Point Village Market Rocks!

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Point Village Market is in the heart of Dublin’s Docklands, on the doorstep of the new O2 Arena, and with the Big Wheel just completed you can’t miss it! Featuring a cool range of market stalls from artisan foods and Irish crafts to handmade clothes and wooden toys the market is a one stop shop for all your weekend needs. Point Village Market is a breath of fresh air for those searching an alternative to faceless high street shops. With tasty hot food and cold beers on offer it’s the perfect place to wind down and meet friends – you can spend the day here as there’s plenty to do in sunshine or showers!

But what really sets Point Village Market apart from the crowd is the fantastic music that takes centre stage every Saturday and Sunday. Bring your dancing shoes as this week’s music is in aid of the Musical Youth Foundation. The charity provides guitars and music lessons for under privileged children throughout the city. The line up for this weekend features on Saturday 31st July – Jezzebelle, Milk and Liz Seaver, and on Sunday 1st August – Mirena Rosenberg, The Bionic Rats and Sunday Soul with DJ Chris Maher. Last Saturday I checked out the MYF line up of The Juice, The Barley Mob and Super Soul with DJ Chris Maher.

Settling in at one of the picnic tables front of stage with a couple of mates, Belgian waffle and fresh coffee in hand, I got ready for the funky sounds of The Juice, an acoustic three piece band from South Dublin. The lads played a medley of tunes including numbers from their upcoming album mixed with some popular cover versions. Lead singer Andrew Dixon wowed the audience with his impressive vocals, backed up by guitarist Niall Murphy and drummer Stuart Hennessy.

Post gig, I caught up with band back stage and found out what The Juice is all about. “Our influences are so varied” explains Andrew “Everything from Motown to Daft Punk.” An eclectic mix indeed! With two albums under their belts, “Chasing The Comfort” and “Truth Lies and Music”, the guys are recording their third album as well as preparing for the release of their upcoming single “I’m Not Gone”. Regulars on the Irish gig scene, The Juice are fully booked up for the rest of the summer.

“We do all sorts” says Stuart “We’re supporting Aslan and we have plenty of local gigs lined up.” “We’re also in the competition to play at Arthur’s Day” adds Neil “So hopefully you’ll see us at Guinness Hop Store!” The band enjoyed performing at the recent Dublin City Soul Festival, where they played a blinder at the Soul Picnic. “From busking to festivals – we love it all” beams Andrew. You can catch them every Friday in The Purty Kitchen in Temple Bar – the home from home of The Juice! Next up was a mellow soul, funk and disco set with DJ Chris Maher. Just the ticket for a relaxing afternoon as Chris delved into his infamous record bag for our entertainment. The stage came alive once more with live music thanks to The Barley Mob. Fronted by talented singer Adam Daly the band launched into a rip roaring set, beginning with their own “Mr Government Man”. Splicing their gig with the classic “I Don’t Wanna Wait In Vain” by their legendary namesake, the lads tore through some excellent original material. The Barley Mob finished up with a great rendition of “We Go The Distance”, a sure fire hit that got the audience on it’s feet with everyone clapping and dancing.

by Lorna Keating 24 July 2010