Other Voices at UCC Cork: What Went Down

We returned to UCC for another series of magnetic performances featuring some old friends and new favourites, with Picture This treating students to a surprise pop up gig on the Quad!

Cork really does hold such a special place in our hearts, particularly for our founder Philip King, who spent his college days soaking up all that University College Cork had to offer and cites it as a pivotal time in his musical career.

It was a joy to bring it all back home to Cork last year, and we were thrilled to be welcomed back to the campus for a second time last month.

2022's incredible outing included epic sets from Biig Piig, SOAK, Susan O’Neill, Cian Ducrot, Yenkee, Rufous Nightjar, Pretty Happy, Sunday's Well, and Yanming Gao. This year, we brought along rising star Sekou, chart-toppers Picture This, gifted songwriters Niamh Regan, and jazz collective Bricknasty to perform at the OV stage in the iconic Aula Maxima. Hosted by MayKay, there were also some standout performances by Cork's own Cardinals and the magnificent Wallis Bird from across the campus, all livestreamed to the world via YouTube.

The OV UCC festivities kicked off in the afternoon when news of a not-so-secret Picture This pop-up gig traveled across the campus. At 1 pm, thousands of students gathered around UCC's iconic Quad, while Picture This serenaded them with acoustic versions of ‘Get On My Love’ and ‘Take My Hand.’

With more than a few fans showing up, the four-piece made their way around the Quad to make sure everyone had a chance to experience the magic before they played another intimate set in the Aula Maxima later that evening.

Philip King was over the moon to be back at his beloved alma mater, popping by the student radio station for a chat with Rosie and later over to the Hub to announce the selected act from the UCC Amplified Open Call - the brilliant Faoi Bhláth, who nabbed herself a black spot on the OV Dingle Distillery Music Trail this December.

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"The arc of my musical expedition around the world started in Cork. Much of what I respond to is shot through a Cork filter. Growing up in a city that has its own voice, accent and culture. A place that is 'idir eatarthu' – between worlds, between Irish and English. The country and the city are connected." - Philip King

Later in the day, MayKay kicked things off with the brilliant Niamh Regan live from the Aula Maxima. Having released her debut album 'Hemet' in 2020 via Black Gate Records, Niamh burst onto the folk scene with a truly distinctive musical offering. Having studied flute and guitar at the University of Limerick, her songs seamlessly weave the intimacy of the Irish lyrical tradition with the expansive breadth of American songwriters such as Karen Dalton, Stevie Nicks, and Joni Mitchell.

Following 2022’s 'In the Meantime' EP, Niamh performed a slate of unreleased material for us. We hope to hear dazzling tracks like ‘Belly’, ‘Music’, ‘Long Haul’, ‘Too Nice’ and ‘Madonna’ on her forthcoming second album. ‘What To Do’ is a glitzy art-folk track from 2018, which effortlessly illustrated Niamh’s growth as a performer and songwriter. If her sensational set was anything to go by album number two is going to be phenomenal. 

The sound of Cork was represented by local rockers Cardinals, who blazed a trail over at the Glucksman Gallery, delivering hair-raising renditions of their debut single ‘Amsterdam’, plus ‘The Brow’ and the brooding ‘If I Could Make You Care’. Infusing an accordion into the wall of guitar noise, frontman Euan Manning proved a compelling vocalist and performer. Expect big things from them in the next 12 months.

If you haven’t heard of Bricknasty, now’s your last chance to listen to them before they hit the big leagues. Signing to FAMM this year after the release of their brilliant debut EP Ina Crueler - home to Maverick Sabre and Jorja Smith, no less - the collective infuse layers of jazz, soul and hip-hop to create their entirely unique sound. The energy in the room was palpable, with frontman Fatboy’s delivering a mile-a-minute bars and vocals, matched by the impeccable guitar melodies and jazz percussion of his bandmates. A jam session for the ages, but ‘Prazsky’ and ‘Ducks ina row’ were definite standout tracks. They also treated the UCC audience and those watching online to unreleased numbers, so stay tuned for more music this year from the fast-rising Dublin band who make sure to keep Fatboy’s Ballymun flats firmly in the lyrical spotlight. 

Making his Irish debut and his TV debut with us in Cork, the 19-year-old rising star Sekou left a lasting impression. Based in London, this up-and-coming artist has been making waves since releasing his debut single Better Man earlier this year, with the live performance of the track was undoubtedly one of the night's highlights at UCC. Captivating the audience with beautiful renditions of Forgiving Myself and Too Young, he surprised us with his breathtaking version of Christine McVie’s Songbird, - a performance inspired by an Eva Cassidy album his mother introduced him to. With flawless vocals that evokes the depth and maturity of a seasoned soul artist, Sekou's future looks bright.

‍Wallis Bird shone brightly in the Honan Gallery during a mesmerising set that featured the drums and vocals of Wyvern Lingo’s Caoi de Barra.

Their collaboration and artistic partnership added even more layers and texture to Wallis Bird’s breathtaking live performances. Together, they opened with 'As The River Flows' before playing the 2009 gem 'To My Bones', the 2016 single 'Home', and a moving rendition of the John Prine classic 'Summer’s End'. Bird’s delivery of Home can change with each performance, but it always felt haunting and special in equal measure, inspired by the hopeful changes taking place in Ireland at that time.

After kicking off the day for us on the Quad, Picture This returned to close the evening in the Aula Maxima. The four-piece has built an impressive fanbase since they went viral in 2015 with 'Take My Hand,' amassing four million views online. Since we last met them at OV Belfast over five years ago, they've been busy captivating listeners in every corner of the world, selling out stadium shows, accumulating over 400 million streams and topping the album charts on more than one occasion, .

For this special OV performance, they treated us to a totally stripped-back set of old favorites and brand new tunes from their upcoming fourth album. The new single, 'Leftover Love,' showcased their ability to write a catchy chorus and run with it, while old favorites like 'Take My Hand' and 'Never Change' had the entire Aula Maxima singing along. The album's title track was penned by Ryan as a tribute to his bandmates' journey, with all their ups and downs. Having been on the scene and breaking into the international scene for the past eight years, their longevity can't be underestimated. The intimate stage set up brought the audience into their world, at one point, they even took a moment to express their love for Cork and its people, giving us one of the warmest moments of the evening. A fine performance from a band at the top of their game.

If you missed it on the night, luckily for you - we’ve uploaded the full livestream of Other Voices UCC onto our YouTube channel for repeat viewing. Tune in and revisit the magical event until 29 October 2023. You'll also be able to catch extended highlights of our UCC takeover as part of Other Voices series 22 in early 2024.

Other Voices UCC was produced in partnership by South Wind Blows and University College Cork with the support of The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Bank of Ireland. Special thanks to the River Lee Hotel.