Music Brings Belfast’s Streets to Life This December Under a Christmas Sky

December 1, 2025

Belfast City Council and Snow Water will be showcasing a magical programme of free live Christmas music events every weekend until 21st December 2025, celebrating Belfast’s status as a UNESCO City of Music. 20 days […]

Cat Laughs Comedy Festival Set to Roar Into Belfast & Derry in September 2026

December 1, 2025

Following the success of this year’s events, The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, Ireland’s longest-running and best-loved comedy event, is back in Belfast & Derry in September 2026 with over top 30 comedians performing. Kilkenny’s iconic […]

The Cure announce “The Show of a Lost World” — remixed, recut, remastered — arriving on Blu-ray & DVD this December

November 28, 2025

On 1st November 2024, The Cure released their widely acclaimed, now Grammy-nominated album Songs Of A Lost World. To mark the occasion, the band performed the album in full — for the first and only […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Sugar – Copper Blue: The Singles Collection

November 28, 2025

For fans of Sugar – and for anyone who still feels the shockwave of Copper Blue more than three decades on – Copper Blue: The Singles Collection arrives as a dream artefact. Pressed across four […]

REVIEW: debdepan “Lovers & Others” EP

November 27, 2025

In recent years, the vibrant seaside town of Margate has evolved into a heady blend of coastal charm and DIY creativity — a place where visual artists, musicians and free-thinking makers thrive. It’s the perfect […]

BOOK REVIEW: Y/N – Esther Yi

October 30, 2023

K-Pop has reached an international audience. This year, BLACKPINK made history as the first K-pop band to headline a major UK festival at Hyde Park. The media’s coverage of BTS member’s enlistment into compulsory military […]

BOOK REVIEW: Sophomore Songs by Clarke Geddes

August 29, 2023

How does one become qualified to write a fictional music novel? The author of Sophomore Songs offers some clues. Growing up reading NME, doing a stint at Clash, drumming for several bands on and off, and […]

‘Pop’ at 25: Looking back at the orphan child in U2's discography 2

‘Pop’ at 26: Looking back at the orphan child in U2’s discography

March 3, 2022

In March of 1997, 26 years ago, U2 released their much anticipated ninth studio album POP; for fans and critics alike, it quickly became their most polarizing release. There is a prevailing feeling that POP […]

CLASSIC ALBUM: Duran Duran – Duran Duran

June 17, 2021

This week sees the 40th anniversary of Duran Duran’s self-titled debut album. XS Noize looks back on this momentous release from a band that would become the ‘Fab Five’ of the ‘80s. It was December […]

Drowning Pool Ignite a Packed Rock City with a Heavy-Hitting Nottingham Show Credit: Alina Salihbekova

LIVE REVIEW: Drowning Pool Ignite a Packed Rock City with a Heavy-Hitting Nottingham Show

November 25, 2025

One of America’s most successful heavy rock exports, Drowning Pool descended on Nottingham’s Rock City on November 19th with a set that hit like a wrecking ball. It was one of the busiest nights the […]

LIVE REVIEW: Bastille – Songs from The First 15 Years at The O2, London

November 19, 2025

With three UK number-one albums, a string of major hits, and—impressively—their original core line-up still intact since forming in 2010, now seems the perfect moment for Bastille to take stock of everything they’ve built. Their […]

XS Noize Best Albums of 2018

December 22, 2018

2018 has been an incredible year for albums. The year saw the strongest new acts in decades release their debuts, as well as a number of alternative legends returning to top form. The world of dance […]

The Best Of October 2018 PLAYLIST + ROUND-UP

October 29, 2018

Welcome to the October 2018 edition of our monthly new music playlist, which is available to listen to and watch via YouTube. If you enjoy any of the songs featured here, we encourage you to support […]

IN FOCUS// Punk Spirit Burns Bright as SLF, PiL & Sham 69 Rock Custom House Square

August 17, 2025

Putting the Fast in Belfast 7 once again proved why it has become a staple of the city’s summer music calendar. A packed Custom House Square buzzed with anticipation as fans from across generations gathered […]

IN FOCUS// Bryan Adams Brings Joy and Nostalgia to Leeds on ‘Roll With the Punches’ Tour

May 20, 2025

Legendary Canadian rocker Bryan Adams brought his unstoppable energy to Leeds on May 10th as part of his Roll With the Punches tour — and it was nothing short of a euphoric celebration of life, […]

Hans Zimmer: The ultimate fan’s guide

August 27, 2025

Hans Zimmer, the genius behind Hollywood’s most unforgettable scores, is back on tour with an electrifying live experience to share with his fans. From “Inception” to “Dune”, Zimmer is preparing to transform his soundscapes into […]

The ultimate fans guide to seeing Andrea Bocelli in Amsterdam

August 21, 2025

The Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, will be at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam on March 29 and 30, 2026. The show will feature a mix of operatic tracks, pop songs, and classical repertoire. Bocelli is […]

Eros Ramazzotti: Dates, venues, tickets and more

August 18, 2025

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of his breakout single, “Una Storia Importante”, Eros Ramazzotti will be performing live on some of the grandest stages across Europe, Latin America, and North America. Ramazzotti is a world-renowned […]

INTERVIEW: TAVE Talks ‘Fly Away,’ Self-Discovery, and the Art of Letting Go

November 11, 2025

Rising artist TAVE has had an extraordinary journey — from earning a scholarship at just 13 and performing with some of music’s biggest names to now stepping into the spotlight with his deeply personal debut […]

INTERVIEW: :Panic :Over Are Turning Northern Irish Indie Into a Global Sound

October 16, 2025

Neal McClelland meets the Northern Irish band whose anthemic sound is turning heads from Belfast to Tokyo. There’s something electric about catching a band right before liftoff — that mix of confidence, humour, and disbelief […]

INTERVIEW: Fabrizio Cammarata on Solitude, Connection, and the Inner Worlds of His New Album “Insularities”

October 10, 2025

Sicilian singer-songwriter Fabrizio Cammarata has returned with Insularities — a quietly profound exploration of connection, isolation, transformation, and memory. The record invites listeners into a space between light and shadow, where grief and love share […]

Music Brings Belfast’s Streets to Life This December Under a Christmas Sky

Cat Laughs Comedy Festival Set to Roar Into Belfast & Derry in September 2026

The Cure announce “The Show of a Lost World” — remixed, recut, remastered — arriving on Blu-ray & DVD this December

Album Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Sugar – Copper Blue: The Singles Collection

REVIEW: debdepan “Lovers & Others” EP

Book Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Y/N – Esther Yi

BOOK REVIEW: Sophomore Songs by Clarke Geddes

Classic Albums

‘Pop’ at 26: Looking back at the orphan child in U2’s discography

CLASSIC ALBUM: Duran Duran – Duran Duran

Live Reviews

LIVE REVIEW: Drowning Pool Ignite a Packed Rock City with a Heavy-Hitting Nottingham Show

LIVE REVIEW: Bastille – Songs from The First 15 Years at The O2, London

Round Up

XS Noize Best Albums of 2018

The Best Of October 2018 PLAYLIST + ROUND-UP

In Focus

IN FOCUS// Punk Spirit Burns Bright as SLF, PiL & Sham 69 Rock Custom House Square

IN FOCUS// Bryan Adams Brings Joy and Nostalgia to Leeds on ‘Roll With the Punches’ Tour

Hans Zimmer: The ultimate fan’s guide

The ultimate fans guide to seeing Andrea Bocelli in Amsterdam

Eros Ramazzotti: Dates, venues, tickets and more

INTERVIEW: TAVE Talks ‘Fly Away,’ Self-Discovery, and the Art of Letting Go

INTERVIEW: :Panic :Over Are Turning Northern Irish Indie Into a Global Sound

INTERVIEW: Fabrizio Cammarata on Solitude, Connection, and the Inner Worlds of His New Album “Insularities”

Steve Lillywhite on Making “Fairytale of New York” with Kirsty MacColl & The Pogues | XS Noize Podcast #262

The Altered Hours: Cathal Mac Gabhann on Their Stunning New Self-Titled Album | XS Noize Podcast #261

Pearce Macca: The Clause’s Rise and Debut Album “Victim of a Casual Thing” | XS Noize Podcast #260

The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival

Cat Laughs Comedy Festival Set to Roar Into Belfast & Derry in September 2026