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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.
Tomorrow Belfast band Mary’s Great Idea will be on the new Irish language chat and music show from BBC Northern Ireland called Imeall Geal, which translates as ‘Bright Edge’. Last Sunday they performed in front of a live studio audience in Newry’s Sean Hollywood Art Centre along with Dublin band Director.
The idea being that each week two bands perform, one an unsigned band from Northern Ireland and the other a bigger name band from throughout Ireland. Other acts to perform in coming weeks include Ruby Colley, The Delawares, Olympic Lifts, Henry McCullough, Foy Vance, and The Winding Stair.
Click here to view a short interview with Mary’s Great Idea.
Imeall Geal is on BBC Two Northern Ireland each Thursday at 10pm
A photograph of mine has been printed in today’s copy of The Ticket, the entertainment section of The Irish Times!
Thanks to the help of my good friend, Andy, I have a nice new website for you to marvel at, with an updated portfolio.
Check it out at www.philokanephotography.com
Stay tuned for more updates over the next few weeks.
Last week I was asked to recommend a local band, and believe me it is never an easy question. I love my music and I love my local music. There is just so much good music about this land that I have to think very hard before coming up with an answer. But there can only be one this time around.
The chosen band is Boathouse, a Belfast-based five-piece with a host of instruments including a shaker and glockenspiel.
Unfortunately, with the current lineup, they have no official releases other than the session which was broadcase on Across the Line for BBC Radio Ulster in June of this year. The three tracks ‘Johnny and Ruth Story’, ‘What I Remember’ and ‘Don’t Knock’ are rarely far from the currently playing song in my playlist.
The review was published today on the Music Blog over at Unrealitytv.co.uk. The blog, which was launched in August 2005 by Lisa McGarry, is perfect for those who need the latest gossip, opinion and news on the latest UK reality TV shows.
On the other hand, Gerard McGarry has been writing the music section of the blog since March 2007 and manages to update plenty of times a day with the latest news and updates to satisfy anyone’s music needs.
Together they make a great team!
It first started about this time last year. Though it didn’t last too long thankfully, shortly into the new year the problem subsided, temporarily it would seem. But it has begun again. It has even led to one of my house-mates commenting that I “watch a lot of T.V”. I wasn’t sure how to respond. I still like to think that I don’t.
When I was a lot younger I watched a lot of tv. Even jotting in my little notebook each Saturday what I planned to watch in the week ahead. Eventually, the internet was free for as many minutes a month (dial-up), then broadband came along. Television was a thing of the past.
But then…
In the last few years good shows started being made, or I started discovering them: Family Guy, Green Wing, Black Books, Boomtown, The Shield, Will & Grace, Everybody Loves Raymond and The O.C.. But most importantly; Scrubs and Grey’s Anatomy, and up until the last year, ER, but I don’t find it so appealing anymore - Since Dr. Carter left it just hasn’t been the same.
I still stand by the fact that I don’t watch T.V. as such. I watch only quality shows. No advertising, no shite. No reality shows, no soaps, no talk-shows, no game shows. Computer, DVDs, Joost. There is no need for a Television set. Really no need.
Right now, Grey’s Anatomy is taking over. It began around this time last year. By that time I had caught up with each episode to be aired to date. Once I got my new camera it stopped. No time for T.V. But in the last couple of weeks it has begun again? Have I more time? No. Maybe it’s because my job is pissing me off more and more each day I need time to really chill out.
Grey’s Anatomy is by far the greatest show on T.V. in a long long time, and still to be beaten - though Heroes is a close runner. It is filled with such emotion, great friendships, complications, drama, humour and the occasional bit of doctory stuff.
It can sometimes be too emotional. There has been a tear in my eye on far too many occasions. I sometimes yearn for such a life, even a little drama would make things interesting. But as a friend once said with the scenario of The O.C., [paraphrasing] ‘It may seem sunny, they are rarely happy’.
Now to watch the final episode of Season 3 of Grey’s Anatomy.
Andrew Baron has responded to the “misleading” Market Watch article saying:
“Rocketboom will always remain free and easily available to obtain. That’s our #1 foundational principle of being and I don’t ever foresee needing to change that.”"
Its not true at all. Rocketboom will remain freely available. The point I was making is that we are not happy with advertising right now. The advertisers are not being very flexible and down-to-earth and we are just not happy with the idea of mass advertising on Rocketboom. Its not ruled out, it just feels wrong so far. “
I just wish it was a little more interesting and a little less boring, though Joanne Colan is very attractive.
Saturday was the last day of ‘the show‘ with Ze Frank. Today I watched it for the first time in a few weeks.
[damn just lost all I had written so have to start again...]
I found Ze and his Show almost a year ago, and every few weeks I watch the shows I have missed. I much prefer to watch a few at a time rather than just one.
It was from the first time I was introduced to Ze that I became hooked. I started showing all my friends. Even at parties after a few drinks. Although he definitely takes a little getting used to, his fast paced, in-your-faceness, non-blinking and intellectual comedy can take some people a little getting used to. I managed to make fans of a few people however.
Apparently Ze does not write a script for his shows. I’m not saying I don’t believe him when he says this, its that I sure couldn’t do it. I would have to write every word or I would end up “umming” and “ahhing”, and generally lots of stuttering. But Ze does it. Everyday (or thereabouts). Always something current and fresh to say.
Sports Racer J.W., stated in January 2007:
“In interviews, Ze claims he writes nothing down before a show and uses no script. [From http://www.observer.com/20070122/200...thetransom.asp, Ze is quoted as saying "I dont write anything"] I have to dispute this claim
Though this may be true for a lot of episodes, there are a significant number of shows that must have required research, preparation work, and planning, which make me doubt Ze’s claim of “writing nothing”
Ze himself replied saying (completely unscripted, apparently)
i love that of all the episodes you chose “fingers in food” and an episode in which i wore adult diapers to try and sleuth out my process.
believe it or not you can still make things without having written them out beforehand.
for example i just wrote this paragraph without any preparation whatsoever.
amazing isn’t it.
improv.
now pardon me while i walk around the corner to pick up some more diapers. and perhaps some spaghetti sauce.
He brings in many current topics from news reports, local (NYC) and national (occasionally international) often political, and a wide variety of other random musings, teaching his viewers about various aspects of life including: user created media, auditioning, college, friends, traveling, terror, sex and I think there was one about video blogging too. Each episode is filled with great intellect and humour, with plenty of original ideas, both slightly crazy and extremely imaginative. He likes to laugh and dance and sing too!
One thing that gained popularity very quickly was viewer interactivity in the form of sending in videos, and so the power moves were born as well as many other projects. It all makes me want a digital camcorder even more, but they are just too expensive.
I think he has graduated with flying colours, from The League of Awesomeness.
I will miss Ze lots. I hope he brings it all out on dvd.
Ze, I wish you luck with your big future plans, of which I’m sure you have plenty.
Here are a few of my favourites. (I hadn’t planned for 10 favourites it just turned out that way. I’d rather it wasn’t 10 ‘cos lists are always in 10’s, generally just one 10 too. OK I’ll add another.)
- how i spell classy
- college #2
- comments, cats, roommates, powermoves
- bad day for barthes and barnabe
- rules, cranky, colbert
- gum
- la, chips, vomit, good luck
- serious issues
- bust that cycle
- happy #1, P.S. we’re halfway
- ugly, designers, myspace, ugly, ugly song, mushy peas, momma, happy birthday becky
(Just realised I should have subscribed using iTunes from the very beginning so I could have downloaded them all - only the last 14 are available.)
Wrapped in a beautiful brown envelope when I arrived home this evening was my copy of the Observer Music Monthly and Observer Music Magazine. But even better than that two sheets of money off vouchers for the Guardian and Observer. Two whole weeks of the Guardian for 30p (60p off on Sat) and 90p off the Observer!
Now thats good marketing.
I just noticed that Charlie Brooker’s great Mac Hating article has the very ads that he hates at the top side of the page. I had never noticed this because I use Firefox’s Adblock plugin, but Gavin pointed it out and so I got a nice little screenshot of it. I do think the ads are funny.
