November’s Recommended Gigs | Dublin Concerts

As the cold weather sets in this November, take shelter from the storm by heading to some of the great gigs happening around the capital.

Kicking things off is, arguably, the biggest popstar in the world right now, Justin Bieber. Love him or loathe him, you can’t deny that he’ll be a huge draw when he performs all the hits from the radio-dominating Purpose at the 3Arena on both Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 November.

If you missed out on Bieber tickets, you might fancy Amon Amarth at Vicar Street on Wednesday 2 November instead. The Swedes have been stalwarts of the death metal scene since forming in 1992, with their style evolving from grindcore to melodic death metal over the years. They’ll be playing in support of their 2016 album Jomsviking.

After a successful inaugural event in 2015, Metropolis Festival returns to Dublin for a second year from Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 November. Taking place in the surroundings of the RDS, the unique festival will feature performances from the likes of DJ Shadow, Mount Kimbie and Grace Jones, as well as Irish acts including Girl Band, Kormac and the Trinity Orchestra performing the music of David Bowie.

Having gained a host of new fans for her performance at Glastonbury a few months back, Áine Cahill is one of Irish music’s rising stars. On Friday 4 November, she’ll be bringing her noir-drenched pop to Christ Church Cathedral for a live performance.

The Academy plays host to seminal punk rock icons Buzzcocks on Saturday 5 November. Celebrated for their fiery songwriting and influence on the Manchester music scene, the group have been going strong since reforming in 1989 after a short hiatus.

From the forefathers of punk to one of its contemporary practitioners, electronic artist c will be in The Academy on the following night, Sunday 6 November. Touring her latest album Rub, Peaches will be supported by Dublin electronic duo Cut Once.

If you want to overload on pure nostalgia, then you can find teenage favourites Jimmy Eat World at the Olympia Theatre on Monday 7 November. The alternative rock stalwarts have just released their ninth studio album, Integrity Blues, and I’m sure they’ll be playing the old hits as well.

Legendary Northern Irish rockers Ash are still going strong, over twenty years into their career, and they’ll be playing the Olympia Theatre on Thursday 10 November to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of 1977, the number one début album that launched them.

With his latest release, Atrocity Exhibition, earning rave reviews, idiosyncratic Detroit rapper Danny Brown has further established himself as one of the most innovative voices in modern hip-hop. He’ll be bringing his tour to Dublin on Monday 14 November with a show at The Academy.

Led by J Mascis, Dinosaur Jr. have been meshing classic and alternative rock to unique effect since forming in the mid-80s. Since the reformation of their original line-up in 2005, the band have been touring extensively and releasing new music, culminating with Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not back in August. They’ll be live at Vicar Street on Tuesday 15 November.

Celebrated for his work on iconic cinema scores such as The Piano and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Michael Nyman has established himself as one of the greatest composers working in contemporary film. He’ll be performing a selection of his classic scores at the Olympia Theatre on Thursday 17 November. 

Julia Holter has been steadily building her reputation and honing her songwriting craft over the past few years, releasing four well-received albums since 2011. Her biggest success to date came with Have You In My Wilderness last year, an eclectic dream pop record. She’ll be performing songs from that album, and the others, live at Vicar Street on Saturday 19 November.

One of the great songwriters in the history of American music, Paul Simon brings his extensive back catalogue to the 3Arena on Monday 21 November. After an acclaimed tour of America, Paul Simon will be playing tracks from his latest release Stranger to Stranger, as well as all the classics.

It’s a great month for hip-hop in Dublin, after Danny Brown’s appearance at The Academy, Chance The Rapper will be making his mark with two gigs at The Helix, on Wednesday 23 and Friday 25 November. Chance’s star has been rising after a show-stealing appearance on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo and the release of his third mixtape Coloring Book earlier this year. His live show is sure to be as vibrant and joyful as his music.

Meltybrains? will be playing their biggest headline show ever at The Academy on Friday 25 November, as they celebrate the launch of their new EP Kiss Yourself. The group have established themselves as a scintillating live act, turning their classically trained musicianship on its head to create a unique sound.

Rounding out the recommendations for the month is another great hip-hop gig, with Limerick’s Rusangano Family performing at Whelan’s on Saturday 26 November. The trio have received acclaim for their début album Let the Dead Bury the Dead, notably their exploration of cultural diversity in contemporary Irish society.

Another great month for gigs in Dublin, with everything from classic film scores to melodic death metal to modern Irish hip-hop, there’s sure to be something there for everyone.

See also: Gigs in Dublin this November