ZOË’S DUBLIN DIARY: STUDIO GHIBLI, HUGH COONEY AND MORE →

Wednesday, 27 April – Artist’s Talk: Liam Gillick, 17:30, Free, Dublin City Gallery/The Hugh Lane

Liam Gillick is a conceptual artist producing work across an incredibly broad spectrum, giving ambiguous reference to structuralism and typography through striking Plexiglas sculptures, wall text and drawings, installations, film-making, writing and other collaborative projects. He’ll be giving a talk in the Hugh Lane on conspiracy, behaviouralism, and the delusions surrounding modernism, in a deconstruction of the forces impacting twentieth-century selfhood. The Facebook event page ishere.

Thursday, 28 April – Hugh Cooney live at Good Name, 20:00, Free, Bernard Shaw

Hugh Cooney – comic, bard, artiste – is back in the bosom of the old country on the heels of a successful new short. Before heading off to the Edinburgh Fringe, he’ll be sharing his London vibes this Thursday in the Shaw, with a #‎totalbadarse‬ multimedia show involving works of art such as this, this, and this. Learn more about Cooney here, and visit the Facebook event pagehere.

Friday, 29 April – 4 da footwork: a Tribute to DJ Rashad, 20:00, Free, Wigwam

Back in 2014, DJ Rashad played a frenetic set in the Twisted Pepper that ended up being his final Irish show. There were many tributes and documentaries following his death later that spring. Junior Spesh will be giving its own this Friday. Alongside Bobofunk, Doktah Irie, Dylan Higgins, Rosbeg, Wastefellow and others, the boys are hosting Japanese footwork dancer Weezy from Era Footwork Crew. Double Cup, Rashad Harden’s final full-length release, was the most vibrant footwork album to have come out in years, and brought with it a rapid and widespread appreciation of the genre amongst a new audience. The Teklife label, which has been in gestation for about a year, has come out with a timely 14-track set of collaborations between Rashad at the footwork crew – Phil, Spin, a dulcet Traxman and new kid on the block Paypal. LIGHT IT UP. The Facebook event page is here.

Saturday, 30 April – MMTV: MMT Graduate Showcase, €10, 19:00, Samuel Beckett Theatre

Trinity’s Music and Media Technologies master’s has seen a brilliant range of musicians through its programme: Eomac, Somadrome, and both David and Robbie Kitt. Their graduate show never fails to be a surreal mix of technological musical expression, and this should be no less, with cello, robotics, virtual reality, generative audiovisual performance, and outdoor theatre. More here.

Sunday, 1 May – Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, 15:00, €9, Lighthouse Cinema

Studio Ghibli need little introduction – the Tokyo animation studio is loved worldwide, and is one of Japan’s most prominent cultural exports (second only to Sakuraba, the Gracie Hunter, perhaps). The Lighthouse Cinema is hosting a three-month season of Sunday Ghibli gems, all at a tantalising hangover-o’clock: 3 pm and 6 pm. The season kicks off on 1 May with Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and peaks in mid June with a Spirited Away costume party. First prize goes to whoever can pull off the best grotesque giant baby. Tell them you’re interested here.

Monday, 2 May – Ryley Walker with Brigid May Power & Fuzzy Hell, 20:00, €14, Whelan’s

Ryley Walker typifies the roving American guitar player, but pushes beyond the pastoral into the psychedelic, picking up inflections from across the pond on the way. What he gives away in stylistic pretensions he makes up for in charisma – the music is free-flowing, and most impactful when his guitar does the speaking. Support comes from Brigid May Power, whose debut album comes out this June on Tompkin Square Park Records, and Long Island’s Fuzzy Hell. Event page here.

Tuesday, 3 May – Inhabitance, 20:15, €16/14, Project Arts Centre

Lucy Hill is missing. Does anybody care? Previewing next Tuesday and opening on 4 May, Inhabitance is from Glass Doll Productions, written by Peter Dunne and directed by assistant Abbey director and associate Rough Magic director Ronan Phelan, in collaboration with award-winning set and light designer Zia Holly. Peter Dunne’s last work, which sold out at the Fringe, was loosely based on the Stanford prison experiments. It should give audiences some idea of what to expect. More here.