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Gary Lightbody doesn’t like bloggers.
He wasn’t too impressed with my ‘i’m blogging this’ t-shirt.
So he took my camera from my hands and took this photo of himself, Ian Archer and me:
Later Stuart Bailie, Terri Hooley, Gary Lightbody and Joe Echo sang Gloria by Van Morrison:
This was followed by a set by Iain Archer
This was my Friday night…
I first listened to Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska album a few weeks ago. I tried hard to like it, but I just couldn’t. Each track has a story, more often than not quite a sad story, but the style of the album isn’t for me.
However, that doesn’t really matter. What is important is that each of the ten tracks from the album were performed brilliantly by ten local artists/bands.
the line-up was as follows:
Nebraska - Robyn G Shiels
Atlantic City - Ben Glover
Mansion On The Hill - Bap Kennedy
Johnny 99 - Jonny Black
Highway Patrolman - Rachel Austin
State Trooper - Boathouse
Used Cars - Desert Hearts
Open All Night - Matt McGinn
My Father’s House - Pixie Saytar
Reason To Believe - Brian Houston
My personal highlights were Rachel Austin’s intense version of Highway Patrolman and Boathouse’s unique take on State Trooper.
(more on flickr!)
Having realised that I’m spending at least £20 topping up my phone each month and getting very little beyond txts for that cost I thought it was time to get a contract. I went for the £25/ month deal with O2 - 200mins, 200 txts. Its not much more than what I was spending and there are a lot more benefits. Including of course I nice new phone, which was unexpected.
The nokia 6500 Slide is a beautiful phone. The slider is smooth and navigation is clean and simple. Having always been a fan of Nokia phones, I am pleased with this upgrade from my 3100 bought in Nov 2006.
It’s the first time I’ve used the icon/grid menu view - it wasn’t the default view on the previous phone, and I didn’t realise it was possible until the girl in the O2 shop told me. Having said that I never liked that view before. Until I began using it myself that is - now I do like it. But that’s nothing new. In fact there isn’t a lot on this phone that’s terribly new - just new to me.
It really does feel nice being able to listen to Stand By Me by Ben E King on Radio 2 walking to work in the morning. A feeling I had forgotten about since my iPod became an ornament over a year ago. Walking those (seemingly) empty streets; no distractions.
So far I’ve only found one problem - connecting it to my PC via the USB cable provided. Having installed the software it just doesn’t want to connect. Though Macs have Bluetooth built in…
All I want to do is fill the 20 MB with a couple of tracks by Tegan and Sara, Fionn Regan and Foy Vance, that and to transfer the pics I have taken with it to see if they will look half as impressive as they do on the phone.
There also seems to be a universal problem with accessing the net on the Opera Mini browser, which comes pre-installed and the Gmail App won’t connect either.
As a final downside; the battery life isn’t great.
Other than all that it’s a nice phone, a small improvement to my life.
Show 6 of Imeall Geal - Irish language music and culture show. I didn’t spend any time in the studio during recording so I can’t comment on how it went, or how much crap they talked in the links - all I know is that the two acts who performed are superb.
I have been meaning to hear more of Foy Vance’s music other than the two songs on the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack; Gabriel and the Vagabond and Homebird. Both incredible songs. I have wanted to see him playing for some time now. Unfortunately while at the recording of Imeall Geal yesterday afternoon I was not able to be there at the time he was playing, though being the super-nice guy that he is he agreed to a quick photo shoot.
I returned to the Arts Centre a couple of hours later for lots more coffee and reading of the Sunday Times magazine and other top notch reading material. Then of course there was Foy’s beautiful 4-year old daughter who was running around writing down the names of everyone who was there, telling us about her cat - which it turns out she doesn’t have - and generally being a very cute and entertaining.
Final piece to the show was the performance by The Flaws, I should have asked them what song they played as I could only hear them from outside the studio, though it sounded great. I saw them when they played Auntie Annies in Belfast over a year ago now, having just released their single Out Tonight - such an energetic song, one which has always gotten me in the mood for going out.
Once they got their stuff in the van we did a short shoot in the ‘Green Room’ - the only thing green was the chairs.
The Flaws are currently touring North and South of Ireland, finding themselves in the North on 26th March for a show in Sandinos in Derry (with support from a brilliant Dublin band Saccade) and Auntie Annies in April.
This show goes out on Thursday evening at 10pm. Or watch it via the BBC iPlayer as I will.
That time of year once more. Lets ignore it.
Thankfully there is plenty going on in Belfast this evening to keep me occupied.
The Knights of the Round Table are holding their usual jam packed night of fun with music from Kitty and the Can Openers, Serpentine Smile and Autorun plus plenty of extras including light electronica, poetry, “groovy” art displays, a local film and rice krispie valentines delights for the first fifty people through the door.
The Winding Stair are headlining Gifted at the Empire along with Eoghan Colgan, Ursula Burns and Dolbro Dan. A great acoustic lineup..
If you head a little further into town Olympic Lifts are releasing their new single ‘I Am Cursed’ which is available now to download. Well worth checking out.
With a lot of choice of gigs and music, I guess there’s not much reason to be alone tonight. x
The shortlists for the blog awards were released yesterday. A lot of fine blogs about. I have been shortlisted for best photoblog. This year there are a few others from Northern Ireland to be shortlisted:
Goodonpaper (Best Designed Blog)
No Clarity (Best Arts and Culture Blog)
Stuart Bailie (Best Music Blog)
Alan in Belfast (Best News/Current Affairs Blog)
Well Done Fillet (Best Food and Drink Blog)
Slugger O’Toole (Best Political Blog)
Unfortunately Gavin Mullan (headphoneland.com), winner of the best Photo Blog category last year, was not shortlisted.
Hopefully we can get a win somewhere. These are excellent blogs in the running.
Good luck.
That mountain over yonder always look appealing. I often stare at it from my work on the 9th floor, I stare at it when I’m walking in the street and on the bus. Its always there, just outside the city, looking all natural, vast and full of nature - yet I never get very close to it.
So on Wednesday afternoon, having left work early, I had enjoy the shining sun before heading home, and always in search of something different I decided to take a trip on the 1b bus along the Antrim Road.
First stop, Bellevue Arms. I always remember this bar as I pass it going along the motorway, generally on my way to Portstewart throughout my childhood, and I have always wanted to get up to where it is, as it is beside the bridge the road goes under. As I got closer to it I actually felt excited to finally be close to it, then going inside. I wasn’t drinking, neither was Ronan, so we left again.
After uncovering one of those great mysteries of my life, we headed to the zoo. Well to the entrance to the zoo at least. The decision was made just a short while before that the zoo would be left until Saturday, so we went to Cave Hill Country Park.
A s I said above, I see the mountains which surround Belfast every day - they’re kinda hard to avoid - and I do always gaze at them, wishing I was there. It wasn’t long before I regretted wearing converse. With a small bit of mud, and lots of uphill walking struggling, we made it to McArts Fort, which stand almost 368 metres (about 1200 feet) above sea level. From here there is a truly spectacular view of Belfast (the North and the lough at least).
At the Fort there is a cave, but it was far too cold to make any effort to get inside. After taking it all in, and taking some photos, we made it back down before it got dark. Thankfully there was a couple infront of us to lead us back as it had gotten dark before we made it to Belfast Castle.
Being at the top of a mountain (or large hill) looking down on the city is quite an experience. The idea of all those people doing such a multitude of general activities, all the while I’m at the top of a mountain. Watching over it all.
As far as I remember I have never been to Belfast Castle, though probably at some time when I was younger, like so many things. Taking a look around inside it seems like it would have been a nice place to live, which is what its primary use was from it was built in 1870 until being presented to the City of Belfast in 1934.
So having had a taster, I was looking forward to doing it all again on Saturday, as I did with Miriam, visitor to Belfast for another 2 1/2 weeks. Having not been to the zoo in quite a few years, a trip was definitely in order, and now I finally had someone who was didn’t think it a totally ridiculous idea.
As anyone in Belfast will know, Saturday, and indeed each day so far this week since, was a beautiful day. My coat stayed in my bag. There are many things to be said about Belfast Zoo. Most of them I wouldn’t be able to voice myself as I have - believe it or not - never been to any other zoo before. It’s all I know. And for that reason I’ve always liked it. Though having been so few times I am always 10 years old when I’am there, in primary three.
The main thing that strikes me about this zoo is that we can’t possibly have the natural climate for any of the animals which reside there, besides of course the otters. They should all be in either much hotter climates or much colder. The monkeys were fun the watch playing together.
The giraffes were so hungry they started eating each other.
The eagle liked to stare out of its glass cage.
The lion looked depressed sitting on his own at the far end of his field.
Then there’s the penguins and sea lions. It will never be cold enough. It does feel like it. But I hear rumour it gets colder at the poles. Disappointingly the polar bear is no longer there.
The most amusing sight had to have been the elephant having his nails filed. Once a month they must have each of their toe nails cut, though spread out over a few days so as it isn’t so stressful. Upon the command by the zoo keepers the elephant sat down, then lay down, getting back up again, and saluting to the small crowd. Rather than a ‘circus trick’ this is all in aid of training them to do this for when they are seen to by vets and preventing tranquillisers and a 3 1/2 ton elephant crashing to the ground.
Again, the plan was to get to Belfast Castle via the hill trail. This time, however, we didn’t have unknowing guides to lead us back, and so we almost headed to the to. Thankfully we met two walkers who had just come from the top to lead us along the right track.
That evening, I was in much pain from all that walking. All this climbing and walking lately has given me a great desire to do it more often, certainly get to the top of this one soon.
I wouldn’t normally be one to be too negative about things that try to bring arts, culture and music of Northern Ireland to the forefront of traditional media, such as television, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. Who am I kidding, in N.I. most ideas like this don’t work. Then again it is the BBC - they don’t provide a budget for local talent to be seen and heard through T.V. or Radio.
Yes there are exceptions, yet not enough. Those exceptions don’t have any sort of decent budget like they should either. Not to get boiled down in such a heated issue right now. The point is, they have actually gotten something semi-right.
The Show in question is Imeall Geal, the new oddly titled Irish Language show, which in English translates as ‘Bright Edge’, now into its fourth week of filming, with three shows to be aired so far on BBC 2 each Thursday at 10pm.
The show comprises of two music acts, one unsigned, from Northern Ireland, the other a big name act from North or South of Ireland. So far the unsigned acts have included Mary’s Great Idea, The Delawares and Ruby Colley - all great musicians and people. In the previous shows there was an ‘exposé’, which in the past has had some very strange topic choices that I fail to see how anyone would be even slightly interested in.
My suggestion would be to remove the crap about the physique of the Jordanstown rugby team, the couple who have trust issues, Jeremey Paxman’s need for more crotch support, and other such non-stories which have no relevance what-so-ever to the rest of the programme, and just stick to the music.
a) It’s in Irish, so few people are going to watch it.
b) There are Irish bands, leading Irish music fans to watching it - do they really care about the rest?
There is a need for a programme like this. At just under 30 minutes I believe it should revolve around the music: short introduction clip of the band, songs from two bands, followed by short chat with the band. Thats what they have.
It’s a good start.
On Sunday the legendary Henry McCullough, was on the show. This man proves that you really are only as young as you feel, Henry seems to have a has a very ‘young’ attitude to life and such passion in what he does. It was great to have him tell stories of his youth to interested parties all around him.
Having seen him perform at Glasgowbury last summer I immediately fell in love with the music. If anything this man looks like a legend.
Once he had finished playing and tucked into the selection of tea and biscuits, I asked for a photograph and so he gave me the opportunity to get a few snaps before telling us of playing guitar at 17 and suede red shoes .
After some discussion about ‘hip-hop’ between the presenters and a guest, Henry was questioned on growing up in Portstewart and playing music in the North, not afraid to speak his mind and stretch his tales drawing everyone back to the 60s with him as he recalled playing guitar with Paul McCartney.
This was followed by a discussion about the Rotterdam bar with someone [name to be filled in later] involved in the Save The Rotterdam campaign - something quite relevant. And on that, I overheard that all will be decided in June.
The guest artist, Meghan McWilliams played a song which will no doubt have credits rolling along the bottom of the screen for the last 30-40 seconds marking the end of the show - and what seemed to me to be a better show than the previously aired ‘drafts’ of what can be done.
Unfortunately Meghan doesn’t have tracks on her myspace so I can’t listen to any more of her music, nor find out the name of the track she played, hopefully she is busy recording.
This episode of Imeall Geal will be aired tonight at 10pm on BBC 2, or watch it on the BBC iPlayer the following week.
Here is the message I was greeted with via instant message when I arrived home yesterday evening:
J - im sitting here reading, and i quote “The fund has already started for my MACbook!”
J - DUDE
J - wtf?
J - wwwwwwwtttttttttffffffffffffff
J - tyin u up to a life of apple that. unservicable parts, overpriced hardware, increase in viruses due to the amount of wabs usin them
J - ur warrenty will die and it will die
J - within teh same week
J - guaranteed
J - where havvvvvv ur balls gone?
J - y dont u jst get a decent laptop?
J - same price bt with all the jazz of windows and actually feelin ur a part of wat urdoin
And so it seems some people aren’t so fond of the idea of me getting a Mac.
Is there any truth in what I’m being told?
I am always in search of gig guides, and to know where my favourite bands are without having to launch their Myspace page. The answer came to me a couple of weeks ago. Sceptical at first, assuming it was just another web 2.0 hopeful, I turned out to be quite wrong once I delved into the recently launched Showclix.com.
Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, this could be the key to accessing information about live music anywhere in the world, by bringing the social aspects of the web to the forefront. Showclix is a search engine for gigs and concerts, as well as a ticket provider - a definite competitor to Ticketmaster.
Simply key the name of a city in the search box to find artists stopping by on their tour. There is a profile page for each concert date which draws in related information on the artist such as a short bio, links to the band’s website and Flickr photos. From here you can select the ‘remind me later’ button to be reminded by email days or weeks before the gig date, invite others to check out the listing, or select that you are going so everyone will know.
The next step is to add your city to your RSS reader and track new concert announcements as they happen.
Though my favourite feature has to be the tour tracker. Once logged in, the tour tracker will notify the user when their favourite bands are playing in their area as soon as it is added to the site.
This is a great tool for bands, promoters and gig-goers alike. With the ability for anyone to add dates, it can be used as a free promotional tool and with its super user-friendly environment makes it easily accessible to anyone wishing to find or track concerts of their favourite bands.
Speaking to Lynsie Camuso, site founder, I am told that a new ticketing system is due to be implemented for the States in a few weeks, and this side the pond soon after. Here’s a brief list of what it offers ticket sellers:
- Sell tickets online 24 hours a day
- Provide mobile & e-ticketing delivery options
- Process point-of-sale transactions
- View & manage ticket inventory real-time
- Access & edit your event settings instantly
- View customer details & order history
- Create presale & promo/coupon codes
- Manage comp & media tickets
- Create & send email newsletters
- Export customer, sales and traffic data into excel
- Generate real-time sales reports
- Create customer & demographic reports
- View daily traffic reports & conversion rates
Showclix certainly has the right idea, picking up on the need for a way to easily track artists in this era of the ever-popular live music event. I have a feeling I will actually use this site.
Check out the blog (Shlog) for site updates, as well as music and concert news.
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