Bodytonic gets its pepper in a twist over new club venue

Jim Carrollon music

WHILE there may be talk galore about doom and gloom in clubland due to changes in the licensing laws, Dublin club promoters Bodytonic continue to move onwards and upwards.

Their latest venture sees them taking over the lease at Traffic, the Middle Abbey Street venue which will soon be rebranded as the Twisted Pepper, and will feature shows by the likes of Meat Katie, Rob Hall, Santogold's DJ Martelo and others.

Probably the leading independent club promoters in the land, Bodytonic currently run nights at the POD complex (including Pogo, the venue's most popular club night), operate the Bernard Shaw boozer in Portobello and hosted stages at Electric Picnic and Malawi's Lake of Stars festivals.

Managing director Trevor O'Shea believes the new space on Middle Abbey Street will give the collective an opportunity to try out new ideas and ventures.

"We have scaled back a little in recent times in terms of the one-offs we're doing because we are conscious that we don't want to get in over our heads with new ventures ahead of this move," he says.

O'Shea adds that they haven't decided yet what to do about existing nights such as Pogo.

They won't, however, be getting the builders in to redo the Twisted Pepper.

"We'll update the sound system, get in some top quality gear and keep it relatively simply. What we loved about it is the space downstairs. It's a small, dark, dirty basement which is what we had when we started at Wax, and we never got that same atmosphere elsewhere."

Bodytonic will use the upstairs space for occasional digital art shows and exhibitions. "The venue is like the Bernard Shaw because you can do a range of different things there," notes O'Shea.

As for any downturn, O'Shea remains optimistic. "Bodytonic was born in the middle of a mini-recession back in 2000 and 2001. We couldn't have started at a worse time - the economy was bad and electronic music was supposed to be dead.

"It's not ideal to start in tough times but our ideas are good, we work hard and we're confident in the vision we have for the place. For all the talk of recession, people still want to go out and have fun."

'Fisherman's Blues' to get the Oh Yeah treatment

Earlier this year, Van Morrison's Astral Weeksalbum was recreated by a bunch of musicians at a live show at Belfast's Oh Yeah music centre.

That same venue hosts another classic album gig on September 28th with Fisherman's Bluesby The Waterboys under the spotlight.

Released in 1988, Fisherman's Bluesmixed big music and trad and became the band's biggest seller.

While chief Waterboy Mike Scott is unlikely to be there, he has told organiser Stuart Bailie that he considers the tribute gig to be "an honour".

Acts taking part in the Oh Yeah recreation include Matt McGinn, The Skin We're In, Ruby Colley and the excellent Scream Blue Murmur.

ETC

• Messiah J & The Expert plug album number three From The Word Gowith shows in Dublin (Andrew's Lane Theatre, Oct 18), Galway (Róisín Dubh, Nov 6), Belfast (Auntie Annie's, Nov 7) and Limerick (Trinity Rooms, Nov 14).

• 2FM's School Of Rock competition for secondary school bands is open for business. Would-be stars can apply at rte.ie/2fm/ schoolofrock

• Acts in demand this autumn include Al Green (playing an extra date at Vicar Street, Dublin on Oct 27), Tracy Chapman (three Olympia shows from Dec 10) and Wolf Parade (Nov 29) in Dublin's Vicar St.