News

April 2011

Colin has been working on some material with Miriam Ingram. Check out the song "Beg Truck Heartbreak" on YouTube.

 

September 28 2009

Indiecater: "We’ve been at the cave door for months now tempting one of our favourite Irish bands out into the open. We knew they had songs in their locker that hadn’t seen the light for years and we were eager to show them off to the world. Well, today the foursome staggered into the open and brought with them 14 tunes that will be new to many of you (and me). They were all recorded in the 1990’s but Bits should entrall the new century. Read the whole story, listen to the whole collection and even download a free track on the new Sunbear page."

 

October 2006

Some news on Ruby Taillights:
"Some of you may remember a rather excellent Dublin based band from many years ago by the name of Sunbear and if you do then you will be pleased to hear that one of their core members Martin Kelly is back with his new project the Ruby Tailights, martin has teamed up with ex-Ten Speed Racer member Joe Chester for this debut album, the album is a collection of wonderfully uplifting bright and breezy acoustic indie rock sounds, sounding like a heavenly blend of The Beach Boys, The Magic Numbers and later Teenage Fanclub at times, this is what real pop music should sound like."

 

June 2005

DODGE THE WRECKING BALL AT MOTHER REDCAPS

I know some of you are tired of hearing that Mother Redcaps, Christchurch is about to close and be demolished. Well the day of reckoning has arrived. The duras will be firmly ferme'd after the last pint is swerved on Tuesday night the 5th July. It is so sad to see this historic building dating from 1760 getting demolished and with it a piece of Dublin gone forever.

To lament the passing of this great Dublin venue a POPFEST will take place in:

Mother Redcaps Tavern, Christchurch
Sunday 26th June
In no particular order Richer Than Astronauts, Crumb, House Of Mexico, Groom, Ruby Taillights & Melba & Thomas Dunning on DJ duties.
Admission is 7 euro
First band 7.30PM

More information about Mother Redcaps can be obtained from www.musiclee.ie

 

March 2005

Wednesday 20th April - Crumb album launch
Also on the line up are MEDEA and Ruby Taillights.
The Hub, Temple Bar, Dublin from 9.00pm
Admission is 10 euros with a free CD.

 

February 12 2005

Whelan's, Dublin - Joe Chester, Ruby Taillights €13 - 8.30PM.

Rumour has it that Ruby Taillights and Joe Chester have recorded an album together, due for release later in 2005.]

 

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[February 2005
RMG Chart:
Joe Chester - "A Murder Of Crows" - OUT: FEB 25th 2005

BACKGROUND:
In the mid 90's I put out some records under the name "the sound of bells". I was also a member of Sunbear. I drifted in production, working with people like Dr Millar, Miriam Ingram, Nick Kelly, Nina Hynes, Sack and the Future Kings of Spain. Became a member of Nina Hynes' touring band for a couple of US tours.

In the US I met Tenspeedracer and decided to join them. This was 2000. We set up a recording studio and writing space on a farm in Wexford and lived there till June 2004. We released 2 albums, 2 EP's and lots of singles from there on Red Flag Records. Playlisted on BBC Radio 1, charted in Ireland etc.

Started work on a solo album in 2002. In June last year Tenspeedracer split up and I moved back to Dublin to finish it. Sent Tom Dunne the demos and he as been very supportive since.]

 

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[December 2004
11 December: 66e, Dry County, Panda Kopanda, Ruby Tailights, Ryan Doyle -- DJs My Brother Woody and Darragh RNDM

Temple Bar Music Centre, Dublin - €8.00

musicnotpeople launch night
'tis the night launching a new web based thingy for bands, where people can log on and listen to tracks, form an opinion etc.
there's no images or photos on the site. basically its just music and not people, hence, musicnotpeople.com
you can hear for yourselves the quality of the acts playing if you visit the website, where there is already streaming samples from most of those involved in the night]

 

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[April 2003
Martin is now performing in a band called 'Ruby Tailights'. Check them out if you're at any gigs around Dublin.]

 

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[August 14 2001
I finally found an interview with Sunbear. They talk about how the band got together, musical tastes and the recording of 'Sunbear'. ]

 

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[March 15 2001
I recently heard two new tracks by Sunbear, called 'Dog' and 'Send That Monkey To Mars'. These are from a new release by Sunbear called 'Dog'. Check out this page for more details.

The title track is well up to Sunbear's usual high standards.]

 

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[Summer 2000
Zeitgeist source: "JOE CHESTER has also been on a busy streak: His very amazing side project "THE SOUND OF BELLS" are recording an album later in the year and on top of producing the NINA HYNES debut, CREATION, he has been producing tunes by ex-Geffen Recording artist SUNBEAR and SACK, who have just come off of an American and European tour with the one and only MORRISSEY.."]

 

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[March 1999
Yuma play: March 14th (Sun) Vicar Street
Support Valerie Francis and Sunbear.]

 

August 11 1998

Sunbear played their last gig on August 6 in the Da Club in Dublin.

 

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[May 15 1998
Road Records: "We have just had some news in about a new label started up in Dublin called Folkrum Records. Formed in February of this year by Dan Watson from New Zealand with the aim of releasing both unsigned Irish acts and acts from his native country. Coming out in the next few weeks is the 'Abstraction Of Sound Logic' a compilation label sampler featuring Capratone, Simple Folk, Chris McKibbin, Sunbear, The Null Set, Hip, Mark Watson, Mighty Avon Jr, Sean, Sound Of Bells, Aoife Faughan, Moon Palace and Dacianos. There is a new web site where you can get all the info you need about the label and see one or two of the promo videos they have made for Simple Folk and Mighty Avon Jr."]

 

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[April 13 1998
There's a strong possibility that the 'fantastic four' could be hiding out, in the back of beyonds of the Pale, recording some future teenage heartbreakers...

Possible tracks being recorded might include, such a stellar title as 'Send The Monkey Man To Mars', 'Dog', 'Clown Hands 2', a song about signing on called 'Pennies' and hopefully, at last, a version of 'Halved'.]

 

January 7 1998

Sunbear are playing two gigs in Dublin this month, supporting Grandaddy and Sac respectively.

The Mean Fiddler, Wexford St. 24 January 1998
Whelans, Dublin 9 January 1998

 

December 18 1997

Sunbear have been playing a lot of gigs in Dublin recently and two of the band members are running the groovy "It's Not Your Birthday" club in Temple Bar Music Centre at the moment (now moved to Columbia Mills).

 

October 3 1997

Sunbear are playing three gigs in Dublin.

Temple Bar Music Centre, Dublin 29 August 1997
The Mean Fiddler, Wexford St. October 3 1997
The Funnel Bar, Dublin October 7 1997]

 

February 14 1997

The rumoured gig, which was to take place in the old Mean Fiddler on February 14, is gone by the wayside. The fault being with the Fiddler simply because the place is kaput. Something else should be arranged soon.

 

May 12 1996

Rumble, Sunbear, Stan & Bernie, Gary and Oona play Dublin.

 

July 27 1994

w/ Sunbear & In Motion in The 13th Floor, Dublin.

 

July 1 1994

w/ Mexican Pets, Sunbear & Dazed DJs (first joint Dazed gig) in the Russell Arms, Navan, Co. Meath.

 

June 20 1994

Ethos Benefit Gig w/ Vains, Mexican Pets, Sunbear, Octopuss Underground in The 13th Floor, Dublin.