Banter is coming home. After a summer spent yakking up and down the country – thanks to everyone who was involved in our sessions at Limerick’s Make A Move festival, Donegal’s Earagail Arts Festival, the Galway Arts Festival and the Electric Picnic – we’re heading back to base for the autumn/winter season.
Kicking off an action-packed couple of months, we start with one of the news stories of the summer. The summer of the Swedish House Mafia will look at how what should have been a lively, enjoyable day out in the Phoenix Park for 45,000 people became, to judge by some post-event coverage and commentary, a threat to the very fabric of society.
Swedish House Mafia onstage in Dublin’s Phoenix Park in July
Along the way, dance music found itself once again in the dock. We’ve been here before and we’ll probably be here again, but it was quite incredible and startling to see electronic music getting a rap on the knuckles on this occasion. From op-ed pieces to the authorities keen to pin the blame on someone for their lack of preperation, dance music found itself once again to be public enemy number one.
We’ll examine the fallout from this event and what it means for dance music and club culture in the future with panelists Conor Behan (Spin 1038, GCN, DJ), Brian Boyd (The Irish Times), Mark Kavanagh (assistant editorIrish Daily Star, DJ) and Brian Spollen (MCD Concerts).
The details: the summer of the Swedish House Mafia takes place at the Twisted Pepper (Middle Abbey St., Dublin 1) on Wednesday September 26. Doors open at 7.30pm-ish, the Banter gets underway at 8pm and will consist of a panel discussion followed by an audience Q&A. Admission is free (you need to be signed up to our mailing list which you will find here).
And keep October 24 free in your diary for a very special Banter event.