Cheebah and all that - Limerick, Ireland

Gas Man

Gaslamp Killer in Baker Place Saturday November 15th
(above image by Keith headbangbang)

Gaslamp killer is playing in Baker place tonight. He is being promoted by the kerrynini boys who sucessfully fly the flag for these modern sounds having previously helped to deliver Daedelus to Limerick. Tonights attraction represents the new sound of what used to be comfortably called street. As an update this American representative looks edgy,hip and ticks all what used to be called backpacker boxes with his dramatic digital take on funk zeros and ones. Those in the know here tonight circumnavigate the planet Madlib as a bowdown reference and those who don’t know trust the Kerrynini brand which explains the healthy mix of boys and girls here.

Madlib seems to have generated and popularised the off kilter beat aesthetic of the outsider which has found a headphone home with predominantly young white males. These ‘beloved by advertisers’ individuals who like their Hip hop crisp as a dickies shirt but often find the lineage of the various stages of hiphop constraining unless they come comfortably packaged as nostalgia, seem to gravitate to artists like Madlib and the Gaslamp Killer, feeling them as uncompromising underground beatmakers. Generational music always throws up the romantic image of the outsider in some shape or form.

As with Daedalus and Mike Slott recently, the single white guy on stage conjuring noise from an electronic box seems to have become the seasons active image. Gone it seems at present is the package of the intense turntablist augmented with the poet mc previously encountered here gigwise. Another sign of change is the boundary blurring of progressive ‘indie’ acts with the rise of sound design performance that Limerick has experienced in the last two years. These happenings reinforce the primacy of an artist or groups specific performance at a specific time in a designated space.

Rather than replicating some recorded artefact or touring a hit album the new experience is instead ‘the thing’. Unfamiliarity is now a selling factor – not knowing what to expect is important. In fact a more realistic and respective description of the current generation is of curious youth youtubed and open to sounds and performances undictated by gerne or trends and who make the effort to attend. I felt the ground work and attendance done in spaces like Dagdha, The Belltable and other spots did contribute to the success of tonights gig. Everybody's abstract now!

Gaslamp killer takes the stage in Bakers rocking an intense afro that echos the projected image of Jesse Jackson behind him. He puts on a psych Hendrix track and proceeds to limber up behind the decks willing himself into character. This seems initially to alienate the audience as he physically develops into a bugged out freaky Manson lookalike over the guitar fuzz . What is interesting tonight is the commitment of delivering his music via these crazy shapes in character. If it is unfamiliar and uncompromising you are presented with the opportunity to watch the killer visually interpret the sound for you, then you may choose to respond. A Wiggles exercise without the Aussie fellers and the car if you like. It also demonstrates that challenging contemporary dj music can be rolled out as theatre on occasion.

Is this Los Angeles?

No, this is Limerick. The image (of UL vikings) is taken from collections of photos by Shane Serrano, who in his own words is a "Filmer, Photographer, Graphic Designer, Drummer & Skateboarder." Now Shane can add chief editor and publisher to that description as he prepares to launch issue one of Crude next week.

"[crude] is a new Limerick City magazine documenting and shining a
light on it’s ever growing alternative culture, providing an entertaining
read and outlet for Limerick’s creative minds.

This magazine will highlight everything from Limerick’s amazing music scene,
to skateboarding, art, graffitti artists, photographers, tattoo artists & more.
Interviews and profiles with some of Limerick’s upcoming talent and working
class heroes. This magazine will give the focus and attention that these artists
deserve and uncover Limerck’s unknown, proving that this city has a lot going
on worthy of pride and recognition. As well as all this, this magazine will have
music, film and game reviews, short stories and many feature articles and regular
columns from various distinguished Limerick musicians, journalists & comedians."

While we might expect such publications to emerge regularly in the bigger cities, it is surprising, refreshing and exciting to see it happen here. There is a great sense of anticipation about this full colour bi-monthly and a special launch night happens next Saturday at Baker Place. Full line up here.

Some of the contents of issue one are revealed in this short piece, including a cheebah review of True Blood Souljahz with previously unpublished photographs. Ciaran Ryan also makes a welcome return to print media in the city as music reviews editor. 

Shane

Music to Cuba

Interesting documentary on Al Jazeera about Irish piano tuner Ciaran Ryan who has helped to restore pianos in Cuba falling into disrepair because of the trade embargo. There is a local connection here as well with Limerick based artists and broadcasters working on the Una Corda project. Other tourists can also help by bringing piano parts with them. Read the article here for further information.
Elizabeth Jones 88 keys in Cuba Part One

Eamonn Carr

'The drummer from Horslips and beat fiend who pumped Acid House and Hiphop on Rte radio takes another celtic detour as a poet on stage in Limerick. This Man defines everything I always felt being Irish was all about'

Paul Tarpey

White House Poetry Session Eamonn Carr

and his great performance from Dublin series Balcony TV

Eggz

A double header this week. Thursdays end of month Cheebah session in the Wicked Chicken sees the return of Broken Funks Pete the Beat as a very special guest. With Paul Dowling Pete started the Thursday uptown chicken scene that broke the Funk/ afro/ reggae/ broken beat sound that has laid the ground work for the ocassional dubstep stylings some nights currently coming from the Chickens speakers so welcome home Pete.

On Friday Cheebah is back in Mickey Martins and is proud to present a one hour set from Limerick Dj hero Dj Eggz. Mr Mac Canna has long been a favourite spinner of the towns party crew who don’t see enough of him playing out. His recent excellent disco mix cd certainly turned a few heads who knew him as a hiphop fiend so this rare treat is an essential date for us all to catch up with him. 

Paul Tarpey

Polish Reggae

When reggae re-established itself in the city a few years back, one of the biggest surprises was the huge support nights got from the Polish community. A bit of investigation revealed that this was natural as Poland boasted one of the healthiest reggae scenes in Europe. Cubeman Selekta became an important player in the local Limerick scene and helped to bring people like Bashia, Radikal Guru and DHS to the city. Cubeman is back in Poland now, worth checking his myspace for gigs if you are over there.

I was reminded of this when I saw an excerpt on Playlist a new show on Al Jazeera, which features music from around the world. This item on Polish reggae scene is a bit hit and miss, a bit like the series but it does have some interesting points. Poland at one stage had jazz banned something of course that was touted here once (listen to the RTE documentary 'down with jazz' if you have never heard  this story). In the 80s with the emerging freedom movements, reggae struck a chord, which gave it a foothold to this day.

Playlist on Al Jazeera

Shane

The beatmaker

It's been a week of enormous change for obvious reasons but on a more local level Limerick got a taste of some futuristic sounds in the surrounds of Mickey Martins pub last Saturday night. Putting on a gig the Saturday after a Bank Holiday and the day after a massive Halloween party meant that Limerick city resembled a ghost town but the brave hung over and tired heads that ambled on down to Augustinian Lane were in for a treat and no tricks. Mike Slott is a beat maker whose star continues to burn bright and rise higher and higher and he provided the perfect soundtrack for the large appreciative crowd that turned out. This is what I love about Limerick, while obviously we don't have a city with a population to sustain doing gigs similar to what goes down in the likes of the Low End Theory in L.A. there is a group of people here who are receptive to hearing new sounds and not just the same generic music being played out week after week and Slott's music most definitely challenges the listener. The internet, Myspace and the sharing and swapping of music means that Mike comes armed with beats and pieces from all sides of the planet. It's at times like this that I wish I had a computer as I would have downloaded everything that Mike had on his. I recognise beats from Samiyan and Lotus interspersed with some of his own stuff, all seamlessly mixed using a computer and a small little pad. The bass is heavy and the crowd is slowly but surely won over. When I go to gigs and hear something that I like, I always make it my business to ask the dj the name of the track. I also try to have a look at the cover for a visual reference in the hope that I will recognise and remember it in case I come across it again on a digging trip. Times have changed though, one audience member tonight is so enlightened by some of the tracks that Mike has played that he ends going home with a couple of them on his USB stick! One of the highlights of the night for me though was watching an older man (probably in his fifties) who sat up in the corner on his own beside Mike. The rhythm is anything but 4/4 with sloppy beats being dropped in left right and centre. He can't quite figure out how to get in time. He keeps trying and eventually the head nodding and the toe tapping is in synch. The perceptive ear can always find the beat....

pc

P.S -I don't do digital and it takes about a week to get black and white photos developed in Limerick but we'll put them up when we get them.

One Sunday in Limrock

Poets of Rhythm were back in Dolans

while hip hop legend Steinski played in the alley(!) at Mickey Martins.

Some film footage from Poets of Rhythm below

Poets of rhythm in Limerick Ireland 2008
Uploaded by cheebah

New day

Well done America. Interesting words from Chuck D which sum up well  the importance of this day.

Eddie Kendricks- People Hold on