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RTÉ News
19 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Slane Castle open for public tributes to Lord Henry Mount Charles
The family of Lord Henry Mount Charles will open the gates of Slane Castle this weekend, inviting members of the public to pay their respects and sign a Book of Condolence in honour of the late music promoter and custodian of one of Ireland's most iconic venues. Lord Henry, who died on Tuesday aged 74 after a long illness, was widely credited with transforming Slane Castle into a globally recognised live music destination. His son, Alex, the Marquess Conyngham, said in a statement that the family had been "profoundly moved" by the public response to his passing. "We have been truly touched by the strength of public sentiment and are deeply grateful for the countless expressions of sympathy and shared memories," he said. "Dad's warmth, spirit and dedication to Slane, its people and its legacy forged friendships that extended incredibly far and wide." The Book of Condolence will be available to sign on the grounds of Slane Castle this Saturday and Sunday, 21 and 22 June, between 10am and 6pm. "This will be an opportunity for all those who knew Henry, enjoyed the magic of Slane, or simply wish to express their sympathies to come together in his memory at the place he loved so deeply," the family said in a statement. They also expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and requested privacy as they grieve. Tributes have continued to pour in for Lord Henry, who was instrumental in bringing some of the world's biggest acts to Ireland over the past four decades. Artists including U2, Queen, Madonna and The Rolling Stones have all played Slane Castle under his stewardship. Concert promoter Denis Desmond of MCD described him as a true "rock 'n' roll icon" and a "visionary with an enormous sense of fun and a tremendous work ethic". "Henry had an enormous impact on the acts who played at Slane," Desmond said. "World-class performers would talk about him long after the final note sounded. He wanted everyone to have a great time, stay safe, and come again." Desmond recalled Lord Henry's hands-on approach, often working through the night and staying closely connected to the live music industry even during his later years in hospital. "His laugh was infectious," he added. "He had a sense of humour that often shone brightest in darker moments. Truly, we will not see his likes again."
Forbes
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
U2's Frontman Scores His First Rap Hit Alongside A Hip-Hop Legend
Lil Wayne's 'The Days' featuring Bono debuts at No. 21 on the Hot Rap Songs chart, marking the U2 ... More singer's first-ever appearance on the tally. CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 17: Bono during the "Bono: Stories Of Surrender" photocall at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2025 in Cannes, France. (Photo by) Lil Wayne invades Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart this week with tunes from his new album, Tha Carter VI. The hip-hop superstar is no stranger to appearing on the tally, which ranks the most consumed rap tracks throughout the United States — especially whenever fans flock to one project or another all at once. Wayne is joined on several tracks by a handful of collaborators, including one who has never scored a rap hit in America before: Bono. The U2 frontman appears on Wayne's tune 'The Days,' featured on Tha Carter VI, which earns him something of a surprise win. 'The Days' opens at No. 21 on the Hot Rap Songs chart this frame. Unsurprisingly, Bono collects his first win on the genre-specific list, as he's not exactly known for his output in the rap space. While his featured guest spot on 'The Days' may bring Bono to the Hot Rap Songs ranking for the first time, Wayne has already collected triple-digit placements on the roster. With a slew of new arrivals this week, the powerhouse rapper ups his career total to 125 appearances on the Hot Rap Songs chart. That roundup includes 59 top 10s and a dozen No. 1s. He adds to his array of top 10 smashes this week, though he doesn't quite manage to lead the charge. 'The Days' earns the tenth loftiest debut on the Hot Rap Songs chart, with many of the tunes that open above it coming from Wayne's Tha Carter VI, while GloRilla's 'Typa' also breaks in at No. 6. Nearly half of all 25 spaces on the tally this time around are filled by debuts — and all but one are by Wayne. Bono earns his first career hit as a soloist on the Hot Rap Songs chart and his second honor on a related list, the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally. 'The Days' opens at No. 29 on that roster, marking his return to the ranking for the first time in a quarter-century. The U2 singer-songwriter first reached the chart of the most popular R&B, hip-hop, and rap tracks with 'Lean on Me,' a collaboration by Kirk Franklin that also credited Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, Crystal Lewis and the Family. That tune peaked at No. 26 in early 1999. 'The Days' also opens on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, which serves as an extension of the main Hot 100 for tunes that didn't quite break onto the most competitive ranking. Bono and Wayne start their collaboration at No. 12 on that list, missing the Hot 100 by a relatively small number of spots.
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
How Henry Mount Charles brought Dylan, Springsteen and The Rolling Stones to a former rock'n'roll backwater
When Henry Mount Charles , who died on June 18th at the age of 74, first reframed his ancestral home of Slane Castle as a signature rock venue in 1981, it must have been more in hope than expectation. Ireland was then a rock'n'roll backwater rarely included on the touring schedule of the big international acts of the day, as it had a severe shortage of decent-sized venues. The backdrop of violence and the hunger strikes in the North did not help, but the Republic had succeeded in making itself a dispiriting place on its own. Fintan O'Toole, in his book We Don't Know Ourselves , outlined the grim picture. 'The number of unemployed people had doubled over the course of the 1970s. Mass emigration was back. There was a balance of payments crisis and government debt was out of control ... The whole project of making Ireland a normal Western European country was in deep trouble.' Yet there must have been some optimism in the music business, as in 1981 Slane had to compete with music festivals in Macroom, Co Cork, Ballisodare, Co Sligo, Castlebar, Co Mayo, and Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare. Most of those events were headlined by Irish acts, however – as indeed was Slane. Thin Lizzy were nearing the end of their career at the top, but supporting them that day in August was a four-piece on the rise from Dublin: U2 . READ MORE Although only about 25,000 people attended the first Slane concert, its success paved the way for future events and for Henry Mount Charles' emergence as a public figure of note. Slane's natural amphitheatre could safely accommodate numbers much greater than the modest first event. In addition, it was near Dublin and could be reached by bus or car in a relatively short time. [ Henry Mount Charles: A Lord in Slane – The strange blend of fact and fiction around one of the last Anglo-Irish eccentrics Opens in new window ] Rock music is a business. The bigger the audience, the easier it is to attract leading acts. Pay them the money and they will come. And so it proved, with the likes of The Rolling Stones , Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen happy to park their caravans down by the Boyne. Springsteen's concert in front of an estimated 65,000 fans marked an important shift in his career: it was the first time he and the E Street Band played in front of a stadium-sized outdoor audience. It would be the first of many lucrative concerts. As the profile of Slane grew, Mount Charles lapped it up. Although concerts were generally partnerships with the likes of MCD Productions and Aiken Promotions , Henry was the public face of the event. He was no less a performer than those artists he welcomed to Slane. Concert days were celebrated in high style with the great and the good in the castle. [ Foo Fighters, Oasis, U2, the Rolling Stones and more: Slane's 15 greatest acts – in reverse order Opens in new window ] He was keenly aware of the value of good publicity and no slouch when in search of it. The money generated by the concerts was a windfall of sorts, but, crucially, it allowed him to underpin the finances of the castle and its grounds, developing other projects, such as the Slane whiskey brand , and helping to provide the resources to overcome setbacks such as the fire of 1991. Although a very public personality, the young Henry Mount Charles – he was in his early 30s in 1981 – was good and genial company, interested in the world beyond his castle walls and indeed beyond his elite social milieu. Embracing the rock'n'roll world afforded him the opportunity to experience the thrill of meeting great artists and celebrities while banking enough to retain and maintain his beloved Slane Castle for future generations. That concert idea was good fortune indeed. Joe Breen wrote about rock music for The Irish Times from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s
Irish Independent
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
In the salerooms: Paintings by William Crozier, Rory Gallagher's guitar and a sale of garden sculptures
The Irish Art Online Auction at Morgan O'Driscoll closes on June 23. The sale includes two paintings by William Crozier (1930-2011): Desire of the Moon, 1990, (Lot 18: est. €15,000 to €25,000); and Headland, West Cork V, 1989 (Lot 36: est. €1,800 to €2,400). The sale also includes prints by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst. See Bonhams Dave Edwards Stratocaster-style guitar, owned and used by Rory Gallagher from around 1980, sold for £38,400/€45,000 at Bonhams, London, on June 4. Gallagher used the guitar as backup when his main Stratocaster needed a break. The guitar was gifted to Sam O'Sullivan, a long-time U2 crew member by the band in 2019. See Séamus Gill Silversmith Séamus Gill has worked in the National Museum of Ireland and made the silver cruet set presented to Pope Francis in 2018. In April, thieves broke in and ransacked Gill's Dublin studio, stealing his entire collection. One small sheet of silver was left behind. He used it to make a simple pendant – Lasóg, meaning little flame in Irish – versions of which are for sale at (€175). All proceeds go directly to Gill, to help him rebuild his workshop. Sheppard's Sheppard's annual sale of architectural ornament and garden sculpture takes place on June 24, with viewing at Glantelwe Gardens (R32 F7XW) from June 21 to 23. Expect urns, gazebos, and follies; bronze and marble statues, both classic and contemporary; cast and wrought iron furniture; rare architectural salvage and ornamental ironwork. See
Japan Today
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Bruce Springsteen takes seven 'Lost Albums' off the shelf for a new box set
FILE - Bruce Springsteen speaks to the audience during a concert with the E Street Band at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany, on June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File) By DAVID BAUDER Bruce Springsteen's new project, 'Tracks II: The Lost Albums,' is entirely about that age-old question: What if? The box set, out June 27, comprises seven albums encompassing the period between 1983 and 2018, all but one he prepared to release in its time but ultimately shelved. Now that he's decided to drop them simultaneously, they offer a fascinating alternative story of his musical life. Building on its predecessor 'Tracks,' 1998's four-disc, 66-song collection of unreleased material, there are 83 songs here. While some slipped out on other projects — 'My Hometown' and 'Secret Garden' among them — the vast majority hadn't been heard publicly. This is all fully completed material, not half-baked or half-finished outtakes. It's not unusual for artists to leave songs — or even full-lengths — on the cutting-room floor, but multiple entire albums? Springsteen explains that he's taken care releasing albums, looking to build a narrative arc for his career, and believes this approach has served him well. Perhaps as a result, the most interesting work on 'Tracks II' comes when he stretches out and explores pathways not in his wheelhouse: countrypolitan Bruce, border-town Bruce, Burt Bacharach-inspired Bruce and a set of synthesizer-based songs modeled after his Oscar-winning 'Streets of Philadelphia.' Oddly, the one disc of strays cobbled together that feels most like an E Street Band record is the least compelling. Since these are seven distinct albums, it's worth evaluating them that way. 'LA Garage Sessions '83' captures Springsteen working virtually alone at a home in the Hollywood Hills. It was squarely in between his 'Nebraska' and 'Born in the USA' albums, and he seems torn between those two approaches. There are character studies here, and more lighthearted fare like 'Little Girl Like You,' with a single man yearning to settle down. The most striking cut is 'The Klansman,' about a boy and his racist father, yet it cries out for more development. Ultimately, Springsteen chose the right albums to release at the time. The song 'Streets of Philadelphia' was a genuine departure musically, and Springsteen decided to make an album in the same vein, with synthesizers and drum loops the dominant elements. If released in the early 1990s, this would have been the most contemporary-sounding disc of his career, with atmospherics that occasionally recall U2. Springsteen pulled it at the last minute, reasoning that the stories of doomed relationships — sample lyric: 'We loved each other like a disease' — was too much like 'Tunnel of Love.' At the same time he recorded 'The Ghost of Tom Joad' in 1995, Springsteen also convened a country band steered by pedal steel player Marty Rifkin. Their work was terrific, led by the one-two punch of 'Repo Man' and the Johnny Rivers cover, 'Poor Side of Town.' The title cut to a disc he calls 'Somewhere North of Nashville' escaped into the public some two decades later. Since the somber 'Joad' won a Grammy, who are we to second-guess his choice of what to put out? 'Nashville,' though, is a rollicking good time. 'Inyo' is similar to 'Joad' and 'Devils & Dust,' mostly acoustic-based narratives, here many of them stories of the Southwest. Springsteen even appropriately brings in mariachi bands for 'Adelita' and 'The Lost Charro.' Soozie Tyrell's violin is notable, particularly on the majestic 'When I Build My Beautiful House.' We're guessing that Springsteen may have considered 'Inyo' one album too many in the same style, but it's still strong work. At one point Springsteen considered making 'Western Stars,' his salute to early 1970s California songwriting, a double album. When he didn't, the songs on 'Twilight Hours' were left behind. Here Bacharach is the primary influence, and this almost feels like Elvis Costello's collaboration with Burt, only without him (and is the lyric 'God give me strength' a hat-tip to that project?). The crooning Bruce of 'Sunday Love' is spellbinding, maybe the box's best song. 'Lonely Town' sits at the intersection of Bacharach and Roy Orbison, while 'Dinner at Eight' is a lovely sum-up. 'Twilight Hours' may startle Springsteen fans — and impress them, too. The workmanlike songs on 'Faithless' were written on commission in two weeks, the soundtrack to a movie that was never made. It's a good bet it would have been a moody Western. When Springsteen duels with Tom Morello on the song 'Another Thin Line,' you realize how little you've heard his electric guitar on 'Tracks II.' The album 'Perfect World' is the one here made up of leftovers from different periods, with the greatest E Street Band participation. Here's the deal, though: Most good E Street Band material has already been released. The best left behind for this disc is 'You Lifted Me Up,' with minimalist lyrics and a vocal collaboration with Patti Scialfa and Steve Van Zandt. The box gives Springsteen completists plenty to mull over, and you can question whether these 'lost discs' would get more attention released separately instead of together. If it's too much, he's releasing a 20-song set of its highlights. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
