A Modern Movement is a local club night in Galway celebrating both the intimate and brash nature of live performance. Deeply honest and raw, A Modern Movement brings together the best of Irish musicians on a given night curating a remarkable gut-punch of a production.
John O’Connor has spent the last four years organising these evenings of suspended emotion, where each night seems impossibly more distinctive than the last. On a highly reputable stage, John brings truly iconic performers from across the nation to Galway. Spanning an abundance of genres, A Modern Movement reinstates the desire people share for live performance.
“There is an urgency with what’s happening in the scene of Galway at the moment. From a lot of younger bands to a lot of the older bands,” says John. "There’s very much an urgency again of wanting to do stuff, wanting to be on the stage, wanting to get a gig.” By providing a platform, A Modern Movement satiates this hunger for expression. Across the board, the club night is host to a range of music genres and styles.
Featuring artists like Cat Turner, Bannered Mare, New Ceremony and more, A Modern Movement expands upon all preconceived notions of what a typical club night is. Intimate and far-reaching, these performances consistently strike a resonant chord with all in attendance.
For many, the spark of A Modern Movement is the unknown familiarity that floods the venue. The sound of these performers and artists resonates deeply across the room, in very individual ways. This connection is nurtured by this sense of mutualism between audience and the performers, “…it's different for every single person in there. It’s different for the band, a person in the audience. You don’t know what bit is connecting, but something is. And when it does, it’s different for everyone. It’s very important.”
Artistic expression is bred deep in the bones of Galway - A Modern Movement helps to flesh it out. “I think it’s weirdly not looked upon enough that Galway is one of the best places for entertainment,” says John. This innate aspect of Galway’s culture is what feeds into the urgency he speaks of. “It’s all very much under one banner of what Galway is.”
This year, A Modern Movement is continuing on this journey of artistic expression. “We’re not just curating the lineups, we’re curating the lineups to be in certain places that we think would suit. So if we can’t bring the crowd to us, we’re bringing music to the crowd.”
John speaks on upcoming gigs for this year. “I have a show on the 26th of August with Adore. I’m in the moment of putting support into place for that. Then in November we’re bringing back the Black Gate Introducing Festival…We're working with other Galway promoters to curate a 5 day festival with music, art, photography, an exhibition, a lot of stuff happening.”
Each gig seems to inhabit a world of its own. Impossible to put a finger on, this enigmatic club night is a striking example of Galway’s ability to encompass things both known, and unknown to us. “I can’t really sum up exactly what I mean when I talk about A Modern Movement,” says John. “But weirdly enough, someone said it recently: you know what you’re getting. And I kind of think that sums it up…”
A Modern Movement is a projection of the human condition. Showcasing gritty, unabashed, and honest performances, these fragmented pieces turn the complex into something approachable and consoling.
To see more upcoming shows from A Modern Movement, follow their socials - @amodernmovementgalway
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