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No Alibis Bookstore are delighted to be the only bookshop in the world with copies of Ry Cooder's new self-published story collection, LOS ANGELES STORIES. This book is ONLY available on Ry's European tour, but we've managed to get our hands on a very limited number of copies, all FIRST EDITIONS, and all signed by Ry Cooder. These books are currently selling fast, and are priced £35 each.
Ry Cooder is a U.S. guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in the American roots music, and, more recently, for his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries. Cooder was ranked number 8 on Rolling Stone's "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."
For more information, email David, or call the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis is pleased to invite to an evening with Adrian McKinty to celebrate the launch of his latest novel, FIFTY GRAND, on Wednesday 8th July at 6PM.
Cuban cop Hernandez has a score to settle, on behalf of a deadbeat dad, a ‘traitor’ who skipped free from Castro’s control to set up a new life working illegally in Colorado. He settled in a ski resort popular with the Hollywood Scientology set, where a façade of legality is maintained by the immigrant cleaners and labourers working for below minimum wage while the local sheriff is bribed to turn a blind eye. Hernandez Sr’s dreams of fortune and freedom are shattered when he is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Sworn to avenge his death, Hernandez has some obstacles to overcome – not least getting out of Cuba, where visas are as elusive as constant electricity.
Adrian McKinty was born and grew up in Carrickfergus. He studied politics at Oxford University and after a failed legal career he moved to the US in the early 1990s. He found work as a security guard, postman, construction worker, barman, rugby coach and bookstore clerk before becoming a school teacher, Adrian now resides in Melbourne, Australia.
Book your spot now, by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis Bookstore is pleased to invite you to a unique evening of jazz on Thursday 16th July at 8:00PM, with Baby Gramps. Tickets are now on sale, priced £10 each.
"Baby Gramps is an amazing amalgamation of everything that anybody’s ever heard including Mississippi John Hurt, Uncle Dave Macon, Charlie Patton, Blind Blake, Captain Beefheart, the Tuvan Throat Singers and Popeye. Baby Gramps has created a highly developed and completely original musical concoction that is easily the most intriguing synthesis to come out of the roots revival of the late 20th Century. He plays beautifully “betwixt the cracks in the piano” a la Ornette Coleman, can scat the blues three notes at once, and has invented his own guitar technique he calls “scribbling”. Gramps does amazing tricks with timing, timbre, tempo and pitch that no one can hope to imitate, and reinvents himself nightly, never performing a song the same way twice. Jazz buffs will want to compare the two takes of “Nuthin’” included on his disc, Same 'Ol Timeously, with the one you hear next time you see Gramps live. I call it jazz, because that’s what it is."
~ Glenn Howard, American Musical Heritage Foundation
Folks, there is very little else to be said, other than…check out Gramps' website.
This will be a truly unique event in the intimate space of No Alibis Bookstore, and we urge you to book early to avoid disappointment. You can reserve your tickets, priced at £10 each by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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Further to their acclaimed initial collaborations last July, Mark McKnight and Darren Beckett reunite for what promises to be an evening of unmissable music in No Alibis Bookstore on Monday 27th July at 8:00PM. Tickets are on sales now priced £12 each.
Originally from Belfast Darren Beckett relocated to NYC to pursue a career in jazz performance while still only a teenager. He has gone on to become one of New York’s most in demand drummers, having performed and/or recorded with such legendary musicians as Wynton Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Kenny Wheeler and Joshua Redman to name only a few.
Darren has toured across the globe as a member of various ensembles and is currently playing in the group of world renowned jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux.
Since returning to Ireland after his studies at Berklee College of Music, Boston, Mark McKnight has established himself as one of the country’s leading young jazz musicians. Mark has recorded/performed with such internationally respected artists as Jason Rebello, Jean Toussaint, Sam Yahel, Will Vinson, Julian Siegel and Terell Stafford.
In July 2008 Mark was awarded 3rd place in the prestigious Montreux International Jazz Guitar Competition, open to all guitarists under 30 worldwide. Mark recently travelled to NYC to record his debut album. Featuring some of the world’s finest young jazz musicians, the recording has garnered much critical acclaim.
For this concert the trio is completed by young London based Hammond organ star Ross Stanley, noted for his work in the organ trio of legendary UK guitarist Jim Mullen.
Tickets are now on sale, priced £12, and you can reserve yours by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis Bookstore and Riverside Jazz Foundation present an evening of jazz at No Alibis with Alan Barnes on Wednesday 17th June at 8:00PM. Tickets are now on sale priced £15.
Alan Barnes, one of Britain’s most versatile reed men, is back to play for you at Belfast’s most intimate Jazz venue. A graduate of Leeds School of Music along with pianist Dave Newton he is equally versatile on alto, tenor, baritone and his first love clarinet. Whilst bop was his first love he sees jazz as a palate of musical colours which he can draw on for his unique arrangements.
His record label Woodville records showcases the best of new talent. Check out his latest sparkling bop influenced recording with trumpeter Bruce Adams Spontaneous Combustion and his Octet recording of his Tribute to and Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.
Alan’s band includes up and coming young Belfast musicians, pianist Scott Flannigan and bassist Dan McGeown, two of the rising stars on the local jazz scene who started out with the Ulster Youth Jazz Orchestra and are part of the flourishing group of new young musicians that have been nurture by pianist Linley Hamilton.
This promises to be a night of excellent summer jazz, spiced up with Alan’s unique sense of humour – not to be missed.
Tickets are now on sale, priced £15, and can be reserved by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis Bookstore is pleased to invite you to an evening of traditional music with Fionnuala Fagan and Lucy Kerr - SHEELIN - on Thursday 18th June at 8:00PM. Tickets are now on sale priced £8.
For about a year now, Fionnuala Fagan alongside studying for a masters degree in music and interdisciplinary arts at Queens University, Belfast, has been performing as a singer/songwriter.
The performance of both classical and traditional music has been a part of her life for a long as she can remember. Her main interests lie in the folk idiom and her song writing and vocal style reflect this.
Currently Fionnuala is working with Lucy Kerr, an extremely accomplished harper, singer and pianist and hopes to be performing more with Lucy as part of a duo.
Recently they have performed in ''Joes'' at Rossbeg, Co. Donegal as support to Niamh Cavanagh and Common Grounds, Belfast. Other performances include venues such as, The Black Box, Belfast, The Errigle Inn, Belfast and Ballyearl Theatre, Co. Antrim.
You can find more information at Fionnuala's MySpace page.
Tickets are now on sale, priced £8, and can be reserved by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis Bookstore is pleased to be hosting the launch party for John Connolly's latest Charlie Parker novel, THE LOVERS, and the debut novel from local newcomer Stuart Neville, THE TWELVE, on Friday 26th June at 7:00PM.
John Connolly was born in Dublin and has, at various points in his life, worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a dogsbody at Harrods department store in London. He studied English in Trinity College, Dublin and journalism at Dublin City University, subsequently spending five years working as a freelance journalist for The Irish Times newspaper, to which he continues to contribute.
His first novel, Every Dead Thing, was published in 1999, and introduced the character of Charlie Parker, a former policeman hunting the killer of his wife and daughter. THE LOVERS is his tenth novel, and the eighth featuring Parker.
John Connolly is based in Dublin but divides his time between his native city and the United States, where each of his novels has been set.
Parker is working in a bar in Portland, having been deprived of his P.I.'s license. He uses his enforced retirement to begin a different kind of investigation: an examination of his own past and an inquiry into the death of his father, who took his own life after apparently shooting dead two unarmed teenagers, a search that will eventually lead to revelations about Parker's own parentage.
Meanwhile, a troubled young woman is running from an unseen threat, one that already seems to have taken the life of her boyfriend, and a journalist-turned-writer named Mickey Wallace is conducting an investigation of his own into Charlie Parker in the hope of writing a non-fiction book about his exploits.
And haunting the shadows, as they have done throughout Parker's life, are two figures: a man and a woman, the lovers of the title, who appear to have only one purpose, and that is to bring an end to his existence . . .
You can find out more on John's website.
Stuart Neville has been a musician, a composer, a teacher, a salesman, a film extra, a baker and a hand double for a well known Irish comedian, but is currently a partner in a successful multimedia design business in the wilds of Northern Ireland.
He has published short stories in Thuglit, Electric Spec and Every Day Fiction. THE TWELVE is his first novel, and will be published in the UK on July 2nd. It will be published in the USA as THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST.
James Ellroy calls it "the best first novel I have read in years".
Former paramilitary killer Gerry Fegan is haunted by his victims, twelve souls who shadow his every waking day and scream through every drunken night. Just as he reaches the edge of sanity they reveal their desire: vengeance on those who engineered their deaths. From the greedy politicians to the corrupt security forces, the street thugs to the complacent bystanders who let it happen, all must pay the price.
When Fegan's vendetta threatens to derail Northern Ireland's peace process and destabilise its fledgling government, old comrades and enemies alike want him gone. David Campbell, a double agent lost between the forces of law and terror, takes the job. But he has his own reasons for eliminating Fegan; the secrets of a dirty war should stay buried, even if its ghosts do not.
Set against the backdrop of a post-conflict Northern Ireland struggling with its past, THE TWELVE takes the reader from the back streets of the city, where violence and politics go hand-in-hand, to the country's darkest heart. Often brutal, sometimes tender, the journey will see one man find his humanity while the other loses his.
You can find out more on Stuart's website.
Join us for a knees-up to celebrate the launch of these two novels, one by an established international author, the other by an up-and-coming literary thriller writer (who managed to get a blurb from James Ellroy!). We expect this to be a popular event, so reserve your spot now by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis Bookstore is pleased to support the Belfast Children's Festival again this year. This year, we're hosting award-winning children's author on Saturday 30th May at 2:00PM.
Award winning children’s author Ann Bryant has written over 60 children’s books about emotions, families and friendships. Ann will be reading from her School Friends series in the intimate and atmospheric surroundings of a No Alibis Bookstore.
This event is aimed at children aged 8-12 years, and is expected to last around 40 minutes. For more information on this event, and all of the Festival events running between May 22nd and May 31st, check the Belfast Children's Festival Events page.
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No Alibis Bookstore is pleased to invite you to an evening of music with Clive Gregson on Saturday 30th May at 8:00PM (doors open at 7:30). Tickets are now on sale, priced £10.
Born and raised in Manchester but now based in the USA, Clive Gregson is an accomplished singer, musician and record producer of world-renown. He first attracted attention back in 1980, when his now legendary band Any Trouble burst onto the music scene. He formed the groundbreaking partnership with Christine Collister and toured with the Richard Thompson Band, but in the early 90s concentrated on his solo career. Between recording sessions and solo work, Clive has toured with Eddi Reader, Boo Hewerdine, Nanci Griffith and Dennis Locorriere.
But Clive’s live solo shows are something special and definitely not to be missed. He’s one of the most respected songwriters of his time, releasing a steady stream of stunning albums throughout his career, with many of his songs recorded by a host of contemporaries.
Tickets are now on sale, priced £10. We expect this event to be very popular, so book your ticket now to avoid disappointment by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis Bookstore is pleased to invite you to an evening of music with Cara Robinson (Ireland) and Hat Fitz (Australia), on Friday 5th June at 8:00PM. Tickets are now on sale priced £10.
Even during the early stages of her career, Cara Robinson was writing and recording with notable artists from a huge range of musical genres, including David Holmes, LTJ Bukem and upcoming EMI artist, Corinne Bailey Rae. She has toured throughout the UK as a session singer, backing singer and solo artist. As a backing singer for Sony's Rhianna, she toured Japan and the UK, supporting Jamiroquai and Beverly Knight. Her soulful, thoughtful and innocent voice has feaured on various documentaries for Ulster TV. Keeper Lit is Cara's impressive debut album, which she wrote and produced with keyboard player Joe Tatton
You can find more information on her MySpace page.
"Hat Fitz is a musical anachronism, seemingly possessed by 1920’s bluesmen, so authentic it’s almost unbelievable. Imagine : Ned Kelly / Son House on speed !
A flat out boogie rhythm, Itchy beating and bashing Hat’s monstrous demons. Fitzy’s eyes wild and wide like a blind man screaming some primal roar, head twitching with the emotion of release. You wonder whether it’s indignity or the shedding of some painful old identity, but the strum is ferocious and the beat won’t be denied".
You can find more information on his MySpace page.
This will be a unique opportunity to hear a amazingly talented local singer songwriter perform with a wondrous/monstrous blues demon from “down-under”. Not to Be Missed.
Tickets are now on sale, priced £10, and can be reserved by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis Bookstore is pleased to invite you to an evening of folk music with The Corncrakes, to celebrate the launch of their first EP, on Friday 12th June at 8:00PM. Tickets are now on sale priced £8.
The Corncrakes are a 3 piece who write & play harmonious acoustic indie folk! Their first EP has been produced by local legend Mudd Wallace, his seasoned ear lending a refined and professional sound to the band’s material.
The Corncrakes bring an exciting mix of instruments to the live stage: Helen sings, plays the flute & the saxophone, Dave sings and plays the bouzouki while Paul plays the guitar & mandolin! Dave has a history of self released albums and is well known in the Scottish & German folk scenes. He decided to spread his wings and expand the sound he made recruiting Paul, another Scot, for his wily mandolin & guitar playing, then Helen with her wind-instrument skills and powerful voice. The Corncrakes were born, and thankfully their music is more melodic than the birds call!
You can find more information on their MySpace page.
Tickets are now on sale, priced £8, and can be reserved by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis Bookstore invites you to an evening of jazz on Tuesday 12th May at 8:00PM, with the David Lyttle Group and US trumpeter Terell Stafford. Tickets are now on sale, priced £15 each.
Following up to 2008 collaborations with Greg Osby, Tommy Smith, Jean Toussaint and Soweto Kinch,
David now presents a one-off Belfast date featuring world renowned US trumpeter Terell Stafford.
Stafford has worked in the groups of McCoy Tyner, Bobby Watson, John Clayton, Benny Golson, Cedar Walton, Kenny Barron and Matt Wilson. He has also played with the MINGUS BIG BAND and WYNTON MARSALIS’ JAZZ AT THE LINCOLN CENTRE ORCHESTRA.
He is currently a member of the TRUMPET SUMMIT, with Randy Brecker, and the Grammy Nominated VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA.
Stafford appears, as sideman, on over 40 Albums, including Diana Krall’s “From This Moment On” as well as having released four albums as a leader. To listen to some of his amazing live tracks goto his website.
We expect this event to be very popular, so book early to avoid missing out. You can book tickets, priced £15 each by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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Paul Charles will be at Magherafelt Library on Thursday 14th May at 7:30 PM to celebrate the publication, in paperback, of his novel THE BEAUTIFUL SOUND OF SILENCE.
On a wintry night a crowd has gathered on Primrose Hill for the Halloween bonfire and firework display. Panic spreads when a human body is spotted in the middle of the fire s glowing timbers.The following morning pathologist Dr Leonard Taylor, while examining the charred remains, recognises from the distinctive rows of gold fillings that the victim is retired police Superintendent David Peters. As DI Christy Kennedy and his team settle down to a painstaking search through Peters cases they soon discover that for the superintendent the means justified the end. Each case they review throws up another suspect.
Paul Charles was born in Magherafelt and is one of Europe’s best known music promoters and agents. He is the author of eight previous D.I. Christy Kennedy novels.
For more information, about this event, please check the Magherafelt Library's website.
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No Alibis are very pleased (not to mention excited) to inform you that one of the world's leading crime fiction novelists will be visiting us later this year. Michael Connelly will be joining us to discuss his latest novel, THE SCARECROW, on the evening of Friday 15th May at 8:00PM.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!
As you can imagine, demand for tickets for this event is already higher than we've anticipated, and we have now confirmed a venue for this event: The Waterfront Studio at the Waterfront Hall.
Tickets are now on sale for this event, priced £8.00 each. Purchase of a ticket entitles you to a discount off copies of THE SCARECROW, which we will have for sale at the Waterfront on the evening. As you can imagine, these tickets are selling fast, and we urge you to book your tickets quickly if you're interested in attending this event. You can get tickets either from the shop, by emailing David, or by booking directly with the Waterfront Hall's box office.
Roll on May 15th!
Michael Connelly was a journalist and crime reporter for several newspapers before writing his first novel in 1992. He is the author of more than 10 books, including those in the best-selling Harry Bosch series. His other books include The Lincoln Lawyer (Little, Brown, 2005), his first legal thriller, and the recently published Crime Beat: A Decade of Covering Cops and Killers (Little, Brown 2006). An original Harry Bosch novella began being serialized in The New York Times Magazine’s “Funny Pages” in August 2006, and the installments of the story continue through this November. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Edgar, the Anthony and the Macavity. Mr. Connelly lives in Florida.
About THE SCARECROW (cover image to follow): Jack McEvoy is at the end of the line as a crime reporter. Forced to take a buy-out from the LA Times, he's got 30 days left on the job. His last assignment? Training his replacement, a low-cost reporter just out of J-school. But Jack has other plans for his exit. He is going to go out with a bang - a final story that will win the newspaper journalism's highest honor - a Pulitzer prize. Jack focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer from the projects who has confessed to police that he brutally raped and strangled one of his crack clients. Jack convinces Alonzo's mother to co-operate with his investigation into the possibility of her son's innocence. But Jack's real intention is to use his access to report and write a story that explains how societal dysfunction and neglect created a 16-year-old killer. But as Jack delves into the story he soon realises that Alonzo's so-called confession is bogus, and Jack is soon off and running on the biggest story he's had since The Poet crossed his path twelve years before. This time Jack is onto a killer who has worked completely below police and FBI radar. His investigation leads him into the digital world of data collocation services where server farms are watched over by techs who liken themselves to scarecrows - keeping the birds of prey off their clients' data. But Jack inadvertently set off a digital tripwire and the killer - the Scarecrow - now knows he's coming...
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No Alibis Bookstore are pleased to welcome back one of our favourites, Colin Bateman, to celebrate the launch of his latest novel, MYSTERY MAN (starring someone who should be instantly recognisable to all of us!), on Friday 1st May at 7:00PM.
He’s the Man With No Name and the owner of No Alibis, a mystery bookshop in Belfast. But when a detective agency next door goes bust, the agency’s clients start calling into his shop asking him to solve their cases. It’s an easy way to sell books to his gullible customers and Alison, the beautiful girl in the jewellery shop across the road, will surely be impressed. Except she’s not. And when they break into the shuttered shop on a dare, they have their answer. Suddenly they’re catapulted along a murder trail which leads them from modern dance to Nazi concentration camps and serial killers…
David says: "Honestly Folks…I did not pay him any money to write this book….It is ENTIRELY a work of fiction…..and any “character traits” displayed by the Man With No Name are his alone!"
We expect this event to be very popular, so book your spot now by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis Bookstore are pleased to invite you to an evening of blues with Paul Lamb and Johnny Dickinson on Tuesday 28th April. Doors open at 7:30 for an 8:00PM show.
Hailed by aficionados and music press around the world as Europe’s foremost blues harmonica exponent, Paul Lamb has forged himself a place in the history books as one of the greatest players of our time. He has won countless awards, sold record-breaking quantities of albums, and performed the world over with his long-standing musical compatriots, The Kingsnakes.
Recently inducted into the British Blues Awards Hall Of Fame (alongside the likes of Peter Green, John Mayall & Alexis Korner), Lamb still continues to bring his infectious brand of soulful blues to a plethora of fans around the globe.
Born in 1955, & originally hailing from the urban & industrial backdrop of Newcastle, Paul Lamb began his illustrious career at the tender age of 15. Struggling against the tide of local un-employment and economic depression, he took to the road working the club scene around the UK, paying his dues in the time-honoured tradition of the blues. Within a short time he was representing Great Britain in the World Harmonica Championships, leading to a spell of working with his mentor, Sonny Terry. The following years ensued, seeing Lamb performing with Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Brownie McGhee, and countless other blues greats that had originally inspired him. However, the need to write and express his own music soon gave birth to the Blues Burglars, the first incarnation of the Kingsnakes (and the beginning of the longstanding collaboration between Paul Lamb and guitar genius Johnny Whitehill). The Burglars released an album on the legendary Red Lightnin’ label (“Whoopin’”) and Lamb swiftly became known in his own right due to the huge critical acclaim that accompanied the release. As the young harmonica virtuoso became more focused and confident of his abilities, a new band line-up became an inevitability, and Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes were thus born. Signing to Ace Records in 1991, Paul & his band went on to take the blues world by storm with a gruelling tour schedule in support of their Ace debut (aptly entitled “Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes” CDBLUH 011). After a follow up release on Euro label “Tight & Juicy” (“Shifting Into Gear” T&J CD 656834), the band have since enjoyed a further 5 releases with Indigo Records as part of a 6 album deal. These five albums went on to secure Paul Lamb’s reputation internationally as a one-of-a-kind bluesman, as did the heavy tour schedules that the Kingsnakes to this day, still happily endure (approx 290 dates a year!)… In addition, one would be hard pushed to think of a prestigious international festival that Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes have not graced by headlining at some point, let alone merely appeared at! To date, the band can regularly be seen far a-field; from Spain to Scandinavia, Belgium to Bahrain, Hungary to Hong-Kong…
Despite his dedication to his touring band, Paul Lamb has also enjoyed considerable success in other musical fields. His unique harmonica skills are constantly in demand by others, and he has amongst other experiences had a chart hit with “Harmonica Man”(under the pseudonym of “Bravado”) with Pete Waterman, and worked with Mark Knopfler, The Who, Rod Stewart, and Jimmy Nail amongst others. The BBC have contracted him on many occasions to score and perform various TV soundtracks, and his harmonica playing can be heard on many a television advertisement. In addition to TV, he has also had his music featured in 3 motion pictures.
"I'd go a long way to listen to Johnny Dickinson. You hear a lot of good influences in his music but the result is something special. For me his playing really hits the spot." John Renbourn
"Johnny is a soulful player, singer, and a damn good writer! Don´t miss him!" Tommy Emmanuel
Johnny Dickinson's music career got off to a dream start with his Northumbrian band Splitcrow when Kerrang magazine said that their first album Rockstorm, which reached no. 19 in the Gallup Rock Charts, was "the best album from a Brit band in 10 years" with critic Xavier Russell stating that Johnny Dickinson was "the most potent slide player in the UK". Unfortunately, like so many other bands, they split up prematurely in 1986.
After a spell playing pedal-steel with London's Western Swing outfit, The Moonshine Boys, in 1988 Johnny became a founder member of Paul Lamb and the Kingsnakes, playing and singing alongside Jim McCarty, Top Topham, Rod Demmick and Johnny Whitehill, who remains a member of the band. During Johnny's two years with the band they were winners of many British and International Blues awards. After giving his all to the Kingsnakes, John treaded the boards as a solo artist for a while. He was offered a recording contract with Demon Records but as he thought they were looking for a 'blues' album he declined, having decided to move in a different direction - back north to his native Northumberland.
In 1993, in Alnwick, Northumberland the Hillbillies From Outer Space were born. The band gained near legendary status with their wild interpretations of material ranging from heavy metal to folk. It was a sad day indeed when they wrapped things up in 2001 without ever having recorded an album. From New York rap versions of 'Voodoo Chile’ to punk versions of 'Werewolves of London', the band always guaranteed a full house and 'big fun' wherever they were booked.
2001 was also the year when Johnny's long awaited solo album would be recorded and released. He had developed a unique individual style of playing which crossed Celtic flavours with American Blues. Reminiscent, sometimes of Kelly Joe Phelps, and sometimes of Martin Simpson, he recorded demos at home for the project, but an illness kept him sidelined for the next 12 months. It was August 2002 before he was well enough to start recording sessions, with 'Castles & Old Kings' being the result of the time spent at Newcastle's re-furbished Cluny Studios. The 'year out' had given Johnny time to reflect on life, love and everything resulting in an album of subtle songs, deft slide playing and minimal arrangements that mirrored the time. Since releasing this first album, Johnny has spent his time concentrating on furthering his rapidly expanding solo career. Highlights of 2003 included appearances at both The Purcell Room and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, and a live Radio 2 Broadcast along with Loudon Wainwright III. In December 2003, it was announced that Johnny had been nominated for a prestigious Radio Two Horizon Award, and as a result was featured as a main guest on The Mike Harding Show in January 2004. His name also featured on the list of Most Promising Artists for 2004 on Channel 4’s Teletext service. He is currently busy promoting second CD release, English Summer, and has recently been an integral part of the much talked about ‘Northumbrian Anthology’ project, releasing an acclaimed album “Border Ballads” as a commission for the project. 2004 also saw him working and touring alongside other great Artists: Tommy Emmanuel, Jan Ackerman, John Martyn, Jerry Donahue and Kelly Joe Phelps. His touring plans now, are to work predominantly as a solo artist, but will, on occasion, be joined by Fin McArdle on percussion and Neil Harland on Double Bass. The two main session players from his debut recording. During November 2005, it was announced that Johnny has been nominated as ‘Best Musician’ in the 2006 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards!
Tickets for this event are now available, and you can reserve your spot by emailing Jim Heaney.
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No Alibis Bookstore, in association with Macmillan & John Murray Publishers invite you to a double launch party with Brian McGilloway and Declan Hughes on Thursday 16th April at 7.00pm.
 
Brian McGilloway was born in Derry in 1974. He studied English at Queens University and now teaches at St Columb’s College, Derry.
His first novel, Borderlands, published by Macmillan New Writing, was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger 2007 and was hailed by The Times as ‘one of (2007’s) most impressive debuts.’
BLEED A RIVER DEEP is his third Inspector Devlin Mystery.
When a controversial US diplomat is attacked during the opening of a Donegal gold mine, Garda Inspector Benedict Devlin is disciplined for the lapse in security. The gunman turns out to be a young environmentalist - related to an old friend of Devlin's. Within days, the killing of an illegal immigrant near the Irish border leads Devlin to a vicious people-smuggling ring. Then Bradley himself is found dead near the mine and Devlin begins to suspect that the business is a front for something far more sinister than mere mining. Bleed a River Deep is the new novel from one of the most acclaimed young crime-writers around, a labyrinthine tale of big business, the new Europe, and the dispossessed. World politics, industry and organised crime collide in McGilloway's most accomplished, most gripping, and most powerful novel yet.
 
Declan Hughes was born in Dublin, where he still lives. He has worked as play-wright and director, and co-founded the Rough Magic Theatre Company. He is the recipient of The Shamus Award for best first novel, “The Wrong Kind Of Blood”.
ALL THE DEAD VOICES is his latest Ed Loy novel.
Ed Loy has made some changes. He has moved into an apartment in Dublin's city centre, leaving behind his family home: he wants to break free of the ghosts of his own past, to live in the teeming present. But if that's what he wants for his own life, it's not always what his clients will permit: the baggage they bring with him propel him relentlessly into past. The police are working along similar lines with their new Cold Case unit. Looking back over a fifteen-year-old murder, they are satisfied by their original findings -- but not so Loy. He has been hired by the victim's daughter to investigate the suspects ignored by the first investigation: a rich property developer, an ex-IRA man and Loy's own nemesis, George Halligan. But Loy has to watch his back: in the murky world into which he has fallen, he can't tell which threats come from the IRA and which from the police protecting their old case. Can Loy persuade his longstanding friend DI Dave Donnelly to help solve the Fogarty case, or does he have to rely on the murderous George Halligan? Does it all go back to the IRA? Are the men who gave the commands now respectable citizens? In his toughest case yet, Ed Loy delves into the dirty side of life in the New Ireland, where progress comes at a price and no one is free of their past.
Book your spot for this event now by emailing David, or by calling the shop on 9031 9607.
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As in previous years, No Alibis Bookstore are pleased to support the Between The Lines festival at the Crescent Arts Centre. No Alibis will be hosting some of the events, and will be on-hand to sell books at the others. The festival will run from Monday 23rd March to Sunday 29th March, and No Alibis will be involved with the following events (links will take you to the relevant section of the festival website where you can find more information):
Janice Galloway & Ben Okri - Monday 23rd March at 8:00PM in The Black Box
Liz Lochhead & Bernard MacLaverty - Tuesday 24th March at 8:00PM in The Black Box
Peter Rosser & Jennifer Johnston - Wednesday 25th March at 8:00PM in No Alibis Bookstore
Kevin Barry, Martina Evans & Paul Grattan - Thursday 26th March at 8:00PM in the Fenderesky Gallery
Lavinia Greenlaw & Sean O'Hagan - Friday 27th March at 7:00PM in Lecture Theatre G9 at Queen's University
Hugo Hamilton & Dennis O'Driscoll - Saturday 28th March at 7:00PM in Lecture Theatre G9 at Queen's University
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No Alibis are pleased to invite you to the opening evening of our very first art exhibition, on Thursday 26th February at 6:30PM, where we will be showcasing CRY OF THE CITY, works on paper by Declan Byrne and Maria Jankowska.
Declan Byrne studied Foundation art in Newry Institute prior to moving to Belfast to study printmaking.
Declan, whose work is mainly produced using various etching techniques, produces images containing very atmospheric, isolated street scenes devoid of people. He wishes the viewer to experience the sense of urban threat. The series of prints were largely influenced by film noir of the 1930s to 1950's and by artists such as the printmaker Bartolomeu De Los Santos and the painter John Virtue.
One of Declan's pieces entitled 'Nino Frank Street' is a fictitious street named after the French critic who originally coined the term 'film noir'
Maria Jankowska studied at Panstwowe Liceum Sztuk Plastycznych, an Art High School in Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland. Maria came to Northern Ireland to study art.
Maria's subject matter deals with the theme of woman's body. Most of her work in this series are large watercolours with one screen print. Marias bold, expressive style is mainly influenced by Jenny Saville and Marlene Dumas. Her work represents a male's point of view of woman as painted by a female. Her screen print 'Agony And Ecstasy' is relevant today in an age of celebrity and the striving for beauty.
To reserve your spot for this event email David or call the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis invite you to an evening of music with guitarist Jim Page on Friday 27th February at 8:00PM.
Jim Page began playing guitar at 15. Went to New York in 1970. Seattle in '71. Changed the street singing laws in '74. Went to Europe in '77, began touring and living abroad. Returned to Seattle in 1983 where he still lives.
"Jim's been writing great topical songs for as long as I can remember, bringing his acute wit and wry humour to a host of subjects that can really use both. In the tradition of Woody and Dylan, he cuts right to the heart with music you can actually enjoy listening to. I'm a longtime admirer." Bonnie Raitt
Every now and again I encounter a singer who give me a glimmer of hope. Jim Page carries the light." Christy Moore
And in any of the many countries, from the countless tours and stages he has played, people say the same:
"A truly amazing man...one of the great originals. Ignore him at your peril." Hot Press, Dublin
Jim has been on the scene for more than twenty years and his reputation continues to grow. He has shared the stage with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Dan Bern, Michelle Shocked, Leftover Salmon, Mickey Hart, J.J. Cale, Robert Hunter, Chuck Brodsky and John Hammond.
His songs have been performed by Christy Moore, Michael Hedges, John Trudell, The Doobie Brothers, Joanne Rand, Casey Neill and (yes!) David Soul.
Often cited for his biting political pieces he is in constant demand by the social movements of the day.
For more information on Jim, visit his MySpace page.
Tickets are now available from No Alibis. To reserve your spot for this event email David or call the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis invite you to an evening of blues, with Brooks Williams on Thursday 5th March at 8:00PM. Tickets cost £8.00 each.
Brooks Williams is a blues-singing, guitar-picking, bottleneck slide-playing certified road warrior who has toured continuously for over twenty-one years. His unique combination of traditional and original music inspired Dirty Linen magazine to call him one of "America's musical treasures". His guitar skills won him a place on the Top 100 Acoustic Guitarists list, in company with the likes of Michael Hedges, Chet Atkins, Leo Kottke, Doc Watson and David Bromberg, to name but a few.
You can find more information about Brooks on his website or his MySpace page.
Tickets, priced £8.00 are now on sale. To reserve your spot for this event email David or call the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis invite you to an evening of jazz, with the first Belfast performance for an exciting new quintet consisting of 5 of the UK and Ireland’s most promising young Jazz musicians on Wednesday 28th January at 8:00PM. Tickets cost £8.00 each.
The Collective consists of the following members:
Trumpet - Rory Simmons
Rhodes - Ivo Neame
Guitar - Mark McKnight
Drums - David Lyttle
Bass - Damian Evans
This group will present a concert of original contemporary jazz much of which has been composed specifically for this tour.
Both Simmons and Neame are in great demand on both the UK Jazz and session scene. Between them they have recorded and toured with such notable artists as Jim Mullen, Guy Barker, Gerard Presencer, Jamie Cullum and Duke Special to name only a few. Regarded as pivotal players of their generation on the London Jazz scene, this is a performance not to be missed.
Tickets, priced £8.00 are now on sale. To reserve your spot for this event email David or call the shop on 9031 9607.
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No Alibis invite you to an evening of music, with local band Cat Malojian, for a charity concert in aid of the Niall Mellon Township Trust on Friday 23rd January at 8:00PM. Tickets cost £8.00 each.
Cat Malojian are a 2-piece band from Lurgan, Co. Armagh, consisting of Stevie Scullion and Jonny Toman. They have been playing music together since meeting at university in 1999. This time around, they will be performing a charity concert in aid of 'home' building in South Africa.
The Niall Mellon Irish Township Trust ("Building More Than Houses") was established in 2002 to provide homes to the impoverished communities in the townships in South Africa. The Trust believes in a world where every person lives in a home which enables them to develop to their fullest potential. In the first year of operation they built 150 homes and aim to build approximately 5,000 this year for some of South Africa’s poorest people. The charity is heavily involved in training and up-skilling its South African workforce which is a further integral part of the charity’s ethos. Most of the workforce come from the townships themselves.
Community development is an integral part of the work of the NMTT engaging local communities in the planning and design of the new communities. All of this is done in close cooperation and partnership with the South African government at national and local level.
You can find more information about the Niall Mellon Township Trust on the charity's website.
We expect this event to be very popular, so book now to avoid disappointment. Tickets, priced £8.00 are now on sale. All proceeds will go to the Niall Mellon Township Trust. To reserve your spot for this event email David or call the shop on 9031 9607.
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