CultureHUB - Issue 5 by CultureHUB Magazine

CULTURE

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E C L E C T I C B E L FA S T

ISSUE 5

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3000 plus items, take a look at our extensive collection online. Whether it’s contemporary, digital, or children’s illustration you’re looking for, we have it fully covered.

• Original work • Printmakers • Photography • Ceramics • Children’s Illustrations • Travel & Film Posters • Gifts Prices to suit every pocket £10 to £2500

FREE DELIVERY FOR UK AND IRELAND ORDERS OVER £50 Visit our website to view full collection www.yardgallery.com

102 - 104 High Street • Holywood BT18 9HW • 028 9042 7210 • info@yardgallery.com

Welcome to CultureHUB CultureHUB aims to take the reader on a journey of learning and exploration of the many diverse, eclectic cultural expressions of Belfast. From the team at CultureHUB, Happy reading folks - Happy holidays - Happy new year!

CONTENTS ARTICLES

4 • HUBBA-HUBBA 6• GiggingNI - Mark Dunn

L I T E R AT U R E

8• Belfast by Night Creative Director: Anna Wherrett Editor: Scott Boldt

10• Book Review 12•Swimming Against the Tide

Cover Design & Layout: Root Design Belfast Art Direction: Root Design Belfast www.rootdesignbelfast.co.uk info@rootdesignbelfast.co.uk 07964 389 125

14•Royal Television Society - Michael Wilson

Journalists: Melanie Brehaut, Linda Ervine, Stacy Fitzpatrick, Cara Gibney, Graham Higgin,

20• The Power of the Welcome Organisation

16• Scream For Me Belfast 18•From Belfast to Ecuador

John Higgins, Paul McAvoy, Gemma McSherry, Adam Henry Magee, Conor O’Neill, Caitlian Rafferty, Erin Shanks.

22 • Take the Red Pill

Photo Credits - Front Cover: Carolyn Ashby, Gavin Connolly, Jim DeMain, Tremaine Gregg, Elle Haley, Adrian Knight, Gerry McNally.

26 • Ben Glover and The Orphan Brigade

Guest Photographers: Tremaine Gregg & Phil Dorman. Assistant Designer: Monika Zygadlo. CultureHUB Magazine Ltd. Merrion Business Centre Office 6a, 58 Howard Street Belfast, BT1 6PJ Tel: 02895 43 4060 Mob: 07548 928 115 www.culturehubmagazine.co.uk info@culturehubmagazine.co.uk

24 • Literary & Poetry Events

28 • Still Dancing 30 •Jingle Bells - Home for the Holidays 32 • Festive Delights for Belfast Nights 34 • Album Review 36 • Abby Oliveira 38 • Distortion Project 15th Anniversary Gig 40 • Drama Time - Doireann McKenna 42 •12 Hours in Belfast 44• The Future’s all a Guess - Leontia Flynn 46• Comedy Nights

48 • Sea Kayaking

HUB

CULTURE

E C L E C T I C B E L FA S T

HUBBA-HUBBA

The origins of the word 'hub' are vague and of unknown origin just as is the word 'hubbub', though the Oxford English Dictionary claims it is of Irish origin.

evertheless,hub primarily refers to the central part of a wheel that connects it to the axle which allows the wheel to turn. In that sense, the hub is the centre around which everything is turning. At CultureHUB, we certainly do not claim to be at the centre of culture in Belfast, but we do aim to be in the middle of things to see and reflect what is happening. Equally, we identify with the spokes reaching out to touch the margins and connect with the fringe.

I have written some of this piece in The Hub (thehubbelfast.org) which I discovered is actually a cafe near Queen's University. It turns out that the Hub is the centre of the Church of Ireland and Methodist Chaplaincy who have been working together since 2010, providing a unique place and space on Elmwood Avenue. The Hub is a cafe open to students and the general public serving up fine fare at tasty prices, a home for 50 students and not surprisingly, a chapel, called the Church of the Resurrection which serves students and the local community.

I've also learned that the CityBusiness Hub (info@citybusinesshub.co.uk) provides free business advice and support. It is managed by Ortus, the Business Development Agency in conjunction with Belfast City Council, and offers a drop-in centre with advisors on hand, an information and signposting service to business support providers, on-hand assistance with writing business plans, hot desking facilities and even large free-to-use space for meetings, conferences, networking events and training classes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the things you learn when you search â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

It does not end there. NI Social Enterprise Hubs work in a similar way across Northern Ireland. They support social enterprises with hot desking facilities, conference/meeting space and even general workspace where a social economy business can run on a 'test-trading' basis. They are managed by the Department for Social Development (DSD), the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and Invest NI. Potential social enterprises can avail of free workshops, training and mentoring support. There are 11 hubs with four of them in Belfast – north, south, east and west. If you are still with me, Film Hub NI (filmhubni.org) is part of an initiative aimed at growing audiences for film across the UK. Running until March 2017, the British Film Institute (BFI) Film Audience Network (FAN) aims to put film at the centre of cultural life in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, encouraging more people to see a more diverse range of films in more locations. Film Hub NI is managed by Queen’s Film Theatre (QFT) in Belfast. To finish all this hubbub about hubs, founded in 2002, the hub (thehubuk.com) aims to develop new thinking and practices in music and the wider creative sectors. The hub has what they call an 'entrepreneurial think and do tank approach' and describe themselves as 'culturally curious'. Their main focus is on fostering the independent music sector. So, even if we wanted to (and we don't) we can not claim to be 'the hub', but we are CultureHUB and we are passionate about presenting culture in its wide and varied expressions as we observe and discover it in Belfast. As it happens, this issue coincides with our first birthday. We are just about walking and hopefully, in another year, we will be talking. For now, we ignite our one candle and are delighted to be shining light on some of the wondrous happenings in this fine city. Feel free to let us know what you think about this or previous issues,or about our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and television show … and I would like to wish you a happy Christmas and while I'm at it, a happy new year.

Scott Boldt

Photography: Phil Dorman

I apprehensively approached Gigging NI about joining the team about a year ago. They got back to me almost immediately, and I was writing for them within a week. Through Gigging NI, I’ve reviewed albums, had the chance to interview people like The Handsome Family and Villagers and attended and reviewed gigs ranging from UB40 to Ciaran Lavery to Morrissey.

Clean Bandit Photo: PAUL WOODS

JAMES BAY Photo: tremaine gregg

“The great thing about Gigging NI is the opportunity to get involved. We never decline someone the chance to take part - writers or photographers. Several years ago, it would have seemed like the NI music scene was a closed circle and you almost had to know someone to get involved.” So said Mark Dunn, founder of Gigging NI, a Northern Irish reviews and news website covering music and theatre; as the site expands, so too does the scope of their work. “At the start, it simply covered the local music scene, but now we cover music, both local and of artists playing over here, comedy, and theatre shows.” It started with Mark writing the reviews but it didn’t take long to realise that photographers would be needed as well. “Local music forum Fastfude (still treasured to this day) gave me the platform to reach out to other writers and photographers.” The rest is history. He now manages a team of around 100 people. “Experienced writers and toggers with an impressive portfolio behind them.” It’s a diverse group of men and women with interests across all genres of music. “We have a bit of everything; we are extremely lucky.”

“Without the team we wouldn't have the website we have today;” then, by way of example, told me, “the photographers are hiding in the photo pit taking photos right under the performers' nose. The work that goes into the finished product is unbelievable.” Photographers like Paul Woods, who moved to Belfast after living in London and shooting a lot of gigs there. He’s a regular photo contributor to Gigging NI, but is also involved in other aspects. “I started off just taking photos and that is still what I predominantly do, but it led on to writing a couple of reviews … I don't write that often... it can be quite tricky to take photos and remember song names and anecdotes at the same time!.” His first gig for Gigging NI was in April 2014. “I shot a local band, The Terror Pockets, at the Queen's Student Union.” Adrian Knight has been involved since the site started in 2009. He’s a photographer and occasional reviewer as well. “The first gig I shot for Gigging NI was The Filthy Dukes with Ed Zealous as support.” He’s had the chance to photograph some of his favourite artists through Gigging NI.

“The Sisters of Mercy being a top favourite with the sheer amount of dry ice they use I was really pleased to be able to get some good photos - sometimes it's hard to even see them, let alone photograph them!” For him the only downside to it all is red light - “Red lighting. Urgh, the gig photographer’s bane!” Mark is fully aware of how much he has to value. “Unfortunately we aren't in the position to pay for their work, but I feel everyone understands that and appreciates the fact that this is a big team effort to bring everything together. My favourite thing to happen is when a local band gets signed or recognised on a large scale” he told me. “It's just one of those moments where it's like 'they're from our wee country!’ I remember back in 2009 (I think) and Two Door Cinema Club played in the Spring and Airbrake (supporting someone too!) and literally a few weeks/months later, it went crazy and they became massive. That's the hope for every single band or musician putting their wage into recording a track and fair play to them too.” In the dim distant past Gigging NI ran regular local gig nights in The Pavilion Bar in Belfast. They stopped due to the amount of work that it took; however, with the larger team there is the capacity to bring them back and monthly Gigging NI nights will be coming home to The Pavilion in 2016. “It's a great venue for new bands to cut their teeth in” Mark explained. “Our official 'launch' night is Saturday 12 December and we have a great blend of new music and experienced bands. We have EQ1NIX headlining, Deadlights returning to play, and new bands Viper Wine and Sous Le Monde completing the line-up. We can't wait! For anyone unsure about whether to attend, or who hasn't listened to a lot of local music before ... take a chance.”

Sisters of Mercy

Photo : Adrian Knight

Cara Gibney

For anyone interested in reviewing, Gigging NI is always on the lookout: www.giggingni.com/take-part/

Belfast by Night

n Belfast I tend to cling to the shadows. By day you can find me clenched over a bucket of latte in the MAC, scribbling furtively into a notebook. But night time is when this city truly comes alive despite all the shops in the city centre shutting by six, leaving gaggles of dazed, woolly-hatted tourists desperately trying to interpret the sarcastic directions given them by the Goths outside City Hall. I flit through the ochre night like a be-quiffed moth, alighting on pubs and restaurants and theatres, sucking up nourishment with my curling, party-favour tongue and leaving brown smudges on every surface. Actually forget that last bit – I’m not actually a moth, though the brown smudges thing is accurate. As an ex-Londoner what I find amazing is just how handy Belfast is especially since, and maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner, I don’t drive. It’s a startling admission to have to make in Northern Ireland, I know. It’s not even that I perversely choose not to drive; I actually never bothered to learn! I’ll allow a few seconds for your sharp intake of breath at this point. I should have the word “other” tattooed on my forehead. This is one of the reasons that I love Belfast. I can pretty much walk everywhere I want to be in forty minutes! The entire city traversed on foot in the time it takes to get a bus from Camberwell to Penge! If I had a bike I’d be dangerous. (I would, actually. I have balance issues. Five minutes after my starting out you’d be picking me out of your hubcaps with a pointy stick). My favourite haunt continues to be the cobbled streets of the Cathedral Quarter, as it has been since I first decided to write about the arts in Belfast. There is a lot going on, despite the best efforts of the government and a succession of arts ministers who don’t seem to value or even understand the concept of art. Art, like life, will find a way. It creeps up through the cracks in places that perhaps you wouldn’t expect. ‘Voicebox’ at The Loft, an artist’s studio by day, consistently offers the most interesting and innovative comedy in the city. Likewise Infinite Jest’s ‘Mix Up’, on occasional Saturdays at The Black Box, presents a smorgasbord of pigeon-hole free performance. Voodoo, under a blanket of what I assume to be unintentional secrecy, continues to bring extraordinary music to the city.

While the Lyric and the MAC treat us to fairly middlebrow theatrical fare (the latter does a bit better with its art), it is left to the Opera House to deliver truly original and even difficult dramatic works, offsetting this with a mix of musicals, pantomimes and sit-com themed dinner shows in a way that is oddly endearing. Then there are the festivals. Belfast has as many festivals as it has quarters. And it has a surprising amount of quarters. Festivals teem through the city’s diary; like buses, they come in gangs. There is always something going on Belfast, whether the level is grassroots or a globally famous boy band dropping by to ruin a few thousand evenings (and they didn’t play a note!). It’s actually quite intoxicating this febrile activity; the unscratchable excitement beneath the skin of the city. It makes you want to join in. So I did. When myself and Joe Nawaz started “Shot Glass Theatre” we had between us precisely no experience of the theatre. That’s not quite true, Joe had been waiting for the best part of a year to see the play he had written performed and I had once seen a production of The Crucible at the Young Vic, with Hilda Braid. She was in it – we weren’t dating. I have never dated Nana Moon. We’re just good friends. Our first two stories were unveiled at the Sunflower pub. Mine was a lengthy monologue about an ill-fated love affair, Joe’s a drunken stumble through a relationship, actually utilising the bar as the stage. It was ramshackle and raw-boned. It was somewhere between story-telling and theatre. It was also, for us and hopefully the audience, wonderful. Our actors did us proud; you couldn’t hear the hesitancy, the research, the plundering of diaries or the frantic crossings out that made up the texts. As soon as it was over we wanted to do it again. And so we have; on average, “Shot Glass Theatre” has delivered a new, original play every three months! The venues have changed, the size and intent of the productions have changed, but we have not wavered in our enthusiasm and our commitment to art in this city. We utterly love it, though, now I think about it, we did do a couple of shows in Bangor as well. Bangor’s great too. John Higgins

PHOTOGRAPHY: PHIL DORMAN

BOOK REVIEW REVIEW

Sure, Why Would Ye Not?

Author: Jarleth Gregory Publisher: Liberties Press

Sure, why would you read a book of two oul Fermanagh farmer fellas spakin'? And why would you bother reviewing such a book in a magazine about Belfast culture? One answer may be found in the title Rodney Edwards chose, Sure, Why Would Ye Not?. Another answer is most of what you will read, if you are from Belfast or if you have migrated here from down the country, will be comfortably familiar.

Set in present day Crossmaglen, this crime novel starts off with a death, quickly whetting the reader’s appetite. We then meet Jay O’Reilly a prodigal son of local businessman Frank. Frank’s main deal is cleaning up red diesel and flogging it on at cut prices. From the off, the tension between father and son is palpable and is a recurrent theme through the length of this slow burning novel.

This time of year, the book is like a hot chocolate or a hot port. It soothes and eases, should be sipped slowly at first to get the taste and flavour, and when you take the last swig, it feels like you want some more. So what's the book about? It is a series of short chats between Bob and Charlie about anything and everything and nothing. And that's it; really, that's all it is. Like I said, it is like a hot chocolate which is a chocolate drink that is hot, and usually pretty good.

8 10

The Organised Criminal

Author: Rodney Edwards Publisher: Blackstaff Press

Back for his alcoholic cousin’s premature death, it soon becomes obvious Jay would have preferred to stay in his monotonous but settled life in Dublin. As the book unfurls its wares, there is close inspection of the Troubles, papal cover-ups, domestic violence, memories of Dublin and, arguably the finest exhibition of Gregory’s writing, fluid memories of his childhood scrapes in South Armagh. His portrayal of pastoral bliss, boredom and a sense of isolation make for the best passages of the book.

If you don't know what I mean, you haven' a baldy and probably are as thick as two short planks. It could just be that this Edwards fella is a quare cod, a head-the-ball, a Clampit and an awful chancer who'd steal the eye out of yer head an' come back for the eyelashes – ye know the type of him. The less I say the better – have a gander. At least it’s dry and sure, why would ye not?

But in addition to all this, there is action to behold, an old friend to hang out with and the flowers of his father’s dirty business to reap. One hundred grand is temptingly waved under his nose with a sure promise of the perfect crime. Family stresses, betrayal and a tasty little twist make for a good read, but perhaps not a great one, as for me the pace does match that of small village life. Nevertheless, The Organised Criminal is definitely worth a read.

Scott Boldt

Conor O’Neill

Attention to Detail I have a book – I can't find it – and I can't remember where I first picked it up, but it's called The Grace of Great Things by Robert Grudin. As I recall, it's a philosophical exploration about creativity and I am reminded of it as I write this piece on Yard Gallery in Holywood for a couple of reasons. First, Grudin said that creativity is not a solitary act but a social thing – an offering to society. Secondly, he emphasised that creative people or creative acts (I can't remember since it's been a while since I read it) have integrity, are open to learning and scrutiny, are not afraid to fail and possess a love and a passion for beauty. Yard Gallery is a business but it is also an offering to society. Yes, they provide great coffee as well as fine food (in fact, I believe they were the first cafe/gallery on this chunk of land), and they have a unique and extensive collection of fine and varied art, but there is something more. Is it the thoughtful architecture or the solid artisanry? It must be the friendly staff who so obviously enjoy working there or, since so many of them are designers, illustrators and artists, perhaps it is the way they are enabled to use their gifts in drawing some of the signs or a sketch on the wall? Maybe it is the ongoing changing of the artwork displayed on the walls and how thoughtfully it is sectioned? The place has an integrity to it. It is large but feels intimate. There are babies and children, business meetings and art discussions, people admiring art, people purchasing illustrations; however, the layout and ethos of Yard make each feel welcome and that this is their place. As with the grace notes in music, Yard Gallery has those gracelets that are little gifts of quality – many unnoticed by the majority of customers yet they are experienced in the atmosphere that has been lovingly created. Some things are simply done well. Did I mention the printers' block letters carefully composed to form a whole wall? Did you see the hand illustrations of the food rather than tacky photos? And the live music on Saturdays, have you had a chance to check out who will be next? Take a look at www.coffeeyard.com/events.aspx. I'm not telling you any more – High Street, Holywood.

102 - 104 High St • Holywood • County Down • BT18 9HW • 028 9042 7210 info@yardgallery.com • www.yardgallery.com / www.coffeeyard.com 9

Swimming Swimming Against Against TheTheTide Tide Linda Ervine s

itting on a shelf in my living room is a beautiful and meaningful gift that I was given by a friend for Christmas. It is an ornament in the shape of a log with seven tiny blue and white Delft fish swimming above it. When you look closely you realise that whilst six of the fish are all swimming in the same direction, one solitary fish is swimming the opposite way to the others. Attached to the log is a sign in Gaelic which reads ‘Ag snámh in éadan an tsrutha’ which translates as ‘swimming against the tide’. And I am proud to be doing just that, to be swimming against the tide of intolerance that at times seems to engulf Belfast. In my position as Irish Language Development Officer, I have the opportunity to work with groups from both traditions and to challenge the stereotypes of green and orange politics, but in being out of step with the views and perceptions that appear to be all around you can be difficult. By becoming an advocate for the Irish language, I have made myself a target for criticism and attack from those who disagree with the stance I have taken. I have experienced criticism from individuals within the unionist community as well as lack of support and misunderstanding of the purpose and ethos of my work.

However it isn’t the disapproval of strangers or the negative comments on social media which I find most hurtful, but the dirty looks and whispers among people that I know, especially when those people are fellow Christians. Part of me wants to ask them what they think is so wrong about what I do. I want to explain why and how I got involved with the language. I want to tell them that four years ago I was introduced to a language which because of my religious background I had never had the opportunity to engage with, that I became fascinated by it and decided to learn to speak it. That I fell in love with its sounds, its phraseology and discovered its true history. That I read books such as ‘Presbyterians and the Irish Language’ by Roger Blaney, ‘Hidden Ulster: Protestants and the Irish Language’, by Pádraig Ó Snodaigh and ‘Towards Inclusion: Protestants and the Irish Language’ by Ian Malcolm, and I discovered that I as a Protestant could rightfully claim this language as my own, a truth I believed was important to share with others. I want them to hear the laughter of learners and experience the positivity and friendliness that is Turas, but stone faces and closed minds make this impossible.

Since setting up Turas, East Belfast’s Irish language project, I have met many people who, like me, feel they have been denied access to the Irish language but who now through Turas, enjoy the opportunity to attend classes in their local area. Turas, which is the Gaelic word for journey, has become not just a journey into a language but also a journey that is changing mindsets and softening hearts, eroding long held negative attitudes and providing a new context for the Irish language as a language of healing and reconciliation. At times, I feel despondent at the political situation in Northern Ireland. Sixteen years after the Good Friday Agreement, we seem even deeper entrenched in bitterness and hatred. Almost half of the electorate do not vote and feel no motivation to engage with the political system. How can communities be expected to show tolerance and respect when their leadership express intolerance and disrespect to the viewpoint of others? What chance is there for change when at the highest levels of our society the conflict continues? How can walls come down when division is being rebuilt every day within our Assembly?

Linda Ervine

For more information on oppoRtunities to learn Irish as well as activities sponsored and promoted by Turas, see:

www.ebm.org.uk/turas/

“

Ag snámh AN éadan ann an tsrutha

“

Yet despite this I firmly believe that the majority of people in Northern Ireland want something better and in our own small way the success of Turas confirms that many are looking for an alternative. Thankfully, I am not the only fish swimming against the tide, there are many other people in Northern Ireland who desire peace and seek compromise on the contentious issues. I am not a solitary fish but part of a silent shoal swimming in the direction of a modern and pluralistic society.

Swimming Against The Tide

13 9

Interview with •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

MICHAEL WILSON •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Managing Director of UTV Centre Chair of the Royal Television Society in Northern Ireland

The

Behind Scenes

In recent years, we have seen a welcome rise in locally created programmes on our screens. From big-budget Game Of Thrones to home-grown favourites like Lesser Spotted Journeys, not forgetting our daily news broadcasts. You may recognise the landscapes, towns, streets and even witnessed film crews in action. What goes on behind the scenes before these shows reach our television is not always considered nor the people in our community that make it happen.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

elevision is an industry that has a lot of skills, a lot of specialisms, and I think often people see TV as either the talent on screen or the people they perceive on cameras or in the galleries .. .and it's far more than that - it's direction, it's scriptwriters, it's the technology that goes behind it; it's the innovation, says Michael Wilson - Managing Director of UTV and Centre Chair of the Royal Television Society in Northern Ireland.

RTS NI's committee of volunteers organise events for individuals interested in all areas of television, including industry talks, awards ceremonies and the upcoming Careers Event. What we try to do is, at least once a year, is bring together a lot of experts in the industry to talk to young people, to give advice. And that to me is really important because the skills that the industry needs are not often the skills that people coming into the industry naturally have, he explains. Held at BBC, it gives participants essential industry learning on many roles in media, away from the classroom setting.

Michael, having a long established career in the industry, understands this and the importance of a support network. The RTS, an educational charity promoting the art and science of television, is dedicated to celebrating and supporting individuals in television and related fields with appreciation for every role involved in making our viewing realistic, accurate and exciting. One of the key aspects of the RTS is that it is open to anybody who is interested in television and many of our events are free, he affirms.

Guiding those taking their first steps is fundamental to the charity's mission with initiatives like RTS Futures giving graduates and young people skills and knowledge through specialist events. The student awards provide a platform for students to showcase their work in an industry environment. Nurturing the emerging future of television, Michael ascertains the significance saying: I think if you look at the fact we launched the student awards before we launched the main programme awards, that shows you how important in this region we view education. I very strongly feel we've got to develop the young people that enter the awards. I want us to work with the colleges ... to give them some tips, ideas - just show what judges are looking for and what we don’t want to see ... I think people need to be beginning to make content that will help them on their journey into the industry.

A member of RTS for over 20 years, Michael acknowledges the value of guidance as he recalls: When I was trying to break into the industry there were one or two people at the time who gave a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of advice to me and I don't think I could have achieved some of the things I've achieved without those people … One of the things I'm very keen to ensure as the Chair is that those who are up and coming and those that want to get into the industry are serviced and catered for by the society.

For updates on RTS and RTS Futures NI membership visit www.rts.org.uk/region/northern-ireland Stacy Fitzpatrick

OUR GUIDE TO BELFAST’S SCREAM FOR ME

ROCK & METAL GIGS

BELFAST

NOVEMBER - JANUARY

WINTER IS COMING... Ha! Sorry, that simply had to be done! Yes, winter is indeed wending its way to Belfast as we speak, but fear not, the rotten weather will not put a dampener on either the calibre of rock/metal/hardcore/punk gigs laid out for us, or our enthusiasm as gig-goers! Right?! So, without further ado, here's what's coming our way.

NOVEMBER 27 Friday • Electric Six w/Yip Deceiver – Limelight 2 • Angelic Upstarts w/Hooligan, Barney – Voodoo, Belfast • Nothing But Thieves - Bar Sub, QUB

28 Saturday • Deathbus w/Towers, Warcrime, Neamhni and more TBA (Gasoline Outlaws) - Warzone Centre • Lo Mejor w/Lady - Diamond Rock Club, Agoghill • Distortion Project presents Abuse Your Illusion (GnR Tribute) - Limelight 2

DECEMBER 01 Tuesday • The Prodigy - SSE Arena

Gasoline Outlaws

04 Friday • The Emerald Armada EP Launch w/Loris, A Bad Cavalier, Jealous of the Birds - Limelight 1 • The Magic Numbers 10th Anniversary, playing debut album in full - Limelight 2

05 Saturday • Stray From the Path w/Red Enemy - Bar Sub, QUB

07 Monday • The Bonnevilles w/The Groundlings, The Strange Museum, Buffalos Bay - Empire Belfast

09 Wednesday • The Vaccines w/Pleasure Beach - Limelight 1 • Kodaline - Waterfront Hall • Def Leppard & Whitesnake w/Black Star Riders - SSE Arena

11 Friday • Distortion Project presents Fear Factory w/Once Human - Limelight 1

• Raised on Rock - Empire Belfast

Trucker Diablo

December Continued 12 Saturday • Therapy? w/The Membranes - Limelight 1 • Trucker Diablo w/Nasa Assassin - Diamond Rock Club, Agoghill

13 Sunday • Bay City Rollers - Waterfront Hall

17 Thursday • Enter Shikari w/guests TBA - Limelight 1

18 Friday • Whole Lotta Voltage - Limelight 2

19 Saturday • The Answer w/Gasoline Outlaws - Diamond Rock Club, Agoghill • Write Off Before Christmas featuring War Iron, Terminus, Caustic God - Limelight 2

20 Sunday • Ash w/guests TBA - Empire Belfast • The Coronas - Ulster Hall

22 Tuesday • Gary Lightbody - Waterfront Hall

29 Tuesday • Bad Manners w/guests TBA - Limelight 2

30 Wednesday • The Complete Stone Roses: 21st Anniversary – The Second Coming - Limelight 2

January 08 Friday • Pretty Cartel w/Monkee Man, Los Bloody Rackets, The Sun Shadows, DJ Jonny Red - Empire Belfast

30 Saturday • Discharge w/Suckin Diesel, Lawfucked, By Any Means - Voodoo Belfast What did we tell ya! From dance metal nutters The Prodigy to industrial strength scowly dudes Fear Factory, we'll see our fair share of international acts, and knowing Mr Distortion Project James Loveday, more will undoubtedly be announced. With local bands such as Nasa Assassin, Therapy? and The Answer returning to once more kick butt, we'll be at enough top notch gigs to warm the cockles of even the coldest rockers' heart. Hell, even the Bay City Rollers are coming!

BY ANY MEANS Photography: Carolyn Ashby On a non-musical but not entirely unrelated note, to see a bunch of kick ass tattooers in action for a worthy cause, get yourself to Crumlin Road Gaol on Sunday 29 November between 5pm and 11pm for the inaugural Tattoopalooza! Over thirty tattoo artists from across the island of Ireland will be tattooing preset designs for £30 each, with the funds raised going to Autism NI, Post 19 and the Alzheimer's Society. This will be a family event so gather the fam and check it out! Head to Charity Tattoopalooza on Facebook for details. See you back here in 2016 for another look at local gigs. Until then, keep 'er lit, rockers! \m/ \m/

Melanie Brehaut 17

FROM BELFAST TO ECUADOR that have featured in the previous issues. This time we have suspended the competition in order to present the work of Conor MacNeill, a Belfast native, who has been traipsing all

Sometimes you just have to stop being a web developer, make a new year's resolution and go travelling to 50 countries with your camera. If you do, you might be supported by the Ministry of Tourism for Ecuador to visit the Amazon and combine your travel photography skills with your fine art eye to capture the unusual and beautiful facets of a lesser visited destination. It helps if you have become known for your landscapes, cityscapes and even astrophotography; nevertheless, you have to start from somewhere, so if you're fed up developing websites and are stuck for a new year's resolution, you might pack it in and start packing. The photos which surround this writing come from the Ecuador Feel Again project, and Conor clearly demonstrates that there is a lot more to Ecuador than the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador has three distinct climates â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the coast, the Andes Mountains and the Amazon River which make it the most biodiverse country in the world. We are delighted to feature some of his recent work, but if you want to see and find out more, go to www.thefella.com. Part of our motivation in showcasing these images is that we know that our next issue will emerge in the midst of the winter doldrums and we would like to inspire you to submit to us some of your holiday snaps from the past to whet people's appetites for either heading off to some remote slopes or for booking their summer adventure. Like Conor's work, we will be looking for unusual locations or the lesser seen aspects of popular spots. Email us at info@culturehubmagazine.co.uk. The winner may not get a flight to Quito as a prize, but you might open up the world to one of our readers.

This Christmas, any support our readers could give to The Welcome Organisation, no matter how big or small, would be greatly appreciated. www.homelessbelfast.org

THE POWER OF THE

It's been operative now for 18+ years ... Like many community organisations, it has grown significantly ... we now have a staff of 31 and about 70 volunteers. We would also have between 70-100 people use our drop-in service every day. We deliver about 6 different services and we support about 1,300 individual persons every year across our services.

The Welcome Organisation provides a number of facilities, including floating services around the city, a drop-in service, health and nursing surgeries, life skill programmes and activities, as well as specialist support in mental health and housing help. “We can have the honest conversations, and build trust and people don't have to diminish what's going on in their lives, the substances their using, how much they’re drinking and they can be brutally honest with us. We are very much about continuously giving people chances until they get a window of opportunity … all the while promising and providing, 'Unconditional care for the Vulnerable.” At the forefront is Sandra Moore. "I have the grand title of 'Director' ... I am the lead decision maker, as such.” When asked how she got involved in the work, Sandra explains: "I worked for 30 years in housing and I was very fortunate with marginalised groups, homeless peoples, offenders and Irish Travellers ... I came here on a 6 month contract and that was 8 years ago. I still feel as passionate about the work as the day I came in the door, if anything, I feel even more passionate and I still see there's lots of work to be done and personally I'm very driven and I'm very lucky I am supported by a team that are here for the right reasons.”

are the primary statutory funded outreach service and we deliver continuous service. We have our drop-in centre, where people who are rough sleeping or at risk of homelessness can come to stay during the day. We have the basics, showers, nursing facilities, benefits advice, housing advice and free meals which is unique. We provide three free meals everyday and we serve about 15,000 meals every year and at least 250,000 cups of tea and coffee. We couldn't do it without the support of so many, people are very kind to us. We do offer a wide range of practical services with our drop-in, which is open from 8am to 10pm everyday, 365. Our outreach service is out on the street from 8am to 1am the next morning.” “We recognise that isolation has a real impact on people, particularly their mental health and sense of belonging, so we have ‘Street Gems’. At the moment it is a project run in the afternoon whereby clients can engage in a range of activities from woodwork to learning to sew, to give people an outlet, sense of belonging and worth and learning new skills to gain confidence to move on into other forms of learning and trading. The uniqueness with our service is that we are extremely high tolerant and we try to keep barriers to accessing services to a very minimum.”

I wondered if there were any perceptions of homelessness that Sandra would like to change; she replied immediately. "Absolutely ... Gone are the days of the ragged old gentleman with his dog and his brown bag and the fairytale image of 'the tramp', 'the wanderer', the jolly life; instead it is an exceptionally difficult position to find yourself in. The perception also, that people choose this way of life and brought it on themselves. Those stereotypical images I do think, are still very much entrenched attitudes. Also street beggars, street drinkers are all lumped together and in the public eyes are the same, whereas there may be an overlap, very often there is not. People also seem to forget how dangerous it is out there."

I wondered how Sandra copes herself and what she finds most challenging in her role. “While we all as professionals learn detachment, that isn't always possible. There will always be someone you can't do more for and frustrated at the system, and you're inability to address it and these are the things, if I'm honest I would get upset about, but the day that I can't feel that level of empathy or caring for someone is the day I need to hang up my hat. … it is not a job for the faint hearted. But really you have to have the heart and love of people otherwise you wouldn't keep going. Over the years, you do get better, (at unwinding) but I'm a grandmother of 9 so i don't have much time to dwell and I'm a compulsive reader."

"Homelessness is very multifaceted; statistics will show you that the greatest reason is relationship breakdown, which can be anything from marriage, co-habiting or a young person falling out with their family. … the greatest number of people presenting in Belfast would be young single males, … North and West Belfast have the highest presentation rates. There is a whole complex range of issues, and one thing that impacts on someone very quickly, is the trauma of becoming homeless."

Sandra closes with a word of warning to anyone interested in working with people who are homeless. "I have a concern that there may be unskilled people working on the street, who actually don't realise the risks ... We are in a position that we are working with this group 7 days a week, so we would know the individuals and their needs and also the risk associated with them. People need to be extremely aware of the risk they're taking [going onto the streets], and the majority do it with the right heart. But, there are groups you can join to learn more information. That would be my message I would like to get out there."

Responding to such a wide range of people and issues requires flexibility and different kinds of support. "I would like to think we have greatly impacted this issue in the city of Belfast in that we

Caitlain Rafferty Photography: Tremaine Gregg 21

TA K E TH E

he popular cultural symbol of the ‘Red Pill’ is often alluded to in spoken word poetry. It represents an alternative route, a communication of truth and a conscious decision to ‘wake up’ from the blissful ignorance of illusion to go the road less travelled. As the famous line from the film ‘The Matrix’ goes - “You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

In 2014, when the spoken word poet Alice McCullough started telling people to ‘take the red pill’ she may have got some funny looks, but she wasn’t doing drugs, she was simply encouraging more people to take the microphone and have a go at spoken word themselves. Inspired by a trip to London's 'Bang Said The Gun' stand-up poetry night, Alice decided to spearhead something new in Belfast - an entertaining night to open up poetry to a new audience, and stretch the boundaries of what poetry can be, encompassing

comedy, music, storytelling and more, with an emphasis on moving away from the page and onto the stage. With the help of Seedhead Arts and The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, this became Red Pill, a platform to showcase the exciting new wave of talent emerging in Belfast. Red Pill launched on Thursday 8th May 2014 as part of The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. A smorgasbord of slam-winning local poets performed to a sold-out crowd that packed out Aether and Echo's dancefloor. Chelley McLear, Nadi Jola, Rory Jones, Colin Hassard and Mark Cooper appeared along with more rising stars - ethereal singer-songwriter Ciara O'Neill gave a captivating live performance along with the premier screening of her stunning 'Dead, Black' music video starring the artwork of Jamie Mason Harper and the film wizardry of Michael McAnulty. Then the audience were treated to the dark comedic musings of another local gem (and no stranger to CultureHUB) standup comedian Christian Talbot and then came the headlining act - a bonafide rock-and-roll poet, Hollie McNish.

Local hip-hop legends Olympic Lifts rounded the night off with a live performance, and DJ Boma spun tracks into the night of hip-hop poets that had everyone sweating and forgetting what teachers told us poetry was meant to be. As Hollie herself said, it was the best poetry afterparty she had ever attended. Out on the street, street artist 'Tweet' (aka David Creative) created a mural in homage to Red Pill – emphasising this new idea that poetry can be more than a timid thing; it can be revolutionary. Local graphic artist Peter Francis Fahy took this idea one step further by creating a series of special illustrations for the launch, printed in a limited edition programme to mark the occasion. These unique illustrations played on the Matrix/Alice in Wonderland connection in an artistic celebration of the imagination unleashed, and how visual art can combine with the ideas behind 'Red Pill' with quite exciting consequences. These various talents combined ultimately to champion the underdog underground culture in Belfast that is crying out for a

wider audience, saying this is a new way to experience poetry, saying take it - it's yours, and it can be anything you want it to be. Red Pill continues to go from strength to strength, showcasing at the Seamus Heaney On Home Ground Festival, the Stendhal Festival, and more recently a coveted spot at the Lingo Festival in Dublin, but ultimately it was the enthusiasm of a young performance poet and storyteller called Jason Ashford and the support of a the legendary Sunflower pub that have brought Red Pill to where it is today. The Red Pill open mic night has become a force to be reckoned with, with Jason as host and an ever-growing pool of talented poets from slam-winners to complete beginners taking the stage of the Sunflower. Each one is a night to remember, from the first ever Red Pill 'Sunflower Slam' with a beautiful custom-made trophy by Red Earth Designs and prizes donated by Duke Special (won by slam champ David Braziel), to nervous first-timers gulping at the sight of BBC mics taped to the stand for radio recordings by Andy Pag. Red Pill is now a firm part of the landscape of Belfast poetry, and they still have so much more up their sleeves.

Check out RED PILL social media for updates

facebook/redpillbelfast

@redpill 23

PoeTrY

E V E N T S • B E L FA S T Literary Lunchtimes: Louise O'Neill Ulster Hall • 02 December, 1.00pm

Tales of a White Christmas Linen Hall Library • 17 December, 6.00pm

The freelance journalist from West Cork won the Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year award for her début 2014 novel, Only Ever Yours. Her new novel, Asking For It, is a harrowing exploration of rape culture and victim blaming. Presented by The John Hewitt Society. £5 Admission

Looking at festive traditions from around the world, with readings, music and poetry. With actress Victoria Gleason. £10 Admission

Purely Poetry Open Mic Night Crescent Arts Centre • 04 December 9.30pm (First Friday of every month)

Out to Lunch Festival returns for the 11th year with a vibrant line up of live music, comedy, film, spoken word and theatre. Among the spoken word highlights are Opera, literature and lunch, Ten x 9 storytelling night, Strolling through Ulysses, Of Mice and Men, Roisin Ingle - Public Displays of Emotion, Kafka's Metamorphosis and Attila the Stockbroker. For further info visit www.cqaf.com/outtolunch/2016/

We welcome readers of all styles and experiences, from first timers to old pros. Purely Poetry fosters an open, laid back and encouraging atmosphere, for people to read their work, and to listen in comfort. B.Y.O.B £4 Admission Read to Me at Christmas Linen Hall Library, • 07 December, 6.00pm As part of the ‘Read to Me’ exhibition, local writers including Jonathan Bardon, Ciaran Carson, Patricia Craig and Malachi O'Doherty read from their choice of Christmas books. Seasonal refreshments provided. £10 Admission

Western Ways Book Launch Linen Hall Library • 08 December, 1.00pm Remembering Mayo through the eyes of Helen Hooker and Ernie O'Malley, by Cormac O'Malley and Juliet Christy Barron. The book is a perfect gift for anyone interested in this history of the west of Ireland, or an Ireland that has disappeared into the mists of time. Free Admission.

Literary Lunchtimes: Donal Ryan Ulster Hall • 09 December, 1.00pm Donal Ryan’s award-winning début novel, The Spinning Heart, and the follow-up, TheThing About December, became Number One bestsellers. His first short story collection, A Slanting of the Sun, is released from this September. Presented by The John Hewitt Society. £5 Admission

Our lives should not be sweated: Belfast Women Workers, 1910 - 1915, by Theresa Moriarty Linen Hall Library • 12 December, 1.30pm ILHS Honorary President Theresa Moriarty will focus on Belfast trade union organiser Mary Galway, who lived in the Springfield Road area of Belfast and was appointed General Secretary of the Irish Textile Operatives' Union in 1897. She spoke out forcefully on behalf of women textile workers, who suffered atrocious working conditions, and she addressed rallies and collected funds during the Belfast dockers' and carters' strike. Free Admission.

Out To Lunch Festival The Black Box • 08 - 30 January

Irish Language Book Club Linen Hall Library • 09 January, 11.00am To support and encourage the Irish language, as part of the Líofa programme. Set in a remote region of Ireland where it never stops raining and everyone lives in desperate poverty while talking in "the learned smooth Gaelic".It is a memoir of one Bónapárt Ó Cúnasa (Bonaparte O'Coonassa), a resident of this region, beginning at his very birth. Free Admission.

Burns Night Linen Hall Library • 25 January, 6.00pm In his Scotch Town book, Nelson McCausland shows that Belfast was a citadel of the Ulster-Scots tongue, where ‘braid Scotch’ was spoken, written and read for centuries. This new exhibition highlights the Ulster-Scots language and its use in Belfast, and shows that, far from being a thing of the past, Ulster-Scots remains embedded in the speech of Belfast people to this day. £10 Admission

Don't Stand By Linen Hall Library • 27 January, 1.00pm ‘Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.’ Elie Wiesel, Holocaust Survivor and Author. Tadeusz Słobodzianek’s play Our Class, set in 20th century Poland, is inspired by true events, such as the Jedwabne pogrom which led to the bloody demise of 300 Polish Jews in 1941. Free Admission.

Ben Glover and The Orphan Brigade:

Soundtrack to a Ghost Story The Orphan Brigade is a ghost story set in one of the most haunted dwellings of the Southern United States of America. It is an award winning documentary that follows a group of musicians over the course of a year. The group The Orphan Brigade were writing and recording a collection of songs telling the story of the people who lived and died, in Octagon Hall in Kentucky - the owners, the slaves, the soldiers; it’s a story of war, childhood, fear, courage, tragedy and survival. The Orphan Brigade, aka the 1st Kentucky Brigade of the Confederate Army, were known to have stayed near Octagon Hall during the Civil War. Octagon Hall’s owner, a known Confederate sympathizer, and all other occupants of the house, are rumoured to have suffered desperately because of that support for Confederate troops. Glenarm singer song-writer Ben Glover was one of the musicians involved in the musical project, and he was keen to point out that the soldiers’ stories aren’t the only voices that are heard in the music. “We felt a very strong connection with all the characters associated with the house, not just the soldiers. This album is much more than just the story of that particular brigade. In many ways we took the name The Orphan Brigade to represent the universal soldier rather than the actual soldiers who were stationed there.” This is not the only reason why Ben, who is now based in Nashville, was so keen to be involved. “It was a fascination with Octagon Hall, the magnetism of the house, the history of the place and the allure of its reputation. It was also a great artistic challenge. The idea of writing and creating an album in such a fascinating location fired me up. I wanted the opportunity to tap into its unique atmosphere.”

Ben wrote all but one of the album’s tracks with Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard. There were six more members to the core group including Kim Richey, and further support from musicians including Gretchen Peters. “It was the first project that I was involved in that was a proper collective, so I felt a great sense of relief in that the responsibility of everything wasn’t on my shoulders as it is when I put out a solo project. I reveled in working with this collaboration, from Neilson, Josh and I writing the songs to being part of an eight piece band. It was very liberating and inspiring for me.”

“It’s always very special to collaborate with an artist as immense as Gretchen (Peters)” he added. “As well as singing on a few of the songs, she did an amazing job of narrating the film documentary. Her voice was so compelling and her delivery so intuitive that it made her perfect.”

the weight of its history. ‘Oh Harriet (Trouble My Heart)’, named after the mistress of Octagon Hall, is a banjo laden, hot, sweaty desire of a song. While the traditional Irish ‘Paddy's Lamentation’ highlights Ben’s voice, offering a background to the Irish involved in the American Civil War.

The reputation of the house still appears to have some resonance today.

The website says, “The house became a symbol of how we are all haunted by the things that we cannot let go of.” I asked Ben what they mean by that. “If indeed the house is haunted then there are presences, energies there that are not free and that are prisoners of that place. In the same way if we do not let go of our past, our history, then we continue to be haunted and tormented in our lives. Freedom only comes with the letting go of the past. That applies to houses and humans.”

“I’m not sure what any of the things I saw or experienced in the house were, or what they convinced me of. All I know is that we witnessed some weird things, including dark masses that looked like shadows moving across the walls, voices, laughter, banging, footsteps, objects

In July of this year, the Confederate flag was removed from the South Carolina State House after years of protest and a tragic shooting. I wanted to know if themes like these were an issue when they were considering this project.

moving on their own accord, mood /energy changes, and we captured

“That flag was carried on

images in photographs

one side of the battle

that are very bizarre.”

field but this album is

How do you sleep with all that going on? “We visited the house on and off for a year but didn’t actually sleep there,” he explained. “We did spend full nights there writing and working but there’s no way I could have slept in the house. It’s impossible to switch your mind off there and it’s too unsettling to rest. Neilson and Josh did attempt to spend a night there during the recording but twenty minutes into it they heard what sounded like a woman cackling and laughing, at which point they realized that sleep was not going to come easy!” From the beautiful but ominously mutable ‘Last June Light’ to the Pentecostal work song that is

concerned with many different perspectives. These are the stories of soldiers from both armies, the personal experiences of the family in the house, the slaves who worked here and children who witnessed it. War affects everyone regardless what side they are on; that is a timeless and universal truth.” Cara Gibney Photography: Jim DeMain

STILL DANCING According to the NHS, “dance is the uk’s fastest growing art form”. As a dance professional born where Belfast is situated within this statement.

rowing up, I found the dance opportunities, performances and variety of technique classes limited in comparison to most of the UK. When I chose dance as my career path, I had the opportunity to train just outside London where I have been for the last 5 years. Until recently, the University of Ulster and Belfast Metropolitan College had two fantastic programmes for dance, but I discovered that there is no new intake from this year. From across the pond, I find it difficult to establish a sense of how exactly dance in Belfast can continue to develop when such cuts are occurring. To shed some light and provide a glimmer of hope, Kelly-Anne Collins of Dance Resource Base confirms that dance in Belfast has definitely made developmental progress. Dance Resource Base has been a vital organisation in the development of dance in Belfast and Northern Ireland. The organisation aims to “link, serve, and strengthen” the dance sector. It brings together a variety of companies and individuals to work collaboratively and imaginatively towards various goals and exciting opportunities.

Kelly-Anne told me that, “Dance in the city has gained more visibility due to television and media, which has resulted in an increase of interest in dance and participation … ‘Strictly’, ‘Love to Dance’ and even music videos provoke a viewer's desire to engage in dance for the first time. With the variety and number of dance classes offered in Belfast currently, it is now easier to get involved and take that first step”. Although Kelly-Anne mentions that there is room for improvement for variety in adult classes and for appropriate, affordable studio space, the number of people in Belfast dancing on a regular basis has definitely increased in recent years.

Alongside the aesthetic appeal of dance, Kelly-Anne mentions that the people of Belfast are attending classes for its effects on health, wellbeing and those wonderful endorphins that can give that “feel good factor”. The government has extensively promoted exercise in recent years and due to its accessibility, dance provides an alternative for those who may not want to play a sport or go to the gym. According to Kelly-Anne, “The target audience has also developed, particularly with the older generation of Belfast. This has been helped by the proliferation of tea dances across Northern Ireland, particularly the one at the Ulster Hall”. Social benefits have always been at the heart of dance which brings people of all ages, gender, abilities and backgrounds together. Kelly-Anne pays particular attention to how the people of Belfast have increasingly enjoyed in-class opportunities that let them get creative choreographically. “They often are provided with the opportunity to work together to integrate their own movement or experiment with some that they have learnt. This can be inspiring, empowering and fun”. In terms of professional dance, Belfast has also produced some fantastic companies in recent years. Kelly-Anne includes Maiden Voyage, DU Dance and ponydance in her list of companies who have created amazing productions and made a substantial contribution to community participation in Belfast. With the cuts currently being made within the Arts Council and to training programmes, Kelly-Anne says there may soon be a lack of suitably qualified people to meet the growing demand of classes. This could undo much of the development over the last 10 years; however, not all hope is lost. Kelly-Anne tells me that, “There have been a number of initiatives in recent years for Belfast dance teachers to access training outside of Northern Ireland, one of which is Dance Resource Base’s “Love to Dance fund”, a micro-grants scheme which provides funding for dance artists to develop within their field. But where does that leave us? It seems in terms of funding for dance in Northern Ireland, the future of the dance sector is a little unknown. So what do we do? “Well, we invest the same passion and time in dance as we always have. Professionals will continue to perform, teach and develop the sector on little wage because of their love and passion for it. The community will continue to attend, enjoy and assist and collaborate with professionals and now, with more people currently involved with dance in Belfast, maybe we can create a larger push than ever before in making a case for the development of dance in Belfast and the rest of Northern Ireland”.

To find a class or find out more visit: www.danceresourcebase.org

Erin Shanks

To register for info on performances across NI visit: www.attendenceni.co.uk 19 29

Jingle Bells!

Home for the Holidays!

t the Black Box on 26 November, the husky, alluring, distinctively Irish voice of Mary Coughlan arrives. Honest, gritty lyrics about life, delivered in a bluesy-jazz-folk hybrid style will have you hanging on Mary's every word as you listen to her musical stories.

A time for coming home and being with the ones you love, a flock of musical natives return home, taking the opportunity to play to local crowds once again. Dublin boys Delorentos are doing just this with their themed 'Home Again' tour of Ireland, visiting The Empire on 27 November. The Alt-Rock quartet are staging an ambitious acoustic tour brimming with tracks from their new album as well as some old favourites.

Legendary Irish rockers Bagatelle play an unmissable gig at The Empire on 28 November. Touring the world relentlessly on the 'The Final Year' tour, they celebrate a mighty 35 years in music. Who can forget their anthem 'Summer In Dublin'?

Damien Dempsey

At Duncairn Cultural Centre on 29 November, Damien Dempsey can be heard with his mixture of traditional, folk-like music infused with reggae and thought provoking lyrics on social issues, bureaucracy and empathy for the working class. For a gentle evening after a hard day Christmas shopping, head to Black Box on 03 December and let Belfasts' Ruth Trimble soothe and soften you. If you want to launch into the party spirit, do not miss The Emerald Armada's EP launch at Limelight1 on 04 December. Supported by Loris, A Bad Cavalier and Jealous of the Birds, these boys KNOW how to throw a party!

Emerald Armada

Malojian

Celebrating his NI Music Prize nomination for album Southlands, Malojian will be at his favourite No Alibi's bookstore on 05 December for a special Christmas concert; his gigs usually being a sell-out, get your tickets early! Lurgan's finest two piece, The Bonnevilles, will get you bouncing at the Empire on the 07 December, and Dublin rockers Kodaline return with a new album in their guitar case, performing at the Waterfront on 09 December for the first of their Irish tour dates; with all 3 other gigs now sold out, Belfast is your chance to see them.

Villagers

Ciaran Lavery

Ash is back for the holidays on 20 December at The Empire, ending their European album tour on home soil. Gary Lightbody will be playing a solo concert at the Waterfront on 22 December. Tough choice to make between Gary and Ciaran Lavery with a special strings performance at The MAC the same evening. If you miss that night or want to see more, he returns to the Black Box on 10 January.

Kodaline

And for some Christmas gift inspiration, the fabulous Villagers come to The MAC on 26 January with a new album to perform â&#x20AC;&#x201C; could be a perfect stocking filler!

Stacy Fitzpatrick

Bagatelle

ITI S I V

NG ARTIS TS

Festive Delights BELFAST NIGHTS

Belfast city is the metaphorical Christmas tree - sparkling and majestic. The variety of brightly wrapped presents underneath are the gigs and shows there just for you. Which one to choose to unwrap is the delightful dilemma! The season brings a bumper host of touring musical visitors from across the globe with familiar favourites and newer big hitters.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••

K Alt-rock five piece Nothing But Thieves, celebrating their debut album reaching number seven in the album chart and number one in the vinyl chart will play BarSub, as our celtic cousins Scotch synth-pop trio Prides and Indie-Rockers Fatherson light up Limelight 2 on 26 November.

A step back to the 80's and 90's will be here as a burst of old school household names hit the city this season. Former Joy Division and d The Light bringing rocky energy and drive. The Prodigy will be bringing special guests Public Enemy to the Odyssey Arena on 01 December as part of their 8 tour date. Expect unrestrained, volcanic releases of sound; perfect if you want to let off some steam.

A double whammy of choice comes to the Limelight on the 01 December with the quirky style of Marina and The Diamonds at Limelight 1 and US folk rock solo singer Lissie in Limelight 2 as part of her European tour joined by Ryan O'Reilly's musical deliverance of life lessons and acoustic strums. 80's superstars Simply Red mark their 30th anniversary with a mammoth Big Love return tour, at the Odyssey the following night on the 2nd with support from 90's Aussie girl Natalie Imbruglia.

ed S im p ly R

M a r in a a n d T h e D ia m o n

T h e M a g ic N u m b er s Nothing But Thieves

Beardyman A jam packed month at The Limelight 2 is also home for the evening of 04 December to The Magic Numbers whilst on the 9th The Vaccines choose to end their whirlwind tour in Belfast at Limelight 1 with fresh enticing music from their new album filled with addictive, attitude laced tempo changes and lots of charm. With January being one of the slowest, drawn out months of the year, there is a smattering of gigs to lift the post-festivity spirits. For an entertaining night out don't miss Beatbox master Beardyman bringing his unique talent to the Black Box on 09 January with his 'One Hour, One Album' show. You make up the titles, he makes up the album - an improvised live show, guaranteed to be different every single time. Elsewhere, the gentle, soothing voice and delicate country vibe of Canadian songstress Lindi Ortega will warm your soul at the Empire on 16 January - her first time back in Belfast for two years. A fellow North American making a return is Nashvilles' Ron Pope and The Nighthawks, showcasing songs from his upcoming new album at The Empire on 18 January. Coinciding with the release of his new album, rich voiced, eccentric lyricist John Grant is set to visit Mandela Hall on the 27th. Who says January has to be dreary after all? Stacy Fitzpatrick

Jo hn Gr an t

The Vaccines

Fa th er so n

Lori

The Prodigy 33

ALBUM Best Boy Grip Best Boy Grip

Poor Homme Petomane

Villiers And The Villains Songs of Love and Fate

Delicate piano, injected with sweeping cymbals set the backdrop for opening track, 'Can't Buy Love Son' from Best Boy Grip's self titled album. Soft vocals and emotion emphasised by building power of keys and drums lead you into the lyrical story.

‘Lazy Love’ is the stand out tune of Petomane’s newest long-player, Poor Homme. Slow, repetitive, soothing George Clinton beats and a funky slapped or plucked bass lead to a massage of a chorus. Soulful vocals and a wee bit of Weather Report’s Jaco Pastorious sum up this tune. Lazy Love encapsulates the band of minstrels.

“I should have said I love you but I didn’t have the spine.” So repents Tony Villiers in ‘Rock Salt’ from his new album Songs of Love and Fate – and anyone familiar with the music of local lad Villiers won’t be surprised at the Johnny Cashery kneaded into the songs or the Bob Dylan signature running through the 10-track collection. Tony Fitzgibbon‘s violin on the singalong ‘Swingin' Into The Sunshine’ adds a landscape to that Easter election.

Eoin O'Callaghan's multi-ranged potent voice is accompanied throughout the 11 tracks with expertly played piano, bringing a fresh sound in each song from a mixture of strings, bass, drums and synths. Metaphoric lyrics as in 'Sharks', and simple, relatable storytelling with a hint of theatrical delivery as in 'Billy' grasp the essence of Best Boy Grip. Best Boy Grip shows he is no one trick pony with this collection of genres all delivered in his own trademark, distinctive style. From upbeat 'Runaway', brilliantly produced and thought provoking 'Bye Bye Mister' to powerfully emotive closing track 'Covert', the album is a must have. Stacy Fitzpatrick

The album is a trip down memory lane for those dragged up in the 80s. The songs could just relax and stay in the furrow of easy drilled, slow and soothing … but The Savage Gob reveals a darker side which only adds to a MSP Holy Bible feel to an album meandering and dandering through desire, heroism and the truth of the infallible. This may not be an album whistled to, probably not one for the dance floor, but I think it provides a little respite alone time with a hot chocolate.

Conor O’Neill

‘Am I Pretty Boy Floyd/Or am I the man on the street?’ Villiers queries in “Big Old Dancin' Bear Blues”, showing off his voice, holding those notes long. It's an unmistakably Tony Villiers' album, written by the man himself and performed with his band, The Villains. The additional banjo, mandolin, organ and accordion increase the size of the ballads and add a background to the stories being told. Stories of love and fate. Cara Gibney

REVIEW Selene The Forgotten

Shugster 65 The Boogieman

Rex Shachath Revocation of the Blood Elect

Northern Ireland's premier symphonic metal Selene have come up trumps with their debut album The Forgotten. The promise that they showed on earlier EP's Among the Frozen and Paradise Over comes to fruition with the first single 'Neverending Silence' leading the charge. Lush, gorgeous and haunting, it features a confident performance from vocalist Shonagh Lyons. Special mention must go to both album closer 'Piano Black', a nine minute long symphonic metal masterpiece complete with xylophones, choral singing and a dominating beat as well as the understated 'Sweetest Dreams', with a performance from Lyons that is spinetingling and utterly captivating.

Former frontman of the Blair Maynes, the Cinnamon Firm and The Keepers, Shugster 65, aka Hugh Burns has been a lasting presence in Northern Irish music for close to three decades. Now celebrating his 50th birthday, Burns has recorded a gem of a record. Boogieman sees his reflective moods as well as some Detroit-type-funk worthy of a Motown sticker.

Having dropped out of sight rather abruptly last year, death metallers Rex Shachath suddenly reappeared; their Facebook page stirring into life with news of a new EP, single and video. Forming in 2011 and debut EP Sepulchral Torment in 2013, Rex has always been adamantly old school, relying on face-crushing riffs, bruising drums and deep growly vocals to get their message across. With Revocation this formula has again been followed, but stepped up several notches both in terms of production and ferocity. Opening track 'Atonement Through Atrocity' perfectly encapsulates this. Little in the way of melody, it presents a sharper and more cohesive sound, with intelligent, vehement lyrics. Final track 'Colossus Rise' features just a smidgeon of new school, with its wailing solo and hint of melody. This EP has the feel of a band coalescing; we predict big things for Rex Shachath so keep an ear open.

Symphonic metal is a delicate balancing act between beauty and brawn, and Selene have nailed it. The production is excellent, the music tough and delicate when needed, and the vocals are breathtaking. An excellent album. Melanie Brehaut

The title track alone is worth the price - dancing bass, trusty layered Rickenbacker guitars and an ambitious timing keep the feet bouncing from four/four to less regular beats. This is an album of 11 tunes, and one of them is reliant on the others, yet for the first time in a long-time I find myself listening to the LP and being immersed in quality song writing. ‘Come Down’ and ‘Go With The Flow’ deserve a special mention; acoustic with Hammond organs show the brilliance of his song-smithery. Run out and buy it. Conor O’Neill

Melanie Brehaut

IN TERV IEW WI TH

ABBY OLIVEIR A

ike the quiet seed under the earth preparing to penetrate the soil, the art of Spoken Word has emerged from the ground in full bloom, catching our attention. Abby Oliveira has performed Spoken Word for many years and is a pioneer in the movement. She talked to CultureHUB about her background, thoughts and inspiration as well as her recent Lingo Festival win!

Spoken Word is poetry but it has a really strong performance element to it â&#x20AC;Ś Some people call themselves performance poets, some people call themselves Spoken Word artists, some people use the two terms interchangeably because, well I don't think any of us really know where the line exists between the two. A performer, poet and writer for many years, in 2006 a chance opportunity occurred as she recalls: I met a woman called Pamela Brown, and she came up with this idea that she wanted to do this project called the Poetry Chicks, and she approached myself and another writer from the town and asked us if we would like to be involved and that was it. I was a fan of Spoken Word before I met her but mainly I was listening to good conscious rap and hip hop music and that gave me a real appreciation of when things are done succinctly and cleverly and with a tight rhythm and you can put ideas across like that...I'd always been writing poetry but I'd never saw myself sort of up there on a stage reciting or performing it to people.

Spoken Word is expression, things that strike the heart of the performer and writer. I tend to write about things that move me, says Abby. What most of my poems are about is that they're an homage to our everyday struggles as human beings - trying to be human in this rapidly evolving digital and violent world. They're really homages to the struggle and to the fight, and to the fall and to the rise ... sometimes it's a lot more sensible for you to retreat from the battle field for a while, to re-gather your strength and come back from there. Abby has just won the Lingo Festival Poetry Slam title for the second year running, an achievement that saw her on stage opening for respected musician and poet Saul Williams. The absolute highlight of my career to date doing an opening slot for Saul Williams and getting to hang out with him for a bit. it was just class!. Saul Williams is my Spoken Word hero and he has been for years. Last year I got to go to London and support Damian Dempsey and this year ... I get to go to London for St Patrick's Day and perform in Trafalgar Square to the St Patrick's Day crowds - that's like thousands of people! … Luckily enough I have a few months to prepare my mind for that! The thought of performing Spoken Word for a novice may seem exhilarating, equally, for most, it is daunting, and Abby's advice is: Obviously I would say listen to other Spoken Word artists, go to Spoken Word gigs, I would say try and avoid watching too many American slam poets online, if you're not from America especially! Try and keep your own accent … and yeah just get out there and do as many open mics as you can because that's really the way that you develop as a live performer as well as a writer. But it is a great way to hone your live performance skills and how to be with an audience 'cause you can't learn that from a book. And you can't even learn that from watching other people - you have to just keep getting up there and doing it, and you have to roll with the punches so when you have a crap gig or you feel like the audience just weren't feeling you; I mean that still happens to me today...but the more and more you do it live yourself, the more and more your confidence will grow and you will be able to take those lows as well as the highs.

'Tis he who fight and run away who live to fight another day' - and that really is the core of what I've been writing. You're not down forever because you fell down and you should never let anybody convince you that you should stay down. Abby also organises a monthly event in Derry, which is becoming increasingly popular. I run a Spoken Word event on the last Monday of every month upstairs in Sandinos bar called the 'Monday Night Cure', L and that is an open mic every month. ... The gigs are always busy … I was kinda worried that it wasn't going to work on a Monday night but Derry proved me wrong, it's worked great! With the genres' popularity on the rise where does Abby perceive it to go? It's hard to say at this point … the exposure it's getting is great; we wouldn't have dreamed of this 10 years ago. You've got to keep fresh people and fresh minds coming in so that it continues to grow. As for where it's going to go, who knows? They do say 'A rising tide lifts all boats’. Find out more about Abby and upcoming performances at: www.facebook.com/AbbyOlivieraSpokenWord or hear her musings at www.soundcloud.com/abbyo-1 The Monday Night Cure at Sandinos Bar, Derry is held on the last Monday of every month. Stacy Fitzpatrick

Abby, as well as preparing for her St Patrick's Day gig, is in the midst of planning a tour of Australia with Australian performance artist Candy Royalle in 2016 as well constructing her first solo Spoken Word show. It's going to be called Fallen Fighters. There's a line in a Bob Marley song called The Heathen and really that's what I based the name of my show - the line is: 'Rise up fallen fighters, rise and take your stance again.

Photography: Gavin Connolly

19 37

DISTORTION PROJECT15TH ANNIVERSARY GIG For Belfast's metalheads, the Distortion Project is quite simply an essential part of life. Created by music fan James Loveday fifteen years ago, both to bring international acts to Belfast and give local bands a platform, the DP has gone from strength to strength. Having hit such a lofty milestone, it seemed right that Loveday would put on a hell of a show in that Belfast institution, Katy Daly's/The Limelight. Saturday 17 October saw 'From Hell To the Unknown: 15 Years of the Distortion Project' unleashed upon two stages to an ecstatic crowd from noon until 9.30pm.

superb twin guitar action and vocalist Tommy Daly's ballsy voice. Satan fanboys Zlatanera followed with a pacy and pummelling set, featuring not one but three songs about ol' Beelzebub himself, bursting with hulking riffs, malevolent drums and the raspy vocals of frontman Andy Campbell.

Firing up the celebratory occasion was metal upstarts Donum Dei, who hit the ground running and never let up, playing with a level of energy that was almost obscene for that time of day. They paused only to congratulate Loveday, before rattling through songs such as 'Buried Alive' and 'Courage From Within', as well as new tune 'Torture Makes Them Speak'; a smashing way to open up proceedings.

Overoth hit the LL2 stage next and blew the room up with their old-school-meets-new-school take on death metal. They pounded the packed room into submission, all thick riffs, brutal blastbeats and vocalist Andy Ennis' deep growls and menacing stage talk. Their songs grow in texture and sheer scale every time they play, as they branch out from straight up death metal into uncharted territory. They finished off with the majestic 'The Forgotten Tome' and left the crowd's ears feeling thoroughly battered - mightily impressive stuff.

Next was Skypilot with their expansive groove and 'Tool x Clutch' vibe, all within a tight, cohesive unit. Even at that early point the place was packed, as the band fired through their short set of bluesy, at times almost Southern-fried stoner rock. Rabid Bitch of the North then came on and opened with 'Your Misery' setting a blistering pace right away and they wrapped up their hugely enjoyable set with crowd favourites 'Help! I'm Trapped In 199!' and anthemic 'Us Against Them'. Next in KD's was the benchmark hardcore act in Belfast, By Any Means. True to from, vocalist Paul Docs perched precariously on the tiny balcony and then clambered over tables within seconds of the set, screaming the lyrics of 'On These Streets' in his usual powerful and menacing fashion. It was ferocious stuff, and frankly if it didn't get you moving, you must have no pulse!

Time then for some classic metal in LL2 as Conjuring Fate stepped onstage. They blazed their way through crowd favourites 'House on Haunted Hill' and 'Mirror, Mirror', complete with effortless crowd connection,

Did someone says riffs? It was time for the Lords of the Riffs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Triggerman. Making the all-too-seldom trip from Derry to play a ridiculously full KD's, they opened their set with their mantra 'The Riff Holds Sway'. This band truly are masters at writing riff-filled, catchy tunes, even 'Norn Irish as soda bread' new track 'Big John' is met with delight from the crowd. Come back soon, lads! Rock/metal crossovers Sinocence hit the KD stage shortly thereafter and rocked everyone's socks off with their ballsy, bolshy set. The final act on the KD stage was Zombified. Vocalist Pete Clarke possesses an astonishingly low voice; with his intense stare, whirling dervish headbanging and that voice, he is quite the arresting frontman. Their songs are brisk and anvil-heavy, rattling along like a heavy metal freight train. Their frenzied set finished with 'The Forgotten Art of Strangulation', which leaves the packed room breathless and impressed. Phew!

The three headlining acts in LL2 began with modern thrash metallers Shrapnel. Forming in 2009 and taking their cues from old school thrash, they have created a sound that very much pays homage to the origins of thrash yet is modern and invigorated. Vocalist Joe Hadley is a bear of a man with a piercing vocal style; he sang and shrieked his way through their set with plenty of widdling guitar solos, cymbal-heavy drumming and machine gun-fire instrumentals.

Shrapnel

English thrashers Acid Reign were next. They have recently re-formed and begun touring again with a joy that is simply a delight to behold. Their hour long set, preceded by 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia' as their intro, roared into life with their unique mix of thrash, punk and silly jokes. They admirably demonstrated how good music and great camaraderie can keep a band feeling young, as they fired off tracks such as 'Plan of the Damned', 'Blind Aggression' and a blistering cover of Blondie's 'Hanging On the Telephone' with a pace and sense of unadulterated glee that could teach new bands a thing or two. Xentrix have almost always focussed on pure thrash, bar an ill-advised foray into prog metal in the early Nineties. Having split and re-formed a few times, this current incarnation of the band has been touring steadily for the last few years, which certainly showed. A militaristic drum intro gives way to fast as f**k thrash metal, which sounds pretty damn fresh for a thirty year old band; there's definitely life in this 'old' dog yet!

By Any MeanS

Acid Reign

Conjuring Fate

Zlatanera Donum Dei

Triggerman

Playing a great mix of old and new, they fired on all cylinders for their entire hour-ish long set, not letting up their dynamic pace for a second. The result was an exhilarating and brash set which wrapped up this extraordinary day perfectly. The crowd are even treated to an encore of 'Trip Inside Yourself', another new one, 'The Red Mist' and finally 'No (F**king) Compromise' â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a sentiment (and song) that sums up today (and The Distortion Project itself) magnificently.

Zombified

And then it was all over. Thirteen bands, two stages, hundreds of punters and one hell of an epic production that ran damn nearly faultlessly. It's testament to the scene's love and respect for James Loveday and the DP that every local band thanked him. Here's to you James, and to many more years of the Distortion Project bringing heavy music to light in Belfast.

Xentrix

Melanie Brehaut Photography: Caroline Ashby

Skypilot

Overoth

Rabid Bitch of the North

From the Ma t to th e MAC t If you are three year's old and feel that you'd like to perform a little Shakespeare, CultureHUB would like to recommend Drama Time. It was set up over a year ago by Doireann McKenna, because she“had been waitressing for far too long ” and wanted an outlet to write wee songs” . Drama Time and, more recently, Do-Re-Play, give children aged 0 to 15 a powerful introduction in to the arts.

ore than a few brows may have been raised when, in the summer of 2014, a cast of 3 to 5 year olds were given one week to learn and deliver an abridged version of Romeo and Juliet. At least one line of 'pure Shakespeare' was recited by each child to a rapturous and captivated audience. Now in her second year, Doireann with 'Best Supporting Teacher' Ella Campbell continue to present challenges to children and delight in their responses. “Seriously, how would a group of wee ones doing Romeo and Juliet not go down a treat? And they are brilliant”. Doireann's passion for Shakespeare, for performance, for music, for engaging kids' abilities in a multi-sensory fashion shines through as she reflects on her accomplishment. Doireann told me that her first drama platform was the matt in front of the fire at her home in Derry where she often upstaged her older sister not least with her version of Bohemian Rhapsody belted out no doubt with the same exuberance she gives to her current lead role as Emily in Rumpelstiltskin at the MAC. This Rumpelstiltskin is a familymusical with “loads of songs” and Doireann is “pleased to be playing a strong character” in a role

you could say she has been in all her life – that of a daugther. Nevertheless, it seems that her music teacher in primary school, Mrs Mellon, along with Queen's University have been even more influential than the matt in leading her into her chosen vocation. Doireann “just fell into establishing Drama Time and Do-Re-Play” when she decided to take a risk after working for other people for a number of years. Do-Re-Play is new since September 2015 and is an hour long music filled session with at least 35 minutes of singing. Drama Time is broken into three groups (age 3-5, tiny timers; 6-8, mean timers and 9-15, big timers); each class involves vocal and physical exercises through drama games with the main activity either acting out a story or improvisation. There is a week-long summer school, and during term times, Drama Time runs on Saturdays, culminating in a public performance (the next ones will be Alice in Wonderland, The Grinch and The Night Before Christmas at the Brian Friel Theatre, Queen's, 05 and 12 December). If you'd like to see Doireann herself (as Emily), I advise you to shuffle along to Rumpelstiltskin in the MAC, from 26 November to 30 January. SCott Boldt

tickets available www.themaclive.com

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12 HOURS IN BELFAST

BEING A TOURIST IN MY HOME CITY Having spent almost all of my adult life in England at university, I never thought I would be living back at ‘home-home’ so I thought it about time that I start re-exploring the city I thought I knew so well. A city so dramatically transformed in recent years, it’s hard to believe. Site seeing buses, scores of tourists with expensive cameras slung around their necks, pop up cafes and fashion stores, city bikes, quirky bars and more galleries and museums than I can count on both hands.

’ve made it my mission to explore Belfast in the same way that all our new friends from far and wide will be exploring it - as a tourist with the desire to soak up as much of the city as I can, albeit for 12 hours and on a very limited budget rather than that of a cruise ship occupant.

Saturday 10am: A cold, rainy and murky November day, Belfast is making every attempt to come alive amidst the weather. A hot coffee and a lot of food are in order and with that in mind I head to St George's Market. St George's is a must on any prospective visitor's tick list, full of local artists and craft makers selling their creations, and everyone is eager to talk about their work and the city they adore. Live music guides you through with delicious artisan food samples to take the edge off that extra strong coffee. You could easily spend an hour or more wandering around the stalls, but perhaps the more enticing element is that it’s all fairly priced, and when exploring on a budget, it’s definitely worth a visit. Saturday 12pm: It’s time to continue my budget tour of Belfast at the Ulster Museum for some free history and art. The walk to the museum brings me past the grand and impressive architecture of Queens University. I detour briefly through soggy Botanic Gardens and have a walk around the Palm House taking in exotic plants and some even more exotic birds.

I can’t remember the last time I was here, so it’s a pretty impressive show for no cost whatsoever. I imagine the rest of the gardens are alive with picnic goers and students basking in the sun come the better weather, but the rain doesn’t put much of a downer on the stop off. Onwards to the Ulster Museum I go. I would recommend allowing a few hours to spend in this dramatic building. I haven’t been here since the 2009 reopening and what an incredible transformation awaits me. The building is modern, sleek and offers state of the art facilities. When entering the museum I pick up a map which invites me to explore the many sections of artefacts and exhibits the museum has to offer. Art, Human History (MUMMIES!), Natural Sciences (DINOSAURS!); my inner child recalls the excitement of school trips. There’s also a brilliant section featuring a chronological timeline of Northern Ireland's history and ‘The Troubles’. Saturday 2.30pm: I head back to the City Centre via City Hall and St Anne’s Cathedral, both of which offer free entry/tours to the public. City Hall is especially exciting as it’s a chance to see inside a building that makes up such a significant element of the city’s skyline and it’s hard not to be wowed by the grandiose interior. Tours go daily at various times which are sign posted just outside the main doors and last around 45 minutes. Saturday 4.30pm: After a solemn stroll to and through St Anne’s Cathedral, it’s just a two minute walk to explore some of the many free galleries dotted around. These include the MAC, Belfast Exposed, Golden Thread, Queen Street Studios, Café 31 and many more, all within walking distanceCara of one another. Featuring Dillon works from Northern Irish, Irish and International artists, the galleries cover a real mixture of work from photography, to installation, to conceptual and digital art, and full of wonderful volunteers keen to tell you all about the artists featured. It’s a peaceful and tranquil way to spend a Saturday afternoon, especially on a rainy, dank day as this one has turned out to be. Saturday 7pm: All that walking calls for a well-earned pint of Guinness or three. In to Belfast’s vibrant Cathedral Quarter, I head to the impressive Harp Bar and then onto the lively Duke of York. I can imagine that the combination of quirky Irish wall décor along with live music, cobble streets and a packed out pub full of laughter and craic, make these bars an incredibly appealing place for a tourist to end off a day of site seeing. Just as the band strike up their instruments and the second pint of Guinness is ordered, it’s hard not to feel immensely lucky and privileged to have all this on the door step; perhaps being ‘home-home’ is a blessing after all! Gemma McSherry Photographer: Phil Dorman

“THE FUTURE’S ALL A GUESS” A N I N T E R V I E W W I T H L E O N T I A F LY N N

For a self-confessed shrinking violet, Leontia Flynn is surprisingly friendly. Inviting her to meet at the Linen Hall Library, I’ve brought her to a hub of poetry where she has formerly given readings with Michael Longley, Seamus Heaney and Madbh McGuckian, who is the subject of her recent book, Reading Medbh McGuckian, an intelligent, pioneering exploration of that poet’s sinuously strange lyrics, so rife with difficulty and beauty. McGuckian’s work, like Leontia’s, is conscious of being a woman’s voice. Leontia writes:

“Are we depressed about woman’s status?/ Hardly. We’re not quite sure who women are.” The quotation comes from the ambitious long poem Letter to Friends from her recent collection Profit and Loss; however, for Leontia, the impulse to write poetry is entirely gender neutral. Whereas McGuckian has rather archly stated that she is trying to help men understand women by baffling them, Leontia wryly replies that she doesn’t believe in baffling her readers, since she’s baffled enough herself without adding to the toll. Poetry’s role, she adds, is to clarify things and there is a cutting-edge clarity to Leontia’s use of imagery throughout her work; for example, in her witty elegy on loss and shame, called The Vibrator she writes:

“a thought struck – clang – loud as a two-pence piece in a metal bucket: where was the vibrator?” The honesty is breath-taking. It defies prudery and smut. It gets to the root of our shame and gives it a tickle. But she can’t go back to her old digs for the vibrator. It’s been entered on the loss account.

“Oh nice surprise . . . to find in some nook or niche-hole the vibrator/ still beats, in the dark, its battery-powered heart!”

Profit and Loss throbs with the background grief of Leontia’s father’s final battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. He comes across as a very endearing character in her poetry. He loves to sing and joke, is a born entertainer, who inspired his five children with a love of language. She is forthright and funny about his illness. For three years she pretended the unravelling of her father’s mind was just him being annoying. She had the same conversation with him week after week as his language failed and the names for things lapsed. Persevering in this depleting conversation with her father, she says she gained an insight into “the sound of sense” which is the stuff from which poetry is made. In Letter to Friends, her father’s line - “where’s the thing for the thing?” – might serve as a catchphrase for The Alzheimer’s Society. Leontia has moved on from Profit and Loss. Her poetry has won a lot of prizes. Her precocious These Days picked up the Foreward Prize for First Collection and she’s more recently received the AWB Vincent Award for Profit and Loss and was short-listed for the very prestigious T S Eliot Prize. Since then, she’s been writing short verse dramas and has been the 2015 poet in residence at the Bloomsbury Hotel in London. Heaney was a popular guest and became very friendly with the general manager who admired his poetry. After Heaney’s death in 2014, the hotel set up a writer-in-residence programme to commemorate his connection with the hotel, and Leontia has been selected as the first recipient of the honour. In These Days she’s cheekily dismissive of the Nobel laureate, relating an anecdote from her adolescence (fictional she now maintains) of how she asked Heaney, who was a complete unknown to her, to sign her bus ticket which she then promptly lost. She says she was rebelling against the rural ambiance of Heaney’s early poetry which she found too close to her own upbringing. She much preferred Philip Larkin. Subsequently, Heaney became a presiding mentor over her attitude to poetry, and she now affirms Heaney’s Apollonian attitude that poetry is made by the “higher poetic self” from the wreckage of experience. Leontia works as a teaching fellow at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen's University. Leontia Flynn has a really cool website http://leontiaflynn.com/ where you can find a selection of poems and a very engaging collection of prose texts in which she discusses, among other things, Seamus Heaney’s gift for form, postmodern technology, the Victoria Centre and why she hates poetry readings. Leontia's latest book is Reading Maebh McGuckian published by the Irish Academic press. Profit and Loss is published by Jonathan Cape.

Graham Higgin 45

COMEDY NIGHTS Your twelve year old daughter wants Miley Cyrus concert tickets, your twenty year old son is back from university with a new tattoo, that uncle has drank too much whiskey again and if your mother-in-law doesn’t stop criticising your cooking, it’s her who is going in the oven. Christmas is supposed to be the season to be jolly but in reality it’s the season for arguing. Tinderbox have depicted this atmosphere in “All Through the House” which gives an alternative perspective of a typical family Christmas do. The production is written by Judith King and directed by Patrick J O’Reilly and runs at the Crescent Arts Centre from 04 – 19 December. But there is one day in the festive calendar that especially makes you feel like shaving all your hair off Britney Spears style - Christmas Eve! Written by Marie Jones and directed by Dan Gordon “Christmas Eve Can Kill You” is showing in the Lyric Theatre from 24 November - 10 January. The play is set in Belfast on Christmas Eve 1992 and tells the story of a number of dubious characters most of whom are not in the mood for Christmas. One thing we will certainly be eating a lot of over Christmas is cake! As it turns out, one of the more controversial subjects of 2015 in Northern Ireland was the “gay cake”. Indeed, like Santa, this issue went around the world.

Deborah Frances-White, the star of BBC 4’s “Role the Dice” will be coming to the Black Box on 01 December, with “Friend of a Friend of Dorothy” (a “friend of Dorothy” is gay slang for a gay man, for anyone unfamiliar with the term). Deborah will be portraying her life with the gays and girls through her sui generis combination of stand-up, storytelling and improvisation. Another issue linked to this that has also been a “hot topic” in 2015 was Marriage Equality. Panti Bliss became a major figurehead of the Republic’s successful ‘Yes Campaign’after a speech she made about homophobia was described as “the most eloquent Irish speech” in 200 years by Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole and went viral as a result. Panti Bliss will be coming to the Mandela Hall on 04 December with her critically acclaimed show The stand-up performance is about her life post “Pantigate”. Although the show may be crude, as Panti is sure to say the unsayable, there is a hidden message of liberty and individualism. Another comedian who is not afraid to say the unsayable is who will be imprisoned in the Crumlin Road Gaol on 02 and 03 January. Jake will be reviewing the events that enfolded in 2015 and takes no prisoners as he opines his views of the year in his stand up show “Gagging on it”.

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Psychic Medium • Angel Workshops Angel Card Reader • Mediumship Classes classes Alternative Therapies • Development Classes If you are gagging for a unique comedy performance then Wonder Frog is your ticket. Wonder Frog is a 6-person improv comedy group based in Belfast. The group uses only the audience's suggestions for performing comic scenes and therefore the performance is always completely original and authentic. The show is akin to “Whose Line is it Anyway?”, being composed of various games. Wonder Frog performs at the Black Box every month, and December’s performance is on the 16th. “Comedy Live” is one of Northern Ireland's best kept comedy secrets and is on the first Thursday of every month in McHugh’s bar basement. Michael Legge takes to the stage 03 December. Michael has supported many comedy greats on tour such as Alexei Sayle, Stewart Lee and Dylan Moran. He's a team captain on the Sony award winning podcast “Do The Right Thing” and is known as a ‘grump’. So if you are a pessimist with a dry sense of humour this will float your boat before it hits rough waters, is dashed against the rocks and sinks with a huge a loss of life. Christmas may be a time of stress and arguments, but one thing you cannot argue about is that there are plenty of comedy nights in Belfast. If can’t take the heat, come see one of these comedy gigs and you’re sure to have a merry time.

Adam Henry Magee

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SEA

KAYAKING AROUND

COUNTY

DOWN AND

COUNTY ANTRIM

ll around Northern Ireland, from the North Coast surf to the open seas around Whitehead, Belfast and Bangor, and in rivers when rainfall is sufficient, people are canoeing and kayaking in all manner of boats. The tough plastic playboats designed to spin, loop and surf in fast moving water, swift, streamlined sea kayaks and open Canadian canoes are just a few of the niches of the sport. I caught up with Harold Lloyd, a member of Belfast Kayak Club (BKC) to find out what makes him tick. Amidst his dusty vehicle workshop, strewn with compressors, sanders, spray guns and all manner of specialist gadgets, Harold keeps two sea kayaks; a 16-foot day boat with deck rigging and a small cargo hatch and a substantial 22-foot tandem outfit with multiple cargo hatches designed for expedition touring with full camping gear and food for the week.

“You actually can’t paddle it unloaded,” he explains while flicking through videos on his phone; “it sits so high in the water that the wind catches it like a sail - I load it up with sacks of stones when I want to take it out!”. He shows me a video of him performing an eskimo-roll in the big boat, just managing in one take.

I couldn’t refuse and I just got really into it”.

Harold wasn’t always into kayaks, starting out in a small rigid inflatable boat (RIB) with an outboard motor until a stroke of bad-luck changed his direction. His brand new I-phone, in its waterproof case, had fallen out of the boat and was thought lost at sea at Portmuck, Islandmagee. Incredibly, it was found and returned hours later by two kayakers from Belfast Kayaking Club (BKC) who stood on it in the shallow water of low tide in the harbour.

“We’ve paddled all over this year; we’ve been in Strangford Lough several times and seen the Liberty shipwreck at low tide, stood on Long Sheelagh, a gravel bar in the open water that’s submerged most of the time. We’ve run the Narrows between Portaferry and Strangford ... and lunched on Angus Rock lighthouse ... we’ve paddled from Ballyholme to Crawfordsburn catching mackerel en route and frying them on the beach; we’ve paddled on the North coast from Ballintoy to Rathlin Island - a really dodgy route where you need experienced paddlers who know the waters - good distance too; we’ve paddled past the Giant’s

“We met that night and I think they were offended that I tried to give them some money, a reward; I just wanted to say thanks, but fortunately they invited me to join (BKC).

The club have regular Tuesday evening paddles in summertime, and weekend paddles all year round (weather permitting). They have been running since 2003 and currently have around 100 members.

Causeway, along the cliffs around Dunseverick Castle where there are caves, one so large you could drive a Double-Decker bus into it and is so long you need a torch, it gets so dark.” Harold flicks past countless photos on his phone of group paddles, navigating rocky inlets, surfing rolling swells, and eating lunch on beaches strewn with colourful kayaks and gear. “It’s not a dangerous sport, so long as you’re responsible and well prepared,” Harold confidently and quickly explains. “You need full gear, wetsuit and dry cag or a full drysuit, a radio or mobile phone, warm clothing; you have to prepare for the worst, then you can cope with anything less than that. … We have members of all abilities, from the age of fourteen to seventy years old … and of course you need to know the tides.” “Most of the guys carry a VHF radio, and we always let the coastguard know where we’re going and for how long. They’ve been known to receive phone calls from worried people on the beach when we’re doing deep water rescue-practice for instance, so for various reasons it’s vital to let them know.”

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“My wife is not a ‘water-person’,” explains Harold with a smile, “but once she had a go she loved it. Once you stop paddling, there is no sound - say you’re in the middle of Strangford Lough and you just sit back and drift for a moment, it’s completely quiet. We’ve had seals come up and try to intimidate us - they splash and snort from behind the kayaks. As we paddle away from the shore, and the seabed falls away out of sight – then you’re floating, your hands just inches from the water surface, it’s really peaceful – sorry I’m going on and on here!”. Harold laughs and thinks about doing something work related, but instead flicks through more photos, this time of a group paddling holiday to Croatia. If you want to have a go and you’ve never paddled before. it’s probably best to find a course to get the basics; however, most people learn in borrowed kayaks, in sheltered water, under supervision of a more experienced paddler.

Paul McAvoy

Membership of BKC costs £35 per year and this allows you to take part in any of the club’s trips belfastkayakclub.co.uk

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