Alex Barck (Jazzanova) AND Louis Osbourne to play in the city this weekend

Two high-profile - and extremely diverse - DJs are to appear in the city this May Bank Holiday Weekend, with Jazzanova’s Alex Barck playing the Release Party in Aubars on Friday night and Louis Osbourne, son of Ozzy, playing Micronite in Baker Place on Saturday.

Berlin six-piece outfit Jazzanova were one of the names included on the recent Electric Picnic line-up and member Alex Barck (pic above) will give fans a sneak preview of what to expect when he jets into the city this Friday.
In the words of those nice folks over in Eightball:
"From albums and remixes and back to the dancefloor, Alexander Barck’s DJ set embraces everything that makes Jazzanova great, which is simply put, brilliant music from across the spectrum, with an essential common characteristic; it’ll get you dancin’".


Jazzanova (above) are known as a small, worldwide group of innovators when it comes to Dancefloor, NuJazz, Broken Beat and modern Folk and Soul and have remixed tracks for Masters At Work, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Lenny Kravitz and Common.
Expect a musical journey, an otherworldly, unpredictable mix of styles in Aubars this Friday, doors 11.30pm. 12 bucks door tax, a bargain if you ask me.

On Saturday, Ozzy Osbourne’s son Louis pops into the Underground @ Baker Place to demonstrate his considerable DJing-prowess.
I'm reliably informed that far from mere-celebrity DJ, his ability to move smoothly between underground house and techno and his ear for cutting edge electronic music means that he is a regular fixture at the world’s best clubs.

From the blurb from those nice folks over in Micronite:

"After 15 years of DJing, Louis’ passion for cutting edge house and techno remains as strong as the time he attended his first rave. The next time Louis shares this love affair with electronic music and weekend offending at a club in your town, make sure you don’t miss out!"

Underground @ Baker Place. Doors 11pm.

Additions to the Oxegen Festival line-up

Probably old news by now - I got this on Tuesday but too busy 'till now to post it - but there have been some additions to the Oxegen line-up. Not going to set the world on fire, but adding to an already strong line-up nonetheless. Have to wonder how those tickets are selling though?

MORE FANTASTIC NEWS FOR OXEGEN FANS:

CALVIN HARRIS, NOISETTES, THE SAW DOCTORS, SPINNERETTE, THE CORONAS, THE BLIZZARDS, THE ANSWER, THE HORRORS, IGLU AND HARTLY and STARSAILOR CONFIRMED

AND XBOX LIVE STAGE BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

* TICKETS ON SALE NOW *

Proceedings will kick off on Thursday and run each day from 2pm each day until late.

OXEGEN artists announced so far…

FRI 10TH JULY Blur, Snow Patrol, The Script, Keane, Lily Allen, James, Pendulum, Eagles of Death Metal, 2 Many DJs, Ladyhawke, Mogwai, Fight Like Apes, Ocean Colour Scene, The Hours, M83, Republic of Loose, Swedish House Mafia, Crookers, Dreadzone, God is an Astronaut, Tom Middleton, Aeroplane (DJ Set). Announced Today: Spinnerette, The Coronas, The Answer

SAT 11TH JULY Kings of Leon, Pet Shop Boys, Bloc Party, Elbow, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Doves, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Pete Doherty, James Morrison, Regina Spektor, Maximo Park, The Mars Volta, The Game, The Saturdays, Squeeze, Crystal Castles, La Roux, Hockey, Tiga, Digitalism, Gary Go, Daniel Merriweather. Announced Today: The Blizzards

SUN 12TH JULY The Killers, Razorlight, Nine Inch Nails, The Specials, Lady Gaga, The Ting Tings, Jane’s Addiction, Katy Perry, Manic Street Preachers, Paolo Nutini, Glasvegas, Florence and the Machine White Lies, Jason Mraz, Foals, Friendly Fires, of Montreal, You Me at Six, Miss Kittin and The Hacker (Live), Hudson Mohawke, Wallis Bird. Announced Today: Calvin Harris, Noisettes, The Saw Doctors, The Horrors, Iglu And Hartly, Starsailor

Tickets for this year’s festival are on sale NOW and are priced at a 2008 price freeze of 224.50 Euro (incl. booking fee) for 3 day including camping ticket.

For an extra 20 Euro fans can purchase a 4 day including camping ticket which will include Thursday campsite stay also.Tickets can be bought via our official ticket partner http://www.ticketmaster.ie/

10th-12th July 2009 (subject to licence). More artists will be announced so fans have a lot more to look forward to.

Free tickets to Reverend and the Makers - Heineken Green Spheres in Dolan's

I have five pairs of tickets to give away to the Heineken Green Spheres gig featuring Reverend and the Makers and Tom Middleton tomorrow night in Dolan's Warehouse. First five people to post a comment below or email to alan[dot]owens[at]limerickleader[dot].ie will take a pair each. Good luck!

Keith Earls, Lions selection, local lad done good.

Diversifying from the usual fare you might find here, the Lions selection occupied a large portion of last week and in the paper at weekend. Last Tuesday was a highlight with the announcement, Paul O'Connell as captain, eight Munster players and 14 Irish players in total set to board the plane to South Africa. Savage!

At the opening of the new hydrotherapy pool in St.Gabriel's last Wednesday I managed to grab a quick chat with Keith Earls (pic above scoring against the Osprey's, credit Owen South) about his selection, a national exclusive I believe, I might be wrong but I don't think anyone else has managed to speak to him?

Anyway, for proper and bona-fide sports coverage/discussion/analysis, check out the Leader Sport's superb blog here, plus buy the paper for a wealth of coverage.

Poor old Tomas O'Leary was desperately unlucky to both dislocate and fracture his ankle in the first ten minutes of the match against the Scarlets, very harsh. Anyway, looking forward to the first Lions fixture on Saturday, May 30 against the Highveld XV.


Alan Owens
LIMERICK’S brightest rugby star Keith Earls has spoken for the first time about his Lions selection, revealing that he thought his chances were finished when he saw the first images of the selected players wearing the official strip appear on television.

“When it (the press conference) started, the lads came on the telly posing in jerseys - I thought, ‘I never posed in a jersey so I musn’t be in it.’ Whatever they do with computers I came out with the jersey on and I couldn’t believe it,” revealed the 21 year old from Moyross, speaking exclusively to the Limerick Leader at the opening of the new €4.6 million hydrotherapy pool in St. Gabriel’s school in Raheen.

Earls, who has set the rugby world and Limerick alight with his surprise selection for the touring party, said he was still in shock at his selection for the squad to travel to South Africa.

“I was shocked more than happy I think, I’m over the moon because I really wasn’t expecting it,” said the Munster star, who was in attendance at the opening of the pool with his team-mates Barry Murphy, Ian Dowling and Tony Buckley.

But it was the young Earls who created a stir among the children and their parents, patiently posing for photograph upon photograph, signing jerseys, flags and any available scraps of paper. Earls, who started his career with Thomond Rugby Club before signing this season with Young Munster - where his father Ger also played before him - won a Munster Schools Senior Cup medal with St. Munchin’s in 2006.

Keith said he watched the announcement with his father.

“I watched it live and brought my father out to the house just in case I did get called up because I got a letter the previous week saying I was in the provisional squad, so I told him to call out just in case.”

Looking ahead to the tour, Earls said: “It should be an unreal experience, I’m really looking forward to it”.

Posing patiently for photographs with children beside the pool, which will be used in the treatment of hundreds of disabled children, Earls was visibly impressed at the facility.

“It is great to see the kids enjoying themselves, this is an unreal facility, very impressive. This is my first time really doing anything like this and I enjoyed it. I like spending time with the kids and they love it, so it’s good.”

Dolores O'Riordan to release second solo album

DESPITE recent local speculation that The Cranberries were to reunite, lead singer Dolores O’Riordan is in fact set to release her second solo album this summer, the Limerick Leader/On The Beat can reveal.

The album, No Baggage, will be released in Ireland on Friday, August 27, a follow-up to her debut solo album Are You Listening? which was released in May 2007.

Speaking about the album, O’Riordan has explained that it explores subjects very close to her heart.

“I probably haven’t worn my heart on my sleeve like this since the second Cranberries album (1994’s No Need to Argue),” said the Limerick native. “It’s at times very confessional and dealing with my true emotions. Everyone, through their experiences or their background, has had terrible moments where they think they can’t handle it. With this record I’m trying to show that, no matter how bad things may seem, it’s not really that bad in the big picture.”

O’Riordan is currently dividing her time between her home in Dublin and Ontario, Canada, with her husband Don Burton, their three children (aged 3 to 12), and a 17-year-old son from Burton’s previous relationship.

The Ballybricken woman said she takes solace and inspiration from her Canadian home “deep in the woods. There’s lots of wildlife around, and it’s about as far away from ‘society’ as you can get. It makes for a nice little escape.”

O’Riordan points to her environment and contended family life as a particular inspiration for the album.

“A lot of this material was written and inspired by what’s around me,” she explained. “I know I’m fortunate to still have my parents, and I didn’t want to be one of those people who’s always on the road or in the studio who suddenly realises they should have spent more time with their children.”

While it was claimed that O’Riordan’s solo career failed to take off, her debut nonetheless sold 350,000 copies worldwide. This is however a mere fraction of the estimated 40 million album sales the Cranberries enjoyed over their 14 year career.

A reunion of the Limerick band remains a possibility, but it is understood to be unlikely to happen in 2009.

Some random thoughts..

Busy week this week, Size2Shoes on Tuesday (see below), Kyon and Rarely Seen Above Ground on Wednesday, and the rather excellent Belltable Sessions on Thursday. Best one yet? Possibly. I will have pics and some video footage up later.

Listening to a few albums this week:

Doves - Kingdom of Rust (a real grower, some interesting and dark electro beats in the mix)

Red Eskimo - The Grey Death Billow (I'm going to be talking a lot about this album from the Brothers' Delaney (Limerick boys, whoop!) in time, very impressive early impressions - a bit like Midlake meets Sigur Ros/Royksopp/The Shins' bastard children - in a good way - launch in Dolan's Warehouse on Friday May 8)

Passion Pit - Chunk of Change (2008 EP from hotly-tipped American electro outfit, debut album Manners due in May)

...And So I Watch You From Afar (Bizarre post-rock from this interesting Northern Irish outfit, Mogwai-esque I think, on first impressions)

Mogwai - The Hawk is Howling (The hawk certainly is howling on this superb album from the real deal - visceral, mind-blowing, dark and epic all at the same time)

Also seems Delorentos are now not splitting up after all, which is interesting. Seems Ronan Yourell realised what he would be missing out on and came to his senses. Hoping to have an interview with one of the boys in the coming weeks, watch this space.

The brothers Súilleabháin - Size2Shoes album launch

Those nice lads Eoin and 'Moley' O' Súilleabháin (look at them there, having a right old laugh for themselves) released their debut album on Tuesday night Upstairs in Dolan's, and an entertaining evening it was indeed. I've seen the duo several times over the years, from not wholly-convincing Boatclub gigs, to the Belltable Sessions, to finally, the mature and polished act they are today (or were last Tuesday).

There are cringey moments in their set and they do have a propensity to present every word in their inimitable 'altar-boy-esque', perfect diction, style - but, ultimately this is a winning act and one from Limerick that could have a decent impact nationally and beyond. Here is what I wrote in the paper this week:

THE SONS of world famous Irish composer Professor Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and spiritual singer Nóirín Ní Riain were always bound to have musical talent in spades, but Eoin and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, performing under the moniker of Size2Shoes, have the potential to stand out on their own considerable merits.

In launching their self-titled debut album in Dolan’s last Tuesday night, this musical duo reached a level of maturity with an act they have been plugging around Limerick for several years.

The evolution of Size2Shoes has been steady, moving from raw, humorous and over-the-top double act, to polished, still humorous over-the-top double act, but yet they have perfected the art of peppering their performances with equal dashes of musical comedy and spine-tingling moments of clarity, when the audience sit in rapt attention.

The album, two years in the making, contains a few gems, notably the upbeat opener Take it Easy, the graceful Light in the Dark and the title track Size2Shoes. In a live setting, these songs take on a new form, the duo combining elements of Simon and Garfunkel, dashes of the Doobie Brothers and The Eagles with a distinct Irishness, indeed a sense of being from Limerick, which adds to their appeal.

Then there is the humour, the duo segueing effortlessly several times from their own songs into covers of Sade’s Smooth Operator, Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams and R Kelly’s Ignition, plus a 90s-dance medley, Snap’s Rhythm is a Dancer and Technotronic's Pump up the Jam balancing delicately in between the Beatles’ Blackbird.

As Mícheál - better known as Moley - holds an MA in Rap Performance, rap, hip-hop and beatboxing abilities make a regular appearance throughout the set and the album, this ability, coupled with the brothers’ entwining and often mesmerising vocals, being their secret weapons. Speaking to the Limerick Leader, Eoin explains that they see this debut album as a hook, with the hope Size2Shoes might get picked up.

“It has been two years since we decided to record this album until we got it to our door, so, it is an amazing achievement for us,” he explains. “We are releasing it ourselves from our own label, and financing it ourselves but we have also written the material for a second and third album, so what we are doing with this is setting out our stall and seeing if there is any interest that a backer might have, in a way we are testing the waters.”

We don’t think it will be long.

Size2Shoes is available now here.

The return of the Belltable Sessions this Thursday

THE FOURTH series of the Belltable Sessions begins this Thursday, with local favourites the Brad Pitt Light Orchestra topping the bill on Limerick’s best acoustic night.

The monthly showcase, which began last year under the direction of local musician and Spin South West DJ Nick Carswell, has gone from strength to strength in the Belltable’s relatively new location of 36 Cecil Street.

The artists perform acoustically, with no mics and “nowhere to hide” as the tagline for the show states.

Returning are local ensemble the Brad Pitt Light Orchestra, who have spent the last number of weeks touring Ireland with Cork band Fred, and have received significant national airplay on Today FM, with Paul McCloone and Alison Curtis hailing their original material. The band performed a stunning set early last year at the acoustic gig, their devilishly theatrical performance winning them many fans in the locality.

The fulcrum of the Brad Pitt’s is sibling trio Ann, James and David Blake - who mix and match their obvious vocal talents throughout their set. A debut album - tentatively titled ‘Lowering the Tone’ - is expected this summer, and after an appearance at last year’s Electric Picnic, great things are expected of the Limerick band this summer.

“We are really looking forward to the fourth Belltable Sessions series, inviting some old friends back and welcoming some new talent to our stage,” explained Nick Carswell. “It is particularly satisfying to have the Brad Pitt’s back, they have had a great year since they last played with us,” added Nick.

Joining the Brad Pitt Light Orchestra are Dublin band The Resistance, local rock band General PM - featuring Paddy Moloney, better known for his NoLand Folk project - and Andy Hickie, interestingly touring Ireland in a camper-van.

“Andy is a folk singer-songwriter who released a debut EP last year and got himself a slot on Glastonbury’s New Talent stage thanks to Q magazine. He is travelling the country in a camper van and is exactly what we want to offer people who come to the Sessions - his brand of folk is very soothing and should appeal to people,” explained Nick.

The Belltable Sessions takes place this Thursday, doors at 8pm.

Electric Picnic line-up 2009

This just arrived, breathlessly trying to post as quick as I can.. Initial line-up for Electric Picnic, which will take place on September 4,5,6.

LINE UP 2009 so far:

ORBITAL
FLAMING LIPS
BASEMENT JAXX
MADNESS
MGMT
FLEET FOXES
KLAXONS
BELL X1
RODRIGO Y GABRIELA
CHIC
SEASICK STEVE
2 MANY DJs
LISA HANNIGAN
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
ABC
DAMIEN DEMPSEY
ALABAMA 3
BAT FOR LASHES
ZERO 7
EROL ALKAN
ROOTS MANUVA
THE SUGARHILL GANG
BILLY BRAGG
LYKKE LI
IMELDA MAY
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
MAGAZINE
E.S.G
MODERAT
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO
SKREAM & BENGA’s MAGNETIC MAN
NOZE
HEARTBREAK
HALFSET
CHRIS CUNNINGHAM
OKKERVIL RIVER,
MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC COMPANY
LOW ANTHEM
VILLAGERS
TUNNG
JAPE
WHITEST BOY ALIVE
MICACHU & THE SHAPES
THE WALKMEN
EFTER KLANG
MICHAEL NYMAN
DUBLIN GOSPEL CHOIR
QUANTIC SOUL ORCHESTRA
JAZZANOVA

Plus more acts to be announced

Body and Soul, Spoken Word, THISISPOPBABY etc all to return. Tickets this Friday. Details:

TICKET INFO:
Weekend Tickets are €240 / Family Camping Ticket is €480 for 2 adults & up to 4 kids under 12 with access to designated Family Campsite. There are no single day tickets.
Campervan Tickets for access to Campervan Park are €60, available also from the same outlets. Above ticket prices include booking fee & VAT and go on sale 9am Friday 17th April from all usual outlets, https://owa.jpress.co.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ticketmaster.ie/ / Credit Card Hotline: Ph 0818 719300 Republic of Ireland / 0870 2434455 UK/Northern Ireland. Phone / internet bookings are subject to 12.5% service charges. Agents fee is €2.50.


Initial impressions? Fleet Foxes, The Watchmen, Flaming Lips, Lisa Hannigan, Halfset, Orbital, 2 Many DJs, Bat for Lashes, Zero 7, Lykke Li, Bell X1 - I'm excited in that exact order.


A very good line-up, well impressed and thankfully not a sniff of Green Day, whoop!! Different kettle of fish to Oxegen etc, I like that EP has remained slightly left of centre in its choices, even if Madness are on the list..

Fred to play in Thomond Park

I love a bank holiday weekend. I really do. Normally I would be loading up the car, surf board on the roof, heading west. No sir, not this weekend. It's the Great Friday Festival for me, a house-warming tonight, Old Crescent trouncing Highfield tomorrow and Munster battering the Osprey's on Sunday.

I picked up some CDs last night as well, new Doves album, Kingdom of Rust, new Mogwai album, The Hawk is Howling, Passion Pit's debut EP Chunk of Change and Justice's 2007 classic Dance.

So I'll be catching up with them at the weekend also.

Back to the weekend and Munster playing in the biggest game ever to come to Limerick. Yes, you heard that right, forget the All-Blacks, this is the big one - a chance for Munster to march on toward a third European title.

Walking toward the Munster-Leinster match last Saturday, the energy in the city, on the streets, happy faces streaming toward the ground, I realised that we have essentially got the joys and benefits of having a top-class Premiership soccer team based in our city. Except rugby is far better than soccer and, unlike most grim, industrial English/Scottisch cities, we have the finest rugby team in Europe located right here. Ha! It's like having Real Madrid right on our doorstep, except Munster are largely drawn from the local community and embody an incredible spirit - and are almost never flaky like Los Merengues.

Anyway, Sunday should be superb, even if Sky/ERC screwed us with our pants on and scheduled the game for 1pm. The powers that be have scheduled a nice bit of pre-match entertainment mind you, starting from 12pm, including Fred (see below), Derek Moloney, Munster Rugby Supporters Club, Arcana drummers and various carnival characters.

Can't wait!

Alan Owens

THE LIMERICK Leader can exclusively reveal that hugely popular up and coming Irish rock band Fred - who boast a Limerick member among their ranks - are to become the first band to play in the newly developed Thomond Park.

While the €40 million stadium is set to hold high profile concerts by Elton John and Rod Stewart this summer, Cork based band Fred have been invited to perform next Sunday, before Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter final match against the Ospreys.

Fred have gained a legion of fans on these shores and around the world due to the infectiousness of their acclaimed third album, ‘Go God Go’. The band, made up of members from Cork and Kerry, plus Limerick man Jamin O’Donovan, bassist with the group, are self-professed die hard Munster fans that regularly play in Limerick.

“I'm from Caherdavin which is just down the road from Thomond Park so this feels like my homecoming gig,” laughed Jamin when contacted by the Leader. “We are all very excited about the gig, big time.

When I say we're all, about three fifths of us want to actually play for Munster. I don't think it is going to happen. We are big fans, so this is as close as we think will get to playing on the team.” The band will perform three songs, including their hit singles Running, Skyscrapers and latest single, Good One, which has just been released.

They will perform on the pitch, facing the East Stand, becoming the first band to play in the newly developed stadium.

“To be the first band is brilliant. We are going to play three songs, and hopefully there will be loads of people there to see us - although we have played Oxegen and Electric Picnic, this is definitely going to be the biggest crowd we have played in front of.”

Fred have had a busy start to 2009, recently returning from a trip to Canada, where they performed a number of gigs and appeared on Canadian television. ‘Go God Go’ has been released in Canada and Japan, with UK and US releases set for May.

The return of the Great Friday Festival

FESTIVAL season kicks off in earnest this weekend as the fifth Great Friday Festival returns to a field near you in the Limerick area.

The venue for the day-long festival is being kept shrouded in mystery but, for a mere €30 music fans can see 16 bands and 12 DJs from the local music scene perform on stage in an open-air venue.

More than 350 fans attended the Great Friday Festival last year, and capacity this year has been increased to 1,100, with about 900 tickets going on sale to the general public. The ticket price covers the cost of bus travel to and from the event, which, as it is being held on Good Friday, is a ‘Bring Your Own Beer’ style event.

“The first band will be on at 12 o'clock and the event finishes at midnight, so it is 12 hours of madness,” explained Cathy O’Flaherty general project manager with Great Friday Event Management, who are running the festival.

“Buses will go every half an hour from Arthur's Quay and there will be more to bring everyone back when it is over.”

The success of last year’s event, which was the first Great Friday gig to be held in a festival-setting, prompted the organisers to return this year.

“It was brilliant last year, apart from the cold everyone had a great time. The neighbours invited us back and the guards commended us and everyone had a great day,” explained Cathy.

There is also a charitable element to the festival, as it is one of a number of events that Great Friday Event Management host every year to raise money for Worthy Cause, a Limerick-based charity that runs projects in the Siam Reap area of Cambodia.

“We are giving a large percentage of the profits to Worthy Cause and the rest will be reinvested into doing this again next year,” explained Cathy. “We do a Fall Prom every year and we raised about €5,000 this year for them. So far we have built a self-help community centre and a new school, and the money pays for doctors to visit the site and care for children based there.”

Some of the acts playing at this Friday’s festival include Walter Mitty and the Realists (pic above), Snowman, The Fewer the Better, Ten Past Seven, Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters and Nick Carswell and the Elective Orchestra. Tickets and further information is available from www.greatfriday.ie or from Baker Place, Limerick.

FULL Line-up and times:

GREAT FRIDAY FESTIVAL 2009
LINE UP FOR MAIN STAGE
12:10 – 12:40 Hundred Flower Campaign
12:50 – 13:20 Blackstar
13:30 – 14:00 Nick Carswell and the Elective Orchestra
14:10 – 14:40 The Overkills
14:50 – 15:20 The Out Last Knights
15:30 – 16:00 Clurichaun
16:10 – 16:40 Idle Hands
16:50 – 17:20 Lights Over Phoenix
17:30 – 18:00 I Caught Fire
18:10 – 18:40 Syllian Rayle
18:50 – 19:20 The Fewer the Better
19:30 – 20:00 Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters
20:10 – 20:50 Ten Past Seven
21:00 – 21:15 Benoit and Walter Mitty
21:15 – 22:00 Walter Mitty and the Realists
22:10 – 22:50 Snowman
23:00 – Close DJ Kav

I could have been a contender - Reverend and the Makers to play Heineken Green Spheres in Dolan's

Seems that Sheffield's likely lads Reverend and the Makers are to play the latest Heineken Green Spheres event in Dolan's Warehouse on Wednesday, April 29.

Yep, the lads behind Heavyweight Champion of the World, are to play in Limerick before heading off on tour with Oasis over the Summer. Support will be from Tom Middleton and tickets are available from the Green Spheres website.

Never really picked up on RATM - 'cept that Jon McClure (pic above) - aka the Reverend - is some sort of demi-god on the Sheffield music scene, a prolific poet and great mates with Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys (the story goes - denied by all involved - that McClure wrote some tunes for his mates). Certainly seems like he might make for a decent interview, will get right on that.

With the Enemy due in Dolan's on Sunday April 19, it seems more and more semi-decent English indie bands are starting to cast an eye over these parts. Sounds ok to me.

Wonder if this Green Spheres will be any better than when Carl Barât and the Dirty Pretty Things came to town. Yawn. Here is the review I wrote after that gig, carried in the paper on the 6.6.08.

IT IS only three songs into the gig and already my mind is starting to wander. Do you ever find yourself getting distracted by something at a gig and then you realise you have been day dreaming for ten minutes?

The gig is Dirty Pretty Things in Dolan’s Warehouse, on, of all nights, a bank holiday Monday. I should be at home in bed after the weekend I have had, but instead I am in the Dock Road venue along with 249 other brave souls - most of them obviously with no work in the morning - to witness what is left of the Libertines following Pete Doherty’s departure.

Dirty Pretty Things are in town thanks to Heineken for a Green Spheres free gig. In fairness to the mighty corporation - that I rightly feel owes me a few quid for years of shelling out for their product - Dolan’s is decked out with lights and various spooky paraphernalia, as well as some free lubricant.

From the looks of things 90 per cent of the crowd have availed of the booze on offer and the band fronted by Carl Barat and fellow ex-Libertines drummer Gary Powell and guitarist Anthony Rossomando and ex-Cooper Temple Clause bassist Didz Hammond take to the stage around ten o’clock to a huge roar.

The band play a rollicking sea shanty brand of rock and roll that veers drastically toward bland punk rock at times. Here to showcase new material from forthcoming album Romance At Short Notice, the newer material does little to impress. A friend remarks that she has seen all of this before in 1994 when she saw an early Blur gig in Dublin - and funnily enough guitarist Rossomando strongly resembles a young Alex James.

Most of the set is a jumble of confusion and noise that seems very popular with those moshing at the front. There will always be a market for this music though, yet I considered myself a Libertines fan until Pete Doherty’s antics drove me to despair.

On the upside drummer Gary Powell is a mighty force on the drums, and occasional aid from Hammond and Rossomando on vocals relieves us of Barat’s often grating vocal. On the downside, on at least three separate occasions it is impossible to tell when one song ends and another begins.

Salvation comes initially in the form of new single Tired Of England and finally with last song of the set and the very first single the band released, Bang Bang You’re Dead, both revealing a happier jauntiness that conflicts with the tired and confusing set that has gone before it.

As the band walk off stage to a wall of feedback I again find my mind wandering as I fret about the pints being thrown in the air and wondering if ‘ol Pete Doherty is at home in London stealing Barat’s telly again now that he is out of jail.

Come back Pete, all is forgiven.

More fun for your Friday night - Nick Carswell/Qool DJ Marv

After many years of gigs, travel, procrastination, gigs, more gigs, time spent assembling members, more gigs, recording, mixing, more gigs - the luxurious sounds of the Elective Orchestra are to get a first release this Friday night in the shape of debut single 'When I'm Not Around' - the first offering from the ever-so-slightly-warped/musical mind of Mr Nick Carswell (pictured above) and friends.

The group are to release the acoustic offering in the delightful surroundings of the Georgian House, Pery Square, this Friday @ 6pm. All are welcome, just drop a mail to sillygooserecords@gmail.com to let Nick or Hannah know you are coming.

Why? Apart from the free wine, the drawing room of this fabulous building will be the perfect place to saviour the fruits of several months recording, first in Tralee with Ross O’Donovan (Hooray For Humans, Waiting Room) and latterly in a Youghal-hideaway.

Making use of the grand piano, Nick, plus the Cussen sisters (Deirdre and Kate - surely Ireland's finest string duo), Bart, Fergal, Simon etc, will wow you with their impressive acoustic-rock stylings, replete with soaring strings, electro-loop effects, and harmonies galore.

Here's the blurb:

"The song is a four minute slice of acoustic rock characterised by a killer guitar hook, offset by the band’s signature string section, plucking and bowing with gusto. It builds to a catchy chorus that will linger in your head for days. Infectious stuff indeed!"

Here's something I said once, in one of my more lyrical moments (doesn't happen often):

"Emotive and intelligent lyrics combined with beautiful and creative musicianship"

When I’m Not Around is available as a digital download from www.downloadmusic.ie by txting “music 2708” to 57501 – cost €1.

Have a listen here.

To continue the theme of the evening, the Release Party continues downstairs in the Club @ Aubars on Friday night, with a very special guest in the shape of New York City’s Qool DJ Marv, founder and driver of the long-running Buttamilk crew - who takes to the decks to spin some tunes that will likely be summery and warm, a bit like this unseasonably good weather we are having.

Expect R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Latin, House, Jazz, Funk, Rock & Roll, Soul, and Disco stylings, all rolled into one delightful evening, which forms part of a three date national tour Eightball are doing with Mr Marv.

Download a free MP3 sample of Mr Marv's grooves here and get a taste of what we are on about.

Doors for this show open at 11.30pm, and Qool DJ Marv can be seen for a recession-busting ten euro.

Put the needle on the record yo!

RENOWNED independent New York radio station WFMU held a special broadcast from the newly opened Viva Music Studios last week.
As seen in the picture above, WFMU’s Billy Jam interviewed Dan Sykes of Viva Music Studios during last Friday’s live radio broadcast from Limerick to New York and the East Coast of the USA.
More than 20 guests also featured on the show - 'Put the Needle on the Record' - which was broadcast live over three hours from Sykes’ Viva studios on O’Connell Street.
Local acts like the Rubberbandits, Size2Shoes, Jay Red and True Blood Souljahz, plus a litany of other local DJs and people involved in the local music scene, all featured on the show.
Speaking after the show presenter Billy Jam praised the diversity of the local music scene in Limerick.
“The WFMU Live from Limerick show on March 27 not only proved what a richly diverse music scene inhabits the district but also how tightly knit these divergent scenes and individuals are,” he explained.
The show is available on the internet here (streaming) or for download here.
Info on Dan Sykes studio here.

The power of the picture

Upon reviewing my website counters after an inactive period of 12 days, it appears that the post below with that picture of Caprice, was the one that has received the highest hits since I started this blog.

I don't know whether to be amused or outraged, but I have discovered how to get more traffic to my site. Maybe the Leader would consider trying a similar tactic? Hmmm..


Anyway, in the spirit of this thought, I happened to travel several times on Ryanair last week, one time indeed while reading this article, which was highly amusing, documenting one Ryanair air hostess' sideline in the online adult film industry.
Unfortunately, she wasn't on my mostly male-staffed flight, but I thought it worthy of a chuckle. Here is pic of Ms Schinderlova, keep an eye out the next time you fly with Mr O'Leary's airline!


(normal service on this blog will resume in time, we promise, but we are still trying to adjust to being back at work)

I'm back

I have been taking enquiries over the last few days as to my well-being, seeing as I haven't updated the blog in the last week or two. Been on holidays, back today. More to follow later.