Issue 6 by CultureHUB Magazine

CULTURE

HUB

FREE

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

RYAN VAIL T I CKL I N G T H E I VO RIES GEORGE CLARKE

Y E L L O W F E VE R P RO D U C T I O N S

IMAGINE! FESTIVAL S TART M AKI NG S ENS E

COMIC BOOK GUYS

ISSUE 6

LET’ S STA RT A B USINESS

DAVID LYTTLE KE E P I N G T H E B EAT

Welcome to CultureHUB

CONTENTS ARTICLES

CultureHUB hopes to take you on a journey of discovery and learning of some of the many diverse and eclectic cultural expressions of Belfast. This issue is packed with a healthy flowering of culture, arts and insights. You can follow us on social media and watch us on CultureHUB TV on Northern Visions - nvtv.co.uk

4 • Belfast

From the team at CultureHUB,

8 • David Lyttle: Keeping the Beat

6 • PRONI: Public Records Office Northern Ireland

L I T E R AT U R E

Happy reading folks.

10 • Book Review Creative Director: Anna Wherrett Editor: Scott Boldt Cover Design & Layout: Root Design Belfast Art Direction: Root Design Belfast www.rootdesignbelfast.co.uk info@rootdesignbelfast.co.uk 07964 389 125 Journalists: Melanie Brehaut, Stacy Fitzpatrick, Austin Flanagan, Cara Gibney, Kaity Hall, John Higgins,

Adam Henry Magee, Stephanie Mitchell, Conor O’Neill, Zac Schmidt. Guest Photographers: Tremaine Gregg & Phil Dorman. Assistant Designer: Moises Benitez Mesa 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

12 • George Clarke: Yellow Fever Productions 14 • Scream For Me Belfast 16• Belonging in Belfast - whoever you are 18 • Comic Book Guys: Let’s Start a Business 20 • Literary & Poetry Events 22 • Stepping Out: Festival vs Feis 24 • Visiting Artists 26 • Ryan Vail: Tickling the Ivories 28 • Studio E11even: Tony Haynes 30 • Comedy Nights 32 • Album Review 34 • PhotoHUB Competition 36 • Playing for Peace 38 • Imagine! Festival: Start Making Sense 42 • Making Monsters: Making It 44 • Home Grown Artists 46 • The Virgin Father: Tinderbox Theatre 48 • PRONI continued

49 • Frank Carter CULTURE

HUB

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

BELFAST

Welcome to CultureHUB Magazine. We are based in the heart of Belfast and we aim to provide you with fresh, interesting and unique insights into the many and varied expressions of Belfast culture. ultureHUB: Eclectic Belfast – if you have seen our previous magazines, you might be aware that I have written about ‘culture’ and how we understand it, the value we place on ‘eclecticism’ and, in the last issue, how many ‘hubs’ are kicking about in Belfast. It’s now time to do a piece on Belfast, and I was hoping that I would discover some hidden or poetic meaning in its name or uncover a great tale about its foundation and establishment – nope - but there is some interesting stuff. The Giant’s Ring and Cavehill show us that people have been in and around present day Belfast throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages. 4

Though there is no mention of any settlement or town here, Claudius Ptolemy, one of the famous Greek astronomers and geographers, seems to have identified the River Lagan in his First Map of Europe in Geographica in about 150AD. The name ‘Belfast’ is from the Irish, ‘Beal Feirste’ which refers to its location on the sandbars of the River Farset. The ford where the Farset meets the Lagan (where today’s High Street meets Victoria Street at St. George’s Church of Ireland) has been around at least since 655, but even by 1610 it was declared an ‘insignificant village’ by England’s most famous cartographer John Speed.

King James IV and I sowed the seeds for Belfast’s growth after the Flight of the Earls through the plantation of Ulster when he granted it to Arthur Chichester, who had built a castle here in 1612. By 1613, Belfast had the privilege to send two representatives to parliament. I am confident that most of you reading this have not recently consulted a gazetter to find out more about Belfast. I just learned that a gazetter is a type of index or dictionary to go along with a map or geographic survey. It turns out that in 1846 a 2,000 page book was produced called, The Parliamentary Gazetter of Ireland, which an online

publisher (Eneclann Ltd.) describes as providing, “more substantive statistical information and is perhaps a superior publication to … Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, published in 1837”. We at CultureHUB could not agree more; in fact, I'm still disappointed with Samuel Lewis's work. The point of all this is that the 1846 Gazetter tells us that Belfast was: “A sea-port and market town, a borough, a seat of extensive trade and manufacture, the capital of Ulster, the 'Modern Athens' of Ireland.” Interestingly, 1846 is the same year that the German Leo von Klenze painted his most famous work, The Acropolis of Athens. Leo is better known as a principal architect for King Ludwig I , and von Klenze became a catalyst for the Greek revival style which likely had an impact on Charles Lanyon who is responsible for some of Belfast’s finest neo-classical architecture which no doubt earned for Belfast that link with the cultural metropolis of the Western world, Athens. “… the fourth town in the kingdom in amount of population, the third in extent of edificed area, … the second in comparative regularity and beauty … and incomparably the first in enterprise, intelligence, and general prosperity”. One hundred and sixty-seven years after that gazetter, Belfast had an unsuccessful bid for the 2008 European Capital of Culture called Imagine Belfast. Undeterred, Belfast City Council composed a new Culture and Arts Plan 2003–2006 to take forward the spirit of the bid, and it had an immediate impact. In one year, participation in culture and arts activities doubled and attendance at events grew by 400,000. Ten years on and the city is punching above its weight in regard to vibrant culture and diverse arts despite cuts, slashes, trimming, streamlining, belt tightening and austerity – 65,000 people attended Culture Night 2015 in Belfast alone, and I wasn’t able to make it, so it should have been 65,001. On the coat of arms of the city, adopted in 1643, the motto of Belfast is Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamus which means ‘what shall we give in return for so much’. It is an open question and a gracious one. In 2016, Belfast is giving a great deal of creative expression by and for its citizens. We at CultureHUB are delighted to be experiencing and representing this, and we hope all our readers will recognise the contribution they are making and continue to expand the culture and gift that this city is.

Scott Boldt Photography: Phil Dorman

PRON I PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICE NORTHERN IRELAND I was staring at a computer screen with my grandfather’s will on it, and suddenly things became more personal. I was in PRONI (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland) in Titanic Quarter. Stephen Scarth, Head of Public Services was showing me how to use their website, and with just a few family names he had dug up a fifty year old slice of my family’s history. PRONI holds all original wills for Northern Ireland from 1900 onwards. In fact, it holds millions of documents mostly, but not exclusively, relating to Northern Ireland. They date largely from c.1600, but they also have a few that go back to the early 13th century. As the official archive for Northern Ireland, PRONI was founded in 1923 and operates as part of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL). They have been based in Titanic Quarter for five years now, but the new offices don’t only offer research facilities; they have a lecture theatre, public space, ongoing exhibition and public art integrated into the fabric of the building. The beauty of this is that you don’t even have to travel to the PRONI building to start searching out all those family riddles. PRONI are working hard at making it as accessible as possible, and that means they’ve turned their website into an information goldmine that links you to family history, local history, street directories, First World War journals and so much more. You can watch talks on their You Tube channel and get tips on where else to look. I went home that night and searched out that will again, then I sent it out to the rest of my family. 6

CONTINUED PAGE 48

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DAVID

LYTTLE •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

When you think of 'MOBO,' the references your mind conjures up are unlikely to be Irish; yet Waringstown's own David Lyttle has broken that mould by becoming the ﬁrst Irish artist ever to be nominated for a MOBO, soon followed by an Urban Music Award nomination. When you see David perform or hear his compositions, you understand exactly why they have him on their radar.

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

avid is one of those rare people who completely embodies his passion in a way that being a parent to a child does, that child being an extension of who you are. Music really is David's life. Performer, producer, songwriter, mentor and record label owner ... the list goes on. "I have this passion for all these different things I do ... it's nice whenever I've been really busy as a performer to take a couple of days just doing label stuff or go and write. If you were just a sole writer you could end up being a bit mentally exhausted, so they all complement each other. It's hard to say which one I really prefer. I mean I'm a performer really - I do think that that's my thing."

Drumming from an early age and influenced by his musical family, it was a given that this would be his path. One thing you can't help but notice about David is that he knows exactly what he wants and more importantly isn't afraid to go for it. "It's just getting the music heard really. Doesn’t matter what level you are at ... I mean I achieved a lot of my goals in the jazz world pretty early on because they weren't that big looking back on them ... and then your roads get bigger and bigger." Referring to recent praise from Rolling Stone Magazine he continues, "My roads are much bigger than they were two years ago. Two years ago I was like Rolling Stone and Q that'd be great!".

2015 has definitely been

my biggest year without a doubt!

A well known and respected jazz drummer for many years, it would have been easy, comfortable, for him to stay there, but his experimental attitude has seen him step outside of conventions and create something new, innovative and fresh. Who would have thought that jazz would combine so well with hip-hop? Maybe it normally wouldn't, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the thing about David Lyttle, he doesn't just see, but feels beyond the regular perspective; his intuition, vision and talent making it work.

Softly spoken in nature, his presence is unmistakable in front of a drum kit.

"Most of my collaborations I instigate, so I write to someone ... touch base with someone who I maybe have never met before but who I really wanted to work with and be like, 'Do you want to do something?', and if they're into it, then I'll send some ideas."

"We sent it off to some people from the media who we knew and the response was just really, really good! But people were kind of saying things like, 'We're really surprised and shocked at how this worked, but we weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re like, 'It's not that different!' you know what I mean? How come people can think this is so weird? I'm singing songs, I'm playing guitar, you're playing drums ... he laughs, "We're both really happy with it ... it's a nice project and it's just the two of us."

Watching him play, you can't help being impressed at not only the skill, precision and the variety of his drumming, but how impeccably perfect his timing is. How he maintains a beat for exactly the right amount of time, capturing the moment, teasing the next wave of vibration and how he is so tuned into every movement and sound he creates is impressive. Yet he is equally as connected to his performing partners, predicting and blending with their rhythm.

Showing again that he can merge in unlikely ways, he recently embarked upon a whirlwind collaboration with Verse Chorus Verse aka Tony Wright. A rock singer and a jazz drummer; two different worlds musically, yet they just clicked. Swiftly releasing their album, Say And Do last November, it triumphantly reached No.1 in the Amazon Blues chart.

The past 12 months have seen him taking on musician residency programmes and mentoring young musicians, teaching and guiding them. The first at the Nerve Centre in Derry, and currently for Moving on Music, leading up to the Brilliant Corners Festival in March.

"Moving on Music are being very supportive. They're a company that promote creative music whether it's jazz ... or traditional music ... basically lesser represented music. That's for 3 months and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more about mentoring. We've put out a call for up and coming jazz musicians aged 16-22 years old and we'll pick a few of the musicians who we think will benefit from the intensive mentoring. We'll practice every week, we'll listen to music, we'll hang out. I'm going to be doing some writing with them and they'll play a few gigs at Moving On Music's festival in March." Reflecting on the past year he says: "I feel like I've done a lot of stuff - a lot of good stuff and good things have come my way and I've had a really good shot at everything. 2015 has definitely been my biggest year without a doubt! So now we got to try and match that ... There might just be one thing that makes it my biggest year ... but then you also have to try not to set the goals and just relax." Whatever David has been doing, it certainly has been working. Who knows how far this star will rise.

Read the full in-depth interview with David at www.culturehubmagazine.co.uk

Stacy Fitzpatrick Photography: Tremaine Gregg

BOOK REVIEW

Ulster My Ulster

Children's Children

Author: Brian John Spencer Publisher: Self Published

Author: Jan Carson Publisher: Liberties Press

Brian John Spencer's poetry pamphlet packs political passion, preoccupations and personal perspectives from a 'middle-class Irish unionist protestant atheist'. Mr Spencer pens, “Language lags behind reality” but in his collection entitled, Ulster My Ulster, Brian's language overtakes the present and seeks to push people forward, aware of but not determined by 1916, 1690, 1801, 1155 or even 1998. He writes:

Great short stories have that ardent ability to illuminate candid insights into the human condition, and Jan Carson's Children's Children manages to achieve this special quality to a tee. Children's Children is engrossing because of its familiarity which is at moments uneasy, raw and simply touching. It is concerned with revealing the intimate, hidden sides of ordinary people that we never see from behind closed doors but still inherently speak to us.

The past is the pasture where our predecessors lie We grow from the ground And we are alive because of them We are rooted in the manure of the past … Without them I cannot bear fruit With them I branch forwards, towards the future Brian John Spencer tells us in his introduction that he is writing because he had not read what he feels is needed at this time. He published his 41 poems in the face of, “the abiding low self-regard” he observes, “in Ulster (where) we top tall trees and mistake success for arrogance … To succeed you embrace failure. You fail forward to success”.

Charting a familiar landscape filled with familiar Northern Irish colloquialisms and customs, Children's Children celebrates their uniqueness whilst also meditating on their generational nature. In a previous interview with CultureHUB, Jan Carson described how “Belfast is not a city. It's a large provincial town and this is its charm.” It is clear that Belfast, its diversity of heritage, its complications but also its quaint traditions are all entwined within this distinct collection of stories.

In this first collection of his poetry, Brian has 'failed' quite successfully and I hope it will move him forward to bring others with him; not necessarily to his views but towards a fuller awakening of identity and expression (www.brianjohnspencer.com).

Children's Children has the running theme of family and relationships that unearth deeper, introspective musings throughout. Leaving unravelled, incomplete endings, Carson's stories are frustrating through how they have no ultimate, satisfying conclusions and they leave us unsettled and still questioning. Nevertheless, this is perhaps what makes Children's Children so fantastic - the way in which it triggers emotional engagement and meditation on life itself.

Scott Boldt

Kaity Hall

The flowers and the food of tomorrow are in the seeds of today. Winter rain and winter wind recede as I pass into the presence of plants. Surrounded by the bustle and bricks of Belfast, in the heart of the city centre, Belfast Indoor Garden keeps the botanic beat to both ancient and modern rhythms. Combining the wisdom of the Aztecs, Asians and Africans with the soil-less hydroculture techniques intended for missions to Mars, Paul Murphy enthuses about the simplicity and wonder of aqua and hydroponics, the advantages of coco soil and the benefits of the Air-Pot. Hydroponics is the method of growing that does not use soil but has the mineral nutrients flowing in the water; aquaponics works from the same idea but uses the byproducts from fish and other aquatic life to provide the nutrients. Coco soil or coco peat comes from the husk (the hairy stuff) from a coconut and is a compost that can hold a great deal of water. It too is soil-less and has been gaining in use for the cultivation of plants. The Air-Pot is a unique plant pot that has bumps or spikes and holes so that roots grow in a different pattern; this allows for much bigger plants and even trees to grow in the pot enabling a wider variety of indoor greenery. Thoroughly knowledgeable and blooming with passion, Paul and staff can address your garden needs and queries straight-forwardly, scientifically or metaphorically. The atmosphere of the shop is one of calm and ease yet Paul carries a sense of mission and purpose. He believes that gardening should be at the centre of community, and he extols its virtues even in reducing crime rates.

Belfast Indoor Gardening & Sólás The Chillies Project

Belfast Indoor Gardening

50/52 Upper Queen St • Belfast

028 9023 2113 •www.thebigshop.com 10

A recent venture has Belfast Indoor Gardening partnering with Sólás (a charity supporting autism and additional needs) on Donegall Pass to grow chillies with a view to producing and selling unique sauces. The Sólás project will train young people with special needs as well as teach vocational skills. Before you know it, young people from the Markets, Donegall Pass and Lower Ormeau will be tickling chillies (to transfer the pollen) and cultivating community.

To find out more, visit: www.thebigshop.com or www.solasbt7.com.

George Clarke

PRODUCTIONS

It’s been five years since I last interviewed George Clarke, CEO of Yellow Fever Productions and Northern Ireland’s finest purveyor of Kung Fu Zombie-splatter-gore! And while you may feel that that accolade lends him the status of ‘number one in a field of one’, the fact remains that he has made three full length feature films during that time and is about to start shooting his fourth, “Zombie Schoolgirls, Attack!”

“Our last film “Onus” was filmed over a two year period. I went out to Norway and shot the first chapter and it ended up as a 45 minute movie and I wanted to complete it, so in 2013, a year later, I wrote chapter two and we shot that here in Northern Ireland and it’s due out on DVD on 11 April. It’s another one of our £500 movies! The reason I made “Onus” was because NI Screen were sort of telling me that my horror movies weren’t real movies. So I wanted to make something that had a lot of drama in it and a lot of scripting and twists and a good plot; it’s an arthouse thriller. I didn’t have a script but I had my two actors and I flew them out to Norway for four days and we shot the first 45 minutes of the film in a forest.” 12

You managed to get 45 minutes of footage in four days in a Norwegian wood? “Yes. And it’s probably the best thing I’ve ever made. It was nominated for best feature at the Silver Springs International Film Festival in Florida, hosted by John Travolta! So for “Blood Harvest”, I wanted to take what I had learned technically from “Onus” and apply it to a horror movie. And it’s what one critic called, “Seven meets The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. There’s a crazy inbred family in there. It was all shot in Newtownards. We’ve come on immensely from our first film to the most recent film; it’s amazing to see the technical advances. There’s a lot of maturity.”

It was nominated for

best feature at the Silver Springs International Film Festival

I meet him at Canteen, which appears to have been ripped, intact, from the belly of The MAC and dropped on the Belmont Road. The intervening years have not dimmed George’s enthusiasm for his subject; he has continued his ongoing David and Goliath struggle to make the films he wants to make in Belfast and remains defiant in the face of sneering and indifference. So George, I ask, what have you been up to? The deluge is unleashed. For the next hour he barely draws breath. By the end of the interview he is holding the dictaphone like a hand-mic, knuckles white, testifying like a Fire and Brimstone preacher.

in Florida, hosted by John Travolta!

Maturity has rarely been Yellow Fever’s watchword and George freely admits there was a crudity and lack of technical know-how marring some of those early efforts. But that’s the point. This is punk rock, four-feet-of-film and the truth cinema. George leads by example. “On February the fourth we had “Battle of the Bone” (George’s first film) playing as part of “Britain on Film” with the B.F.I. which I was quite surprised by! I said to them, would you not rather have “Blood Harvest”, it’s only just come out on DVD. It’s fresh, it’s new, and it’s our most mature work to date. But they said “No, no, we want “Battle of the Bone” we feel it is a staple part of Belfast film.” If there is an ongoing feature of this interview, it's George’s bafflement as to why he is not lionised by the local film-making community. He lurches from a fierce commitment to making the films he wants to make, the way he wants to make them, with his lack of funding a badge of honour, and his singular vision untainted and undimmed, to his disappointment that his successes are ignored. He sounds genuinely hurt. “There’s a stigma here that I think stems from the Troubles,” he says, staring into his tea, “there’s always a cloud of negativity that hangs over the people of Northern Ireland. They don’t like to see you climb. I don’t want to turn my back on the people here – and I won’t – because there are still a hell of a lot of good people who do support us, and a lot of people who are part of the team. I don’t know,” he continues, “we still don’t get any appreciation at home from industry people.” Ultimately he would like to become an umbrella so that others don’t weather the storms that he’s had to. “I would like to be in a position to allow other young film makers to come under our wing so that we can really kick-start something.

10 12

We want to become Yellow Fever Studios and become that umbrella for those young wannabe filmmakers who are going abroad because there is no one here willing to give them a chance.” So George, “Blood Harvest” is in the shops, what’s next for the little film studio that could? “Zombie Schoolgirls, Attack!” for which we now have a private American investor. It's “Power Puff Girls meets World War Z meets a Jackie Chan action comedy. And it’s supposed to be like that!” he adds, unnecessarily. “It’s an absolutely whacked out comedy with zombies and comic book action, set here – a post zombie apocalypse in Northern Ireland with these schoolgirls just kicking the arses off everyone.” He has a dream. He has a will to power. The great and the good WILL ultimately bend to his will, for George Clarke has spoken. As he says of Yellow Fever Productions,

We’ve made nearly the same amount of movies

as Tarantino. And at least ours

are original! John Higgins

ST BELFA

OUR GUIDE TO BELFAST’S

ROCK

GIGS

M FOR

SCREA

METAL

FEBRUARY – APRIL 2016

ello, headbangers! Well, Belfast is slowly but surely crawling away from those cold winter nights and the days are getting brighter by the minute, so what better way to celebrate than go to a gig or ten, eh? There's plenty to choose from as always, so without further ado here's my heavy gig guide for 26 February to 26 April.

FEBRUARY 27 Saturday •Zlatanera album launch w/Slomatics, Bad Boat - Limelight 2 •Triggerman and Screaming Eagles (double bill) - Diamond Rock Club

ZlatANERA

28 Sunday • Ultimate Eagles - Ulster Hall

29 Monday • Exodus w/Lost Society - Limelight 2

MARCH 04 Friday

Scimitar

Screaming Eagles Triggerman

Gasoline outlaws

• Sabaton w/Alestorm, Bloodbound – Limelight 1 • Wolf Alice – Mandela Hall

05 Saturday • An Evening With Machinehead – Limelight 1

06 Sunday • The Cult – Mandela Hall

11 Friday • The Quireboys w/Screaming Eagles, Massive Wagons - Limelight 2

14 Monday 10 14

• Cradle of Filth w/Winterfylleth - Limelight 1

Stone Trigger

18 Friday • Toseland - Diamond Rock Club

19 Saturday • BLAZEFEST VI feat. Gasoline Outlaws, Stone Trigger, Selene, Stereo Nasty, The Dystopian Project, Baleful Creed, Tequila For Breakfast - The Belfast Empire

26 Saturday • The Ramonas - Voodoo, Belfast

APRIL 01 Friday • Meatbodies w/Thee Penny Dreadfuls – Voodoo, Belfast • Maverick w/Dead Addiction – Diamond Rock Club

Stereo Nasty

By Conquest Or Consent

06 Wednesday • Conan w/TBC. Slomatics – Voodoo, Belfast

07 Thursday • Death of a Salesman w/By Conquest Or Consent, Drakonis, Heel of Achilles – Eglantine Bar

09 Saturday • A Foreigner's Journey - The Belfast Empire • Overkill w/Vader, The One Machine – Limelight 1 Zlat

15 Friday • Reef w/Mundy – Limelight 1

16 Saturday

Baleful Creed

Dead Addiction

Triggerman

MAVERICK

• Necrofest feat. Celtachor, Ceaseless Blight, Twisted Wrath, Scimitar, Valpurga, Shrouded, Neamhni - Warzone Centre

22 Friday • Red Alert w/Takers and Users, United Bottles - Voodoo, Belfast

23 Saturday • Korpiklaani w/Moonsorrow – Limelight 2

23 Sunday • Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) - Ulster Hall Special mention goes to BLAZEFEST VI, an annual festival that raises funds for Belfast's Royal Hospital For Sick Children in the name of young Blaze Shields-Pettitt, a brave wee soldier who's battled more sickness in his short life than most adults. All proceeds go to the hospital so do come along to the Belfast Empire to hear some fantastic local bands and raise money for a truly worthy cause. I hope I've got you covered here, no matter what your taste in heavy music is. See you next time for more gig news and daft comments about the weather! Until then, keep 'er lit, rockers! \m/ \m/ Melanie Brehaut

10 14

Photography: Darren McVeigh SELENE

SELENE

Belfast Friendship Club meets every Thursday from 7-9pm at Common Grounds Cafe, 12-24 University Avenue, Belfast, BT7 1GY. Allare welcome! stephanie.mitchell@sbrtr.org.uk 07548 938508 www.belfastfriendshipclub.org @belonginbelfast 10 14

Most of us have family members or friends who have moved away at some time to live or work elsewhere in the world. Reasons can include ‘pull’ factors such as better job prospects, an improved standard of living, a sense of adventure, a better climate or the chance to join family already settled elsewhere.

e are lucky if we speak the appropriate language, can understand what is going on around us and, in turn, make ourselves understood.

The barriers of race, belief, class or income that usually separate people seem not to apply here and meaningful connections are forged regardless of our backgrounds.

‘Push’ factors, on the other hand, can arise from wanting to escape intolerant attitudes, or worse, and sometimes it is even the fear of losing our own lives. Whatever the combination of ‘push’ or ‘pull’ factors, we are all driven by the desire, in some way, to find a better life. We leave in the hope of many things including a sense of safety - and justice. Who doesn’t want a better life for themselves or their family?

The club has evolved around core values of equity, respect and solidarity, rather than charity. These principles seem to be conveyed through a self-renewing ‘DNA’ as the membership fluctuates and changes and also becomes evident when members gather elsewhere. ‘Cities can be very lonely places, and BFC seems to create a sense of ‘family’, especially for anyone who may be separated from their own for whatever reason’, Stephanie comments.

Anywhere unfamiliar, we find ourselves reliant on the goodwill of strangers to help find our way around, settle in and make some meaningful connections and it was for precisely this reason that Belfast Friendship Club (BFC) began in 2009. BFC is a weekly chance for those new to Belfast to experience a warm welcome within a friendly and inclusive atmosphere although those already settled here are equally welcome. Our home is the neutral setting of Common Grounds, a Fairtrade café, with its ethos of ‘people first’ and where the entire space is now given over to BFC on Thursday evenings as the café’s commitment to community. Starting out as a small-scale project, BFC has now become more of a social movement, attracting people from many walks of life and from all over the world. Every week 5-10 newcomers arrive and most return, bringing with them more people. Some are in work, some are looking for work and others, seeking asylum, usually wish to support themselves through paid work but are not allowed to do so. Others have no entitlement to public funds of any kind. Where necessary, members help one another access information about living in the city and other opportunities to connect. People move freely between the tables, creating a warm buzz of conversation and much smiling and laughter is evident. This has been described as the ‘heartbeat’ that drives the club. 10 14

A round of announcements are made when numbers peak, with the chance to benefit from opportunities coming up, all of which are free of charge. Over the years, BFC members have taken part in classes, workshops, training courses, trips, volunteering opportunities and a great deal more. Increasingly, these initiatives are generated and led by members themselves. Regardless of how or why we find ourselves in Belfast, ‘human warming’ comes to the fore on Thursday evenings, spilling over into the street when members greet each other in the city centre or meet up elsewhere because they share other interests. ‘A huge, unruly family!’ For anyone who has ever experienced being a newcomer, this simple acknowledgement and a sense of genuine welcome and inclusion can make all the difference to your day. As coordinator of BFC, this sense of belonging is, for me, one of the simple building blocks of social capital that enables all manner of individuals and initiatives to thrive. Quite simply, Belfast Friendship Club is exactly what I would hope to find if I were a newcomer so, if you’re new to the city, or you’d just like to meet some new people, come along and join us. As one of our members observed recently, ‘it’s hard not to belong!’

Stephanie Mitchell 17

ORIGINS

A superhero’s origin story is one of, if not the most important aspect of their entire being. The most iconic and enduring superheroes of all time are still best defined by the original story that made them who they are.

We may not be superheroes but we too have a story that’s made us who we are. There’s no magical rings with superpowers, we weren’t bombarded by energy and given superpowers as a result, we weren’t seeking vengeance due to tragic loss and our story certainly doesn’t involve spandex (well, the last bit’s mostly true).

We love comics. We can’t deny that (nor would we ever want to). We love everything about those grandiose, colourful pages. We buy comics, we sell comics, we read comics – we enjoy comics! The setting up of the store was everything we ever wanted and we’ve been so lucky to have the opportunity of doing something we love.

What it does involve is one particular trait that is shared amongst all the heroes we’ve grown up reading about and that’s heart. Ours is the ultimate tale of wish fulfilment that with daring spirit, determination, hard work and a sprinkling of luck alongside the aforementioned heart, you can be and do anything you want – no matter how impossible and improbable you think it might be.

Through the store, we’ve also been able to fulfil more boyhood dreams and create our own comic – The Revenants – which, thanks to a successful debut, has paved the way for an issue 2. Growing up, our Dad (really the person to blame for fuelling our introduction and addiction to comics) would tell us fantastical stories and verbally illustrate them as if they were comic book adventures so that, combined with our love of comics, triggered a desire in us from a young age to create our own (and hopefully with our Dad).

“Let’s start a business!” – just four little words that have dramatically changed our lives. These words have formed the blueprint for our biggest adventure yet – realising a dream we had growing up, and that was to have our own comic book store. We founded Comic Book Guys in September 2014 with one very simple, core desire – not to be the comic book store that people needed but rather to be the comic book store comic book fans deserved.

And…we did it! On a rainy day back in April 2015, we turned to one another, uttered another four words (“Let’s create a comic!”) and just like that, the blueprint was formed. Released at the end of October 2015, The Revenants, is the realisation of our dream and something with roots tracing back to our childhood.

“Let’s start

a business!”

Just four little words that have dramatically changed our lives.

10 14 18

Brothers. Old friends. New friends. A Dad and his sons. The collaborations within the comic made it extra special. We got to work with those closest to us in creating something that has brought fun and joy to lots of people as well as showcasing the talents of some of the amazing people we have had the pleasure of collaborating with. We really can’t wait for issue 2! Comic Book Guys has given us the opportunity to meet some amazing people – too many to list – where bonds have been made that extend beyond the bricks and mortar of the shop. We’ve had comic book legends visit the store, we’ve handled books we could only have dreamed of growing up, we’ve been given opportunities we never thought possible and, as cliché as it sounds, we’ve helped make dreams come true (of the comic book nature). We’ve hosted events, we’ve worked with amazing local talent, we’ve stocked unique and one off items, we’ve attended conventions, we’ve appeared on tv, radio and in print and we even created our own comic!

Whether you like comic books or not, whether you see yourself as a ‘geek’ or not, embrace who you are – your heart, your successes and failures; it’s what has brought you to this point. We all have our own origin stories, our own battles we’ve overcome – use what you’ve gone through in a positive way to learn from and embrace who you are. You don’t need to be a superhero to have heart – you just need to embrace the heart that is already there. Look inside yourself and follow your dreams. We did and we’ve never looked back since.

Traditionally the saying has always been “Time flies when you’re having fun”; we can’t argue with that. Despite the hard work (and it is hard work), we’re definitely having fun. But for us, it’s more than fun. It's purpose. It’s actualisation of being where we’ve always been meant to be. For us, it comes back to this “Time flies when you’re in the place you’re meant to be”. We’ve found the place we’re meant to be. It’s bright, colourful and full of comics. It’s our home, situated in Spires Mall in the heart of Belfast and best of all? You’re all invited to stop by!

Austin Flanagan

Excelsior!

Comic Book Guys

10 14

PoeTrY

E V E N T S • B E L FA S T British Academy Debates – Faith: Is True Religion Always Extremist? Queen's University, Riddell Hall: 03 March, 6.30pm Innes Bowen, Prof. John Brewer, Prof. Richard English, Tehmina Kazi. Chairperson: William Crawley. Free Admission

Publishing Resources Fair as part of World Book Day Linen Hall Library: 03 March, 12pm-4pm Comprehensive event allowing new authors to meet with professionals, and learn about the financial, legal and practical steps to ensure publishing success. Free Admission

Purely Poetry Open Mic Night Cresent Arts Centre • 04 March, Doors open 9pm Relaxed, encouraging atmosphere for people to read their work and listen, B.Y.O.B. £4 Admission

18th Annual Belfast Children's Festival Literature and Creative Writing Various Venues around Belfast: 04-09 March, Festival by Young At Art for children 0-14

Free and Fee events/activities. See www.youngatart.co.uk Anna Heussaff: A reading from her novels and a workshop Cultúrlann: 05 March, 1pm-2pm (reading) 2pm-4.30pm (workshop) The author and broadcaster will be reading from her best selling novels, Scáil an Phríosúin, Buille Mharfach/Deadly Intent, followed by a workshop. Free Admission

Women's Work: Where Do You Go My Lovely? Black Box Cafe: 06 March, 7pm-10pm Writers, Poets, Musicians – All Women, Presented by Roisin Whyte and Jan Carson. £3 Admission

Women Aloud NI See the full list of events taking place on 08 March at www.womenaloundni.com One-day literary celebration aims to bring due recognition to the wealth of female authors, poets and storytellers with an eclectic mix of genres, including young adult fiction, crime writing, fantasy and more. See the full list of events taking place on 08 March at

www.womenaloundni.com The Reader Recruitment Day The Duncairn Centre: 08 March, 2pm-5pm Identifying passionate people to run shared reading groups. Free Admission

Stand Up and Be Counted! International Women’s Day Linen Hall Library: 08 March, 1pm Workshop using archives to explore issues around suffrage, gender and democracy. Free Admission

MAC Book Club March - A Book for Her, Bridget Christie The MAC Reading Room: 10 March, 7pm The MAC's Book Club is for those who love books and want to talk to like-minded people about their latest read. £3 Admission ( includes glass of wine)

Of Mouth: Linen Hall Lunchtime Readings Linen Hall Library: 11 March, 1pm Featuring Paula Meehan, Ruth Carr and Manuela Moser. Free Admission

Club Leabhar Liofa - Idir Mhná, John McGahern Linen Hall Library: 12 March Meets on first Saturday of each month, 11am to support and encourage the Irish language. Free Admission

!Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics Various Venues around Belfast: 14-20 March Encouraging participation from people not normally involved in political debate and stimulating discussion on new ideas and activism. See www.imaginebelfast.com

Echoes Ballynafeigh Community Development Association: 20 March, 2pm-4pm A shared reading workshop for women with Paula Matthews Free Admission

Verbal Arts Workshop with Rosie Pelan Cresent Arts Centre: 20 March, 11am-1pm Practical acting workshop focused on one of the most exciting and original voices to emerge in modern Irish theatre, Marina Carr. 16+ yrs, £16/£14 Admission

LANTERN

THE

DINING AT THE L ANTERN , BELFAST A fantastic Bring your own (B.Y.O.) bistro in the heart of Belfast City Centre. High quality Northern Irish ingredients create a varied menu with the focus firmly on great seasonal produce. An established favourite in the hearts of locals, The Lantern is the perfect place to catch up with friends or celebrate those special occasions.

Mark Thomas: Book Reading and Swearing for Equal Marriage The Black Box: 23 March, 12.45pm-2pm

THE

LANTERN

The activist, political satirist and author is doing his bit to support the campaign for Equal Marriage in Northern Ireland. £10/£7 Admission

EXC I TI N G RE S TAU RA NT I N THE HE A RT OF BEL FA S T CI T Y CENTR E

Linen Hall Library Reading Group - The Grass is Singing, Doris Lessing. Linen Hall Library: 31 March

EXCELLENT SERVICE

B R I N G YO U R OW N

LISTED IN TOP 10 ON

Meets on the last Thursday of the month at 1.10pm to discuss chosen books. Free Admission

Alternative Words: Poetry and Jazz Soul Night Voodoo: 31 March, 9pm Featuring poets Colin Hassard and Jason Ashford, and DJS CRT and Pete Brady. £5 Admission

Literary Lunchtimes - Shakespeare and Music with Samantha Lin Ulster Hall: 13 April, 1pm This Literary Lunchtime discusses several Shakespearean passages about music and explores how composers have, in turn, responded to Shakespeare`s plays . Free Admission

PRODUCE LOCALLY SOURCED A SELECTION OF MENUS TO CHOOSE FROM

Literary Lunchtimes Ulster Hall: 27 April, 1pm

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Danielle McLaughlin and Jan Carson in conversation £5 Admission

SAMPLE

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

LUNCH ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Sandwiches - £5.50

with soup or skinny fries

Caesar Salad - £6.00 Crispy chilli chicken - £6.95

with sald, thai dressing & choice of fries

Burger - £7.50

with bacon, cheese, Belfast bap, rocket, relish

PRE-THEATRE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

DINNER ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Goats Cheese Spring Rolls Salt & Chilli Squid

Prawn Ginger - £6.50

Sirloin Steak

(Only £.595)

with thai dressing & salad

with chips, pepper sauce, onion rings, grilled tomato

Thai Green Curry with rice

Roast Chicken Supreme 2 Courses £15.50/3 Courses £19.50

spring oninion risotto

Spiced Fish Cake Grilled Salmon

- £16.50

with sticky pay lentil chorizo & tomato dressing

Shoulder of Beef- £16.50

*slow cooked, savoy cabbage honey roast veg & champ

FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 02890 328 844 58 Wellington Place, Belfast BT1 6GF, UK

thelanternbelfast@gmail.com • www.thelanternbelfast.uk

STEPPING OUT FESTIVAL VS FEIS If you are not involved in Irish Dancing, you probably think like most other sports or hobbies that there is only one form of it. In fact, to discombobulate non-Irish dancing folks even more, there are several different federations. An Coimisiún, an comhdhail, WIDA, CRDM, Festival, CRG and CRN are just a few different organisations I can name off the top of my head. Within Northern Ireland, although there are several organisations, there are two very distinctive styles Festival and Feis. There is rancour between the two sides and much debate about which style is better and what is ‘real’ Irish dancing. Feis Irish dancing is that which you see when the world championships are held in the Waterfront Hall, known for the wigs, fake tan and fancy costumes. Festival Irish dancing originated in the 1950s when Patricia Mulholland broke away from the Irish Feis movement. At the time there had been arguments over who should be involved in Irish dancing. Some teachers had felt that it should only be a dance form for Catholics; however, Miss Mulholland wanted the art form to be open to both sides of the community. To this date, Feis dancers still at times refer to Festival dancing as ‘Protestant Irish Dancing’ (when I was in England, one of the teachers whom I transferred to automatically presumed I was a Protestant due to this!). I have now experienced both styles, seeing the good, bad and ugly of each. Originally I was a Festival Irish dancer and later, when I was in my 20s, I transferred to An Coimisiún (the largest and most international Feis organisation). Between both I have won titles at local, national and international levels. Patricia Mulholland was known for her Irish Ballets and the style of dancing in Festival evolved around this. Festival dancing is more lyrical and puts greater emphasis on interpretation and individual style whilst Feis dancing is more athletic and greater emphasis is put on technique as well as appearance.

There is much invidious criticism by Festival Irish dancers of the appearance of Feis dancers, which has been lacerated by the media. Originally, when I was a Festival dancer, I wasn’t the biggest fan either, but what I have noticed is that the makeup, big hair and dresses look different on stage. The Feis appearance is suited to the big stages in the big venues which the large international events take place on. Festival competitions are not as glamorous and do not take place in such big venues; they usually occur in a church or school hall. The biggest trade-off between the two different organisations is the cost - Feis dancing is much more ostentatious. In Festival you are only required to wear your class costume which costs roughly £300; however, in Feis the girls' solo costume can cost £2000 and the boys' waistcoats may cost £500. The cost of the competitions in Feis are also more expensive. Since the organisation is international, when you are in the highest category you are encouraged to compete internationally. When I was a Festival dancer, apart from the European Championships held in England, the furthest I got to go was Portadown. Since transferring, I practically live a nomadic lifestyle, travelling to competitions all over the UK and Ireland as well as Boston and Montreal.

I am now coming to the end of my competitive career and am going to have to make the choice between which federation I want to finish competing and teaching in. If it was possible, I would like to finish competing and teach in both. I do not see why Festival Irish Dancing could not have its own identity separate from Feis Irish dancing, then you could have dancers from both sides doing both styles without any conflict of interest. Festival dancing could gain Irish dancers from An Commision or An Comhdhail who are interested in learning a different style and vice versa; both could benefit. Just like here in Northern Ireland where there has been an ongoing battle between Catholics and Protestants, there has been an ongoing feud between Festival and Feis; maybe the Irish dancers here should look to the peace process for inspiration. While the feud continues, neither side will benefit; we must learn to harmonise.

Adam Henry Magee Trevor Robinson Photography: Cara Tan Jimmy McNulty Photography: Claire Greaney Jimmy McNulty Photography: Lauren Early Jimmy McNulty Photography: Morgan Comer

A BELFAST MUSICAL BAKE OFF

If this season’s musical visitors to Belfast were to be ingredients of a cake, the recipe would be something like this. Mix together: • 1/2 Cup of Mature Rock • 2/3 cup of New Rock • 6 tablespoons of Big Hitters • A handful of Acoustic Solo Performers

• A pinch of Jazz • A dash of something you've never tried before

With tours and album releases aplenty, there are a lot of big hitters in town.

Scottish soft-rock supergroup Wet Wet Wet will be at the SSE Arena on 24 February as part of The Big Picture tour. The tour celebrates the 20th anniversary of their album Picture This. Following on from them at the SSE, mega-voiced Adele, on her first tour in four years, will be belting our her feelings on 29 February and 01 March. The SSE is also bringing The Vamps, Muse, Little Mix and 5 Seconds of Summer over March and April. London alt-rock quartet Wolf Alice hit Mandela Hall on 04 March as part of their world tour. The female fronted quartet, fresh, quirky with a touch of psychedelia, have recently 24

released their debut album. Their only other Irish date is now sold out so get your tickets quickly if you don’t want to miss out! US Rockers The Cult will be at Mandela Hall on 06 March. Their newest album Hidden City, released on 05 February is their 10th album to date and completes their trilogy story following Born Into This and Choice Of Weapon. British alt-rock band The Wonder Stuff head to Belfast's Limelight 2 on 09 March as part of their 30th anniversary tour. Hailing from the Black Country, for three decades they have been performing with the same passion and energy as they did from day one. The tour marks the release of their eighth album. If you haven't yet seen them, don't leave it another 30 years!

The following evening, 10 March, also in Limelight 2 brings a contrasting sound from acoustic songstress Lucy Spraggan. Only 24 years old, the English singer who describes her music as a hybrid of acoustic, folk and hip-hop has made an impression across the water with many of her tour dates already sold out. For something more energetic on the 10th, Boyce Avenue will be at Mandela Hall. Hitting Belfast as part of their mammoth three and a half month world tour, their only other Irish date being Dublin, this is the chance to catch the Floridian sibling trio.

Lucy Spraggan

Matt Corby

If you're in the City doing some shopping on 12 March, take a break and go to the Black Box where you can catch two of Scotland's finest jazz artists Tommy Smith and Brian Kellock. The gig will be starting at 2.30pm, a perfect way to unwind on a Saturday afternoon. 12 March is a packed one, seeing electro-pop duo Oh Wonder perform at the Belfast Empire. The Londoners, most familiar for recent Without You have an Ellie Goulding sounding vocal matched with soft male vocals. Gently upbeat and easy listening they are worth checking out. If a bit of Ska is your thing, head to Limelight 2 on the 12th to catch The Beat. The two-tone Ska revival band has been going strong for almost 40 years delivering a mix of ska-reggae-pop-soul.

Sunset Sons

The Wonder Stuff

Aussie rockers Sunset Sons cross the hemisphere to play Limelight 2 on 28 March ahead of their debut album release on 01 April. With catchy hooks and harmonies, the four piece are pleasantly reviving. Track to try - ‘On The Road’. Another Aussie visitor to Limelight 2, who is also set for a debut album release, is Matt Corby. On 02 April singer songwriter Matt's soulful, rich vocals will be heard. His gospel like style is given a modern twist, infused with eclectic musical arrangements. British percussion guitarist with a bohemian vibe, Newton Faulkner, will be at Limelight 1 on 08 April performing tracks from his recently released album Human Love. The Limelight 1 hosts Reef on 15 April. The alt-rock foursome bringing their moody atmospheric rocky riffs with support from Ireland’s own Mundy. For something completely original, an act that you may never see the like of again, don't miss Showhawk Duo at Limelight on 25 April. Two guys with guitars making dance music; shouldn't work but it really, really does! Their skill at transforming an acoustic instrument into a dance track is pure art as their recent Radio1 Live Lounge cover of ‘Faithless' proves. A must see! Ta-Da! Cake is ready. A slice for everyone to try.

Stacy Fitzpatrick

REEF

Newton Faulkner

Tickling the Ivories "The idea was to create an album that people aren't doing ... having loads of different genres all in one album. So when a lot of people listen to it ... they won't know what to expect ‘cause everything's different, but it’s the same sound running through it. My record collection has everything from folk to rock to everything ... so why not make more albums that kinda cross them boundaries. So yeah the album is quite different”. So says Ryan Vail on his new album For Every Silence; his first solo album release following last year’s hugely successful collaboration with Ciaran Lavery, Sea Legs. "This album really is different. The concept is completely original, Ryan drawing on an inherited piano for inspiration giving a remarkable narrative. "The whole concept of the album is trying to tell the story of what it’s like to be a 90 year old piano and what you've grown up through. So I was trying to imagine what it's like sitting in the corner. A piano comes to a house and everything's new fangled with it. Everybody wants to play it, it's all well looked after. Then over time it kind of starts to get forgotten about and it's sitting in the corner. ...

Pictures appear on the top of it. It's not tuned anymore, it gets rustier. It's all from the perspective of the master of the piano, or the piano looking back." The piano now sitting in Ryan and wife Katie's home has been in Katie's family since it was made in 1927. "It was Katie's grandfather’s. He was a doctor. He was a big part of the town ... a pioneer back in his day. So there's quite a lot of history about where the piano came from and a lot of stories about him. A lot of the earlier stuff in the album relates to him and his bond with the piano because he was a piano player. It's almost like a tribute to him." Featuring collaborations with Best Boy Grip's Eoin O'Callaghan and violinist Racheal Boyd, it combines a range of genres to express the emotion of the song. "There's parts of the album you might have a piano track and it'll break into a bit of poetry and an electronic track will start.” Each track flows like chapters of a book, forming an auric journey of the piano’s origin to the present day. Opening with track ‘1927’, Ryan also technically explored new boundaries to create new, experimental soundscapes to really bring the story to life musically.

"In ‘1927’, what I was trying to record, was to imagine what people would be hearing back then. Basically you have single glazed windows, windows are open, there's a lot of outside noise and rain ... ", he explains, meticulous on capturing the essence of the era. "As the album progresses the piano starts to degrade in sound ‘cause it gets older. The final track is called 'My Mechanical Insides' so I put the mics right inside the piano to try to hear the noises. It was basically just trying to get it to an honest recording of what the piano sounded like." To fund the making of For Every Silence, Ryan used Pledge, an initiative that encourages fans to purchase the album ahead of its release, giving the artist the financial means to actually make the album. "I said if we’re going to do a pledge I would like to do it really with loads of information about what the album’s about and help people understand the story, the artists involved ... basically give the background of what it’s all about." He also offered pledgers unique extra's in return for their support, including oil paintings of collaborators painted by Ryan. "There's things like paintings, limited 7 inch vinyl ... Stuff that you can’t actually do for shops. So you get a lot of personal things out there for people to get their hands on ... and they all sold straight away. It proves that Pledge is a real viable way of supporting an artist." Ryan signed to local label Quiet Arch which also got an unexpected boost through Pledge."When we applied for the Pledge we were told we were eligible to enter this competition called the 'Emerging Artists Fund'. It had around 3,000 artists from the UK and we won! They recognised us as someone they wanted to help so it meant I didn't have to take out as many loans and get myself into as much debt. And it's not just about my album, it's about building Quiet Arch as a label too because it employs people.

Making For Every Silence has had a distinctive synergy forming valuable connections for Ryan. "One of the people from halfway across the world that bought Sea Legs is an artist called Hexxr. She's on Instagram and does short videos and photography. She ended up designing the front cover of my album and she shot say, 30 photos for the album." Hexxr, based in Seattle matched Ryan's creative vision perfectly."I said to her 'Would you know any poets? I'm looking for a poet to write a poem pretending they are a piano wanting to be played.' It turns out Hexxr herself is a spoken word artist. I said 'Can you try and write something that would be a piano lusting to be played, how it would feel?' She then sent a photo of this beautifully typed out poem and I was sitting reading it going, 'This girl’s amazing!'. So this was someone that Pledged, that I had never met before and she ended up being a real integral part to my album." From February, an album track will be released every fortnight followed by music videos directed by Michael Barwise. Already making an impact, the first track Wounds premiered in the US gaining 5,000 plays within days. Released on 24 March, the official album launch is on 16 April at Cool Discs record store in Derry. "Cool Discs is 20 years old this year so we're going to do our gig from the shop and restrict it to maybe 30 or 40 people. It's a nice connection to do it for Cool Discs because they have been selling my vinyl and Cd's for so long and I've never got a chance to do anything for them. So now I'm going to launch my debut album, so it's perfect." F i nd out more a b out R y a n on Fac eb o ok . To order For Every Silence visit: www.pledgemusic.com/projects/foreverysilence

Stacy Fitzpatrick

Studio T

hose familiar with Catalyst Arts will know the black steel door on College Court just off Belfast’s Fountain Street. A few flights up leads to what is locally known as Studio Eleven, the home of E11even Productions. Founded in 2011, E11even Productions is the brainchild of Londoner Tony Haynes. Haynes is something of an alternative-art mogul to those in the know and a conduit for many of the events that make up Belfast’s burgeoning art scene.

He’s a big character, mind spinning constantly and a great talker. The HUB spent an afternoon with him to get his side of the story. E11even’s manifesto is to, ‘provide the support and act as a blank canvas for artists to realise their excellence in their chosen disciplines’. To do this, Tony and his clientele need a vast space. Everything happens in the studio - art exhibitions, band rehearsals, video shoots, dance rehearsals, avant-garde happenings combining film, live art teamed with music, club nights and more. Throw in samba classes, workshops, plans for a magazine and it’s easy to see why the space is critical to up-and-coming artists wanting a bigger audience. After studying film and video production in England, Haynes has spent his life surrounded by those of the creative ilk. Starting off as a runner for a production company, his 51 years on earth have seen him work on massive ad campaigns with million-quid-plus budgets to his own feature film ‘Eleven Eleven’ centred around the magic of an eclipse and the mystical and scientific balance of numbers, to supporting and collaborating with anyone with a good idea.

E11EVEN Operating without Arts Council funding, Haynes is quick to admit the business runs on a shoe-string, but mercifully for the people of Northern Ireland and those further afield, the studio has been ticking along nicely for nearly five years. The theme running through the whole concept of E11even Productions corresponds to the Biblical stance that man cannot be the slave of two masters (i.e. God and money); this is evident with all that goes on in Haynes’ artistic life. He says:

“Money of course comes into it. I do have to pay rent and rates, but often money spoils the integrity of the art.” Speak with him for half an hour and it’s plain to see why he turned his back on a secure salary shooting TV adverts to foster and create and deliver new energies. On his upbringing, Haynes the youngest of three boys, remembers: “My dad was very technical, he fixed

TVs in the days when TVs were worth fixing, my mum was very creative in whatever she put her hand to.” His mother, a tour guide back in her birth place of Barbados, could in Haynes’ words, “make a banquet out of what other people would see as litter.” With reverence he quotes her mantra, “If you can’t ride a horse, ride a cow.”

Find Studio E11even on Facebook

www.facebook.com/e11even.productions

His one long running adventure and collaboration is the five person team that make up Redshift, a multidisciplinary team consisting of himself, Dave Common, the studio’s resident artist, James Kirkpatrick, Robin Smith and Michael Leith. So loose is the collective, an idea will come to fruition when and where time and inspiration take them. 2016 is loaded with more of the last five years’ of creative energy. One of the foremost and exciting things Tony enthuses about is a collaborative documentary of the building in which they are housed. Celebrating its centenary year, Haynes and co. plan to document 5 College Court’s past, present and future, boasting not only Catalyst and E11even, but there’s an archery range, a bakery and a jewellery making operation all contained behind a simple black door hidden in the centre of Belfast. “I’ve never

made a documentary before. I’m in talks with the owners of the building and will bring in other people to help bring the idea together.” The main feel of E11even Productions is a cool redbrick building humming with life, massively different to any other studio-stroke-gallery in Belfast. You don’t have to have tons of cash to work or display there just a desire to work through your ideas and participate. “If you can’t ride a horse…”

Conor O’Neill Photography: Phil Dorman

COMEDY NIGHTS To get your mind off the stress of an oncoming working week, go to Sunday Service at the Lyric Theatre. Hosted by Conor Grimes and Alan Mckee the night incorporates sketches, stand-up and improvisation. The next night on 06 March will feature a local celebrity “who is prepared to be ritually humiliated in order to appear dead on” - who doesn't love watching celebrities being tortured? But if you're not from South Belfast and BT9 seems all too posh for you, then alternatively Yardbird holds a monthly comedy night. The Dirty Onion open mic night is sponsored by managers, and all performers receive a free drink. If cider was able to make you a fabulous dancer in the club on Saturday, why couldn’t it also make you an hilarious comedian? The piercing sound of your alarm on monday morning, is enough to question your entire life; don’t worry though, there is light at the end of the tunnel if you hit the Pavilion's Open Mic Comedy Night held by local comedian Luke McGibbon. Cheaper than any other comedy night, you won’t have to feel guilty after all those transactions come out from buying the entire bar drinks on Saturday night. If everything has still got you down by Tuesday and you need someone to help you look on the brighter side of life, then The Empire Laughs Back is what you need. Held every Tuesday and hosted by Jake O’Kane or Colin Murphy the night features guests renowned on the UK and Ireland comedy circuit. 30

Two extra special gigs happen in April. On the 3rd, you can be satirized by Chris Montgomery in the Black Box; running in association with The Infinite Jest, Montgomery will explore a mixture of topics from politics and relationships to the horrors of summer bible camp. Then, on 09 April, the TV star of “Never Mind The Buzzcocks” Phil Jupitus will be coming to the compact and intimate Sunflower Comedy club. This should get you through any week and out of any winter doldrums. It's also a great way to spot and support local talent and experience some of the seasoned professionals. I've no doubt missed some of the other opportunities for a chuckle, but this should lead you on the right path and you can detour when you find more. If by Wednesday you need a remedy to keep you sane for the remaining two days of the working week, there is always Lavery's Comedy Club. “General Banter Podcast recording” is held bi-weekly by Colin Geddis, Aaron McCann and Shane Todd in Lavery’s Mister Toms. Alternatively, Queen's Comedy Club compered by Colin Murphy is held in Queen's Students Union and has been running now for 14 years. If you can’t wait for St.Patricks day and want to start the celebrations early, the next Wonder Frog is the day prior. Wonder Frog is monthly in the Black Box. The night is completely improvisation, only using the audience's suggestions, so is guaranteed to be a completely unique experience.

Adam Henry Magee

At Mashmob we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want your business to stay afloat, we want it to reach new shores.

interactive experiences to keep you a head and shoulders above the competition. 30

ALBUM Hurdles Dusk and Dawn

Runaway [GO] Alive

Freakwater Scheherazade

Slick, infectious and punchy comes to mind with the opening bars of Belfast four-piece Hurdles' new E.P. A simple, mischievous bass riff accompanied by synth and light drum beats and frontman Niall Hanna's vocals on first track ‘Closer’ come together like friends arriving at a party.

None of this feels forced. Smart, yet not overly thought through, it’s like an old jazz musician playing scales on a battered ‘geetar’ while sucking on the last of his teeth.

This latest offering of murky alt-country gives us electric and acoustic folk, darkly atmospheric arrangements, and twisted Carter Family vocals chronicling cruelty, destruction and hope. The album’s certificate of pedigree credits My Morning Jacket’s engineer Kevin Ratterman for the recording and mixing, and notes collaboration with artists including the likes of Warren Ellis (Nick Cave). All this has allowed the songs to brew to the right temperature.

Title track ‘Dusk and Dawn’ has sultry vocals contrasted with light airy melodies and tempo changes, whilst ‘Wake’ with it's gentle melody takes you by surprise, launching into a funk-soul sounding infusion filled with playful sleek guitar and steady drums. Teasing, assertive harmonies, statement cymbal clashes and upbeat lyrics in French brings a feel good feeling. This four track collection is filled with delicate riffs, intuitive synth and drum beats with the perfect precision to make an impact without overwhelming. Harmonising with smooth, easy-on-the-ear vocals makes this an addictive listen. Stacy Fitzpatrick 32

Runaway [GO] have delivered a beezer of an album. Nine songs long, it runs true to the Ten Commandments of epic vistas of aural hysteria to quaint little numbers of acoustic tickle. These are all backed with the force of song-smiths Fiona O’Kane and David Jackson’s meeting and mating of vocals harmonising and answering to each other. Chuck in some New Order clicking-plucking bass, a wah-wah and big-studio-sounds, we have a Belfast band worth their weight in bold. ‘Alive’ is the current single which is a bit too radio-centric for my taste. Try track three ‘Lightening’ to get the groove of this coupling to really get you going. If your toes don’t tap to this album, loved ones are grieving.

The powerful and utterly horrible ‘What the People Want’ lures us in like a psychopathic Steve Earle and his ‘Galway Girl’, and turns ominous pretty early, even before any words kick in. Inspired by a murder of crows, ‘Down Will Come Baby’ utilizes some best use of wah-wah pedal in the middle, and blows harmonies like two very different personalities telling us a story. This is excellent stuff, just not for the faint hearted.

Conor O’Neill

Cara Gibney

REVIEW Parapa Palace Parapa Palace

The Geneva Experiment Birthmarks

Fireland Fireland

Forming in 2013, Belfast's Parapa Palace (formerly Lives) released their self-titled debut EP a short time ago. Consisting of just three songs, it is nevertheless a lush and eclectic EP, with each song sounding at once capable of filling stadiums or your bedroom on a rainy Sunday.

Starting off with a swell of orchestral feed-back, ‘Redroom’ sees this Derry based band launch into a quirky wee, 12-plus odd minutes of heavy alt rock. At first listening and without reading the line-up, I assumed this was a female fronted band akin to Skunk Anansie or a No Doubt type of band. To find out singer James Moore is a fella is not only a surprise but shows his vocal range and The Geneva Experiment’s androgynous approach.

Fireland have remastered their first album and released it with two previously unheard tracks. Founding member Steve Moore, fresh from proving his producer chops on Stormzone's recent album, has decided to tackle Fireland's debut, with stunning results.

The EP has a slight shoegaze-y feel but is actually a little too brawny for that label. The three tracks are emotive yet muscular, introspective yet beat-driven. The final number 'The Boot' is a particular highlight, with its synth-y retro rock feel and droning yet likeable vocals. The band describe themselves as 'jangly rock n roll' on their Facebook page, which is as apt a description as any for their 'Muse x U2' sound and distortion-laden yet strangely beautiful songs. It's all very moreish, and hopefully in the not too distant future this rather unusual alt rock band will treat us to a full length album. Melanie Brehaut

‘Drive’ sees them step it up a gear with thrashing guitar, noose-like basslines and murderous drums. They’re as tight as the proverbial … and to think they only formed two years ago. ‘Collision’ finishes the EP and follows on form seamlessly with what they know they’re good at.

The album is a firestorm of classic metal, from the subdued piano intro of opener 'Servants of the Dark' to the squealing twin guitars in 'Do You Know Me Now'. The remastering has made a gratifyingly audible improvement; each track is razor sharp, with brilliantly focused melodies and crystal clear drumming. And those guitar solos ... well, they're simply a joy to behold.

There may not be a great deal of originality here, but plenty of talent is evidenced. I’d love to see them live or hear less professionally produced sounds - plenty of energy throughout.

While it's true that the band's sound would benefit from a vocalist whose voice is more suited to metal, the fact is that this is a fantastic debut. A new album is set for release this year – watch this space.

Conor O’Neill

Melanie Brehaut 33

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ob Marley said, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain”. Sigmund Freud didn't like music because he didn't like something affecting his emotions that he didn't understand. Kurt Vonnegut said that the only proof of God needed is music. According to Bono, “music can change the world because it can change people”. Really? Is music all that? It's always there isn't it? In the store, at the gym, with every show on TV. You could say it has even become trite because it is so commonplace. But try removing it. What would happen? Just the other day I watched the newly released film Brooklyn about a young woman who leaves her family in Ireland and moves to New York in the 1950's. In one scene where she is volunteering at Christmastime, a man stands up and sings an Irish ballad. You can hear the heartache. I was even tempted to cry and I am not even Irish. Actually, I'll just go ahead and admit that I did cry which is really ridiculous when you think about it - sitting there with my popcorn having nothing at all to do with Irish immigrants in New York in the 1950's, a big salty tear coursing down my cheek. But I will have you know - I did play rugby.

When I was playing rugby we would put on AC-DC's ‘Thunderstruck’ and start throwing each other around on the bus just prior to arriving at our match. We would pull up in the parking lot and pile off the bus like a pack of wild dogs with that song thrumming through our veins. And with every victory it was ‘We are the Champions’ by Queen at the top of our voices. I hear those songs now and I am right there back on the bus. The connective power of music is extraordinary. It links us to memories, to people, places and cultures, to products (unfortunately); some would say it spiritually connects us. It has even been proven that music has the capacity to rebuild neural pathways in victims of a stroke. And it is great for building peace. I have been a musician to peace and reconciliation gatherings in the Balkans a number of times. I also spent a year in Belfast working with the reconciliation programme at Edgehill College. I played tunes to students, ex-combatants, ministers and priests, women's groups and for a film we made. We even did some work with folks from Moldova. Every time, I experienced the strange power of music and rhythms; sometimes helping to heal, other times bringing out a smile or a thought – each time making a connection.

Once an acquaintance of mine was conducting a seminar in Colorado with a bunch of dignitaries from Sudan. He called me hoping I could come and play some music for the folks, because he said the atmosphere was tense. I was completely lost standing there with my guitar in front of these folks from Sudan. What do I play? I tried a couple of songs after which they clapped politely, but I knew there was no connection. And then I played ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ by Bob Marley. That was the key to a break-through. They all literally got up and started dancing. In a half hour's time, they were all standing together in the middle of the room singing African melodies. Bob Marley was a peacemaker. He said, “I don't stand for black man's side, I don't stand for white man's side, I stand for God's side.” A lot of people don't know that Bob Marley was half white; his father was an Englishman, and this caused him a lot of pain growing up in Jamaica. I would wager that if it weren't for the conflict that this created within him, we would never have had the brilliance of his music and his message of peace. He was a black key and a white key – two different notes, and it was Mozart who said that “music is not in the notes but in the silence between”. I think conflict transformation is at the heart of a lot of artists. They are trying to build connective tissue between the broken bits in themselves and that often comes with the knowledge that it is the reality of this world that causes the brokenness and therefore it has to be changed. Zachariah John Schmidt is a songwriter from the USA. He will be performing at the Sunflower Pub in Belfast on Friday 22 April. You can find out more about him and his music at www.zachariahjohn.com.

Zac Schmidt

ith a history going back one year, !Imagine! is already a festival to be reckoned with as it uniquely celebrates and supports citizens' role in our political and cultural life. March 2015 saw 2,500 citizens attend the first Belfast festival of politics and ideas with participants reporting a 97% satisfaction rate that their expectations were met. This year should shatter those inaugural attendance numbers as !Imagine! boasts an impressive array of events focused on the abiding topics of the day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; caring for the elderly, poverty, human rights, immigration, racism, Europe, the forthcoming elections, education, economics, the environment, Palestine/Israel, technology and the genome. As it is an eclectic festival, there are even more events filling 14 March to 20 March 2016. Jennifer Rawlings: I only smoke in Warzones, The Suffragettes, A City without Walls, St. Patrick's Day (Pilgrimage, Pints and Parades/Sure St. Patrick wasn't even Irish/St. Patrick was a Prod!), 1916, The Rising and The Seven, Organ Donation and Gordon Osram's Funeral. Over 80 (mostly free) events will be taking place in over 25 venues across the city, and the organisers hope to welcome everybody from the avowedly non-political to dedicated political observers, youthful idealists to seasoned cynics in a festival-for-all. Add to that a couple of big fat quizzes, screenings, tours and a photo exhibition and you have !Imagine! 2016. As the organisers say: It is the ONLY Festival of Politics and Ideas worth voting forâ&#x20AC;Ś

ECONOMIC INEQUALITY ANOTHER INCONVENIENT TRUTH Room BA00008, Ulster University Belfast Campus, York Street Saturday 19 March, 1pm–2pm ADMISSION: Free

CIVIC CONVERSATION: A PENSION FOR SERIOUSLY INJURED VICTIMS OF THE TROUBLES HOW DO WE DEAL WITH INJURED PERPETRATORS? Common Grounds Café, Wednesday 16 March, 3pm–5pm ADMISSION: Free

NEIL DOUGAN PREACHES ‘SAINT PATRICK WAS A PROD’! The Black Box, Hill Street Thursday 17 March, 10pm–11.30pm (Doors 9.45pm) ADMISSION: Tickets £8/£6

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WHAT IS THE STATE OF DEMOCRACY IN NI? PART OF BUILDING CHANGE TRUST’S CIVIC ACTIVISM SERIES The Duncairn Centre, Duncairn Ave Monday 14 March, 1pm–4.30pm ADMISSION: Free

EDITING THE GENOME WHAT DO THE PUBLIC THINK ABOUT ENGINEERING HUMAN BEINGS? Room WS3, Crescent Arts Centre Saturday 19 March, 2.30pm–4pm ADMISSION: Free

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The MAC, Exchange Street West Tuesday 15 March, 8pm–10.30pm ADMISSION: Tickets £17/Seniors £15

Hill Street, Belfast Thursday 17 March, 2pm–7pm ADMISSION: Free

TENX9 ON CHANGE STORYTELLING EVENING IN BELFAST The Black Box, Hill Street Wednesday 16 March, 7.30pm–9pm ADMISSION: Free

THE PAST IS A MOVING PICTURE ‘UP STANDING: STORIES OF COURAGE FROM NORTHERN IRELAND’ Sunflower Bar, Union Street Tuesday 15 March, 7pm–9pm ADMISSION: Free

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M A K I N G

MONSTERS

Photography: Carrie Davenport

M A K I NG

"I think what worked for us the last couple of years is that we do all have our outsides lives, like work and Uni and everything ... to find the commitment for people really is tough, but we've stuck together." - Emma Gallagher.

he music world is hard, undeniably hard, and making it in the music world in a mainstream minded environment is even harder. Being a young metal band in Ireland is even tougher; yet Making Monsters are making it - successful E.P releases, singles receiving national airplay, videos on Kerrang!, tours and a strong, loyal fanbase.

"It's been really, really strange over the last couple of years seeing the wide variety of age groups that are actually interested in and really enjoy our music ... there's like people in their 60's, there's young people aged 8 coming up to us ... it's really overwhelming", says vocalist Emma, as drummer Brian Doherty muses: "It does kind of hit you because we do bring something different to the table."

Emma joined the band four years ago after band founder and bass player Paul Monk and Brian saw her singing. "I'd always wanted to get into the Derry music scene and I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how or where to start really, so I started in school being in bands or whatever. Bound for Boston was doing the 'Battle of the Bands'competition." Brian adds: "I got a phone call [from Paul], 'Get down here NOW and listen to this girl sing!'".

Emma adds: "I was so glad to meet people who were so experienced and knew what they wanted to do and take an-obviously more professional approach - but also have loads of fun, as well as writing and hopefully have something that would go from there."

Brian continues:

The band, with newest member Gary Todd, are laid back, fun, incredibly hard working and equally as modest. Talking about their recent UK tour supporting Fightstar, they say: "The tour was such a big deal you know, and for us who had never done something on such a large scale it scared the s**t out of us! We were the babies. We weren't priorities [to the crowds] like, it was get up do your thing, whatever ... and then for getting such good feedback at the end it was like 'Aww!'- we didn’t expect it."

..and people actually liked us, saying 'You know, they really are a great band' because we had these sneaky heavy bits in and we were heavy...". "We all do like our heavy music”, Emma acknowledges.

"We even got pushed into Kerrang!, people were so impressed with us," ..says Brian, Emma agreeing, "We got a whole sentence in Kerrang! We got a line! It was one of my proudest moments seeing that." The band are ready to release their new much awaited E.P., the name as yet a close secret. "We're making sure we do it right - we don’t want to put out the E.P and it be wasted. We're aiming for May. There's a lot of things in the works and we're just biting our nails and tongues ... We'd have it out today! But it’s a case of waiting. We're really, really proud of it”, says Emma, revealing how the band are evolving.

"With this new E.P. it's very different to what we've been doing before,” ..but we still keep our random outbursts of heaviness ... which I think is important. It’s completely changed from the likes of What It's Worth about three years ago."

"It kind of defines that part of us, you know, we are progressing but we're not forgetting about how whenever we started off”

A key to their strong bond and success could be their grounded attitude to making their own music. "We don’t really know what we’re doing, but in a good way! We don’t really want to know what type of new sound we're going for," says Emma, Brian adding: "No, we've tried that, trying to write for a specific area or go for something a bit smoother that people might like a little bit more and then we're like, ‘No!

Who cares what people might like. Let's do what we like!’” Ahead of the E.P., a hometown gig is set for 05 March. "We want to trial some new songs we've been working on to our friends and people locally ... get some feedback and do a home show," says Emma before revealing: "Our new single from our brand new E.P is called ‘Better’ accompanied by a music video by Darren Lee." For young bands especially, to last the distance beyond the teenage years is a rarity, but Making Monsters will be sticking around for a long time as Brian proves, revealing their group tattoo "It’s the Making Monsters logo. I have it and Paul has it ... Emma hasn’t got it yet". "I want to get it on the back of my leg. I'm gonna get mine very soon," she says as Brian replies: "You have to get yours soon, then Gary. Gary's the new member and we've been pushing him. He's in the deep-end already!"

Stacy Fitzpatrick Photography: Kayleigh Francis

Find updates on Making Monsters: Facebook or www.makingmonsters.co.uk

n w o r G e m

Y - APRIL R A U R B FE

Gigs

ith many artists using this season to embark upon tours, launch albums and singles, there is no shortage of fresh new music from which to choose. Launch gigs are always extra special, with excited musicians eager to perform their new material exclusively on home soil first. Here are some of the highlights of album launches across Belfast as well as the best of the rest. 26 February has a selection of cracker gigs. Cork band The Altered Hours launch their new album In Heat Not Sorry at the Black Box. The gig hosted by The Thin Air will showcase the five piece's hypnotic, psychedelic bass lines, grounding steady drums and tempting vocals that play with the edge of the dark side. Support comes from Belfast space-pop band Documenta and Derry's Autumns, a mixture of sound from three cities. Also on the 26th, Bar Sub at QUBSU is the spot for new band Beauty Sleep. The newly formed trio - Ryan MacGroarty, Cheylene Murphy (both Wonder Villians) and Aimee Williamson launch their debut single ‘The Dark’ revealing their airy, synth-pop sound. Supporting them will be Franklyn (formerly General Fiasco) and Derry quartet Strength.

The following evening, the 27th, at The Mac a double album launch takes place. Heliopause are set to launch their new album How Can We Laugh After This. Heliopause's folk inspired acoustic base blends with ethereal, angelical harmonies, gentle synths and delicate soundscapes. Joining them, singer songwriter Pixie Saytar releases her second album ‘In Hindsight’, revealing an evolution in her creative expression. The Oh Yeah Music Centre hosts International Women's Day Showcase on 08 March, featuring Katharine Phillippa, a deeply emotive singer songwriter performing intense emotional ballads accompanied by powerful piano and soundscapes. Saint Sister, a fairly new duo who have made a big impact are also in the line up. They draw musical inspiration from early Celtic harp and folk music to bring a modern, soulful performance they call 'atmosfolk'. Jealous of the Birds aka Belfast's Naomi Hamilton completes the line up with quirky, alt-folk laced with synth. A truly fantastic choice of artists to celebrate International Women's Day. Gifted Live at The Belfast Empire hosts Belfast rockers Heroes Before The Fall's debut single launch on 10 March. Newly formed in 2015, the trio bring melodic rock and energy.

Belfast's David C Clements’s keenly anticipated new album The Longest Day in History is set to be launched at Limelight 1 on 11 March. Performing sentimental lyrics delivered with conviction and rousing accompanying music, he is a captivating artist. With his hometown show in December selling out and with praise from the likes of Edith Bowman, he is one to watch. If experimental and inventive is your thing, don't miss OKO and Tim Berne at the Black Box on 11 March. Brought to Belfast by Moving On Music as part of the Brilliant Corners Festival, they will deliver a performance like no other. Saxophone from jazz icon Tim intertwined with innovative compositions with bits of electro, synths, percussion and even uileann pipes from OKO. This collaboration will definitely be a pleasant assault on your senses; prepare to be mind blown.

OKO

Katharine Phillippa

At the Belfast Empire on 18 March Shizznigh Promotions presents rising stars Loris, Belfast's electro-pop quartet. Female fronted Loris, noticed by BBC Radio 1, deliver upbeat, infectious tunes that are hard to resist dancing to. Their new single ‘Higher’ is due for release that day, and they will be supported by Belfast indie-pop trio Tuskany, Derry's Indie rockers The Wood Burning Savages and Belfast's flame haired young singer-songwriter/busker Conor Scott. Not bad at all for £6 entry! Donegal's Moya Brennan dubbed The First Lady of Celtic Music will be at the Lyric Theatre on Sunday 20 March if a tranquil Sunday evening is just what you need. Moya's soothing lilting vocals and accompanying Celtic music will connect you deeply to ancient Ireland.

Heroes Before The Fall

Ever popular Pocket Billiards will play the Belfast Empire on the 26 March. The Ska-Punk-Reggae hybrid are firm favourites on the NI music scene; their enthusiasm and catchy sound will guarantee you a worthwhile memorable night. With support from four other punk flavoured acts, expect antics, sweat and lots of dancing. And taking us into April, Damien Dempsey returns once again to Belfast at Mandela Hall on the 8th. Damien, a working class hero of sorts, uses his songwriting to express civil rights and social issues delivered with his strong Dublin twang. Simple lyrics and firm acoustic strums get his messages across.

Jealous of the Birds

David C Clements

Whatever your musical taste is, there is no doubt lots to choose from. Like the first bloom of spring flowers, with a crop of new bands emerging, as well as old favourites unpacking their guitars and drum kits, it's a blossoming season ahead. Stacy Fitzpatrick

Saint Sister

For Tinderbox Theatre Company, this Spring heralds the return of an audience favourite for an intimate tour at select venues across Northern Ireland. The Virgin Father is written by Jimmy McAleavey and directed by Michael Duke. Starring Stewart Ennis with stage design from Ciaran Bagnall, The Virgin Father is a love story about the temptation to believe. The intense 70 minute monologue gives audiences a glimpse into the life of Joe (played by Ennis), a normal man who fell in love with and married Mary, the quiet girl in the village who was carrying someone else’s child. Failing to deal with his wife’s delusions about the pregnancy and keeping his son from joining a cult, Joe finds himself being hunted down after the disappearance of his wife. Written by award-winning playwright Jimmy McAleavey (Monsters, Dinosaurs, Ghosts; Unhome and The Sign of The Whale), this beautiful yet challenging piece of early work from McAleavey was first shown by Tinderbox in 2009 and has remained an audience and industry favourite ever since. Winner of the Stewart Parker Major Bursary for The Sign of the Whale in 2010, McAleavey’s theatre work has been performed on some of Ireland’s most recognised stages including the Lyric Theatre and the MAC theatres and at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre. Recently, the talented playwright was awarded £15,000 by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for his impressive contribution to the arts in the region. Previous recipients of this accolade include playwrights Owen McCafferty, Damian Gorman and Carlo Gebler. Speaking about the tour, McAleavey commented: “I'm delighted The Virgin Father is being remounted at Easter 2016. It's a play about martyrdom, political conflict and faith - in political ideas as well as religion so it chimes with the centenary of the Easter Rising. Of course, it's no coincidence that those particular Irish rebels chose Easter to mount their insurrection.”

Hanna Slättne, Dramaturg at Tinderbox, said: “The Virgin Father was and remains one of my favourite Tinderbox productions – beautifully written, cleverly directed, perfectly acted and with flawless stage design. The subtle themes of parenthood, faith, childhood rebellion, identity and state oppression are as relevant in 2016 as they were when I first read the script in 2008 and then helped develop it with Jimmy for stage in 2009. This remount of The Virgin Father will give audiences a rare opportunity to experience one of Northern Ireland’s modern classics.” Tour Dates & Venue Locations 18 March, 8pm Down Arts Centre £12 028 4461 0747 / downartscentre.com 29 March - 2 April, 8pm (3pm Sat matinee) Lyric Theatre Belfast £12-£15 / £10 028 9038 1081 / lyrictheatre.co.uk

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PRO Continued from Page 6

s Stephen puts it, “Our primary purpose is to preserve and make available material, not just for this generation but for future generations, but access is key. There’s no point preserving something if you can’t access it,” and this PRONI provides for free. “There is a growing amount of people looking for ancestry and conflict related material, and we’re very keen to get the conflict related materials out to victims of the Troubles,” he told me when I asked who actually uses PRONI. “Solicitors would get a great deal from our services, particularly with legal wills right up to the 21st century.” There are the academics and the Ph.D. students, but “by far the biggest group is the family historian.” They offer a free two hour induction to show people how to conduct searches and order documents for viewing; however, “I would advise that before people come to PRONI they get as much information as possible, then they can maximise their time when they’re here.”

It isn’t just the PRONI website that you can tap for gems of information. There is the National Archives of Ireland where you can look up the censuses of 1901 and 1911. “And ask your grandmother for any details she might have,” Stephen continued. “Ask other family members; look at the notes written in the family bible. If you know the church where your parents or great grandparents went you can find out a lot.” When it’s time to head to the PRONI offices, you’ll be asked to register, so bring some ID and proof of your address.

You’ll be brought to the Search Room and be shown how to use the catalogues, guides, indices and leaflets, and how to order a document. Not all documents are open for the public to view. It explains on the website, “The annual release of selected official files continues ... through the Freedom of Information Act (2000), balanced against the need to protect personal information”. Stephen explained, “We are moving from a thirty year rule to a twenty year ruling for disclosure. So we are opening two years’ worth of records per year until we catch up.”

There are other reasons to visit their Titanic Quarter office. They regularly organise talks, events and exhibitions; click on the ‘Talks and Events’ link on their website to see what’s coming up, or sign up for their e-bulletin. They also outreach to the community with ventures like travelling exhibitions or digitisation projects. For 2016, topics include the Easter Rising, the Somme Offensive, and the Battle of Jutland, but there is more; “One hundred years ago the suffragettes were coming to the fore, and trade unions were being established … we’re looking at things wider than those key centenaries.” PRONI hold three types of records - those from government departments, non-departmental public organisations (like the courts and local authorities) and also privately deposited archives. “We are one of the few archive institutions in the world that has such a wide remit,” he was proud to tell me. “That’s good for the customer as we’re a one-stop-shop. People don’t have to go to different institutions to see private documents or local material.”

NI “PRONI is where you can access the documents that government departments create. These are the records of their activities, the evidence of their activities, and you What ofat hiswhat ownthey playsare does he hold his name can look doing in your heart dearest to? CultureHUB, sorry and with your tax money. So it’s very imporrather andhas the free rest of human tant thatmyself PRONI access to that race, would assume The History of material.” the Troubles (according to my Da) would is be another his baby,side and probably paid The There to this coin. a mortgage or two, but Lynch records are ours to access, but reveals we also have twoopportunity others ahead of his the to add tomost them.famous As Stephen play:“It “The History of the Troubles keeping says, is our heritage after all, andwas a very personal play as itiswas primary source material veryinspired important. ... my father, there’s lotit of Itby doesn’t need toplus be very old, aand doesn’t personal stuff to in famous there like my experineed to belong people. Old photoences diaries, behind business the barricades graphs, letters, in anythe of these butmedium the twoismost personal ...early The 70s, actual irrelevant in many plays, the that written still make me cry respects ... two Modern records are not whenpaper I look at them wouldthey’re be Dockers even any more, virtual – and The Interrogation Ambrosespread emails, word documents, of databases, Fogarty. Dockers, again inspired by sheets.” my father and my time growing up “Letters from emigrants written to their when round the docks, and I cried families back home describing their circumwriting it. Ambose Fogarty would’ve stances in the New World, they have as been the same writing about my own much historical importance as thestations. correspondence experiences in police I oflaughed members of the landed gentry.” This out loud when writing them. also goes some explainit’s whygoing PRONI Then youway feeltocertain to holds the largest source of Irish emigrant letters in transfer to the audience as well.” the world; letters that are there for you to see Lynch well as setting up GBL and read as for yourself. Productions (the money maker to provide for his daughters), also chamCARA GIBNEY pions new writers through his second company Green Shoot Productions, Check out PRONI: but enough of theatre. Martin still retains hiswww.proni.gov.uk west Belfast roots, brings Website: his grandsons to watch Arsenal, and has to answer the mandatory CultureEmail: proni@dcalni.gov.uk HUB ‘Desert Island Questions’. Five 19 Phone: (+44) 028 90 534800

have the universal draw of other writers and I fully accept and understand that’s the case. I suppose I could write differently if I wanted but the truth is I don’t get the buzz from foreign audiences as I do if Charlie Duffy walks out of a show with a smile on his face.” Again, with so many nominations and awards thrown at hisbrought feet, Lynch, while Room not lashing You’ll be to the Search and awards them, be shown howorto those usePhoto: theseeking catalogues, 12th Royal Irish Rifles ambivalent onto the guides,appears indicesmore and than leaflets, and how fame Not and adoration thing order awhole document. all documents are stating: “I know people say this all the open for the public to view. It explains on time, “The but annual awards release don’t of enter my the website, selectconsciousness. Other directorsthe and ed official files continues ... through writers round talking them Freedom of sit Information Actabout (2000), and actually plan productions with balanced against the need to protect the Irish Times Award in their view. personal information”. Stephen My “We main preoccupation when explained, are moving from a thirty writing, is, 'Will people to see year rule to a twenty year rulingcome for disclothis?'. If it works for Charlie Duffy, sure. So we are opening two years’ worth Louis andweAaron Rae, I’m of records perSmall year until catch up.” delighted.” There are other reasons to visit their more excitedly about TitanicSpeaking Quartermuch office. They regularly his influences and and love of the theatre, organise talks, events exhibitions; thethe former reads a who’s who click on ‘Talks andlike Events’ link onof working class socialist writers of the their website to see what’s coming up, or past centuries: SeanThey O’ Casey, sign up fortwo their e-bulletin. also Brendan Arthur Miller, David outreach to the Behan, community with ventures Photo: Lorean photograph Mamet,Deexhibitions Eugenepublicity O’Neill, Willie (1981) like travelling or digitisation Russell Alantopics Bleasdale, not forgoprojects. For and 2016, include the writers such as Offensive, John McGrath, Eastering Rising, the Somme and Tom of McGrath who the Battle Jutland,and butDominic there isBain more; all influenced histhe humorous and years ago suffragettes “One hundred puncturing approach to writing and were coming to the fore, and trade unions the job of a playwright. were being established … we’re looking at things wider than those key centenaries.” Lynch, unlike most chefs who don’t home, can’t enough of the PRONIcook holdatthree types of get records - those theatre, stopping in for a non-deshow in from government departments, whatever city he finds himself partmental public organisations (like thein. What has changed in his theatre-gocourts and local authorities) and also ingdeposited is his ability to walk “We out. As puts privately archives. areheone it, ‘Iarchive leave institutions at half-timein if play of the few thethe world shows promise. I can’t waste my that has suchno a wide remit,” he was proud time on drivel, I’ve left four in the past to tell me. “That’s good for the customer year’. as we’re a one-stop-shop. People don’t have to go to different institutions to see private documents or local material.” Photo: Ministry of Commerce papers

FRANK CARTER The last few years for Frank Carter have been eventful. After dragging hardcore punk into the mainstream with Gallows and releasing one of the albums of the decade (2009's Grey Britain), he abruptly left in 2011. Defying expectations, he formed Pure Love with guitarist Jim Carroll, but it wasn't to last, with the alt rockers announcing an indefinite hiatus in February 2014. During this time, Carter's private life proved fruitful. He married his partner and fellow tattooer Sarah Schor, left one tattoo shop for another (they both now work out of Sang Bleu Tattoo London) and welcomed their baby daughter into the world. And so to chapter three of Carter's musical life: Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes. From seemingly out of nowhere in early 2015, after a few cryptic tweets, a fully formed band was revealed, returning to his hardcore punk roots. Tour dates sold out instantly, with little material, bar an EP in May containing the explosive single 'Fangs'. “Speed is the key! We got together in February, recorded the album in March and we released it in August”. Debut full length Blossom was released in various formats to delirious reviews. “It just happened like, we got together and wrote a bunch of songs, went to the studio … It wasn’t overnight – it took half a year – but half a year in the music industry is still very quick”. A sold out run across Europe with punk legends The Bronx solidified the band's reputation as an incendiary live act.

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Older, wiser (in theory, at least) and armed to the teeth with the Rattlesnakes, Carter hit Belfast's Voodoo with the force of a tsunami on 09 February 2016. He was on the hands of the crowd literally within the first minute of the first song. The crowd's response was immediate and electric; crowd surfers, stage divers and a moshpit that continued for the duration. Carter looked thrilled, feeding off their energy and pushing them to ever higher levels of delirium. Thanking the crowd for their respect, he dedicated 'Paradise' to all the Paris terrorist victims, then he demanded a circle pit (the kind they'll talk about for years) for a 45 second snippet of a new song, then introduced the band before launching into the final number 'I Hate You'. “I think the whole point is always to grow as an artist and band … that’s the plan, anyway. I just want to keep growing, always, and that’s why mixed bills are perfect; you get to do your thing in front of loads of different fans of music. But the key thing is that they are ALL fans of music, so you’ve got a shot with every one of them”.

I’m pretty much the happiest I’ve ever been right now. I feel like what’s happening with The Rattlesnakes I’ve really earned. … we hit the road last year … building the band very slowly and carefully so we don’t over-play, and making sure we spend a lot of time talking to our fans after the shows, helping them to understand the band and the point that we’re trying to get across, that this is a very serious thing for us”. Melanie Brehaut

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Photography: Darren McVeigh