On the record

Let's stop talking about Phoenix Park and do something. JIM CARROLLon music

IT WAS A classic Irish summer news story. Last weekend’s trio of shows in the Phoenix Park created headlines which had nothing to do with the fluff and froth which usually accompanies mainstream media music coverage. When the news desk rather than the showbiz desk is directing operations, there’s a different emphasis to the story.

All the elements for that classic were present and correct: open-air live concerts, atrocious weather, some nasty crimes, thousands of young people, the biggest live music company in the country, drink, drugs and three Swedish DJs playing bland trance music.

Mix ’em all together and you’ve a story to keep newspapers, radio shows and online gasbags in clover for a week.

One can only imagine the new angles which will be explored in this weekend’s media.

But let’s hope this story doesn’t simply get filed away until the next time something like this occurs. It’s not enough that we merely tut and sigh over the issues that arose from last weekend’s concerts, from the “big-picture stuff” about Irish society’s abusive relationship with alcohol to the questions promoters MCD need to answer about their management of the event.

We actually need to do something which goes against everything Irish: we need to stop talking and take action.

It suits all the vested interests (and there are many) for the talking to go on and on, but wouldn’t it be amazing if something actually happened as a result of all this?

One such move would be to make the licence application process for big outdoor events totally transparent, with proper public meetings and consultations.

It may be easier to avoid the issues and demonise dance music fans than do something like this, but it would be far better to be adult about all of this and take some long overdue action.

NEW MUSIC

MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER

Parisian singer Melody Prochet is Melody’s Echo Chamber, a lady whose psych-pop pitch is already producing some splendid fuzzy joy with tracks such as Crystallized. Her debut album, recorded with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, is due on Fat Possum in September.

[ Facebook.com/MelodysEchoChamber ]

SOCIETE

We know a handful of things about Societe. We know that The Horrors are big fans, we know that they’re probably from Reading and we know that forthcoming single for Roundtable Records, All That We’ve Become, sounds mighty. Check it out if you’re after a dramatic, engimatic wall of sound.

THE OTHER TRIBE

Six-strong Bristol band riding high with exuberant, tough, punky, infectious dance tunes such as Skirts. One listen to that and you can hear why Relentless Records were in like Flynn with an album deal.

[ Soundcloud.com/theothertribe ]

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For more see irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord