ListeningTo Adam Buxton's 2008 Festival Song, a hilarious and catchy take on throwing wine, nibbles and a collapsible yurt into the 4x4 and heading off to a music festival. See it at url.ie/czv7.
Watching
Ortis Deley’s Presenting Masterclass
, the compilation of his worst moments while presenting Channel 4’s World Athletics Championships coverage. It has been removed from YouTube, but it’s still floating around on video sites. You’ll watch it through your fingers.
PlanningTo catch Gillian Welch (pictured) at the Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin, or Belfast's Waterfront Theatre in November. Tickets went on sale yesterday. Her album The Harrow & The Harvestis one of the year's best.
PreparingFor a couple of months of major Dublin festivals: Dublin Contemporary starts this week, the Absolut Fringe next week and the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival in October. Culture Night is on September 23rd, too, in case you get bored in the five minutes between festivals.
GivingFive stars to Kill List. Ostensibly about a contract killer and his domestic concerns; its critics have struggled to synopsise this British film but not to dish out the praise.
CatchingBrad Mehldau in the Triskel Christchurch, Cork, on September 13th. We can't think of a better venue to see one of the great jazz pianists.
FlickingThrough John Gibson's Street scenes from a long forgotten Dublin, a collection of photographs on Facebook (search for it on Google). From traders in 1970s Dalkey to old bread vans and street ads, the city looks positively gorgeous.
CountingThe Metacritic score for The Guard. The US website aggregates film reviews, and it gives the Irish film an average of 78 out of 100. Box Office Mojo estimates it's made more than €12 million worldwide.
