otwo: Volume XVI, Issue 7 by The University Observer

19.01.10 VOL XV1 ISSUE 7

The University Observerâ€™s Arts & Culture Supplement

The Shoos J1 Special The Lovely Bones Top Ten Death Scenes Tindersticks

2 HELLO

CONTENTS

REGULARS SOAPBOX – Emer Sugrue on how not to watch reality TV WHAT’S HOT & WHAT’S NOT – Michelle McCormick treats you to the newest trends in this newest of decades

T R AV E L – The first of a two-part series concerning any of you considering going on a J1 this summer

Letter

VOXPOP – Staff Special: Is College Life better without the students? AGONY ANTO – Gives his cold-hearted answer on All Things Pointless

from the Ed

ALBUMS OF THE DECAD – Rita Jacobs picks the ten best opuses of the noughties MIXTAPE – The Gallery of Misheard Lyrics

06 07 08 10

CO M E DY – What’s going on in the International Bar, and Jamie’s disconcerting view of the world as we know it

DRAMA – Dramsoc’s production of the Shakespeare classic ‘King Lear’

MUSIC FEED – Underground Hiphop legend Mr. Scruff, Canterbury and Tindersticks. How about that for a set of unknowns? Also, we’ll put forward motions why the album will die in the noughties.

HEADLINER – WE WILL ROCK YOU THE MUSICAL: Colin Sweetman profiles the global supersmash arriving in Dublin this month

FILM & TV REVIEWS – It’s Complicated? Not Really. The ‘Something’ Boys is doing something, Marky Mark stars in The Lovely Bones, and take a look at the Top Ten Death Scenes TV – Shows Go Leor! Both of the Cleveland and All Ireland Talent variety

18 19 20

NEW MUSIC – The Shoos, coming to a footpath near you

C U LT U R E WA S H – The IFI is now reopen and with more grandeur than a polished cherry, but do you care? And, why won’t the Meteor Awards just go away...

THE FUTURE – Mystic Mittens and gigs galore. Your fortnight’s entertainment in bite-sized chunks.

So we’ve had five/six weeks of fun and now we’re facing exam results like lambs to the slaughter. Still, now’s your chance to try do something about it - studying harder, reading course books... or you can drink harder, skip college, promise to study and only keep UCD in the backdrop, as an excuse to say that you’re a student. This issue we bring you opinion on a variety of topics in today’s Irish Culture. From the harderhitting and farcical Meteor Awards, to the only slightly less shambolic All-Ireland Talent Show, where you can watch Bláthnaid “Perpetually Pregnant” Ní Chofaigh have another lash at Ireland’s sexiest man Dáithí Ó Sé. It’s like Father Ted in a way - it’s easy to imagine them complimenting all the entrants on their lovely bottoms. Agree or disagree, we’ll still peddle our opinions to our dear readers in one form or another. Which is ironic, given that we can merely comment on how to have fun – but rarely get to do so. Should we really be telling you what to do then? Well nobody else will! Better us than people actually going out and having fun, right? Social commentary aside – we hope you enjoy another six issues of our superficial take on music, fashion, films, and anything else which seems to be going on over Semester Two. I promise that I’ll try to get someone interesting to interview like John Joe or Keyboard Cat, but don’t hold your breath… Sweetward otwo@universityobserver.ie twitter.com/otwo “What’s It like to be a one person and not a twin?”

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WHINGE 3

SOAPBOX Emer Sugrue cringes at a decade of reality

What the hell has happened to television? How I long for the glory days when everything was scripted and Blue Peter presenters could wantonly murder pets and not have to worry what to tell the kiddies. The Noughties saw the world gripped by the feverish need for honesty in television. Things have to be real, real life, real situations, real people. The schedules are buried under a steaming mass of docu-soaps and Reality TV. You rarely even see an actor these days unless he’s in a jungle eating crocodile anus. I don’t understand the fascination with ‘real people’. You meet real people every bloody day. They’re the bastard pushing past you on the street or stealing your parking space. The moron sitting next to you in the cinema eating popcorn at 100 decibels and asking “who’s that?” every two seconds. Real people are idiots, but cheap ones. Actors and writers need to be paid; real people do it just to be on the telly. We are bombarded day and night with these pathetic fools trying to prove themselves and they all have a sob story. Wow, you’ve got a dead mother and you can sing? Why you’re the whole package! Now sing, sing until we grow weary and move on to the next bereaved songstress. It’s this sort of rubbish that launched the career of frumpy warbler Susan Boyle, shocking everyone with the revelation that it’s possible to have both a unibrow and decent vocal cords. Marginally less ubiquitous are the ‘celebrity’ reality shows like I’m A Celebrity, Hand Me That Testicle. These detestable specimens were once genuinely famous, or at least shagged someone who was and are desperate to get back in the limelight, so desperate that they are willing to sit for weeks in the outback chomping their way through kangaroo sweetbreads. But the most infuriating thing about reality TV is the reason why there’s so bloody much of it. You. The jerk who watches it. These programmes are not just cheap to produce, but make a phenomenal amount of money because they get the audience to ring in and vote. In this great democratic age we live in, the public gets to decide everything; who should win the karaoke, who has to leave a house. Who should run the country? Nah, won’t make a difference. Those politicians are only in for themselves you know; now quick turn on ITV, Kerry Katona is in a hedge.

A new year, a new chance for Michelle McCormick to tell you what’s cool and what’s crap

HOT

The Sunshine Café This little café on George’s Street, Dun Laoghaire, is truly a little ray of sunshine. Its cosy décor is the perfect antidote to the cruel sea winds – not to mention delicious coffee, nomscious desserts, and the nicest French toast this side of France. Do they just call it toast there? No matter. Go to Sunshine Café, mmkay?

Tesco Crisps Who needs posh crisps when you can get a variety of salty/cheesy/ hoopy delights for pennies in your local Tesco? Cheesy Puffs are a firm office favourite, while the Onion Rings have a delightful hint of msg about them. Perfect for drunken munching – and of course, breakfast the next day.

New Year diets We know deep inside our cholesterol-encrusted hearts that they’ll never work; otwo is pursuing new year diets with enthusiasm. It gives a sense of purpose to a miserable month, and a smug sense of selfsatisfaction that keeps us warm while passing the gym on the way to the pub.

Chinese on Campus At last there’s something to eat in UCD that doesn’t involve bread or potatoes. The new Chinese menu at Café Brava in the Student Centre means no more soggy sambos or gloopy soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Instead? Delicious rice and meat of questionable origin. Awesome.

January Sales Oh, so everything I bought for Christmas is now 70% off? Fuck you, shops, fuck you. If you could afford to sell it at 70% off, why did you charge me my soul plus my first born for the honour of possessing your stock?! I hate you. Kill yourselves.

The Cold It just makes everything so much harder. Can’t go outside without being swathed in layers of woollens and thermals, spare socks and a hat and earmuffs - if you’re cool enough to pull them off. Getting ready for bed is a military manoeuvre piling up blankets, socks, hoodies and a hot water bottle. Effort. We should be conserving energy, not expending it…

Heckling Seriously, person who thinks they’re funnier than the award-winning comedian that’s onstage – STFU. Nobody thinks you’re cool, or clever, or amusing – we actually think you’re a cretin. Please do the world a favour and stay indoors from now on.

NOT

Sludge The bastard child of too much snow and too much grit is currently plaguing the streets of Dublin, clobbering our shoes and trouser hems in a disgusting gritty paste that refuses to shift, even after it’s dried. Bring back the snow! At least it was clean.

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WHINGE

say what ???

QUESTION: “What do you miss about students over the holidays?” ask Peter Molloy, Colin Sweetman

“

“The customers of course!” The SU Bookshop

Siobhán Ryan, Student Centre

“I miss the interaction with the students, and the buzz with them being around”

The ducks

“Parking, just parking, that’s all”

AGONY ANTO

Dear Anthony, Please place the following narrative in a letters section: The uneven distribution of resources worldwide with extreme poverty evident in large parts of the continent of Africa for example makes me evaluate the most effective and efficient means of rectifying such problems. It appears that the western world’s solution of providing resources such as food and clothing is only exacerbating the

situation. This invariably leads to the further multiplication of people for example on the continent of Africa which the provision of resources can not keep up with. This results in a continuing cycle of poverty and starvation which only sustains the problem. A coordinated effort of people from developed countries lending their skills and expertise to local communities within these impoverished areas such as in house building, obtaining clean water, securing food, family planning and contraception in the short and medium term would enable such communities to thrive in the long term, reducing extreme poverty and starvation. Yours, Ryan Kelly Dear Kelly, I don’t know what yur getting’ at here, but its looks like you want us to up-and-leave Ireland, and just build stuff in Africa, ye fooking clep. Fuddermore, wha’ yeh expect us in a college newspaper te do bout it? otwo

mmmm… stealing students’ lunches

”

Charlie Solan, Student Centre

Shootin’ the breeze since before ammunition was illegal, wha’ In da furst paragraph, you sed that “providing resources such as food and clothing is only exacerbating the situation”, then yeh go on te say that we need to lend our skills in “house building, obtaining clean water, securing food, blah blah blah”. Yur letter is about as redundant as a desk fan in space. Stop wastin’ me bleedin time here. Yurs, Anto. Dear Anto, By definition, mature students are older than the average student and have years of experience “out there” in the “real world”. This experience has an effect on all aspects of our student life, and shapes our attitudes towards many things that younger students take for granted. The road to university is not as clear-cut as it is to a student leaving school, and there are many additional factors that come in to play. Money is a Big Deal, since many (if not most) mature students are doing a second degree (at least), and do not qualify for “free fees”. Many do not enjoy any form of 19.01.10

financial support from parents – often, we are the parents. Family commitments need to be considered too, and an understanding and supportive partner can make university an adventure rather than a burden. [yawn] …I think I speak for all mature students when I say that we’re all in this together, and we can all help each other get the best out of our time at university. Yours, Mark Dobson Dear Mearkh, I had to play choppy-whop with yur letter cos it bored me to bits. As far as I can see, you already have a job, so stop wasting seats in this precious university wit yur wrinkled buttock and do a jigsaw puzzle, wil’eh? I’m sure us immature students wohint mind that Old Soc kin only vaguely resemble a coffin of stiff fucks takin’ up teacher’s toime with their inane and irrelevant anecdotes. Yurs, Anto

Albums of the Decade

RETRO 5

The Noughties been an age of great musical variety, with great albums in rap, R&B, pop and rock – making Rita Jacobs’ job of choosing the ten best albums a tricky one Bright Eyes – ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning (2005) Even I’m uneasy with the youthful vulnerability of this group, but within this ‘defect’ all the authenticity is derived. Playing with early Dylan social satire, Bright Eyes are forging an organic analogue sound. Stuttering through angsty proclamations, Conor Oberst reminds us that “in the ear of every anarchist that sleeps but doesn’t dream / We must sing, we must sing, we must sing.” Best Tracks: ‘First Day of my Life’; ‘We Are Nowhere and It’s Now’

twangy folk guitar to skilfully distorted riffs and edgy structures, they stormed MTV with ‘Seven Nation Army’ and concreted their position in alternative music with two Grammys. A must have. Best tracks: ‘Seven Nation Army’; ‘I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself’ Arcade Fire – Funeral (2005) Indie songs in epic proportions from probably the biggest indie band to emerge from the noughties. This critically acclaimed debut album was

universally praised for its display of rich musicianship and empowering confidence. If Carlsberg made bands... Best Tracks: ‘Wake Up’; ‘In the Back Seat’

Republic of Loose – Aaagh! (2006) Reasons to listen to this album: the song ‘Break’ was banned for a while in South Africa after a radio DJ proclaimed that the song promoted unprotected anal sex. Need I say more? A funky mix of deliberately dirty, misogynist and pornographic lyrics delivered by a soulful Mik Pyro. Funk swelling with melody. Best tracks: ‘Comeback Girl’; ‘Shame’ The White Stripes – Elephant (2003) The novelty of The White Stripes’ blistering retro style comes to life with their third installment. Jack White could almost put Robert Plant out of a job with this performance. Ranging from a

Kings of Leon – Because of the Times (2007) One might argue that its predecessor Only By the Night is a better album, but I disagree. This album touches upon stadium rock but still bears the stains of their southern rock roots – light stains, admittedly, but a presence nonetheless. Sonically the album excels and offers the precise amount of pop for them to still maintain some of their edge. Think less ‘Sex On Fire’ and more ‘Knocked Up’. Best tracks: ‘Charmer’; ‘Knocked Up’ Coldplay – Viva la Vida, or Death and All His Friends (2008) Critics queued to slate this album but after a second listen, even Pete Paphides of The Times retracted his measly three-star review and proclaimed it his favourite album of 2008. This is an album by Coldplay, for Coldplay, with otwo

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evident rhythm and music under the wing of Brian Eno (U2 and David Bowie). Best tracks: ‘Viva la Vida’; ‘Violet Hill’ U2 – No Line on the Horizon (2009) This album proves new tricks can be learned or at least provide the illusion of such a thing. A collection not exactly aimed at the charts, instead offering a character driven album. Best Tracks: ‘Moment of Surrender’; ‘White as Snow’ Gorillaz – Demon Days (2004) Packed with possible singles, this mix of glitchy beats and pop potential is an album you can’t help but return to. The bass line in the lead single ‘Feel Good Inc.’ is enough reason to have this in the top ten and also for Damon Albarn to put Blur on the backburner. Sadly it seems unlikely that Albarn’s falsetto will see a third album. Best Tracks: ‘DARE’; ‘Dirty Harry’ Norah Jones – Come Away With Me (2002) Her critically acclai-med debut jazz album outsold Miles Davis’ jazz records. Jones’s voice is sparse but soft, making you want even more. This album dispels the nough-ties trend of electronic replacements and proves that people still seek a natural source of music. Best Tracks: ‘Turn Me On’; ‘I Don’t Know Why’ Beyoncé Knowles – I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008) Pop veteran Beyoncé has truly proven her status in the world of music. Only just hitting her peak - and what a peak! Five number 1 singles from one album. Best Tracks: ‘Sweet Dreams’; ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)’

6 COMEDY

DON’T FORGET THE BISCUITS Nestled in one of Dublin’s most famous bars is a night of comedy gold, cluckles Catriona Laverty

et’s be fair, The International Bar is a bit of a dive. But there’s no denying the charm of the comedy cellar upstairs: the room is tiny, painted all black and furnished with an assortment of GAA club stools. The spotlights on the stage are actually four bendy desk lamps duct taped to the beams, and somewhere behind all the black paint is what I suspect to be a large hole in the wall, as the passing street sweeper trucks sounded disconcertingly close. And that’s part of what makes the Comedy Mish Mash such a fantastic night out. The atmosphere is brilliant: everyone is squashed in, no one is really comfortable, but sure aren’t we all having a grand old laugh. The evening is co-hosted by Andrew Stanley and currently Fred ‘Spar Ad’ Cooke. Calling him ‘Spar Ad’ is somewhat unfair, as he is a rather excellent stand-up who entertained the crowd hilariously with a host of anecdotes and songs. The first actual act of the night was Australian comedian Damian Clark, who starred with Stanley in I Dare Ya. The easy interplay between the the lads onstage just added to the feel that this is a familiar, unreserved comedy gig. Clark is a funny guy, who clearly loves to be on stage and left the crowd hiccuping with laughter with his banter-y style. Next up was comedy sketch group Shinoxcy. There are inevitable comparisons with the Smack the Pony girls

here, and the three Shinoxcy ladies certainly have the talent both at comedy and acting to go far on the scene. I’m not sure the crowd were accustomed to seeing sketch shows in the Comedy Cellar, but we quickly got into it and the laughter was flowing – not quite sure about the Mexican Man though. UCD alum Jarleth Regan was next on the list, his easygoing storytelling style of comedy again had us in uproarious giggles. The only real complaint was that he didn’t stay long enough! The beauty of this club is that many of our now internationally renowned comedians started their careers here, and many of them subsequently return to try out new tour material before taking it on the road. Last Tuesday was no exception as the big draw of the night was David O’Doherty. O’Doherty is just brilliant, and seeing him on stage is a great experience. His set was rather seriously disrupted by an embarassing drunk Irish girl in the front row, but he managed to make begging her to leave as hilarious

as the material he eventually got to try out. O’Doherty played almost 45 minutes in the end, which for a €5 is a pretty good deal. As I left The International Bar well after midnight on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I promised myself (as I have many times before) that I’d come back more regularly to this gem of an entertainment night out. This time, damn it, I mean it!

MCD PRESENTS

Wed 16 Dec 09

SPECIAL GUESTS

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TICKETS e17.00 (Inc. Booking Fee)

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THUR 17 DEC 09 - THE ACADEMY

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MCD AND 13 ARTISTS PRESENTS

20th Anniversary of “The Stone Roses” Debut Album

THE STONE ROSES

EXTRA DATE ADDED - WED 09 DEC TUE 08 DEC 09 - OLYMPIA THEATRE Scars The New Album. Out Now on XL Recordings

FRI 11 DEC 09

E49.20 (INC.BKG.FEE)*

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+ VERY SPECIAL GUESTS

REVEREND & THE MAKERS

THE ACADEMY

TICKETS @15.00 (INC. BKG. FEE)

joe echo

plus special guests

Penfold DM

THU 17 DEC 09 THE ACADEMY2

TICKETS E13.20 (INC.BKG.FEE)

FRI 18 DEC 09

TICKETS e49.20 / e54.80 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)*

TUE 22 DEC 09 THE ACADEMY TICKETS e25.00 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)*

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*TICKETS from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. 24 Hrs: 0818 719 300. Buy On Line; www.ticketmaster.ie. (Telephone & Internet bookings subject to e3.35 s/c per ticket up to e28.50; 12.5% over e28.50 (max e6.35) / Agents e2.25) Subscribe now to mcd.ie for the latest live entertainment, news and tickets.

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19.01.10

FRI 27 NOV 09 TICKETS e33.60 33.60 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)* STANDING AREA RESTRICTED TO OVER 16s ONLY. UNDER 14s PERMITTED TO SEATED AREA ONLY AND MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY PARENT/GUARDIAN

‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ Out Now

www.kasabian.co.uk

KILLING FOR SPORT

DRAMA 7

Slaying, eye-gouging and kiss-filled: Ciara Fitzpatrick wanders down to Dramsoc’s production of King Lear

ramsoc’s production of William Shakespeare’s King Lear is an epic undertaking; it runs for 150 minutes, with an interval coming only after the first 90 minutes. The play is on this year’s Leaving Certificate English course, and thus the audience was comprised mainly of sixth year students, who seemed to enjoy the performance. However it was interesting to note that the scenes prompting the biggest response from the audience were the scenes of most dramatic tension, such as kisses and eye gouging, and slain characters being carried off stage by stage hands. Nonetheless, Dramsoc prevailed in putting on a professional, accomplished performance of Shakespeare’s tale of an elderly king betrayed by his own daughters. The play begins with King Lear resolving to divide his land among his daughters, by merit of their declarations of love for him; banishment, deception, betrayal, lust, violence and death ensue. Onstage props are used sparsely, but the minimalist setting was contrasted with the brightly coloured costumes of the cast, which merit special attention. Costume managers Julie O’Leary and Amanda Coakley have created some striking representations of the characters, with an interesting use of body paint. Lear’s white costume and face paint proved very convincing in portraying an old, wizened man being played by a university student. The daughters wear Grecian style

gowns, with the wrathful Goneril and Regan wearing purple and red with matching body paint – the bloody hues hint at the evil they will accomplish. In contrast, the angelic Cordelia, the one honest daughter whom Lear rejects, wears a yellow and white gown, and her face and body are not painted but shimmer with golden glitter. The use of colour is effective in helping the audience identify the characters; the colour identification makes it easier to recognise the characters throughout the dozens of scenes in such a complex and long play. There was a creative use of lighting in the production, the storm scene of Lear and the Fool being most notable, Gerard Adlum delivers a passionate expression of Lear’s anger, as his booming voice and huge shadow loom large

amidst strobe lighting and thunderous clashes of sound. Dramsoc used the space afforded them in the Astra Hall creatively, with actors utilising stair aisles. The actors of Dramsoc all delivered their lines with ease and confidence; impressively, not once was a prompt needed throughout the show. A number of actors deserve to be singled out for their tremendous performances – namely Anna Simpson as The Fool, Gavin Drea as Edmund, Paul Fleming as the Earl of Kent, and of course the magnificent Lear, played by Gerard Adlum. Dramsoc should be commended for their successful undertaking of such a huge, weighty production. King Lear ﬁnishes its run in the Astra Hall today. Tickets are 8 euro, or 5 euro for society members.

MCD PRESENTS

Wed 16 Dec 09

SPECIAL GUESTS

The Academy 2

TICKETS e17.00 (Inc. Booking Fee)

BANDITS

THUR 17 DEC 09 - THE ACADEMY

TICKETS e19.45 (INC. BKG. FEE)

OLYMPIA OLYMPIA THEATRE THEATRE

Photo: Ferdy Damman

RUBBER

THU 10 DEC 09 PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

TICKETS E35 (INC.BKG.FEE)*

WED 25 NOV 09 THU 26 NOV 09 ODYSSEY ARENA, BELFAST

TEL: 0844 277 4455

SUN 06 DEC 09

e42.20 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)*

STANDING AREA RESTRICTED TO OVER 16S ONLY. UNDER 14S PERMITTED TO SEATED AREA ONLY AND MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY PARENT/GUARDIAN.

TICKETS e39.20 / e44.20 / e49.20 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)*

WWW.ARCTICMONKEYS.COM

MCD AND 13 ARTISTS PRESENTS

20th Anniversary of “The Stone Roses” Debut Album

THE STONE ROSES

EXTRA DATE ADDED - WED 09 DEC TUE 08 DEC 09 - OLYMPIA THEATRE Scars The New Album. Out Now on XL Recordings

FRI 11 DEC 09

E49.20 (INC.BKG.FEE)*

www.basementjaxx.co.uk

+ VERY SPECIAL GUESTS

REVEREND & THE MAKERS

THE ACADEMY

TICKETS @15.00 (INC. BKG. FEE)

joe echo

plus special guests

Penfold DM

THU 17 DEC 09 THE ACADEMY2

TICKETS E13.20 (INC.BKG.FEE)

FRI 18 DEC 09

TICKETS e49.20 / e54.80 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)*

TUE 22 DEC 09 THE ACADEMY TICKETS e25.00 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)*

WWW.REPUBLICOFLOOSE.COM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/REPUBLICOFLOOSE

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19.01.10

FRI 27 NOV 09 TICKETS e33.60 33.60 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)* STANDING AREA RESTRICTED TO OVER 16s ONLY. UNDER 14s PERMITTED TO SEATED AREA ONLY AND MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY PARENT/GUARDIAN

‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ Out Now

www.kasabian.co.uk

Music Interview

REVIEWS

A Canterbury Tale E

Young and bursting with ambition and talent, Canterbury tell Grace Duﬀ y why they’re tackling the industry head on

very now and then, a band comes along that effortlessly makes you smile. Canterbury are one of those bands. The group formed out of school in Basingstoke a few years ago and are generating much excitement through their excellent debut album Thank You, released as a free download in late 2009. “It’s only going to do you good,” says frontman Luke Pebble, when asked about their choice to make the album available for free. “More people can listen to your music, come to your shows, and buy merch. We don’t have to worry about money... we need to be self-sufficient, but it’s just getting people to shows, ‘cos shows aren’t fun if there’s no people there!” The challenges that all foundling bands face are accentuated in the recessionary climate that pervades at the moment, and Canterbury are quick to enumerate the various hurdles with which they must contend. “Basically having no money,” is one succinct way of

putting it. “On a personal level, literally finding a job to make money and that allows you to tour, as most people aren’t fine with it. They work against each other. You’re like, ‘I don’t care about the job, it’s only money,’ but you need money to go on tour.”

Pebble continues, “As well as the recession, you hear a lot about the music industry not wanting to take risks and sign bands.”

Up the Scruff? You’ll be forgiven if you don’t instantly recognise the recording name that is Mr Scruff, though the likelihood is that you’ll recognise some of the tunes behind the handle. Scruff (known to his mother as Andy Carthy) is a British DJ, artist and tremendous tea enthusiast. Speaking to him the day before he performs a series of gigs in Canada, we talk about music, hot drinks and horribly drunk students. As a DJ, Scruff is renowned for his extremely lengthy sets, which can often last five or six hours. Scruff humbly downplays his stamina. “I get the energy from the same place all the dancers get the energy. I just stand there putting records on. I’m playing my favourite records on a great sound-system to a load of lovely people, I’m not going to be looking at my watch.” A former shelf-stacker, Scruff clearly takes great pride in what he does, and expects others to do the same. “The only bad experience I had playing to students was playing a fresher’s ball once in Coventry – a club full of eighteen-year-olds who had probably never drunk before and were licking each other’s faces and

Nonetheless, the universally positive feedback the band has received both from critics and crowds ensure that they won’t be struggling for long. As of mid-December, the album was on 8,500 downloads, a figure they were hoping could reach 10,000 by Christmas (which it did). “The feedback has been amazing, it really has. Anyone’s who told us they liked the album have said they loved it. It’s way more than we could have ever imagined.” The quintet are warm in their praise of Irish audiences. “When we played back with Billy Talent, we were pretty blown away. There is a kind of buzz, there seems to be a lot more energy for music over here. People make the most of it. It seems like people actually want a good night out instead of watching the one band they paid to see.” Diligent and immensely likable, it is thus hoped that 2010 will see the band explode. 10,000 downloads later, you can’t really argue with promise. Canterbury play Dublin on March 28th.

Music Interview

Sally Hayden catches up with tea-drinking dance upcomer Andy Carthy, aka DJ Scruff

getting drunk on alcopops.” Scruff ensures there is a tea-stall set up at every performance he plays, and I ask him whether this is an antibooze revolution, but he believes in both in equal measures. “It’s just about giving people an option. Normally if you go into a bar after 7pm they’ll tell you they can’t make you a hot drink, but then they’ll spend ten minutes making you a cocktail. That’s only for mainland Britain though; for overseas gigs I either bring my records or my teabags and I don’t think people would pay to come and watch me drink tea all day.” Scruff also hails the arrival of the laptop and how accessible it makes music creation for all. “There’s an enormous amount of music being released because it’s so easy to do now. It’s lead to an inordinate amount of bad music but also an incredible amount of good music, there’s just more to wade through.” Mr Scruff ’s music videos and onstage performances are accompanied and characterised by his unique illustrations, usually involving a potato. “I’ve drawn in that exact style for twenty years now. On one level I’m really kind of geeky and

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trainspottery and nerdy about music so the little potato characters show the other side which is the kind of daft eccentric silly side as well. It’s good to present something which can potentially be very beardstroky.” These images also help him combat the issue of being commonly recognised. “I think you’re famous when people who have no idea what you do start shouting at you across the street and that definitely doesn’t happen to me, because most people think that I’m a potato, and I’m quite happy with it that way.”

“For overseas gigs I either bring my records or my teabags and I don’t think people would pay to come and watch me drink tea all day” 19.01.10

MAKING FIRE OUT OF TINDER A distinctive British act of the ‘90’s, Tindersticks’ original brand of melancholic, echoing rock is moving in an altogether new direction, writes Grace Murphy

indersticks’ original sextet, complete with glockenspiel and vibraphone, started out eighteen years ago eager to promote an orchestral sound, but with this January’s release of Falling Down A Mountain, it’s clear that the current members are going for a more electric sound. This is the band’s second album after a five-year split, and an evolution on 2008’s The Hungry Saw. Member David Boulter tells otwo how the veteran band found a new lease of life in recent additions to the line up. “David Kitt [has] played with us quite a lot, so it was kind of natural for him to step into the band and help out – he brought a lot of his own musicality. Their personality brings a lot of positive energy, that kind of help to move things forward.” Boulter feels the new beginning for the band was born out of a desire to “get something done” and a resolution

to be more focused with their work. “The people we’re working with at the moment all have different interests, so we’re not just all sat there in the room looking at each other waiting for someone to do something... it’s a kind of energy.” This energy is currently focused on their upcoming tour, which sees the seasoned band faced with the dilemma of demonstrating their new sound to a fan base loyal to the old Tindersticks. “We’re trying to work in songs that we haven’t played for a long time, from

our past really, that have that more electric feel,” Boulter confesses. “We’re trying to find some more obscure, older material that hopefully people will still like but it kind of fits more within the electric sets that we have at the moment. “ Does this cult following help with on-stage nerves? “Yeah, that’s always helpful – at least you know that quite a lot of the audience is on your side ‘cause they’re fans anyway. In the past we used to just get really drunk, but now we stopped doing that I’m more

MUSIC

nervous now than I used to be.” Considering the complete lack of downtime between Tindersticks last two albums, are we to expect more from this resilient sextet? Boulter hopes so. “I think we’ve got a positive sort of feel within the band and everyone’s up for doing things at the moment, so hopefully we’ll start working on the next stuff as soon as we start playing live.” A testament to resilience and ingenuity, it appears that Tindersticks won’t retire the glockenspiel just yet.

THE ALBUM IS DEAD Call an ambulance! cries Jake O’Brien – Cowell and Walsh have killed the album The album is dead and it’s not coming back. It caught a parasitic disease that began with the move away from CDs and has ended with bands like Ash. The Northern Irish band recently threw in the towel and said that they would not be releasing any more albums; only their singles would reach the shelves, and they were set to release 26 of these over the course of a year. How well this will work though has yet to be seen. Nonetheless the band’s front man, Tim Wheeler, stated that “the way people listen to music has changed... with the advent of the download the emphasis has reverted to single tracks.” To pick on technology would be a cliché. It would be a vicious stereotype against IT people and the wonderful techies that brought us file sharing and fast bandwidth or whatever... but it’s hard to hate a computer. It’s far easier to hate people. With that in mind it’s time to actively hunt down and castrate Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh. These two degenerates have ruined the album - in fact, it is safe to say that they’ve murdered it. While technology only beat up the album and left it for dead in some seedy internet back alley gasping for breath behind pornhub.com, Walsh and Cowell found it, raped it and then beat it to death with a giant red fluorescent

‘X’ while Voiceover Man cackles away. By marching people up onto The X Factor stage with dreams of winning the Christmas Number One, Cowell and Walsh have destroyed the emphasis on musically wellrounded albums. The masses of pig-ignorant fools that watch TV talent shows and find them in anyway moral or uplifting or good or family-friendly or watchable should take a look at the latest album chart and compare it with the single chart. In Ireland the album chart generally reflects whatever is being bought by middle aged, reasonable music fans, while the singles chart reflects a bunch of wankers that like fragmented synth, fauxfeminism and ringtones. Thus, the album has become a vehicle for the single. One or two genuinely solid tracks will be found among a heaving pile of dung. Outside the several dozen tracks that MGMT and Florence & the Machine have released or sold to some advertisement agency there really isn’t very much left on their debut albums. In the cold light of the 21st century it has become the case that in order to find a really good album you must know someone who knows this stuff. I do not,

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but I know what I like. It seems the public are getting tired of buying an album only to discover they have bought a single track surrounded by a vague smell of failure.

Will We

? u o Y ck

“The fact that the storyline makes sense at all is a feat in itself”

ueen and Ben Elton’s sensational worldwide smash hit musical We Will Rock You first appeared in London’s West End Dominion Theatre in 2002 – and has since gone on to be performed around the globe, from Australia to Canada. In its history, the show has been seen by more than 4.6 million people and played over 2800 performances. Following a UK tour of five cities (Manchester, Sunderland, Birmingham, Bristol and Edinburgh) the production is due to head to Dublin’s O2 for an eleven day run. The show is set in an Orwellian future dystopia, focussing on Galileo (resembling Freddie Mercury) and his story of defeating the Queen who dictates the world’s thoughts and actions. The plot obviously has to follow a strictly non-linear walkthrough in order for the songs to make sense of the location. In effect, the above description involves the songs ‘Killer Queen’, ‘I Want to Break Free’ and ‘Under Pressure’. Throughout the remainder of the play, there are a bunch of Bohemians on the street who ‘Want It All’ (cue ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’), the protagonist falls in love (‘Somebody to Love’), and they eventually kill the tyrant queen (‘We Are the Champions’). Nothing about Bicycles though, so insert sad-face here. Announcing the Dublin shows, Queen’s Brian May he was “excited to be able, finally, to send a brand new, top-class We Will Rock You company to Ireland. We are completely hands on, and will be visiting! The Mother Ship, in the Dominion Theatre, London, will be rockin’ on all the while, keeping the home fires burning, until further notice!” otwo knows that this statement is a kind of linguistic redundancy, but hey – who can argue with Brian May? The first groundwork on the production was initially meant to be a sort of musical bio/jukebox depicting Freddie Mercury’s life, but when they discovered

that none of the songs could fit (or so it seems), it looked as if they called in Ben Elton to mask it in the most peculiar fashion possible. Of course, that’s not to say that anyone could do any better. otwo could easily compare it to making a snowman out a piece of carpet, some empty jugs of milk, and some old pieces of rope – the fact that the storyline makes sense at all is a feat in itself. Despite this critical setback, international audiences seem to find the show very entertaining. Personally, if I were to watch Brian May and Roger Taylor play the worst rendition of the Barney theme tune, I’d still call it gold. The cast of the touring production includes actor and musician, Jonathan Wilkes playing the role of ‘Khashoggi’, the Chief of the Secret Police who answers to Killer Queen’s every command. Former Coronation Street star Kevin ‘Curly Watts’ Kennedy plays ‘Pop’, a librarian who is stuck in his ‘hippie’ past and is searching to find answers to the end of rock music. X Factor star Brenda Edwards plays the domineering role of ‘Killer Queen’ (I told you!), Head of Globalsoft, the corporation responsible for the banning of all instruments and musical originality. TV actress Georgina Hagen plays ‘Meat’, the main female of the Bohemians (ahem) and I’d Do Anything contestant Ashley Russell, plays the ‘Teacher’, who befriends students whilst actually working as a spy for Globalsoft’s Secret Police. The production is also directed by Ben Elton. As to be expected, Brian May and Roger Taylor are music supervisors, and behind the cast “a band without parallel in the theatre, reflecting the true power of the mighty Queen” you’d be right to expect We Will Rock You to be a posthumous portrayal of a band that, well, rocked you. Some say that Ben Elton has fashioned a hilarious futurist comedy around more than 24 of Queen’s biggest hit songs, delivered in a show that boasts the

As Queen’s global super-smash hit musical visits The O2 this month, Colin Sweetman charts the musical’s success

scale and spectacle that marked Queen’s live performances. This however, only really justifies Act One of the musical. You could happily leave at the interval having enjoyed most of Queen’s hits (bar ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’) but that would be extremely audacious and fall into the category of “bad form”. Not to mention that you’d have wasted money spent on the ticket… “This show is all about legend,” says Ben Elton. “We take the legend of Queen and create our own fantastical story of young kids battling the might corporations who want to suppress their individuality and their love of music. They need a hero who can help them in their struggle, and we have two – the dreamer Galileo and the sassy rock chick Scaramouche. Guess who ends up winning?” So in a way, it’s really all about teenage rebellion? In that case, otwo cannot wait to see Nirvana’s rehash musical. They’d at least have to play ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ about three times to keep these disgruntled teens’ attention on high. Irrelevant point aside, Brian May adds that “the amazing bonus is that Ben’s script subtly works as a metaphor too. People definitely come out of the theatre feeling that in a strange way they now know us, Queen, and our struggle, our journey.” This is where otwo will actually disagree with the god-like Brian May. There is no way that an audience can feel more connected to “Queen’s journey” after seeing this. It bears little resemblance: Queen didn’t operate in a totalitarian state; Freddie Mercury was openly gay (unlike the lead role); the piece is set 300 years in the future, whereas Queen’s heyday was the 1980s; and just how did Queen “struggle”? They all had degrees from highly respected universities, they would’ve had easy lifestyles without the band. Not to sound like a bitter cee-you-enn-tee or anything… But enough about May, let’s hear from Roger Taylor: “Creating the show with Ben was very much a three-way thing. Which was great, because Ben has such a great fertile mind that never ever stops churning out ideas. He’s written a fantastic idea for the sequel. I counted 23 more hits he can put in it. Let’s see if people like this one first!” Yes, let’s. The touring production reaches Dublin carrying with it an impressive legacy: when it first became news that one of Britain’s most phenomenally successful comedy writers Ben Elton, was teaming up with legends of rock – Queen – for a musical, there was much speculation on what such a unique collaboration would turn out. Especially when screen icon Robert de Niro became so impressed

after attending the original workshop that his company Tribeca came on board as American partner. The result was a new chapter in theatre history – We Will Rock You – a rock ‘theatrical’ which defied all comparisons and has gone on to rock London’s West End and theatres around the world for the past seven years to an audience of well beyond 10 million. We Will Rock You – not just a show, but a promise! And next week: Spinal Tap, the Musical! Still, it’s an interesting way of seeing a few fogey musicians do their stuff on stage. ‘We Will Rock You’ is set to rock into Dublin’s O2 beginning on 20th-31st January. Tickets are on sale now, see ticketmaster.ie for more details or visit wewillrockyou. co.uk.

12 TRAVEL

J1 Special: San Diego In the first of a two-part series, Colin Sweetman talks a little about heading to the south-coast corner of America for students planning a J1

ather than give you a summary of “This is what I did last Summer” (which is what this article will probably turn out to be), I remain in the hope that I can impart some useful information for those of you deciding to hit America for Summer 2010 – in homage to the time-honoured tradition of the J1 Experience. It turned out exactly as I hoped it would: brilliantly, subtly, totally ambiguous and never disappointing. It is true that J1ers find it as difficult to find a place to live as it is finding employment in Ireland. However, there are ways around this – most of them illegal. When you land in San Diego, it’s not at all like going to a neighbouring European country. Contrary to a ‘culture shock’, you’d be surprised how similar the place is to Ireland. Many previous J1ers will agree with me in saying that, when they returned to Dublin after the work-holiday, they felt like San Diego was as distant in locality as Cork. In other words, it almost feels like it’s just around the corner, when in fact the Whale’s Vagina is 5,200 miles away. Getting a job is no problem if you keep an open mind. San Diego to the rest of America is what Spain is to Ireland and Britain: a holiday zone. This means that it needs a large group of temp workers just for summer. The Irish speak the same language, are generally easy-going, and are desperate for cash-cows offering drink money (an activity you will be partaking in for up to and over six days a week).

The hardest part is getting a house. With rent the highest expense during the summer months, accompanied with a thirst for beer, fun and food, the only option is to squeeze as many pale-arsed ‘lerprechauns’ into an apartment dogbox as is possible. Also, because the Irish are so drunk and rowdy all the time, landlords are quickly becoming wise to our ways, and you’ll notice that the Irish are being forced to live further and further away from the coast every year. Expect no deposit back, many police knocking on your door, sleeping toe-to-toe with complete strangers (who you’ll soon befriend) and an apartment that is furnished only with beerstains and empty beer-cans. The police in San Diego have a strange attitude. Last year, many Irish were arrested for J-walking and giving cheek. But when we were drinking on the beach late at night with the majority under the drinking age, bonfires and all – did the police do anything? Not a thing. They probably thought it was sacrilegious to disturb any Irish partaking in their favourite pastime. Applying for J1 Don’t listen to what any of the agents say – that “Free Visa” (which isn’t free when you realise that you can only fly on the most expensive airline going) is going to remain free until early May, because they’re generally desperate for your custom. On a general consensus, Go4less are the cheapest and most helpful, but the others don’t fail in doing their jobs either. Once you sign up to one of these companies, every step is generally straight-forward otwo

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– so easy, even a mature student could do it. Also, don’t buy into their lies about having to buy a mobile SIM card and bank account before going over. These companies are just trying to make an extra bit of cash for themselves. A SIM card in America costs about $5 and setting up a bank account is free, takes about one hour, and is less stressful than doing it from Ireland. Arriving in San Diego I would advise to completely ignore your useless sponsors (but don’t ignore the forms they give you to fill out or else you’ll be deported). Instead, the most helpful agent is the Irish Outreach Centre, their mission being “to extend the hands of caring and guidance to the Irish” in the San Diego area. These helpful folk will guide you directly to the Social Security office, even offering a quicker service than any other migrant in the city. They will also help you find accommodation and employment, as they generally know many people in the city who specifically want the Irish to work for them/live on their land. The greatest advice I can impart to you is to go directly to them the day after your debut piss-up. So with that, I can honestly say that it is a completely worthwhile experience that I’d take again without hesitation. If you would like to fully prepare for your J1 to San Diego, check out www.irishoutreachsd.org and have a hassle-free summer. Colin will be back with more advice on sorting your J1 summer next week.

Column

MUSIC 13

It’s Jamie’s world,… we just live in it Our resident columnist Jamie Martin exposes the word of airborne kiddypoo. Lovely. Readers will have to excuse me if this article makes no sense - sadly, at the time of writing it, I am currently sitting in California recovering from an almost-three-day journey from the frostinfested iceland that is/was the Republic of Ireland. I have not slept in close to sixty hours; I had to get a taxi extra-early to the airport, as my car doors were literally frozen shut; and soon it will be time to go to the frat house that we will be staying in. That should be interesting to say the least. The worst thing about travelling on a plane for several hours is the screaming children. You may call me evil, because I do not accept that children are perfect angels who should be allowed to roam free, but try sitting next to a toddler who has quite clearly soiled himself but whose parents have not seemed to notice. Better yet, instead of changing the infant, they decide it would be a good idea for him to stretch his legs - so they lift him into the aisle where he proceeds to run up and down the length of the plane, wafting the smell throughout the cabin. One minute you are struggling to get the single serving packet of cheese open, and one infant sprint later you are struggling to keep down the chicken with creamy risotto that was actually quite delicious considering the environment. A two hour layover awaited us in JFK airport. where one of my friends discovered that the bottle of whiskey in his bag had smashed, soaking his entire backpack, including all his clothes for the trip and making him smell like a

Misheard Lyrics Things never seem as they appear…better give it a second listen says Ciarán Ó Braonáin

homeless person. The Irish had arrived. Well, arrived in New York anyway. There was the small matter of the seven hour flight to San Francisco. The next flight proved just as disgusting as the last, as I was seated next to an elderly Mexican lady who decided to make herself right at home by removing her shoes and socks and putting her feet right up in my face and taking a nap. Several cramped and hot hours later we found ourselves landing in San Francisco airport with no idea of where we were going, what bus we were getting or who was meeting us. By some stroke of luck the old number I had for my friend in the city worked and we were on our way. Already the trip has proven to be interesting as we shared a dinner with a top detective of the San Francisco police force, and somehow managed to score a free meal in a top Italian restaurant by convincing the owner that my friend was the junior Taoiseach of Ireland. The week’s itinerary includes Skiing in Lake Tahoe and the initiation rites of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. So, as always, I will keep everyone posted.

Human – The Killers “Are we human, or are we dancer?” A line which sparked much debate amongst Killers fans, to the consternation of Brandon Flowers, with some hearing ‘denser’ while others correctly heard ‘dancer’.

This doesn’t even make sense; why would throw your hand anyway, is it detachable? And why would Batman want it? And if you’re independent, do you need Batman to have your hand? “All the women who independent, throw your hands up at me”!

Fairytale of New York – The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl Despite being Ireland’s favourite Christmas song most people seem to sing “God I’m the lucky one, came in at ten to one” instead of the actual lyric, “Got on a lucky one, came in eighteen to one.”

That Don’t Impress me Much – Shania Twain “I can’t believe you kiss your cock at night” Yoga can teach you many things, and if this is one of them, maybe I should Get in Gear, Get Active. “I can’t believe you kiss your car goodnight”.

You Oughta Know – Alanis Morrisette “It’s not fair to deny me, of the crosseyed bear that you gave to me.” “It’s not fair to deny me, of the cross I bear that you gave to me.” Seriously people, COME ON! Don’t Look Back in Anger – Oasis “And so, Sally can wait...” Despite each and every person in the drunken crowd belting out a different version, and regardless of the nonsensical meaning, all are equally passionate in their conviction that theirs are the right words. Two of my favourite examples are “And so sides await...” and “Am I so sly to wait...” Drops of Jupiter – Train “Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded, and Van Halen is overrated”.Yes, that’s what he sang - he doesn’t think Jump was that good a song, even before it got Glee-d. Of course it could be “that heaven is overrated”. Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams “I got my first real sex dream” Eh, no. “I got my first real six-string” Independent Woman – Destiny’s Child “All the women who independent, throw your hands at Batman”?

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Song 2 – Blur “I got my head shaved by H. Emboche/ Jon Bon Jovi/a trombone chain” Do trombones have chains? Are they sharp enough to shave heads? Is Jon Bon Jovi branching out to hairdressing? “I got my head checked, by a jumbo jet” Yellow Leadbetter – Pearl Jam It’s too hard mpossible to make out any of the lyrics. Moving onward... Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana Again, hard to make out the lyrics. So much so that Weird Al Yankovic’s song ‘Smells Like Nirvana’ includes the lines “What is this song all about? Can’t figure any lyrics out, How do the words go?” and “The lyrics sheet’s so hard to find, what are the words, oh nevermind...” You’re So Vain – Carly Simon “There were clowns in my coffee, clowns in my coffee” OK to be fair, why the hell are there clouds in her coffee? “There were clouds in my coffee...” Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers - Islands in the Stream sounds like “Ireland’s Industry”, but only if you’re of sub-normal intelligence. “Ireland’s Industry, that is what we are...” Yes, of course, our entire nation’s single industry is based around Dolly Parton and her moll.

14 FILM & TV

Reviews IT’S COMPLICATED Director: Nancy Meyers Starring: Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin In cinemas: Now It’s complicated when you tune in to Episode 441 of Lost. It’s complicated when you try to explain the existence of God. It’s not complicated when you tell people that you’re having sex with your ex-wife. The title of this seemingly ‘original’ granny-porn storyline can be imagined in a major Hollywood office: “So Nancy, what’s your new movie about?” asks some nobody. “Oh, I’d love to tell you, but it’s complicated,” comes the response. As with any film, It’s Complicated follows a plot that can be constructed within a single paragraph: a divorced couple of ten years get back together and have sex. One is married and the other isn’t. They

have college-bound children and don’t live happily ever after. Simples. Despite the name (which I will stop complaining about), the movie is quite endearing to audiences approaching; in; or coming out of marriages. Alec Baldwin is typecast, playing Jake with typical smarmy bravado – the type of character who could get rid of your father and marry your mother without a social stint in between. Meanwhile Meryl Streep acts as a casual carefree character, stuck between the morality of being the “other woman” in the affair and what she actually is – a cuddly old menopausal mother who cooks nice food and occasionally laughs with her BFFs. The film itself does hold some comedic value however. But this is only comparable to the style of Scrubs, where there is a mish-mash of emotive gravity and slapstick comedy, as portrayed by

Steve Martin (his heart is crushed by Meryl Streep ‘cos girls only like Bad Boys), and John Krasinski, playing the elder-daughter’s fiancé Harley, as the upper-comedic value to the movie. When Nancy Meyers brought us Steve Martin in The Holiday, we watched what was probably the ultimatum of her style as a director. While not as funny as said movie, this is still an interesting piece of, ehm, movie-thing? Seriously though, you wouldn’t come out of the cinema saying that it was crap, or awful. It is what it is for now: a watchable movie to consume two or three hours of your time. In the future, I suspect that this will feature at least once a year at Christmas on RTÉ/BBC, and you will drop what you are doing to watch it, just for some infinite distraction. In a nutshell: Low key granny-porn Colin Sweetman

THE BOYS ARE BACK Director: Scott Hicks Cast: Clive Owen, Laura Fraser, George MacKay In Cinemas: 22nd January Before the review, a tip: Don’t see this film if you’re easily upset, hormonal or just a big sop, like me. If you must, bring tissues. The Boys are Back tells the story of a journalist (Clive Owen) who struggles to cope with being a single father after the death of his second wife. While his younger son Artie gets on with life as a bubbly six-year-old, the arrival of Owen’s first son Harry on a visit causes upheaval. Owen is forced to deal with his lax parenting style and his grief over the loss of his wife, all while juggling

two boys, a burgeoning relationship, and the pressures of his job. Treading a very fine line between moving and maudlin, The Boys are Back narrowly avoids being sentimental mush. Owen’s hapless parenting is hard to watch at times – a kid riding on the bonnet of a car is not OK – but it’s his tense relationship with Harry that makes compelling viewing. Emotive and visually beautiful, the story moves at a gentle pace – it’s one of those movies where nothing much happens on the surface; rather, the plot is in the development of the characters. The movie’s storyline is quite a heavy one (cancer, death, grief and abandonment are its main themes) but the gorgeous shots of the Australian countryside and the ocean makes otwo

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for light viewing, and the simplicity of the film detracts from the complex emotions at play. The characters are likeable on the whole – Rupert Grint-alike George MacKay plays a blinder as older son Harry, managing to convey the inner turmoil of a little boy in a teenager’s body, wondering why his Daddy left him. Overall, a fairly harrowing tale comes to a relatively happy ending. The Boys are Back certainly isn’t light-hearted entertainment, but it would make a great date movie, as it certainly brings the warm and fuzzies. Just don’t forget the tissues. In a nutshell: Clive Owen made me cry. Michelle McCormick

THE LOVELY BONES Director: Peter Jackson Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz Release Date: 29th January Book to film adaptations really have to do well to impress fans of the original source. While it’s undoubtedly ridiculous to expect a perfect adaptation, it’s fine to go in with certain expectations. The Lovely Bones is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Alice Sebold. The film tells the story of fourteen year old Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan), who is murdered by her reclusive neighbour and must watch her family from her afterlife as they attempt to cope with the consequences of her death. Visually, The Lovely Bones is unparalleled. Susie’s afterlife is a variety of wonderfully constructed landscapes that perfectly encapsulate the fantasy of a teenage girl. Her memories of her death are also suitably constructed, causing discomfort and tension as the audience register the detail of her surroundings. The actors give very credible performances. Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz play Susie’s parents wonderfully, despite the fact that their characters are never really allowed to let their grief fully develop. The film very much focuses on Susie and her experiences and does not really work as a study of grief. Jackson, as he does in The Lord of the Rings, places far too much emphasis on the main character and their

FILM & TV 15

Movie Deaths

Crash! Bang! Melt! Steeple! And six other dramatic noises! Emer Sugrue charts the 10 best movie deaths

journey, which ultimately damages the credibility of the supporting characters and their stories. Susan Sarandon embraces the role of the chain smoking glamorous granny with aplomb but full credit must go to Stanley Tucci, who plays Susie’s killer. He does not allow his character to become a simple cliché, but gives him complexity and humanity as well as making him a despicable and repugnant character. Fans of the book and of Jackson’s earlier work may not find full satisfaction in The Lovely Bones, but it is still a solid film. It seems to do things very well, or very poorly, as is seen in its visuals and character development respectively. The Lovely Bones is unlikely to sweep the awards season, but is worth a look nonetheless. In a nutshell: Well acted and pretty special effects, but has its flaws.

Alien It all kicks off when Kane gets face-raped by one of the titular aliens. The others peel it off then sit down to lighthearted lunch – Kane seemingly not traumatised or put off his food or anything. He starts feeling a bit peaky when suddenly an alien bursts out of his chest spraying blood and guts all over the spaceship. And you thought human childbirth was bad.

The Dark Knight Although not graphic, by far the most horrific. The Joker bursts in on a gangster meeting and shows one of the guards how he can make a pencil disappear. Ta-Daa!

Hot Fuzz Local village journalist Tim Messenger gets a cathedral spire dropped on his head – instant graphic decapitation, and all because he made typos. A sobering warning for us here at the Observer... Terminator 2 A tearful scene in which the T-800 (i.e. Arnie) sacrifices himself. The last shot shows him sinking into the lava giving the thumbs up to John

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Star Trek Kirk’s father takes over as captain when Nero, has the pervious captain killed. He evacuates the ship but can’t save himself and spends his final minutes on the com to his wife tearfully deciding what to call his newborn son. One of the saddest film openings I’ve seen. In Star Trek of all things. It soon gets less weepy and more shooty. V for Vandetta Well, he’s already dead when this happens, but what a spectacular funeral! Every Republican’s dream comes true when we see British Parliament bombed to the sky, all to the delicious music of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, or subtly “his music”.

Pulp Fiction John Travolta is sitting in the car chatting and casually waving his gun about and accidentally blows Marvin’s face off in the back seat. It manages to be completely disgusting yet hilarious at the same time – directed by comedy-gore aficionado Quinton Tarantino of course.

Bridget Fitzsimons

Connor. This was supposed to erase the Terminator from time but he got better. And took over California.

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Gladiator Russell Crowe’s character Maximus Decimus Meridius Sanctus Spiritus gets to beat the crap out of the Roman Emperor before going to the now clichéd wheat field heaven. Psycho The classic Hitchcock scene. Woman in the shower, guy sneaks up on her with knife. We don’t see the stabs but she tears down the shower curtain and her blood swirls down the plughole, all to spine chilling music. Even if you haven’t seen the film I guarantee you’ve seen a million homages to it. The mark of a great film is that it’s been ripped off so much it is nigh unwatchable. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark The film climaxes with Spielberg’s ludicrous Nazis opening The Ark of the Covenant and getting all the flesh melted off their faces by the power of 1980s special effects. It may look a bit rubbish now but it burnt itself into my childhood nightmares and taught me an important lesson – don’t fuck with archaeologists. They’ll melt your face.

16 FASHION

Birth of a Salesman Seasoned eBay trader Zoë Coleman tells us how she makes money and updates her wardrobe at the same time by buying and selling her stuff on the auction site

ike Google and YouTube, eBay has become an integral part of online culture. With eBay, anyone can become a part of the world’s marketplace from the comfort of their armchair, or even their bed.You can exchange old for new, collect rare and hard-to-find items, and buy unusual gifts without having to waste hours in the shops. Do not expect, however, to be turning over big profits with the click of a mouse. eBay is a global profitmaking enterprise; its millions are gleaned from the fees imposed on all sellers. Despite this, it is possible to make a small amount of money; enough to please any student. The most obvious and most popular items that sell on eBay are clothes. As trends fluctuate on the high street, the same applies on eBay. Higher prices are paid for more desirable items; an ‘on-trend’ item that graced the pages of Look magazine will most likely sell out in the stores and find a new spotlight on eBay selling for twice the price. Don’t try this approach; instead, clear out your wardrobe and assess what you think would be profitable. Look for classic, timeless items that you simply don’t wear anymore but that you would consider worth buying. The secret to successful selling on eBay is knowing what’s worth something, and what you’re better off bagging up for the charity shop. I began using eBay in 2005, the same way as many before me by selling off an unwanted Oxegen ticket. It sold successfully, because I set it at a fair price (face value) and offered to mail it by registered post. Once a buyer is assured that the postage method is safe and reliable, the more likely they are to bid. Over the years I’ve made some and lost some. eBay is unpredictable – everyone is looking for a bargain, considering that a substantial number of items, particularly

ple, photo and a sim Provide a clear ion. concise descript d stick to co P nditions, an • Offer fair P& days of in st item with 3 them (“I will po ). t” d paymen receiving cleare the yments! They’re pa al and sell • Accept PayP y bu to ay w secure safest and most online. eaper items to – sell smaller, ch • Start small at sellers e feedback so th build up positiv reliable. see you as more at generates s.com – a site th • Use fatfinger that could ellings in listings common missp per find. secure you a chea purchase: gu to arantee that • Use a sniper on your behalf d bi er.com can ul ed ch gs in dd bi n closes. just as the auctio e buyers in lly. There are mor na io at rn te in ll Se • Ireland! Europe than in

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clothes, are sold as second hand. I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks over the years, through mistakes I’ve made and observing other sellers who sell the same items as I do. The first things a prospective buyer notices are photographs. eBay is littered with grainy, poor-quality photos of an item carelessly tossed on a floor – and unsurprisingly, these are the items that fail to sell or sell for low prices. Have at least two good quality photos of your item: if it’s clothing, then photograph the item hung up on a plain background, and in clear lighting. Include a concise description of the item in the caption – mention its condition, where it’s from, and its measurements. Always try to be imaginative with your listing – you don’t need to pay extra for the garish backgrounds eBay provides. From experience, these are distracting and don’t encourage sales. Buying and selling on eBay is a worthwhile experience. You can pick up a bargain, make some money, update your wardrobe for less, and maybe get that textbook for half the price you’ll pay in-store. Once you start selling, you’ll find it’s a great way to make some extra money to fund your social life, and as a buyer it’s perfect to update your wardrobe and find that unique item that you wouldn’t find in-store. Once you start selling you won’t look back. Make it a resolution for the New Year to clear out your wardrobe and make a profit. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t succeed the first time around – learn from experience and persevere. Reduce and reuse your unwanted clothes! It’s a greener way to influence your style and update your look. otwo

DON’T

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Set your minimum selling price as your cost price – Pe ople shop on eBay for bargains. Make it worth their while . Remember too that you have no use for the item you’re sel ling, and everythin g you make is a profit. • Overbid – Th ink carefully abou t your maximum bid. Wha t value will you get from the product? • Take careless photos – Webcam and phone camera shot s won’t attract buye rs. • Overcharge on postage – if you th ink your item won’t sel l, and attempt to m ake up the shortfall wi th inflated postage costs, buyers will su ss you out and avoid you.

19.01.10

FILM & TV 17

BREAD AND CIRCUSES RTÉ had the potential for a great formula in an All-Ireland Talent Show, reckons Alison Lee, but they’ve messed it up by totally underestimating the viewer. Again. An All-Ireland Talent Show could have had potential. It could have showcased the country’s diverse talents, giving old and young alike a chance to shine on TV at a time where we could use a boost to our sense of national pride. But it was not to be: RTÉ’s cheapskate cheesemongers got their claws into the series, and churned out a knock-off worthy of being sold out of the back of a car down some dodgy alleyway. Ireland’s Got Talent, also known as The All-Ireland Talent Show has reemerged for a lamentable second run. otwo tuned in to witness the familiar sight of members of the public being ridiculed by a “panel of experts”, under the auspices of shiny plastic presenter Grainne “The Ma” Seoige. The judges included B-list celebs Shane “Desperate Dan” Lynch and The Actually Desperate Dana, who on a good day might just about get a mention in the gossip column of the Herald or an interview on Ireland AM. At least the contestants, battling

it out for a spot in the semi-final, were more diverse than the regular Pop Idol hopefuls. Two of the acts were pretty-young-girl-vocalists

then dissected by the judges, the votes were counted, and pretty young singer Tara Burke McDonnell and the Cloughaneely Marching Band

(nothing new there), but there were also two bizarrely-dressed, shrillvoiced females (?) who purported to be a comedy duo, a spoons player known as Johnny Bongos, and a marching band from Donegal made up mostly of small children. The attempts of this motley crew were

were the lucky ones chosen to fight another day. The problem with TV talent contests is that those who provide the “entertainment” – who actually get on stage to sing, dance, whatever – aren’t paid for their services, unlike the judges who just sit back, relax

and criticise. Judges like Daithí “my dad is Maidhc Dainín” Ó Sé obviously don’t take the business in any way seriously, but the same can’t be said for the participants. Anyone who argues that “it’s all for fun” obviously didn’t spot the tearful children of the Cloughaneely Marching Band clasping their hands in prayer and mouthing the words “please please please” while awaiting the judges’ decision. Perhaps, at the very least, RTÉ should enforce an age limit on contestants – though heaven forbid viewers be deprived of kiddies to coo over. Sharon Shannon appeared as a guest, and demonstrated that real talent doesn’t achieve recognition through winning cheap TV contests. The difference between her musicianship and the embarrassing, overproduced performances of the contestants was painfully obvious. Those that call the shots in the broadcasting world don’t seem to have copped on to this just yet, and sadly it’s doubtful they ever will – not while there are TV viewers out there enjoying such “bread and circuses” doled out with depressing regularity.

MAKING A RIGHT SHOW OF CLEVELAND Conor Barry gets to grips with the funny-but-pointless Family Guy spinoff The Cleveland Show After eight seasons, there’s no denying that Family Guy has lost some of its charm. For a show that’s built upon parody and references, it’s tough to compete with the ultimate pop culture reference machine of the internet. What better way to remedy this stale humour then, than by making a spin-off show featuring one of the least popular members of the original! Firstly there’s the racism issue that apparently is much talked about. Seth MacFarlane and Co. clearly anticipated accusations of racist stereotyping when devising the show, so they threw in some white stereotypes for good measure, in the form of Cleveland’s hipster and hick neighbours. The logic seems to be that if you make fun of everyone, then nobody can get offended. To be honest, though, I’d be puzzled about anyone who actually watched the show and

found it offensive, since it actually makes fun of racism itself. So, now that it’s not racist, is it any good? In short: sort of, if in a sub-par Family Guy kind of way. The Cleveland Show relies far less on pop culture and that sort of “funny because it’s weird” style of humour that Family Guy has patented. Instead, we have funny-becauseits-clichéd humour. While the jokes are incredibly hit or miss, they are at least a little broader than mere pop culture references. Another difference that makes a surprisingly large change is the fact that the show is in widescreen: more attention has been given to detail, and the animation is more fluid which makes some of the visual jokes a fair bit funnier. The problem is that I just can’t otwo

see the point in The Cleveland Show’s existence. In America all three MacFarlane shows are back to back, which is just too much identikit

humour for one man to take, and when the best part of the show is 19.01.10

the intro sequence, you know there’s a problem. Having said that, the intro is spectacular. All in all, The Cleveland Show is mediocre and a tad unnecessary. Worse than Family Guy, better than American Dad, overly similar to both. The entire series could have been condensed into one episode of Family Guy rather than its own series, and probably would have been better off. Isn’t the idea of a spin-off to revive a dying franchise? As far as I can tell, Family Guy is still doing pretty well. If you literally cannot get enough of Seth MacFarlane then hurrah for you, you’re in luck. For everyone else, I suggest you read a book or something. The Shining is pretty good.

18 MUSIC

New Shoos… oooh! A s the Irish music scene gathers momentum, the Shoos are the latest band to find themselves on the tip of everyone’s tongue. The group have come from playing small shows in pubs and clubs to securing a series of dates in New York City at the end of the month, with an date in the Academy 2 also forthcoming. “We’ve been together about three years now,” says lead singer Tex of the group’s origins. “Myself and Barry Plunkett, the lead guitarist, started recording some of our own stuff and we played a few gigs around Dublin, just the two of us. Then Steve Meyer, the bass player and his older brother Scott joined in, and that’s how it all started.” The singer admits it was difficult to live in the scene at first, though the band benefitted from Scott’s experience in the industry. “We just started playing in clubs and pubs, any gig we could get. Scott’s been a musician for his whole life and so he knew some other bands and got us a few supports here and there. More often than not, there was no money involved when we started off and that’s how it went, just gigs and gigs!” However, the band’s efforts appear to be paying off, as they released a four track EP, Yeah, in September with the eponymous song as a single shortly thereafter. This has been garnering them some hard-earned recognition. “The feedback from Yeah has been great,” Tex says warmly. “We did as much publicity as we could and we got good reviews and a lot of national and regional radio play, so we were delighted with that. It helped us to get a lot of gigs and notice. We’re setting ourselves up to release a second single, Distance, off the EP, which will turn into an album. It’ll go Yeah, Distance, and then the album in July.” Before all this, however, the Shoos have been booked to play a number of shows in New York City, an opportunity that Tex acknowledges as huge for the band. “We got invited by a booking agent who knows Scott, as Scott goes out there to do his own stuff,” Tex explains. “We’re inviting as many people in the business as we can to come and see us – there’s a guy from Interscope coming from LA. It’s only a few gigs; we’re not expecting to get a deal out of one week in New York! Either way, it’s a unique experience to get to go over there and play so we’ll see what happens.” Onwards and upwards for The Shoos thus, as hard work and perseverance pays dividends.

As they prepare to bring their music stateside, The Shoos talk to Grace Duffy about the trials and tribulations the band has faced

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The Great Irish Music Famine The New Year is upon us which can mean only one thing – it’s time for the lurid build-up to that annual vomit-fest known as the Meteor Awards, writes Paul Fennessy

very year the cream of the Irish music scene gather together as a nation holds its collective breath in anticipation for the prestigious Meteor Ireland Music Awards... or so the two or three pompous, self-important twits that run the Irish music industry would have you believe (Cheers for the complimentary tickets, guys). This annual gathering of The Script, Westlife and a whole host of other people that you’ve never heard of is once again set to showcase the best of Irish music ‘talent’ – desecrating the sanctitude of human decency in the process – as all concerned unanimously stroke their unseemly egos (among other things). As I visit the awards’ website, purely for research purposes of course, the first thing that catches my eye is a poll: “Who is Top of

Your Best Dressed List: Katie Perry/ Robert Pattinson/Lady Gaga/ Westlife?” It immediately becomes clear that the show has been established purely for the benefit of 12-year-old girls and paedophiles. This year, the two obligatory big draws appear to be Paolo Nutini and Michael Bublé. In other words, two acts so remorselessly bland that they are guaranteed to segue perfectly with the Bore-onas and the Shit Patrols of this world. Admittedly, the likes of Nutini and Bublé are fine for people who sell insurance for a living. However, for the rest of us breathing creatures that actually possess emotions and acquire complex systems of knowledge, listening to these ‘artists’ feels more sinful than festooning your body with nothing but chocolate sauce, before spontaneously embracing that hot female lecturer you’ve been

Oh my IFI! Recently, one of Dublin’s best small cinemas has undergone a huge refurbishment. The Irish Film Institute (IFI), on Eustace Street in Temple Bar, has always been loved by film buffs for its choice of films you’d never see anywhere else, but has the new refurbishment added to the cinema? In a word (or three): yes, it has. The two screens that have always served the IFI were fine, but the addition of a new screen really works wonders for the cinema. The screen is compact and intimate, with comfortable and roomy seats. As someone who is vertically challenged, I was worried about how low my seat felt, but the seats are levelled extremely well. Even short people like me can watch films without all you tall people ruining the fun for us. Because of the new screen, the IFI will be adding more events and festivals to its schedule. I went to see Tokyo Story as part of the season celebrating Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu in the new screen and the intimate cinema really added to my viewing experience. Upcoming festivals include the Stranger Than Fiction documentary season in April and the family oriented festival in July. As a film student, I’ve always relied on the IFI and my membership discount for cheaper film book prices. The range and prices of their DVD

fantasising about. (Ahem, I really like Michael Bublé – ed) Florence and the Machine – the only non-Irish group who have been confirmed to appear – are a shoe-in for Best International Band (why would they bother turning up otherwise?). This will consequently satisfy Florence Welch’s desperate, relentless need for adulation on account of her crippling case of gingerness. In addition, viewers will also have the opportunity to see blatantly not-Irish Snow Patrol glumly warble their way through ‘Chasing Cars’ for the ten thousandth time. Moreover, the press release for the Meteors was clearly constructed by someone who was dangerously intoxicated whilst writing it. It affirms that the event “promises to be the musical highlight of the year”. Remember those old football boots adverts that described Gareth

Southgate – who incidentally happened to be endorsing the product in question – as the “champion of English football”? The aforementioned Meteor-related claim makes that pronouncement seem almost viable by comparison. Furthermore, I have a few helpful suggestions which are certain to amplify the inanity and general air of sadism that permeates the event, thus ensuring that it succeeds in illustrating the utter pointlessness of humanity. Instead of a music industry award, how about an award for the most irritating, sycophantic and unashamedly vacuous PR person? Instead of recognising the best DJ, why not give the prize to the radio personality who manages to consume the least vodka while adhering to their meticulously soulless, virulently repetitive, insurance-man-approved playlist? Instead of calling it the Meteor Awards, why not be honest and label it ‘The yearly congregation of untalented, disposable musicians with an aptitude for delusions of grandeur and a proclivity for getting pissed’?

Bridget Fitzsimons revels in the refurbishment of Dublin’s IFI

selection are also impressive. With the renovations comes a completely new shop. Far from the open space the bookshop previously occupied at the back of the open atrium, the new shop is enclosed with its own doors. The new shop offers privacy and is away from the bustling restaurant and ticket office. It now offers somewhere quiet to browse DVDs, books and other film merchandise. The restaurant now gains more tables in turn – a great development for a place with meals that are both high quality and kind to the pocket. The menus are being updated, with brunch and tapas being added to the already varied list. Also, it helps that the new toilets are clean, shiny and roomy, unlike the scary ones that used loom around the back. The only downside of the new intergalactic style toilets is that they use the same obnoxious toilet paper holders that the Student Centre does. The ones that get the loo roll stuck in them, meaning that you have to venture into a couple to find one that actually has accessible paper. The IFI has typically been the reserve of buffs and film students going to see complicated foreign otwo

CULTURE 19

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movies to impress their lecturers (including me), but these new renovations will really open up the cinema as well as making independent and world cinema far more accessible to the people of Dublin.

Aries (March 21 – April 20) As Mars enters Venus’s orbit your thoughts will turn to how badly you performed in your exams. Don’t bother checking your results.

ENCORE

How can I predict the future? I’m a cat – a talking cat – so STFU.

Leo (July 22 – August 23) Stop trying to make that catchphrase happen, people will start throwing things at you – sharp things. Virgo (August 24 – September 22) Wash your clothes, you filthy bastard.

Taurus (April 21 – May 21) I know you think you’re beautiful, but really you’ve just spent too much time hanging around with ugly people and taking too much acid. This month will bring realisation to your life. Gemini (May 22 – June 21) I told Santa to put you on the naughty list.

Gig of the Fortnight: Vitalic 29.01.10 – The Academy – €33.60

Vitalic is a French musician, songwriter and a remixer, associated with acts such as Dima, Hustler Pornstar, The Silures, and Vital Ferox. His music generally has a numbing feeling which is great to listen to at the end of a hectic day. Although Vitalic’s (Pascal Arbez, aka

Capricorn (December 21 – January 20) Trust me. You really don’t want to know what your future beholds. It involves the colour brown and a public space. In other words, be wary of people offering you gifts.

Libra (September 23 – October 22) And did you like Fantastic Mr Fox?

AQUARIUS (January 21 – February 19) Just because it was on sale, that doesn’t necessarily mean that both sleeves will be the same size.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 22) This month you will discover why that Dell Laptop was so cheap. Writing complaints won’t do anything either, because technically the company doesn’t really exist.

Cancer (June 22 – July 23) Talk to the ugly friend for once. You’ll be surprised how much money they’re willing to fork out just because you’re giving them attention.

[

Sagittarius (November 23 – December 20) You will be completely broke if you keep spending your money on that thing you call your other half. Maybe prostitution will help your financial woes.

Pisces (February 20 – March 20) When he breaks up with you – and he will – ask him to marry you. Men love commitment.

]

DIMA) first singles were released in 1996 and 1997, his big break came in 2001 with his Poney EP. Four years later, in 2005, Vitalic’s debut album OK Cowboy was released using entirely synthetic instrumentals. Flashmob, Vitalic’s second studio album, was released in late 2009.

Arbez’s music has appeared in diverse places from the trailer for the French film Naissance des Pieuvres (2007) (‘Trahison’, taken from the album OK Cowboy, while the song ‘Poney Part 1’ was included in the Pleix film Birds. Selva Unal

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

19 January

20 January

21 January

22 January

23 January

24 January

We Will Rock You - The O2 7.30pm - €40-€55

STC presents Electric Penguins - The Button Factory 8.30pm - €5

New Year Opera Gala - National Concert Hall 8pm - €18-€48

Joe Rooney (Father Ted, Killinascully) - The Capital Comedy Club, Temple Bar -8.30pm - €5

Brendan O’Caroll Olympia Theatre - 8pm - from €30 Xposé - 3e 6.30pm - FREE!

Karen Egan - La Charlatanne National Concert Hall - 8pm - €20

King Lear – Dramsoc – Astra Hall – 7pm - €8/5 26th January

The County Sessions Cork Night - The Button Factory 7pm - €15/€10 Adam Green - The Academy €17.50

27th January

Comedy Night - The Capital Comedy Club 8.30pm - €5 Grudge, Bulls on Parade, Angry Chair, Mashin Pumpkins - The Button Factory 7.30pm - €10

Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour - The Academy €25

Dara O’Briain - Vicar Street 8.30pm - €28

The Devil’s Advocate - BBC1 - 11.45pm - FREE!

28th January

29th January

Temple Bar TradFest - The Button Factory - 8pm €23.99 Tubelord Academy 2 - €12.50 Tallaght Choral Society: Mozart NCH - 8pm - €20

Malcolm Middleton - The Academy - €16 Nightflight presents Claude Von Stroke - The Button Factory 11pm - €10

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Titanic The Artefact Exhibition CityWest Hotel - 10am-8pm - €12€18 30th January

Goatboy - The Academy- €9 Temple Bar Trad presents Finbar Furey - 7.30pm €23.99 The Seafarer The Abbey Theatre - 7.30pm - €18

SUNDAY th

Trilogue - Hugh Lane, Dublin City Gallery - FREE!

MONDAY 25th January

Little Gem Abbey Theatre 8pm - €20 Finghin Collins Piano Masterclass National Concert Hall - 2pm - €5

31st January

1st February

Reeling in the Showband Years - Olympia Theatre - €28

FlashForward – RTE 2, 9pm €150 for your tv licence. Unless you’ve got a decent excuse, but we hear those don’t work too well any more. Crafty buggers.

Paul McNamara tenor; Philip Mayers piano Hugh Lane, Dublin City Gallery FREE!