Obviously Chuck heard about the Irish love for old-stagers so, after having it large a few months ago in Letterkenny, he’s back for more. He plays The Academy in Dublin on July 24. Tickets are €57.30 and you bet Chuck will get paid in full, baby, before he goes onstage.
Another cancelled gig to add to the ever-growing list, but this is a strange one.
Friday, Sugababes take to the stage in London’s Hyde Park at the Nelson Mandela 90th birthday concert and strut their stuff quite successfully
Saturday, Sugababes supposed to take to the stage in Dublin’s RDS at the Boyzone show to strut their stuff. Send sick-note instead.
Sunday. Sugababes take to the stage at Lincoln Castle at the Midsummer Madness festival and strut their stuff, again quite successfully.
Very strange behaviour altogether. While Sugababes and Dublin have a chequered history, this has to be the speediest recovery ever in the history of speedy recoveries. Of course, the fact that the Boyzone support gig was never listed on their MySpace site should be seen as an unfortunate oversight on the band’s part rather than anything else.
Yeah, we’ve had a re-up.
Welcome to the new look On The Record. With The Irish Times now a free-for-all, we have decided it is time for change on this blog.
After 782 posts, 10,098 comments and 1.8 million happy customers served (I think - maths was never my strong point), it is time for On The Record 2.0.
No more giving out. No more fuming. No more cynicism. No more of that auld shite. We’re going to be happy. Positive. Friendly. Joyful. Totally willing to believe that when a promoter says a show was cancelled due to “unforseen circumstances”, it actually means “unforseen circumstances”.
While we wait for the pills to kick in and for this strange new mood to subside, please take the time to adjust your browsers, address books, web feeds and the other ways you have of getting here. Our new handle is http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord
As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday June 28, 10pm-midnight
Lykke Li “Breaking It Up” (LL)
Annie “I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me (Get Shakes remix)” (Island)
Dan Deacon “Wham City (Lempel remix)” (Carpark)
Daedelus “Twist the Kids” (Ninja Tune)
Justice “Stress (Auto remix)” (Ed Banger)
Streetlife DJs “Gunn Crime” (Kitsune)
Scottie B & The Chavy Boys of London “Ofra Bhangra” (Money Studies)
Diplo “Brew Barrymore” (Mad Decent)
A-Trak/Lupe Fiasco “Mastered” (White)
Cool Kids “88″ (XL)
DJ Shadow “San Francisco” (White)
Flying Lotus “Camel” (Warp)
White Denim “Dark Sided Computer Mouth” (Full Time Hobby)
The Hold Steady “Constructive Summer” (Rough Trade)
Th’ Legendary Shack*Shakers “Swampblood” (Yep Roc)
The Night Marchers “Closed For Inventory” (Vagrant)
Pivot “Sing, You Sinners” (Warp)
Silver Apples “Program” (MCA)
White Shoes & Couples Company “Windu & Defrina” (Aksara/Minty Fresh)
Dengue Fever “Seeing Hands” (M80)
Fleet Foxes “White Winter Hymnal” (Bella Union)
Bon Iver “Skinny Love” (Jagjaguwar)
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan “Salvation” (Co-Op)
Colm Mac Con Iomaire “Time Will Tell” (Plateau)
Jimmy Behan “Box Of Broken Things” (Zymogen)
Bell “It’s Oh So Quiet” (Stereogum)
What do Live Nation, Madonna, Ticketmaster and McFly have in common? All demonstrated this week that the music industry is still very much in flux
(more…)
While the rest of the EU waits for electronics companies and musical rights societies to kiss and make up, the Spanish government this week announced the introduction of digital levies from July 1.
The “digital canon” will see additional taxes lobbed onto mobile phones (€1.10), blanks CDs (17 cent), laser printers (€10), scanners (€9), CD and DVD recorders (€3.40) and many other electronic goods.
Naturally, there has been much fuming about this sudden more with gadget-makers querying how this money will get through to the content creators.
However, collection agency SGAE rep Pedro Farre was more interested to spin the blame for increasing prices. “Technically, the manufacturers pay the canon. Whether they pass the cost on to the public is their decision.”
Ahoy me hearties! Producer and mischief-maker Hal Willner’s cast of singing pirates, one-legged scoundrels and salty sea dogs for his Rogue’s Gallery night in Dublin continues to grow in number.
The Three Pruned Men, AKA ex-Virgin Prunes Gavin Friday, Guggi and Dave-Id Busaras, are the latest conscripts for Willner’s night of sea shanties, pirate ballads and sea-faring songs.
These gentlemen join Lou Reed, Tim Robbins, Teddy Thompson, Pere Ubu’s David Thomas, Ed Harcourt and many more for the show on July 18 at Grand Canal Square as part of this year’s Analog festival.
Belfast’s Trans festival runs from July 14 to August 10 with appearances from Los Campesinos, Lisa Hannigan, DJ Rupture, Jim White, Andy Weatherall and countless others.
The Eargail Arts Festival takes over Donegal from July 10 to 20th with appearances from Ulrich Schnauss, The Fall, Richard Hawley, Cathy Davey, Dave Geraghty and, the busiest woman on the arts fest circuit this summer, Lisa Hannigan.
A Tribute to Jimmy Faulkner sees Christy Moore & Declan Sinnott, Don Baker, Frankie Lane, Henry McCullough, Honor Heffernan, Mick Hanly, Richie Buckley, Brush Shiels and many more gather to remember the late guitar-player at Dublin’s Olympia on September 22.
In the last few days, forthcoming Irish shows from Sunburned Hand Of The Man and Howe Gelb were shelved. Now, as Lauren Murphy reports, next week’s Kid Sister show at Dublin’s Crawdaddy is a goner, as is Siouxsie’s Belfast show. The Dublin date from the Banshee is still on for now.
Like, what the hell is going on? It seems that promoters are announcing dozens of gigs one week and cancelling them the following week. Is this a new way of gauging punter appeal for shows? Or is it just a case of bad timing that all these cancellations have happened at the same time (and not because promoters taking advantage of these things to slip out all the bad news at once)? And how long will it take for someone to try to pin this one on the recession?
UPDATE The latest addition to the missing-in-action list are Operator Please who have 86′d their Belfast show on July 9 due to “unforeseen professional commitments”. No word yet on any changes to their Dublin or Cork shows.
It seems there’s a lot of love out there for The Vivian Girls and not just from Henry Darger fans.
(more…)
Last week, a couple of tracks from the mythical “Chinese Democracy” album appeared online. Within a few days, as Rolling Stone report, a pair of FBI agents called around to see California blogger Kevin Skwel and ask him about the tracks. While everyone else would have just went off and downloaded them, these two lads wanted to see the actual original files which Skwel had already deleted.
You couldn’t get a bigger contrast in terms of reaction times. On one side, you have Axl Rose, spending years and years either perfecting the most amazing album ever heard or, more likely, polishing a turd. The amount of money spent on this vanity project continues to rise and rise. Back in 2005, in what remains a must-read piece about how to spectacularly lose the plot, the New York Times called it “the most expensive album never made”. That was three years ago and the studio bills have probably not got any cheaper.
On the other side, you have the forces of law and order pressed into action within hours of tracks slipping into the public domain, armed with cease-and-desist letters and the threat of personal visits from the Feds. Guns N’ Roses remain a potentially lucrative franchise (just look at the huge sales for their greatest hits collection) and thus must be protected at all costs from evil fans keen to share a bunch of what were, by all accounts, dull and dreary tracks with the world.
It’s at times like this that you realise how much risk-taking still goes on in the music industry. Pandering to the ludicrous demands and out-sized ego of Rose has probably already cost around $20 million and that’s before you factor in all the other costs of getting this beast to market. Will it be as good as Guns N’ Roses of old? Will it out-sell the greatest hits set? Will there be a fan demand to go to large fields and see Axl Rose have a temper tantrum? It’s all about the gamble and no-one will be any the wiser until the bloody album comes out, Rose does a 360 deal with someone equally as mad as himself and the whole bandwagon goes back on the road. Meanwhile, think of how many new acts you could have developed with that kind of cash.
Here, forget about On The Record or even On The Telly, how about someone starting a blog called Recession Watch? It’s happening, folks. You know it’s happening when George Lee begins to talk with uncontrollable glee about economic downturns, belt-tightenings and paranoid bankers. For the first time in 25 years, the country is in the grips of a recession, but we didn’t have blogs back then (come to think of it, we had absolutely nothing back then) so get blogging.
Anyone here at the Eric Clapton show in Dublin the other night? C’mon, there were 30,000 people (allegedly) there so some of you lot must have travelled to Malahide Castle and got soaked. The thought of the PA giving up the ghost during “Layla” is just too funny for words. Are people entitled to a refund if that happens? Apparently, lots of people were miffed that EC didn’t chat to the crowd about the weather, the hurling (we hear he’s a big Limerick fan) or the state of the traffic. At least he didn’t mention the recession.
Rock the Casbah! Given the price of a barrel of oil these days, it’s no wonder they’re planning to turn Dubai into Rock City
Slipknot are back and they’ve no love for festivals. Well, at least they’re honest. Here’s percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan talking about the Mayhem festival:
“It’s a bunch of bands opening for Slipknot. We’re headlining, as it should be. Sorry — it’s a Slipknot show, kids. We’ve been gone for two years, and you’ve all had the chance to do what you’re going to do. But now we’re back; step in line. That’s what’s up. We’re the DNA that keeps whatever cell this is moving. Period. We’re back, and it just happens to be this thing called the Rockstar Energy Mayhem festival. That’s cool. But we didn’t want them, they wanted us. Everyone wants our fucking money and our kids. We’re playing a show, and a bunch of great bands are playing too. But we’re back, so get out of our way. Call it what you will, but we’re headlining. It’s our show, and we’re here to kill you.”
I reckon they won’t be playing Lovebox
Recession, what recession? For those of you with more cash than sense (and there are a few OTR readers who fall into that category), here’s an alternative guide to the summer festivals from Forbes magazine.
Say hello to Mongrel, the new band from ex-Arctic Monkey bassist Andy Nicholson. The debut album is “likely” to feature Pete Doherty, Saul Williams and M.I.A. if she can spare some time between the gardening and manicures.
Finally, seeing as it’s the first day of the recession, lets party like it’s 1983! Hey, it could have been worse. Kenny Rogers had a great ‘83, you know.
Here’s the initial line-up for Lovebox Dublin in Marlay Park in leafy Dublin 14
Maximo Park
N*E*R*D
Paolo Nutini
Sam Sparro
Gorillaz Sound System
Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Plain White Ts
More acts to be added, we’re told, to the “multitude of bespoke stages and areas”. Tickets are €49.20 and go on sale on Friday morning
(1) Have a listen to The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock
The Spook passed the power-of-three test a few weeks ago. The power-of-three is when you get three different people recommending a band or a movie or an album to you. The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock’s new album is easily one of the finest out-there-and-in-here Irish releases of the year. You’ll hear Horslips and krautrock, spooky folk and David Axelrod, sean-nos and Fairport Convention when the Spook start to play. They play Whelan’s in Dublin on July 5 if you want to see it all happen right before your eyes. Until then, get the album.
(2) Go see Persepolis
It’s still showing on the big screen in Dublin and it’s out on DVD round about now too. Life-affirming, moving, uplifting, funny and fierce
(3) If you’re in Dublin, go see a flick (particularly Persepolis which is running there for one more week) at the Light House cinema
It’s like you’ve left the dirty old town behind and gone somewhere else entirely. Outside, it might be Smithfield with street urchins eyeing up your bike for size. Inside, it’s a completely different planet. I used to really like the old Light House when it was lodging on Middle Abbey Street, but the new incarnation is light years ahead of it in terms of layout, size, design and atmosphere. It also shows up the IFI for the dumpy, shoddy, unloved and unfriendly joint it has become in the last couple of years.
(4) Check out the Darklight festival. Lots of light this week.
Look, I don’t have a clue what it is about either, right? It just seems to have, you know, lots of stuff going on. Lots of chin-stroking, beard-pulling, head-scratching stuff. What does it all mean? No, still don’t have a clue. Maybe it’s like the new series of Anonymous or something.
(5) Go see some hip-hop this week
Jigga plays Live at the Marquee, Cork on Wednesday and RDS, Dublin on Thursday before heading off to entertain the unwashed hordes at Glastonbury, while the Cool Kids play at Crawdaddy, Dublin on Friday night. We heart the Cool Kids
(6) Put a few euro on a Russia-Turkey final in Euro 2008
Yeah, I got hooked. Had to happen. The way Russia bossed Holland on Saturday was class and, while it was good to see Spain trumping an overwhelmingly negative Italian side last night, I really can’t see them coming out on top next week. Turkey to beat Germany too. Top-drawer analysis as always - “it’s going to be a long night, Bill, I hope you don’t have a date planned” - although the Apres Match sketches have been very so-so this time out.
Now for some open-source blogging. Feel free to add your own recommendations for the week ahead in the comments below. Everything bar stupid viral ads from gobshite marketing departments, aiight?
As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday June 21, 10pm-midnight.
My Bloody Valentine “Only Shallow” (Creation)
Pivot “In The Blood” (Warp)
Jaguar Love “Highways Of Gold” (Matador)
Jong Pang “Small Cut Sensations” (Tigerspring)
Errors “National Prism” (Rock Action)
Jape “Streetwise” (V2 Co-Op)
Vivian Girls “Where Do You Run To?” (Mauled By Tigers)
Port O’Brien “I Woke Up Today” (City Slang)
Kleerup “Chords” (EMI Sweden)
Tricky “Council Estate” (Domino)
Steinski “The Motorcade Sped On” (Illegal Art)
Lil Wayne “Dr Carter” (Cash Money)
Ugly Megan “What’s My Name?” (Well Wicked)
Isaac Hayes “Ike’s Mood 1″ (Stax)
Al Wilson “The Dolphins” (Soul City)
The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock “The Partisan” (Transduction)
Princeton “The Waves” (Striking Peasant)
Polar Bear “Industry” (Tin Angel)
Voices Of Conquest “Oh Yes My Lord” (Numero)
Two Gospel Keys “You’ve Got To Move” (Smithsonian)
The Carter Family “Keep On The Sunny Side” (Victor)
Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir “Go Back Home” (Balling the Jack)
Sick & Indigent Song Club “Under the Moon” (Millennium Boy)
Fleet Foxes “Sun Giant” (Bella Union)
Murder “Sounds Below the Sun” (Good Tape)
Gerry O’Beirne “Dancing Sweeney” (Self-release)
Max Richter “Untitled (from 24 Postcards In Full Colour)” (Fat Cat)
Susanna “Hangout” (Rune Grammofon)
Whatever about the media focus on how the credit crunch may effect ticket sales for live shows, promoters around the country are still finalising and announcing acts for forthcoming festivals.
(more…)
It’s not the first time a pirate radio station has come in from the cold (Phantom FM is one legit station that once flew the Jolly Roger), but the arrival of Pulse on RTÉ’s digital airwaves is an interesting development.
Pulse FM was a pirate dance station which broadcast across Dublin until 2007. Former Pulse station manager Mark McCabe is now one of those involved with RTÉ’s digital radio strategy, and he is using the Pulse name – and apparently some of the station’s old tags and one-liners – for RTÉ’s new digital dance station.
Currently test-broadcasting with classic dance hits, house, disco and trance, RTÉ Pulse’s first live transmission will be from the Planet Love festival taking place this weekend in Fairyhouse, Co Meath.
Charting the ins and outs of independent music culture in Ireland is the ambitious aim of the Underground exhibition and publication, to be launched next week in conjunction with the Darklight festival.
Curated by artists and musicians Peter Maybury and Dennis McNulty, Underground will take place in the basement of Dublin’s Road Records and feature work by Garrett Phelan, Sarah Pierce, Adam Sutherland, Francis McKee, Robin Watkins, Stephen Rennicks and Angela Detanico and Rafael Lain.
A limited publication documenting pop’s past and present will also be available.
Underground runs from June 27th to July 6th.
Having shown station chiefs that she can pull in the listeners with her Last Splash show, Today FM’s Alison Curtis takes over the Monday to Thursday 10pm to midnight slot (the one formerly known as The Blast) from next Monday.
Bonde do Role (version two) play Belfast’s Stiff Kitten on August 2nd and Dublin’s Crawdaddy on August 3rd.
The Seasick Steve-endorsed Canuck band The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir plug their Ten Thousand album with shows at Derry’s Sandino’s (July 23rd), Belfast’s Black Box (24th), Galway’s Cuba (25th), Skibereen’s Cork X Southwest fest (26th) and Dublin’s Crawdaddy (31st)
The latest bunch of names for the sold-out Electric Picnic are the ones playing in the brand new Improvised Music Company tent. I reckon there are loads and loads of more additions to come so stay tuned. Anyway, line-up for the IMC tent as follows:
Friday
Terry Callier (the long overdue return of TC to Ireland)
Lou Rhodes (the ex-Lamb singer played in ‘06 and she was excellent)
Fovea Hex
Dobet Gnahore
At First Light
Electric Miles
Think of One
Saturday
The Mornington Singers
Rachel Unthank & The Winter Set
Crash Ensemble
MSG
Yurodny
Havana Son
Mercedes Peon
Mahmoud Fadl’s United Nubians
Sunday
Dublin City Big Band with Cormac Kenevey
Iarla O’Lionaird’s Invisible Fields
Jah Wobble Chinese Dub (hurrah!)
Dengue Fever (if you don’t know this lot, check them out pronto, folks)
Ibrahim Electric
Yes, you’ve read that right, there’s going to be a live show at Dun Laoghaire’s Festival of World Cultures in August from some of the musicians featured in the stunning Ethiopiques series, including the mighty Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatqe, Getachew Mekurya, Alemayehu Eshete and the fantastic Either Orchestra.
We were alerted in the first place to the existence of the IMRO New Sounds Stage at Oxegen 2008 by OTR reader Insider Trading (thanking you) in the post below and then Rocks came up with a few acts.
Here’s the full line-up, pop-pickers
Saturday
Blood Red Shoes
Codes
Gary Go
The Cades
Oppenheimer
Sons Of Albion
New Amusement
The Golden Silvers
The Red Labels
Future Chaser.
Sunday
Dry Country
Team Waterpolo
Halves
Crayonsmith
The Rocket Summer
Brothers Movement
The Hazy Janes
Fighting With Wire
Arno Carstens
The Television Room
Regular readers will remember that last summer saw all sorts of things (usually festival line-ups) falling off the back of trucks driving through the On The Record’s hood. Well, it seems those trucks are back because a big chunk of the line-up for the DEAF 2008 festival in Dublin in October has just arrived.
The big one will be a bash at The Village, Whelan’s and Upstairs at Whelan’s on Sunday 26 featuring Model 500 (Juan Atkins live with the Underground Resistance crew, including Mike Banks), the Moritz Von Oswald Trio (with Maurizio, Max Louderbauer and Vladislav Delay), Laurent Garnier, the D1 international showcase with AEOD, Annie Hall, Comtron and Baiyon plus even more acts.
During the actual festival from October 22 to 27, there will be DEAF collaborations with UMACK, Forever, Choice Cuts, Foggy Notions, Sweettalk, Maximum Joy, !Kaboogie and Electricity which means appearances in the capital from Nurse with Wound, Harmonia, M83 (with Channel One, Vicar Street, October 24), the fecking awesome Chrome Hoof (Whelan’s, October 25), Andy Votel, Fuck Buttons, Glen Underground, Trans AM (The Village, October 24) plus lots more.
There will also be DEAF events at such galleries as This is Not a Shop, Pallas Studios and the Gallery of Photography, a programme of experimental films from Spain and Africa and technical talks and demos in the Science Gallery.
Best of all, there’s the return of the fantastic DEAF Junior programme with workshops for kids in Sean MacDermott St, Ballymum, Clondalkin and Tallaght featuring D1 producers as the workshop tutors.
We’re now waiting for a truck to drive by with details of DNA.
As the best news reporter in the business noted last week, Lovebox is on its way back to Ireland on August 23. The Groove Armada-helmed fest was a POD joint last year, but we understand that MCD have now taken over the reins. As for acts, we keep hearing reports about Kasabian, but that could just be the air-conditioning rattling.
MCD are really getting their dancing shoes on in the coming months and are planning an event called Digital Noise Art for the October Bank Holiday weekend in Dublin. Yes, DNA. Hold on a second. DNA? That sounds very like, er, DEAF, the independent electronic music festival which has been running since 2002 over the October Bank Holiday weekend in Dublin. Surely MCD wouldn’t be considering running a spoiler festival the same weekend? Would they?
As our readers noted over the weekend, the Electric Picnic seems to be sold out. POD’s attention at the moment, though, is probably on the not insignificant matter of some €432,000 which IMRO are seeking from them for outstanding royalties. Judge Peter Kelly adjourned the case yesterday for three weeks to see if the dispute can be resolved through mediation.
UPDATE: John Reynolds and POD Concerts have now issued a statement through their PR reps about this court case, especially regarding reports elsewhere about how it could impact on the Electric Picnic:
The Electric Picnic 2008 is not in doubt or in jeopardy contrary to press and media reports over the last number of days.
POD Concerts is in dispute with IMRO over certain issues relating to the high fees charged by IMRO to it for “public performance” of music which are in addition to the fees paid to the artists to perform. IMRO is seeking to charge POD Concerts for performances from non-music artists involved in the Electric Picnic.
POD Concerts have been in longstanding discussions with IMRO about the issues, however IMRO has recently chosen to issue proceedings rather than mediate the disagreement. IMRO had previously refused payment from POD Concerts of the amounts now in dispute.
IMRO has not sought an injunction against Electric Picnic 2008 or any other music events promoted by POD Concerts pending a decision in the case.
In addition, in the meantime, the High Court has agreed with POD Concerts’ offer to pay the disputed fees into a holding account, and POD Concerts has confirmed that it will pay IMRO’s fees for Electric Picnic 2008 and so will be fully entitled to stage the event.
Recognising POD Concerts’ request to discuss the issues with IMRO rather than litigate, the High Court has ordered IMRO to mediate the dispute before it will hear its case.
Mercury Rev embark on an Irish tour in October/November with shows at Cork’s Cyprus Avenue (October 31, tickets €30), Galway’s Roisin Dubh (November 1, tickets €32.50/€30), Dublin’s Vicar Street (November 2, tickets €33.60) and Belfast’s Mandela Hall (November 4, tickets £16).
There’s obviously going to be a date on November 3 too unless the band want a night off. Two nights in Vicar Street perhaps? Or what about the Spirit Store? Sure, isn’t it on the road to Belfast?
Per On The Record readers below, the band are also playing a date at the Kilkenny Arts Festival in August. The festival will also feature Spiritualized playing in the local cathedral with a gospel choir.
Well, we’re not going to find out what Silvio Ganley’s plans are for the future if we’re to rely on the likes of Vincent Browne and Eamon Dunphy.
On Nighty Night With Vincent Browne on Friday, the grand poobah was getting busy in a BK bathroom with what was left of the Lisbon Treaty. What was interesting to note was how Vinnie treated his guests. Mary Hanafin was ignored, Patrica McKenna was tolerated and Alan Dukes was told to stay quiet. But referendum man of the match, Silvio, was treated with the kind of respect visiting heads of state and young starlets normally get. Every time Dukes went to make a point about what had been said, Vinnie told him to hush and stared at Silvio with those puppy-dog eyes of his. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered such a soft interview outside of an RTE chat show featuring some lass from Fair City. Very strange behaviour from the host - and there wasn’t even a hint of a sigh or a groan from him.
On Saturday morning, Silvio was back on the airwaves, this time with Eamon Dunphy asking the questions on Conversations with The Great Man. Surely this was going to a proper interview? Surely Eamon would ask some questions which Silvio wouldn’t be able to blarney away to one side by refering to footing turf on a bog or telling the Latvian government what to do? Surely there would be blood on the airwaves? Er, no, another love-in with Silvio.
Puzzling behaviour altogether from the Irish media seniors. Either there’s absolutely nothing remotely controversial about Silvio or the two lads are just totally infatuated with him and his brave new political world. At least if Silvio wants to start a new magazine or take over a football team, he’ll know who to go to for advice.
As Matt Vinyl noted in a post below, the hugely talented jazz pianist died in a scuba diving accident in Sweden at the weekend. There are pieces about the incident in the Guardian and All About Jazz.
Svensson was the leader of EST, a jazz trio who were frequent visitors to Ireland and were easily capable of filling a venue like Vicar Street to capacity for a couple of nights in a row. An EST show was (how sad it is to have to use the past tense) an emotional tour-de-force, the three players crafting a sound which was dramatic, sensual and uplifting, taking a willing audience in many different, giddy directions, but without ever repeating a step or glancing at a map. It’s very sad and strange to realise we’ll never see Svensson at the piano again. RIP
How good was Lykke Li? C’mon people, how good was she? Thursday night and the Sugar Club is rammed to the rafters. You know it’s a real sold out gig because people keep rolling to up the door and getting turned away. It’s the third time I’ve seen her this year and she just gets better and bolder and brighter and brasher as time goes by. Quote of the night from the stage? “There’s no need to sit down, I’m not the Dalai Lama”. Song of the night? “Breaking It Up” which was quite outrageous, much punchier than the album version. Strangest moment of the night? The cover version of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It?” which sounded like Bob the Builder’s “Can We Fix It?”. She’s a star, baby, a star. Here’s a video for “Dance Dance Dance” - I don’t know if this is an official video or not, but it will put a smile on your face this Monday morning.
As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday June 14, 10pm-midnight.
I was out on the tear on Saturday night, so Derek Byrne stood in for me and this is what the Album Archive fella played.
Aphex Twin – Windowlicker
Prince – Kiss
Cut Copy – Hearts On Fire (Calvin Harris Mix)
Dan Deacon – Snakes Mistakes
Deerhunter – Heatherwood
Simian Mobile Disco – Wooden (Dan Toneepro Mix)
MGMT – Electric Feel (Justice Mix)
Sissy Wish – Float
The Hush Sound – The Boys Are So Refined
The Dodos – Red & Purple
My Morning Jacket – Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt 2
Weezer – The Weight
Subways – Shake Shake
White Denim – All You really Have To Do
Seasick Steve – Dog House Boogie (live)
Tom Waits – God’s Away On Business
Leonard Cohen – Famous Blue Raincoat
Neil Diamond – Pretty Amazing Grace
Bon Iver – Flume
Guillemots – Woody Brown River
The Music – Strength in Numbers
Albert Hammond Jr – GfC
CSS Vs Tom Tom Club – Lets Make Love (Streetlife DJs remix)
Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal
Here’s the press release from the mighty MCD
In order to combat ticket touting, a limited number of extra weekend camping tickets for the sold out OXEGEN festival will go on sale this Friday 20 June.
Following concerns from genuine fans last year about ticket touting and signs that tickets for this year’s festival have been selling on various unofficial websites for as much as €486, a limited number of extra tickets have been made available and fans are strongly advised to only purchase tickets via the OXEGEN website (www.oxegen.ie) or through Ticketmaster. 3 day camping tickets sold out over 3 months ago within days of going on sale.
I’m beginning to wonder if there is really such a thing any more as a sold-out gig. OK, so some shows (like last night’s awesome Lykke Li gig at the Sugar Club in Dublin) are sold out but the gigs in fields always seem to have room for a few more punters. Didn’t “limited extra tickets” go on sale for the Lenny Cohen shows too? Are music promoters the new estate agents and are we going to have to get proof in the shape of Ticketmaster manifests when they announce a show is sold out? Or did someone come up with a new dictionary definition of “sold out” when we weren’t looking?
There’s an intereview with maverick Waterford-born promoter Vince Power in today’s Ticket where he talks about his new UK festival, A Day at the Hop Farm. The festival will feature Neil Young, Primal Scream, Supergrass, My Morning Jacket and tons more.
While Power talks a bit (only a bit, unfortunately) about the rivalry with MCD’s Denis Desmond and selling his Mean Fiddler company to a constorium featuring Desmond and American live music giants Live Nation, he has some strong views about VIP areas at festivals:
It’s the prawn-sandwich brigade, isn’t it? We asked a bunch of 18- to 25-year-olds for their opinions on how music festivals were run. We found that most of the people were really pissed off about how, after buying a ticket, they were made to feel not good enough. Their wristband couldn’t get them in to this area or that area and there was far too much branding around.
I’ve been watching the festival market for the last couple of years, and I feel that the punters - who should be at the core of the festival - are getting more and more frustrated with the experience. At some of these festivals, the person who has actually paid for a ticket ends up feeling the lowest in the pecking order. It’s now time to get back to basics and return the festival to the punters. And remember, because of all the changes in the music industry, bands are relying more and more on live performances than they did before. I really believe this new festival could be the start of a major change in how festivals will be run.
It’s an interesting notion, but I have a feeling the cost of a ticket, the line-up, the facilities, the atmosphere, the history (chequered or otherwise) and other such issues are more important when it comes to why people are thinking twice about festivals. I’ve never heard anyone giving out about areas for Very Impotent People at gigs or festivals. Or am I wrong and are people really raging against the VIP area?
I know, I know, I bet you think I’m making this up. But no, we now have a THIRD gig cancellation this week, coming hot on the heels of Prince and MIA. This one, though, is the big one, the one which will get every single one of you fuming with rage. Read on….
(more…)
The Oxegen mega-fest may be sold-out (and you’re probably not going to be buying tickets for Lenny Kravitz), but it’s not too late to take in a mid-July festival and have a bit of a holiday abroad while you’re at it.
EXIT will be in full swing at the Petrovaradin fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia, from July 10th to 13th, with appearances from N*E*R*D, Sex Pistols, Paul Weller, Gossip, Afrika Bambaataa and hundreds more.
Those who want to go Italian should check out Italia Wave, happening this year in Livorno in Tuscany from July 16th to 19th. Acts digging into the fine backstage catering will include Gnarls Barkley, The Verve, The Ting Tings (video below for the still awesome “That’s Not My Name” from the band first plugged by the mighty Una Rocks a full year ago), The Chemical Brothers and many more. The cost? A mere €40 for a weekend pass.
Urban tales of every hue are on offer from the We Are Here mini-fest organised by the Project Arts Centre and Dublin Docklands Development Authority.
The latest We Are Here takes place in various city spaces from June 23rd to July 5th.
Musical highlights include brazen Waterford lasses You’re Only Massive’s Disco-nnect, featuring a guided walking tour of the South Docklands followed by a gig.
There’s also We Are Here To Party, featuring homegrown hip-hop from Ophelia and Redsquare, Arabic percussion from Tarab and Balkan and Gypsy fusion beats from Romania’s DJ Dubase.
One for budding sound engineers to note on the back of a cigarette packet: Dublin’s Sound Training Centre holds open days on June 28th and August 23rd.
What vinyl countdown? US record industry scorekeepers the RIAA say vinyl shipments were up a staggering 36 per cent in 2007 compared to the previous year.
The Flat Lake Festival in Clones, Co Monaghan, on August 23rd-24th will feature loads of literary types (including Seamus Heaney and Paul Muldoon) plus music from Henry McCullough’s Flat Lake All-Star Band and others.
Big shout to Major Alfonso for pointing us towards this statement from M.I.A. explaining why she’s blowing out her tour. Strangely, she sounds like someone from SoCoDu.
“I’m canceling because I feel like physically I just have to stop for a second. It’s too insane. I was losing a sense of just, like, reality, you know what I mean? I think for an artist like me, it’s so important for me to be in the streets and go to the same shop every day and see the same people and, like, communicate. And it’s really difficult to do that when you’re in the city every day for 24 hours. Like, I love connecting with my band, but I want to actually help them and be a part of peoples’ lives. Which is really hard when you’re on tour.
“It takes a lot out of you, physically. I make club music, which means I’m clubbing every night for, like, six months. Know what I mean? So now and again you finally just want to be gardening and get your nails done or something like that.”
I was reading somewhere that gardening was the new rock’n'roll so M.I.A. is just embracing the zeitgeist. By the way, great weather at the moment for growing mint and courgettes.
Hands up who wants to go to see Fleet Foxes and Beach House when they play Dublin this coming Saturday night?
Thanks to our pals at Aiken Promotions, I have a pair of tickets to give away to go see this fantastic double bill with the wonderful Foxes and the excellent Beach House at Whelan’s on Saturday. The show is nearly sold-out - it will probably sell out after people read the 5 out of 5 review for the Fleet Foxes debut album in tomorrow’s Ticket, dontchaknow - and you really will want to be there so you can tell your kids and grandkids “I was there”.
Seeing as you lot know nothing about ice-hockey (but, hey, it turns out that there is another Detroit Red Wings fan writing for the paper) and I’m blanking Euro 2008 because I ended up with Greece and Sweden in a dodgy rigged sweepstakes, it’s going to be an easy-peasy music-related question.
Fleet Foxes hail from Seattle. Name your favourite band or musician from Seattle and tell us why they rule.
As always, the judge’s decision is final (that’s me, by the way) and I’m looking for wit, sarcasm, enthusiasm, eccentricity, thinking outside the box, a couple of days off and a toasted club sandwich on brown bread from Fallon & Byrne’s, but you can’t always get what you want. Competition runs until sundown today and I’ll announce the winner tomorrow morning.
If you haven’t done so already, download “White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes here and get humming.
And big thanks to Padraic for pointing me towards this video of Fleet Foxes live in London last night
As you’d expect, the web is alive with opinions and theories on the Prince cancellation yesterday. One poster on the Prince fan site Housequake has pointed out that Prince himself is contractually forbidden from commenting, so cannot defend himself against implications that he personally was behind the cancellation.
I’m deliberately not linking to these posts (and will remove all such links from any comments which follow), as some of the related material is difficult to substantiate, and I’d imagine there are a lot of legal teams standing by in the wings.
By the way, in the interests of balance, I asked a spokesperson for MCD for a comment on some of the other allegations raised by Housequake and was told they were “a pile of shite”.
Oh yes, stand by your beds. MIA has pulled her show at Dublin’s Tripod, her second no-show in Ireland (remember the tent?). In fact, she’s pulled her entire European tour.
Like this little fecker yesterday, there will probably be a lot of fuming about this one as the day goes on. Anyone got any Panadol? I have a feeling it’s going to be another long day.
Here we go, more acts for the Electric Picnic
Santogold
Crystal Castles
Chromeo
Elbow
Cut Copy
Digital Mystikz
Tiga
Hercules & Love Affair (Antony-less, we presume)
Antibalas
Gomez
Gemma Hayes
Giveamanakick
Super Extra Bonus Party
The Black Lips
Carbon/Silicon
The Faint
The Presets
Digitalism
The Congos
The Herbaliser
Stand by for some breaking news today on the first big no-show of the season. We believe the sick note will be as good as Bertie’s explanation about winning all that cash on the horses.
UPDATE Prince has cancelled his show at Dublin’s Croke Park next Monday. Per promoters MCD, 55,161 tickets were sold for this show (by the way, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a major promoter give a ticket tally like this for a show). The reason for the cancellation is given as “due to reasons beyond the control of PRINCE and MCD Productions”.
More from Mister Adrian Crowley as he travels the lenghth and breadth of the big island to the right of us supporting Silver Jews and Vetiver. In this installment, our hero takes a spin from Coventry to Cambridge, meets the coolest 12 year old in Manchester, has trouble finding his way out of the venue in Glasgo, hears a possible shaggy dog story of the tightrope-walking Chinese bull mastiffn and goes in search of the best single malt whisky in Aberdeen.
(more…)
There has been a rake of cancelled Irish shows in the past few weeks, due to illness, missed ferries or our old friend “unforseen circumstances”. The roll-call of bands who’ve blanked Ireland - or who were blanked by Irish audiences - now includes Santogold, Gregory Isaacs, Mystery Jets, Black Mountain and, of course, the Animal Collective palaver.
It will be interesting to see if any of the big acts heading to Ireland in the coming weeks pull a sickie or some other variation on the “unforseen circumstances” excuse. Indeed, there’s a lot of chatter doing the rounds at the moment that one high-profile show due to be held in Dublin this month is about to be cancelled (as a spokesperson for the promoter has categorically denied that this is the case, I’m not including the act’s name here).
However, as only the promoter and those who have access to Ticketmaster’s daily ticket tallies really knows exactly how a show is doing, don’t expect to hear the real reason - ie tickets just did not sell - if a show is pulled. We really hope promoters will be imaginative with their reasons for pulling gigs this summer - what about a dose of scurvy or getting arrested for going on the rampage in some redneck town in the United States?
Ah, yesterday did the heart good as a team of Premier County young guns took the fight to Cork and came away victorious. It was a fantastic performance from a team who are just getting better and better as the year goes on. Best of all, they didn’t panic when Cork went ahead or when Cathal Naughton was dancing jigs in midfield. They just cooled the jets and faced down Cork again and again and again. Eoin Kelly’s goal was a peach, but it was also brilliant to see Liam Sheedy throwing on Michael Webster to run rings around Diarmuid O’Sullivan. That’s when you knew it was going to be a Tipp-top day.
But I don’t think I’ve ever heard as much rubbish before any match as the guff about this Tipp-not-beating-Cork-in-Cork-since-the-dawn-of-time. And believe me, I’ve heard a lot of hurling guff down through the years. Yeah, they hadn’t won there in 80 years, but there had only been six Cork v Tipp games by the Lee in that time. I listened to Micheal O Muircheartaigh’s first half commentary on the radio and he never stopped going on about it. That and the fact that O Muircheartaigh’s commentary was hugely biased to the team in red (oh yes, it was) sent me to the TV and the rather flat Marty Morrissey view on what was happening on the pitch.
O Muircheartaigh also treated the overcrowding issue very lightly, saying it would be good for the spectators to get close to the action. What, to get a belt of a hurley from Conor O’Mahony or Ben O’Connor? To get trampled on by a rampaging Seán Óg Ó hAilpín? No, the Munster council, Cork GAA and the Pairc Ui Chaoimh mandarins were very lucky no-one was hurt or seriously injured. We always knew that over-crowding was not just something which happened on Hill 16 when the Dubs are playing so lets hope this is take seriously and never happens again. Trying to blame it on the design of the tickets or people coming late to the ground (as some Munster council goon claimed on Morning Ireland this morning) is not good enough. This could be Babs all over again and we don’t want that.
It was interesting that former Clare keeper Davy Fitzgerald (on last night’s Sunday Game) was the only one to pick up on how hard it must have been for Brendan Cummins to mind the Tipp net surrounded by that kind of crowd. Remember that he saved a penalty and a couple of other dead-cert goals with a couple of hundred red shirts standing right behind him. At last Cummins has an even temper - I’d hate to think what would have happened if it was Cork v Clare and someone started to have a go at Fitzgerald, a man easily riled when he was playing inter-county hurling.
Anyway, enough about the big game. I hear the gig from this blog’s favourite laughing boys Radiohead at Malahide Castle was a hoot altogether. Anyone know if this really was the first ever non-smoking open-air gig in Ireland? Anyone cycle? Anyone have their bike nicked? Anyone have a good time?
Sweeping generalisation one: most Danish bands feature at least six or seven members. Seriously, it’s like they went down to the Band Shop and said “supersize us please”. Maybe there’s something about it in the Lisbon Treaty. I mean, it covers everything else, right?
The new Alphabeat? That may well be Dúné, a big bunch (yep, sweeping generalisation one applies here, there were seven of them onstage) of kids playing high-energy punky, metally, ravey pop. A packed tent screamed and screamed and then screamed some more at these under-age rascals. The only people not screaming were horrified twentysomething hipsters looking askance at what was happening. Yes dudes, they’re younger and better than you.
But there were younger acts at Spot. On the Friday afternoon, there was consternation in the corrider as people jostled with security to get into one heaving room. I thought it would come to fisticuffs at one stage. Inside, you had to push your way to the very front to see what was going on. Behold Electrojuice, one 14 year old and one 15 year old armed with an iBook and a mixer pumping out evil bass-tastic electro with all manner of twists and turns to it. It was the kind of thing you could imagine wowing the hordes at Sonar some summer. Delightful
Other acts who made me nod my head over the weekend included The Radio Dept (a lush Swedish version of New Order before they became bloated and boring), Hymns From Nineveh (like Bon Iver, Jonas Peterson abandoned the big city for a cellar in the countryside to write his tunes), Atoi (freak-folk abandonment with kooky bits and pieces, including a weird-as-they-come remix/reworking of Bjork’s “Army Of Me), Jong Pang (Abders Rhedin puts together another big bloody band to play extra-terrestrial Broken Social Scene pop), Monkey Cup Dress (see video for “Honolulu” below) and Snoleoparden (former Ravi Shankar student turns into Nordic Panda Bear dude).
Sweeping generalisation two: every Danish band seems to feature a female cello player. Like sweeping generalisation one, you can probably chalk this down to the Danish educational system and the fact that students seem to take the idea of making and playing music very seriously.
If you think the Irish government is taking its time to pony up cash for rock and pop ventures, remember that it took 25 years for the Danish government to see the light and begin to fund ventures like Spot and the Rosa international music office. That was one of many interesting nuggets of info discovered at Saturday morning’s speed dating session where Danish and international delegates had 10 minutes to pick each other’s brains.
Sweeping generalisation three: the Danish music industry is peopled by some very smart cookies with some smashing ideas. While Denmark may be a bit like Ireland (not only did we both join the EU on the same day but we share have a fondness for dairy products and Friesian heifers), its music industry is far more advanced with dozens and dozens of thriving, ambitious, professional, forward-looking labels, management companies, publishing companies and business which do all of the above and a whole lot more beside. And they also network like it’s going of fashion. As we see again and again, the Irish just don’t do the network thing very well or even at all.
Oh and the city of Arhus is gorgeous. Well worth a visit. Especially the beach. But probably not at 4.30am.
Greetings from sunny Arhus where things got swinging at this year’s Spot festival last night. Over three nights, 116 bands from Denmark and elsewhere in Europe (plus a few acts from Canada and China to keep everyone happy) will be playing in a load of venues around town.
The festival has been running since 1995 with ROSA, the Danish rock council, taking care of business. They’re the ones who ensure that the bands play not just to hundreds of happy Danish music fans, but also dozens and dozens of bookers, festival promoters, music industry pros and journalists from out foreign.
Most of the action will take place in or around the city’s Musikhuset, a fine venue with a warren of rooms perfect for bands of all stripes. I suppose it’s a bit like the National Concert Hall, if the NCH was not a snobby and elitist enterprise which has no interest in engaging with any musical community beyond the classical gates and who are going to spend millions of your tax euros on a new building which will be more of the same.
Anyway, they do things differently up here in the cool North. For a start, it was the first music festival I’ve ever been at where a local poet got to kick off proceedings. For real. He recited a lengthy epic in Danish which everyone listened to in absolute silence before breaking into thunderous applause when he was finished. Maybe it was relief? Maybe it was due to the sentiments expressed in his ode? It’s at these times that my lack of Danish is really exposed. Still, good idea, yeah? Memo to Hard Working Class Heroes folk, give Seamus Heaney a holler and see if he is free in September.
There were only about a dozen acts playing last night, but three in particular were well worth the trip and the interesting diversion to Aalborg, thanks to Dublin aiport’s busted radar.
Number one, Murder. Usually a duo, they were joined onstage by a couple of chaps from Belgian band DAAU to make up an exquisitely bearded and bedraggled ensemble, perfect for this set of splendid, sombre and intense folky tunes. By all accounts, their “Stockholm Syndrome” album is the one to get up close and personal with if you’re in the mood for atmospheric Americana done the Nordic way.
Number two, Slow Club. Boy called Charles and girl called Rebecca. Boy plays guitar, girl bashes drum, both sing mighty fine, witty songs which are a little bit country, a little bit pop, a little bit rockabilly, a little bit Lenny Cohen and a whole lot of fun. Here’s a video for “Me & You”
And number three, Soko. She’s a French singer and actress called Stéphanie Sokolinski who, thanks to some local DJs picking up on a tune of hers called “I’ll Kill Her”, is huge in Denmark. Unlike Ireland, where we import awful muck like David Gray or Chris Rea or Tom Baxter, the Danes went for a kooky French singer who sings songs about peanut butter, cats and tigers. If they were remaking Juno and they needed some fresh tunes and Kimya Dawson wasn’t up to the task, Soko would be perfect. Have a look at the cheap as chips video for “I’ll Kill Her”. More from Spot tomorrow.
Time to turn on the Darklight. This month’s digital art, film and technology festival has copious opportunities for chin-stroking in public places, with seminars, workshops, performances, screenings and exhibitions.
The festival menu features some interesting music flicks. There’s a welcome airing of John T Davis’s seminal Shellshock Rock, his look at the Northern Ireland punk scene of the late 1970s.
Documentaries from Darragh McCarthy and Stephen Rennicks focus on the capital’s music scene from nearly a decade ago. McCarthy’s The Stars Are Underground remembers the DIY scene of the late 1990s through the eyes of some of the participants, while Rennicks’s Last Night of the Funnel documents the final, frantic night at that seminal venue.
Darklight runs from June 26th to 29th.
This year’s Dublin Electronic Arts Festival (Deaf) sees the introduction of two new music awards.
The Varese Award will be given for contemporary music composition in the field of ambient music, while the Diffusion Electro-acoustic Music Prize will be awarded for a new electro-acoustic work.
Deaf is also planning a double-CD to showcase the work of new Irish electronic music producers and is currently seeking contributions.
Full information on how to enter for the awards or submit material for the CD is at their website.
Deaf runs in various Dublin venues from October 22nd to 27th.
Surf’s up. Travis, Supergrass, The Zutons, Seasick Steve, Cathy Davey and more play the Cois Fharraige fest in Kilkee, Co Clare from September 5th to 7th.
Now that you can buy Radiohead tracks individually on iTunes, the only superstars still saying “no thanks” to Apple are The Beatles, AC/DC and Garth Brooks.
If you’re on the road to Barcelona and spot an earnest man with an acoustic guitar, it may be Damien Rice. He announced this week that he’s planning to record a new album on his current road-trip to Catalonia.
If there is one man who will truly relish all that a recession will throw at us, it is the RTE economics chief bottle-washer. George Lee was in raptures on yesterday’s news bulletins on radio and TV as he went through the Mazars’s report on the current state of the Irish business environment and tied it all in with a sorry day for Irish banks as their share price collapsed as easily as Waterford’s hurlers on Sunday. The news editors had to get someone else to analyse Ryanair’s failure to stockpile oil when it was lower in price for fear that Boy George would explode from it all. Oh yes baby, the economic chickens are coming home and he’s just the man to show them where to go.
For all that, though, Lee talking tough about the economy is far more agreeable than the gallery of gombeens who usually do the business reports. Their kingdom is that slot before the 8am news on Morning Ireland. Led by chief jargon cheerleader John Murray, a man who is to business reporting what Des Cahill is to clear, sharp and entertaining sports commentary, these reporters follow the same script every morning without fail. There are a few gentle questions lobbed at a company CEO (who has probably been up since 4.20am consulting with his PR advisors for this one minute breakfast of banalities), a check on what happened in Tokyo overnight (er, not much) and “a quick check” on the currency market. The same banalities, the same soft-soaping, the same abuse of the English language every single morning. Of course, this will continue going forward. See? It’s catching.
What will be interesting to see (the temptation to write “going forward” here is hard to resist but I managed it) is if this mild, insider-dealing way of reporting about business will continue as the recession bites. Will we still have CEOs allowed to waffle on at length using the latest buzzwords about the record losses their companies have accumulated? Or will we get reporters who actually can tackle these issues and ask some tough questions? With more companies and banks going to the wall because of the rather stupid things they did during the boom when no-one was checking what was going on, there’s a need for tougher, more confrontational analysis. Maybe the solution is for RTE to have Boy George on 24/7. Recessionwatch, it has begun.
Well, sort of.
Thanks to our pals at POD Concerts, we have a pair of tickets to give away to see majestic German indietronica outfit The Notwist on Saturday night at Dublin’s Button Factory. You really want to see this show because (1) new album “The Devil, You + Me” is the business and (2) their Irish gig in 2002 was one of the finest shows I’ve ever seen.
And, just to make sure you can really have a big night out, we’ve also a pair of tickets for the Ed Banger do with DJ Mehdi and label boss Pedro Winter AKA Busy P at the same venue after The Notwist gig. You’ll even have enough time between shows to nip out to get a kebab or a sausage sandwich or some sushi (and no, we’re not paying for that). Judge’s decision is final and no reason will be given for that. No cash substitute given in lieu of the prize. Employees or those who earn a crust from the Irish Times, POD or the Button Factory are illegible (but Vodafone employees are OK because we’re nice like that).
Because none of you have a clue about ice-hockey, we’re not going down that route again when it comes to the question. To win, simply tell us in the comments below the name of your favourite German group and why they rock your world. Competition runs until 5.45pm today and I’ll pick the winner based on the usual grounds (ie mirth, wit, intelligence, amusement, enthusiasm etc)
To whet your appetite, here are The Notwist with “Chemicals” from their last album “Neon Golden”
Just how good were Bon Iver last night? Initial omens weren’t great because the gig was bumped up from Crawdaddy to Tripod (by all accounts, Ticketmaster take the blame/kudos for that one because their SNAFU allowed everyone who wanted to go to the show to go to the show), especially given the uneviable ability of Dublin audiences to talk their way through anything. But no, that didn’t happen. Instead, you could hear a pin drop (or bar-staff bang bottles together - they obviously didn’t get the memo) as the Bon Iver three played. As Justin Vernon admitted himself, they don’t really have a lot of songs, but, jeez, what songs, what eerie, elegant and enigmatic songs! As the bittersweet likes of “Skinny Love” and especially “The Wolves”, which sprouted wings and headed for the stars, made their mark, you wanted to go back again and again to the truly spell-binding “For Emma, Forever Ago” for more of that. Probably the best gig you’ll ever see from someone who used to flog mobile phones for a living on Galway’s Eyre Square.
Interesting to see last night’s gig didn’t end until after 11pm. Was it not the case that the recent Animal Collective show in Tripod was canned because of a 10.30pm curfew on Monday nights?
I have a feeling that the forthcoming show by Fleet Foxes in Dublin will be well worth catching. Yes, it’s on the same weekend as Danny Deacon, Lenny Cohen, Princey Prince, The DoDos and the Future Days fun and games, but the Foxes’s self-titled debut album is a five-star stunner and was the ideal soundtrack for a sunny weekend in Dublin 3. Fleet Foxes play Whelan’s on June 14.
I also spent the weekend reading the Lisbon Treaty from cover to cover. Very disappointing. Contrary to what Jim Corr and assorted other No campaigers have said, there’s no sci-fi aliens, conspiracy theories, new world orders, drugs, hookers or modern-day tales of Sodom and Gomorrah in it. I’d say they won’t be turning it into a film. Can I get a refund please?
Speaking of refunds (effortless Tuesday morning link, that)…. Our old friend “unforseen circumstances” popped up over the weekend to explain away the late, late cancellation of a Soundtrack ‘08 show by Mystery Jets. “Unforseen circumstances”, however, didn’t prevent them from doing a spot of DJ-ing at the Button Factory on Saturday night. Is “unforseen circumstances” promoter-code for “we didn’t sell any tickets and we’d better pull the gig before we have to pay them the very large fee we offered to make sure we got the gig rather than a rival promoter”?
Bo Diddley RIP. “If you ain’t got no money, ain’t nobody calls you honey”
Hear that? That’s the sound of the latest batch of additions for the Electric Picnic coming to a computer screen near you this week.
Calm down at the back, there’s a new Damien Rice album on the way. Here’s the word from the horse’s mouth
On June 1st 2008, myself and my friends Ryan (images) & Mia (navigation) set off on a last-minute road trip from Dublin to Barcelona, squished into my little ol’ mini with a portable recording studio. The idea is to stop off along the way in random places where I have to write and record a new song every day, either in the mini or outdoors on a rock or something. 10 days = 10 songs = album Nuevo. We’ll update as we go… if we’re anywhere near an internet connection that is. We hope to arrive in Barcelona on June 10th, or at least in time to go see Radiohead play on June 12th and then fly home for the Leonard Cohen dates. Yay!
Wonder how many tons of C02 emissions you’d get on a car-trip from Ireland to Barcelona?
The moaniest rock’n'roll interviewees of the year? That would be Coldplay talking to Craig McLean in The Observer. Lads, lighten up. And enough with the make-your-own-clothes schtick. Take Mark E Smith’s advice, go to Primark.
As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday May 31, 10pm-midnight.
Rockers Revenge “Walking On Sunshine” (Metronome)
The Clash “The Magnificent Seven” (CBS)
Malcom McLaren & The World’s Famous Supreme Team “Buffalo Gals”
(Virgin)
Trinidadian Steel Drummers “Cissy Strut” (Fat City)
Lyn Collins “Think” (People)
Reuben Wilson “Got To Get Your Own” (Charly)
Marlena Shaw “California Soul” (Capitol)
Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Band “Express Yourself” (Warner
Brothers)
Professor Longhair “Big Chief” (Watch/London)
The Meters “Chicken Strut” (Josie)
Bo Dillis & The Wild Magnolia Mardi Gras Indian Band “Handa Wanda”
(Minit)
Public Enemy “Bring the Noise” (Def Jam)
Michael Viner’s Incredible Bongo Band “Apache” (New Millennium)
The Upsetters “Return of Django” (Trojan)
The Specials “Message to You Rudi” (Two Tone)
Vampire Weekend “Bryn” (XL)
The Hold Steady “Stay Positive” (Rough Trade)
Lucky Dragons “I Keep Waiting for Earthquakes” (Marriage)
Dark Meat “Well Fuck You Then” (Vice)
Sissy Wish “Dwts” (Sissy Music)
John & Jehn “Dom” (Faculty)
Fleet Foxes “Sun It Rises” (Sub Pop)
Gotye “Heart’s A Mess (Lull remix)” (Lucky Number)
Camille “Ta Douleur” (EMI)
Tim Buckley “Dolphins” (Demon)
Bon Iver “Lump Sum” (Jagjaguwar)
This Mortal Coil “Song to the Siren” (4AD)
Jeff Buckley “Lilac Wine” (Columbia)
