Hothouse Flowers

Hothouse Flowers play The Fire Station on Monday 16 November, their only Sunderland date that autumn. They're an Irish rock group that mixes traditional Irish music with soul, gospel and rock, and they've been at it since the mid-eighties.

The band formed in 1985 when Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fiachna ó Braonáin, who'd known each other as children in an Irish-speaking school, started busking on the streets of Dublin as 'The Incomparable Benzini Brothers'. Peter O'Toole joined them shortly after, and within a year they'd won a street-entertainer award. Bono of U2 saw them on television in 1986 and offered his support, and their first album, People (1988), became the most successful debut in Irish history, reaching number one in Ireland and number two in the UK. The video for 'Don't Go' was even shown during the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest.

There was a hiatus in 1994, but they returned with Born in 1998 and Into Your Heart in 2004. Their live shows are known for being unpredictable and rooted in improvisation, something they trace back to their 'Risk' days on the dancefloors of Dublin's late-night clubs. That street-busking start still sits close to the surface, too.

The gig is on Monday 16 November at The Fire Station on High Street West, SR1 3HA. Doors open at 19:30 and the music starts at 20:00, with tickets at £44.