UK indie band The Maccabees, with support from Sorry, play The Academy, Dublin on 17 (sold out) and 18 of August 2025. We asked The Maccabees front man Orlando Weeks the BIG questions . . .
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Tickets for the second show are priced from €45.20 and are available from Ticketmaster.ie.
The Maccabees formed in 2004 in London and released four albums, Colour It In in 2007, Wall of Arms in 2009, Given to the Wild in 2012 and Marks to Prove It in 2015.
The band announced that were disbanding in 2016 but reformed in October 2024.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
Hi, Cilla. My name is Orlando, I'm a Leo and I live in Portugal.
How would you describe your music?
Someone described our music as sad songs you can dance to. That has always struck me as a tidy description even if it isn’t entirely accurate.
Who are your musical inspirations?
At the moment I’m listening to lots of Bill Callahan. I loved the new Caroline record Caroline 2 and the Tony Njoku record All Our Knives Are Always Sharp. Both those records are full of experiment and beauty and a seemingly unfussy attention to detail. Very inspirational.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Lauryn Hill at Wembley Arena in 1999.
What was the first record you ever bought?
I think it was either The Score by Fugees or a Now That’s What I Call Music.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Cold Blooded Old Times by Bill Callahan.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Be Not So Fearful by Bill Fay. The whole song is medicine: "Be not so nervous, be not so frail, Someone watches you, you will not fail, Be not so nervous, be not so frail, Be not so nervous, be not so frail".
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
My son currently listens to Technotronic - Pump Up The Jam at least 10 times a day. So, I’ve had a taste of what that would be like. I’ll go with that under the proviso that he is there with me loving it.
Where can people find your music/more information?
Best of all would be to go to local record store and buy the albums. Failing that we exist on the internet/social media etc.
Alan Corr
