I can think of forty music venues in Dublin alone – and they all await my return!

I think it’s 18 gigs now, not including rescheduled dates.

That’s what I’ve missed due to Covid and my own health difficulties,

Right now, it looks like it will be The Stunning (above) in the Olympia in October when I next hear live music. It’s going to be a long wait.

Sure, I’m vaccinated and things are looking better. But I’m still going to be careful. So I’ll wait.

I really feel sorry for myself, not hearing live music for 18 months.

But I feel a lot sorrier for the people who make it, all those bands and artists out there who’ve had nowhere to perform for a year and a half.

I reminisce a lot…I go all the way back to 1969 for my first big gig – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac at the Stadium.

But here’s a thing.

I started thinking about Dublin and gigs and venues.

Lord, we have some amount of them!

But do me a favour when you see the list.

Think about the people who work there, or who did work there and will again. Think about the tough 18 months they’ve had.

And when we get live music back, support it, especially our own.

Yes, it’s not really popular these days to be insular.

But our musicians and all those behind them, managers, sound guys and girls, venue managers, barmen, ticket collectors – the whole lot of them – need support now more than ever.

Here’s a list, in no particular order, of venues in Dublin.

I bet I’ve left out some pretty obvious places. Let me know if you can think of any.

(*means I’ve been there. ** means it’s gone)

*SFX**
*Croker
Dalymount
Richmond Park
TV Club**
*McGonagles**
Top Hat**
*Stadium
*RDS
*Aviva
St Anne’s Park
Malahide Castle
*Blackrock Park
*Marley Park

*Phoenix Park
Adelphi**
*Carlton Cinema
Stella House**
*Olympia
*Gaiety
*Vicar Street
*Whelans
*Opium
*Grand Social
*Academy

Voodoo Lounge
*Workman’s Club
*Bord Gais Energy Theatre
*3 Arena

*Break for the Border
*Button Factory
*National Concert Hall
*Bad Bobs

The Pavilion Dun Laoghaire
*Wexford Inn**
*Trinity
*Theatre L UCD Belfield
*Restaurant UCD Belfield
*The Helix
*Dun Laoghaire Town Hall**

Can you get the list to 50?