charity begins at home

There's an awful lot going down on the auld sod these days. Only a few posts ago I was banging on about the new David Holmes seven inch and since then I've gone and got the album in its entirety. 'The Holy Pictures' bursts into life with the aforementioned 'I heard wonders' tune but from thereon in its a fairly low key affair. There's a rake of sounds across the album that are reminiscent of other bands and there seems to be a lot of shoegazing stuff right the way through. I'm really liking it.

Another album due out very soon is the latest long player from Messiah J & The Expert 'From the Word Go'. It's getting a release on the 17th October and I believe that they're doing an instore in Tower Records that day. You can also catch them at the album launch proper on the 18th in Andrews Lane Theatre.

I managed to catch a tune by Roots Manuva on Later Live the other night. Not that surprising in itself but it was followed by an appearance by Dublin singer Imelda May. Imelda and her band play rockabilly music. Not something I'm all that crazy about but she did put in a fair turn on TV the other night. You should be able to catch her again this weekend on the extended recorded 'Later'.

Talking of Dublin women on the telly. I was sitting in last Friday evening watching Darjeeling Express with my good lady wife. When it ended it switched over to the TV. I can't describe the shock and revulsion at what I saw next. There was bleeding Twink wearing not much more than a smile. Not so much mutton dressed as lamb but more like tripe dressed as offal. Jaysus wept.

Thankfully there's things like the upcoming Deaf Weekender to take my mind off such horrors. There's a few bits and pieces to look forward to during the course of the festival. One event I'll be attending is the Sweet Talk evening in The Sugar Club. These SweetTalk gigs are always great and this one promises much. It features Dublin graff writer Maser, the legendary producer and sampling pioneer Steinski and the design artist John Gilsenan. Another thing I'd like to get to is the M83 gig in Vicar St on the 24th October. Check here for full details on the line-up. There's literally something for everyone.

Finally, I'd like to bring your attention to the three upcoming releases from the Trensmat label. They're a series of Hawkwind covers by the likes of Acid Mothers Temple, Kinski, Bardo Pond, White Hills & Mugstar. All in all it sounds like a great gas. I've been trying to order them from their site but it was down today when I tried.

this party's over, I'm going home

I first encountered Jerry Fish in the crappy little room at the side of the stage in the Rock Garden (now Eamonn Dorans) about twenty years ago. We somehow managed to get a support gig with An Emotional Fish and we'd just come off stage. We were greeted in the crappy little room by the members of the band and they all seemd a little bit worse for wear. They'd all had a few shandys too many and their bass player had done a Brian Wilson and had somehow forgotten how to play his chosen instrument. They were trying to pressgang our bass player into going on stage with them. I'm not sure how it all turned out in the end. From my perspective they didn't need me on stage so I wasn't hanging around.

I was out for a few drinks in The Rumble Club in Thomas Reads in Smithfield last night. It's a rockabilly club that has been on in a few places around town for the last number of years. When we got there, there were already a 100 or so 40-something rockabilly guys and gals. It was like a scene out of the diner in Back to the Future or worse still, an episode of Heartbeat. It reminded me of growing up in the eighties, there was a local council estate that had about a dozen rockabilly dads living there. You'd see them stroll up and down the road getting their quiffs blown all over the place. A bunch of wannabe Elvis impersonators going about their daily business. I thought then what I'm thinking now. Why do people want to dress up like someone from fifty years ago. I guess its some kind of role play thing or just dressing up for adults. I reckon its a bit nuts, but what do I know?

Whilst having a smoke outside I got chatting to Olu Jacobs who is currently starring in the 'Playboy of the Western World' in the Abbey Theatre. Apparently its had a reworking by Roddy Doyle and Bisi Adigun. Olu had come down to the gig with Phelim Drew after the show and he was able to tell me that he'd starred in a Brendan Behan play, Richard's Cork Leg, with Phelim's father, Ronnie, about 35 years ago. I've only met Ronnie Drew once and that was when he asked me for a look at my race card at the Laytown Races about fifteen years ago. I remember it well, Val Joyce was doing his 'Airs and Races' outside broadcast for RTE just behind us. Anyway Mr Jacobs was a delightful character to chance upon.

The evening took another turn for the better when Jerry Fish showed up. Jerry used to live around the corner from me for a few years before he moved himself and his family to the country. He's been a friend of my missus and I've gotten to know him over the last 7 or 8 years. I can't remember what the fuck we were talking about last night but I do remember him getting me to hum a bassline for about five minutes whilst he sung me one of his new tunes. You'd think he'd have sorted out a new bass player by now.


P.S. I don't know why I think this but I reckon FAI Chief Executive John Delaney is beginning to look more like Wayne O'Donoghue everyday. It's the haircut and the guilty look.