This is a summary of the year 2009 in the Irish music industry.
Summary
January On 6 January, it was revealed that a track from Enya's album And Winter Came... was to feature in a Japanese television drama. "Dreams Are More Precious" is the theme tune for Arifureta Kiseki, the first episode of which aired on Fuji Television on 8 January. On 14 January, the nominations for the Choice Music Prize were announced. From January 15–17, The Coronas and Fight Like Apes represented Ireland in the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, Netherlands. Former Clann Zú member Declan de Barra also performed, having received an invitation directly from the organisers. On 16 January, State, launched in March 2008, announced it was to cease publication of its print edition due to difficulties in attracting advertising revenue. It said it would continue as an online entity. On 18 January, U2 were amongst the performers at the concert preceding Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th President of the United States. They played "Pride (In the Name of Love)", a song which references the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and "City of Blinding Lights". On 19 January, Dave Fanning conducted the worldwide premiere of the U2 single "Get on Your Boots" on The Colm & Jim-Jim Breakfast Show on RTÉ 2fm. On 20 January, it was reported that thousands of euro worth of equipment owned by the band Fred had been stolen from their van parked across from Anglesea Garda Station in Cork, just as the band were to begin a North American tour. The missing gear was recovered within 48 hours. On 28 January, the 2009 Meteor Music Awards was launched and the nominations announced. Also on 28 January, Kings of Leon became the first act scheduled to appear at Oxegen 2009 to be announced. It was the second consecutive year in which this occurred. On 30 January, four more acts were announced for Oxegen 2009. These were Snow Patrol, Katy Perry, Bloc Party and The Script.
February On 1 February, the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) took over the administration of the rights of the Irish mechanical rights society, MCPSI. On 5 February, the reformed Blur were announced as one of Oxegen 2009's headliners in what will be their only Irish appearance of the year and their first in Ireland since three shows in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin in 2003. The Priest Feast Tour featuring Judas Priest, Megadeth and Testament played two Irish shows in February 2009, prior to the start of its seven-concert UK run. The dates were February 10 at the O2 in Dublin and February 11 at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast.BLABBERMOUTH.NET On 12 February, RTÉ 2XM featured the world premiere of the title track from U2's No Line on the Horizon album. On Friday, 13 February, the Irish-owned music channel Bubble Hits burst. Also on 13 February, ten more acts were announced for Oxegen 2009: Pete Doherty, Razorlight, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Elbow, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Ting Tings, White Lies, Fight Like Apes, Pendulum and Jason Mraz. On 15 February, the Irish Film and Television Awards took place in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin. David Holmes won an IFTA for his Hunger score, whilst Maria Doyle Kennedy won in the Best Supporting Actress category for her part in The Tudors. On 16 February, the 20-store Irish music retail chain, Golden Discs, entered examinership with debts of €9.5 million. On 19 February, a new batch of acts, including Blondie, Simple Minds, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Bell X1, Des Bishop and Mick Flannery/John Spillane, were announced for Live at the Marquee in Cork. Kaiser Chiefs did the O2 on 19 February, with support from Black Kids. The Killers played the O2, Dublin on February 20, 2009, as part of a UK and Ireland arena tour. Tickets for the entire tour sold out within hours after going on sale on 10 October 2008. The band opened the show with their single "Spaceman", with the encore including "When You Were Young". U2 brought London to a standstill on 27 February, the same day of the Irish release of their album No Line on the Horizon. The band performed a surprise rooftop show in front of 5,000 fans during the evening rush hour on top of the Broadcasting House in Regent Street, consisting of the songs "Get on Your Boots", "Magnificent", "Vertigo" and "Beautiful Day". Snow Patrol did the O2 on 28 February.
March U2 released their twelfth studio album No Line on the Horizon internationally on 2 March 2009. It was released in five editions – standard CD, double vinyl and three limited editions. The band then embarked on a world tour following the release of what was the follow-up to their 2004 album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. It was claimed that the band would play three shows in Croke Park, Dublin in front of 240,000 people. In January the band warned fans against buying fake concert tickets from bogus websites. From 2 – 6 March, the band partake in a week-long residency on the Late Show with David Letterman, a television talk show in the United States. On 3 March, eleven new acts were added to the line-up for Oxegen 2009. These were Lady Gaga, Manic Street Preachers, Florence and the Machine, TV on the Radio, The Game, Ladyhawke, James, Foals, Of Montreal, Friendly Fires and Squeeze. On 4 March, the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year 2008 was awarded to Jape for the album, Ritual, during a live ceremony at Vicar Street, Dublin. On 5 March, Oxegen 2009 was officially launched, with an initial stage breakdown unveiled and a number of new acts announced. These included Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction, Pet Shop Boys, Glasvegas, The Saturdays, Doves, Eagles of Death Metal and God Is an Astronaut. On 9 March, U2 announced details of their World Stadium Tour with approximately 25 shows in Europe and 25 in North America before Christmas. European ticket sales commenced on 14 – 15 March with the Irish leg due to consist of a three-night run in Croke Park, Dublin on 24, 25, 27 July. The band said they would play surrounded by their audience. From 13 to 22 March, nearly twenty Irish acts performed at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, United States. On 17 March, the 2009 Meteor Awards took place at the RDS in Dublin. The Script won two awards, Best Irish Band and Best Irish Band for their self-titled debut album. Also on 17 March, "In the Name of the Grandfather", an episode of The Simpsons guest starring Glen Hansard premiered in Ireland ahead of its U.S. broadcast, the first time that this had ever happened. The episode sees the Simpsons travelling to Ireland where a drunken Homer and Grandpa buy a pub. On 20 March, tickets for U2's first two Croke Park shows on 24 and 25 July sold out within forty minutes of going on sale, with a third show announced within five days. According to the Daily Mirror, Tina Turner would perform two shows at the newly refurbished Point Theatre, Dublin in 2009. A third concert was added at a later date. Tickets were expected to go on sale in August 2008 and might have cost up to €150.As reported in the Daily Mirror, May 29, 2008, p.19. Hot Press concluded that Turner would be in Dublin for a theatre show in March 2009 but was less certain of the venue, stating that it was likely to take place at the refurbished Point. Turner, who officially retired from live performance eight years ago, decided to tour again after performing at the Grammys with Beyoncé. “The response was overwhelming,” she said. “Everywhere I went people were asking me when I was going back on tour again. So after a lot of thought and planning we announced an American tour. Now Europe beckons!” On 28 August 2008, after three months of uncertainty, a 26 March date was announced, with tickets (priced between €91.25 and €156.25) going on sale on Thursday 4 September 2008.
April On 15 April, Electric Picnic 2009 was launched, with acts announced including Orbital, The Flaming Lips, Basement Jaxx, Madness, Klaxons, Bell X1, Fleet Foxes and MGMT. On 17 April, tickets for Electric Picnic 2009 went on sale. On 18 April, AC/DC played the O2, Dublin as part of their Black Ice World Tour. When tickets, priced €67.70, went on sale on 17 October 2008 – the same day that their first studio album in eight years, Black Ice, was released in Ireland – they sold out within two minutes flat. On 22 April, the line-up for Castlepalooza 2009 was announced, including David Kitt, Dark Room Notes, Project Jenny, Project Jan, R.S.A.G., Channel One, Robotnik, The Lost Brothers, Noise Control, 8 Ball, Glint and Le Galaxie. On 28 April, Calvin Harris, Noisettes, The Saw Doctors, The Coronas, The Blizzards, The Answer, The Horrors, Iglu & Hartly, Starsailor and Spinnerette were added to the Oxegen 2009 line-up. La Roux cancelled citing "touring commitments.
May On 5 May, the full line-up for 2009's Slane Concert was announced. It included The Prodigy, Kasabian and The Blizzards being announced as support acts for headliner, Oasis. On 5–6 May, Bob Dylan played two shows at the O2, Dublin. On 7 May, more dance acts, including Felix da Housecat and The Japanese Popstars, were announced for Oxegen 2009. On 13 May, Brian Wilson, Röyksopp, Amadou & Mariam, The Wailers, Fionn Regan, Mundy, James Murphy and Pat Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem, A Flock of Seagulls, Bell Orchestre, The Field, Jeffrey Lewis, Marina and the Diamonds and Richmond Fontaine were announced for Electric Picnic 2009. On 14 May, the 2009 Indie-pendence was launched, with headliners Super Furry Animals and Ocean Colour Scene amongst the initial acts announced. Admission fees were charged for the first time as the festival lost its free status. Also on 14 May, Therapy?, Tinchy Stryder, Boys Noize and Fever Ray (Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife) were all announced for Oxegen 2009. From 14 to 17 May, The Great Escape took place in Brighton, England. Irish acts to perform included Bell X1, Villagers, And So I Watch You from Afar, Fight Like Apes, Valerie Francis, Panama Kings, Angel Pier, Iain Archer and General Fiasco. On 29 May, the line-up for the 2009 Le Chéile was announced, featuring Lisa Hannigan, Delorentos, Fight Like Apes, Mundy, Declan O'Rourke and Jason Byrne.
June Ex Revs front man Rory Gallagher won the award of Best Album of 2009 from Lanzarote's English language radio station UKawayFM for his solo album God Bless the Big Bang. On 6 June, Elton John played Thomond Park in Limerick. On June 12, Def Leppard and Whitesnake played the O2 Arena with support from Journey and Tesla. On June 13, Take That played Croke Park with support from The Script. Slane 2009 took place on 20 June. It was headlined by Oasis with support from The Prodigy. Kasabian, Glasvegas and The Blizzards also performed. Live at the Marquee took place in Cork in June and July. On 22 June, the full line-up for Indie-pendence was announced. Panama Kings, Pocket Promise, SetMaker, Nicole Maguire and Gillian Verrechia were added on 26 June 2009. The death of Michael Jackson on 25 June 2009 led to reactions from Ireland. Hot Press made its three Jackson covers (from 1984, 1987 and 1988) available for download and promised to upload the interviews to its site. Louis Walsh, a fan, told Hot Press that he "purposely avoided the media in the immediate aftermath of Jackson's death, as he didn't want to be quoted as an expert on the life of a man he'd only met once". Mick Pyro dubbed Jackson "the best singer who ever sang on record". The Edge spoke of meeting him. From 26 to 28 June, several Irish musical acts performed at Glastonbury Festival, including Fight Like Apes (Queen's Head Stage on 28 June), General Fiasco (John Peel Stage on 26 June), Lisa Hannigan, Two Door Cinema Club, Imelda May, Sharon Corr, In Case of Fire and The Script.