A Celebration of PRINCE: 10th Anniversary

Prince died on April 21, 2016. Ten years on, Dublin still finds reasons to gather and play his music, which tells you something about the depth of the catalogue and the hold it has on people who love it.

This annual celebration at Rascals Brewing Company in Inchicore has built a following because it doesn’t treat the material as easy nostalgia. The performers are fans who know the songs properly and play them properly. From Purple Rain to Little Red Corvette, from When Doves Cry to Kiss, the setlist covers the full arc of one of the most extraordinary careers in popular music.

What to Expect

Rascals is a craft brewery with a large event space in Inchicore, and it’s a genuinely good setting for a night like this. The room is industrial without being cold - bare brick, good acoustics, beer brewed on site. It draws a crowd that’s there for the music rather than to be seen, which is the right crowd for a tribute that takes its source material seriously.

Prince’s music doesn’t belong to one genre, which means the band needs range. At a good Prince night you’ll get the rock of Let’s Go Crazy, the soul balladry of Purple Rain, the funk of Sign O’ the Times, and the pure pop of Raspberry Beret. If the band pulls it off, and this one does, it’s a reminder of just how unusual and how brilliant he was.

Good to Know

• Bar opens from 7pm, show from 8pm
• Rascals’ own craft beers on tap all night
• Inchicore is worth knowing if you haven’t been - there’s a real neighbourhood feel compared to the city centre circuit
• Tickets tend to sell out in advance for this one, so don’t leave it to the night

Getting There

Rascals Brewing is on Tyrconnell Road in Inchicore. Dublin Bus route 26 connects Inchicore to the city centre and stops nearby. The Luas Red Line to Drimnagh is the closest Luas stop, about a 10-minute walk. If you’re coming from the south city, the 51 bus runs through Inchicore from Aston Quay.