clear by their excellent third album, Blindness. Tellingly, they released that record shortly after touring Europe with alternative rock's original prince of darkness, Nick Cave . Just like Cave, their songs have a literary quality (McGovern has previous credits as a poet) and aren't about fine-tuned melodies – the Fontaines' secret weapon – so much as a piledriving hurtle towards catharsis. At its best, this approach has an exhilarating punch. But a balmy evening in a Dublin park is not conducive to dredging your soul. For that reason, the concert only truly comes together as gloom and drizzle arrive and then finally hits its groove when the sun sets and they negotiate That Feeling – one of several songs on the new LP about the pain of separation from a loved one. McGovern is the focus point, his onstage persona a sort of Amnesty International Liam Gallagher . He rattles a tambourine, strides around in his tracksuit pants and encourages the audience to crowd surf. But he also talks about Palestine and speaks out against the far right in Ireland, observing that the Tricolours he sees in the crowd belong to progressive Ireland more than to racist yobs. The subject of Ireland's spiral into anti-immigration idiocy is addressed directly on the hurricane-force Love of Country. Here needling guitars are matched by flensing lyrics: 'Could you blame me for mistakin' your love of country for hate of men?'. Darkness has descended in earnest as they conclude with their catchiest tune, Words Lost Meaning, the lyrics informed by McGovern's belief that you can only tell someone you love them so many times before it becomes a meaningless cliché. Bathed in stark lighting and framed by the cool summer night, it is a foreceful ending to a performance that takes time to achieve lift-off. But when things finally click into gear, The Murder Capital serve up a killer set that subjects leafy Dublin to a satisfying salvo of mosh pit mania.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Popular punk band cancels North American shows due to ‘travel uncertainties'
The Murder Capital will no longer tour across North America this fall. The Irish punk band said on Tuesday they canceled their upcoming shows in the United States and Canada, which are part of the "Blindness World Tour '25." 'With heavy hearts, we have to cancel our tour this autumn due to unforeseen financial challenges and the ongoing travel uncertainties,' The Murder Capital wrote in a statement on X. 'This is a bitter pill to swallow. We hope you know how much we wanted to be out there playing these shows for ye all,' the band wrote. 'Thank you to all our fans that bought tickets, we appreciate your support and can't wait to come back as soon as the time is right. Sending you all the love in these strange times.' The band previously had concerts scheduled in multiple major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Detroit, Washington D.C., Boston and New York City. The Murder Capital still plans on playing shows this summer in Europe. This is the second time The Murder Capital has axed shows this year. The band canceled several shows in Germany due to the fact that their set design included a Palestinian flag. 'We pulled into Berlin this morning, we had no idea that we weren't allowed to fly this flag here today,' frontman James McGovern said while addressing fans about their Berlin show. 'We discussed it for an hour at length, what we should do, we came to the decision that we were not going to take the flag off the stage. That was a decision pretty easily made,' McGovern said. 'To us, this isn't just a political statement, it's a humanitarian statement. We've been saying that in interviews for the whole time that we've been speaking about it as people. It's not all about politics, it's about people who are dying and being slaughtered every day, and that's happening right now.' 'So, for us as a band who has had this flag on their stage for countless shows now, it would be the wrong thing for us to do to take it off the stage just so that the venue is kept happy. We don't agree with that,' the singer concluded. The Murder Capital formed in Dublin, Ireland in 2018. The band has released three studio albums, including their chart-topping sophomore album, 'Gigi's Recovery.' Some of the band's most popular songs include 'Don't Cling To Life,' 'Ethel' and 'More Is Less.' Country star skewered by fans after calling out revered album: 'It just ain't country' Heavy metal icon gives 'life-altering' update amid aggressive cancer battle 'Toddler Techno' star bringing 2025 tour to Boston - Here's how to buy tickets Surgery planned for country music star after having stroke on stage Rock singer addresses 30-year Kurt Cobain rumor Read the original article on MassLive.
Fox News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Dem ignites showdown after declaring GOP is only pro-life so kids can grow up and 'get shot in school'
Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat, sparked a firestorm during Tuesday's House Rules Committee hearing on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, accusing pro-life Republicans of caring only about children during infancy. Frost, who represents Orlando and is the first Gen Z member of Congress, was seated as a witness in the hearing when he described how gun violence shaped his decision to seek public office and made the remark that sparked the uproar. The situation heated up after ranking member James McGovern, D-Mass., said it "blows my mind there's more passion and energy" in Congress for Second Amendment advocacy than healthcare access for cancer patients, an apparent reference to Medicaid-centric debate on the budget bill. "That tells you all you need to know about the difference between Republicans and Democrats on this," McGovern said, yielding to Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M. Leger Fernandez said Democrats have been the party of pursuing their "convictions," citing former Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama knowing he'd be beaten by police for protesting in support of civil rights before ceding the floor to Frost. Frost said he got involved in politics at age 15 after the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut and was one mile from the Pulse Nightclub when 49 people were murdered there. "[Shooter Omar Mateen] didn't like them because they were gay and Latino. Three months later, I survived an instance of gun violence in Downtown Orlando." Frost, a progressive who, while not a member of "The Squad," has said he has "plenty of love and admiration" for the group, went on to claim gun rights groups want to lobby Congress to pass amendments to "sell more guns" even if "more people [are] dying." He claimed former President Joe Biden worked to reduce gun violence and contrasted that with his pointed allegation of Republicans. "They say they're pro-life because they want the baby to be born, go to school and get shot in the school. Die in the schools, die on the streets," he said, before being cut off by an enraged Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C. Foxx began slamming her gavel and reprimanding Frost, though her initial comments could not be discerned because her microphone was not on. "You've gone over the cliff. We are all going to be quiet now," she commanded. "I meant every word," Frost retorted. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., made a motion to strike Frost's words after Foxx suggested she wanted the same. But Scott soon relented when Foxx said it "might be better to leave them on" the record for the public to view. "You are not going to come into this room and impugn our integrity. You will not. We are pro-life people from conception to natural death; most of us are. "Don't you come in here and say we want to preserve life so people can get shot," the Smoky Mountains congresswoman added. Foxx adjourned the hearing shortly after Leger Fernández used up her remaining time, but the fireworks weren't over just yet. As lawmakers and witnesses stood up, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., called out, "I might remind my Democrat colleagues of Proverbs 13:5," prompting a raised murmur on the left side of the dais. "You can add [Proverbs] 14:5 to that too," Clyde added after Rep. Deborah Wasserman-Schultz, D-Fla., reprimanded Scott for using the term "Democrat Party" instead of "Democratic Party." The shorter name largely originated as a pejorative from former Rep. Joe McCarthy, R-Wis., during his investigations into the creeping of communism into American society and institutions. The term "Democrat Party" was preferred to "Democratic" by former radio icon Rush Limbaugh and occasionally President Donald Trump. Proverbs 13:5 says, "The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace." Clyde's second referenced Bible passage said, "A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies."
RTÉ News
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
The Murder Capital: life on the road with Ireland's most ferocious band
The Murder Capital are back in Ireland to play the Iveagh Gardens this July. We caught up with front man James McGovern as the band take their blistering live show around Europe If it's Tuesday, it must be Zurich. James McGovern, the brooding front man of The Murder Capital, is somewhere in the Swiss city, psyching himself up to unleash his band's primal post-punk onto another audience on another night of their seemingly never-ending tour. Following shows in Australia in April, the road hardened Irish five-piece are deep into their latest foray around Europe. After their Dublin gig at Iveagh Gardens in Dublin on 19 July, they embark on UK and US dates, which will take them up to October on their campaign of world domination by stealth. 27-year-old McGovern has the demeanour of a man constantly on the move with barely time to take it all in. Originally from Cork via Dublin, the deep thinking and articulate singer now lives in London but these days, he spends most his life on the road. He is talking today to plug that Iveagh Gardens gig and it's a place very close to his heart. In fact, he used to live around the corner from the Dublin city centre park, which has hosted some memorable gigs over the past decade, including The The, Burt Bacharach, Pixies and Richard Hawley. "Yes, and my dad still does," he says. "I feel a big connection with the Iveagh Gardens. Having started my life off in Dublin, I went to school in Cork but both are my home. "Iveagh Gardens was always one that was in our sights to play. It has such an unbelievably atmosphere for shows and for an outdoor show in particular, it always captures big energy. It really feels electric there and I couldn't be more buzzing for this show." Like their mates Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital really are gigging relentlessly. But what is life like on the road for Ireland's most riveting live act? Is it a tale of late night excess or bed at 10pm with a battered copy of The Outsider by Camus? McGovern smiles wryly and says, "I play a lot of pool, I play a lot of pool . . . " The Murder Capital have earned their reputation as one of the most ferocious live acts in the world. They're a band who hammer mere rock `n' roll angst into something far more elemental and meaningful and all eyes are on McGovern, an electrifying and menacing stage presence who looks like he's having an out of body experience when he performs. "No matter how you're feeling you have to find a way to connect with the audience," he says. "It is about the show for us. Because of the nature of our band, I always feel very connected to the songs, very connected to what the music is about and what it is we're trying to express." McGovern and his band mates - Damien Tuit (guitars/sampler), Cathal Roper (guitars/keys), Gabriel Paschal Blake (bass) and Diarmuid Brennan (drums) - first shot out of the traps in 2019 with their critically acclaimed debut album When I Have Fears, followed by 2023's enigmatically titled Gigi's Recovery (a No.1 album in Ireland). Last February, they released Blindness, their starkly atonal, urgent and expressive third album. Recorded in just three weeks in LA, it is a raw departure from the almost poppy Gigi's Recovery and finds The Murder Capital in ambitious form with a lot to say. "On every album we've made, we've always wanted to evolve and not repeat ourselves," McGovern says. "That's a natural state for us. For this album we wanted to understand what first lit the fire under us. We also wanted to make an album that excited us and made room for unpredictability on stage. "We didn't want to overthink anything. We recorded it quicker and we were a bit less harsh on ourselves. It is easy to be cruel to the songs as you're recording. We had to let them be what they are." Two songs from Blindness have become talking points in the past few months - Born Into the Fight, a bloodletting maelstrom about Catholic education, and Love of Country, a blunt rejection of the warped nationalism that reared its ugly head over the past few years in Ireland. Last December, The Murder Capital announced a special 7" vinyl edition of the song, with all proceeds going to Medical Aid For Palestinians as the war in Gaza rages on amid an increasingly loud chorus of international condemnation. In fact, just a few days after I speak to McGovern, The Murder Capital are in the news after their show in Berlin's Gretchen club was cancelled after the venue refused to allow a Palestinian flag on stage, just weeks after Irish rap trio Kneecap had several concerts in Germany and the UK axed. In a statement at the time, McGovern said, "It's not just about national flags, it's about political statements, and to us, this isn't just a political statement, it's a humanitarian statement. It's about people who are dying and are being slaughtered every day and that's happening right now." In a post on social media, the Gretchen club said it was "very sorry" that the show did take place and that it has had a "no national flag" policy for many years. "That means that we do not tolerate any kind of national flags in our venue," the venue said, adding, "We try to be a safe place for many different communities and really believe that music is able to build bridges, beyond borders and nationalities. Therefore, we deeply believe that national flags are not helpful at all." Naturally, it leads onto a question about the ongoing controversy around Kneecap, who have been condemned after historical video footage emerged of them appearing to support Hamas and Hezbollah and urging their fans to attack Tory politicians. It has led to a very live debate about freedom of expression and the limits of artistic licence. Last Wednesday, Kneecap's Mo Chara was charged with a terrorism offence by British police over the alleged display of a flag in support of Hezbollah at one of the band's gigs in London last November. The Murder Capital were among hundreds of signatories of the recent letter defending Kneecap's right to free speech and artistic expression. "Look . . . we did sign the letter because I do believe it was the right thing to do," McGovern says, haltingly. "It's not easy to separate things into completely right, total moral uprightness, I believe, in its essence, it was the right thing to do to sign it and I think there is more nuanced conversation that needs to come from the situation itself. "Obviously, what Kneecap said are stupid things to say. I think they could have very much have been said in jest. Blindboy did a good thing of pointing out that `kill your local' is a memetic turn of phrase, which it is, and is used as a way of protesting against the way landlords treat people in this country, often times you see that spray painted around. "I don't think it means anyone is wanting blood, I don't think anyone is saying it in that way. What was said, `up, Hamas, up, Hezbollah,' are not the best f***ing thing to be saying. I think Kneecap have come out and said that." He adds, "Of the three lads in Kneecap, nobody could say they're trying to cause harm in any way. I think they're standing up for people who don't have a voice and they're doing it again and again and again and they're doing it in a way that is causing conversation to occur." He pauses and says: "It's also weeding out people like Sharon Osborne and her schtick. It's a powerful thing. They're affecting the culture. They will be fine I believe, they'll be fine. I think they'll probably be a little bit more careful with their words. "People get full of adrenaline on stage and say stupid s***. As Massive Attack so eloquently put it, `Kneecap is not the story. The story is the genocide in Palestine'. It is hard to reckon with the fact that this is the world we're living in." It might be said that it is good that music is finding its voice again and having an impact on the culture and politics. "Totally," McGovern says. "There are plenty of bands around the world who are too cowardly to say anything and it's clear as day that there are plenty of them at home as well." Would he care to elaborate on that? "There's no need to. It's obvious." Right now, the stage is calling and it's nearly time for The Murder Capital to once again deliver maximum ferocity. "I'm enjoying being on the road more than ever but I also love being at home," says McGovern. "I'm subconsciously hugging my suitcase as we speak. That's where I'm at." The Murder Capital with special guests Soft Play and Mary In The Junkyard play The Iveagh Gardens, Dublin on 19 July. Tickets priced €39.90 are on sale now through
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Fury as more lawmakers fall asleep during early morning vote on Trump's 'big, beautiful' tax bill
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are still having trouble staying awake through their overnight sessions negotiating President Donald Trump 's 'big beautiful bill.' In the middle of a session that spanned into the early hours of Wednesday morning, it was 71-year-old Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) who was caught on camera dozing off this time. The 1:00 a.m. vote on the multi-trillion-dollar bill includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, but is widely criticized by Democrats for gutting social programs like Medicaid and food assistance. Critics claim that Republicans are being bullied by Trump into holding the vote that's forced members of Congress to stay in session overnight on more than one occasion. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) tore into Norman in an X post exposing him for falling asleep around 2:15 a.m. during the consequential session. Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) was also seen rubbing his eyes as he got sleeping during the latest overnight session from May 20-21 'Rep. Ralph Norman is ripping health care away from 13 million Americans not exciting enough to stay awake?' the 65-year-old congresswoman posted along with a video of Norman slipping into sleep. Some on social media pointed to Norman's age as the problem, claiming there needs to be limitations on how old a serving member of Congress can be. 'We need mandatory retirement for ALL politicians in addition to term limits,' one user responded to the video. 'It's the only way to ensure relevant leadership at the top. The federal Congress and Senate shouldn't be in the Nursing Home business.' But just a week prior during another overnight session, three other members were caught sleeping on the job – one who is relatively young compared to the average age of those serving in Congress. Utah Republican Rep. Blake Moore, 44, was among those who was taped dozing off during the bill markup overnight from May 13 to 14. A clip shows the lawmaker being gently shaken awake by a colleague after he missed a question during his nap. Other videos emerged that night showing 71-year-old Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and 80-year-old Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) asleep on Capitol Hill. Other videos show the hilarious moments Republican Rep. Blake Moore (left) and Democrat Rep. Jan Schakowsky (right) took a snooze in the hearing room The Wednesday morning snooze-fest sparked outrage online – as did the latest mid-session nap from Norman. It's not clear what other lawmakers were sleeping but not caught on camera, but the late night sessions are clearly weighing on several members – Democrat and Republican alike. 'As a former lobbyist, I can tell you that sleeping on the job is one of the few things that Democrats and Republicans have in common,' one X user wrote when the latest video emerged on Wednesday morning.
