Info: Hard Working Class Heroes is upon us once again with the 2018 reboot featuring 50 artists across 5 venues over two nights on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th of September. On Thursday 27th from 12 noon (and across the weekend) the Hard Working Class Heroes annual conference takes place in The Chocolate Factory featuring industry experts from the likes of Stereogum, KEXP and SXSW, as well as speed sessions for artists, timetable is here. Performances will be taking place within a tidy circumference of venues including The Workman's Club, Tramline, The Grand Social, Yamamori Tengu and Doyle's, with the longest walk only taking 9 minutes between venues (i.e. The Workman's Club to Doyle's on Fleet Street).
Tickets are €25.00 per day (including Conference only tickets) or €12.50 per venue - only at the door. €35.00 for both nights of live music, or €55.00 for a delegate and conference pass + live ticket (booking for conference events should be done in advance via admin@hwch.net). https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/hard-working-class-heroes-2018-tickets-48066392875
Sleep Thieves @ The Grand Social, HWCH 2017 - Photo: Remy Connolly
Now in its 15th year, the festival continues to spread itself across a wide variety of genres, with everything from hip-hop, electronic, pop, rock, folk and more covered to cater for all tastes. Of the 50 acts I've had the pleasure of seeing 20 previously, which leaves me with plenty of anticipation to catch the others I haven't seen yet, which is a big part of the whole point of the festival.
Of the ones I have seen I can't recommend enough going to catch Bicurious, THUMPER, AE Mak, Molly Sterling, Bad Bones, Just Mustard, ROE, Maria Kelly, Silverbacks, 1,000 Beasts, The Wood Burning Savages, Rosa Nutty and Beauty Sleep.
A couple of bands who I really enjoyed listening to for the first time over the past week are New Pagans, Hand Models, and Sonja Sleator, all from Belfast, Armagh's Hunkpapa and Dublin pop duo Xo Mo. Incidentally, it's a great opportunity for Dublin music fans to catch some of the cream from the Northern Irish music scene which has been a hugely important beacon on the island over the last few years.
Finally, bands whose music I am familiar with but haven't seen perform before who I'm keen to check out are Donegal's Alan Finan, Cork indie-rock outfit True Tides (now Dublin-based), Dublin hip-hop artist Damola, A. Smyth, and shout out to a familiar face under a new banner, Pearly who opens The Workman's Club on the Saturday night.
Ultimately the standard will be very high and the line-up is bound to throw up a number of surprises as it does every year.
Bitch Falcon @ HWCH 2016 - Photo: Remy Connolly
Full Line-Up:
