New comedy club launches this evening - Last Laughs in the Trinity Rooms

FATHER Ted fans rejoice; the Last Laugh Comedy Club is aiming to sate Craggy Island fans with the launch of a new series of comedy nights, beginning with a Fr. Ted special this Thursday night.

The Trinity Rooms-hosted comedy night launches this Thursday and welcomes Fr. Ted favourites Joe Rooney, who memorably played Fr. Damien "Damo" Lennon in the ‘Think Fast, Father Ted’ episode of the superb series, as well as Patrick McDonnell, who played ‘Eoin Mc Love’ and Kevin Gildea who played ‘Fr. Cave’ in the ‘Flight into Terror’ episode.

The Last Laugh Comedy Club is, according to Trinity Rooms’ supremo Joe Clarke, the “third incarnation” of long-running comedy series in the club, which most recently took the form of the popular ‘Schnitzel’ comedy nights.

Joe is hoping that the Last Laugh proves to be as popular, and has assembled a very fine line-up of comedians to entertain over the coming winter.

First up is the ‘Further Ted’ launch party, featuring three of the series’ most popular peripheral characters, as well as being firmly established comedians in their own right.

Rooney in particular, has become one of the country’s most popular stand-up MCs, most recently featuring in Killinaskully and The Liffey Laugh on RTE Two.

Looking ahead, Joe assured the Limerick Leader that the strength of the line-ups will continue to be as consistent.

“We’ll have Ardal O’Hanlon for his first Limerick show in 12 years, Kevin McAleer for his first Limerick show in ten years, as well as Jason Byrne, PJ Gallagher, Jarlath Regan and Maeve Higgins and more - there is plenty there,” said Joe.

Looks like Trinity Rooms might have the last laugh on comedy for the foreseeable future, so be sure to get down there early.

The ‘Last Laugh’ Comedy Club launches this Thursday night in Trinity Rooms. Doors are at 7.30pm and tickets are €12 from Trinity Rooms, ULSU, MISU and Empire Music.

Modest Mouse will not be coming to Limerick this December

Despite much online speculation, which was reported here as elsewhere, it seems that the rumours surrounding Modest Mouse's potential gig in Dolan's on December 5 will not be going ahead.

According to Dolan's: "Contrary to online rumours Modest Mouse will not be playing Dolans this December. There was a whisper of it happening some weeks ago but in the end the band have decided to play just Dublin this time around.

We will endeavour to catch them on their next European tour".

The band will play the Academy on December 7, so looks like Limerick fans will have to travel to catch this gig.

UPDATE:

Seems that Modest Mouse are to play in are to play in the Radisson in Galway on December 5, the night they were rumoured to be playing Limerick. The Academy gig has sold out for Dec 7 but there is one on the Tuesday night also on sale. Thanks to Ciaran for the heads up. Full ticket listings on Ticketmaster.

UPDATE # 2:

I'm reliably informed that there may yet be hope for the Modest Mouse gig in Dolan's.. watch this space... Actually watch this blog, to be more precise...!

New series of plays launched in the Belltable

MINISTER for Defence Willie O’Dea launched the next in the series of plays forming part of the Limerick Theatre Hub in the Belltable Arts Centre this Monday evening.
The Minister launched the next productions in the ‘Elements: A Season of Theatre’ series, an Arts Council funded initiative that has, in the absence of a professional theatre company in Limerick, seen four productions funded and developed locally, featuring local performers. Despite recommendations in the Government commissioned ‘McCarthy Report’ that funding for the arts be dramatically scaled back, Minister O’Dea told the Limerick Chronicle that he was “reasonably hopeful” that a certain level of funding can be maintained to this area.
“I would be reasonably hopeful we would be able to maintain a reasonable level of funding for the arts, it is very important,” said Minister O’Dea.
The ‘Elements’ series has already seen two professional productions staged in the Belltable, with two more to come in October and November - ‘Don Juan in Hell’ directed by Duncan Molloy and ‘The Revenger’s Tragedy’ adapted by Mike Finn.
All four productions received a total funding of €90,000 from the Arts Council, a far cry short of the usual cost of producing professional theatre.
“This is a classic example of how to get the best value for money - they have got so much for so little here, it shows the money can be spent to great effect,” said Minister O’Dea.
“The arts are very important and are even more important in a recession, because the country is not just about an economy, it is about society as well.
The Minister added: “Good local theatre certainly fosters community spirit and there is a lot of potential ability out there that can be tapped by having access to good local theatre, and that is what this is about essentially”.
Joanne Beirne, artistic director with the Belltable, said that audience support is essential to the continuing success of the initiative.
“You can't have pieces without an audience and we value our patrons very much and hope to engage them a lot more,” said Joanne.
“The audiences are really important to us and we hope to produce more work like this, but we are going to need their support in order to do that.
“We are on a really tight budget - a normal theatre production can be anywhere from €50,000-150,000 - we are doing four for €90,000, so it is certainly a huge feat and all the artists involved and performers have worked their socks off.”
Don Juan in Hell, adapted from a George Bernard Shaw play, will premiere and run in the Belltable from October 14-24.

(pictured l-r Joanne Beirne, Minister Willie O'Dea and John Gleeson, courtesy Owen South)

Noah and the Whale - The First Days of Spring

Noah and the Whale

The First Days of Spring

(Universal)

I LOVE it when a band tries to confound expectations; most fail miserably and end up repeating the same hogwash that scored them a top five hit in the UK charts - either unwilling or unable to change tack from a musical style that brought them limited attention and radio airplay. However, intentional or not, that is not the case here with Noah and the Whale’s second album, the follow-up to the reasonably successful debut Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down.

While that album was, well generally not really that great, the radio exposure afforded to happy clappy, whistle laden, folksy track Five Years Time saw the quirky, Twickenham based band receive some attention.

Thus, in this cynical world, the expectation might have been for the band to try and replicate the success of that single with their second album, released only a year after their debut offering. But where that song saw the band score with airplay, it was wholly unrepresentative of the rest of a fairly dour and underwhelming debut that tried hard to be quirky and preppy, yet dissolved into pretension.

Not so with the follow-up.

While many could, and probably will, level accusations at Noah and the Whale for producing what seems, at first glance, a quite depressing album, this is simply incorrect.

Film is a fascination for this band, and particularly singer and songwriter Charlie Fink, and this album is intended to accompany a film of the same name.

As such, there is a cinematic approach to this moody and claustrophobic album; split into three parts, or acts - act one and three consisting of four songs - while the middle coda contains two instrumental songs and a third, Sufjan Stevens-inspired orchestral piece called ‘Love of an Orchestra’, a stirring, emotion-fuelled song that sees Fink declare, ‘I know I’ll be lonely / I got songs in my blood / I’m carrying all the love of an orchestra’.

The Sigur Ros-esque sweep of the eponymous opening track sets the tone for the album, which is ostensibly a ‘break-up’ album, semi-autobiographically documenting Fink’s split from former singer Laura Marling. But there is greater depth and feeling here than some jilted lover’s grumblings.

The sublime, deliciously countrified My Broken Heart and the gorgeously slow and fulfilling pastoral folky sounds of Slow Glass are two absolute standouts, but both even are eclipsed by Blue Skies, as Fink says, “a song for anyone with a broken heart”.

However, he promises that ‘blue skies are coming’, and you can’t help but feel that the same is coming for this band, who have produced a visual masterpiece that hardly needs the film that is set to accompany it.

RATING 4/5

"Just Writing My Name" - International graffiti session to take place in Limerick this weekend

LIMERICK is to play host to some of the top graffiti artists in the world this weekend, as the first ever international graffiti session to take place in Ireland is hosted in the city.
Over 20 artists from across Europe will gather in Limerick’s Skatepark for the “Just Writing My Name” graffiti jam, hosted by the O’Connell Street-based graffiti shop South Central LK and Montana Cans, a European spray-paint supplier.
Two of the world’s most famous graffiti artists, Klark Kent and Cantwo, will be among those travelling to the city for the event.
“This is world standard art, the artists that are attending are world class and world renowned,” explained Nick Bromfield, local musician and artist, who is involved with the event.
“There are 20 plus artists attending and we are going to put up boards around the skate park that they will use.
It will all be very bright, very colourful. In graffiti terms it is called writing - a lot of letter styles that would be very distinctive, every artist has a different style,” added Nick.
The Montana sponsored “Just Writing My Name” festival is a major one that travels the world and it is a significant coup for Limerick that it has secured such an event.
The graffiti festival will begin at 10am this Saturday in Limerick Skatepark and is a family-friendly event. Admission is free and there will be music, street performances, skateboard demonstrations and much more.
For more see today's Limerick Chronicle.
(pic (c) Emma Jervis/Press 22)

Culture Night 2009 and Tweak in Limerick

LIMERICK was awash with colour and vitality as people of all ages re-discovered their city last Friday as part of ‘Culture Night 2009’. From 5pm last Friday evening a genuine air of excitement filtered through the city as arts and cultural venues opened their doors to the public for free as part of the national event and thousands of excited onlookers hit the streets. Families, in particular, were a highlight of the evening as parents shepherded their children through exhibits in King John’s Castle, Limerick City Museum, dance lessons in Daghdha and film in the Belltable. Limerick Printmakers and the Hunt Museum proved especially popular with the younger culture seekers. In Limerick Printmakers, based on Robert Street, children were invited to come along and print their own t-shirts, which they did ecstatically. Alan Crowley was one of those helping the children print their shirts in the studio and by about 6.30pm, reckoned he had done “more than 20 t-shirts in the past hour”. “I’ve done so many in the last hour I’ve lost count,” laughed Alan. “I think the kids are really into the DIY-aspect of this activity and it is bringing life into a place that is usually only inhabited by artists and students.” Eight year old Asha Golden from Corbally, told the Limerick Leader that she “loves art”. “We had a great time, I'm really looking forward to collecting my t-shirt,” said Asha. “I'm going to hang the poster I made up on my wall,” she added. Limerick author and playwright Mary Coll was in Limerick Printmakers with her daughters, Ellen and Katherine. “It is great that so many people came out so early in the evening and brought their kids along with them,” said Mary. “The good thing is it is not just all the usual faces that you see at arts events, I think it is important that it seems to be the general public that came out.” In the Hunt Museum, amidst the impressive Sean Keating exhibition and the permanent collection, a large group of kids chattered excitedly as they painted in the lobby of the building. Naomi O’Nolan, administrator with the Hunt Museum, said that the initiative was a “terrific” one. “It is terrific to see so many people here, the kids are having great fun, they are doing their cave art, we have a costume workshop and art quiz, so there are loads of fun things for them,” said Naomi. A huge amount of events took place around the city and all were very well attended, according to Limerick City Arts Officer Sheila Deegan. “It went very well indeed and a lot more people came out this year than last,” said Sheila this Monday morning. “The night definitely captured the imagination and the venues that opened their doors really appreciate the turnout - we are delighted,” she added.

ALSO taking place on Friday evening was the final night of the rather excellent Tweak exhibition in Church Gallery, Clare Street.

A hugely impressive series of electronic art installations, the exhibition saw a great many visitors, housed as it was in the impressive Church Gallery in LSAD.

Tweak also played host to the Digital Slaves and one half of UK dj-duo The Herbaliser on Friday nght; both of whom combined to dramatic effect in the courtyard of Trinity Rooms - the Digital Slaves performing their innovative brand of live performance art through a visual show on the walls of the courtyard, and DJ Ollie Teeba whipping the crowd into a frenzy with his entertaining blend of hip-hop and house tunes.

Tweak Festival, Digital Slaves, Culture Night 2009

Digital Slaves [RT Virtual Calligraphy] from Digital Slaves on Vimeo.

This is going to be a monster post, because there is literally tons of fun stuff happening on Friday night in the city - who ever said there was nothing to do? WAKE UP!
As it is Culture Night 2009 - when arts and cultural venues throw open their doors for free to punters - we are celebrating all things 'culture', but the one thing we are EXTREMELY excited about is the arrival of the 'Digital Slaves' for their very first appearance in Ireland. These innovative multimedia DJs/VJs/artists will be performing their brand of amazing visuals and accompanying tunes - with full projections (like the one above) on the front walls of the Hunt Museum.
This performance is part of the excellent Tweak festival, an interactive art and live electronic music shindig that has been going on all week, courtesy of Nora O'Murchu, a UL Phd student, see piece that follows:

ONE of the most intriguing and innovative festivals ever to grace Limerick returns this week with a wild variety of events.
The second ‘Tweak’ festival - an interactive art and live electronic music festival -began this Monday night with the opening of a quirky exhibition in Church Gallery, Clare Street.
The international electronic arts exhibition will run for five days and feature some renowned Irish and international artists, while a number of workshops and live music events will take place throughout the week.
The festival is the brainchild of Nora O’Murchu, who did an MA in Interactive Media in UL and is currently studying for her PHd. ‘Interactive’ is a watchword for the festival, it seems.

“All the pieces are based on having some kind of engagement with the audience, every piece you can touch and interact with, it is not like going to some gallery - we very much want people to touch and get involved with the artworks,” explained Nora.
“I wanted to curate an interactive, digital arts festival, because there is a lot of talent in Ireland and I felt it was something we needed. I didn't really know what to expect last year but the reaction, not even just locally, but internationally, has been amazing.”
As a result Nora has put together an exhibition and festival that boast artists from “New York to Thailand”, with the result being a festival she hopes will “amuse or amaze” those who go along to the various events.
The exhibition itself is a unique one, featuring pieces such as ‘Carry On’ by American-based artist Fernando Orellana - essentially a pair of suitcases with LCD screens and cameras that capture the onlooker - and ‘Species Dialogue’ by UK artist Julie Freeman, which features two pieces that communicate with each other. The exhibition must be seen to be believed.
A number of workshops will take place throughout the week in order to show people the application of programming languages and electronics, according to Nora.
Also taking place is a number of live performances and talks, beginning with a talk by influential interactive design outfit ‘This Happened’, a first to take place in Ireland. The infamous ‘Noise Night’ will also return on Wednesday night in St. Munchin’s Church and feature a number of Irish electronic artists. Irish sound art composers and practitioners will also perform in the Church on Thursday night as part of ‘Soundings’, while Culture Night on Friday night will see UK artists Digital Slaves perform a special visual performance show on the front of the Hunt Museum at 8pm.
‘Tweak Cinema’ will take place on Saturday at 3pm on Bedford Row, before the festival comes to an end with an after party in Bentley Barkers on Saturday night.
For full details see here.

As part of Tweak, Ollie Teeba (above), better known as The Herbaliser, will be performing in the Trinity Rooms courtyard on Friday night. Teeba, one of the foremost UK
producers and dj's with releases on Ninja Tune, K7 and more, is actually one half of Herbaliser, a tight-funk duo who like to lavish their tunes with dollops of jazz and electronica. They are responsible for seminal release "Same as it Never Was" - and this performance will also feature live visuals from Digital Slaves, as well as support from Code and Razor. Admission is FREE before 10pm and just a mere 5 bobs afterward, with admission to the club thrown in!


Taking place throughout the evening, from 5pm, is Culture Night 2009, in venues all over town. Full piece below, click on the links for full details of events, times and places, etc.

FOR all those living in Limerick City completely unaware of the depth of culture around them, this Friday is the chance to “see all sorts” as the city throws open the doors of its cultural venues to the public for free.
Culture Night 2009 aims to celebrate the rich arts and cultural life in the city with a vast programme of events that will leave you “spoiled for choice”, in the words of Limerick City Arts Officer Sheila Deegan.
“This year you have five hours to go around the city; you can participate in ‘Dance Chaos’ in Daghdha, print your own T-Shirt in Limerick Printmakers, see Limerick Youth Theatre in Limerick City Gallery of Art, get free tours of the Sean Keating art exhibition in the Hunt Museum - so you are spoiled for choice,” explained Sheila.
This is the second year Culture Night will take place in Limerick, with over 5,000 people turning out last year to visit the various venues located around the city.
Sheila further explained that the night offered an opportunity to “become an ambassador” for the city.
“The idea is that by participating in this you are able to become an ambassador for your own city because you are able to tell people what to go and see,” explained Ms Deegan.
“The idea is that culture, obviously, is made up of all sorts of things - it is from the past, the present and you could possible say it is from the future, for example we have the Tweak festival, which is a digital arts media festival at the Arts College.
“We are encouraging people to come out and experience the past through the museums that are here, as well as the present through the people living and working as artists in Limerick and also the venues that provide culture to us on a daily basis,” she said.
For full information on Culture Night 2009 see here.