Here comes the randomiser
Jim Carroll
Fabulous new issue of State magazine now available for you to click through here. Top-drawer features include Craig Walker from Power Of Dreams looking back on the years when those Dubliners were young and in their pomp, interviews with Animal Collective, Telepathe and Alison Curtis, a rake of reviews and John Walshe v internet begrudgers. All yours for 0 cent.
Gerry Ryan in “acting the maggot” shocker – who knew? You have to wonder if this palaver about pay-cuts is not some kind of weird attempt by his paymasters to push up his listeners. At least, we can now see the truth of that hoary old RTE saw that Ryan’s abysmal show was some sort of one-off advertising godhead, as no-one in the present climate is capable of doing that. Chin up dude, we’re sure that new refuge of the grumpy old man and taxi-drivers everywhere would welcome you with open arms.
U2 are on course to run up a first week tally of 450,000 copies of “No Tune On The Horizon” in the United States. Now, for any other band on the planet, that would be a good day’s work. But given the huge amount of front-loaded promo which U2 have engaged in for this album – including a cringey spell as house-band on the Late Show With David Letterman – and the fact that previous album “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb” shipped 840,000 copies in week numbero uno, it seems that the casual fans really have gone “meh” to this one – or maybe the era of “event CDs” is finally over. If it were not for the die-hards buying every version they could get their hands on, that tally might be a whole lot lower. Can’t see this malaise hitting ticket sales for the We Are Still The Kings Of The World We Think Pension Redux tour (as sponsored by BlackBerry – hey, they need the cash after album sales like that), though, especially with those limited low-low ticket prices to further up the hype. Per their tour schedule, the band play Dublin’s Croke Park on July 24 (tickets go on sale on March 20 and prices are currently TBA).
Don’t forget that One for the Road takes place at Dublin’s Andrew’s Lane Theatre on Saturday next with Jape (Choice Music Prize winner, dontchaknow), Si Schroeder, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Adrian Crowley, The Jimmy Cake and others playing live. Tickets are €20 plus booking fee.
Yet more bloggers defecting from the daily grind. The latest to sling her hook is Off Her Rocker who dramatically shrieks “feck this for a game of cowboys, I’m off” as she heads for the door. We always liked Naomi’s enthusiasm and attitude and the fact that she always stuck to her guns, even when out-gunned and out-numbered. But, man, they’re falling away like bankers at the moment, aren’t they? I blame Twitter.
Last week, we were raving about DM Stith. This week, we’re preparing for his live shows. He plays Dublin’s Crawdaddy on May 23 and Galway’s Roisin Dubh the following night. While you wait to get your mitts on his fabulous “Heavy Ghost” album, check out sessions recorded by Stith for The Torture Garden and Daytrotter. Hopefully, Ticketmaster and the promoters will get around to spelling his name right before the shows
Hey, anyone got any tips for Cheltenham they’d like to share with their fellow On The Record readers?
On your radio: New York/New Jersey’s/somewhere on the US east coast WFMU heads to Limerick for a live broadcast on March 27 with the station’s hop-hop show, Put the Needle on the Record, coming live and direct from Viva Music Studios in the city. Billy Jam’s show will feature performances from and chats with such acts as The Rubberbandits, Nora Ni Murchu (Tweak Festival), Code, Size2Shoes, Jay Red, Jimmy Lyons, True Blood Souljahz, Vince Mack Mahon, Rob Kelly and Kerry’s Lineage crew.
And finally, Lissy Trullie is one of 317 acts I’m aiming to see at SXSW 2009. Yep, it’s that time of year again when I and thousands of others will running like blue-arsed flies all around Austin, Texas.
10:02 am
That line up for the Road Recs gig is great, and is just another excuse to support a good cause. I’m really looking forward to it.
And while I’m sure Ian will be here soon saying the same, you just have to see the Wrens at SXSW. Far as can tell from their website, it’ll be their only gig for a while, especially since they’re recording a new record at the mo.
Comment by mark