Cheebah and all that - Limerick, Ireland

Master tape of the Universe

 

Each week I flick through the Video tapes in second hand Limerick shops, often ending up with peoples TV compilations on Maxell or Bush tapes that i end up fast forwarding, shifting analogue chunks from someones attic. Its all history. Today in Oxfam a BBC copy of Midnight Movie, Dennis Potters last film, but even better, Shimmy Marcus's film from 2000, ‘Aidan Walsh – Master of the Universe’! Both  pristine and mine for 3 euros. I was aware of the Walsh film but had never actually seen it so once home it was first into the deck.

Walsh had  all the trappings of a 15 min Superstar when I lived in a battered Dublin in the 80s .The Temple bar glimpsed in parts of this tape brought back memories of crossing traffic light streets on many a nights wander from East Wall to Rathmines. Often in the City centre one would come across some sort of performance spilling from the Project Arts centre. Events such as the 24 hour continuous Art and Music ‘Dark Space’ gig where the likes of The Virgin Prunes shared room with Nigel Rolfe and other performers. Amongst the clusters of painted leather jackets congregating on the cobblestones on these nights one would occasionally see the ever smiling Aidan Walsh .

Unfringed 10

Unfringed festival kicked off on Wednesday. Running up till Sunday the programme is a bit pared back compared to other years. However on the plus side, this means that it is possible to see everything and with all tickets been just a 10 euro, it is excellent value. Baz Kennedy has good review of a number of productions over here.

As I was reminded though on Wednesday night by one of the organisers, there was no 'offensive' rappers, this year. The man who caused the greatest walkout ever in Unfringed history back in 08 was pobz not Naillerz who got most of the limelight. So in recognition here is Pobz, with the first female rapper that I can remember out of Limerick

Video for Underdogz

Al's finest hour

Video for Al's finest hour

Round the Houses

"ROUND THE HOUSES"

From cobyrne on twitter. Year is 1935 in Limerick. cobyrne reckons "Pretty sure the route is William St. past CBS to Roxboro, down past Peoples Park to O'Connell St and back up to William St"

PS: Other great footage on that site, include fall of Limerick to free staters in 1922

Weeshie

An appropriate follow up to our Donal Dineen radio piece comes from a fellow Kingdom man. Weeshie Fogarty, has been  the stalwart commentator on Radio Kerry for all Gaelic Football matches. He also presents Terrace Talk a weekly magazine style show. While his knowledge of the green and gold would be exemplary, he may not be that hot on r'n'b as this clip illustrates.

And for those who haven't heard his legendary commentary style, here is two clips of him heralding goals by Colm 'gooch' Cooper (found on Moyvane.com)

Come here to me

One of the best Irish blogs I have encountered over the last year is the relatively new Dublin blog, come here to me. With three writers, it deals with different aspects of Dublin life and culture. They have a monthly 'pub crawl' where they visit five different pubs and report back. There is really interesting social history pieces like when an 'iceberg' floated down the grand canal, all the houses James Connolly lived in and an article on the Hellfire Clubs. They have unearthed some great music and film gems as well, including this rare Behan documentary on Dublin. Also, it doesn't appear that anyone of them is using this as a springboard to a media career. Refreshing.

Shane

Timeless concert series

 
The timeless concert series which celebrated the works of Mulatu Astatke to J. Dilla to Arthur Verocai with full orchestral works was a major success for Mochilla in 2009. Now those of us not able to get to L.A will able to see what we were missing with a 3 DVD box set, extremely limited and numbered edition of 4000, which is released at the end of March. In the meantime, some short extracts from the concerts are online. Eric Coleman, one half of Mochilla put together a special audio mix from the series, which can be downloaded here.

Shane

Future beats

I have been doing a 2 hour radio show weekly since July 2007, on Spin SouthWest. So much time and effort goes into finding music to play that I thought I should start putting up some archives as I'm sure Saturday night is a time most people are out on the town instead of listening to me !

The music policy is broad - basically any style of electronic music if I like it ! Generally you'll hear D&B, Techno, Dubstep & Electronica / Ambient. Here's the blog that I'll be updating weekly with each show.

Don't forget, if you ever want to tune in live, 'Future Beats' goes out weekly on Saturday nights from 11.45 - 01.45 on Spin SW 102-103FM & 94.7 in the South West of Ireland. You can also get a stream from www.spinsouthwest.com

Code

Freedom, Chaos and Fun

 

I'm reviewing the video footage of the Rubberbandits gig, thinking as the nail is hammered into Santas groin, is this Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty?

Living in a material world

 

(photo by Paul Tarpey)

The Rubberbandits Mystery Tour-Dec 28th 2009

The Systems work of Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert created the classic templates that have been used in European roadsign design since the mid 60s. Their design template was carefully applied in the layout of the flyer for tonight's hidden performance. This was the first conceit as usually the information delivered  by these templates is emotionless and directional. The info on this flyer however promised a ‘pure’ secret location with the Bandits hosting The Hardy Bucks, Walter Mitty and the Realists followed by ‘Topless Lesbians firebreathers who shift each other’. The second conceit now associated with the flyer is the recasting of the traditional Xmas performance fare as an occasion of a fantastical anti- materialist catharsis. Its in your face while you stuff your face.

In gentler contrast, over in the Southcourt Hotel in Limerick City, Brendan Grace's sold out whimsical take on the season gently loosened another button on its waistcoat.

And so the subliminally charged flyer drifted towards Birdhill where it settled on a tent on the side of the motorway. This is the venue, and as we cross the road we avoid the American styled trucks blaring their horns as they spot the lit up encampment. They must have regretted having to deal with the recession deadlines that prevented them pulling in to enjoy sum sorta hoedown.

In a carpark Limerick club tribes - perhaps the nieces and nephews of 40 year old Limerick Rave veterans - spill from the bus to stake their claim on new territory. The ‘Don't rubbish Tipp’ border sign on the road offering a wan welcome. The local Security team alternated between fixing wristbands while slugging buckfast with a multi tasked calm found only on such county borders. Later, a near naked young man was bounced from the tent by very these same men. After throwing himself from the stage and getting evicted he only found himself rubbed down and returned back under the spotlight for the Bandits encore.That's the service every exhibitionist is guaranteed in Tipp.