Derry Live List September Edition

AHEAD OF THEIR NEW SINGLE RELEASE, WE MEET UP WITH

Plus

hi!

So summer’s over, the kids are back at school... but that doesn’t mean the end for local festivals.

It’s a big month for Culture Tech who are due to have their biggest festival to date with 60,000 people expected to be in attendance across all the events.

It’s a big month too for local music with two of the city’s most popular bands set to release new music.

PORTS (formally Little Bear) will release another single from their debut album while Best Boy Grip will release his debut album later this month also.

PORTS have a gig this month too at the Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company which is a fantastic venue for an intimate gig.

Don’t forget to log on to our website www,derrylivelist.com for all the latest local entertainment news and your ‘What’s On’ guide… we’ll keep you posted to make sure that you don’t miss a thing!

LINEUP

derrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.com

september 2015

Ed

Interview

BEST BOY GRIP pages 10 & 11

>> If you would like to contribute to

next month’s edition, get in touch via any of the methods below

>> To advertise in next months

edition, contact gary on 07765760321 or via email w> derrylivelist.com e> derrylivelist@gmail.com t> twitter.com/derrylivelist f> facebook.com/derrylivelist

Theatre

GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS pages 18 & 19

derrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.co comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.com

3

derrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.com

Contents

Interview

PORTS

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

pages 8 & 9

Preview

COMIC CITY FESTIVAL pages 16 & 17

4,5,6 & 7 Andrew Ferris Interview 8 & 9 PORTS Interview 10 & 11 Best Boy Grip Interview 12 & 13 This month’s music listings 14 & 15 Culture Tech Festival Preview 16 & 17 Comic City Festival preview 18 & 19 Glengarry Glen Ross Preview 20 Ministry of Science Preview 21 Invasion Derry Preview 22 & 23 50 Shades of Red, White & Blue Preview 24 & 25 This month’s theatre listings 26 & 27 City Arcade Preview 28 & 29 Joe Barwise Interview: ‘Octopus Milk’ Exhibition

Interview

ANDREW FERRIS pages 4,5,6 & 7

Preview

CULTURE TECH FESTIVAL pages 14 & 15

Preview

CITY ARCADE pages 26 & 27

omderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.com derrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.comderrylivelist.

4 music

#MusicCity #DerryLive

Andrew with the newest member of the team ‘Steve’ at Small Town America Studios

andrew

ferris ~interview~

A

ndrew Ferris has been a big influence on Northern Ireland’s music scene for many years now.

First as frontman of cult Derry band Jetplane Landing and since 2001 as head honcho of Small Town America, a very successful independent record label based within the city. We wanted to go two rounds with

Andrew… first up, Small Town America and how it has grown from first being simply a platform for Jetplane Landing records to what it has become today.

Round Two… we would be letting all those Jetplane Landing fans down if we didn’t also have a chat about the band as well, now wouldn’t we?

5

When you started the label back in 2001 as a platform for releasing Jetplane Landing records, did you think it would grow to be as big as it is today?

Not really. Inherent in the idea behind Small Town America is constantly asking “why not?” Why can’t we release our own records?

Why can’t we make a video and get played on MTV? Why can’t we build our own recording studio? I think that question ‘why not’ has propagated and led to this and where we are now.

We still constantly ask ourselves ‘why can’t we do that’ and challenge dogmas that exist around the entertainment industry.

The label was first set up in London, what made you relocate back home?

I used to live in London until 2007 and then we moved back to Derry when we had our first child.

In London it was just me on the label and now here in Derry we have 12 in the team.

I think that speaks volume about what you can do in a place like Derry. There are a lot of people that really want to work within the creative industries and are willing to get stuck in. Here in Derry we have found it really easy to get really good people to come on board and work within the team Were any of the other guys from the band involved in the beginning?

Initially the idea of Small Town America was by me and Jamie, who plays bass in the band, and it was just a name for our record label. Jamie was heavily involved for the first few years but as we released more and more records I think he grew to realise that it was my passion to release as much good music, by as any good bands as possible. So he stepped away.

Now Small Town America, as a label is extensively run by the

team, and I just have an over viewing role in it.

job easier or harder?

There is a lot more to do in order to get the message out. FaceWhat were the main obstacles book, Twitter, Instagram… all these when you first set up the label? outlets that needs to be served, There is no manual to running a served by the label and served by record label… well there kind of is, the band themselves. but it doesn’t tell you how to avoid Social media is fantastic if done all the mistakes! well but horrible if done badly. A So every single mistake that lot of our work is about educating could have been made, I’ve made our clients, effectively our bands, it and suffered the consequence how to interact meaningfully on financially and emotionally. But the social media. main obstacles are probably more But truthfully the best outlets about managing the flow of money for music remain the same, print, which is very difficult initially. media and radio. They are still the The raw material that we deal most potent ways of getting your with is plastic which is oil and band known. 4 out of 5, or a 5 out with the cost of oil having risen 5 in Kerrang! is much more meanenormously over the past 15 years, ingful than 30,000 followers on therefore the cost of making CD’s Facebook because it propagates and vinyl have risen accordingly. well across the industry.

However the number of people Whilst digital is fantastic, I think who are actually buying CD’s and traditional media has become even vinyl has fallen. more important and even more In 2001 we belonged to a mass premium. market whereas now it’s an artisaBut the best thing about nal market. Selling on an individual social media is that it brings the basis to people who are passionate individual fan right up close to about building a record collection. the music that they’re interested We have a very committed cusin, there’s no distance between tomer base which has remained people anymore. consistent, but what we have seen recently - which is refreshing - is How would an artist or band the uptake in vinyl. We are now make their way onto your roster… doing more international sales. We do they approach you or you aphave seen records being sold to proach them?

Greece, Japan, Czech Republic, so We typically approach them. people are now ordering from all Only once has a band submitted over the world which is great. something and been signed off A very popular product line for the back of it. Hopefully it’s quite us would be a bundle of goods. For clear what we like and what we do. example, we have a new record We’re always on the look-out for coming out here by ‘Blacklisters’, those next bands to join the family. who are a band from Leeds, and a However that’s not to say people popular package would be to buy shouldn’t send their music in everything that the band have. So anyway. We are actually just about t-shirt, CD and vinyl in a couple of to start a ‘singles club’ so that we different colours. can turn over more releases in different genres and work with an How big has the change been in extended family of bands. regards to band promotion since I think Small Town America has first establishing the label and become synonymous for a particuto recent years with the birth of lar type of sound and a particular social media? Has it made your type of band that we’re looking for.

6 music

#MusicCity #DerryLive

J E T PLANE LAND I N G

With the label obviously taking up a good bit of your time, not to mention being a dad too, would Jetplane Landing still meet up to write or jam?

No jamming but writing is something we would all do. Our drummer lives in Canada, our guitarist lives in Belfast and our bass player lives in England. So we are all quite to the wind.

But we’re four albums deep now and there’s definitely going to be a fifth album.

Your music has always been very well received…does that put added pressure for new music?

The pressure is just to make the songs as good as we can make them.

Do you think the fact that all you guys are doing different things is what keeps the band and music fresh?

Absolutely. We spent a four year period where it was very intense. We were with each other all the time which

7

was very productive in certain ways. But we only start working on a record when everyone shares a common theme and a common creative goal. Once that’s set in stone it’s very easy for us individually to then bring our ideas in.

Typically looking at our career we have a two year gestation period and then the record happens incredibly quickly. We are still in that gestation period between our last album ‘Don’t Try’ and what will be our fifth, so everyone’s still having a think at the moment.

Have you guys set yourselves a deadline yet for the album?

As label manager I would definitely like to see it out next year because they’re key releases for us as a label. It’s a vintage act for us and people buy it and it’s good for Small Town America… that’s why I’ll be pushing for 2016!

Did you miss the touring scene when the band took a six year break?

Playing gigs is fantastic and we had the attitude of playing every gig really hard with as much as we could put into it. There were no regrets about stopping but it was great when we went out to tour ‘Don’t Try’ - it was amazing. I felt the band sounded really good and there was a great buzz.

But the days of playing 250 Shows in a year just aren’t practical so we just have to make the ten or so shows every few years count.

You guys went on a UK tour in 2013, did the music scene change much since you were away?

Probably not. Rock music is very reliable. I doubt the touring scene has even changed much in the last 35 years. The gear has probably got a bit smaller, a bit lighter and it’s maybe a bit easier to reach

a few thousand people… you don’t have to use fax machines anymore!

YouTube is a phenomenon, it’s like virtually touring. There’s all that great stuff but the actual nuts and bolts of rock’n up and paying your eight quid at the door, buying the t-shirt, buying a pint, going to see the band… thankfully I don’t think that will ever change.

So the plans for the future… and Jetplane Landing fans can look forward to a new record?

Yes definitely. The plans are just to keep going. I love doing what we do and I’m really proud of what we’re doing here in Derry too. We work in a fantastic place with a great team so there’s no reason why we can’t be doing this for another 15 years.

It’s not a job any of this, it’s a privilege and long may it continue.

8 music

#MusicCity #DerryLive

the new PORTS single ‘gameplay’ is due out september 25th and tickets are now available for the echo echo gig on the 26th, priced at £10

9 ince their name change last year from ‘Little Bear’, PØRTS have not let that small inconvenience halt their momentum.

The change came about due to ‘Little Bear’ being a trademarked name in the US but on the plus side there are not many bands who can say that they’ve had two debuts which have grabbed the country by the cajones.

Whether it be as Little Bear or as PØRTS, the live shows have always gone down well and they have amassed a cult following during their time together while also picking up a few celeb fans along the way too.

With the single ‘Gameplay’ due out on the 25th of this month, we thought it was a great opportunity to catch up with the guys to talk about the new music and also the journey since the change of name.

What have been the main hurdles since the name change from ‘Little Bear’ to ‘PORTS’ in April of last year?

I think a lot of people were comfortable with ‘Little Bear’, ourselves included, and a name change can just take a little time to getting used to. The biggest hurdle I think was mainly the fact we stopped gigging for a long while to really focus on getting the album finished. It’s all wrapped up now, so we’re looking forward to taking to gigging again.

Where does the moniker ‘PORTS’ come from?

Wish it was a simple as divine inspiration ha, but we actually went through a lot of names before finally settling on PORTS. There are a LOT of bands out there ha, ha.

Stevens lyrics would have a lot of maritime references and the fact we grew up in a city with a port. Even though it hasn’t really been used, it still registers with you, so we just felt it suited.

With the debut single ‘Gameplay’ due for release on September 25th, what can fans expect from the new music?

Olivia Newton John and Shaggy performing emotional lullabies with the odd piano solo by Jeff Goldblum. ha. It will follow very much in the same vein as before. We’ve been told a few times now that while each song is very different there is just that PORTS feel to it.

I think that will be seen across the board for the album.

Have you a confirmed a date yet for the release of the debut

album ‘The Devil’s A Songbird’?

No date confirmed just yet, it will be the in New Year. The plan for the first couple of releases is set and that’s paving the way to the date.

What would you say have been the main influences for the new album?

This is a question we get asked a lot, and depending who in the band you ask you will get completely different answers. This has been a long time coming too so a lot of those influences would be over the past while. But I think for myself it would be Local Natives, Middle East, Ben Howard, The Staves, Volcano Choir....to be honest, ha....this could go on forever.

The new album was mixed by Dan Long at Headwest Studio... how did that come about?

We all loved Gorrilla Manor by Local Natives, which was mixed by Dan, so we got in touch. He liked what we were doing, so it was great to have him on board for the album and we couldn’t be happier with the result.

The Derry leg of the single launch is taking place at the Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company on September 26th, what’s the advantage of having the Echo Echo as the venue?

Echo Echo is an amazing space and it’s also something a little different. On the night as well, we’ll have projection mapping to make the Derry gig that bit more special.

So what’s up next for PORTS after the swell of gigs in September and October?

Lot’s more gigging, we’re going to do a few shows across the water and just really get back playing as much as possible.

#MusicCity #DerryLive

best boy grip

Interview:

10 music

T

his month will see the result of four years of writing and recording from Best Boy Grip aka Eoin O’Callaghan, when he releases his debut album ‘Can’t Buy Love, Son’ on September 22nd, which just so happens to be his birthday.

Although he may have three EP releases under his belt, 2015 was seen as the right time to release the album. Through ‘Pledge

After 4 years of writing and performing, your debut album will be released on September 22nd, I’m sure you can’t wait to get it out there for everyone to hear...

Yes, the CD and digital version will be out on September 22nd with the vinyl being out soon after. I can’t wait to get it out there and let people hear the work that’s gone into it. It’s been a long process and one that I kind of always knew would be tough. An album is a much bigger deal than a single or an EP. It’s a stamp of significance, a business card or a statement that says ‘I’m serious’, this is my actual career now.

So much thought has to go into the order, the track listing and the artwork and that’s just the superficial side. From the outset, I was determined to keep all the work ‘in house’ and by that I mean do it ourselves.

If there was something I didn’t know how to do, I learned how to do it. The album was produced by me and I recorded almost all of it in my studio. The exception was Jay’s drum takes which were recorded with Liam (bass player) engineering the session in the Blast Furnace here in Derry.

When it was all on tape, we began the mixing process. Many, many days later, Liam and I decided that we had done enough and the tracks were done. They were mastered and sent off to the duplicators

Music’ Eoin was able to go it alone and do everything independently, no agents, no promoters and no record company. Pledgemusic.com allows the fans to fund a project, to ‘pledge’ money and in return giving the artist full control of their music.

Ahead of the release, we caught up with Eoin to find out what we can look forward to with his debut album.

with the artwork in tow. They’re not back yet so I can’t even tell you how they look but I’m optimistic!

The album has been funded through ‘Pledge Music’... how have you found the whole ‘Pledge’ experience?

Pledge has been amazing. Without the funding I couldn’t have done it. The main cost in producing an album (if you’re doing all the work yourself) is duplication and studio time. It’s amazing how the money raised between the Pledge campaign, the Help Musicians grant and some help from Arts Council, has significantly taken the financial burden off me. The people in Pledge are incredible.

If you have a problem you email them and someone writes back within 30mins.

With Pledge I was just offering people an opportunity to buy the album before it was made and they did! Loads of people did. Lots of work is still needed. PR and marketing is massive in this game and it’s also the most expensive part. I’ve been doing as much as I can myself but its hard work and despite some incredible articles, that sometimes feels disheartening. A lot of the big magazines only write about acts that have been brought to them via a plugger or PR company and that means money. Lots of it! You wouldn’t believe

the money that has been spent on every act you’ve ever heard of. You’ve heard of them because the money was spent! It’s like any other business. If I was setting up a new drinks company, I’d have exactly the same problems. I’d be trying to get ads on the TV, shelf space in Tesco and reviewers to write nice things about the product but I’d be up against Coke and Pepsi and their millions. That being said, not everyone wants Coke and Pepsi and those who don’t will seek an alternative.

What have been the main influences for the album?

I’ve been inspired by every song I’ve every loved and every band I’ve ever been a fan off. To name a few I’d say Nirvana, Pixies, Ben Folds Five, The Beach Boys, Steely Dan, Queen, The Beatles...and many more.

How difficult did you find it to whittle the tracks down to the lucky ones which made the album?

Well, I’ve made 3 EPs over the last few years and that helped a lot. I know what songs people like the most and I basically had to try to pick from those ones. One or two were dropped right at the end just because I wasn’t feeling them in the sequence.

The Best Boy Grip videos have always been really impressive, is it the same

11 the debut album from best boy grip will officially be released on september 23

team behind them each time?

Thanks! Well, the video team isn’t really a team...it’s just me. I have a system now that seems to work. I film a few takes with a wide shot then I do a few passes on each of the members, one by one...so three takes of Jay drumming followed by Shane then Liam. I run around with a Canon with a 50mm lens to get some nice depth of field ‘artsy’ shots. Finally, I mount a camera facing me and I do a take of that, then I get someone (usually Liam) to film my hands doing the interesting piano bits.

I splice it all together and two days later we have a music video.

The video for ‘Can’t Buy Love, Son’ has a fantastic narrative throughout, how did that come about.... and how did you get that ladder into the sand?

Well this was an ambitious video from the start. I wanted it to have a narrative rather than just us all in a room jamming.

It was filmed over about 6 months and

as I went along, the narrative became clearer and clearer. I discovered that you can buy footage of fake bombs with an alpha channel (the alpha channel basically means the background is see-though so you can embed it over video without a big white box around them...kind of like the TV channel logos you see in the corner of the screen).

This made the ‘world self-destructing’ scene much more realistic. I’ve been building drones with cameras for a few years now and from the outset I’ve wanted to use one in a music video. All the high up fighter plane footage was taken with one of the drones I built. They’re great fun to fly, once you’ve learned how to. I’ve lost three in the process. Two of the losses hurt a lot. There is one with a GoPro 3+ on it somewhere in a field in Culmore Point and another with a Mobius camera in the river Foyle across from Dupont. Painful.

To answer your question about the ladder and the sand - I made a trap door, buried

it then filmed myself digging for it. When I opened it up after finding it, I lowered the ladder into the hole down to the room below. Obviously there is no room buried in the beach at Ballyliffen so when I lowered the 7ft ladder into the hole, I changed the camera angle a few times and as I did, off camera I cut a rung off the ladder making it appear that it was getting deeper and deeper when it was actually just getting shorter and shorter. So I arrived with a good ladder and left with 7 pieces of firewood.

Any plans to tour the album and any local gigs planned to celebrate its release?

I am right in the middle of organising this and everything will be revealed very, very soon. Follow Best Boy Grip on Facebook at facebook.com/bestboygrip and on Twitter follow @bboygrip to keep up to date. The album can be bought on Vinyl and CD on www.bestboygrip.co.uk and digitally on iTunes from 22nd Sept.

12 music

#MusicCity #DerryLive

Derek Ryan

Granny Annies

Friday, 04 September Time:7pm Admission:£20

The Bayonettes ‘2 Miles Tour’ Sandinos

Friday, 04 September A band formed out of a mutual love for big choruses, post-rock and delay pedals with a strong sense of brotherhood.

Rockademy 2015: Eric Bell Nerve Centre

Derek Ryan will officially launch his new album in Granny Annies.

His rise to stardom on the country scene has been phenomenal and there are few country stars who can claim to have made such an impact in just over two years. Not only has Derek’s concert tour sold out in venues across the country, he has also swept the board at award nights.

Ciaran Lavery & Marc O’Reilly

Culturlann Ui Chanáin Thursday, 17 September

Time:8pm Tickets:£10 It’s been an incredible year for Co. Antrim singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery.

Already he has wracked up an incredible 14 million plays on Spotify of his

Saturday, 05 September Time:6.30pm Tickets:£11

Nerve Centre and Rocker’s Reunion present a masterclass and Q&A with legendary guitarist Eric Bell.

As a founding member of Thin Lizzy, Bell is arguably best known for the iconic intro and lead on the band’s famous rendition of ‘Whiskey In The Jar’. debut album and EP and gained critical acclaim for the release of ‘Sea Legs’, a collaborative album with Derry-based artist Ryan Vail, he has sold out two headline shows in London, and played a raft of summer festivals across the UK, Europe and Ireland.

Following the release of his critically acclaimed debut album ‘My Friend Marx’, Irish folk troubadour Marc O’Reilly has established himself as one of the most exciting artists within the folk/blues genre and has earned comparisons to artists such as John Martyn and Bon Iver.

Kings Call (Thin Lizzy Tribute)

An Audience with...

Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal

Saturday, 05 September

Saturday, 12 September

Nerve Centre

Masons

Time: 10pm Admission:Free

Connla

Time:4pm Tickets:£16.50

Culturlann Ui Chanáin Friday, 11 September Time:8pm Tickets:£10

Kings Call is Derry’s very own Thin Lizzy Tribute Band, and there will also be support on the night

Connla are an exciting new band with strong traditional roots as well as influences from across the globe.

Their sensitive and innovative arrangements of traditional and modern folk songs and tunes have earned them praise across the folk community.

Having met whilst studying Music at Ulster University, they quickly began performing together and developing friendships.

Legendary guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal, who will be hosting a music clinic — perfect for any guitar enthusiast!

The iconic musician has released over 10 albums, as well as a live DVD. As the lead guitarist for Guns’n’Roses between 2006 and 2014, he also appeared on their sixth album ‘Chinese Democracy’.

Concert in aid of Convoy and Newtowncunningham Orange Halls

Seamus Begley

Culturlann Ui Chanáin Saturday, 19 September Time:8pm Tickets:£12

Waterside Theatre Friday, 18 September Time:8pm Tickets:£10.50

SOAK

Nerve Centre

Friday, 18 September Time:8pm Tickets:FREE

The City of Londonderry Grand Orange Lodge will host a major fund-raising concert in aid of Thiepval Memorial, Convoy LOL1005 and Newtowncunningham True Blues LOL1063, both of which had their Orange Halls destroyed in arson attacks in 2014.

13

Derry singer Songwriter SOAK AKA Bridie Monds-Watson performs returns to The Playhouse for a special free homecoming gig.

She has released her debut single ‘Sea Creatures’ last year and has gigged extensively, touring with Tegan And Sara and Chvrches.

To book contact The Playhouse Box Office on(028)71 268027 Doors:9.30pm

Singer, accordionist and storyteller Séamus Begley releases an entire album of songs for the first time in his career this autumn, and he will preview these in this special launch gig with guest musicians Tim Edey and Catríona McKay. Begley has made a significant impact on the Irish traditional music scene over the past four decades. In 1996, he formed a now legendary partnership with Australian guitarist Steve Cooney, and the resultant album Meitheal is still regarded as one of the finest recordings in Irish folk music.

Nerve Centre

Wednesday, 23 September Admission:£16.50 Time:8pm

The Strypes

The Strypes return to the Nerve Centre to celebrate the release of their new album ‘Little Victories’.

Since June 2011, the band have been launching their explosive R&B assault on the clubs and festivals around the world viciously hammering out a no-nonsense blues repertoire including originals from their debut album ‘Snapshot’ and reworking’s of rhythm and blues classics

by Bo Diddley, Nick Lowe, and Dr. Feelgood

PORTS

Dolores Keane and Sean Keane

Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company

Millennium Forum Friday, 25 September Time:8pm Tickets:£27

Saturday, 26 September

Bronagh Gallagher

Admission:£10 Time:9pm

Millennium Forum Thursday, 26 September

Two of the most distinctive voices on the Irish folk scene come together for this special concert. Join Dolores and Sean for a wonderful night of song, music and stories featuring classics such as ‘Isle of Hope’ and ‘Galway Bay’.

Having met whilst studying Music at Ulster University, they quickly began performing together and developing friendships.

Time:8:30pm Tickets:£18 In a very special evening of music in which all proceeds will be donated to the Foyle Hospice, Derry, the Bronagh Gallagher Band will return to the Forum in their first headline show.

With theirthird album now completed, and a release date set for February 2016, Bronagh, who is the patron for the Foyle Hospice, and her band will showcase their brand new record for the first time.

With the release of the first single off the debut album - titled ‘Gameplay’ - on September 25th, Ports will be playing the Echo Echo.

You can check out our interview with PORTS in this month’s e-zine

14 festival

#MusicCity #DerryLive

Culture Tech Festival. September 12-20 Dojo Con

big with culture bigger with TECH S

ince its formation in the Spring of 2012, Culture Tech have educated and entertained kids and adults alike throughout the city and have delivered a variety of innovation programmes across technology, the arts and social innovation.

Their annual festival has grown year on year with last year attracting over 43,000 people to around 200 events. This year the guys at Culture Tech have planned an even bigger festival and are expecting over 60,000 people to be in attendance. With an emphasis on building, designing and doing, this year the festival is all about “getting your hands dirty”.

The festival has come a long way over the past 3 years with the 2012 event being organised in a little over 4 months and lasting 3 1/2 days while attracting around 8,000 people.

Culture Tech is now Northern Ireland’s largest technology and creative industries festival and their year-round programme of educational outreach activities have seen them provide to over 150 schools.

Using technology to help kids become more creative and innovative while learning soft skills like

teamwork and communication.

Culture Tech have also been the major force behind making Minecraft available to every postprimary school in Northern Ireland as part of a ground-breaking project. This is the first time anywhere in the world that an entire region has made Minecraft available to its schools. Expecting to reach up to 50,000 children annually, MinecraftEdu licences have been provided to as many as 240 sites across Northern Ireland, including over 200 schools, 30 libraries and community organisations, and a number of volunteer-led coding clubs.

It’s no wonder that the festival have again included Minecraft in its programme. The ‘City Arcade’ has been one of the highlights of the festival over the past few years through its Minecraft tournament which is spread over 3 days. It was estimated that over 15,000 attended last year’s event which was held in the Guildhall.

With a wide range of events, from Comic City to Maker City, from Invasion Derry to Formula DerrE… there is something for all the family to enjoy and get involved in.

15 comedy

John Smith

The Playhouse

Saturday, 12 September Tickets:£10 Time:7pm

Culture Tech Festival 2015 At a glance...

Saturday Sept 12 - Sunday, Sept 13 Comic City - Millennium Forum Tickets: Free Entry Saturday Sept 12 - Sunday, Sept 13 Invasion Derry - Millennium Forum Times:Varied Tickets: £6.50 Monday, Sept 14 – Saturday, Sept 19 Appetite For Design - Social Studios Gallery, Admission:Free Time: 10am-6pm Daily, Monday, Sept 14 – Saturday, Sept 19 In the Fold - TBC Admission:Free Time:Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Mon, Sep 14 – Fri, Sep 18 Ministry of Science Live! - Millennium Forum Admission:Free

Admission:Free Time:6-8pm Wednesday, Sept 16 START - Roco, The Quay, Strand Rd Admission:Free Time:8pm-11pm Wednesday, Sept 16 – Thursday, Sept 17 Techies In Residence Bootcamp - The Playhouse Time: 10am-4pm Thursday, September 17th CREATE:2015 - The Playhouse Admission:Free Time: 10am430pm

Friday, Sep 18 Artisan Craft Fair - The Craft Village Admission:Free Time:4-9PM Friday, Sept 18 CultureTech Street Party Guildhall Square Admission:Free Time:6.3010.30pm Friday, Sep 18 – Saturday, Sep 19 DOJOCON - The Playhouse

Thursday, Sep 17 Creative Tools for Education The Playhouse Admission:Free Time:10am-3pm

Saturday, Sept 19 Cafe for Lost Souls - Sandinos Back Bar Admission:£5 Time:7.30pm

Thursday, Sept 17 - Saturday, Sept 19 FAM Gallery - Building 80/81, Ebrington Admission:Free Time:10am-6pm

Saturday, Sept 19 Maker City - Ebrington, Guildhall Sq, Guildhall, Waterloo Place, Foyleside Shopping Centre Admission:Free Time:10.30am -12pm

Tuesday, Sep 15 Minecraft Education Day Schools

Thursday, Sept 17 Future Artist-Maker Labs Building 80/81, Ebrington Admission:Free Time:7pm

Tuesday, Sept 15 A Day of Extraordinary Design - The Playhouse Admission:Free Time:All Day

Friday, Sept 18 - Saturday, 19 Sept FabLab NI Admission:Free

Wednesday, Sept 16 - Thursday, Sept 17 WONDERQUEST Live! - In Schools Admission:Free Time:5pm

Fri, 18 Sept - Sat, 19 Sept BBC Make It Digital Marquee Guildhall Square Admission:Free Time: Varied

Wednesday, Sept 16th Art + Tech = Audiences + Income - The Playhouse

Admission:Free Time:10am-5pm daily

Friday, Sep 18 – Saturday, Sep 19 Trade School - The Craft Village

Saturday, Sept 19 Formula DerrE - Ebrington Square Admission:Free Time:12pm Saturday, Sep 19 STEM Stage - The Craft Village Admission:Free Time:12pm-5pm Saturday, Sep 19 Roboparty - Building 80/81, Ebrington

Sunday, Sep 20 Craft Beer Sunday - Walled City Brewery Admission:Free Time:1-6pm

Newcastle comedian John Smith is a profoundly Deaf BSL user. Following on from his hugely successful, first stand up appearance in 2005, John has moved into bigger and bigger audiences, entertaining in Deaf clubs and theatres countrywide and across Europe, USA and the world.

Using his experiences of growing up in a hearing world John brings his observations to life, engaging his audience in hours of laughter and reflection.

Covering topics such as Current Deaf issues, Deaf politics and school life, John offers an amusing and fascinating insight into being Deaf and the world of British Sign Language. He has been on TV programmes such as BBC’s ‘See Hear’, Ireland’s afternoon TV show and ‘Doctors’ (BBC1).

Micky Bartlett is Narcissilly The Playhouse

Friday 18th September Tickets: £12/£10 Time:8pm

Micky Bartlett entered 2015 as a young, hip guy in his twenties.

But one encounter with a teenage boy on a skateboard has made him rethink his whole life, and he can’t stop talking about it, or himself. Is he a narcissist? Or is he just Narcissilly?

Divulging more hilarious secrets that most people wouldn’t tell their priest, Micky Bartlett takes you through the journey of his own head. Strap in, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Commedia of Errors presents: The Tain The Playhouse Friday, 02 October

Tickets £11/ £9 Time:8pm

Medb, Queen of Connacht, has come to Ulster to steal the Donn Cúailnge, Ulster’s legendary Brown Bull.

With the men of Ulster sick with the curse, only Cú Chulainn can stop her.

It’s a shame he hasn’t got two braincells to rub together.

16 festival

#MusicCity #DerryLive

COMIC CITY FESTIVAL: Sept 12 & 13 @ Millennium forum

Illustration by Declan Shalvey (Marvel Comics)

17 Taken from a comic

by Rapha Lobosco, Hugo Boylan and Kerrie Smith titled ‘Heavy Black’ which will printed in time for Comic City

T

he first ever Comic City Festival will take place this month and will celebrate comics, illustration and the creative arts.

Held in conjunction with Culture Tech, the Millennium Forum and the Nerve Centre, the two day event will showcase some of the world’s best creative talent, and will include some of the comic industry’s top writers and artists.

From Eisner Award winning Colourist/ Artist Jordie Bellaire to John McCrea, artist of Deadpool, Batman, Judge Dredd, Mythic and Section Eight, there will be an incredible amount of talent on display at the Millennium Forum.

Jordie Bellaire who works for Marvel, Valiant, and Image comic book publishers has coloured Pretty Deadly, The Manhattan Projects, Moon Knight, Magneto, Nowhere Men, Zero, and Hawkeye to name a few.

Last year Jordie won the Eisner Award (which is the Oscar equivalent for the comic industry) for Best Colourist’ as well as being a nominee for ‘Best Cover Artist’ also.

In addition comic fans will have the opportunity to purchase commissioned pieces. Artists such as Marc Laming offer attendees the chance to book slots prior to the festival where he will draw 11x17” ink or water colour pieces. If you’re interested, best to book with these great artists soon! You can get in touch with Marc via monkeymarc.blogspot.co.uk Comic City Festival provides a fantastic opportunity to get up close and personal with the industry insiders as well as offering a variety of talks and workshops.

Also taking place will be ‘Invasion Derry’ by the fantastic Emerald Garrison, Ireland’s premier Star Wars costuming club.

COMIC CITY FESTIVAL

18 theatre

#DerryLive #LoveTheArts

Glengarry

Artic Soul Productions present: Glengarry Glen Ross at The Playhouse on Friday 25th to Saturday 26th September at 8pm, tickets £5.

T

he City’s newest production company will make their stage debut this month at the Playhouse Theatre with a performance of Glengarry Glen Ross.

Officially launched at the end of July by Ciaran Keogh and Jamie McConnell, Arctic Soul Productions will make their mark on David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize winning play with a local cast of 8.

We caught up with Jamie to find out how Artic Soul came about.

“Myself and Ciaran Keogh were always working with short films but

then we decided to push our passion forward by forming a partnership. Therefore we decided to run our own produc-tion company.

“This month Artic Soul is producing our very first stage production, an exciting new version of Glengarry Glen Ross at The Playhouse.”

According to the official production notes, “Glengarry Glen Ross slices to the core of the American dream and exposes the depths people will go to stay on top of the game. Mamet himself worked in a

19

Glen Ross

real estate office in Chicago in 1969 setting up appointments for salesmen, and the play is influenced by the cutthroat politics he encountered.”

So why choose Glengarry Glen Ross as the group’s first production?

“There was something we really liked about the Glengarry Glen Ross script that David Mamet had written” said Jamie, “it was a great piece of work that was created and we felt that it was a play that we just had to do!”

Starring Karl McCarron as Ricky Roma, Paula Roberts as Stephanie Levene, JD Duddy as John Williamson, Oisin McCallion as Dave Moss, Rebecca Denby as Gi-na Aaronow, Vinny Lynch as Blake, Adam Quigley

as James Lingk and Ryan Boyd as Baylen while being directed by Jamie and produced by Ciaran, it will be fascinat-ing to see a local take on this modern classic.

The play is set within an office of cut-throat Chicago sales-workers who are in competition with each other.

Real estate is the game and they will do anything to get ahead, legal or otherwise. With the person who clears the most winning a Cadillac, and the two who perform worst being fired, the stakes are high in this dog eat dog environment.

The team have also been working on a feature film titled ‘Envy Eyes’ which is due for release later this year.

“The film is about a Serial Killer known as RAZOR who has escaped from a prison in Derry City and Commissioner Kelly, played Paul O’ Doherty, leads the hunt” said Jamie.

“We will have a release date very soon and it will be screened at the nerve centre. We also have a Documentary on Amelia Earhart coming out and many more films and stageplays ahead!”

Exciting and busy times ahead for Derry’s newest production company, and you can check out the trailer to ‘Envy Eyes’ on Arctic Soul Productions official YouTube channel and also keep up-to-date with all the latest news via their Facebook page.

20 theatre

#DerryLive #LoveTheArts

inistry of Science Live! is brought to us by the creative team behind Brainiac Live and Guinness World Records, and promises to “blow your socks off” while being extremely educational at the same time.

The show - which is only available for school viewing - takes you on a journey of science through the different types of energy using demonstrations and historical references as the narrative.

Sure to have the kids captivated throughout, Ministry of Science Live! Brings together all the things kids - and adults - love about science. From liquid nitrogen frozen flowers to hydrogen bottle rockets fired right at the audience and it will also have a Hovercraft which will be built on stage.

The 90minute show aims to educate through the use of live theatre

while illustrating the importance of engineering in shaping the world of today. The team believe that there is a Scientist, Engineer or Inventor in all of us and their aim is to bring that to the forefront and inspire our kids.

Through a series of experiments and audience participation demonstrations the show is sure to be fun and fast passed and one which the kids with undoubtedly love.

If you have kids, it may be worth contacting their school and express your interest that they attend.

You can contact Rachel at CultureTech to get more information on the show via her email address rachel@culturetech.co (that’s co… not co.uk)

21

he Emerald Garrison are Ireland’s premier Star Wars costuming club and they will Strike Back at the Millennium Forum next month for what is sure be a fantastic weekend of Star Wars celebration in Invasion Derry as part of the Culture Tech festival.

The award winning family event is run by the fans, for the fans will come to Derry for the first time and local Jedi are in for a treat.

Their props and replicas exhibition, which has proved to be very popular in the previous events will be on show, as well as having a new line-up of actors, talks, and other fun interactive activities such as Force Training with the Jedi and Seth instructors.

Speaking about the event, Paul Mason General Manager of the Millennium Forum said: “This is such a prestigious award winning family show. As a Star Wars fan I have introduced my kids to Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader and for them to now get the chance to meet some of these costumed heroes and villains, promises to be an excellent family day out.

Our main auditorium will be transformed into an interactive exhibition that will feature 3D sets of some of the most popular Star Wars scenes including: The Hoth Station, Jabba The Hut, Tattooine, Endor Scene and Yoda’s Hut, to name a few.”

Star Wars fans will also be excited to learn that actor Jack

Klaff, who featured in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, will be making an appearance at the event.

With over 40 costumed characters, such as legions of Storm Troopers, Jedi Knights, Bounty Hunters, Clone Troopers, Darth Maul, Darth Vader, Wookies, kids of all ages will love meeting the iconic figures. Everyone can mingle with the costume guests and get their picture taken with them or even on one of the custom fan built sets.

Invasion Derry arrives at the Millennium Forum on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th September with tickets priced at £6.50 which are available now from the Box Office

22 theatre

#DerryLive #LoveTheArts

50 Shades of laughs W

hat started out on a Facebook page in June 2012 as a “Belfast piss-take of the other yoke” soon had amassed a huge following and went viral.

Leesa Harker’s postings gathered momentum and took Norn Iron by storm. Releasing a downloadable version of her story via Amazon, she was then approached to write a printed version a short time later.

The story hit the stage in January 2013 and has been back time and time again due to popular demand.

Fifty Shades of Red, White and Blue tells the story of loveable Maggie Muff in her search for love and how she met the mysterious Mr Red White and Blue, Belfast’s answer to Christian Grey.

Using brash no holds barred language throughout, the show features Maggie Muff and other characters such as big Sally Ann and Sinead the Greener.

Commenting on the backlash the story initially received, producer Mar-

tin Lynch said: “Some people will look down and regard the content of this play as some kind of smut or indeed soft porn, crude and ignorant and ultimately demeaning to women.

“I vehemently disagree. I believe Leesa Harker to be a brilliant, brave new voice - and I mean brave. Women are not expected (mostly by men) to talk like this, feel like this, act like this.

But somewhere at the core of this play there is a profound truth, a great liberation for women. It just hasn’t been spoken out loud like this before. Don’t take my male word for it - just take a look around the auditorium.”

This one woman show has been a great success mainly for two reasons, the clever script by writer Leesa Harker and the fantastic performance by actress Caroline Curran who plays woman of the hour Maggie Muff. >> 50 Shades of Red, White and Blue will be at the Millennium Forum on Thursday, 24 September 2015, with tickets from £12.50.

23

Caroline Curran as Maggie Muff

24 theatre

#DerryLive #LoveTheArts

The Beaux Stratagem

The Playhouse

Thursday, 03 September Tickets:£11 Time:7pm

Funny Bones I Remember When Playhouse An Imbecile’s Guide Tues, The 08 & Wed, 09 September to First Aid Millennium Forum

Tics:Mat £3 Eve £10 Time:11am/8pm

Tuesday, 08 September

Tickets: £13/£11 Time:7.30pm

To introduce The Playhouse’s first ever screening of live theatre from The National Theatre London, The Playhouse are delighted to announce George Farquhar’s most famous piece, first performed at Derry’s Talbot Theatre, just feet from where The Playhouse now stands on Artillery Street.

Join Tony Sutcliffe in this hilarious new comedy show based on his experiences of over 20 years as a first aid trainer.

You will be invited into a world of medical mayhem and mirth, with Tony trying to impart his vast but somewhat suspect knowledge of subjects ranging from CPR to childbirth.

Invasion Derry Millennium Forum Sat, 12 & Sun, 13 September

Tickets:£6.50 Time: 9am - 5:30pm

INVASION comes to the North West.

Ireland’s premier Star Wars costuming club, The Emerald Garrison, will be Invading Derry for the first time with Invasion Derry.

A humorous piece written by local playwright Gregory Peck and adapted for stage by Lilliput Theatre Company, Derry’s ‘s foremost theatre company of people with learning disabilities.

Reminding us that there may be 120 channels on the TV, but never anything on, Maggie and Mickey reminisce about the best of British television in the past, and the fact that even the commercials were good.

It includes a line-up of talks, and fun interactive activities as well as the Emerald Garrison’s hugely popular props and replicas. Visitors of all ages will love meeting and posing with over 40 costumed characters including legions of Storm Troopers, Jedi Knights, Bounty Hunters, Clone Troopers, Darth Vader, Wookies and many, many more!

Fans have the opportunity to meet actors from the original movies during Lecture Theatre talks and signings.

Please note that the actors charge a fee for photographs and autographs.

Ministry of Science 50 Shades of Red, Glengarry Glen Ross The Playhouse Live!

White & Blue Thursday, 24 September Millennium Forum

Mon, 14 - Thurs, 17 September Time:Various Tickets:£3

Ministry of Science Live is not your ordinary science show – it comes with a bang. It comes with a whoosh.

From liquid nitrogen frozen flowers to hydrogen bottle rockets fired right at the audience, the show will take us on a journey using demonstrations and a few loud bangs to lead the way.

Tickets are £3: per person or £100 per school.Contact rachel@culturetech. co for details.

Millennium Forum

Tickets:£5 Time:8pm

Thursday, 24 September Tickets:from £12.50 Time:8pm

Her Facebook postings had Northern Ireland in fits of laughter last summer.

It all started as a joke when Leesa Harker wrote a Belfast-based spoof of Fifty Shades of Grey. Very soon it went viral and had 29,000 followers!

Directed by Jamie Mc Connell and Ciaran Keogh, Glengarry Glen Ross is brought to you by an exciting new local theatre company Artic Soul Productions.

Glengarry Glen Ross is the story of four salesworkers - Stephanie Levene, Ricky Roma, Dave Moss, and Georgina Aaronow and their supervisor, Williamson, who work together selling undesirable real estate.

25 Hypnotist: Adrian Knight

Waterside Theatre Saturday, 26 September Tickets:£10 Time:8pm

Sing-along with Goldilocks & the Three Bears

A Dozen Summers Waterside Theatre

Thurs, 01 - Fri, 02 October Tickets:£5 Time:7pm

Millennium Forum Saturday, 26 September Tickets:£8 Family ticket:£30

In the last twenty years, Adrian Knight has firmly established himself as one of the top elite stage hypnotists around today and arguably the most talented in his profession.

He is truly a unique force in the world of hypnosis and one of the most sought after global entertainers around today.

For the first time ever, the much loved fairytale comes to the stage in an unforgettable new live show of song and laughter.

Goldilocks and the three bears, Ruff the dog and Mr Bunny, perform live on stage, right before your eyes in this fun filled musical production. With plenty of audience participation and action songs, this is the perfect show that all the family will enjoy.

Coriolanus by William Shakespeare National Theatre Live’s 2014 broadcast of the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Coriolanus returns to cinemas by popular demand.

When an old adversary threatens Rome, the city calls once more on her hero and defender: Coriolanus. But

Playhouse Creatures

Derek Acorah

Maisie and Daisy McCormack are two ordinary 12-year-olds finding their way through life in the 21st century. Oh, and they may have just hijacked a movie!

This hilarious British children’s comedy features a host of familiar faces including Colin Baker (Dr Who), Ewen Mackintosh (The Office) and Sarah Warren (M.L.E.) and introduces some really exciting new talent including Quinton Nyriendo (CBBC’s Young Dracula) and David Knight (CBBC’s Hetty Feather)

The Playhouse

Thursday, 24 September ickets:£11 Time:7pm

he has enemies at home too. Famine threatens the city, the citizens’ hunger swells to an appetite for change, and on returning from the field Coriolanus must confront the march of realpolitik and the voice of an angry people.

Denis Bond

The Playhouse

Waterside Theatre

Waterside Theatre

Tickets £12/ £9 Time:8pm

Tickets:£20 Time:8pm

Tickets £2 Time:10.30am

Saturday, 03 October

Playhouse Creatures is a riotous and moving account of the precarious lives of the first Restoration actresses.

These gutsy, flesh and blood heroines grapple for recognition and a new social role for women, whilst falling victim to the attitudes and consequences of the age.

Amidst the bear pits of the theatres, they struggle to push themselves to the forefront, fighting against the prejudice of the industry, the jeers of the public and the bitter rivalries they share.

Thursday, 08 October

The pioneer for Spiritualism and mediumship on television, he is arguably the world’s most renowned Spirit Medium having demonstrated to many hundreds of thousands of people in theatres throughout the UK. Derek’s television career dates back over fifteen years when he became the first medium ever to demonstrate live on air and without the benefit of an edit suite on a weekly basis bringing hope and comfort to the viewing public.

Tuesday, 13 October

Denis Bond wrote Pipkins for children’s television, and went on to write for Rainbow, Let’s Pretend and to create The Munch Bunch.

Denis is the author of a series of picture books for younger children, and several novels for older kids. His teaching and acting continue with his very popular school visits.

Other titles include:The Dragon Who Couldn’t Help Breathing Fire, The Train Who Was Frightened of The Dark, The Granny Who Wasn’t Like Other Grannies and much more.

26 gaming

#DerryLive #LoveTheArts

CITY ARCADE WEEKEND Friday 18 September 2015 to Sunday 20 September 2015

27

ver since bursting onto the scene in 2011 (although hardcore MineCrafters will tell me it’s been around since it’s developmental stage in 2009) Minecraft has become the third most popular computer game of all time, just behind Tetris and Wii Sports.

In September of last year Microsoft bought Mojang, the Swedish firm behind the hit game, for a cool £1.5bn after the company had sold over 54 million copies.

MineCraft even has its very own convention, MineCon, which has been held each year since 2011. This year’s event netted a Guinness World Record for “largest convention for a single video game” when it attracted over 10,000 visitors to the 2015 London MineCon. One thing in particular that is obvious from the game is that it is not ageist. It has been able to attract gamers of all ages, male or female, whatever

E

their profession, whatever their gaming backgrounds may be, it’s attracted them all. Crucially this is probably why it has been soooo successful since 2011.

Just type Mincraft into YouTube and there are thousands of videos of tutorials or just people playing the game.

Some YouTubers have even been able to make a career off the back of the hit game. One guy in particular which is constantly being played by both my kids is ‘Stampylonghead’ aka Joseph Garrett.

Garrett became a millionaire simply by filming himself sitting in his bedroom playing the cult game and uploading clips for his legion of fans.

His YouTube channel is one of the top 10 most viewed worldwide hitting up to 170 million views a month!

Derry’s very own mini MineCon was held last year in the Guildhall and was a great success. Attracting gamers of all ages - including my two sons aged 4

and 8 - it is no wonder the event is back again this year.

Returning for a second year, the ‘City Arcade’ is promising to be “bigger, better and Minecraftier” than ever spanning three days and being held at the Millennium Forum.

There will be dozens of Minecraft stations, Minecraft tournaments and casual play on both PC and X-Box, with late night gaming for the grown-ups.

There will also be costumes, stalls, live entertainment and also YouTube celebs who will be appearing on the Saturday.

This is certainly going to be a must for all gamers out there, young and old alike. >> The City Arcade will be on from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th September.

You have the option of purchasing a day pass costing £6, a weekend pass for £13.50 or indeed a family pass (4 people) priced at £44

28 art

#LoveTheArts #DerryLive

‘Octopus Milk’ The Playhouse Tuesday 1st September to Friday 18th September

29

octopus milk ~joe barwise~

o

’

ctopus Milk’ is the debut exhibition of local artist Joe Barwise and will be held at The Playhouse from Tuesday 1st September.

With a background in Illustration and Graphic Design, Joe has produced work for print and screen while collaboWhat is your artistic background?

When I was in school I studied Art up to foundation level but dropped out of my course at degree level.

After a few years away from education (six) I began to teach myself graphic design and took some online courses because I was interested in making a career for myself in the industry.

I was also able to get a placement with Big Fish Design, a company here in Derry, which gave me the experience and confidence to go out and start working as a freelance designer.

What other illustrators/designers have influenced your work over the years?

As a designer I would say that my biggest influences aren’t actually designers but Design Schools or movements such as the Bauhaus, the Swiss International Style and Russian Constructivism. I think what appeals to me most is the idea of creating an identity through and within uniformity.

As an illustrator it’s the opposite end of the scale as I like stuff that can take you anywhere. My work is heavily influenced by Pop Surrealism or Low Brow Art, stuff that is rooted in pop culture but is a weirder little bit darker step outside the mainstream though in an internet age all things

rating with clients from across Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US. For the past few years he has also been a facilitator with the Playhouse’s Children’s Art Festival.

We got in touch with Joe to find out what we can expect from his exhibition debut this month.

are mainstream. I’ve always liked the work of Robert Williams and Jim Philips and more contemporarily I’ve been getting into the work of Jenny Morgan and Cleon Peterson. There are so many graphic artists and illustrators I’ve come across online that it would take too long to mention them all.

Aesthetically I take a lot of reference from comic books and old Disney cartoons, Steamboat Mickey era type ones before all the fairy tales and stuff, throw in a bit of tattoo imagery and some street art and I get my end product.

What made you choose ‘Octopus Milk’ as the name of the exhibition?

Well the exhibition is a showcase of 8 digital artworks so there’s the number link, but more than anything I was just putting random words together and those two seemed to fit well.

Is it solely illustration related works being exhibited?

The work on show is the showcase of 8 prints plus a wall painting too. I wouldn’t really call it graffiti or mural it’s more a larger version of my illustrative work in a different media.

What were your influences for the work being exhibited?

The work itself is just random imagery with no real theme running through it. It’s more an exploration of technique but I guess it’s just the kind of stuff I’d like to put on my wall so I made it with that purpose in mind.

I think though that the main reason for the exhibition was as a bit of publicity, a way of getting myself known a bit more and showcasing the skills that I have.

How would you describe your work?

Methodical Fun. What programmes or techniques do you use?

I predominantly work digitally using the Adobe creative suite but everything will start out as sketches, if you can’t draw it in real life you can’t draw it on a computer, from there I’ll take those initial ideas into Illustrator or Photoshop to create the final pieces. I like the clean rigidness of using computer design programmes as they give my line work an exactness that it is hard to replicate with traditional media.

Joe’s free to view exhibition ‘Octopus Milk’ is currently on display at The Playhouse and will run until Friday 18th September. You can also check out his website octopus-milk. com to see some of his work.