Sound & Vision – The Best Music on TV

Ireland’s music fans congregated on Marlay Park at the weekend for the fifth renewal of Longitude – and if the mood following Mumford & Sons’ storming performance to close out the show was anything to go by, then plenty of punters could have kept going LONG into the night!

Of course, pulling on the wellies and trekking along to a festival isn’t every fan’s idea of fun – but you actually don’t even need to leave your couch to get your fix. There’s a packed line-up of pitch-perfect musical programming at your fingertips, so push the coffee table into the corner and prepare to cut a rug in your living room…

Sky Arts cameras are front and centre at some of the most exciting gigs across the planet, and their offerings will strike the right notes for everyone from hard rockers to classical aficianados. That’s not all, either; special studio performances and interviews are a frequent feature, and a spectacular array of documentaries will have you singing a very happy song indeed. And, with choice cuts available through the Virgin Media Catch Up service, there’s no such thing as a bad time to indulge!

Perhaps the granddaddy of music TV, Later…With Jools Holland remains appointment viewing for anyone who takes their tunes seriously. Closing in on 25 years young, the BBC2 series is a phenomenal showpiece for acts from around the world, with the guestlist over the years reading like a who’s who of global superstars. Boogie-woogie merchant Jools is quick off the mark supporting young talent too – meaning it’s the perfect spot to find your new favourite artist…

Not to be outdone on this side of the Irish Sea, Other Voices has displaced Fungie at the top of Dingle’s claims to fame. Airing on RTÉ 2 – with each episode available on RTÉ Player for a week after broadcast – the series, which has been running since 2003, sees Irish talent rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s best. Ryan Adams, Florence and the Machine and the late Amy Winehouse are just some of the luminaries to have visited St. James’s Church in the past, with our own Lisa Hannigan, Imelda May and Rusangano Family flying the Irish flag in the latest series.

And, with Virgin Media’s TV Anywhere app, there’s no end to the possibilities of where and when you can watch your favourites perform; now that rocks!