VOL:43 ISSUE:17 NOV 28. 2019
HOT PRESS VOL:43 ISSUE: 17
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+16 Pages of Classic Pictures
1000th ISSUE SPECIAL • PRESDIENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS • BONO • PIXIES • SHARON HORGAN
WELCOME TO THE DAY AFTER JUDGEMENT DAY
A N N I V E R S A R Y
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THE EDGE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SHARON HORGAN ARDAL O’HANLON
9
PIXIES SODA BLONDE THE MURDER CAPITAL KNEECAP LAURA WHITMORE
PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS BONO
VOL:43 ISSUE:17 NOV 28. 2019
HOT PRESS VOL:43 ISSUE: 17
+16 Pages of Classic Pictures
STARRING
PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS BONO THE EDGE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN PIXIES
1000th ISSUE SPECIAL • PRESDIENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS • BONO • PIXIES • SHARON HORGAN
WELCOME TO THE DAY AFTER JUDGEMENT DAY
A N N I V E R S A R Y
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70 's 8 0 's 9 0 's 0 0 's 10's
VOL:43 ISSUE:17 NOV 28. 2019
HOT PRESS VOL:43 ISSUE: 17 1000th ISSUE SPECIAL • PRESDIENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS • BONO • PIXIES • SHARON HORGAN
WELCOME TO THE DAY AFTER JUDGEMENT DAY
70 's 8 0 's 9 0 's 0 0 's 10's STARRING
SODA BLONDE THE MURDER CAPITAL KNEECAP LAURA WHITMORE
A N N I V E R S A R Y
PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS BONO THE EDGE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SHARON HORGAN ARDAL O’HANLON PIXIES
S P E C I A L
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Ireland €7.00 U.K. £6.00
9
of Classic Pictures
VOL:43 ISSUE:17 NOV 28. 2019
HOT PRESS VOL:43 ISSUE: 17 1000th ISSUE SPECIAL • PRESDIENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS • BONO • PIXIES • SHARON HORGAN
WELCOME TO THE DAY AFTER JUDGEMENT DAY
70 's 8 0 's 9 0 's 0 0 's 10's STARRING
+16 Pages of Classic Pictures
A N N I V E R S A R Y
S P E C I A L
Ireland €7.00 U.K. £6.00
9 ISSN 0332-0847
770332 084047
SODA BLONDE THE MURDER CAPITAL KNEECAP LAURA WHITMORE
15
PROPERTY OF FOX. PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY. SALE, DUPLICATION OR OTHER TRANSFER OF THIS MATERIAL IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS BONO THE EDGE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SHARON HORGAN ARDAL O’HANLON PIXIES
VOL:43 ISSUE:17 NOV 28. 2019
HOT PRESS VOL:43 ISSUE: 17
70 's 8 0 's 9 0 's 0 0 's 10's
STARRING
+16 Pages of Classic Pictures
1000th ISSUE SPECIAL • PRESDIENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS • BONO • PIXIES • SHARON HORGAN
WELCOME TO THE DAY AFTER JUDGEMENT DAY
A N N I V E R S A R Y
Ireland €7.00 U.K. £6.00
ISSN 0332-0847
770332 084047
15
PROPERTY OF FOX. PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY. SALE, DUPLICATION OR OTHER TRANSFER OF THIS MATERIAL IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
S P E C I A L
9
PIXIES ARDAL O'HANLON SODA BLONDE THE MURDER CAPITAL KNEECAP
PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS BONO THE EDGE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SHARON HORGAN
INT R O D U C ING
The Boys are Back.
ROE & CO. DISTILLERY STEP INSIDE THE REGENERATED GUINNESS POWER STATION FOR AN IMMERSIVE JOURNEY INTO WHISKEY
It was 50 years ago that the
To celebrate this special anniversary,
boys of Thin Lizzy first came
An Post is releasing two limited
together. Led by the inimitable
edition stamps, featuring the iconic
Phil Lynott, they were to change
artwork of Jim Fitzpatrick.
rock music forever.
Spread the word around.
92 JA ME S ’ S S TREE T, DUBLIN 8, IREL A ND
BEST NEW OPENINGS 2019
Available now at your local Post Office or at anpost.com/thinlizzy
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I S S U E S P E C I A L
HOT PRESS / 4317 / CONTENTS
COV
FIVE AND KICKING As part of our 1000th issue celebrations, we've created five special covers featuring artists who have each, in their own way, defined one of the decades of Hot Press' existence: Rory Gallagher, U2, Madonna, Amy Winehouse and Hozier. We hope you enjoy!
FEATURES MICHAEL D. HIGGINS... 20
BONO...44
In a special feature to mark Hot
The U2 frontman writes about the
Press’, 1000th issue, President
group’s ongoing odyssey and his
Higgins discusses his early
excitement about their upcoming
contributions to the magazine, as
visit to India.
Rebellion, Leonard Cohen, the real meaning of socialism, and more.
THE EDGE... 26
MIGUEL RUIZ
MIGUEL RUIZ
well as Greta Thunberg, Extinction
U2’s iconic guitarist on first encountering Hot Press at Rory Gallagher’s landmark Macroom
A selection of Ireland’s best young acts – including Kitt Phillipa, SOAK,
Loah and more – select their favourite albums from Hot Press’ lifetime.
THE PIC OF IT...54
SHARON HORGAN... 28
A compilation of classic photos from the extensive Hot Press archives.
shows, Hollywood legends and Mic Christopher all feature as the brilliant comic talks to Stuart Clark.
ROB DEMARTIN
festival show in 1977
Bong shops, Punch & Judy
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN...32 We join The Boss for a preview
PIXIES...40 Guitarist Joey Santiago talks about battles with booze, and how the band have grown more at ease with each other.
The writer and TV presenter offers a powerful reflection on her life over the past 12 months.
The super-producer and all-round intellectual behemoth sounds off to Pat Carty about art, music and much, much more.
movie, Western Stars.
the Pixies’ early difficulties, his own
LAURA WHITMORE...72
BRIAN ENO...82
of his hotly anticipated new
MARK NIXON
MIGUEL RUIZ
NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL MUSIC...48
ARDAL O’HANLON...88 Father Ted, Frank Black, Chris Morris and a superb new stand-up
offering their views on mental health.
SYLK...102 One of Ireland’s most exciting young acts, the dark electro-pop duo discuss rock vs pop, Berlin techno, their exhilarating live show, and more.
ELBOW...108 Frontman Guy Garvey reflects on the painful creation of the band’s new album, whilst also touching on the lighter moments of visiting show are all up for discussion as
Youghal and enjoying pints in
the acclaimed comic talks to Paul
London with Cillian Murphy.
Nolan.
127. THE HOG
EMMA DONOGHUE...92
A look back at some of the
The renowned Irish author talks to
biggest political and social stories
Peter McGoran about her stunning
throughout Hot Press' 1000 issues.
new novel, and also offers her
REGULARS
thoughts on the development of
Albums... 143
Irish literature over the course of
Tracks... 148
her career.
Tech... 150
NOW WE’RE TALKING...96
Movies... 152 TV... 156
A report on the recent Now
Books... 158
We’re Talking live event, a hugely
Live... 160
successful evening which saw an eclectic mix of Irish personalities
ALSO ON HOTPRESS.COM RICH GILLIGAN
PHOTOGRAPHY
BONUS CONTENT
All the action from the latest gigs around the country.
Check our exclusive interviews with Sam Fender, Girl Band, and Keywest.
MUSIC NEWS
COMPETITIONS
Sorting the truth from those "Pet Shop Boys for
Win big with our regular music
Bagenalstown fake news
and movie giveaways.
reports."
GIRL BAND
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TALK ON THE WILD SIDE Cult noise-rock crew Girl Band talk to Lucy O'Toole about their new album The Talkies, Fontaines DC, PowPig and more.
COMING IN THE NEXT 14 DAYS The latest TV and movie trailers; plenty of cultural chat and debate; Paul Nolan and Pat Carty's playlists
AMANDA PALMER
SAM FENDER
– and more!
White Ladder: The 20th Anniversary Tour Performing White Ladder in its entirety and greatest hits
31 \ 03 \ 20 The SSE Arena Belfast
02 \ 04 \ 20 3Arena Dublin
TICKETS ON SALE FRI 11 OCT AT 9AM Dublin: Tickets from €49.50 (inc booking & €1 facility fee) • Ticketmaster.ie / 0818 719 300 Belfast: Ticketmaster.ie / 0844 847 2455 (NI) *Phone & internet bookings subject to 12.5% service charge per ticket (max €7.15), Agents max €3.40 per ticket
An MCD presentation by arrangement with CAA davidgray.com \ @davidgray \ Limited VIP packages available
Credit Where It's Due EDITOR
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR
MARKETING MANAGER
Niall Stokes
Duan Stokes
Louise Kane
GROUP PRODUCTION EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
MARKETING EXECUTIVE
Mairin Sheehy
Paul Nolan
Rachael Golden
GROUP DEPUTY EDITOR
EDITORIAL WRITER
MARKETING ASSISTANT
Stuart Clark
Peter McGoran
Sean Plunkett
COMMISSIONING EDITOR
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Emily O'Callaghan
Miguel Ruiz
VIDEO
& CONTENT PRODUCER Rowan Stokes
ART DIRECTOR
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
Eimear O'Connor
Peter McNally, Danielle Ronan
DESIGN
Glen Bollard, Indie Caldwell, Danni Fro, Sarah Henry, Zoe Salvucci, Zoe Keating
Karen Kelleher Emily Treacy
ACCOUNTS
ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER
Catherine Madden Shaun Oscar Taylor
ACCOUNT MANAGERS
Brendan McDermott Rachael Bailey Jake Dodd James Barber
FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Cathal Dawson, CJ Hartigan, Graham Keogh, Anna Kerslake, Aga Kowalska, Natalia Marzec, Brian Mulligan, Mark Nixon, Peter O'Hanlon, Max Freebern, Karl Leonard, Saoirse Sexton, Vicki Anderson, Adriano Elisei CONTRIBUTORS
Pavel Barter, Aoife Bradshaw, Jack Byrne, Wayne Byrne, Pat Carty, Helen Cullen, Lucas Dean, Roisin Dwyer, Sarah Gill, Laura Grainger, Laura Harff, Selina Jeunling, Michael Kealy, Johnny Keegan, Stephen Keegan, Will Kinsella, Ellie MacLean, Eamonn McCann, Roe McDermott, Edwin McFee, Peter McNally, Valentina Magli, Joey Molloy, Kyle Mulholland, Adrienne Murphy, Colm O’Hare, Lucy O'Toole, Alan Owens, Stephen Porzio, Ed Power, Brenna Ransden, Alix Renaud, David Rooney, Anne Sexton, Dermot Stokes, Eamon Sweeney, John Walshe, Brooke Weber, Kevin Worrall, Bill Graham 1951-1996.
CONTACT US
MIGUEL RUIZ
THE EDGE
Widely considered one of the most influential guitarists of all-time, The Edge is famed throughout the world for his minimalistic and textural style of playing, which has been a key element in U2’s globe-conquering success over the past 40-odd years. In our 1,000th issue, The Edge pens a special tribute to Macroom Festival – where he first encountered Hot Press, and had an epiphany that rock and roll had truly arrived in Ireland.
Hot Press is published fortnightly by Osnovina Ltd., 100 Capel Street, Dublin 1, Ireland. TEL: (Editorial) (01) 241 1500 TEL: (Advertising) (01) 241 1540 FAX: (01) 241 1538 EMAIL: info@hotpress.ie WEBSITE: hotpress.com All material © Hot Press 2019. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of material without permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited. Printed by Boylan Group Distributed in Ireland by Newspread, Goldenbridge Industrial Estate, Dublin 12 and Eason's Wholesale News, Clonshaugh, Dublin 5. ISSN 0332 – 0847 Written contributions to Hot Press are always welcome but please note that unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned. This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-call 1890 208 080 or email:info@presscouncil.ie
FAYE O'ROURKE
MAGAZINE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Formerly the lead singer of Little Green Cars, Faye O’Rourke set off in a different musical direction earlier this year with new band Soda Blonde. Their debut single, ‘Swimming Through The Night’, is a sublime, ethereal statement of intent. For our 1,000th issue, Faye reflects on what it meant to grow up as a musician in Celtic Tiger Ireland, and the challenges faced by artists living in Dublin today.
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The 1,000 Issue Of Hot Press, October 18, 2019 Special thanks to the late Rory Gallagher and to his brother and manager Donal Gallagher
Executive Producers This issue is dedicated: To Bill Graham, Peter Owens, George Byrne, Fiona Stevenson (aka Faye Wolftree), Johnny Lyons and Sandie Harsch of Hot Press. To Maurice Stokes, Peggy Stokes, Colm Stokes, Kevin Stokes, Conor Stokes, Mary Gogarty, Eddie Sheehy, Phyllis Sheehy and Bairbre Kilmurray. And to all of the great rock ’n’ rollers who have passed away since June 1977, including our good friends and old comrades Philip Lynott, Philomena Lynott, Frank Murray and Philip Chevron. Photo: Sandie Harsch
May the music keep our spirits high.
This issue would not have been possible without the contribution of the following friends and supporters… Aaron Govern Aiden O'Connor Aisling Halligan Anne Marie Finucane Aoibhe Skye Stokes Aoife Finnegan Arthur Little Caoimhe Ní Dhuibhinn Caroline Downey Catherine Marley Ceara Scanlon Cheryl Lewing Colm Henry Conor Minchin Daniel Kline Dave Allen Dave Bruen David Harris
Declan Cormack Denis Desmond Dermot Stokes Dolores Murray Dónal Gallagher Eddie McCarron Eldi Sheu Eleanor McEvoy Erick Shore Fergal Grogan Fran Quigley Frank Gleeson Gary Monroe Gary Walsh George Lynott Galloway Georgina O'Sullivan Gerard Lawlor Gerry Boylan Gillian Clifford Graham Ryan Ian Kenny
Igor Gutiérrez Jay Hughes Joe O'Reilly John Butterfield John Clune John D'Arcy Jonathan Kelly Justin Green Karen Murray Keith McTigue Keith English Keith Johnson Kevin Branigan Lucy Early Mairtin Foghu Mark Crossingham Matt Ryan Michael Early Michael Martin Mick O'Gorman Mike Adamson Nadine King
Noreen Donovan Oliver Sieper Paolo Catena Pat Kenny Patricia Eisner Patrick McKillen Paul Charles Paul Roche Peter Schütte Peter Simoens Peter Sheehy Peter Aiken Ralf Kaldowski Sarah McGinn Sarah Lee Sean Carroll Siena Bowie Stokes Sinead Hennessy Stephen Moran Tim Graham Tommy Smith Victor Finn
Subscribe to Hot Press at hotpress.com/subscribe
MAD HATTER
I S S U E S P E C I A L
What would be your dying words? “What’s next?” Greatest ambition? To finally master the art of what I do for a living. Period of history you’d most like to have lived in and why? Ancient Rome, because it’s just so visceral.
Who would be the first person you would invite to your birthday party? Immediate family, pints, O’Donoghue's, immediately. Favourite saying? “Senior hurling.”
RYAN TUBRIDY Broadcaster
FAVOURITE SAYING? SENIOR HURLING.
Favourite record? Abbey Road. Favourite film? It’s A Wonderful Life. Favourite author? Roald Dahl. Favourite actor/actress? James Stewart. Favourite musician? Paul McCartney.
If you weren’t a human being which animal would you have chosen to be? I think the creature Timon from The Lion King – I would be quite like him, a wise-cracking smartarse. If you were told that the world was ending tomorrow morning, how would you react/what would you do? “What took so long?” Favourite method of relaxation? Walking along Dog’s Bay, breathing in the beautiful Connemara air, any time of the year.
Your nominee for the world’s bestdressed person? Eva Green as Vesper Lindt in Casino Royale.
If you weren’t pursuing your present career, what other career might you have chosen? History teacher. Biggest thrill? Being a dad.
Humanity’s most useless invention? Electric floor mop… I bought one about five years ago.
Your concept of heaven? Again, Dog’s Bay.
Favourite food/drink/stimulant? A hot dog and Coca-Cola on a sunny day in New York.
Biggest fear? Unfinished business. Humanity’s most useful invention? Hand sanitiser.
Biggest disappointment? I control-alt-delete disappointments.
Most embarrassing moment of your life? Time enough for that yet.
Favourite term of abuse? Argo...
• Ryan Tubridy presents The Late Late Show, Fridays at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.
Your concept of hell? A cruise.
NEW ALBUM 22 NOV 2019
2CD / VINYL / DIGITAL Also available MAGIC NIGHTS ON THE ROAD A 4CD set including the complete Magic Nights and On The Road albums with a 48 page hard-cover booklet www.christymoore.com
008CM_MN_HP_MadHatter.indd HOTPRESS.COM
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THE MESSAGE
I S S U E S P E C I A L
NIALL STOKES
FROM SMALL THINGS MAMA BIG THINGS ONE DAY COME
EDITOR OF THE YEAR
April 1977. The decision to launch a magazine had been made. A name had been chosen. But there were still obstacles to be overcome. The thought that we might make it to 1,000 issues of Hot Press never entered our tiny little minds. Indeed – as this extract from his upcoming memoir reveals – there was a moment when it dawned on the crazy collective that even to get one issue onto the streets would be a goddam miracle. By Niall Stokes
O
ur early Hot Press management meetings took place in a flat in Earlsfort Terrace, where Bill Graham, who was one of the founding editorial team, lived with his mother Eileen. She would offer us a choice of Darjeeling, Earl Grey or Broken Orange Pekoe and serve the tea up in real china cups, offering us a glimpse into a more rarified and sophisticated adult world than the one we inhabited. But we couldn’t impose on her too much and so, while we searched for offices, we hung out in Trinity College Student’s Union where Ian Wilson, later of 2fm
010 HOTPRESS.COM
and RTÉ, gave us a bit of space. But there was only so long that could go on for too, and eventually we were forced to use public telephone boxes as our impromptu HQ. As a teenager, I’d developed an ability to tap telephones like a Russian spy, hammering the beats out like a Morse code message, and so we’d base ourselves in a call box for hours on end, tapping out the numbers and begging for appointments with advertising agencies, record companies or potential commercial partners, the sound of trucks wheezing and honking and cars zooming by in the background. Outside, other more innocent and law-abiding citizens
THE MESSAGE
would queue to use the box, but the three-minute limit on calls didn’t apply when you tapped the phone and so we’d ignore their shuffling, grunting and banging until they’d finally burst in, fuming. “How long more are you going to be?” they’d wail. “My mother is dying,” whichever one of us was hogging the phone would say, pointing knowingly at the handset and they’d shrink off into the smog in embarrassment. We didn’t have many other options. With Máirín Sheehy in cahoots, I spent precious hours driving around the city in our battered Fiat 124 looking at the ‘To Let’ signs. Whatever we had decided we could afford to spend on premises clearly wasn’t enough. We were shown one kip after another and none of them had phones. Eventually, amid mounting panic, we identified offices on the second and third floor of a Georgian house in Upper Mount Street, a few doors down from the headquarters of both of the biggest political parties in Ireland, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. The estate agent was a decent skin and he accepted our bona fides without any Gestapo-style interrogation. We had found a home. We signed a lease for two years and nine months, bought office chairs and desks and moved in with a new spring in our steps. This was what running a business was all about! The launch date was looming precariously and so preparations were fast and furious. We hired staff. We hooked up with a firm of typesetters, based two miles out of town in Kilmainham. We met potential printers and tried to hammer out a deal. We talked to distributors. We sent a circular to every record company we had an address for both in Ireland and the UK. It was all go, go, go, go, go. We applied for telephones. A letter came back from the department of Post and Telegraphs. Unfortunately, they explained, they wouldn’t be able to install phones for nine months. There were no lines available in the area, they told us bluntly. It was impossible to know whether to laugh or cry, so we did both. Nine months! Without phones! How the hell were we going to function? How were the ad team supposed to sell ads? How were we going to arrange interviews? How were we going to… fucking talk to people? It was the end! We hadn’t even started yet and the colossal inefficiency of the machinery of State in 1970s Ireland was going to do us in, before we’d even written a word. We redoubled our efforts in the telephone boxes. There were times you’d have to leave a number for a potential advertiser to ring back on, and the phone box number was given in dread, knowing that you couldn’t keep the hordes outside at bay forever. As we waited for the call back, we developed a technique of staying glued to the phone, holding the button down with one hand so that the phone wasn’t engaged, the handset pressed to the ear with the other, me or whoever else might be waiting for the return call all the while animatedly pretending to carry on a conversation, smiling, laughing and cracking the odd joke. The trick was to let go of the button at the faintest suggestion of a ring and to answer like it was a real business. Hot Press! Yes, that’s right. Hold on a second and I’ll put you through to him. But of course we were never at the call box at 9 o’clock the following morning, when most of the return calls were likely made. What the high-powered media buyers must have figured when a passing school-kid or a cleaner-woman on her way to scrub floors would answer the telephone is anyone’s guess but they were unlikely to have been impressed, especially when they gave the number a second whirl. “Are you sure that’s 796 999? You are. It is. (Sounds of a motorbike screaming through in the background). And that’s not Hot Press. You’re sure it isn’t. Thank you very much. Goodbye.” We were due a lucky break but there was no guarantee that we’d get one. A general election was looming in the middle of June. We had wanted to have a say in it, but that seemed like an increasingly forlorn prospect. Gulping down a cup of badly needed coffee in Bewley’s Café, I spotted a news story in one of the papers about how the main parties were gearing up for what promised to be a fiercely fought contest. It was a puff piece of sorts, designed to impress the plebs with big numbers. Look! These political parties really do
“WE HADN’T EVEN STARTED YET AND THE COLOSSAL INEFFICIENCY OF THE MACHINERY OF STATE IN 1970S IRELAND WAS GOING TO DO US IN, BEFORE WE’D EVEN WRITTEN A WORD.” mean business. Fianna Fáil, it was reported, would be getting an additional twelve temporary telephone lines installed in their Upper Mount Street offices. Eight additional lines would be supplied to Fine Gael, across the road. It felt as if someone had hit me in the solar plexus. Fianna Fáil were no more than 10 doors away from us. Fine Gael were almost directly across the road from them. I had always suspected that there were snakes in the grass. Now I was seeing them first-hand. By any standards, it was outrageous. We were being told that no lines would be available for nine months and yet, apparently with a mere click of the fingers, they could turn on twenty in the same street for the political parties. After I got over the initial stomach ache, my blood began to boil. The swine! It was scandalous but utterly typical of the way things were done in Ireland. I went back to the office and fired off angry letters pointing out the absurdity of the situation to a bunch of politicians including the Minister for Foreign Affairs Garret FitzGerald, who was also TD for the Dublin South-East constituency in which our office was located. The implication that it’d make a good story for the newspapers was clear. A few days later the Department of Post and Telegraphs were back in touch. The three phone lines we had requested would be installed immediately. Well, hallelujah, it was raining phones. Entirely by chance, we’d uncovered a life-line. Disaster had been averted. If we’d been launching six months later, we’d never have known that they could turn on the lines like a tap when they wanted to – and no one in authority would have given a fuck about another poxy little rock ’n’ roll venture that failed to get off the ground. But the music of chance was playing in our favour. On such haphazard moments, our collective future often hangs. I am sure that there are people out there who would like to shoot the journalist who wrote the story that saved our lives and enabled us to publish the first edition of Hot Press on time. But, a thousand issues later, it feels like we are entitled to breathe out, and say: that was a close one. (Now read on…)
THANK YOU ALL… A magazine is only ever as good as the staff, the writers and the people who work for it. On this, the occasion of our 1,000th issue, we want to extend our gratitude to every single one of the troops who stepped across the threshold and put their shoulders to the grindstone. At every stage, from 1977 until today, we have been extremely fortunate to have had really great, and often brilliant, people working with us. And that is as true today as ever. So well done teams. A thousand thanks to all of you...
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INBOX
Letters to the editor & other strange missives Contact: Hot Press, 100 Capel Street, Dublin 1, Ireland. letters@hotpress.ie | twitter.com/hotpress (Emails should contain name, address and contact number)
TAKING THE EPISTLE PAUL NOLAN – pictured above right with colleagues, following completion of the 1,000th issue – rounds up a selection of classic letters published in HOT PRESS throughout the years.
KATHY EVANS CORNER “He was trapped in a haircut he no longer believed in.”Aren’t we all? Kathy Evans Seattle, WA USA Here’s to believable haircuts in 1997!
NOVEMBER 1977
APRIL 1986
EVENING PRESS(GANG)
FOUL PLAY
NIALL SEES THE LIGHT!
Some titbits that might be of interest to young Declan Lynch of your parish were screened recently on RTE. The first gem was an item about winning the FAI Cup, when Limerick’s Al Finucane was heard to say: “Some people around here would cut their arms off to get their hands on the cup.” The second item concerned Pat Spillane. When the Kerry footballer was asked by Gay Byrne was his replacement knee made from plastic, the bould Pat went on a twenty minute oration about carbon fibres, tinfoil, swimming across Kenmare Bay and pissing it up in Australia with Joe Walsh, before commenting that the knee was joined together with a bit of wire.
Shock Horror Revelations About ‘Hippy’ Journalist by a Special Correspondent Rock journalist Niall Stokes (51) was regarded as ‘a good chap’ by his many friends. A staple of brown rice, the McGarrigle sisters, Joan Armatrading and Yes had for years made him the most likeable and inoffensive ‘hippy’ on the ‘scene’. Now his friends are astounded and saddened by his recent behaviour. Last week Stokes was discovered by our reporter on Grafton Street, armed with a copy of TV Tube Heart by Ireland’s answer to the Sex Pistols, the Radiators From Space. Stokes was barely recognisable in his vinyl clothes, liberally decorated with nappy pins and badges. His once flowing black locks, reminiscent of the Great Ard-Rianna of Ireland, were replaced by a hideous blonde crop known as the ‘Spike Cut’! He was seen stopping passengers and inflicting them with such slogans as ‘Punk Power’, ‘Paddy Power’, ‘Bleedin’ Great’, ‘Groovy’ and ‘Nice One!’. Our reporter approached him to divine the source of this radical change. Stokes gobbed on him and said, “It’s this fuckin’ new album. It’s the fuckin’ album of the year, man – I mean, maaaan!”, before pogoing down the street. STOP PRESS: Mr. Stokes has swapped his William Burroughs collection for the works of Bertolt Brecht and Rajan Umakovskey. Thanks for the review, kid, see ya soon! Philip Chevron
MARCH 1978 DURY DUTY Dear Hot Press, full stop, you are welcome to be so kind to the Blockheads, and me and we are over the whelm. Our visit to Ireland was a constant joy and a thing forever. Love from Ian Dury
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Yours, Pete The Roz Dublin 7
MAY 1986 SELF AID To those of us who are lucky enough to have a job, the unemployment crisis is like the statistical probability of a nuclear war. We are convinced, we are appalled. But does it keep us awake at night? Does it affect our appetites? I confess that it does not and this is precisely why Self-Aid could be so important. It should be more than just an extension of the “Shut up and give us a couple of Bob” Geldof school of economics. It should educate us and offer some constructive suggestions about how to alleviate the problem. For years, we have looked to Government, businessmen, and bankers for guidance and advice, but what do they give us? Bumper stickers. They remind us of the good old days when people were prepared to tighten their belts (even though they wore braces). They tell us that we will not survive unless we take off our jackets, roll up our sleeves and pull up our socks. Yet, these same preachers always survive, and with their socks down around their ankles grow visibly richer and richer. We have inherited this depressed economy and budget deficit. It is the modern equivalent of original sin. In a bid to
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impress the foreign financiers, our Government does away with things like Housing, Social Welfare, and hospitals while holding on for dear life to slums, pollution and Alice Glenn. This must be really impressive. We should be more practical, eat fewer Danish pastries and less Swiss cheese or do without imported rock magazines. We should all walk around with long, sorrowful faces in the hope that some visiting banker will see us and decide to give us a break. If Self Aid is successful it will not render the government obsolete – they have managed to do that by themselves – but it will be the first step in removing some of the Ire from Ireland. Rock ‘n’ Roll not Dole.
OCTOBER 2005
Liam Fay Dunsany, Meath
DO YOU WANT TO… LOAN US YER ALBUM TITLE?
APRIL 1997 I WANT TO SLEEP WITH CUMANN PEOPLE One morning while watching a repeat of Hot Milk And Pepper, I thought to myself – fuck this for a wank. and made haste to the back pages of Hot Press. After little deliberation, I plumped for the “Randy college ewe peering down an abyss” number. I dialled in eager anticipation to hear a gruff voice say, “Could you hold, please?” “I am,” I replied innocently, when as divine intervention would have it, in walked Mum with shopping in hand. The spuds hit the floor along with poor Mum who was out cold. In
the ensuing panic I neglected to replace the receiver… My six-figure phone bill was subsequently linked to a suspicious windfall received by a prominent local sheep-farmer, and I became entangled in yet another investigation undertaken by that fucking Criminal Assets Bureau. As luck would have it, the sheep-farmer is a well known Fianna Fail sympathiser. My position within Fine Gael has become untenable. Let my own story be a lesson to you all. Independent, honest Tipperary
I’m writing to draw your attention to a most shameless piece of opportunism by Franz Ferdinand. In early 2003, I was living in a secluded retreat in rural Scotland, working on a long-planned comeback album in collaboration with Rupert Holmes, the man behind ‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song)’. One evening myself and Rupert decided to venture into a town for a boogie, and ended up in one of Glasgow’s rock clubs, where I ran into one Alexander Kapranos. I described to him the album I was working on, a planned collection of lounge songs with the working title You Could Have It So Much Better... With Teddy de Bono. Cut to New York earlier this year, where I was visiting in my capacity as Nine Inch Nails’ new tour manager. After the show, I was among a
party from our crew who visited a nightclub in downtown Manhattan. I was about to leap the bar and make an improvised cocktail for Nick Valensi, when I felt a tug on my arm. I turned around and who I should I see before me only Alex Kapranos. We grabbed ourselves a couple of seats (I fear Valensi was slightly nonplussed by my abrupt loss of interest in him) and chatted away until dawn about how our lives and careers had progressed since our last meeting. Just before we made our way into out into early morning NYC, Alex had enquired as to what became of my collaboration with Rupert Holmes. I explained that an offer I received from Mariah Carey’s management to work as her hair stylist proved too tempting, and the album was abandoned. “And what was the title?” asked Alex. “It had a great title as I recall.” “Yes,” I beamed, a little flattered. “You Could Have It So Much Better… With Teddy de Bono.” A couple of days later, Franz Ferdinand duly announced that their sophomore album would be titled, You Could Have It So Much Better… With Franz Ferdinand. I call on Hot Press to spearhead the campaign to have this most grievous of injustices rectified. Yours faithfully, Teddy de Bono Bullseye! Winner of the €20 Dolphin Discs voucher, which will be sent to the worthy cause of your nomination, such as Jobs For Ageing Indie-Rockers, The Morrissey Boys Choir or makedebonohistory.com
The editor sighs: "That’s not how you spell dizbuster fucking riff…"
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SOAPBOX
I S S U E S P E C I A L
MY FANATIC A new call to arms – for the next 1,000 issues of Hot Press. By FAYE O’ROURKE of Soda Blonde
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hen I think of Dublin, I think of my Grandmother. I want to look away from the present state of the place and connect to this city through its past. Nano, one of 23 children, and a die-hard workaholic, cleaned for a living. She came of age during the Second World War. She earned little and gave away lots. When I think of this city, I think of her generosity, her ferocious endurance and her incessant gossiping. I came of age under recession austerity. The boom years were my childhood normality. In my young mind, everything seemed like it was all made for me. In retrospect, I understand that Ireland was on an economic rager. We were running an economy that was entirely unsustainable and, yet, I was oblivious. My generation were encouraged to shake off our long history of being the poor neighbour, to believe that the sky was the limit and that everything we ever wanted was within our reach if we just worked hard enough.
THE FINGER OF BLAME I’m currently renting a shared room with a bunk bed. Above me is an old school friend and actor. I’ve managed to secure the bottom bed, a small mercy. In saying that, the area is good and the company is first rate. Things could be much worse. I consider us lucky when I see reports of how many families are being made homeless each week. It’s shocking and I don’t want to become desensitised to it. I don’t need to add my pointing stick to tell you how fucked we are and how wrong the housing crisis is, how monopoly capitalism has
WE ARE BEING FORCED TO QUESTION OUR VALUES, OUR AMBITION; WHAT WE CONSUME AND HOW WE CONSUME IT. marginalised the vulnerable, and how our capital city is becoming a cultural wasteland. If I could go back in time I would go to 2009, just after the crash, when the appalling financial malfeasance was revealed and the dawning realisation hit that the whole economy had no foundation. I would tell my friends that I have seen the future, that we have the collective power to make great change. I grieve that Ireland didn’t then have the momentum of populist outcry that was galvanised around the Water Charges, the gay marriage referendum, the abortion referendum, and extinction rebellion. I wonder how different it would be now if those who had acted wrongly were brought to book under the pressure of effective outcry and if our rage had been galvanised at the ballot box. A generation that has come of age since is waking up angry, and has mobilised.
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It got me thinking about my anger. As a writer, and admittedly an overly sensitive person, I am quick to passionate response. Anger is an essential energy that has shaken off the inertia. There is an intensity and a sense of empowerment that comes from the gathering consensus that the other, those in power, are wrong and I am right. Beyond pointing the finger of blame, where do I put this energy? The answer is mostly into my music. But the excess? Either it consumes me or it drains me. I’m left with eco-anxiety, economic grief, a nostalgia for the past, and a yearning for my grandmother’s resilience. My experience has taught me that to demonise something only gives over power to it. To shun something creates escape, but it usually reappears in another form. Exclusionary thinking gives us a comfortable distance from the problem but it absolutely separates us from the solutions. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “People who view with alarm never build anything.”
FRUSTRATIONS AND SETBACKS It’s plain to see that we are in a crisis. We need to change and we need to act fast. So how do we take responsibility? It is likely that there will be a general election coming up next year, and if the European elections taught us anything, it’s that Fine Gael had no other option but to respond to our cries on climate action. The tide has turned. We have to speak from the power of our conviction, but we also have to look at our individual responsibility in social change. We are being forced to question our values, our ambition; what we consume and how we consume it. Is it radical to think we should recognise that our shared future also includes our history transformed? We have to believe that we can generate a new consensus and that our counterculture will become the norm. We have to stay connected to this collective action that we have found. Our future is not in the hands of the leaders, it’s in the hands of us as a whole. We are the sum total of our imagination, our individual conviction and integrity. When I think of my grandmother, I think of her tenacity, strength of character and her altruistic nature. That is how I want to see our country. I thank the artists, activists, and ghosts of Dublin for their presence and resilience. Change takes time. My hope is that we have the stamina to endure long enough the frustrations and setbacks that will inevitably come. “Progress is impossible without change,” George Bernard Shaw said, “and those who cannot change their minds, cannot change anything.” And failing that, we can always start a riot.
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MUSIC NEWS
VOL: 43 ISSUE: 17
DAVID GRAY BRINGS WHITE LADDER ANNIVERSARY TOUR TO DUBLIN
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avid Gray’s love affair with Ireland shows no signs of abating with the Welshman bringing his White Ladder: The 20th Anniversary Tour to the Dublin 3Arena from April 2-4. You can also catch him and his band on March 31 when they swing by the Belfast SSE Arena. The other good news is that a Deluxe Edition of White Ladder is being released, the romantic fool, on Valentine’s Day with loads of rarities and B-sides and, for the first time, a vinyl version. The biggest-selling album of all time here – 350,000 copies and rising – it followed on from 1993’s A Century’s End, 1994’s Flesh and 1996’s Sell, Sell, Sell which were all much bigger on this side of the Irish Sea than they were in Blighty which was downright tardy in copping on to his talents. Being championed by Donal Dineen on RTÉ’s No Disco and, cough, receiving copious amounts of column inches in Hot Press were two of the reasons Gray became world famous here first. “I’m proud of White Ladder from start to finish, I really am,” David gushed in ’98 to Niall Stanage, the HP staffer who’s subsequently gone on to cover the presidential beat (Washington D.C. rather than the Phoenix Park) for The Hill and just about every rolling news channel going. “I think ‘This Year’s Love’ is very successful; I like ‘Please Forgive Me’ a lot. It’s got some kind of feeling in there. It sends a shiver down my spine when I listen to it, even still, and I’ve listened to it so many times. That’s what I judge a song by. “We made the record in a very short space of time, to try to get this sense of moment in time” he continued. “It’s a lot more contemporary sounding, but we didn’t make a decision to do anything. It’s a sound that just happened.”
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David today and White Ladder era 1999
David was looking forward to a December run round Ireland that took in Dolan’s, Limerick (10); Black Box, Galway (11); Forum, Waterford (12); Opera House, Cork (14); Whelan’s, Dublin (15); Music Centre, Dublin (16); Vicar St., Dublin (17); Townhall, Galway (18); and Mean Fiddler, Dublin (19). Asked by Niall whether having beats on the album would dictate how the songs were played live – Gray was and still is a master of improvisation on stage – he nodded and said, “Once you’ve got beats involved, you’ve got to decide ahead of time how long they’re fucking going to go on for. That’s something we’re going to really work on because I don’t want it to be anything less than relaxed. That’s what we get off on live. We get off on taking chances, and that is probably when we’re at our best – when we go out on a limb and suddenly arrive somewhere.”
THIS FORTNIGHT’S HOTPRESS.COM HEADLINES • Bruce Springsteen film is a love letter to Patti • Fatman Scoop, Nelly & Salt N Pepa to play Dublin • A Lazarus Soul coming to Whelan’s • Gary Glitter won’t get royalties for Joker song • Gabrielle announces Olympia show
MUSIC NEWS
CHRISTY CELEBRATES 50 YEARS IN THE BIZ MARK NIXON
Christy Moore celebrates fifty years of recording and gigging – by the time Hot Press arrived on the scene he was already six albums into his remarkable career – with the November 22 release of Magic Nights. The 2CD features 26 songs performed in venues from Derry to Dublin, Birmingham to Belfast and Liverpool to Lisdoonvarna. The first song to be lifted from it is Christy’s version of Johnny Cash covering Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Hurt’. “I have deep gratitude for the mystery of it all,” he reflects. “At work I’m surrounded by a great team of comrades. Their talents and vital contributions keep the show on the road. Each night at 8.05 we stand side stage, breathe in the air of expectancy, the intoxicating waft of perfume and after shave. The crew complete their final checks, the lights go down and out we go once more to face the music.
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Thank you for listening, one and all.” As is customary with Christy, all the songs have a story connected to them. “In Belfast we dedicated ‘Burning Times’ to Lyra McKee, her young life so cruelly ended on The Creggan,” he resumes. “In Glasgow I responded to a call-out for ‘Spancilhiil’ and what followed was, for me, a very special version of young Michael Considine’s beautiful song. “When we played Dreamland in Athy I sang Johnny Cash’s version of ‘Hurt’. I was 18 when I heard him sing in that very same dancehall. A night I have never forgotten; Albert Reynolds was on the door! “In Vicar St., Dublin a voice called out for ‘Johnny Jump Up’. The band had not played it before but I dived in and they followed. I cherish such spontaneous moments.” As do we Christy, as do we…
ARTISYN C O M M U N I C AT I O N S
– FULL- SERVICE AGENCY ADDS MUSIC PROMOTION TO ITS ROSTER Dublin-based agency, Artisyn Communications, have added music promotion to their suite of client offerings. “We all know that music has become a little formulaic over the last few years and we love working with artists and promoters who have their own style, bringing a unique experience to audiences,” says Artisyn’s founder Lucy Earley. A former beauty editor and lifestyle journalist, Lucy started Artisyn as a PR company in 2016. The company has now become a fullservice agency offering marketing, advertising, digital media, social media management, and also branding when her husband Michael Earley came on board in early 2018. Previously, Michael ran the digital department for concert promoter MCD for four years.
PHOTO: DERMOT EDWARDS
Their clients are from a wide range of industries, including food, beauty and lifestyle. They have worked with Taste Of Dublin; The Start Summit; LGBTQ Parental Rights activist Ranae Von Meding; and organic skincare brand Eminence.ie – who have Lucy Kennedy as their brand ambassador. They currently work with highlyesteemed Dublin band The Receipts and new Belfast rock band A 1000 Days Gone. They also work with Ireland’s newest concert promoter, Selective Memory, handling all the company’s digital marketing and advertising campaigns, for artists such as Bon Iver (3Arena in 2020); The Cinematic Orchestra; Broken Social Scene; and the Neon Lights Festival in Singapore, which has featured such acts as Caribou and Interpol, and this November will feature Mumford & Sons and Halsey as headliners. Visit Artisyn.ie today to find out more
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GETTING INTO THE FESTIVAL SPIRIT Ireland has cultivated a worldwide reputation for its eclectic array of events and festivals. Covering all sorts of cultural and historical interests and activities, every corner of the island plays host to unique festivities throughout the year. So, next time you’re planning to travel across the country for a festival, why not extend your trip, and spend more time exploring the surrounding area? From the Samhain traditions of Athboy to the dramatic coastline of Wexford, Ireland is never short of surprises. Here are three superb autumnal festivals to start planning a well-deserved weekend break around…
WEXFORD OPERA FESTIVAL
PÚCA FESTIVAL
WEXFORD FESTIVAL OPERA October 22 – November 3 Wexford wexfordopera.com Since its inaugural year in 1951, the awardwinning Wexford Festival Opera has grown into one of the world’s leading opera festivals. Over the last 68 years, it has established a reputation for high-quality productions that bring thousands of international opera-lovers to Wexford Town every year. This year has a distinctively Irish flavour, with two Irish works gracing the stage of the National Opera House: the world premiere of newly commissioned opera La cucina by Andrew Synnott, and a concert version of The Veiled Prophet by Charles Villiers Stanford, conducted by David Brophy. • WHILE YOU’RE IN THE AREA: Running parallel to Wexford Festival Opera is the 67th Wexford Fringe, which is set to take over Wexford Town with over 300 eclectic events, including cabaret, comedy, dance, film, theatre, music and the visual arts. From nearby Kilmore Quay, you can also enjoy a picturesque stroll along Ballyteige Burrow, or explore the protected bird habitats on the Saltee Islands – before heading to Mary Barry’s Bar and Restaurant for the famous seafood specials. Popular hotels include the Maldron Wexford town and Clayton Whites Hotel. Plus, Wexford boasts fantastic b&bs including the Blue Door and the Foggy Dew Inn.
PÚCA FESTIVAL October 31 – November 2 Athboy, Drogheda and Trim pucafestival.com With the inaugural Púca Festival, Ireland is reclaiming its rightful heritage as the birthplace of Halloween. Named after the legendary, shapeshifting harbinger of fortune, Púca will capture the original, authentic spirit of Samhain across three breathtaking nights of music, fire, feasting and mischief. Taking place in three towns, the festival opens with the time-honoured tradition of lighting the Samhain fires at the Hill Of Ward in Athboy. Trim Castle will meanwhile be lit up with illuminations and interactive art will allow members of the public to create some mischief of their own. Púca will also include performances from Jerry Fish, Just Mustard, Pillow Queens, Æ MAK, Kormac & The Irish Chamber Orchestra, David Keenan and Lisa O’Neill. • WHILE YOU’RE IN THE AREA: Whether you choose to stick around one town for the weekend, or explore all three, there’s no shortage of activities to keep you occupied. Boyne Boats offer spectacular guided paddling tours of the Boyne River, using handcrafted naomhóg currachs. Back on land, Púca’s Feast of Samhain food village in Trim will be stocked with delicious Samhain inspired foods from a host of different food vendors. While visiting Trim, drop by the award-winning James Griffin Pub on the High Street to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy a great pint.
DUBLIN ATTRACTION: EPIC IRISH EMIGRATION MUSEUM
BRAM STOKER FESTIVAL October 25 – 28 Dublin bramstokerfestival.com For resident and visiting vampires alike, everyone with a taste for the gothic side of life is welcome at Dublin’s annual celebration of the macabre. Promising four days and nights of deadly adventures over the October Bank Holiday, the Bram Stoker Festival revels in the legacy of the Clontarf man, who wrote what is perhaps the most successful gothic novel of all time, Dracula. There’s plenty to get your heart racing this year, with séances, dress-up film screenings, daring theatre, pop-up Victorian funfairs, special foodie tours and more. • WHILE YOU’RE IN THE AREA: Home to some of Ireland’s most iconic landmarks, attractions and pubs, there’s no shortage of things to do and see when visiting Dublin, from the historic Kilmainham Gaol to the groundbreaking EPIC Irish Emigration Museum. While there’s plenty of stunning city hotels to choose from, also consider looking at the guesthouses and B&Bs located just outside the city centre. Some of the hidden gems listed on Discover Ireland’s website include St. Anne’s in Glenageary, Adare House in Ballsbridge and Redbank House in Skerries.
K E E P A N E Y E O N H O T P R E S S A N D H O T P R E S S . C O M F O R R E G U L A R U P D AT E S . . .
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PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS
I S S U E S P E C I A L
“We’re On The Edge Of A Precipice” Finally, the environment is being recognised as the ultimate, burning issue of the day – too often in the literal sense, as the contagion of wildfires over the past few years has shown. One man who has been campaigning on the issue for decades is Michael D. Higgins, once a regular columnist with Hot Press and now the President of Ireland. Here, we catch up with him in Áras an Úachtaráin, meet the Presidential dogs and get his thoughts on how we might ultimately sideline the climate change deniers.
FACILITATOR: STUART CLARK PHOTOGRAPHY: MIGUEL RUIZ
I’VE
done many strange and wonderful things during my tenure with HP – remind me to tell you about stowing away to Stranraer on Joe Strummer’s tour bus one day – but this is the first time I’ve been called on to administer tummy tickles to the presidential Bernese Mountain Dogs. The idea is to keep them in a state of canine contentment while our man Miguel snaps away at Michael D. with his camera. Otherwise Bród and Síoda are just going to do what they did when Prince Harry and Meghan came a calling last year, which is photo-bomb the shoot. In the end, it turns out to be only partially successful, with Bród determined that Hot Press readers should see him as the essential part of the Áras an Úachtaráin set up that he is There’s a perfect 1,000th issue symettery to us being up in the Phoenix Park today. Having written extensively about the subject during his time as a Hot Press columnist, President Michael D. Higgins is now taking the environmental fight to the likes of US President Donald Trump, whose decision to pull America out of the Paris Agreement he deems to be “regressive and pernicious”; highlighting the absurdity and recklessness of climate change denial; and outlining his proposals for a greener planet that works for all. They’re issues he’s addressing on a micro as well as macro level, with an audit currently being carried out to see how the Áras can be run in as a sustainable and energy efficient way as possible. As we sit down in his book-strewn office –
despite the rigours of the presidency, Michael D. remains as voracious a reader as ever – he tells me that he’s currently waiting to discover whether the Áras’ listed building status allows for the installation of solar panels on the roof. He’s also been talking to the OPW about whether in the interests of local biodiversity they can mow the lawns less often. It’s on the international stage, though, where the President’s words are having their biggest impact.
“GRETA IS SPEAKING OUT OF A GREAT MORAL INSTINCT AND THAT’S TO BE ENCOURAGED, NOT VILIFIED.” That “regressive and pernicious” comment was made in his speech to the European Federation of Public Service Unions Annual Congress, which took place in the RDS, Dublin on June 4, which just happened to be the day before Trump paid his first official visit to Ireland. “While the EU has set binding emissions targets for 2020 and 2030, we must now plan for full decarbonisation of European economies by 2050, encouraging the rest of the world to follow suit, and urging in the strongest possible terms the USA to reconsider its regressive and pernicious decision to leave the global Paris Agreement,” he said – an extended quote that was immediately picked up on by the likes of the New York Times and The Washington Post. When I comment on the robustness of his
words and how carefully they’d been chosen, the President smiles and says, “Oh, I’m always careful. I was a lecturer in political science and sociology. I don’t interfere with the government and its legislative programme or in any way seek to undermine government policy, but at the same time I’m representing the independence of my office in dealing with issues like nuclear proliferation, global poverty, militarism, gender issues and rights issues.” Michael D. was singing from the same environmental hymn sheet on September 25 when he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. “We must embrace the paradigm shift that is necessary if we are to achieve the sustainability we committed to in 2015 here in New York,” he said referring to the development goals officially adopted that year by 193 countries. “We must see and promote the connection between the measures needed to respond to climate change, that will end the exclusions of global poverty, and meet the sufficiency-needs of a global community in terms of food, nutrition, education, health and housing. “We will need,” the President continued, “to muster the moral, intellectual and political courage to prevail in that to which we have committed ourselves to achieve, in the full knowledge that we will be opposed, at times divided, and sought to be undermined by powerful, heavily resourced, unaccountable interests which can purchase media space, interests who have often stolen concepts and language itself, and who will seek to do so again. “I agree with Secretary-General Guterres (of the United Nations – Ed) when he says that schoolchildren have grasped the urgency of
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The minimum amount of twigs underneath will give out the maximum heat. That advantage feeds into all the other rights issues, because it’s women who have to go to gather the fuel, and whose safety in refugee camps is of paramount importance. A simple device added on to the stove means that it can be used not only for cooking, but also to make the electricity needed to charge phones and lights and radios. So there are ways if human ingenuity is allowed to prosper. In a similar spirit enabling people to grow the right crops is vital. Pulses have the least impact in relation to soils, and if they were properly cultivated, you could feed the whole continent of Africa without moving the population at all.
¬ Greta Thunberg
“I WANT TO STAND BACK AND SEE HOW EXTINCTION REBELLION DEVELOPS. ” climate action better than some global leaders. They, having accepted the science, with which they are more familiar than older generations, and understanding the consequences of our present models, see not just the prospect of their futures, but ways of life and the biodiversity on which our planet’s life depends, disappearing due to inaction and short-term thinking.” The President was in New York at the same time as Greta Thunberg, whose own speech to the United Nations was in parts eerily similar to his. There may be five decades between them, but in terms of recognising the clear and present danger the planet’s in, there’s barely a hair’s breadth between President Higgins and the Swedish 16-year-old who’s been the catalyst for what is possibly the most widespread debate about the environment that’s ever been had. In honour of Hot Press’ 1,000th Issue – “What a truly magnificent achievement: congratulations!” he enthuses – Michael D. is eager to reflect on his own environmental journey and what urgently needs to be done to counter climate change. There’s also time for a nostalgic look back at the twelve years he spent writing for Ireland’s most fortnightly magazine, and for the President to indulge in some unashamed musical fandom. - Stuart Clark
The President, in his own words ¬ His Environmental Journey I was five-years-old when I left Limerick City, to be reared by my uncle and aunt in County Clare. The year, I think, was 1946. Ireland was still very much an agricultural country. People
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were dealing with compulsory tillage and sowing crops. My uncle and his neighbours knew about the importance of rotating fields. They knew about depletion of soils. And they also knew about drainage and ditches and hedges and so forth. You were dealing with rural life and biodiversity in a very, very tangible way. These are the fundamentals, which every generation needs to grasp. In the 1970s I wrote a series of articles for the Education Times addressing technology in Ireland and regionalism. The most important one was about the threat to the environment’s marvelous symmetry. A raft of important books had come out including The Tao Of Science and Gregory Bateson’s Steps To An Ecology Of Mind, which was about appropriate indigenous technology. In my review of them, I quoted Francis Bacon saying, “I leave to you nature and her children in bondage for your use.” I’m still struck by the profundity of that line.
¬ Finding Solutions When I started going to Africa from the 1970s onwards, I always felt, “Why isn’t it possible to make a machine that would be a car and a plough and have all sorts of other attachments?” In other words, tailor technology to the specific needs of the people and the place. You’d see machinery that had been exported to Africa from other countries and there were no spare parts or technicians to repair it. I’m enormously admiring of the people who come up with the practical solutions to key problems. We need far more of that. Here in the Áras, I have one of the clay and mud stoves developed by Irish engineers for use in Africa.
I was at the UN Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, fronting a documentary called Seven Days To Save The World, and, curiously, you also had a young girl, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, making a speech about the environment to world leaders. The way it was set up was that the World Business Council for Sustainable Development was given equal status with the different member countries of the UN. The big discussion was whether or not the President of the United States would attend – and what would Fidel (Castro) say when he came from Cuba? I’d be doing an interview outside, only for a helicopter with a head of State to arrive and wreck it! One of the interviews we did was with the head of the Business Council, a brilliant man who was also the head of Nestlé and had been one of the first people to cop on to the word ‘sustainable’ and fully recognise its currency. The islands in the Pacific with rising sea levels weren’t directly represented at that summit, so I interviewed them on the Greenpeace boat. So this has been rumbling on for a long time. Every now and again, it’s necessary for someone to break the bubble and have a cathartic effect in relationship to it, and Greta Thunberg has done that. I think she’s very, very important and I hope she’s looked after. It’s terrible to think of people in any way attacking her, as they have done. Greta is speaking out of a great moral instinct and that’s to be encouraged, not vilified.
¬ Extinction Rebellion & Grassroots Protest I want to stand back and see how Extinction Rebellion develops. One of the things we must be very careful about is the choice of tactics. What I have said to environmental movements is, “The forces that will oppose the significant changes needed for a paradigm shift are immensely powerful.” A woman died recently in the United States and left her fortune to the denial of the science. There are huge resources there. In responding to climate change, you have to be able to see the necessary connections between new forms of economy, social cohesion and climate. These are complex issues and complex strategies are required. That’s why I can’t judge Extinction Rebellion yet and decide where it fits in a suite of approaches towards achieving sustainability. What’s needed is a literate, sustained movement. The people who are involved in pressing for change must never be wrong in an argument. There must be an emperical foundation for your facts; and the onus is on you to be cleverer than your opponents. I learned very early on that, as a critic of the establishment way of doing things, you had to work harder, and you had to finish better – because your position was going to be carefully scrutinised. It isn’t necessarily
PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS the best tactic to antagonise everyone at the same moment. You have to be clever with the strategic approach. This doesn’t mean that you have to slow things up at all: we’re at the edge of the precipice and action is needed. But how people who are on the right side of the argument go about it is important.
¬ A Policy of Inclusion One of the most difficult things in Ireland has been coming to terms with class issues and the inequalities that arise from them. The State came into existence in 1923. It was based on a certain set of principles. It took a long time to move towards a policy of inclusion. But we still have a long, long way to go to pursue an egalitarian agenda. When you’ll see real change is when you get the environmental issues combined with equality and participation issues. I couldn’t repeat it often enough. That is where we must aim to be as a society.
¬ The Amazon On Fire
¬ The Real Meaning Of Socialism There’s a philosophical debate. Do you think, for example, that a person’s needs are best met by their own calculation? That’s what the market says. Out of an accumulation of individual rationalisms you will get a better quality of life. I don’t believe that. I think it is necessary for different forms of co-operation, including by the State, to provide the basic needs of society in relation to food, housing, health, education and so forth. In the last forty years,
“THE PEOPLE WHO’VE CONTRIBUTED LEAST TO CREATING THE ¬ Climate Change Denial PROBLEM ARE THE People in Ireland who deny climate change ONES WHO ARE PAYING would tend also to have very extreme views in relation to multi-lateralism, global peace and THE PRICE. WHERE IS on. The denial of the science is absolutely THE JUSTICE IN THAT?” so irresponsible. It undermines multi-lateralism.
We desperately need international diplomacy to bring about the recognition that the future of the Amazon is of importance to more than just the state of Brazil. When I visited Brazil years ago, there was a great possibility then of a whole belt of countries agreeing to a merged plan across the Amazon. It’s heartbreaking to think that this aspiration is gone now, particularly in relation to what is happening at the moment to indigenous communities. What you have in many ways is a regime that represents a major threat to the eco-system. It goes along with a mindset that is authoritarian and one that is evoking the spirit of the time of the army juntas in that part of the world. Latin America breaks my heart at the moment. I was associated with so many of the developments there – literacy, cooperatives and all of that. To see how things have been abused by authoritarian tendencies, and by parties who are not being faithful to the movements that created them. To stay positive, you could say that Brazil is disappointing and the United States is disappointing; you could say there are many tendencies in India that are not consistent with the Paris Accord and sustainable development; but what we have to do is get on and work with what we can. As consciousness grows, changes will happen. I remember the start of it in Ireland: “Reduce, reuse, recycle.” When I was in the Dáil, all the schools around the country were putting up green flags. We build up from the ground. The good news is that there are very few political movements now that could face the public anywhere without having some sort of green agenda. However you view it, that represents progress.
In 2015 we had universal agreement in Paris on climate and in New York on sustainability. Climate change denial is often associated with a false model, such as that the economy – in abstraction from its people – can do well. Now, let’s take the new United States economy, where there have been massive transfers to the rich, but where blue-collar incomes have been static for about thirty years. The issue for development is: do you say that extending what’s poisoning the planet is an appropriate model for development? I doubt that anyone can turn that into a valid argument.
¬ Heat and Greed A book I’m recommending very strongly to people is Professor Ian Gough’s Heat, Greed And Human Need. He brings all the different strands together, dealing with the whole question of the planet heating. I’m absolutely certain that you can’t just put a gloss on the existing model we have of the connection between economy and society. A distinction has to be made between sufficiency and insatiability. In response to the planet heating, you now have to be preparing people for a paradigm shift, in the same way as you had it in science and physics. If you were to achieve the greening of the economy, as we understand it at the present time, that wouldn’t be sufficient. You’d still have a problem. The fact of the matter is the people who’ve contributed least to creating the problem are the ones who are paying the price. Where is the justice in that?
¬ Looking to the Unions
¬ The New Nationalism There have been popular movements, which gave us – for example – the great achievement that the British National Health Service was, when it was put in place; that gave us public housing; that was responding to the need for public education. In the same way, there were nationalisms that unseated empires and offered people freedom and emancipation. In contrast, populism now is where you have an abuse of people, who are equipped only with a limited amount of information. This inevitably leads to distortions of the truth. This new kind of nationalism is not emancipatory in any way. It is a resile to the self and to self-interest.
we’ve had a paradigm that is delivering failure. It has not addressed global poverty. It has lost social cohesion in many of the most developed economies and it has no theory of consumption. A good question to ask is, “Can things be turned around within the existing model?” I think it’s very dubious. There have to be structural changes. There are several different models. Supposing, for example, you decided to give everyone a basic income and it met their needs? That might be alright, but how are you going to deal with the consumption side of all that? These are difficult questions, but what seems clear to me is that we need to find new approaches that better suit our current predicaments.
(from top) Greta Thunberg, Amazon fires & Extinction Rebellion in action
While it is important to acknowledge the problems we face in relation to those big economies that are not opting into the changes we need, there’s also good news happening. I spoke recently to the centenary of the International Labour Organisation and the Confederation of Public Service Unions in Europe and there’s a really good chance that the trade unions are going to position themselves at the front of the sustainable debate. That would be very valuable indeed, because instead of waiting for something to happen to their members as a consequence of technology, you’d have the trade unions out front in the vanguard saying, “This is what we mean by sustainability. This is how we’re going to redefine work.” You won’t be able to achieve what was agreed in Paris or New York without addressing the issue of re-defining work. What
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(clockwise) Leonard Cohen, President Michael D. Higgins and his dog in front of the Áras with Stuart Clark, the late Bill Graham, and Mairin Sheehy of Hot Press
about, for example, all the different issues of care? You’re also going to have to think about forms of income distribution, and global sustenance that is separate from the traded economy. That’s where the real challenge is.
¬ The Other America We mustn’t write off the United States. There are cities in the US offering themselves as sanctuary cities. There are cities with eco-social policies. There are cities doing incredible things in relation to race and so forth. What you get in relation to climate deniers is a high level of guff. It’s language without substance. The notion is that if you shout it loud enough it will make people believe it is so. What you get is demagoguery rather than a reasoned debate. When I see these youngsters protesting, it is perfectly clear that what they want is a decent life. You have to ask, looking at the United States, and the way society operates there, how can it be necessary to have such a huge proportion of the population in jail? I was 25 when I went to study in the United States in 1966. It was during the Vietnam War: the ‘Whites Only’ signs still hadn’t been taken down from the toilets and the War On Poverty was on. So, having witnessed that first-hand, it is very sad to see the race issue back again in politics.
¬ Leonard Cohen There’s no magic like that of live performance. Arthur Miller gave an interview in the 1980s about his writing and he said, “It’s not the script, but the bunch of actors on stage making something happen.” I was happiest myself performing. During my first election, I owed Mary McPartlan some gigs, so I did five, I think, in different places. We had a classical guitarist with us at one of them who said, “What’s the set?” and I said, “The set is if Mary’s voice goes I have three more poems!” When I came to Galway first, Acker Bilk – ‘Stranger On The Shore’ and all that – was playing at the Seapoint. I was very, very into jazz. People were quite shocked when I said that, of the Johnny Cash numbers, I liked ‘The Beast In Me’. The Kris Kristofferson song ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’, as sung by Johnny Cash, was another. I’m a big Leonard Cohen fan: oh, he really was something. I’m looking forward
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to seeing the Marianne & Leonard: Words Of Love film. I met him when he was here in the Royal Hospital KIlmainham. What was amazing about that night was first the long set – he gave so much time to those performances – and secondly the sheer grace he displayed to the performers on stage with him. The doffing of the hat and all that was class. After the gig the two of us sat down and he said, “Would you like some chicken soup?” So we ate, and we talked. It is a great memory to have of the man.
“YOU’D GO INTO HOT PRESS AND MEET EXCITING PEOPLE LIKE NIALL, BILL GRAHAM, DECLAN LYNCH, LIAM MACKEY, JACKIE HAYDEN AND MAIRIN SHEEHY.” ¬ Support For The Arts When I was Minister for Arts, Culture & The Gaeltacht I had begun to look at how you can sustain income among the performers of this country. It’s always being said that, “We’re very creative and we’re culturally this, that and the other” – but often we’ve left people who are involved in the arts at an impecunious level of existence. The most pressing thing in relation to arts and cultural policy is the security of the performer. We go on about ‘the next big thing’ – but what about dancers who are suffering from arthritis and so on? It was disappointing to hear David Kitt talking about having to leave Dublin because he couldn’t afford to live here. His lyrics are so good. We should not be allowing a situation to prevail, which means that important artistic and cultural talent feels the need to emigrate.
¬ The Hot Press Years
I wrote for Hot Press from 1981 to 1993. Niall approached me just before it made the shift from newsprint to gloss – and the first thing that happened was that John Waters interviewed
me for the magazine. Then Niall raised the idea of a regular column. I was giving lectures in sociology and political science in UCG and knew that certain people weren’t coming into thirdlevel education like they are now, and I wanted to see what might be done about that, and to get these ideas out to a wider audience. That was one of my main motivations for joining the Hot Press team. What ultimately made my relationship with Niall Stokes and Hot Press possible was this marvelous invention called the FAX machine. Pre-the FAX age, I’d write my copy longhand – I didn’t type – and give it to a person in the cafeteria at the station in Galway, who’d take it on the train to Heuston Station in Dublin, where Hot Press had someone waiting to collect it. We had an agreement that the pieces would be between 800 and 1,500 words and I’d be free to write about anything I liked. But the invention of the FAX made everything a lot easier. I remember being away and having to find the one FAX machine they had on this island off Thailand! One of my early columns related to the Mozote Massacre in El Salvador. It was invaluable to me to be able to write about human rights issues from the ground. I wrote a very cruel one, maybe, about Tony O’Reilly’s 50th birthday and another about health clubs and the difference in the changing-rooms between decrepit bodies with large towels and Adonis types with small towels strutting around. So I wrote about whatever occurred to me at the time and thoroughly enjoyed it. You’d go into Hot Press and meet exciting people like Niall, Bill Graham, Declan Lynch, Liam Mackey, Jackie Hayden and Mairin Sheehy. I have great, great time for Eamonn McCann, who I had lunch with the other day. He started his column in Hot Press at around the same time that I did and he is still writing as powerfully now. I think he’s one of the straightest politicians, and one of the straightest people, around. I also knew him from the antiReagan campaign and all of that. He started out in politics agitating for the most basic of citizens needs via-the Derry Housing Action Committee, and has continued to have a very direct connection with those on the ground. In itself, that is a great achievement.
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FEATURE MACROOM
THE DAY IT ALL CAME TOGETHER The year was 1977. Rory Gallagher was set to play what has gone down in history as Ireland’s first proper outdoor music festival. And Hot Press put the G-man on the cover of the first issue. It turned out to be a momentous occasion indeed... By The Edge 026 HOTPRESS.COM
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y brother Dik and I saw the ad in a UK music paper, or inky as they were known. Tickets could be bought at Pat Egan’s record store in Dublin city-centre, a 45-minute bus ride away from where we lived on the North side of the capital. We both considered the proposition: the first ever open-air rock festival staged on Irish soil, £IR6 for a ticket and a coach ride to and from Dublin City centre. The venue was in the grounds of a ruined castle, 20 miles outside Cork City – the 12th century Macroom Castle. The headline act was my favourite guitar player: Rory Gallagher and his band. The year was 1977. We talked through the logistics of getting tickets and quickly decided that, whatever it took, we had to go. I was 15 and Dik 17.
IRISH MUSIC INKY
We finally arrived with a coach full of rock fans from all the different districts and constituencies of Dublin city, united by our curiosity and a love of Rock ‘n’ Roll, particularly the music of Rory Gallagher. As we spilled out of the coach, our senses were immediately assaulted by the Mountain Dew Festival; the wind-buffeted sound of the North of England band Nutz wafted our way, along with
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THE SOUND WAS LIKE NOTHING I HAD EVER HEARD BEFORE – RAW AND WILDLY EXPRESSIVE – THE BLUES BROUGHT TO LIFE.
the smell of cheap cigarettes and cider. 20,000 mostly raucous male youth, dressed in the low fashion of 1970’s Irish suburbia, came into view. It was a marvellous sight. As we got closer, the music came into focus: visceral and devoid of any self-doubt or self-awareness, this was peak 1970’s heavy rock. For all its flaws, to everyone there it spelled freedom. In the interval we found a patch of grass to base ourselves. A bloke came over with a pile of what looked like newspapers. He was handing them out to anyone interested. I took a copy and looked at the cover. Hot Press was the title, edition number 1. It had Rory Gallagher on the cover. Our very own Irish music Inky. Everything came together for me at that moment. Ireland had officially embraced Rock ’n’ Roll. On that little patch of grass I found my place in this world, and in a crowd of 20,000 strangers I felt connected.
READ AND RE-READ
Rory came on soon after and played the show of his life. The sound was like nothing I had ever heard before – raw and wildly expressive – the blues brought to life. Pure joy. Not a studied rehash by a bunch of effete aficionados, but a re-imagining of the African-American heart-cry, by a band of Irish players drawing from the spirit of defiance and rage that was the undercurrent of the Irish experience. We got home in the wee small hours and by the following morning it all seemed like a dream. For the next week or so it was all we could talk about: the impact wasn’t outwardly visible but a switch had been thrown. And that Hot Press music paper was read, and re-read, until eventually it fell to pieces.
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S H A R ON H O R G A N
IT’S A FUNNY
OLD LIFE After rock ‘n’ roll success eluded her – frankly she wasn’t too bothered – Sharon Horgan decided to concentrate on making people laugh. Bong shops, giant turds, Punch & Judy shows, Hollywood legends, that version of ‘Zombie’ and Mic Christopher all feature - in a Hot Press 1,000th issue special- as she talks Stuart Clark through her remarkable career.
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PHOTO BY RACHELL SMITH/CAMERA PRESS
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f things had panned out a little differently, we could be talking to Sharon Horgan today about her stadium-filling rock ‘n’ roll career rather than the TV shows and films that have made her one of the hottest comedy acting and writing properties on the planet. “No, Stuart, we couldn’t!” she laughs. “I was the dancer - note dancer rather than singer – in a band put together by the ex-Virgin Prunes drummer, Haa-Lacka Binttii, whose real name is Danny. My style was sort of ‘embarrassed go-go dancer’. I was mates with his girlfriend who was the backing singer and asked me to join for the craic. I was under strict instructions not to go anywhere near the microphone, which reflects my skills – or lack thereof – in that department.” Sharon was pretty confident that no visual record of her embarrassed go-go dancing existed, but we’ve found a fabulous clip of her aged 18 doing her Binttii thing on a 1988 edition of ‘youf’ programme Jo-Maxi, which can be found at rte.ie/archives. Having spent the first four years of her life in London, Horgan moved in the mid-‘70s to rural Meath with her parents who swapped running a Tower Hamlet pub for a new life as turkey farmers. By the time she hit her teens a sizeable chunk of her pocket money was being spent on records – “Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘Relax’ was my first single and there was a lot of David Bowie and Kate Bush,” Sharon gleefully recalls – and sneaking into gigs. “There was a really good venue nearby in Drogheda called the Boxing Club where I saw Cactus World News, John Cooper Clarke and lots of having-a-go local bands. I also used to train it into Dublin for the occasional gig, which is where I bought my first copies of Hot Press. That was the magazine you had to read if you wanted to be a proper music nerd.” Despite her earlier assertions, Sharon’s voice was considered honeyed enough by Tim Burgess to grace the title-track of The Charlatans’ 2017 Different Days album. “Yeah, it was fucking great!” she enthuses. “I definitely didn’t nail it the first time; there was a bunch of goes. Tim just wanted people he liked or had some sort of connection with on the album. So, I don’t think he really cared whether I could sing or not. He came over a couple of weekends ago for Mic Christopher’s 50th birthday celebration gig in Whelan’s. We did ‘Kids’ together on stage, which was really sweet. Tim’s the greatest.” Talking a while back on the Lisa Hannigan and Dylan Haskins co-hosted Soundings
podcast, Sharon spoke of Mic Christopher being “my good pal, my fellow messer and, for a short time, lover. Somehow we managed to stay pals and not in a bullshit, pretend sort of a way. One day in midNovember 2001 he came to visit me with no warning in my tiny basement flat in Stockwell. He was supporting The Waterboys in Brixton Academy, which was a dream come true for him because he was a Waterboys nut. I went along and watched him on this big stage, performing beautifully. The next morning he left to go on tour round Europe with The Waterboys, and that was the last time I ever saw him because after a gig in Amsterdam he went out for a walk, tripped over and fell down some steps, knocked his head, fell into a coma and never woke up.” It’s no surprise then that Sharon found the Whelan’s gig deeply affecting.
“I WAS THE DANCER IN A BAND PUT TOGETHER BY THE EX-VIRGIN PRUNES DRUMMER.” “As bittersweet as it was, there was a lovely feeling in the room,” she says. “Mic just had this unique warmth and wisdom.” In one of those weird twists of fate, Sharon recently shot an episode of Amazon’s new romantic comedy anthology, Modern Love, with former Frames bassist-turned-filmmaker John Carney. “It’s bonkers, isn’t it? I knew Glen obviously because of Mic, but although we have loads of friends in common I don’t think I knew John back in the day. I say ‘think’ because my memory’s not brilliant. But, yeah, he was part of that whole scene, which was the starting point for so many amazing careers.” Based on the long running New York Times column of the same name, Modern Love premieres on October 18 with one of her comedy heroes, Tiny Fay, starring in Sharon’s amorous tale. “That was a ‘pinch yourself’ moment,” she admits. “I’ve watched Mean Girls so many times. I had to stop raving to Tina and Rachel McAdams about it because it’s something they did fifteen-years-ago. She was the nicest, the funniest and really, really happy to play around with different ideas. John Slattery as well was great. As a relatively new director those kinds of things can feel nerve-wracking,
but they made it anything but that.” She’s told us about her first musical crushes, but who were the people that made Sharon laugh as a kid? “I loved The Young Ones and Dick Emery who your younger readers will have to look up on YouTube. Family-wise, we’d sit down and watch stuff like Porridge and Rising Damp, both of which were beautifully written. I watched some Freddie Starr recently because he’d passed away and, though a lot of the material hasn’t aged well, that speed up/slow down record thing of his is still funny.” A scroll through Sharon’s IMDB page – which is insanely long for a relative newcomer – confirms her involvement in 11 TV shows and films in 2019. How the fuck does she organise her diary? “Sometimes it’s a bit of a mad year and you feel like your head’s going to fall off, and then other years I’m stuck in London just writing. This year has been a bit nuts because I did Catastrophe and Military Wives and This Way Up and Motherland and that musical, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and, oh yeah, Modern Love. So it was a fucking crazy year. You just need to be ready to get on a plane and have a lot of support from your family.” February 12, 2019 was a poignant day for Sharon as after four brilliantly funny and moving seasons, Catastrophe bowed out with a final episode that saw Kleenex shares skyrocket. Asked whether she was sad to bring the curtain down on the show, she shoots back: “Not to sound melodramatic, but I felt a real sense of grief. It was something I’ve been doing for five years. When the final episode went out I had to catch a breath. The response from people snapped me out of it. It was so amazing; I couldn’t have hoped for anything better.” Running through Sharon’s list in chronological order – she neglected to mention Bob’s Burgers, Divorce, Disenchantment, Frayed and How To Build A Girl, but hey! – brings us to Military Wives, one of those emotional rollercoaster ride Britcoms that director Peter Cattaneo has specialised in since hitting paydirt with The Full Monty. “I got to work with Kristin Scott Thomas!” Sharon enthuses. “That was definitely an imposter syndrome moment; ‘What am I doing here with this screen goddess?’ We have an argument about a blowjob and get to sing Sister Sledge’s ‘We Are Family’ at the end – there’s a lot of great ‘80s music in it – neither of which are things I thought I’d ever experience. It’s a feelgood story where
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“OH MAN, AISLING AND I WERE GENUINELY HEARTBROKEN WHEN DOLORES DIED.”
(clockwise from above): Sharon with Sorcha Cusack & Aisling Bea in This Way Up; a still from Catastrophe; and paying tribute to Mic Christopher with Tim Burgess
it’s tough and sad in parts and life affirming in others. I could tell it was a film that was going to reach a really wide audience, and thought, ‘Why not do something with a broader reach?” Talking recently to Noel Hogan from the Cranberries, he said Dolores O’Riordan would have loved the spectacularly discordant version of ‘Zombie’ that Sharon sings – I use the word loosely – with Aisling Bea in This Way Up. “Oh man, Aisling and I were genuinely heartbroken when Dolores died. We always knew that if we did something together we would be murdering a Cranberries song at some point. When she passed I deep-dived into all these videos and interviews with her. That beautiful face Dolores had and her little downturned mouth. It was really affecting.” This Way Up finds Horgan playing second fiddle for once to Bea who she says “cracks me up even when she’s trying to be serious, which isn’t very often. The dynamic of the two sisters, Aine and Shona, isn’t far off what we have in real life. It was incredibly hard keeping a straight face doing ‘Zombie’. I can’t remember the exact number of takes, but it was enough for the crew to stop finding it funny. It was the earnestness of it that kept cracking us up.” Kicking off its second BBC Two run last week was Motherland, the parenting comedy that draws on Sharon’s own experiences of doing the nursery/school run. “I get suspicious looks from the other mums who are thinking, ‘Is she going to use me for material?’ It’s good fun but not a super easy show to write because there are so many characters – you have all these stories to weave in – and a high gag rate.” You’ll have to wait until early 2020 to see Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, which found Sharon notching up more imposter syndrome moments as she filmed scenes with Sarah Lancashire (“She’s great and really ballsy”) and
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Richard E. Grant (“He’s adorable”). “I tried to talk myself out of the role after going to see the original West End musical,” she reveals. “I was like, ‘Listen, I can’t really sing and I definitely can’t dance, so you should find somebody else.’ The director, Jonathan Butterall, who’s really nice, wouldn’t take no for an answer so in the end I thought, ‘Fuck it!’ I’m not sure I’m going to be any good in it, but it’s a really spectacular piece of work.” What’s more surreal – going to the Emmys or chopping up carrots on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and being admonished by the host for saying “Oh shit!” when some of them dropped on to the floor?
“WE HAVE AN ARGUMENT ABOUT A BLOWJOB AND GET TO SING ‘WE ARE FAMILY’ AT THE END.” “They’re equally surreal,” she laughs. “The first time I went to the Emmys with Rob Delaney we felt like strangers in a strange land. We were able to look around at our favourite TV shows in motion, and also everyone was being so nice to us. It was a bit of a joy. The next time you’re like, ‘ Ugh, this is long and boring.’ The magic wanes a bit. “It’s the same with meeting all these highpowered executive types,” she continues. “At first you’re like, ‘What the hell? Why are all these people here?’ but now I’ve developed a healthy, cynical suit of armour. My attitude is: ‘If something comes out of it, great…’ That said, I had a meeting a couple of months ago
with two extremely famous people, who I won’t name, and spent the whole time thinking, ‘This is fucking nuts!’” Prepping for This Way Up with Aisling Bea consisted of hanging out and going on the piss together. Was the modus operandi the same when Sharon created Divorce for Sarah Jessica Parker? “Well, apart from the going on the piss together. I met with her and afterwards went back through all her stuff – I’d of course seen Sex In The City. Then you just do what you do, hand it over and hope for a positive response.” It’s all a far cry from the wilderness years Sharon spent in London after being cruelly denied a place on Trinity College’s drama course. “That was my of saying, ‘Fuck you Dublin!’” laughs Sharon who was variously employed as a power shower salesperson, a Jobcentre work coach – she resigned after her manager ordered her to clean up a human turd that had been deposited outside – and an assistant in a Camden bong shop. “The bong shop was next-door to the Good Mixer, which has the best jukebox in London and is where Blur and Elastica used to hang out during the Britpop craziness. I’d do my shift and then go in there hoping to meet Graham Coxon! “In the midst of all this, I managed to get my Equity Card doing Punch & Judy with this actor who made all the puppets and put on shows,” she concludes. “It’s fun now that I look back on it, but I shared a very confined space with quite a mad fucker. We took it to Paris, though, and from that all of this has sort of sprung!” • Motherland can be seen every Monday at 9pm on BBC Two. Modern Love makes its Amazon Prime bow on October 18.
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HOW THE
WESTERN WAS WON “I’m going to try and be an astronaut next,” quips BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN who’s done just about everything else in a remarkable career that has included some historic Irish stop-offs. To mark our 1,000th issue, STUART CLARK can’t resist slipping a ‘Barn In The USA’ pun in as he joins The Boss for a preview of his new Western Stars movie. Plus, Bruce’s lieutenant STEVE VAN ZANDT on the magic of the E Street Band.
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he first time Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen got a major run-out in Hot Press was in June 1978 when Jack Lynch cast a critical ear over Darkness On The Edge Of Town. The album, Jack noted, “is appearing after three years of silence. Springsteen had been involved in litigation with his ex-manager, Mike Appel, which vetoed any recording. This in turn dissuaded Bruce from performing any new songs for fear of them being bootlegged.” Jack was spot-on with his assertion that, “Springsteen’s romantic attitude has taken some knocks since the lay-off. His characters may still be wild but they have lost their innocence to a worldly wisdom.” With ‘Badlands’, ‘Adam Raised A Cain’, ‘The Promised Land’, ‘Prove It All Night’ and the emotionally-charged title-track among its numerous standouts, Darkness... got to number five in the US Billboard chart, confirming that Bruce’s music had lost none of its currency during his enforced sabbatical, and teeing him up perfectly for The River, which followed two years later and earned him his first Stateside number one. Sales-wise, though, it was dwarfed by his next E Street Bandassisted album, Born In The USA, which sold over 30 million copies and on June 1, 1985 brought him to Slane Castle for what at the time was his biggest ever show. Fast-forward 34 years and the thing that’s still astonishing about Bruce is his work rate. Since wrapping the E Street Band’s last tour on February 12, 2017 – a globe-straddling 89 date affair that grossed $306.5 million at the box-office – The Boss has published his bestselling Born To Run memoir; performed 160 solo Springsteen On Broadway shows, which spawned a much-watched Netflix special; scored yet another monster hit with this year’s Western Stars; and turned it into a movie that gets a one night only screening all over the world, including Ireland, on October 28 with the soundtrack dropping three days beforehand. It’s this “part concert film, part visual album” which finds your humble correspondent sipping a skinny decaf latte in London Soho’s seriously salubrious Ham Yard Hotel at ten o’clock in the morning. Sticking to mineral water is The Boss who’s resplendent in a check shirt, faded jeans, cowboy boots and standard issue James Dean leather jacket. With him is his Western Stars codirector Thom Zimny, a longtime collaborator who cut his teeth editing three seasons of The Wire and also has a Johnny Cash film hurtling down the tracks. The plan of attack is that a motley assortment of European print journalists are going to be treated to a screening of the film followed by a Q+A with Bruce and Thom conducted by broadcaster and über-Boss fan Edith Bowman. My previous Close Encounter Of The Bruce Kind was in March 2012 when a similar bash was thrown in Paris for his Wrecking Ball album. I just happened to be positioned at the right end of the La
Mucide Marigny theatre bar when Mr. S arrived in for a postplayback flute of champagne. It’s all a little bit hazy – they weren’t skimping on the bubbles – but we ended up having a chinwag about a mutual hero of ours, Joe Strummer. “I ran into Joe in a bar in LA in 1990,” Bruce recalled. “What a guy. We were from very different backgrounds but singing I think from the same hymn-sheet. I really miss having Joe around.” I’m still in a state of shock, but less so than my 13-year-old self who will never be able to compute that he got to talk matters Clash with The Boss. Reflecting on his latest creative purple patch, Bruce said recently that, “The book came very organically, and from the book came the play, and from the play came an extension of tying up the philosophical threads I’ve been working on my whole life, really. As I say in the beginning of the movie, there are two sides to the American character: the solitary side and the side that yearns for connection and community, and I’ve spent a lifetime trying to figure out how to reconcile those two things. “I knew I wasn’t going to go on tour for Western Stars,” he continued, “so I needed another way to connect with fans. I said, ‘Let’s just shoot the whole album from start to finish’, which we did.’ So I had the book and then I had the play, and now this film is
“LOVE IS ONE OF THE MIRACLES THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US DAILY PROOF OF.” the completion of that trilogy of work.” Bruce is in ebullient form – is he ever in anything else? – as he greets the chosen media few (plus a somewhat incongruous looking Badly Drawn Boy) with a hearty “Hello, early morning movies watchers!” and then takes his seat for what must be his gazillionth gawp at Western Stars. It’s apparent pretty much from the start that the 82-minute film is equal parts Bruce mythologising America’s southwest and demythologising himself. While all of the themes are familiar – “My 19th album and I’m still writing about cars – or the people in them,” he jokes on screen – he’s never spoken with such candour about his relationship with Patti Scialfa who’s rightly credited as the special guest star. As recently rediscovered footage of them honeymooning together in a log cabin plays, Bruce whispers the sweetest of nothings to the woman who’s accompanied him on a massive part of his rock ‘n’ roll adventure. “We’ve been together for a long time, so that’s a lot of experience around the one little microphone,” he tells us after the end credits have rock ‘n’ rolled. “So we bring all of that the minute we lean in. Oh my Lord, there’s the whole 30 years of emotional
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STA R S Q UA L I T Y
A regular Bruce collaborator for almost twenty years, THOM ZIMNY knows what makes The Boss tick. Stuart Clark: It must have been amazing going through Bruce’s home videos. Thom Zimny: I had this opportunity at one point to try and figure out a unique gift for him, and they were telling me they had a bunch of Super 8 movies. I transferred the material and came across the magical moment of him and Patti on their honeymoon. Home movies convey such a truth. They’re so raw in their lack of sophistication. A truth comes across in the imagery of the two of them at their honeymoon cabin. Western Stars is, in many respects, a love letter to Patti. He never said that to me directly while making the film but, yeah, I was picking up the cues! This was a close look at the beauty and intensity of that commitment to another person, and also seeking out a community to have a sense of place. There are a lot of layers to it. The scene where Bruce kisses the top of Patti’s head brought a tear to my eye. Whether it’s the E Street Band or something like Western Stars, you realise when you’re on stage filming that there’s a secret language amongst musicians. That secret language is very hard to capture on camera, but at times you get lucky like when Bruce signaled Patti to come over to the mic or just the brief eye contact between them during a chorus. It tells the viewer about the intensity they have both as musicians and husband and wife. What was your reaction to Western Stars: The Album when you first heard it? Well, it was ten years ago when it was just demos. Already, though, I could tell it was very cinematic and the imagery of landscapes would appear to me. These songs are minimovies to begin with. A couple of years ago you made Elvis Presley: The Seeker, and your Johnny Cash doc premiered recently at SXSW. Their American icon status aside, are there any points of intersection between them and Bruce? What I connect with all these guys is the lost father, and their commitment to their artistry. Johnny was doing concept albums. He was pushing the form as Bruce is now. They’re sort of cut from the same cloth. • See hotpress.com for the full Thom Zimny interview
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Bruce and the boys striking their Darkness On The Edge Of Town poses, and (opposite) killing it at Slane
life together between us. She’s wonderful. If you dig deep down into the centre of the film, she’s there.” The movie performance of ‘Stones’ is notable for not only Bruce and Patti’s swoonsome vocal interplay, but also the tender kiss he plants on the top of her head at the end. “I should have had Patti on the record,” he rues. “That was a big mistake because it’s all about men and women and Patti brings so much.” Quickly followed by his proclamation that, “Love is one of the miracles that God has given us daily proof of”, it confirms what we already knew, which is that Springsteen is a hopeless romantic. What makes Western Stars different to your average concert movie are the short film introductions to its fourteen songs, which is one more than you’ll find on the original album. Feeling that the ending might otherwise be too downbeat, Bruce came up with the last minute idea of covering
during the photo session for the record. We started to play with that: it felt good and then I started to score the voiceover and that got us into this whole other section. Which is really what turned it into a movie rather than just a concert film. It happened very organically and bit by bit. “It was very enjoyable because I got to go inside the songs again, and try to have a deeper understanding of what they were actually about,” he continues. “I was working on a meditation about men and women and love and the difficulty of love and how do you move from being an individual actor into a life that’s filled with people and family and friends and some communal experience. Everybody has to walk that journey. And so the film was a study about what the trip is like. The spoken pieces end up being these little tone poems that lead people into a deeper understanding of the songs.” In keeping with his automotive fetish, there are lots of shots of a Stetsoned Bruce behind
“MY 19TH ALBUM AND I’M STILL WRITING ABOUT CARS – OR THE PEOPLE IN THEM” ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’, the tune penned by fellow New Jerseyan Larry Weiss and turned into a stonewall American classic by Glen Campbell. It turns out to be a masterstroke worthy of the price of cinema admission alone. “That was just tossed in at the end because, y’know, it was a little on the dark side, which the story was and was not,” Bruce says. “It was a tip of the hat to a lot of my inspiration. ‘Man, we’ve got to do ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’. This isn’t finished until we do ‘Rhinestone Cowboy!’” The original plan to include sound bytes from the 30-piece orchestra and dozen or so other people on stage with him – “They say what a great guy I am and what an honour it is to work with me,” Bruce deadpans – was abandoned after a ‘eureka!’ moment he had whilst sat on the sofa. “One night in front of the television I just started to scribble my thoughts down for each song,” he remembers. “And it was all there. So I ended up with the script that is the voiceover. And then once we had the voiceover, we needed something for it to voiceover. So Thom had some images and we shot a little film
the wheel. “When in doubt I just get in and drive the car,” he laughs. “‘What are we going to do with this song? Ah, drive the car.’” Among the locations that car gets driven to in Western Stars is the Joshua Tree National Park, a nod of respect, one imagines, to Gram Parsons rather than U2. This might be his first co-directing film credit, but Bruce has spent his entire musical career being cinematic. “When I write in character, it’s a way of exposing your own inner life and struggles,” he proffers. “Whether it’s Nebraska or The Ghost Of Tom Joad or Devils & Dust, those are my little movies that I script out before. Those songs are always suggestive of a visual landscape.” The film’s other special guest star is the century-old barn on Bruce and Patti’s ranch in Colts Neck, New Jersey, where, not for the first time, his family and pals were treated to beers and tunes. “The barn is pretty cool,” he agrees. “It came with the property and we rebuilt the bottom for the horses. The upstairs hasn’t been touched since the late 1800s. It’s just an incredible,
incredible space. We have our parties and weddings in it and built the little bar that’s up there. It’s not just for the film, that’s actually how we keep it.” There’s a ‘Barn In USA’ pun to be made, but I shall refrain. As well as making Bruce’s New Jersey hoedown and road trip look stunning, it was Thom Zimny’s job to unearth the grainy Super 8 clips that are weaved into the narrative. “If you look at the films that Thom chose it’s all ritual, ritual, ritual,” Bruce notes. “The things that connect us – weddings, parties, family, dancing – and keep our heads above water. He also found the footage of my honeymoon in 1988. He’d archived some of my home movies and pulled that stuff out. It was fun to get it in the film.” Despite visual evidence to the contrary – the odd fleck of grey and fine laughter line aside, he still looks like the young gun that rocked Slane in ’85 – Bruce recently summonsed enough breath to blow out all seventy of his birthday candles. “I’m a man of many talents,” he says of entering his eighth decade. “I write books and Broadway plays and now I’m making movies. I’m going to try and be an astronaut next. I’ll let you know how that goes! I think some of it might have to do with reaching that age where you’re sort of summing up a lot of what you’ve learned and what your life has been. I’ve had a good run over the past five years as far as feeling really inspired and being really creative. I’ve done things I’ve never done before. I feel very lucky because you never know…” Appearing the previous night on a seriously star-studded Graham Norton Show – Robert DeNiro, Sienna Miller, Paul Rudd and, er, James Blunt – Bruce confirmed that next year will be an E Street Band one. “Yeah, yeah, I got to go back to the day job and pay the bills,” he tells Bowman who then asks Bruce what his catalyst is for starting a record. “I just hope I can write something because you always think you’re never gong to write again,” he reveals. “Writing is a mystery. Anything creative remains a mystery. Am I going to ever write another song? Because you often think, ‘I have no ideas.’ I’m wandering around for a year without any ideas or any inspiration and suddenly something comes along and you find another vein in your creative mind that you can tap. For this record it was sort of Southern California/Burt Bacharach/Jimmy Webb. I said, ‘Gee, I’ve never written with major 7th chords. What if I tried to write some songs that had that feeling?’ So you have all these new ideas. Your audience wants you to do two things. They want to feel at home and say, ‘Surprise me.’ You have to do those two things at the same time. I’m lucky to have such a big audience around the world that supports my work. I don’t ever take it for granted. It’s a wonderful thing.” Sadly, I don’t get to talk Joe Strummer or any other punk rock icon with him today, but I do literally bump into Bruce in a corridor (apologies again, Bruce) where a handshake and a few quick words are shared. “You guys are from Ireland?” he says tantalisingly. “Okay, I guess we’ll be seeing you soon.” Make of that what you will… • Western Stars is in Irish cinemas for one night only on Monday October 28. The soundtrack album is released on Friday October 25. Check out Steve Van Zandt over the page...
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S T E V E VA N Z A N D T
A G-MAN
FOR ALL SEASONS
Since Hot Press’ inception 1,000 issues ago, Steve Van Zandt’s role in Bruce Springsteen’s all-conquering E Street Band has made him one of the most iconic guitarists in rock history. In a fascinating in-depth discussion, he talks about his legendary adventures with The Boss, and also discusses The Beatles, the Stones, political activism and exciting side-projects. Plus he acknowledges his regret over taking a sabbatical from the E Street Band in the ’80s.
INTERVIEW: PAT CARTY PHOTO: BJORN OLSSON
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teve Van Zandt is half-an-hour late. I’d have been disappointed if he wasn’t. When he arrives, he presents himself as you would rightly expect: all headscarf, billowing Hawaiian shirt, boots and jewellery. Like a proper rock star in other words. He has more claim to that title than most. Steve is older than Hot Press. He first met and played with lifelong pal Bruce Springsteen in the late 1960s, and went on to co-form the deservedly legendary Southside Johnny And The Asbury Dukes. Van Zandt produced and wrote most of their first three albums, each one a classic of soul-flavoured rock and roll. The story goes that, after helping out on the Born To Run album, it was his fresh ears and arranging skills that earned him a spot in The E-Street Band. He stayed on as the Boss’s right-hand man until the ’80s when he went solo. It was during this period of post-Live Aid political activism and music-making that he formed Artists Against Apartheid, highlighting the struggle in South Africa. That was the era too of U2’s involvement in the Conspiracy Of Hope tour. It was a time when people felt that music really could change things. Van Zandt returned to Bruce’s side when the E-street band came back together in 1999 and he has been there ever since. Thankfully, in the last few years, he has found the time to go back to his solo work and that’s what brings him to Dublin, for a show in Vicar Street with his marvellous Disciples Of Soul troupe/R&B extravaganza, promoting his new album Summer Of Sorcery. The opening track sings of “harmony, unity, communion”: it sounds like Van Zandt hasn’t yet given up on the power of music to bring people together. “It’s especially needed right now,” Steve says. “In my country, we’re on the verge of a civil war and I’m not exaggerating. The world has entered the darkest period in my lifetime. We’ve had some bad moments, Vietnam, whatever, but this is something different.”
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Steve and the chaps tearing it up in Kilkenny in 2013
PHOTO: GRAHAM KEOGH
“THE ’70S WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE FRAGMENTATION FROM WHAT WAS VERY MUCH A MONO CULTURE. EVERYBODY FOLLOWED THE TRENDS. ” The lights are going out all over... “It’s a worldwide system failure. I’ve never seen so much nationalism, fascism and white supremacy, combined with religious extremism.” So music is needed more now than ever? “I’m not saying it’s going to solve everything,” he reasons, “but I feel it’s a common ground that gives us a chance to put our differences aside for a moment at least.” Things are getting heavy early, so I move back to the album itself. Van Zandt has referred to it as “12 little movies” – but with lines like “I’ve a picture of Brian Wilson that I pray to every night”, it must be personal too? “No,” he laughs. “It really is fictional! I’m not going to do something that’s completely contrary to one of my 10 personalities, but it’s not autobiographical. ‘I Want To Be In Love Again’? I’m a happily married man and that’s not really relevant! You’re going to have traces of autobiography through there, even traces of politics, but I mostly wanted to get away from those two things which dominated all five of my solo albums in the ’80s.” The album veers from doo-wop to blues to blaxploitation, and all points in between, and looks back to Van Zandt’s youth in the ’60s, a period he has referred to as “the renaissance”. He goes almost starry eyed in remembering. “It was the seminal period of popular music, the essence of everything that’s still going on today. What else has resonated for 70 years?” Hot Press makes the mistake of suggesting that the ’70s might also qualify. Van Zandt puts me straight. “The ’70s was the beginning of the fragmentation from what was very much a mono culture. Everybody followed the
trends. 1964: the British invasion. 65: folk rock. 66: country rock. 67: psychedelic. 68: blues rock. 69: southern rock. 1970? Boom! The fragmentation took place, you had singersongwriters over here with the likes of James Taylor, you had heavy metal with Deep Purple and Black Sabbath over there. And everything in the middle, you know what I mean? In the ’50s and ’60s, virtually every important act was unique. We thought that would last forever, and suddenly, it didn’t. Here’s Aerosmith – who I love now – but they were a combination of The Yardbirds and the Stones.” I won’t hear a word said against The ‘Smith! Toys In The Attic? Rocks? They’re great, I insist! “They are great, but it was different from being The Yardbirds or the Stones. It was the beginning of what we have to this day, hybrids. Which is fine. I call it a renaissance for one simple reason, it was the period where the greatest art being made was also the most commercial. That’s what’s unique.” The Beatles and the Stones were selling records. “That’s what I’m saying, the greatest art was the most commercial, that’s a renaissance.“
GOLDEN PERIOD
It’s the love of this golden period that also drives Steve Van Zandt’s hugely enjoyable radio show on satellite station Sirius XM. “Yeah, we’ve got to make sure this music is accessible to future generations, right? So I started my two-hour syndicated show, and along comes Sirius XM, two or three years later. They wanted an entire channel and I had 3000 songs, of which I was only playing 25 every week, so I already had one. I also introduced a second format, Outlaw Country, as well. You guys are used to it all through Europe, but Sirius satellite is the first time we’ve ever had national radio.” The renaissance man work continues with his record label, Wicked Cool. Launching a record label in this day and age might seem foolhardy. There’s the old joke about how you make a million dollars with a record label – you start off with two million. “That is shockingly accurate,” he says “The word is suicidal!”
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S T E V E VA N Z A N D T
The man is on a mission though. “There are bands that continue to make traditional rock and roll records, though they have no logical reason to do it anymore. The odds of making a living are beyond a million to one. We’ve introduced a thousand new bands. I can think of three – The Hives, The White Stripes and The Rival Sons now – who have managed to make a living. When a new young band plays rock and roll, it’s pure passion, and you’ve got to support that. You make a great record and get it to us, we’ll play it.” The record label isn’t Van Zandt’s only effort to prop up the music he loves so much. He’s also involved with teachrock. org – an arts integration curriculum that uses the history of popular music and culture to help teachers engage students. If you’d suggested that sort of stuff back in 1977, they’d have shot you.“Basically the last 20 years of my life have been dedicated towards this endangered species called rock and roll,” reflects Steve. “I just felt we need to do something right now so it remains accessible to future generations. The radio show, the record label and now teachrock.org. I have created a musical history curriculum – there’s 150 lessons online right now for free, with all music and video licensed. “We’re partners with Scholastic, HBO, and PBS, and we partner with documentarymakers as well. We partnered with The Beatles last year for Eight Days A Week, the Ron Howard film. We turn the documentaries into a lesson plan and it goes right into schools. It’s the entire history of music from the early 20th century to contemporary times. Hip-hop, country, jazz, you name it.” With villains like Betsy DeVos holding the reins, education is under fire in America. “It’s part of the overall disaster,” agrees Steve. “I don’t talk too much about my own country, I take it out on Brexit! I’ve been continually criticising that for the last three years. I feel for the people here – it’s just pathetic. The UK has followed in the footsteps of America. It’s beyond belief!” Music, as Van Zandt as alluded to, is the panacea for the darkness that encroaches on us all. His Disciples Of Soul are a live act that has to be seen to be believed, musicians capable of dishing out any genre you care to name. “I require three things: they’ve got to be great on their instrument first of all, they have to have a knowledge of history to handle the 10 sub-genres that you named. When
“THE THIRD THING I REALLY REQUIRE IS NO DRAMA WHATSOEVER. I’VE GOT ENOUGH DRAMA RIGHT NOW JUST TURNING ON THE FUCKING TV.”
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I say gimme a Motown beat, a Benny Benjamin lick, a Hal Blaine lick, they have that knowledge. The third thing I really require is no drama whatsoever. I’ve got enough drama right now just turning on the fucking TV.” He does seem to be enjoying the frontman role again. “I’m enjoying presenting the band and presenting the music, and I’m having fun”, enthuses Van Zandt. “I’m about halfway back to being a full-fledged front man. I’m working towards it. But at the same time I don’t think it’s necessary really: the girls are entertaining, the horns are entertaining, the music’s entertaining, I’m quite comfortable just presenting it and the audiences have been extremely responsive. They’ve been wonderful.”
GREATEST CONTRIBUTION
And speaking of front men… In his Born To Run biography, Springsteen refers to his friendship with Steve Van Zandt as one of the longest and greatest of his life. Van Zandt has said that the difference is that Bruce went the rock route and he was more soul. Is that still how he feels? “A little bit,” he considers, “but we very much had the same routes. I mean almost identical. But he has a love of folk music and that whole genre.” It’s hard to imagine Van Zandt serenading people around a camp fire. “No, it’s not really my thing!” he chuckles. “And the horn section coming out of the woods! That’s Bruce territory, but he’s extraordinarily versatile. He’s very good at virtually any genre he touches and any media he touches – he’s delivered one of the best books, one of the best Broadway shows, the best live performances. He’s just remarkable. In the beginning it was a philosophical symbiosis, we were best friends, we believed in the same way. Music was our religion, no one took it quite as seriously as we did.” It was apparently Stevie’s arrangement skills on tracks like ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze Out’ that earned him his E-Street spot. “Yeah, that kind of thing but later on, with Darkness On The Edge Of Town, The River, Born In The USA even, it was very complementary, because I was able to add a certain amount of arrangement to his originality, which made things more than the sum of their parts. But he learned a lot of my tricks very quickly, so over the years, my musical contributions lessened, because he just absorbed them.” In the book Springsteen reckons that the guitar part on ‘Born To Run’ might be Van Zandt’s greatest contribution. Hot Press is tempted to disagree. Van Zandt explains. “It’s a little bit of a joke but you know that story, right?”
VIACR STREET PHOTOS BY MIGUEL RUIZ
Steve and the Disciples of Soul in Vicar St. this summer
“HE FELT TO SOME EXTENT THAT IT WAS LESS UNIQUE AND HE WAS VERY DISCIPLINED ABOUT HIS PLACE IN HISTORY AND FELT HE HAD TO MAINTAIN THAT UNIQUENESS.”
RDS PHOTO: GRAHAM KEOGH
(above) With Bruce in the RDS and hanging with the E Street Band in the ‘80s
The Springsteen nut inside me does a little dance and feigns ignorance in the hope that a major incident in rock and roll history is about to be related. “I’ve told it so many times!”, Van Zandt half-complains, but continues. “His career was in big trouble and he was working on this one song for months. There was no automation with the mix in those days, so you got three or four guys moving faders and every time you did a mix of a song, it was different. You never quite hit the lines. They spent months on this, and Bruce invites me up. I’m not in the band yet. ‘Come hear my new song’. So I hear it and it’s great, and I said I especially like that minor chord change with the riff, it’s very Roy Orbison, it’s something like The Beatles would do. Bruce says, ‘What minor chord?’ “I said ‘The minor chord in the riff.’ He said ‘There ain’t no fucking minor chord in the riff!’ What had happened was that, after a while, you start to hear what you want to hear, when you’re really overdoing it. He was bending a note – Dun, dun, dun dun daaauun – like a Duane Eddy kind of thing, a lot of reverb. You could hear where he was bending from, but you never quite heard where he was bending to. So to my ears, I’m hearing bam, ba dah dah dawwww...” Hot Press realised all this dah, dah, dah stuff was going to be hard to write down, but I wasn’t about to interrupt him. “It’s the minor note as opposed to the major note, so finally he heard what I was hearing, told the bad news to the rest of the gang who wanted to kill me, and he basically said I saved his career with that – because it was going to come out like that. It was still a great riff with the minor chord, but it was a slightly different vibe.” Van Zandt has every right to claim it so. “Yeah! It’s not the first or the last time I saved his career!” he states, for the record. Van Zandt has been known to plump for 1980’s The River as the one where they got it right. “The first one I produced!” he pronounces. “Bruce had become very prolific, which he hadn’t been before. For Born
To Run I think he wrote eight and a half songs and eight were on the album. For Darkness he writes 50, for River he writes 50, although he started to slow down a bit for Born In The USA. He goes from writing 10 songs a year to writing a hundred.” Van Zandt regularly plays outtakes from these sessions, which would go on to be included on collections like Tracks and The Promise, on the radio show. They obviously mean a lot to him, and he fought to have them included on the original records. “Yes! Every one was a lost argument! He just heard a certain thing and in the end you lose the argument, but I was completely right! There should have been another album that came out in between Darkness and The River. There was at least two albums for each of those.” The outtakes point in a more soul and R&B direction than The Boss decided to take. “I agree. He felt to some extent that it was less unique and he was very disciplined about his place in history and felt he had to maintain that uniqueness. It’s a perfectly logical way to think, and he was completely wrong! These things are just as much him as the others. I mean, you and I might be able to hear some influences on them, but nobody else would, and so what? But that’s how he felt at the time and you can’t argue with the man. Tracks, The River outtakes, and the Darkness outtakes are some of my favourite albums.” Just before the release of Born In The USA, Van Zandt decided it was time to move on. The obvious question is what the hell was he thinking? “It was a moment of insanity,” he agrees, with a rueful snort. “It was a foolish move that I’ve regretted ever since. Certainly financially – but it was more that I had a position of power which I had earned and you should never, ever give up your power-base. I left to talk about serious issues and of course had I stayed, I would have been able to accomplish a lot more than I did, but it’s a paradox. The question is would I have done the Sun City record had I stayed? Maybe not, so you got to justify leaving on that basis. “Would the South African government have fallen eventually? Probably. But we took years off it, without a doubt. People were dying every day, so we saved lives, by leaving the band! You have to justify it that way or else you’d jump off a building!” Time has caught up with us, and Van Zandt needs to be on the other side of town for a radio broadcast. He graciously signs Hot Press’ copy of The River, and sends this delighted admirer off with a wave and a laugh. Rock star.
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PIXIES
DAYS Loud and raw, the Pixies are among the most important bands Hot Press has covered in its 1,000 issues. As both magazine and group celebrate decades of success, guitarist Joey Santiago talks about their early difficulties, his own battle with booze, and how the band have grown more at ease with each other.
INTERVIEW ED POWER
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ver the course of 1,000 issues, Hot Press has championed earnest and anguished guitar bashers by the truckload. But among the multitude of bands to feature in the magazine’s pages, only a handful have left an impression as dramatic as the Pixies. If they didn’t invent the quiet/ loud/quiet dynamic – Hüsker Dü just called to say they want their place in the history books back – they were nevertheless the ones to bring it to a mainstream audience. They unleashed a wave of sonic mutilation. From the start we at Hot Press knew they were special. Along the way the Pixies inspired Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, and so helped catalyse grunge and burn to the ground the ’80s corporate rock edifice (it built itself back up double-quick). In their way, they’re one of the most historically significant
OF quintets in the lifetime of this magazine – or, indeed, of rock itself. Yet for many years the band that crawled from Boston and conquered late ’90s indie-dom were the ultimate cautionary fable too. It was an old lesson – the oldest lesson. Be careful what you wish for because success can and will destroy you. In the case of Pixies it was a story of too much too soon. Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal and Dave Lovering were shy, slightly obtuse individuals with strong ideas about art but whose social graces were very much at the development stage. None was prepared for what was about to come crashing down on them. Surfer Rosa, Doolittle, Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde were instant alt-pop classics. This was a run of groundbreaking albums that placed the Pixies in the same category as The Smiths and The Beatles. Yet the bandmates never quite got along. In 1993, Francis essentially broke up the endeavour by fax (today it would probably have been via Instagram post). The happy twist is that they got back together
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A LT A N D CAT C H F I R E PIXIES have been one of the biggest things in indie rock across the time span of Hot Press. But who were their forebears, contemporaries and successors? Sonic Youth, 1981 – 2011 They brought avant-garde art to rock ’n roll and, with early songs such as ‘Swimsuit Issue’ confronted sexual harassment before it was en vogue. Look out for an interview with former frontwoman Kim Gordon in a forthcoming Hot Press. Nirvana, 1987 – 1994 Indie rock changed forever when Kurt Cobain whipped his angst, rage and dark humour into a Pixies-style din. His intention, he stated, was to “rip off” Black Francis. He went one better by turning Nirvana into chart juggernauts.
“THE PIXIES ITSELF WAS DEVELOPED BY THE TIME SURFER ROSA WAS RECORDED. HOWEVER, AS INDIVIDUALS WE WERE NOT.”
11 years later. Bassist Deal has since been replaced by the wonderful Paz Lenchantin. And now they have released the third and best of their trio of comeback records, Beneath The Eyrie. It’s all good, Santiago tells Hot Press. “It’s just better now… it’s different,” he says. “We weren’t fully developed as individuals, although the fingerprint of the band was pretty much there. But we didn’t know what we had quote-unquote ‘created’. The Pixies itself was developed by the time Surfer Rosa was recorded. However, as individuals we were not.” He looks back on those old photographs now and is struck by how absurdly young they all were. Francis and Santiago were both 21 when they started the Pixies in Boston (they had met in second year studying at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst). And they were still in their twenties when they Pixies split, dooming them, it then appeared, to live the rest of their lives in the shadows of what they had achieved in their extreme youth. “We weren’t around that long,” says Santiago. “We didn’t have time to gel – get to know each other’s quirks and personalities. We had to learn the hard way.” In their prime, the Pixies were famously crotchety. They made for spectacularly grumpy and monosyllabic interviewees. Francis and Deal, the two Type A personalities in the line-up, clashed frequently. And they were kids. Life is just more dramatic at that age. “Everyone is new and strange,” says Santiago. “It was like, ‘Why are my bandmates doing this? That isn’t in my comfort zone… blah blah blah.’ Then you go out in the world and meet other people, and you think, ‘Oh my god, they’re not that bad!” Santiago has grown in other ways too. In September 2016, it was announced that he was going into rehab. He was never a party monster, but booze became a crutch. Married with a family, he realised enough
Pavement, 1989 – 1999 If you want to know what the ‘90s sounded like, slap on an early Pavement record. Bedraggled, earnest, dreamy, chaotic – they were a divine mess and marked the point of collision between slacker culture and underground rock collided. They briefly reformed in 2010 and a second reunion has been announced for next year. The White Stripes, 1997 – 2011 A clattering yin to The Strokes’ besuited Yang, Jack and Meg White reduced rock’ n roll to its gut bucket essence and also gave us a terrace anthem for the ages in ‘Seven Nation Army’. The Strokes, 1998 – present day One of the best things at Electric Picnic 2019 and a hoot to boot (“what’s with these fucking IMAX screens” wondered singer Julian Casablancas of the Picnic’s giant video panels). Looking cool as well as sounding fantastic is part of what makes a great rock band tick – and Casablancas and co exemplified that when they crawled from New York in the early 2000s. The National, 1999 – present day As with REM before them, the National are a sort of anti-rock rock band. They songs address the day-to-day minutiae of navigating the world. But this they expand in deeply moving rock ’n roll. Released in May, eight album I Am Easy To Find has been acclaimed as a career highlight. Having championed them from early on, we at HP could not agree more. LCD Soundsystem, 2002 – present day The first self-aware indie group – and pioneers of the punk-electro renaissance to boot. James Murphy was an everyday schlub who happened to find himself fronting the hippest band in the planet – a task he set about with a blend of sincerity and humour.
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PIXIES “IT’S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT ALL THE TIME, WHETHER PEOPLE LIKE IT OR NOT. IMAGINE IF THE BEATLES KEPT DOING ‘LOVE ME DO’. IT WOULDN’T HAVE LASTED.” was enough. He’s been dry ever since. “You get your mornings now.” he says. “You get to see the city you’re playing. You go to the museum. I go to a lot of botanic gardens. If I’m by the coast I go to the beach. I go to coffee shops. It’s a different world: a new frontier to me.” He’d always drank while performing. Going on stage sober was a different, initially terrifying, experience. “It was a new frontier,” he says. “The first few gigs… I would look back and the beer’s gone, the vodka’s gone – where is it? And it’s like, ‘Oh shit… I gotta deal with this head on. We did a warm-up of four shows in California for me – to see what to expect… I knew there were a lot of things that I had to change about myself. I knew I had to work on solutions.” Beneath The Eyrie is a fantastic Pixies record. What’s great about it is that nobody involved is pretending they are kids any more. Francis’s lyrics are still bonkers and baroque, Santiago’s guitars flutter from a wail to a shriek. But it isn’t Surfer Rosa and it isn’t Doolittle. If it was, the band would have considered it mission failed. This is grown up gothic-pop – Tom Waits is more an influence than The Ramones or Ministry – from musicians embracing middle age and what it brings. “We never looked back,” nods Santiago. “We
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made Surfer Rosa and then we made Doolittle. And then we made Bossanova. A completely different record. Head Carrier is completely different. Beneath The Eyrie is different. It’s going to be different all the time, whether people like it or not. We really don’t give a shit – I don’t want a record to be the same at all. Imagine if The Beatles kept doing ‘Love Me Do’. They would have broken up far earlier. It wouldn’t have lasted.” One reason the Pixies comeback was so successful was because they were lionised after their initial parting. Their reputation grew and grew. Kurt Cobain claimed ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was his attempt at ripping off Black Francis. Bowie covered ‘Cactus’ on his Heathen record. During those years away they became a phenomenon – due, in no small part, to the cheerleading of other artists. ‘It was flattering,” says Santiago. ”But when those accolades made it to the press, we’d already heard it in person. Musicians would come up to us and greet us backstage. We’d met Bowie a few times before he said those nice things about us in the press. It was like, ‘Wow – he’s saying it in public now… that’s cool.’” • Beneath The Eyrie is out now.
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BONO
October 2019
“HEADING TO INDIA, THERE’S A LOT TO LEARN…”
BONO: 1,000 words for Hot Press’ 1,000th Issue
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J
UST BEFORE Christmas, U2 will play India for the first time. It’s one of a series of firsts for us – including Singapore, the Philippines and South Korea. But taking The Joshua Tree Tour to Mumbai – Bombay as it was – will be some kind of pilgrimage to a subcontinent that gave the world four major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. We don’t have that mad sixties mystic India crush, but we’re enthralled by the geography and history. A history that confounds the expectations of those outside – who underestimate the sophistication of the world’s largest democracy; and those at home – who would stir up old animus that contradicts India’s tradition of Ahimsa, its inspirational nonviolence. Even with those present concerns, it’s hard for an anti-poverty campaigner not to stand back in admiration of a country that has brought the most people out of poverty in the shortest time of any democracy. This was pretty unthinkable forty years ago, the first time our band appeared on the cover of Hot Press. The first time we appeared on the cover of anything. ‘U2 Come of Age – A Story of Boys in Control’ was the headline, and looking out from the cover are 4 boys whose lives are about to change as radically as my chequerboard pants. In Hugh McGuinness’s photo, I look like I’m Jack staring up at the giant, ready to knock his teeth out – or be eaten. Both were true, as it turns out. We thought we were in control but even with big dreams and big heads, none of us could conceive of the beanstalk we were climbing, a climb fuelled in part by this magazine’s faith in us, at a time when we were more attitude than aptitude. Over four decades, there aren’t many places which that fuel hasn’t taken us to, but India feels different. We still think of ourselves as students and heading to India there’s a lot to learn. Logistics partly explains why a visit has taken us so long, but also a fear that I’d fall in love with the place and return too changed. It happens. Visiting Africa through Ethiopia in the eighties turned my world upside down (or more accurately, right side up), so I was a little scared to approach the vastness and complexity that is India. Like many children of my era, my introduction was via Rudyard Kipling, and I’d also heard stories of the Raj from my aunt’s father who served in the British army. But it was Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children that persuaded me I had to go. Salman depicted a magically real world, where India’s history and its modernity were in both a cement mixer and a cocktail shaker. If you’re hungry for language, Salman is a banquet: for whimsy and earnest explorations, for wild fictional characters you believe in, or real ones at the bleeding edge of plausible. With over 720 dialects in India, language becomes music when it has so many cadences. I love the music of AR Rahman, composer of the soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire, and I was grateful for how director Danny Boyle portrayed the dignity and tenacity of people living in
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that kind of poverty. Often the realities of such lives are buried a second time, first under economic injustice, then under dehumanising clichés. As the great Arundhati Roy puts it, “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” In Mahatma Gandhi, India gave the world one of its finest souls, a man who used his religion to challenge his religion – and then ours. He said one of the smartest things ever about Christianity. “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” The New Testament was a big influence on Gandhi, particularly as he developed his philosophy of non-violence. A keen student of the Gospels, he particularly liked Tolstoy’s reading of them and also Tolstoy’s novel Resurrection. The Sermon on the Mount, he would say, is all you need. Thus India gave the world a thought more powerful than nuclear energy, more powerful than the British empire, more powerful than power itself. The idea of non-violence as power. Like generations of others, Gandhi’s philosophy influenced us as a band, and we saw it play out through leaders like Dr King in the civil rights struggle for black Americans, and then again on this island with the nobility of John Hume. We’ve also seen what happens when it’s not played out. India and the world needs Gandhi’s wisdom more than at any time in the 70 years since his death. Violence is on the rise, and political division wielded like a club by nativist leaders who confuse populism with patriotism. We’re no strangers to that in Ireland and we might need reminding of Gandhi’s message here at home if, as a result of Brexit, the unthinkable happens and things unravel at the border. When Gandhi lived in London he studied our Irish independence movement, as did so many proponents of independence in India. And as they established their independence from Britain, India drew from sections of our constitution for theirs, and, coincidentally, settled on the same colours for their flag. For all our differences in size, culture and religion, turns out, we have a lot in common. Still, I have no idea what to expect on our trip. Maybe no-one’s heard of us! The energy and movement and colour of the Bollywood music scene is mesmerizing – and a little intimidating. There are some interesting DJs and mixers I’m curious to check out. Can four Dubliners with guitars, a drumkit and a beanie match that? We’ll do our very best for Ireland. Adam will be there to shake hands and his big four string stick; Larry will be there with his wave; and Edge, I hear, is working on his dance moves. Bollywood here we come. From top: India: a country that has long fascinated Bono; Salman Rushdie: “If you’re hungry for language he’s a banquet”; U2’s first-ever Hot Press cover, complete with Bono in cheqeurboard pants
• U2 finish The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 at DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai, India on Sunday, 15 December, 2019. See also overpage Bono’s Thin Lizzy Review >>
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REVIEW BONO
THIN LIZZY Hammersmith Odeon, London
REVIEW BY BONO Hot Press Vol 2 No 23 May 3–17 1979
L
Bono (left) wi th Philip Lynott at the Hot Press Awards, Dubl in 1983.
izzy ran on stage with the glam of an all-American football team. “How a ya”. Are you ready to rock, this is called ‘Bad Reputation’. Bang Bang Bang, their greatest hits. And indeed they were great. ‘Don’t Believe a Word’ a classic in economy and power, saw Philo at his best, all smiles and dribbles. Gary and Scott were swapping solos and dance steps like footwork till they were virtually dizzy. (So were we). Come in Scott your time is up. Then there were the new numbers. ‘Get Outta Here’, ‘Do Anything You Want To’, which – though lacking in character and inspiration – worked well live. ‘Roisin Dubh’ – the Black Rose: the album title stands apart in its Oirish folk lore, leaving plenty of diddley-eye swinging stuff with an Oh Danny Boy cum selection of Irish ballads solo shared around. Very tourist board. Philip Lynnott is well known for his male aggro/fist in the air stance and ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’, ‘Jailbreak’ and ‘Warriors’ all exploded gloriously on stage. Yet he is at his best when in a corner: his cry of helplessness in ‘Got To Give It Up’ communicated great emotion to the audience, as he told us of his fight against sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll. I believe him. ‘Still In Love With You’ hurt with an undoubted honesty. On with the show, though, and into the home run. ‘Waiting For An Alibi’, coloured and charming. ‘Warriors’... den de den den, all the favourites: ‘Rosalie’, “Yes the papers called it suicide...” The encore and Philo does the baby baby routine and during the Goo Goo Goo’s he jumps back, “Jesus I’m after biting me lips.” A surprise version of ‘Whiskey In The Jar’ startles Gorham and Downey, who stumbled along enjoying themselves. “I’m A Rocker” saw the audience reach orgasm. No one doubted that. Lizzy are eh, eh, MAGIC!
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NEW ARTISTS OLD LOVES
LOAH Mama’s Gun – Erykah Badu (2000)
JUNIOR BROTHER The Woman I Loved So Well – Planxty (1980) When I was 17, and leaving home for the first time, I was keen to find an album that captured the sense of the fields that had surrounded me back in Kerry. When I clapped eyes on the cover of The Woman I Loved So Well, I suspected I’d found it: a scene pastoral, archaic, mysterious. I paid 10 euro at the counter of my town’s CD shop, curious to see if the world on the cover was waiting within. I remember hearing the first plucked strings of the first track, ‘True Love Knows No Season’, in the car as my mother drove me home. Intricate mandolin patterns like twigs and butterflies wove in and out of the opening guitar phrase, sounding like busy hedgerows. As the hedgerows of home accordingly whizzed by the car, the buildings of the town had turned to trees and meadows, and the album in the same way began to draw me further away from this century into another one. Unlike earlier Planxty albums, virile and exuberant, this one grips in a manner akin to hypnosis. Acoustic instruments are bedded upon hazy synths and wispy electric piano. Through this mist the old songs people the landscape with a cast of vivid characters. The epic finale, ‘Little Musgrave’, sends the album into the skies, with a reel played ethereally by Matt Molloy lifting the song’s doomed lovers to heaven. This ends the album on a point of elation, tying this state to the fields and hills of home.
OR:LA Hounds of Love – Kate Bush (1985) I’m struggling to think of another album since 1977 that has inspired and influenced the work of so many modern artists the way Hounds Of Love has. The themes explored by Kate Bush – which range from the natural world to gender equality issues – are ingeniously imaginative and theatrical in equal measure. Lyrics aside, Hounds Of Love is musically diverse, spanning a wide array of tones and textures. It really feels more like a short film than a pop album produced in 1985.
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I was familiar with a few of the songs on Mama’s Gun from MTV in the early ‘00s, but it was only a few years later, when a friend put ‘Green Eyes’ on a mixtape for me, that I completely fell in love with the sound. I was amazed at the way Erykah Badu manages to combine vulnerability, humour and compositional excellence onto one 10-minute-long track, with this gorgeous jazz improvisation in there too. It’s like a three-part suite. Immediately, I knew I had to check out this artist. I binge-listened to the album. The opening track, ‘Penitentiary Philosophy’, is so banging – and the videos of her and her band doing it live are amazing. ‘Didn’t Cha Know’ is super cool, and is still unparalleled today – because it’s so genuine. ‘Booty’ and ‘Bag Lady’ are great tunes too. Even when she’s being funny, she’s packing these really big messages into the music – but it’s being delivered in such a smooth, chilledout way. All throughout Mama’s Gun, there’s incredible depth and honesty in her songwriting. They recorded it in Electric Lady Studios, at the same time as D’Angelo’s Voodoo and Common’s Like Water For Chocolate. They’re all analogue recordings and are mixed similarly. There’s some gorgeous freeform playing on those albums too. It’s a great example of that ‘90s/‘00s neo-soul that has really influenced this current generation. So much of my music, especially ‘This Heart’, has been hugely inspired by that.
Since Hot Press released its first issue in 1977, the musical landscape of Ireland and the wider world has transformed dramatically. From the punk boom to the golden age of hip-hop, the opening of Windmill Lane Studios and the explosion of rave, the music of the past 42 years has mirrored some of the biggest shifts in society. To celebrate this journey, some of the brightest stars in Irish rock, pop, folk, soul, dance and hip-hop choose their favourite albums from Hot Press’ lifetime. Words: Lucy O’Toole
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STEVEN KING OF FANGCLUB Everything Is – Nine Black Alps (2005) I was a teenager searching for meaning and identity when Nine Black Alps exploded into my life in 2005, with Everything Is. I instantly related to the frustration of ‘Shot Down’, the dark sarcasm of ‘Not Everyone’, and the carefree vibe of ‘Just Friends’. The band looked like me. They made music that sounded like I was trying to sound. I felt like I was a part of something. I used to skip school to fly over to the UK to catch them on tour, because gigs are 14+ over there. We would fly over early, hang around the venue, see the show and sleep in the airport. Once, after sneaking into their gig in Dublin, I missed my bus home and sat outside the venue. The singer Sam Forrest came out for a smoke and asked if I was OK. I went backstage to wait with the band until I could find a way home. Bizarrely, I later read that this exact same situation had happened to Sam, except with Elliott Smith. I know – wild! The album gave me the confidence to start my own band and write my own songs. Years later, I can amazingly say that I’ve become friends with the guys. These four dudes probably don’t know how much they changed and saved my life with this remarkable album – at a time when I really needed it.
Damien Tuit of THE MURDER CAPITAL Bone Machine – Tom Waits (1992) Deftly fusing the raw, earthy tones of America’s delta blues with vaudeville aesthetics, punk and an unrivalled understanding of kitsch sentimentality, Bone Machine saw Tom Waits once again trudging relentlessly forward into the unknown. I was first introduced to Waits as a light, breezy songwriter with one or two great albums to his name, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I discovered the true weight and breadth of his discography
for myself. Since immersing myself in his world, I have found the textural and emotional variety of his work to be unrivalled. He’s a musician unsatisfied with treading the same ground as his contemporaries, and yet rarely does he allow his exploration to come at a cost to the beautiful, bare-bones songwriting craft he has spent so many years honing. For me, what is truly inspiring about Waits is his bravery. Few artists would dare to combine the raucous energy of ‘Such A Scream’ with the delicate, heartbreaking stillness of ‘A Little Rain’ on the same LP. With Bone Machine, Tom Waits gloriously showcases the power of contrast within the album format.
SOAK For Emma, Forever Ago – Bon Iver (2008)
JYELLOWL 2014 Forest Hills Drive – J. Cole (2014) I’m a massive J. Cole fan, so I listened to 2014 Forest Hills Drive as soon as it dropped at midnight. From the first two tracks, ‘Intro’ and ‘January 28th’, I knew it was going to be a special album. The whole body of work is pieced together brilliantly. It’s a lot more introspective than anything he had done before, and everyone can find something to relate to. It’s titled after his childhood house, and the way he speaks about growing up with his mum and stepdad really
resonated with me – because I was in a similar situation. Everyone who had their first sexual experience around their teenage years, and remembers their secondary school ego, should be able to relate to ‘Wet Dreamz’ too. He’s also exploring freedom, and the civil rights aspect of that, but the album is really about looking inwards. You’re supposed to come to your own conclusions, and see how you can relate that to your own experience of the world. The vulnerability and rawness he shows from start to finish really influenced me as an artist. It inspired me to be honest in my art, and to be myself, unapologetically.
I discovered Bon Iver by pure chance when I was 15. I had just played my first paid gig, and I went to HMV in Derry, where they had For Emma, Forever Ago on some type of shiny ‘We Recommend’ stand. It was winter, so when I got home to listen to it, although it was only 5pm, it was dark outside. At the time, I was going through the emotions of being a teenager and feeling sorry for myself most of the time, so I was immediately swept into the melancholic world of the horn sections and acoustic guitars. It was the first record I’d heard that made me feel so much. I didn’t even really know what he was on about initially, and I hadn’t heard the triumphant story of Justin Vernon isolating himself in that cabin in the woods to write the record. But still – the soothing nature of his voice and the directness of the lyrics made me feel sad and excited at the same time. It was as though I knew him. Music that mirrors your own emotions can be addictive, and sometimes an album can be your own personal support group. I played For Emma, Forever Ago to death over that next year, leaning on it through all my tough times. To this day, I hold so much appreciation for the vulnerability – and the honesty – that album taught me.
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NEW ARTISTS OLD LOVES
KITT PHILIPPA Grace – Jeff Buckley (1994) Grace is one of those albums that I continue to find powerful and inspiring. Buckley’s voice throughout sounds assured yet free – wandering off on tangents whenever the music necessitates. The songwriting, like the voice, traces familiar lines before exploring brand new territory. The music itself becomes a journey of sorts. This range – both vocally and dynamically – deepens the expression. ‘Lover, You Should’ve Come Over’ is sometimes delicate, sometimes dense. Likewise ‘Last Goodbye’; ‘So Real’, cowritten with Michael Tighe; and ‘Grace’, a collaboration with guitarist Gary Lucas – they are all remarkably powerful songs that unfold with striking balance of form. The album also includes Buckley’s versions of music by Leonard Cohen, James Shelton and an anonymous 16th-century carol arranged by Benjamin Britten. As someone who has a broad appreciation of music, both in terms of time and also genre, it’s a wonderful array of songs. I’m so grateful for the time spent with this album.
FAYE O’ROURKE OF SODA BLONDE I Am A Bird Now – Antony And The Johnsons (2005) At the age of 13, I Am A Bird Now came to my attention after I found out my childhood obsession, Daniel Radcliffe, was listening to it. It changed how I listened to music entirely. The first thing that struck me was Antony’s voice and the soul-wrenchingly beautiful melodies he articulated with it. His vibrato and multioctaval sound was so unique and alluringly tragic, the lyrics so painful and honest. I didn’t fully understand how it was making me feel but I needed to keep listening to it. Piano and strings complement the principal element, which is the songwriting. Possibly close to perfection in its imperfection, I Am A Bird Now covers loss and melancholic rapture while talking about loving dead boys, breast amputation, and gender fluidity. I had no concept of these things as a young girl, but when I started to write my own music I thought a lot about this album – and I still do. There is a lot of pain on this record, but the climax contains hope and the main component is love. I Am A Bird Now harks back to moments of radical history and covers topics that today remain as relevant and pressing as ever. This album has and will continue to haunt and inspire me – and I am so grateful for that. Thanks Daniel!
ANNA MARIE ROONEY OF POWPIG Any Human Friend – Marika Hackman (2018) DJ PRÓVAÍ OF KNEECAP The Band Of An Garda Síochána (1975 two years off, but its a classic, so we’ll let it slide...) Hands down, touch the ground: my favourite album has to be The Band Of An Garda Síochána, which is headed up by Inspector Tommy Boyle. Even though we have a bit of history with the Gardaí, this album stands the test of time. My personal favourite song is ‘The Belfast Hornpipe’ – it’s so beautiful and it acknowledges the north of Ireland. A sign of a great album is when you can listen to it at any time and it lifts you up. When I’m in in an existential crisis, I stick ‘Whistling Rufus’ on and it gives me a willy flutter, which is always great. I was introduced to the album by a friend of mine, who, funnily enough, was arrested by the Gardaí in the same year the album was made – which brings it all full circle. It’s a great traditional Irish album, well produced and excellently executed by fantastic Garda musicians. Highly recommended!
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Any Human Friend is about sex, sadness and being alone. I’ll concede that 99% of songs in existence are also about these diamond topics, but it’s Hackman’s humour that I find compelling. With unapologetically confessional lyrics, she invites you to sit on a chair in the corner of her bedroom, and listen while she combs through her life in self-deprecating fashion. On ‘The One’, she explores her desperate need for attention: “I’ve got BDE/ I think it’s a venereal disease” (for ye uncultured and uneducated, ‘BDE’ refers to ‘Big Dick Energy’). On ‘Hand Solo’ – quite possibly the best song name ever – she presents true poetry in the line: “When I go blind/ Will you keep in mind/ I had fun, I got it on/ Endorphins”. Her words, while sultry, are sung in soft harmonies, accompanied by spongy synths and a guitarist who seems to be having way too much fun. What makes this album so special to me is the truth it relates about existing in the world today – and the awkward, interconnected loneliness we have constructed for ourselves.
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HOTPRESS.COM 051
A Hot Press Special Feature
THAT’S THE TICKET! To mark our 1000th issue, Hot Press sits down with Ticketmaster Managing Director KEITH ENGLISH to talk about some of the major developments in the live entertainment industry since Hot Press launched – and over the past 25 years in particular. Plus: what the future holds... Interview: Peter McGoran PORTRAIT: MIGUEL RUIZ
F
ormed back in 1976, Ticketmaster’s story for the past 43 years has been one of success and innovation. They have helped to revitalise the live entertainment industry in every country that they’ve operated in. “Ticketmaster was originally started by a couple of staffers in a university in America who were selling paper tickets, and who realised computerisation was the way forward,” says Keith English, chatting to us in Ticketmaster’s Irish head offices. “So they found a programmer and began building a system that would reshape the industry.” And so it has. Throughout the 1980s, Ticketmaster were licensing their software around the world to budding entrepreneurs, contributing to a vast improvement in the live entertainment infrastructure. In the ‘90s, an Irish business duo saw their opportunity. “There was a local Irish company here trading as Ticketshop, with Tommy Higgins as the MD and Eamonn O’Connor as the General
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Manager. They used to do manual ticketselling, before these ticketing platforms came to Ireland.” The two founders had the business savvy – and also the vital personal charisma – necessary to pitch themselves to Ticketmaster as partners. “They got word that Ticketmaster were in town talking to potential clients,” says English. “So they set up a meeting and eventually convinced them that it would be a good idea for Ticketmaster to buy a majority stake in their local Irish business. Ticketmaster bought the stake, they supplied the technology, and off you go from there. In 1997, Ticketmaster in Ireland was formed.” RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT At that time, Keith was working for Ticketmaster in England. He moved back to oversee the IT department in Ireland and has been there ever since the company began. What are the main developments he’s witnessed in the live entertainment industry over the past 25 years and more?
“There are almost too many to name,” he laughs, “but a couple of things stand out for me. In Ireland, the difference in the quality of venues compared to when I came home in 1997 is astounding. People thought that Harry Crosbie was crazy when he set up the Point Theatre back in the day, but now, 3Arena is a truly world class venue. It was recently ranked the fifth busiest music arena in the world. “Then you’ve also got big football stadia, many of which have been totally refurbished, like Páirc Uí Chaoimh. You’ve got pristine indoor venues like Vicar Street. Then, even as a small example, they just finished a project in the Olympia Theatre to redo all the bars. These places are like night and day, compared to when I was a kid back in the 1980s, where you’d go to certain venues to see a band and God knows what’d be on the floor! People these days expect more, and Irish venues and promoters are able to offer it to them.” The new era, in which artists need to tour more as their main source of income, has given Ticketmaster opportunities to improve their services and offer more to Irish customers.
(Clockwise from top) Elton John at 3Arena; Khalid; Ticketmaster’s Collector Ticket and Mobile Ticket
Ticketmaster acquires Ticketshop and launches in Ireland 1997
PHOTOS: MIGUEL RUIZ; GRACE PICKERING
“When Ticketmaster started and when a lot of our clients started, they were touring to promote albums – now they’re touring because it’s necessary to make a living. They used to come once every 10 years, now they’re coming regularly.” The upshot of this is that artists, and their managers, require the places they visit to have an efficient live infrastructure. “If this is your livelihood, everything has to work,” Keith explains. “You have to go somewhere where you know the show will be run well by the local promoter. You also want to know that the venue will be right, the ticket agent will do the best job possible, and the money will be safe. There’s a high expectation level. So Ticketmaster has to do the kind of job which will enable our clients – the promoters and people running festivals and events – to chase down these artists and their agents and say, ‘This is the place to come’.” To that end, Ticketmaster has continued to adapt and improve its services to meet the needs of both customers and clients. Research and Development play an important role in this. “We have R&D teams who are looking at new technology and how it can work for ticketing. We’re always thinking ahead. We probably have more technology-focused employees on our staff than anyone else. Coders, developers, PMOs. Some of it is consumer-facing technology, then some of it is clientfacing – how to help set up your show, how to manage inventory. It’s a big operation, but our staff are really incredible.” DIGITAL TICKETING What’s the next big development that Ticketmaster is working towards? “I think it’s digital ticketing,” replies Keith. “Last year, we scanned 320,000 mobile phone tickets into various events. This year, we’ll double that. Khalid, who just played in the 3Arena, 26% of all his tickets were digital. Two shows that we just sold for MCD, with Rex Orange Country, they were both 100% digital. The band wanted it that way.” For Keith, digital ticketing offers a way for Ticketmaster to remain interactive with their customers in the lead up to events. “This thing of putting a piece of paper in an envelope and dispatching it and never seeing it again – it’s dying. When we put that digital ticket out there, it’s alive. It’s part of an ecosystem. People can transfer it around. We
Ticketmaster.ie begins selling tickets online 1999 Ticket scanning at venue entry starts with U2 at Slane Castle 2001 Print-at-Home tickets become available with The Stone Roses Experience at Olympia Theatre 2005 Ticketmaster apps and mobile website launch 2013 Souvenir Collector Ticket a new ticket option begins with UFC at 3Arena 2015 Mobile tickets now available in your Ticketmaster account starting with Bloom at Phoenix Park 2017
can update our customers with information about an event. We can improve their experience. On top of that, we hope to be able to identify to event organisers not just who’s buying the tickets, but who’s coming to the show. They can get to know their customers.” Digital ticketing will also prove useful for fans attending sports events with Ticketmaster. “We ticket most of the big provincial rugby teams. We do the national soccer teams in Ireland – north and south. In the States, we do the NFL, Major League baseball. It’s the same thing – a live ticket into a consumer’s hand. Our clients want to know who their patrons are – and for good reason. They want to see the customers who are coming to one or two games a season and be able to turn to them and say, ‘We can offer you a season ticket at this price’. So digital ticketing is going to play hugely into that relationship.” As a committed music fan, Keith is proud to work for Ticketmaster in a country with a famously large appetite for live music. “Artists just love coming here, because you always get such a great reception. As we noted, 3Arena is one of the busiest venues on the planet, which is incredible for a city of this size. Every night in this city, there’s people out at music events. There’s always a buzz. That’s not to mention how incredible the festival season is in Ireland – I can’t keep up with the new festivals which have launched in Ireland!”
Verified Fan begins with Elton John events in Dublin and Belfast 2018 Ticket Transfer functionality goes live at Proms in the Park at Titanic Slipways Belfast 2018 Ticket Exchange (Fan to fan resale) launches with The Killers at Ormeau Park and Fleetwood Mac at The RDS 2019
A Ticketmaster Gift Card is the perfect present for any live entertainment fan. To celebrate the jam-packed, star-studded 1,000th issue of Hot Press, Ticketmaster are giving away €1,000 worth of Gift Cards. To enter for your chance to win visit Ticketmaster.ie/hotpress before Friday 25th of October.
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Credits: Phil Lynott Colm Henry Opposite: U2 - Brian Mulligan Dolores - Kip Carroll The ScriptKathrin Baumbach Billie Eilish Miguel Ruiz Glen Hansard Conor Masterson
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Clockwise: Thin Lizzy (Liam Quigley), John Lennon & Yoko Ono (Peter Fordham), Kate Bush (John Carder), Opposite: Sinéad O’Connor (John Russell)
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Clockwise: David Bowie (Andrew Kent), Van Morrison (vanmorrison.com) The Beatles (John Dove), Blondie (Sheila Rock), Prince (Herb Ritts), Sex Pistols (Film 4)
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LIKE A BAD PENNY YOU'VE SURE LOST THE GLOW BUT I'M OUT OF REACH, YOUR SMILE'S SURE GONE COLD. Clockwise: Rory Gallagher (Fin Costello), Bob Dylan (Ted Russell), Rolling Stones (David Redfern)
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“TEENAGE ANGST HAS PAID OFF WELL NOW I’M BORED AND OLD”
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Clockwise: Kurt Cobain (Michel Linssen), Oasis (Rankin), Blur (Colin Bell), Stone Roses (Mike Hill)
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AMY WINEHOUSE (February 2007, Mischa Richter ) Ninety-nine times out of a hundred branding somebody a ‘once in a generation talent’ is hyperbole, but that’s precisely what Amy Winehouse was. The then 23-year-old made her Hot Press cover bow just as her second album, Back To Back, was starting to break globally. She was delighted to be achieving commercial lift-off, but also starting to show the wear and tear caused by a punishing promo schedule that wanted Amy in half-adozen different places at the one time. With her close pal Mark Ronson at the production helm, the divine Ms. W managed on her second studio outing to fashion ‘60s girl bands, Motown, classic jazz and a dash of ska into something thrillingly contemporary, and which hasn’t been matched in the emotional intensity department since. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, our man Stuart Clark asked Amy what her perfect romantic day would comprise of and got this wonderful answer: “The boy doesn’t get up ‘til late, so I’d start by going to the gym early on my own and raising my energy levels for what’s to come later. Adrenalin pumping, it’s back to the house where I cook him breakfast, we eat and read the newspapers in bed and then have a nice, soapy bath together. Next we’d go for a walk in London, pick somewhere nice in Soho for dinner and, not too drunk, head home for some lovin’ Questlove did a compilation album called Babies Making Babies, which is the ultimate Sunday afternoon sex album. Well, anytime sex album.You’re making me all tingly!” It’s a sentence, which Stuart will cherish for the rest of his life…
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Clockwise: Beyonce (Andrew White), Bjork, Damien Dempsey (Kathrin Baumbach)
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Clockwise: Ed Sheeran (Hot Press Magazine 2012), Dua Lipa (Miguel Ruiz), Lisa Hannigan (Rich Gilligan), Fontaines DC (Daniel Topete), Florence and the Machine (Andrew Duffy)
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The aim of DUBLIN.IE and the DUBLIN PLACE BRAND is to capture the spirit of the city – and to help people from Ireland, and around the world, get to know the real Dublin…
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hat makes Dublin such a unique city? According to the people behind Dublin. ie – a vast yet accessible guide-comelove-letter to the capital that is an initiative of Dublin City Council – there’s not one reason but many. “I grew up in Dublin,” says Anthony McGuinness, Editor for Dublin.ie. “When you go elsewhere in the world to these larger cities, they don’t have the same flavour. Dublin’s a melting pot. You always want to talk about the richness of everything mixed together.” In 2018, Dublin was voted as one of the top 10 friendliest cities in the world by the readers of Conde Nast Traveller. McGuinness emphasises the importance of the people to the city. “When visitors come here, one of the chief things they like about Dublin is the people they bump into,” says McGuinness. “If you have a night out, what you are going to do isn’t pre-ordained. There’s random paths down which Dublin can take you.” Another part of Dublin’s appeal is its nightlife, along with other seemingly endless cultural and entertainment offerings. Mary MacSweeney is Deputy Head of Economic Development and Enterprise at Dublin City Council. “What I love,” she says, “is that, even having been born here, you’re always finding out about something new or some great little place that’s having a music session.” “We see a spike on Thursday in the traffic to the ‘What’s On’ section of Dublin.ie, when people are planning their weekends. We like to feature a mix of cultural and business events including both free and paid. Whatever cash you have in your pocket, there’s something you can enjoy in Dublin.” The Dublin.ie team are also responsible for Dublin’s Place Brand. The brand is designed to speak to people who are considering Dublin as a place to live, work, study or invest.
A PLACE TO LIVE
“For those that can base themselves close to the city, it is very compact,” MacSweeney says “More and more people are walking and cycling. Here you can get to most places in 30 minutes once you don’t get caught in traffic.” The Luas tram system, the DART train system, Dublin Bus and Dublin Bikes are just some of the ways you can navigate around Dublin. On top of the city’s transport interconnectivity, the team see the capital’s variety of events and attractions making it a desirable place to live. “I’m from Belfast originally,” says Tim Graham, Stakeholder, Engagement and Marketing Officer at Dublin.ie. “Then I lived in London and I moved here from there. Against that background, I see Dublin as a very vibrant city. It’s packed full of things to do and it is developing even more, as we speak.” The Dublin.ie team each have their own recommendations for what to check out. Anthony McGuinness loves The Little Museum of Dublin (15 St. Stephen’s Green), which has earned praise for its emphasis on entertaining as well as educating. “There’s a lot to see in a relatively small space and it’s all uniquely Dublin,” says McGuinness. “Whilst we have amazing larger museums and galleries and they’re brilliant in their own right, somewhere small like that is really great to take in.” Graham is partial to a visit to the Phoenix Park. “It’s right in the centre of Dublin. It’s got absolutely everything. Its cafe won the 2016 Irish Times Café of the Year award. You can go for a tour around the President’s house, Áras an Úachtaráin. I always take people there first and finish off with a drink in the Hole in the Wall pub.” MacSweeney recommends Dublin Castle. “Again, it’s right in the centre of the city,” she says. “Within it, you have the Chester Beatty Museum, which is stunning and free of charge, and a great restaurant with the Silk Road Cafe.”
A PLACE TO WORK
The group also highlight the increasingly attractive areas of Smithfield and Stoneybatter and the scenic offerings of Dun Laoghaire, Howth and Malahide just outside the city as places of special interest. However, as McGuinness notes, the job opportunities on offer in Dublin are another reason why people settle here. “Dublin stands out within Europe in terms of the many companies based here doing genuine cutting-edge work – including the likes of Amazon, Facebook, Google, Linkedin and Twitter,” the site editor states. “It’s a very exciting time to be in Dublin,” Graham adds. “The whole work environment is changing. There are so many start-up hubs like Dogpatch Labs. People are getting the chance to work on lots of different projects.” Many of these Dublin-based need to look outside the capital for staff. “Big foreign direct investment companies,” MacSweeney explains, “are looking for people with a range of languages for their customer servicerelated fields.” There’s lots going on outside tech too. “We’re known as a tech hub,” McGuinness notes, “but there’s so many other industries which are coming up. Even food and drink is thriving. We’ve got so many great restaurants here now. If you’re a chef and looking for a place to base yourself, Dublin is great.”
Dublin’s a melting pot. You always want to talk about the richness of everything mixed together.”
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A PLACE TO STUDY
Dublin is a great place to study. “There’s a lot of educational institutions in the region,” says McGuinness. “It’s not just the core colleges [DCU, Trinity, UCD]. It’s the layers underneath. The amount of people arriving to study English here has expanded hugely since the recession. So many schools have set-up. It is thriving – and for good reason.” And further expansion may be on the horizon. “Depending on what happens with Brexit, we may become the only native English-speaking capital in the EU,” notes the site editor. “That will have a bearing on the number of students we attract and the diversity of the places they come from.” Dublin’s educational offer isn’t just about learning English. Far from it! “Dublin’s got a huge number of educational establishments, covering a vast number of courses,” McGuinness says. “People get qualifications here – and that leads to potential job opportunities. People that come here to study frequently end up staying – which is a great sign.” MacSweeney notes: “A lot of students are concerned about how they are going to pay their way and Dublin has issues in relation to affordability and the availability of accommodation. The city is attempting to address them though and we are making progress. You’d see a lot of students working in the areas of food and entertainment.” “You get to know people at work,” she adds. “You know, we’ve grown beyond the ‘go to the pub’ culture. There’s lots of places you can go and play board games or meet-up over a range of other activities. Dublin really is a friendly city.” The rest of 2019 promises to be an exciting time in Dublin. “October and November seem to be two of the busiest months for a lot of the business events as well as the cultural offerings,” MacSweeney observes. And after that comes the hectic Christmas and New Year season. The Dublin.ie team recommend checking out Startup Week Dublin (Oct 21 – 25); the Bram Stoker Festival (Oct 25 – 28); and the Winter Lights, in which various civic buildings around the city are illuminated, during December. “For anyone who hasn’t seen the Dublin.ie site, whether you are national or local, there’s interesting content there and hopefully something that will help you enjoy the city more than you currently are,” says MacSweeney. “The team select what content to put up. But we are not promoting any particular product or service. We’re really just promoting this great city that we’re all very proud to be associated with.” And so say all of us… • For more information, visit Dublin.ie. You can also follow the site on Twitter (@dublin_ie), Instagram (@dublin_ie) and Facebook (@ dublinonline).
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LAURA WHITMORE
We never know what life is going to throw at us. Sometimes, the only thing to do is to roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair. Or better still, get behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang and set out across America. By Laura Whitmore
THE
WA N D E R E R IN ME A still from Laura Whitmore’s short film Sadhbh
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here’s no real end to the story. It continues. No happy ever after, just a constant selection of twists, turns and possibilities. I’ve learned to not look for the happy ever after, rather to look for the happy in what I’m doing. Now. I have a tendency to be constantly moving, like a wanted woman in some ’60s crime thriller – I must keep moving or they’ll catch me. But maybe I’m not running away from something. Maybe I’m not even running towards something. MAYBE I’m just running because it’s fun to run. Remember as a kid you’d run so fast you couldn’t breathe: you’re moving so fast you think you could just fall over? THAT feeling. That’s my favourite feeling. I’m writing this from the passenger seat of a Mustang, driving through the state of Wyoming. I’m currently road-tripping across the US – coast to coast. In my perfect state of movement, my safe space. Road trips mean playlists – and, my god, do I love a playlist! A song for every mood. It was disco yesterday. My windswept hair blowing, in the driver seat of a convertible Ford Mustang GT, channelling Diana Ross in The Supremes, though not quite as glamorous but definitely with the same volume. Podcasts have occupied my listening habits recently too. The modern form of storytelling. An endless archive of unfiltered real life, real experiences and basic banter. I could insert a plug here for my new podcast CASTaway, available in ITUNES now, but surely I wouldn’t do such a thing! Of course I wouldn’t! We’re no longer on a highway, as we coast along against a backdrop of boundless landscape. I’m on the smaller roads now, the side-streets, taking in the surroundings and thinking: who lives here? What’s their purpose, their daily hang-ups and their virtues? Last year I found out I was pregnant. Handbrake pulled. Car screeching to a halt. I was in Italy on a job (in my usual flux of travel) and my boobs were MASSIVE. I mean they looked great. Extra full, but they weren’t fitting in my bras. So I did a test, that I got from a local Italian pharmacy, and there it was in black and white. INCINTA. Translation – PREGNANT. Shit. Or was it shit? Age 33 and a third; in a relationship; owns own property – it’s hardly scandalous. My mother did it in far tougher circumstances. That much I knew.
LEARNING ABOUT SOBRIETY
But did this mean my constant state of movement would slow down, or worse still, stop? Would I lose my sense of identity? Would I be good enough as a mother? So, I wrote a short film called Sadhbh (just to really confuse everyone in the UK) about
a young mother and the pressures of not being good enough. Of struggling. I surely wasn’t alone with these thoughts. During those early few weeks, the hardest part was trying to hide the fact that I wasn’t drinking. Isn’t that obscene?! That was my biggest worry. I went to the doctor to confirm the pregnancy, was handed a pile of faded pamphlets and told it’s a good time to get pregnant, as the older you get, the harder it can be. That night were the GQ Awards – a fancy awards ceremony in London – and I wore a little black dress and super stilettos (I mean I may as well enjoy it while I can!). I didn’t want my life to change. I can still be fun Laura and pregnant. Can’t I? But how the hell would I get through the night without anyone noticing I wasn’t drinking? There were journalists everywhere
“I DID A TEST, THAT I GOT FROM A LOCAL ITALIAN PHARMACY, AND THERE IT WAS IN BLACK AND WHITE. INCINTA. TRANSLATION – PREGNANT.” and people were drinking A LOT. I grasped a half-full glass of champagne, my comfort blanket, with the rim orbiting but never actually touching my lips. Whatever your views are on drinking during pregnancy, it wasn’t something I wanted to chance. My mother agreed… well except for a glass of Guinness, which – back in 1985 – the doctor had told her she should consume weekly. But, as she insisted, “THAT WAS FOR THE IRON LAURA!” So, there I was, sober at the GQ awards, my boyfriend running late – and I bumped into my ex-boyfriend. My now chipped manicure nails clawed into the champagne flute as we did the usual ‘Oh how great to see you! Aren’t you looking well’ routine. I really could have done with a drink. But there was no Guinness in sight. The next few weeks I learned a lot about sobriety. I didn’t have a hangover which was great, but people are very untrusting to someone who doesn’t drink, and HATE being drunk in front of them. Especially if you’re Irish. Non-Irish person: “What are you drinking?” ME: “Just a lemonade would be great.” Non-Irish person: “But I thought you were Irish?” Me: “I am” Non-Irish person: “Whiskey it is then.” Honestly, it just became easier to take the drink, bring it to the toilets and flush it down
the loo. A lot of good quality alcohol was wasted during this period and for that I’m truly sorry! Then I learned: if you are buying people drinks, they don’t actually notice you’re not drinking. So that’s what I did. I was very popular.
STILLNESS IS IMPORTANT
At 12 weeks I did my first meet with the midwife and spent two hours going through all my options for the birth. The first scan was scheduled in another two weeks, as that was the earliest we could get. I was going away at the weekend, so I decided to do a private scan at Harley Street that evening. In the room I could see the outline of what looked like a jelly baby – just like in the movies. Then silence. “I’m sorry there’s no heart-beat.” I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react. Should I cry? Was I allowed be emotional for something unplanned? The things that go through your mind: actually, I had just spent two hours planning with the midwife earlier that day. That handbrake again. Things spinning. Then the strangest thing happened. The doctor went out to the reception and brought in a puppy. She offered it to me. It was a new puppy that happened to be in the clinic that day – not a usual circumstance. But she hoped it would make me feel better. When in doubt, get the puppies out. Miscarriages happen to 1 in 3 women. I didn’t know this, because most people just don’t talk about it. Now I’m part of that statistic. I hadn’t planned the pregnancy in the first place, so should I be sad? I was. That feeling was heightened because I felt I had to be sad alone: apart from a handful of people, no one knew. I had to deal with high intensity work situations without anyone around me knowing what was really going on inside my head. Although maybe that made it easier to deal with – because I wasn’t actually dealing with it. I poured myself a large glass of wine that didn’t taste as good as I thought it would and I kept on moving forward. Realising now that I do want children and knowing that so many women battle things in silence. That open highway is fun – but going down the side-streets and pulling in and parking, and recognising the stillness, is important too. Feel the moment, live it, then get back in the car and keep driving, Also, when you feel sad, may I recommend reaching back to 1985 and blasting a bit of ‘Chain Reaction’. Diana Ross makes everything better.
• The Laura Whitmore Show starts Nov 11th
at 10am on BBC 5 LIVE. Laura’s podcast, CASTaway, is available on ITUNES from OCT 17th. The film Sadhbh premieres at Regent Street Cinema, London, as part of Irish Film Festival 20th -24th November.
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JOY CROOKES
Irish-Bangladeshi singer Joy Crookes talks mental health, forging her own path and her ambitions for the future.
THE
J
oy Crookes is just 20 yet the Bangladeshi-Irish artist writes songs that are wise beyond her years. Consider ‘Power’ from her debut EP, Influence. “The track came from a lot of things,” she elaborates. “It came from Trump being elected. It came from watching the women in my family experience the things that they have. And it came from me just saying ‘It’s enough. I don’t need your permission. I’m gonna say what I feel’.” Her take-no-prisoners perspective is underpinned by often hard-hitting lyrics and sultry-yet-forceful vocals. “It comes from personal experience. I don’t sit down and go ‘I’m gonna write this political song so I seem political’. I write it because I care about something. And if something has affected me, or hurt me, or hurt a best friend, or I just don’t agree on how people are treating other people, it really comes from just a place of care.” For the London-based singer, self-care is also extremely important. The taboo around mental health, she says, is damaging to those who are suffering. “Don’t be afraid to talk about it,” she advises. “Don’t be afraid to feel like you’re different. It’s actually a power, more than it is a weakness. You feel more. You experience more. You’re more intelligent. And if you’re suffering, seek advice.” As for herself, Crookes explains that
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WORDS: BRENNA RANSDEN
JOY addressing her mental health through music has been a cathartic experience. Much of her recent songwriting has had an introspective focus centred not only around emotional well-being but also her relationship, her home, and the interactions she has on a daily basis. “I’m not afraid to be vulnerable. And that’s empowering in itself, too,” she asserts. “So, fuck it to people who think that being vulnerable is a bad thing. It’s a great thing, it’s very empowering.”
“DON’T BE AFRAID TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE DIFFERENT. IT’S ACTUALLY A POWER, MORE THAN IT IS A WEAKNESS.” Taking musical inspiration from everyone from Little Simz, Tierra Whack, and BenjiFlow to The Clash and Gregory Isaacs, Crookes’s music lands on a unique island of soulful sound, influenced by R&B and hip hop and strengthened by her powerful lyricism. While in Dublin, Crookes also spent some time with her friend and fellow Irish artst, Jafaris, to shoot the music video for their new single ‘Early’. Filmed between her granny’s house where her father was raised, Phoenix Park, and Grogan’s Pub, this was her first trip to Dublin in nearly a year. Crookes has opted for more unexplored
destinations as of late. “I actually went to Cuba recently,” exclaims the seasoned traveller. “It was amazing. That absolutely refreshed my mind. It’s a very special place.” Without skipping a beat, she says if she was given a plane ticket for anywhere in the world, she’d head straight back there. “The people and the way of life, and the friendliness, and the summertime simplicity…” she reminisces, trailing off. Rest assured, however, that Joy Crookes is still steadily focused on creating music. She’s already released two EPs in 2019. “I was gonna put out a third one this year, but I just thought ‘I’m not gonna be a crazy woman,’” she jokes. Instead, she has two more singles lined up – and then her debut album which she hopes will be out in the middle of 2020. The album will include already-released material along with brand new tracks. “I love the songs that I’ve released, but I think EPs are a very minute scale. And I think that when I put those songs in an album, my story will make sense,” she explains. It’s been two years since her debut release: she’s looking forward to finally getting an album out there. As for two years down the line, “Hopefully I’ll be two albums in,” she says with a laugh. “And happy. I always just want to be happy. Content in the right, healthy way.” • Joy Crookes plays The Sound House in Dublin on October 28.
SPONSORED CONTENT
YAMAMORI 25 YEARS OFFERING DUBLIN’S FINEST JAPANESE CUISINE Graham Ryan, the general manager of Dublin City’s oldest Japanese restaurant, reflects on Yamamori’s journey over the last 25 years – and looks forward to a bright future ahead.
A
s they gear up for their 25th year in business in 2020, Yamamori have plenty to celebrate. With four unique spaces located across Dublin, the award-winning, family-run restaurant group has earned an enviable reputation among locals and visitors to the city alike for their ground-breaking approach to Japanese cuisine. “Twenty-five years ago, there were no real Japanese food offerings in Dublin City Centre,” Yamamori’s general manager Graham Ryan tells us. “My dad was on a trip to London, where Japanese food had just emerged on the scene. He went to some noodle bars over there, and he was inspired.” First opening their doors on South Great George’s Street in 1995, with Yamamori South City, Graham’s father Derek Ryan revolutionised the capital’s restaurant scene. Yamamori North City and Izakaya Sake Bar followed in 2007 and 2011 respectively – sparking a boom that’s since seen over 50 Japanese restaurants opening around Dublin alone. This increase in competition, notwithstanding, Yamamori remainin a league of their own. “In Yamamori, we offer a complete experience,” Graham explains. “We put a lot of emphasis on service and music – with a massive focus on the quality of our food, of course. As far as possible, everything is homemade, from our gyoza all the way to our desserts. We also
have an import licence, so we import a lot of our products directly from Japan, including craft beer and sake, and specific types of nori which we use for sushi rolls – which no one else in the country has access to. With us, it’s all about product, service and experience.” Across their three, different restaurants, Yamamori offer a menu and atmosphere to suit just about everyone. Some of their most recent customers have included rugby fans, trying out tempura, sushi, ramen, sake and more before heading over to Japan for the World Cup. “We did some work with Unique Japanese Tours and Killester Travel ahead of the Rugby World Cup,” Graham tells us. “A lot of them were first-time customers, and came from as far as Donegal and Belfast to get a taste before they headed over to Japan.” In recent years, the Yamamori Group have also opened some of Dublin’s favourite latenight spots, including the intimate, New York City-inspired Izakaya Basement; the atmospheric Whiskey Bar (located inside Yamamori North City); and Yamamori Tengu. The latter has become a thriving hub for fans of house, disco, techno and hip-hop since opening its doors in 2013, with upcoming events in 2019 featuring German DJ BUTCH (November 16), New York house duo Mood II Swing (22), and the Bristolbased Giant Swan (29). “With Tengu, we knew we needed something super-original,” Graham explains, “because, location-wise, it doesn’t really have the same
footfall as our other spaces. People come to Tengu for a specific reason – knowing that they don’t get this experience elsewhere in Dublin.” Despite developing dramatically since 1995, some things haven’t changed. “We all grew up in here, so it feels like home,” Graham smiles. “I’m the youngest of four, and myself and my sister Julie are still working within the business with our dad. Yamamori’s very much family-orientated.” With Christmas just around the corner, Graham and the family are busy fitting in bookings for what’s already shaping up to be “a really big year.” They have their eyes on the future, too. “We’re always on the lookout for a nice opportunity,” Graham Ryan enthuses. “And if we find the right location, we have plenty more ideas!”
YAMAMORI SOUTH CITY 72 South Great George’s Street, D2 (01) 475 5001
YAMAMORI NORTH CITY 38/39 Ormond Quay Lower, D1 (01) 872 0003
YAMAMORI IZAKAYA SAKE BAR 12/13 South Great George’s Street, D2 (01) 645 8001
YAMAMORI TENGU 37 Strand Street, D1 (01) 558 8405
yamamori.ie
TA ST E T H E
ISLAND IN
recent years there has been an explosion in the popularity of artisan food and drink in Ireland. From craft beers and spirits to locally-sourced and organicallygrown produce, we are successfully delivering some of the finest-tasting things on planet Earth. In some cases, what’s ending up on our plates and in our glasses is brand new; in other’s it’s a revival of centuries’ old traditions. The marvellous thing is that it is all good! Now, as the seasons change, darkness begins to descend earlier and minds turn towards indoor comforts, Fáilte Ireland is throwing open the doors to a major national food and drink celebration that will take in the four corners of the island, and everything in-between. This autumn, the Taste The Island initiative is showcasing the very best of the nation’s thriving food and drink culture across an actionpacked programme running until November 30. Endorsed by Lonely Planet as the “world’s longest
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food festival”, Taste The Island is inviting people to get involved in five unique ways: discover the freshest and most delicious local flavours with Taste of Place; get an interactive, hands-on experience with Make It Yourself; meet the passionate heroes behind Irish food and get a real insight into the craft with Meet the Maker; uncover the traditions and stories behind our food with Tours and Trails; and follow the flavours around the country with the exciting Festivals and Events. What follows is just a selection of the marvellous events and opportunities on offer. There is an extent to which we all become blind to the beauty and the brilliance of what is closest to us. We think we know this island that we call home. And yet – the more you think about it, the more fully you recognise that we all have so much still to learn about our own country, and the glorious experiences, pleasures and marvels it has to offer. So, why not get out there, see the country – and taste it for yourself? We promise you won’t be disappointed.
LOCAL FLAVOURS The Golden Vale covers parts of Limerick, Tipperary and Cork. It is known as the most fertile land in Ireland. The livestock and horticultural processes of the area are admired and studied the world over. It’s no surprise, then, that the food that ends up on your plate and the drink that fills your glass at any of its many celebrated restaurants, pubs and cafes is to such a high standard. Take, for example, Munster’s many Michelin-starred restaurants. The Oak Room at Adare Manor (Adare Co. Limerick. Tel: 061 605 200, info@ adaremanor.com), Cliff House in Ardmore (Middle Road, Ardmore, Co. Waterford. Tel: 024 87800, info@ cliffhousehotel.ie), Ichigo Ichie in Cork (5 Fenns Quay, Cork City. Tel: 021 427 9997, info@ichigoichie.ie) and Bastion in Kinsale (Main Street, Kinsale, Co. Cork. Tel: 021 470 9696, helenbastion@ hotmail.com), all showcase the very finest of Ireland’s seasonal produce from both land and sea. Each of these multiple-award winning restaurants then applies the kind of magic to the ingredients that turns them into spectacular dishes that have to be tasted to be believed. Be it modern Irish or traditional Japanese, it is all there on the plate! Of course, the best of local ingredients can also be found in restaurants that put the emphasis on a casual atmosphere, great value,or on being family-friendly. For example, The Mad Fish restaurant at Cronin’s traditional
pub (1 Point Road, Crosshaven, Co. Cork. Tel: 021 483 1829, croninspub. com) serves up delicious, award-winning seafood using the best of local oysters, mussels and fresh fish landed daily. Also known for its succulent seafoods is the multi-award winning The Locke Bar (3 George’s Quay, Limerick. Tel: 061 413 733, lockebar.com) at the heart of Limerick’s historic Medieval Quarter. Another great place to sample local fare is at Barron’s Bakery and Coffee House in Cappoquin (4 Cooke Street, Cappoquin, Waterford. Tel: 058 54045, barronsbakery.ie). Thought to be the oldest bakery in Ireland, Barron’s employs the same traditional bread-making methods used since it was opened in 1887. After a long day sampling the best food and drink Munster has to offer, there are loads of brilliant options for a relaxing overnight stay. From the five-star luxury of hotels like The Old Bank House (11 Pearse Street, Sleveen, Co. Cork. Tel: 021 477 4075, oldbankhousekinsale. com) and Dromoland Castle Hotel (Dromoland, Newmarket on Fergus, Co. Clare. Tel: 061 368 144, dromoland. ie), to family-run destinations like Casey’s Hotel (The Village, Glengarriff, Co. Cork. Tel: 027 63010, caseyshotelglengarriff. ie) on the Beara Peninsula and the Gougane Barra lakeside hotel in Cork (Derreenacusha,
Gougane Barra, Co. Cork. Tel: 026 47069, gouganebarrahotel.com), these are just a few perfect places from which to base your taste adventures.
THE OAK ROOM
BASTION
LEINSTER
MUNSTER
HOUSE
WHILE YOU’RE IN THE AREA: Why not get out on the water
for a fantastic boat trip with Killaloe River Cruises (Lakeside Drive Ballina, Killaloe, Co. Clare. Tel: 086 814 0559, killaloerivercruises.com). Their daily cruises take in the spectacular sights of Lough Derg and the River Shannon. The more adventurous might prefer to get up-close-and-personal with their surroundings on a kayaking trip on the West Cork coastline, or a paddle under the bridges of Cork City with Atlantic Sea Kayaking (The Abbey, Skibbereen, Co. Cork. Tel: 028 210 58, atlanticseakayaking.com).
MEET THE MAKER: The Dingle Whiskey Distillery
(Farrenredmond, Dingle, Co. Kerry. Tel: 066 402 9011, dingledistillery. ie) is not in the business of creating megabrands. Instead, they take an artisan approach, with an emphasis on achieving the highest quality. In the process, they have played a central part in reviving the tradition of independent distilling in Ireland. The distillery welcomes visitors to enjoy a tour of their facility, where the entire production process for all their products is explained, and a gin/vodka sample is provided.
The coastline of Leinster is teeming with marine life. Even just a small bit inland, there are rolling fields, perfect for livestock and famous for their yields of delicious fruit and veg. Leinster, in other words, has all the ingredients of a foodie’s paradise – and so it proves. Ireland’s Ancient East is home to myriad destinations for the avid food adventurer. It is also home to the only three restaurants in Ireland to have been granted the honour of two Michelin Stars. Celebrating the best of what can be grown and harvested, fished and foraged on the island of Ireland, Aimsir (Cliff at Lyons, lyons Road, Celbridge, Co. Kildare. Tel: 01 630 3500, aims.ie), is an acclaimed new project from Jordan Bailey, the former head-chef of the 3-Michelin star winning Maaemo in Oslo. Only open since May of 2019, rumour has it that their Connemara razor clams and Achill Mountain mutton shoulder
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GREENHOUSE
BLAZING SALADS
were the dishes that got them such a high distinction from the revered food guide. In Dublin, Greenhouse (Dawson Street, Dublin. Tel: 01 676 7015, thegreenhouserestuarant.ie) has burnished its already high-flying reputation with the addition of a second Michelin Star. Their menu places Ireland’s best produce alongside that of its European neighbours in England and France, proving that Irish ingredients like the Green House’s 80 Days Aged Glenarm Shorthorn Beef are among the finest to be had anywhere. Fantastic casual dining options are available throughout Leinster. Mikey Ryan’s Bar and Kitchen (76 Main Street, Cashel. Tel: 062 62007, mikeyryans.ie) has been at the centre of cultural life in Cashel for over a century, with a menu that embraces freshness, seasonality and quality, flavoursome ingredients prepared with care. Back in the capital, those in need of some healthy nourishment on the go should look no further than Blazing Salads (42 Drury Street, Dublin. Tel: 01 671 9552, blazingsalads.com). This award-winning, family-run vegetarian, vegan and wholefood deli uses the highest quality of organic and locally produced ingredients in their delicious salads, soups and pies. Further food-based delights – and one of Condé Nast’s Top 10 places to lay your head – can be found at the luxurious Clontarf Castle Hotel (Castle Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin. Tel: 01 833 2321, clontarfcastle.ie). One of many dining options on offer in the 12th century castle, The Knights Bar has become a stalwart of the Dublin Gastro Bar scene. Another great option is The Lime Tree Restaurant at Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort (Blessington Lakes, Wicklow. Tel: 045 867 600, tulfarrishotel.com). Here, world cuisine meets the best of Irish ingredients in a specially created gourmet package to celebrate Taste The Island. This
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AIMSIR
DUNBRODY FAMINE SHIP EXPERIENCE
includes an overnight stay, a full Irish breakfast, a delicious 2 course meal featuring Irish Sea Hake, Pork Belly and Irish Beef, and finally, a takeaway selection of homemade preserves and brown bread.
their awards. Indeed the very name of Aniar (53 Lower Dominick Street, Galway. Tel: 091 535 947, aniarrestaurant.ie), the Irish for ‘From The West’, gives a strong hint at where most of their produce is sourced! Run by restauranteurs JP McMahon and Drigîn Gaffey, the menu at Aniar is only confirmed once the day’s ingredients have arrived. Just across the River Corrib, on the other side of Eyre Square, Enda McEvoy’s Loam (Geata Na Cathrach, Fairgreen Road, Galway. Tel: 091 569 727, loamgalway. com) was recently voted ‘Best Restaurant In Ireland’ at the 2019 Irish Restaurant Awards. Like Aniar, Loam’s menu changes daily, depending on the availability of local produce. There are no spices or olive oil in the Loam pantry: seasonings come in the form of wild herbs and seaweed picked from nearby shores. There are some casual dining gems outside Galway. The Tavern in Westport (Murrisk, Westport, Mayo. Tel: 098 64060, tavernmurrisk. com) is well-known to hungry climbers and locals alike for its award-winning food. Just a stone’s throw from Croagh Patrick, The Tavern has won awards for Best Wild Atlantic Way Restaurant at the Gold Medal Awards and Best Gastro Pub at the Bar Of The Year Awards. There are plenty of charming places to beddown for a night along the Wild Atlantic Way. Situated on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in the beautiful Connemara region, Renvyle House (Connemara, Galway. Tel: 095 461 00, renvyle.com) is an acclaimed, historic country house hotel. Their restaurant features a wide range of Irish and Continental cuisine made with Irish beef, Connemara lamb, locally caught fish and seafood along with herbs, salad leaves and some vegetables grown in their own kitchen gardens. Perched on the banks of the River Moy in Ballina, The Ice House Hotel (The Quay, Ballina, Mayo. Tel: 096 23500, icehhousehotel.ie), a Blue Book property, boasts stunning panoramic views of the Wild Atlantic Way. The hotel offers locally caught seafood, foraged wild herbs, freshly grown and
WHILE YOU’RE IN THE AREA: Explore
Irish history by stepping aboard the Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience (New Ross, Co. Wexford. Tel: 051 245 239, dunbrody.com), or by taking to the trails and investigating Ireland’s Ancient East with local folklorist, storyteller and foodie, Lorraine at Gallivanting Tours (Gorey Tourist Information Centre, Main Street, Gorey. Tel: 053 910 0779, gallivantingtours.ie).
MEET THE MAKER: Knockdrinna
Farmhouse Cheese (Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny. Tel: 086 859 7716, knockdrinna.com), pride themselves on making the finest quality artisan cheese, using the best quality milk from local farmers. Their delicious Kilree Cheese won the Supreme Champion Award and the Eugene Burns trophy for Best Irish Cheese. They run one-day cheesemaking courses at the Knockdrinna Farmhouse in scenic Stoneyford, and regular cheese tasting events.
CONNACHT
Out on the Wild Atlantic Way, the rugged coastline and abundant farmlands provide a bounty of natural ingredients that have put dining in the west of Ireland on the wider world map. With some of the world’s coldest waters, the west produces a delicious bounty of fish and shellfish. On land, the rich, rain-soaked grass helps to produce everything from cheese and honey, to fruit, vegetables, beef and lamb. These are the ingredients that earned Galway’s brace of Michelin-starred restaurants
LOAM
HARRY’S SHACK OX
RENVYLE HOUSE
EIPIC
locally sourced seasonal produce, and Irish meat traceable from field to fork.
WHILE YOU’RE IN THE AREA: Visit
the Foxford Woollen Mills Visitor Centre (Saint Joseph’s Place, Foxford, Mayo. Tel: 094 925 6104, foxfordwoollenmills. ie) to see master craftspeople creating the beautiful Irish designs that have made Foxford synonymous throughout the world with high-quality tweeds, rugs and blankets. Afterwards, explore the extensive woodland and lakeshore walks that surround the stunning Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Gardens (Kylemore, Connemara, Co. Galway. Tel: 095 52001, kylemoreabbey.com).
MEET THE MAKER: Following
the process from grain to glass, the Connacht Whiskey Distillery (Ballina, Co. Mayo. Tel: 096 74 902, connachtwhiskey.com) visitor experience will teach you how they get their triple distilled craft pot still whiskey so smooth and golden. You will explore the rest of their drinks family, including Gin, Poitín and Vodka, each with its own unique story. Quench your thirst and explore their portfolio as you are guided through a personalised tasting session.
ULSTER (incl. Northern Ireland)
Named the World’s Best Food Destination for 2018-19 at the World Travel Market, Northern Ireland’s clear coastal waters, loughs and rivers, and lush valleys provide the ingredients that fuel its celebrated food and drink culture. Nationally famous for its worldclass seafood, beef, vegetables and fruits, Northern Ireland is now rightly attracting international attention for the quality of its produce.
THE OLDE CASTLE BAR & RED HUGH’S RESTAURANT
There’s no better place to taste it than at one of Northern Ireland’s most celebrated, Michelin-starred restaurants. EIPIC (28-40 Howard Street, Belfast. Tel: 028 9033 1134, deaneseipic.com) bagged their star after only 18 months in business, thanks to their bold and distinctive approach, which utilises local and foraged ingredients. Looking out on the Lagan River, Michelin-starred OX (1 Oxford Street, Belfast. Tel: 028 9031 4121, oxbelfast. com) is led by head-chef Stephen Toman – a firm believer in nose-to-tail eating, which means lots of alternative cuts of meat to feast on as well as superb fish and vegetables. The North’s final Michelin-starred restaurant is The Muddler’s Club (1 Warehouse Ln, Belfast Tel: +44 28 9031 3199, themuddlersclubbelfast. com), which has become a go-to destination for its “meticulously simple dishes” under the guiding hand of head chef and owner Gareth McAuley. Away from Belfast, located next to the water on Strand Beach, the renowned Harry’s Shack (116 Strand Street, Portstewart. Tel: 028 7083 1783) is reckoned by many to do the best fish & chips on the island. On the other side of the border, The Olde Castle Bar & Red Hugh’s Restaurant (The Diamond, Donegal Town. Tel: 074 972 1262, oldecastlebar.com) is a landmark building in the centre of Donegal Town. Known for its excellent casual dining, they place an emphasis on the freshest locally produced seafood and steaks, with all ingredients sourced locally where possible. Still in Donegal, Dicey Reilly’s (Market Street, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. Tel: 071 985 1371, dicey.com) family-run pub is now in its third century of trading as a public house. They run the very popular Dicey Reilly’s Donegal Brewing Company and one of the best wine and beer off-licences in the
country, Meanwhile, MacNean House & Restaurant (Blacklion, Co.Cavan Tel: +353 71 985 3022, nevenmaguire.com) is a proper foodie destination where you can eat Neven Maguire’s wonderful food and enjoy a great night’s sleep afterwards! Back in Northern Ireland, Belfast’s Titanic Guest (147-149 Templemore Avenue, Belfast. Tel: 028 9521 5656, titanicguest.com) is flying the flag for Taste The Island with the special offer of A Gourmet Taste Of Belfast. This overnight stay in one of their luxury 4-star rooms includes a gourmet cooked breakfast. Right at the top of the country, The Bayview Hotel (2 Bayhead Road, Portballintrae, Co. Antrim, Tel: +44 208 2073 4100, bayviewhotelni.com) overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and is convenient to both the Giant’s Causeway and the Old Bushmills Distillery where you can tour Ireland’s oldest working distillery.
WHILE YOU’RE IN THE AREA: Escape
to the wilds of the Mourne Mountains in Co. Down. Rich in culture, heritage and mythology, these rolling hills were the inspiration for C.S. Lewis’s Narnia tales. They’re also the home of the delicious Mourne Mountain Lamb. Mourne Trails & Ales Tour (onegreatadventure. com/mourne_trails_ales) offers the chance to explore the picturesque surroundings on a guided tour.
MEET THE MAKER:
An ice cream farm shop with a difference, at Tickety Moo (Oghill Farm, Killadeas, Co. Fermanagh. Tel: 028 6862 8779) visitors can watch the whole process that goes into producing the delicious dairy delights. Their tour will take you from the milking of their herd of awardwinning pedigree Jersey cows to the crafting of fantastic flavours such as Bubblegum Mallow and Balsamic Strawberry.
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FESTIVALS & EVENTS
farming practises have helped to preserve this delicate and bountiful landscape – where sustainable tourism and food production go hand in hand.
KINSALE KIDS KITCHEN TAKEOVER KINSALE, CORK, NOVEMBER 11-17
FOOD, FOLK & FARMING: TOUR, TALK & TUTORED TASTING KINSALE KIDS KITCHEN TAKEOVER
Aiming to educate and inspire the next generation of Irish food heroes, Kinsale Kids Kitchen Takeover invites children to delve into the exciting local food culture. Producers, farmers, fishermen, worldclass chefs, nutritionists and more will be on hand to lend their expertise, while the students immerse themselves, under supervision, in the buzz of a working kitchen environment. Working closely with the chefs, participants will also get a chance to plan and prepare a meal for family and friends in participating restaurants.
THE HOWTH SEAFOOD SHUFFLE HOWTH, DUBLIN, SEPTEMBER 1–NOVEMBER 30
THE HOWTH SEAFOOD SHUFFLE
Enjoy Dublin’s stunning coastline and Howth’s bustling atmosphere when you book 3 Howth eateries for 3 different tapas dishes and 3 drinks of your choice. With your voucher in hand you can stroll from course to tasty course, enjoying some of Dublin’s finest seafood prepared with a Spanish twist. With vouchers running from E50 per person, visitors will get to choose from great establishments like The Bloody Stream, The Oar House, Wright’s Findlater, The Sunnit Inn, Aqua, The House and many more.
STRAW BOYS STORYTELLING EVENINGS
KILMESSAN, MEATH
STRAW BOYS STORYTELLING EVENINGS
Taking place in 5 different pubs in Ballina over 5 weeks in the lead up to National Poitín day, this free event will feature a storyteller regaling the audience with Poitín stories of old. The history behind the most illicit drink in Ireland will be explored and local stories of Poitín tales and mishaps will also be discussed. The audience will then learn how the Connacht Distillery produces its copper pot distilled Straw Boys Poitín and a taste of the good stuff will be given. On October 18, the event will be held at Rouse’s Bar; on October 25 it’s at Harrison’s Bar; and finally on November 1, it finishes up at the Cot & Cobble.
Take a guided tour around the 1.5km path of Bee Wise Nature Trail, through the large variety of flowering and fruiting hedgerows, planted to encourage a diversity of wildlife interspersed with areas of wild flowers to attract bees, butterflies and insects. There are different types of habitats built on the trail to show how simple they are to recreate in your own garden, and a large working observation hive on site to view the fascinating life of the honey bee. Following the walk, a talk and demonstration is given on the inside of a honeybee hive from empty to full frames – and a taste of the different seasonal honey is also on offer.
DEAD CENTRE BREWERY TOUR: MEET THE MAKER ATHLONE, ROSCOMMON, OCTOBER 12– NOVEMBER 9 BEE WISE NATURE TRAIL
BALLYVAUGHAN, CLARE, NOVEMBER 21 Nestled in the Burren, the luxurious retreat of Gregan’s Castle Hotel is the ideal setting for a winter feast. With a menu featuring ingredients and dishes from around the Burren, The Fertile Rock Long Table Event welcomes guests to meet some of the innovative producers from the Burren Food Trail. The dinner, which is preceeded by a drinks reception, offers visitors a chance to learn about the local customs, and discover how ancient
An up close and personal visit to The Cider Mill & Museum offers a unique backstage pass into the world of traditional farmhouse cider-making. Home of the multi awardwinning Cockagee Irish Keeved Cider, the mill and museum is situated on an old Georgian farmhouse and orchards, right in the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East. Learn about the rich history and heritage of our native apples and the fascinating story of the famous Irish Cockagee apple tree. Visit the cider barn, and see first-hand the apple washing, milling, pressing and fermenting process, done for centuries on a traditional Rack & Cloth Press. This is followed by a visit to the tasting room and museum, where you can enjoy a tutored tasting.
BEE WISE NATURE TRAIL
BALLINA, MAYO, OCTOBER 11–NOVEMBER 1
BURREN IN WINTER: THE FERTILE ROCK LONG TABLE EVENT
THE CIDER MILL & MUSEUM, SLANE, MEATH, OCTOBER 6–NOVEMBER 30
GALWAY FOOD TOURS
With practical, hands-on experience, Dead Centre brewers can give insight into how they brew and why. Detailing elements such as the local ingredients involved, and why they are used as part of the brews, visitors get a unique insight into what makes their beer special. This fun and engaging tour will cover all areas of the brewing process covering ingredients, the brewing process, fermentation (what it is and how it happens) as well as packaging. Located right on the banks of the River Shannon, visitors can enjoy spectacular views across the river from the floor of the brewery.
With these exciting events taking place across the country, there are no excuses for staying home this autumn. Get out and discover Ireland’s fantastic food culture, and explore the incredible journey from farm to fork, with the heroes who make it all happen. For further information about Taste The Island’s events and activities taking place over the coming weeks, see discoverireland.ie/taste-the-island.
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SPONSORED CONTENT
THE PIE OF THE LAND Aiden O’Connor, the owner of Mike The Pies in Listowel, reveals the secrets behind the staggering success of his award-winning live venue.
Photographs clockwise from bottom left: Fangclub; Mick Flannery (by Brendan Landy); HamsandwicH, Aiden with The Riptide Movement; Aiden with Fontaines DC; The Minutes (by Denis Carroll); and (centre) Aiden with Danny O’Reilly of The Coronas and Niall Stokes of Hot Press.
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ike The Pies has fast become one of the most unique and revered live venues in Ireland. As the recipient of prestigious awards from both Hot Press and IMRO, the 100-capacity space has welcomed an eclectic selection of top Irish talent, international legends and promising rising stars to Listowel. Owner Aiden O’Connor grew up reading Hot Press, fuelling his love of rock ‘n’ roll. “People come for the intimate setting,” he reflects. “It’s always incredible to see a big act in a small venue. We bring in a serious PA system from O’Sullivan Sound in Killarney, and we’ve a great engineer, who everyone knows – and loves – as Cookie. With our low ceiling and the right equipment, the sound in Mike The Pies is great.” Of course, the atmosphere in Mike The Pies – courtesy of its famously loyal fanbase – has also played a major role in transforming the bar into one of the most acclaimed venues in the country. “I’ve been doing gigs here for four-and-a-half years now,” Aiden tells us, “and I have a list of everyone who’s been at each gig. I started putting them in order, to see who has attended the most. So, when there’s a big gig that’s going to sell out straight away, like Danny O’Reilly from The Coronas earlier this year, I invite the top 100 first. It’s the fairest way – I have to be loyal to the people who’ve supported us.” Having become a haven for music fans from around the county and beyond, Mike The Pies is hard to beat for an intimate performance. “For the quieter acoustic gigs, we encourage people not to talk through the songs,” Aiden says. “We had John Power from Cast in recently, and you could hear a pin drop during his set. It’s so important that people respect the artist and the people around them.” Of course, the crowds aren’t always quiet – especially when some of Aiden’s favourite acts are in town. “Fontaines D.C. and Fangclub started playing here doing support slots,” he reveals. “Less than two years ago, Fontaines D.C. played to about 25 people – now they’re selling out massive venues and
have been nominated for the Mercury. I grew up listening to punk, Nirvana, The Stone Roses and The Smiths, so seeing the likes of Fontaines D.C. and Fangclub coming here has been amazing.” Other standout moments have seen Aiden welcome international acts like Richie Ramone, Hugh Cornwell from The Stranglers, Morrissey’s guitarist Boz Boorer and ’80s rockabilly group The Polecats. While a host of Irish stars have graced Mike The Pies, including Christy Dignam, Damien Dempsey and Mick Flannery, one legendary Cork band played a special role in its history. “Our first gig here was The Frank and Walters in March 2015,” Aiden recalls. “I’ve been a Franks fan for years, so that was incredible to me – that they’d take the time to come across and get it started.” Aiden’s great-grandfather certainly couldn’t have guessed that his pub would go on to host some of Ireland’s biggest stars when he first opened its doors over 100 years ago. Having been in the O’Connor family for generations, tradition remains central at Mike The Pies. “I was reared here,” Aiden smiles. “When I was young, I spent all my time hanging around the bar. I then spent five years in Manchester before coming back to Listowel, and my father asked me to take it on. I was honoured, because he had really built it up, and created a great family atmosphere in the bar. I wanted to add my own touch, so I tried the music. Four-and-a-half years later, it’s a dream come true.” In the run up to Christmas, Mike The Pies have one of their most exciting line-ups yet, including An Evening With Alan McGee, October 18; Ardal O’Hanlon, 24 (sold out); Hudson Taylor, 31 (sold out); Columbia Mills, November 8; The Riptide Movement, 15 (sold out); Thanks Brother, 21; The Blizzards, 28 (sold out); Block Rockin’ Beats, 30 (sold out); HamsandwicH, December 6 (sold out); and Otherkin,13. Oh, and another very special one indeed... • To keep up to date with Mike The Pies’ latest gig announcements, see mikethepies.com, or find them on social media.
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BRIAN ENO
BRAINY (synonyms): Clever, Bright, Intelligent, Gifted, Intellectual, Erudite, Sagacious,
ENO.
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In a career that began in the 1970s, Brian Eno has been involved in some of the most ground-breaking work, by a number of the most artistically important figures in contemporary music. But away from his role as a producer with U2, Roxy Music, Talking Heads, David Bowie and more, he has forged a kind of parallel career, as an artist, composer, thinker, activist, environmentalist and intellectual. To mark the 1,000th issue of Hot Press, we talk to the other Brian Eno.
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BY PAT CARTY
lthough he might wish for alternate nomenclature, rock ‘n’ roll would be a very different animal were it not for the presence of Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno. We’ve all got our favourites, but his work on the first two brilliant Roxy Music albums, his collaborations with David Bowie (the slightly mis-named ‘Berlin Trilogy’), his telegrams from the future with David Byrne (My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts) and their pioneering incorporation of the African rhythms that Eno fell in love with when he heard Fela Kuti on those great Talking Heads albums (Remain In Light) are all, to employ an overused sobriquet, seminal. Not to mention the way he helped a group of local hopefuls create U2: Mark II and conquer the universe! And I haven’t even spoken of his solo work, including the creation of his own genre when the idea of ambient music came to him, so the story goes, while he was sick at home and couldn’t turn up the hi-fi. As much as Hot Press would have wished to discuss any and all of the masterpieces mentioned above, the agreement here was that we would steer clear of the obvious. There is a touch of “Been There, Seen That, Done That” involved: Eno feels, perhaps quite rightly, that he has discussed all of this work more than enough. No matter, for when it comes to an artist as fascinating as he continues to be, there is always plenty of meat to chew on. Eno is as fount of ideas. He is politically motivated. And he cares deeply about one of the great issues of the day: the environment, and the extent to which we are, as a species, seriously in danger of running out of time. And so it is an appropriately important topic for the 1,000th issue of Hot Press. After all, we want the world to be around when we publish the 2,000th issue! I talked to Brian the day after the Tory MP Phillip Lee had walked across the floor of the Commons, depriving Boris Johnson of his parliamentary majority. Little did we know how bizarre that show would ultimately get. But it was as good a place as any to kick off. Ireland is watching in horror what’s going on in Britain at the moment. You must be laughing! Aghast, really. I know you were part of the group that asked for a second referendum. What are you thinking now? Oh God! I can’t see any easy outcome because there are 17 million people who voted for it and even if half of them have changed their minds, which they may well have done, that still means 8 million people who think they’ve been cheated out of their result, and
there’s no disguising the fact that they have really. The problem is the opposition is divided, so Boris could win a majority in the sense that he could the win the most votes of any particular party (in a general election) – but he would have to form a coalition with somebody, and the people facing him, that’s to say the Lib Dems, Labour, The Greens, and everybody else would have to try to work together, which they haven’t, so far, shown themselves to be very good at doing. You’ve endorsed Jeremy Corbyn in the past. Do you still feel the same way? Yes, of the current selection, I think that’s still the best vote. It’s a vote for Labour rather than for him. The priority is to get rid of the Tories – that’s the important thing. It almost doesn’t matter who goes in instead, as long as it isn’t the Brexit Party! I’ve interviewed a few English bands recently and asked about travelling and touring. No one seemed to know anything about what is going to happen. Nobody knows! There are so many possible futures now. We could crash out and then try to scrabble our way back to some kind of sane future, but that will take years.
“HOT PRESS WAS RATHER DIFFERENT THAN ANY OF THE MUSIC MAGAZINES WE HAD IN ENGLAND, IN THAT IT SEEMED TO BE VERY SUPPORTIVE” Ireland has become the political football in the middle of it all. I’m so grateful to the Irish for having some sort of sanity, and the Scots as well. I’ve seriously been thinking of moving to Scotland, because I think that there’s a good chance now that Scotland will become independent and thus remain a member of the EU, which puts them in a very favourable position. You could always move to Ireland of course... I did think about that as well, since I’ve just had my DNA done and discovered that I’m partly Irish, but not enough to qualify for a passport! Would you be a republican at heart? Oh yes, of course. Is it time to put the royal family into a different home then? Put them to sleep? That might be a bit extreme! They have a ceremonial function. My American friends sometimes tell me that there is some sense in separating the legislative Head of State from the ceremonial Head of State. Donald Trump has to be King as well as President, and some people say it’s better to have somebody who is just the King and doesn’t do anything else, just goes around in carriages, opening fetes and things like that; and then have somebody else who’s the manager, who does the serious work of government. That’s the way it works in Ireland with our president Michael D. Higgins. He’s a wonderful man, Michael Higgins. I would be very happy if he would take on the job of being King here, and do some good! President Higgins used to write for this very magazine, now celebrating its thousandth issue. Were you aware of Hot Press during your time here? Sure. Hot Press was rather different than any of the music
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“EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO MAKE APOLLO REALLY CAME OUT OF WORKING AS A SOCIETY, NOT AS A GROUP OF UNCONSTRAINED INDIVIDUALS.”
magazines we had in England, in that it seemed to be very supportive, and music magazines in England didn’t always seem to be. They seemed to be populated by quite witty but cynical people, generally.
Top Boy As one might expect, Eno has several balls in the air at the moment, including his soundtrack work on Top Boy, a crime drama set in East London, which ran for two seasons on Channel 4 and is now on Netflix. How did you get involved in Top Boy? The first series was in 2011. They asked me if I would do the music and I really, really liked the scenario. I had been doing a lot of music that had that industrial wasteland, alienated quality and I was actually looking for a place to put it. We did two series, which was eight episodes in total. As far as I was concerned that was it, the thing went out and did well and had a sort of cult following. What I didn’t know was that in America it had a much bigger cult following. Drake, I think, bought the rights to it and he sold it on to Netflix. They then asked me back. I’m very sympathetic to this kind of sound landscape, it’s the kind of dark, malign side of ambient music which was always a big part of it for me. When you go to do something like this, is it all new music or do you delve into your famous archive? Both actually. For a start I’m always making pieces of music. They often just start out as experiments. A new piece of software? Let’s see what it can do. I’ll make a piece around that idea. I’m very often making music without any idea of where it will finally end up. For fun, or is it a compulsion? Those are the same things for me, funnily enough. I love doing it, it’s when I feel happiest really, when I’m making something. I just worked on something today which turned into a really, really nice piece. I don’t have any idea what I’ll use it for. I now have in my archive 5,982 pieces. Mostly, they’re something, in that they don’t sound unfinished, though if I was actually going to use any of them, I would do more work. What happens with something like Top Boy, I get the scenario and I start to think about what I have that’s in that kind of mood.
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Do you have a dewey decimal kind of system? This is dark, this is whatever. I give everything a title because you have to save it digitally. I keep the archive in iTunes and, in the comments section, I will say things like “tense”, “industrial” “cold” “outdoors” “edge of city”. I’m just looking at some of the things I’ve got here: “shivery”, “farting bass”, “quality of dusk”, “a strange glowing heaven”, “afro funk experiment”, “aggressively friendly”, “almost epic nature”… I’m thinking of Prince and what’s happened since he passed away. Would that be something that plays on your mind? If you have over five thousand pieces, there’ll be a lot left when you’re no longer with us! I can qualify that number in two ways. First of all, there are quite a few duplicates in there and secondly there’s quite a lot of trash. But if you’re not around to decide what is trash, would that worry you? No, I don’t really care too much what happens. Afterwards. I suppose I would worry if it fell into the malicious hands of somebody who just thought “I’m going to show how bad a composer Brian Eno really was, by releasing all the worst things from his archive!” But I don’t expect that to happen.
Man On The Moon 2019 saw Eno revisit and expand 1983’s Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks, a beautiful piece of work that he created with his brother Roger and Daniel Lanois, to accompany Al Reinert’s For All Mankind documentary which utilised NASA footage to tell the story of the Apollo moon missions. Was there material left over from the first time? There was nothing left over, but, in the meantime, I had started quite a few pieces that had that kind of outer space, desolate feeling. I think I found three pieces like that which I then worked on, and some pieces I started from scratch. I think the same thing was true with my brother and with Dan. Lanois’ steel guitar is very prevalent, and beautifully so. You’ve said that it was appropriate that the astronauts took country music cassettes with them. I think you said it was “frontier music for the new frontier.” That’s right. I’ve actually met many of the astronauts and also some
BRIAN ENO
believe in climate change, and that it’s anthropogenic, are wrong. Would that be a tragedy? No, it wouldn’t. We’d have stopped driving so much, maybe stopped flying so much, found more efficient ways to create energy and so on. On the other hand, let’s suppose they’re right – and it seems very likely they are – but we decide not to do anything about it. Which would be the worst mistake? I was talking to somebody who was very much against the idea that climate change could be down to us and was happy to take the risk. I said imagine somebody has designed a new plane and there are a thousand aircraft designers, 999 of which say that thing isn’t safe to fly and one of them says no, it’s perfectly safe. Would you fly that plane?” Your brother Roger pointed to Apollo 11 as a missed opportunity, a moment, where the human race could have gone forward in a united direction. Do you know what? That was such a strange year: so many extreme things happened that I think getting to the moon wasn’t quite as amazing to us all as it seems now. It was just the kind of crowning madness of the ‘60s really. “On top of everything else, they’ve fucking gone to the moon!” I remember not being very impressed at the time, except for that moment when I watched it happening on television and looked out and saw the moon and thought ‘Wow, that’s actually happening now, there, on that planet’. Might they have made more of it? It didn’t create the social change that one might have expected. I think the only cause for optimism with climate change is that it could have that effect, because to fight climate change, we’re going to have to re-think so many aspects of our economic and political and cultural life. We will have to tackle it globally: there’s no point in America deciding to do something while China doesn’t, or vice versa which seems to be the more likely possibility at the moment. It’s something that everybody’s going to have to do for it to be effective.
Talking Heads & David Bowie
of the cosmonauts since then. The American astronauts are very much sort of Texan military guys and their taste in music was generally country. I was at the Starmus conference in Zurich about two months ago, where artists and people interested in space – astronauts, cosmonauts, cosmologists, whatever – get together. I was on a panel with six of the Apollo astronauts, who of course are all in their 80s. Buzz Aldrin was there and he’s possibly 90 now.
HERB RITTS – THE DAVID BOWIE ARCHIVE
What did you have to do? I was asked to give a little introduction at a press conference, and I started out by saying that at a time when we have a President of the United States that’s anti-science, we’re faced with a climate crisis that can probably only be solved by science and blah-blah-blah and I was saying how important it was that ideology didn’t dominate over science. As I’m saying all this, I’m noticing a slight grumbling to my left and finally one of the astronauts interrupted and said «I don›t see how a few tons of carbon can make that much difference.” It turned out that two of the astronauts were climate-change deniers, didn’t believe it was happening. Two of them were born again Christians, and one was a very close friend of President Trump! Only one of them kind of defected to our side: that was Rusty Schweickart from Apollo 9. It was very interesting that these brave people who did this incredibly courageous thing of flying a tiny tin can to the moon and back aren’t, as a result of that, hugely enlightened beings. No poets came back? No. One of them came back and turned to Jesus, as he said, very proudly. The experience was life-changing for him because he found Christ. You’ve said before that climate change denial should possibly be illegal like denying the holocaust. Yes, actually. I do think that because it’s dangerous to take that position. Just suppose that the 99.8% of climate scientists, who
Now that we’re here, tell me more! The second thing is we’ll have to actually stop producing so much shite. Part of the problem is that we have this extraordinary engine for creating wealth which involves digging stuff out of the ground and turning it into shite that nobody wants, but, in the process, generating a lot of money and generating a lot of waste. We’ve got to break that cycle and think of other ways to enjoy ourselves – and other ways for people to get rich. You’re involved with Client Earth, who work with lawyers to effect real change. I was always worried with environmental groups that it’s easy to make some headlines, and create a kind of heat, but then it can slide into the background and be forgotten about. Law isn’t like that. When something is in law, it’s there, and it keeps working. I think that was what really attracted me to Client Earth. Lawyers are persistent, they pursue until they have something solid in their hands. The idea is to make changes that last and make a difference. Your work with The Long Now Foundation is interesting, encouraging long-term thinking. We started it in 1996. Stewart Brand and Danny Hillis were probably the primary movers at the time. I came up with the name. I was trying to say that ‘now’ is not a short period: what we are doing now has repercussions into the future and we should be aware of that. Businesses and governments were thinking in shorter and shorter time-spans. Governments were not even thinking of the next election, they were thinking of the next headline tomorrow morning. That had become the horizon of their thinking. Companies were thinking in terms of their share price. Decisions that work for tomorrow don’t necessarily work for the end of the year and certainly not for the end of the century. What happened next? Danny came up with the idea to build a 10,000 year clock, a project long-term enough to encourage people to dwell on the possibilities of the future and perhaps re-orientate people’s sense of time. As soon as you even start thinking about trying to make something to last for 10,000 years, you’re starting to think about the future, in
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“MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VERY ABSTRACT ART REALLY. IT FELT VERY COMFORTABLE FOR ME TO MOVE INTO THAT.”
ways you don’t normally think. There’s a very good book about it by Stewart Brand called The Clock Of The Long Now. You’re not renowned as a man who likes to look back. What is it about this Apollo? You’re absolutely right. But I realised that nearly everything that it took, to make the original Apollo, has disappeared. I mean the philosophy, the sense of what a society was for and what was worth doing. Apollo emerged out of a period, which is now called The Golden Age of Capitalism by economists, from ‘45 to ‘75, say, which ended decidedly with Reagan and Thatcher and monetarism and neo-liberalism. During that period we suddenly had free health services, free education, workers right, women’s rights, minority rights: all the things that socialists had always wanted were there. I think it should be called the Golden Age of Socialism. Can you expand on that? Everything that happened to make Apollo really came out of those ideas, working as a society, not as a group of unconstrained individuals, and deciding to act upon our aims as a whole society. People forget that there were 400,000 people involved in the Apollo project and it was basically a command economy, a sort of communist project in many ways. The government primed the pump and paid the bills. We just don’t do projects like that anymore, because the neo-liberal thing says we should leave it all to individuals and companies and somehow expect that will turn out for the best.
But doesn’t that mean less freedom, if the government becomes this engine, demanding all hands to the pump?
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Working The Faders In addition to being a musician and a composer, Brian Eno is one of the world’s most acclaimed record producers. But our understanding of what that role entails is changing all the time. Where, I am inclined to wonder, do we go from here? The producer has taken on an almost equal billing to the artists themselves in a lot of modern music. How would you define the role? It’s so hard to define. So many artists now are artist/producers. I’ve seen people who call themselves producers, who think their job is to bring a little bag of coke into the studio every evening. Then I’ve seen other people who write the music, record it, do everything actually, so it’s a very broad category. I think what you could say is that the biggest musical invention of the 20th century was the recording studio – just as the orchestra was the biggest musical invention of the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s a new technology, like the orchestra was, and the people who understand how to use it become the people making the music of the time. In the 18th and 19th century, we would have called them composers, now we call them producers. They’re the people who know how to deal with the current technologies. I think a lot of things that you and someone like Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry were doing helped to pioneer the art. I think the difference between a musician, in the sense of somebody who plays a guitar, and somebody called a producer, is that the producer regards the studio as his or her instrument. That’s what I’ve always done, because I couldn’t play anything else! It was always the new tools that I took to, because there weren’t any rules as to what you could do with them.
PHOTOS: SHAMIL TANNA
They’ll put a sports car into space. That’s right! I thought it was very interesting to remind people of that time because I think in order to solve climate change, we’ll have to return to many of those ideas. We’ll have to see government saying, as they did in the war for example, ‘Sorry industry, you can’t just go ahead and make whatever you feel like, there are some priorities and you have to work with us on this’.
It’s a redistribution of freedoms, you might say. At the moment there’s a huge amount of freedom at the top end of society and a very small amount at the lower end. I would like to redistribute the freedom a little bit – and I think that would be quite possible in a society that had the intention.
BRIAN ENO Does the work get easier with the leaps and bounds in technology? In the earlier part of the 20th century, Steinway came up with the third peddle on a grand piano. You could hold a chord on sustain and then play, without sustain, over it. This was such an incredibly radical idea that composers like Debussy wrote a whole lot of stuff for it. Innovations on that scale happen almost daily now. Every day, there are new electronic instruments that can do things that nobody ever did before, and nobody ever thought was possible. There’s quite a lot to keep up with, but you don’t have to. You can decide just to learn to use a couple of instruments or a couple of technologies really well. You can’t actually bother about everything: there’s too much of it. A lot of today’s music seems very safe when compared to what was being produced when you were coming up in the ’70s. It’s much more of a business than it was and as soon as something becomes a business, lots of other considerations come into it. One of the great luxuries of living in the ‘60s was that you really didn’t have to worry about making a living too much. There was a safety net. I don’t think I ever could have become a professional artist without the year and a half or so that I spent on the dole. It gave me a chance to find out what I was trying to do.
‘Visual music’: 77 Million Paintings
Education is important too… Society gave me the chance to be educated if I wanted to be, because it was free. That really does make a difference. Rich people don’t take that into the account. There are things that they don’t have to think about that will automatically happen to them that don’t happen to other people, like getting an education. If you don’t have reasonably well-off parents now, it’s quite hard to start a band. A lot of bands now do seem to come from that background… It’s not to knock those bands, I think what comes from working class engagement in music is anger, and anger is an important ingredient in popular music, the feeling that I’m in a struggle, I’ve got to fight for something. A friend of mine said what comes from middle class involvement is melancholy, and I think that’s true. Melancholy is almost sort of a luxury feeling: it’s only something you can really have if you’re quite well off. What really made The Beatles great was that they had the mixture – and The Velvet Underground had it too, that mixture of melancholy and anger which is something I treasure. Do you still hear new music that gives you a thrill? Contrary to most people of my generation who say ‘it’s the same old stuff, they’re just rehashing the past’ I hear a lot of new stuff that’s really, really original. For instance, to take a very popular example, Billie Eilish. I just think those productions are completely brilliant, they’re so spare and skeletal and kind of dry. It’s like when I first saw paintings by Mondrian, they’re so simple and I thought, ‘Wow, you can do that?’ Incredible.
A former art student, Eno has been producing installations since the ’70s and his light boxes – LED based artworks that slowly change colour and shape – betray a Mondrian influence.
Who were your big influences as an artist? I studied painting and the painters that influenced me most were people like Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Rodchenko, very abstract painters. So there wasn’t much that was figurative in their work. And of course in music it’s very rare that there’s anything like figuration: music has always been a very abstract art really. It felt very comfortable for me to move into that. You coined the term ‘generative music’ and began creating systems that could then generate their own musical output – with tape loops, then CDs, and now using computer algorithms on the Bloom app. I think it’s a very interesting new way to make stuff. Of course there are a lot of illusions about it. What we want from music is a sense of a human being in a situation of some kind: we want to feel some sense of their struggle, if you like, or their joy, or whatever emotion it is. And I can easily make programmes that will produce pretty flawless imitations of Bach, forever, but it’s not very interesting, because there’s no story attached to it, there’s no feeling that this music exists for any reason. Try to give someone who is uninitiated a sense of what you mean… The way I try to explain it to people is that the classical idea of a composer is of someone who is sort of like an architect of sounds. If I was writing a Beethoven symphony, what I’d be doing is designing every moment of that sonic experience, the oboes come in at this point and they play this and then there’s a kind of slow-down here and then the cymbals join in. Every detail is specified, just like every point in a building. What I’ve been trying to say to people is that instead of thinking of the composer as an architect, you think of the composer as a gardener. Without the dirty hands! A gardener carefully plants things in the soil, he looks after the soil, but he can’t exactly predict what is going to happen, and what the interaction between things he’s planted is going to be. We accept that gardening is a kind of negotiation with nature. I want to make music that is a negotiation with technology, and I accept that I don’t completely control that process. In fact, that’s the thrill of it, that it does things that I don’t expect. The interactions, and the software, is more interesting than me on my own, or the software on its own. So you get a kind of accidental beauty? Yes, something that nobody has seen before, that wasn’t in the machine and wasn’t in me. When you saw your 77 Million Paintings – which is a generative art installation – projected onto the Sydney Opera House, as it was in 2009, it must have been a great feeling of vindication. That was a nice feeling! It had just opened and I got into a taxi to go down to the Opera House from my apartment, the taxi driver said “Look at that!” and I said “Oh yeah, what do you think of it?” He didn’t know who I was, of course, and he said, “Fucking clever bastard!” He’s got a point. You received the Stephen Hawking Medal for “science communication”, and asteroid 81948 has been renamed in your honour. It is nice, but I always feel that if you stick around for long enough people think “he’s still at it? He must have meant it, he must have been serious.” Whereas for the first 50 years, they think you’re just pissing around! •Apollo: Extended Edition is out now
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A R DA L O ’ H A N L ON
McGUIRE STATE OF
CONSCIOUSNESS As Hot Press celebrates issue number 1,000, one of Irish comedy’s biggest stars, Ardal O’Hanlon, discusses his new stand-up tour The Showing Off Must Go On, as well as comedy in the age of social media outrage, Chris Morris, the downfall of Louis CK, Frank Black’s love of Father Ted – and playing the iconic Dougal McGuire.
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ver the course of Hot Press’ 1000 issues, few have had as good a perspective on the development of Irish comedy as Ardal O’Hanlon. Having moved to Dublin to study in the late ‘80s, the Carrickmacross native formed the comedy troupe Mr Trellis with Barry Murphy and Kevin Gildea, with the trio regularly performing at the Comedy Cellar in the International Bar. Around the corner was Hot Press’ old Trinity Street HQ, which was where – about the same time Mr Trellis commenced operations – future comedy writing duo Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews first met, with Mathews occasionally entertaining his colleagues during late night production sessions with his riffs as a comical cleric.
A few years later, Linehan and Mathews would move to London and create a show based around the character, Father Ted, in which they cast O’Hanlon as the hapless young priest Dougal McGuire. It proved a life-changing venture for all involved, ultimately becoming one of the most revered sitcoms of all time, and remaining on more or less permanent loop in Ireland and the UK. Latterly, O’Hanlon has starred in the sitcom My Hero and the comedy-drama Death In Paradise, whilst also maintaining an impressively busy stand-up schedule. Throughout 2019, he has been playing an extensive UK and Ireland tour, titled The Showing Off Must Go On. He must possess formidable reserves of stamina. “Well, I’m doing it in chunks,” explains the softly spoken O’Hanlon. “I did a bunch of dates in the spring and I’m doing the second half of the tour in the autumn. I’ve managed to cut it down to about 30 dates at a time – it used to be 50 or 60, which was a real killer. But I think I’ve finally copped on to the fact that you need to
MAIN PHOTO: MARK NIXON
O
INTERVIEW PAUL NOLAN
WILLIAM MURPHY
I S S U E S P E C I A L
Not the nine o’clock news: Chris Morris’ Brass Eye
Crilly season: John Braine’s portraits of Dougal and Ted near Connolly Station
break it up. “To be honest, I do love it. When you have a show up and running and you’re happy with it, you want people to see it. People always have this conflict about performing: we love it but we also feel sheepish about showing off – I call my show The Showing Off Must Go On. It kind of refers to that internal conflict you always live with: ‘Who do I think I am? Why do I think I’m funny? Why should people listen to me?’ “Where I come from, you’re encouraged to not show off at all costs. To this day, people in Carrickmacross won’t wear hi-vis jackets in case everyone thinks they’re showing off!” Notably, the advance blurb light-heartedly suggests that the show finds O’Hanlon “desperate to prove his age, race, class and gender don’t necessarily define him”. It’s a point made in jest, but it touches on the challenges comedians now face in an age when Twitter controversies arrive almost hourly. Early last year, I attended the Sugar Club screening of Oxide Ghosts, the documentary assembled by director Michael Cumming from his outtakes of Chris Morris’ classic satirical series, Brass Eye. At one point in the evening, Arthur Mathews – one of the writers on the show – opined that a particular sketch excised from the show wouldn’t pass muster now. Certainly, one shudders to think of the social media reaction to the original series, and indeed its follow-up, the nightmarish sketch show Jam. Would any of it be accepted in the current climate? “It’s a really good question,” considers O’Hanlon. “I remember thinking it was an absolute privilege to live in a time when Chris Morris was on television doing Brass Eye and The Day Today. He was so prescient and ahead of his time. That stuff so stands up and it’s so relevant today – he absolutely nailed it all those years ago. “It has become a little bit strange. Obviously, you have to be very, very careful about what you say. At the same time, you have to retain some sort of integrity and be true to yourself. You’ve got to try and represent yourself faithfully onstage. I don’t make big claims for my show – it’s not absolutely a zeitgeist show. I try to make people laugh, and I try to be warm and welcoming to everyone.” Does politics surface at all? “I don’t try and stick my politics in people’s
faces,” says Ardal. “Hopefully my liberal sensibilities come through in the course of the show. But I’m also a man in my fifties – I have to represent that. You are navigating those treacherous fjords of modern life. I do a joke in my show, based on a true incident, where I held the door open for someone and was accused of being sexist. “They said, ‘Thanks very much – that’s a bit sexist.’ And I said, ‘Well, I didn’t know you were a woman!’ Which was absolutely true, because I wasn’t looking, I wasn’t discriminating. So I do that joke, which gets a huge reaction, but it also gets a kind of, ‘Ooh!’ A few years ago you do that joke and it’s absolutely fine; now you do it at your peril. “You kind of go, ‘Well, this is the world we live in now, you do have to be careful.’ And rightly so. Should men respect women? Yes they should. Should they have respected women 20 years ago? Yes they should. Should men respect other men? Yes – we should respect each other tremendously. Of course we should. “I’m not anti-political correctness. In fact, I’m pro-political correctness, because I do think not everyone’s as strong as everyone else. I think it’s cheap, unnecessary and nasty to pick on weaker members of society, or people who are struggling with their identity and all that. So I’m not really interested in that sort of thing. At the same time, you have to be funny and push the boat out a bit. You have to take a risk now and again.” But that comes with its own challenges... “Of course, there’s always the chance that you’ll be lambasted on social media or taken out of context,” says Ardal. “That’s just the world we live in. So far, I’ve managed to navigate it and I’m enjoying my show. It’s a robust show – I think it’s working well and it’s pretty funny. I’m not suffering as a result of anything that’s happening in the world today.” It’s interesting that 20 years on from Brass Eye and Jam, we haven’t had another Chris Morris. Is that a sign of the times? “You know what’s really weird?” Ardal counters. “It’s something I find baffling in some ways. I suppose there is this political correctness, for want of a better term, or virtue signalling or whatever... the culture wars are right out in the open now. It’s a fight for the soul of the nation every day of the week. “But there is this hypocrisy, because other
“IN FACT, I’M PRO-POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, BECAUSE I DO THINK NOT EVERYONE’S AS STRONG AS EVERYONE ELSE.”
things go under the radar. The proliferation of porn, for example – that’s something that’s just not scrutinised, with the potential for harm there and everything else. People are afraid to come across as prudish. Feminists don’t even take it on for fear they’ll come across as illiberal. I just find that really weird. There’s all sorts of stuff going on that isn’t highlighted in the same way as what would appear more innocent stuff.” Moving on, one of the most spectacular falls from grace of recent years was that of Louis CK, after the US comic admitted masturbating in front of several female comedians. Oddly, having previously been completely unaware of him, I first saw CK perform stand-up as part of a triple bill alongside O’Hanlon and Barry Murphy at a Dublin comedy festival. “I was familiar with him,” recalls Ardal of the show. “But I hadn’t seen him live until that evening. It was amazing, but if you remember, that night he did do some quite misogynistic stuff about his wife. In those days, that wasn’t going to be called out. But it was quite dark, and if you look at it now, in the light of today’s sensibilities… “But you always got that, even with the very best comedians. Like, I remember Bill Hicks – another hero of mine who I saw live in the Tivoli – and it was a really powerful show. But again, he made some really crass jokes about the homeless. There was always that streak there, even with our heroes. We don’t like to remember that side of them, but it was always there.” Well, now that he’s been revealed as a complete creep, CK is firmly on the sidelines. “Yeah, he’s just been shut out, hasn’t he? He’s just been deleted. In his case, it’s hard to feel too much sympathy – that was a pretty weird habit he had. Obviously if you’re in the room, it would be quite traumatic I’m sure, but to the outsider it’s just pathetic. I just don’t understand
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KARL LEONARD
NEW GENERATION
L to R The late Dermot Morgan on the cover of Hot Press in 1998 & the Pixies’ Frank Black
Five comedians we’ll be writing about in Issue 2000!
EMMA DORAN
Sketch writer, comedian and self-proclaimed chancer, Doran was a regular on Republic Of Telly. Her podcast Up To 90, with fellow comic Julia Jay, is a tribute to the decade of The Fresh Prince and ‘going-out’ combat pants.
BRIAN GALLAGHER Runner Up in 2017’s Show Me The Funny competition, Gallagher is a favourite at the Edinburgh Fringe and a regular on Irish YouTube sensation, The Try Channel.
GRACE MULVEY
(Above) A Vodafone Irish Comedian of the Year finalist in 2017, Grace recently opened for Deirdre O’Kane on her Irish tour. She’s a regular performer with MOB Theatre.
ASHLEE BENTLEY
A Funny Woman finalist in 2018 and a Show Me The Funny winner in 2016, Ashlee has been obsessed with comedy since she was a child.
EMILY ASHMORE
Just 20 years old and already winning awards and playing festivals, Emily has the mind and the dry wit of someone three times her age.
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it in any way.” The latest development on the Father Ted front is that Linehan and Mathews are plotting a musical based on the series. Has O’Hanlon talked to the duo about it? “I’ve been in touch with them, but not really about the musical,” he replies. “I mean, I see Arthur socially and I come across Graham from time to time on my travels. Good luck to them, it’s got nothing whatsoever to do with me. They
“I COME ONSTAGE, AND ACCORDING TO DES BISHOP, FRANK BLACK GETS RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED.” did sort of consult me, just to see if I was okay with it and everything else, and of course I was. “I owe a huge debt of gratitude to them anyway. The writing was amazing, the part was amazing, and they put me in there. I’m totally cool with all that, it really doesn’t bother me. (Laughs) I don’t think I’ll be part of the casting process!” Of course, two of the main cast have left us, with Frank Kelly passing away in 2016, following on from Dermot Morgan’s untimely death close to the show’s conclusion in 1998. “I have fond memories of Dermot and Frank, absolutely,” reflects Ardal. “Even though it was a very small part of my life, it was clearly a big part of my life. When you actually put the three series we did back to back, it was probably less than a year we spent in each other’s company. But you obviously forge a bond with these people. They were both great men in their own way.” By all accounts, Dermot could be a comedic whirlwind. “He was always kind of on, alright,” says Ardal. “I mean, comedians are needy people! They need an audience. I think Dermot was a very frustrated man for a long part of his career, in the sense that he felt underused and undervalued. He burst onto the scene from
time to time with stuff like Scrap Saturday, and then obviously Father Ted was a massive break for him. It was an entirely new market, if you like – the British wouldn’t have been familiar with Dermot in any way. “So it was a big break, but I don’t think he ever lost that frustration. He always felt he was capable of so much more, that he could do so much more. He had that kind of nervous energy, so he was switched on a lot. Beneath the bluster, he was a really nice guy. He could be infuriating, because he found it hard to concentrate sometimes (laughs). I hope that doesn’t sound like I’m speaking out of turn or anything. He was a scatterbrain in many ways, but fundamentally a very nice and decent guy.” Earlier this year, Brad Pitt explained that he based his performance in Snatch on a minor character in Father Ted. For O’Hanlon, meanwhile, meeting the Pixies’ Frank Black – another high-profile fan of the series – was a particular highlight. “I was in the International Bar one night, trying out some material in the Comedy Cellar,” he remembers. “Frank Black was sitting there in the middle of the audience. It was truly ridiculous. It was a Sunday night and Des Bishop was hosting, and the Pixies were in town to play a few nights at the Olympia. I think it was in advance of a big tour they were doing. “Joey Santiago [or possibly magician and drummer Dave Lovering] fancies himself as a magician, so he wanted to find a little venue where he could try out some of his close-up magic. They all turned up at the International Bar on a Sunday night. I come onstage, and according to Des Bishop, Frank Black gets ridiculously excited and he can’t believe it. So I come off at the interval, and Des comes over to me and says, ‘Oh my god, Frank Black wants to meet you! Can you go over and say hello to him?’ “He just wanted to talk about Father Ted. I’m like, ‘This is Frank Black!’ I’m a huge fan of the Pixies, so of course you end up going, ‘No – I love you!’ • Ardal O’Hanlon’s tour The Showing Off Must Go On Tour stops off at Cork Opera House (October 30), Vicar Street, Dublin (November 9), and University Concert Hall, Limerick (29).
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hen Yeah! Burgr opened its most recent branch in Drogheda, it had the good fortune to do so during Ireland’s biggest traditional music festival, Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann. An immediate hit with locals and festival-goers alike, lines stretched around the block throughout the festival with even Fleadh TV’s Hector O Heochagain dropping in to deliver his stamp of approval. “It was the toughest two weeks of my life,” says Yeah! Burgr co-owner Stephen Moran. “There must have been 50-60 people in the queue just to get in the door, from opening until closing, which was an amazing advertisement in itself!” The Yeah! Burgr story started in 2017, when Stephen and his brothers, David and Gary, needed to make use of a unit adjoining their popular Navan late-bar FORTYONE. “We decided we wanted to go with a burger joint that focused on high quality, gourmet burgers,” Stephen tells us – and Yeah! Burgr is certainly that. With a build-your-own-burger ethos, their reputation lives and dies on the strength of their ingredients. “Our head chef, Greg Halpin, has done so much work behind the scenes getting the best quality ingredients from the right suppliers, and you can see it in the food. We don’t own a freezer. We get six deliveries a week so we can guarantee that the food is absolutely fresh.” And, with succulent meats, mouth-watering toppings, and a real commitment to delivering the best possible customer experience, Yeah! Burgr’s reputation is going from strength-to-strength. Even the decor is distinctive. “We decided to go with a raw New York style,” notes Stephen. “A lot of steel, treated rust, exposed brick, cool neon. It’s casual dining during the day, but at night the candles come out, the music goes up, and it becomes a bit of a cooler spot.” The American influence is also in evidence on their menu, with sumptuous beef, chicken and veggie burgers, tasty chicken wings and loaded fries all taking pride of place. “We just introduced
waffle fries,” says Stephen. “There isn’t many places doing waffle fries in Ireland. It’s so simple and they’re so tasty. We got the equipment in from the States and they’ve been a huge success.” Yeah Burgr! have also been innovative in getting the word out about their brand. Since opening, they have been releasing buzz-worthy promo videos featuring Hardy Bucks stars Owen Colgan and Peter Cassidy. “I met Owen through a comedy gig we did at FORTYONE and became friends with the lads,” says Stephen. “They just come down and have a bit of fun! We have a new promo going out next week advertising our vegetarian menu. We’ve got Beyond Meat on board for our vegan burger; it’s very important to us that we can present proper vegetarian options. In the ad, Frenchtoast (Cassidy) comes out as a vegetarian to Owen, and it’s just hilarious.” The success of Yeah! Burgr’s debut in Drogheda wasn’t a surprise to the Moran brothers. It’s a success that’s been repeated at both previous Yeah! Burgr locations, including the original outlet in Navan, and their second at a prime location near the entrance of St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth. “We opened our first location beside FORTYONE in September two years ago,” he reflects. “It just took off. We couldn’t keep up with demand, it was crazy. I knew after a month that we would be opening the second one.” With the 4th outlet set to open its doors on Redmond Square in Wexford town in early December 2019, it seems like nationwide domination is well and truly on the cards for Yeah! Burgr. “Drogheda is our first franchise and that was a big step forward,” Stephen tells us. “We’ve got some very interesting enquiries for more locations throughout the country so you never know where we could be popping up next”. • If you’re interested in a franchise opportunity with Yeah! Burgr, drop Stephen a line at stephen@yeahburgr.com or visit yeahburgr.com.
E M M A D ONO G H U E
THE FRENCH
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I S S U E S P E C I A L
Emma Donoghue’s new novel, Akin, tells the story of an elderly man and his wayward grand-nephew, who travel to Nice to explore their family’s secret history. As part of our 1,000th issue, the renowned Irish author talks to us about her latest work, as well as giving her views on the fascinating developments in Irish writing during her career.
INTERVIEW PETER McGORAN
“T
he moment I love is when the first copy turns up,” says Emma Donoghue of the thrill of publication. “Even if it’s just a proof copy, I always hug it, occasionally kiss it. I can’t be contained at that moment. I’m like, ‘Yes, it’s real! My bullshit works! They took my words and made into a book!’” The Dublin-born, Canada-based author – meeting Hot Press today in the cafe of Brooks Hotel – has been publishing best-selling novels for 25 years now (“I did my first interview with Hot Press back in 1994 and it was the first time someone sent out a photographer – I was honoured!”). However, the exhilarating feeling of seeing the finished book has never diminished for her. “I still get a major thrill,” she continues. “I think it’s because I get so attached to the characters after spending years with them. It sort of feels like I’ve brought them all this way, and now I can let them out into the wild.” We’re talking on the day that Emma’s new novel, Akin, officially gets released in Ireland and the UK. She’s already in publicity mode by this stage, though admits she’ll still have a quick glance at the reviews to see what they say. “I get nervous of them,” she says. “When I saw the first New York Times review, I couldn’t quite bear to open it because I was like, ‘Please don’t lambast me!’ But it was good, so I relaxed. I try not to take reviews too seriously, but certain ones are so influential.” A part of this nervousness comes from the fact that all of Emma Donoghue’s books have been wildly different in terms of setting, genre, tone, and period. Her 2010 bestseller, Room, was a modern-day story told from the perspective of a five-year-old, whereas her last novel, The Wonder, was set in post-Famine Ireland. “I’m asking myself, ‘Does anyone have any interest in this story, or that story?’ They’re such an odd collection,” she says. Not that any of this stops Emma when she gets the first real spark of a story in her head. Akin was a novel that had been rattling around ever since she relocated to Nice for two years, where her partner Chris had taken an academic job.
“It’s such strange place,” she says. “It’s so pretty and yet it has such a dark history. Multiple invasions. The cannonballs of the Turks are embedded in the walls. The castles were knocked down by the French. The Italians invaded it, then the Germans. All this dark history in such a pretty postcard place. I just thought it would be a great place to set a novel with meaty and dark themes, but with seductive surfaces details.” Akin tells the story of 79-year-old widower Noah, who gets asked to look after his 11-yearold grand-nephew Michael after the boy’s father dies of a suspected drug overdose and his mother serves a prison sentence. The pair are thrown together just as Noah gets set to
“THEY HAVE THIS WEIRD, SEEN-ITALL WORLDLINESS BECAUSE OF INSTAGRAM AND THINGS LIKE THAT.” embark on a trip to Nice, to explore the story of his grandfather (a famous fictional artist who was a contemporary of Matisse), as well as uncover the truth about his mother, who may have been part of the French Resistance during World War II. Like much of Emma’s best writing, it’s made up of delicate touches and subtle, but nonetheless powerful humour: family members trying to understand each other despite their generational gaps and very different backgrounds. It’s also Emma’s first contemporary novel since Room. “Since about 2000, I’ve alternated between historical and contemporary,” she says. “With historical, I often love drawing on fact, whereas with my contemporary stories, I’m free to make it up and I can do a bit more humour. It’s difficult to make history funny. I like the lightness of touch you can achieve in contemporary novels. Like in this book, you’ve got meaty subject matter, but you can have a chatty, roundabout
tone in the writing, so the reader doesn’t realise they’re being pulled into a discussion about ethics, or politics, or their own mortality.” Having brought a five year old’s world to life so remarkably in Room, it’s clear that Emma has an unusual ability to depict children, and their complex actions and thought processes… “But I’m just such a cheat!” she laughs, “because I draw on whatever age my children are. The girl in The Wonder, the boy in Room, they’re all roughly the age that my kids were when I was writing. I was in Nice when my son was seven, then again at 11 – so a lot of conversations with him, any of the ones where he was acting the maggot with me, they ended up in the book.” In Michael’s case, Emma captures the complexity of a pre-pubescent in the digital age, who is trying to negotiate everything from death and crime to sex and culpability. “You know they’re a funny generation. They don’t know much about the world, but because of the internet, they’ve heard of everything. They have this weird, seen-it-all worldliness because of Instagram and things like that. So it’s hard to impress them, because they think they’ve heard it all. But at the same time, they can be shocked by very simple confrontations with the real world. Michael’s very blasé about murder and things like that, but when Noah makes a joke about periods at one point, he’s gets squeamish! I love exploring that side of children.” Emma is a hugely prolific writer, doing everything from screenwriting to short stories to plays in recent years. Does she always have the next idea on the go? “I will have my lunch here and start the next thing right after I’m finished,” she smiles. “I just really enjoy writing, so I always have a number of projects on. I’m finishing the next novel as we speak, but I can’t talk about it yet because it hasn’t been sold. I’m always bricking it when I write. To go back to how my books are so different, I always ask ‘Will my publishers want it?’ They don’t fit together in any unique way, but it just makes it more interesting for me. It’s easier to get the words to flow if it’s something that I see as a challenge.” Continued over page >>
HOTPRESS.COM 093
MARTINA KENJI
I S S U E S P E C I A L
Kevin Barry
Eimear McBride
Sally Rooney
Frank McGuinness
Roddy Doyle
THE FULL IRISH Emma Donoghue takes us through some of the major Irish literary developments she’s witnessed since 1977, when Hot Press was first published…
F
rom Man Booker Prize winner Anna Burns’ astonishing Milkman and the emergence of Sally Rooney, through experimentalists Mike McCormack and Eimear McBride gaining international acclaim to the enduring brilliance of Edna O’Brien, it’s fair to say that Irish literature is going through a golden age. But it wasn’t like that when Hot Press launched in 1977. Emma was just eight at the time. Still, as a voracious reader throughout her youth, Emma Donoghue’s early encounters with Irish fiction have stuck with her. “I remember in the ’80s that Roddy Doyle loomed very large,” she says. “He still does, he’s a giant among us. Books like The Commitments have always stood out for me – he was one of the first to do that vernacular thing in a popular way.” Theatre was also important to Emma’s early engagement with Irish literature, as well as her understanding of what it meant to be gay in late 20th century Ireland. “I’ll never forget Frank McGuinness, and in particular his play, Observe The Sons Of Ulster (1985). That was a major work because two of the main characters were gay. It was a big breakthrough moment, because obviously growing up, I always thought I had to look abroad for any queer storylines. So to have a play by Frank McGuinness – a superb work like that – put same-sex love right in the heart of a story about the Battle of the Somme, that was an amazing moment for me.”
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Were there other breakthrough moments for gay writing in Ireland? “I remember back in 1989,” recalls Emma. “I found a book by Mary Dorcey in the English Literature aisle of the library in UCD and I was stunned by it. I think it was her collection Noise From The Woodshed that did it for me. She was so important, because she was so literary as well. At that point, I going to Books Upstairs on College Green and buying absolutely anything that had lesbian content in it. A lot of them were fairly trashy American titles – romance-y or crime-ish. Whereas Mary Dorcey was so literary that you savoured the words. And for her to be an out Irish lesbian
“THE RANGE OF VOICES OUT THERE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. IRISH FICTION SEEMS TO BE IN A REALLY LIVELY STATE.” as well, it was a revelation.” Several other Irish women proved an inspiration for Emma – as well as other emerging Irish women writers. “I grew up on people like Edna O’Brien, Jennifer Johnston and Anne Enright – who I encountered early on. I was once on a course about radio programmes, taught by Anne Enright, and we were given little recorders and sent off to record stuff. I remember making what I thought was a really profound piece about asthma, recording myself going up a mountain and my breathing getting more and more laborious. Then when I played it to the class, it was the longest two minutes
ever with just me and my heavy breathing. Once it ended I just remember Anne Enright saying, ‘Maybe next time Emma you could be a bit more ambitious!’ (laughs) If ever I’m in a situation where I ask myself if there’s more that I can do, I say, ‘More ambitious! Aim higher! Go for that three-book deal and get it!’” Emma has also been emboldened by the success of many of her contemporaries – and a newer breed again. “Oh I’ve been very interested in people like Kevin Barry, Sally Rooney, Eimear McBride. The range of voices out there has been incredible. Irish fiction is in a really lively state at the moment.” Irish literature has also been having conversations about reinstating the important of writers who were previously dismissed for writing ‘popular fiction’. “Well, I also grew up on people like Maeve Binchy,” she says. “We sometimes don’t think to mention the people who are less literary, but we are starting to take popular fiction a lot more seriously, in the same way that we do television now. It helps to really melt away that distinction between high and low culture. I think Irish arts at their best have an artistic European tradition, but they can have a real popular touch as well. To relate it back to my own work – that’s the reason why I went with Lenny Abrahamson for the film of Room (2015). I didn’t want some cold, high-brow art director, and I didn’t want Hollywood either. Lenny had written to me and I thought, ‘He completely gets it.’ I knew he was going to make a film that had a real burning sincerity, and at the same time was really artistic as well. And that’s exactly what he did.” • Emma’s latest novel, Akin, is out now, via Picador
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HOTPRESS.COM 095
Elaine Austin
Saint Sister
Stephen James Smith
God Knows, Niall O'Meara, Elaine Crowley & Leigh Kenny HamsandwicH
Colin O'Gara, Jordanne Jones, Fergal D'Arcy & Hannah Tyrrell Gosia Kosel, beside her winning illustration ("I'm Fine")
Kieran Delorentos
Stuart Clark & God Knows
056 HOTPRESS.COM
Emma Quinn
nny
NOW WE’RE TALKING LIVE Lyons, Pieta House and Hot Press played host to a unique event in Smock Alley Theatre on October 10th, where a huge array of Irish public figures talked about their own experiences dealing with mental health, as well the importance of addressing the stigma. REPORT PETER McGORAN P H O T O G R A P H Y M I G U E L R U I Z , G L E N B O L L A R D A N D A N D R É A R AV E N A
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here was a brilliant atmosphere in Smock Alley on World Mental Health Day, for Now We’re Talking - Live, the unique collaboration between Lyons, Pieta House and Hot Press, which aims to break the stigma surrounding mental health issues in Ireland. On display were some superb entries to our competition (in association with Athlone IT) for illustrations exploring mental health issues. The night was opened beautifully by Saint Sister. One of the finest emerging acts in Ireland over these past few years, Morgan McIntyre and Gemma Doherty gave us a stirring rendition of ‘The Mater’, taken from their acclaimed debut album Shape Of Silence. In our first panel, hosted by Hot Press’ Stuart Clark in front of a packed house, Pieta House CEO Elaine Austin, psychiatrist Colin O’Gara, actress Jordanne Jones, Today FM broadcaster Fergal D’Arcy and Irish rugby international Hannah Tyrrell all spoke impressively about different aspects of mental health. Elaine Austin emphasised the continuing importance of the Now We’re Talking campaign, as well as Pieta House’s new ‘Resilience Academy’, which is helping young people to learn skills and coping mechanisms to deal more effectively with mental health issues. Hannah Tyrrell shared a very personal story about her own encounter with Pieta House. “My parents picked up the phone when I was self-harming and bulimic,” she told us. “I received some wonderful counselling there and it was part of my path to recovery.” Her story of feeling like no one could help her – then eventually reaching a breakthrough – was inspiring. Fergal D’Arcy was in fine, effusive form, talking about everything from his serious bouts with anxiety and depression, through dealing with break-ups, to how to handle criticism. He shared a message from a caller who, frustrated with Fergal’s song-choices, criticised him in a series of phone messages. Fergal used this as the basis for an illuminating caution on not letting the trolls, keyboard warriors and critics affect you – or your mental health. Jordanne Jones – widely regarded as one of the great rising stars of Irish cinema – spoke about being diagnosed with Asperger’s
Syndrome and borderline personality disorder. She explained how she can become obsessive, over-sensitive to the world, and sometimes overwhelmed – but ultimately, being diagnosed, and empowered to talk about these conditions, helped her to look after herself. Jordanne also spoke about acting – “I find it therapeutic” – and about her role in the film I Used To Live Here, which deals with the ripple effect of suicide among young people in working class areas.. In a highly informative contribution, Professor Colin O’Gara – whose expertise is in addiction – talked about how mental health problems present in a variety of ways. He discussed subclinical problems, where people who are feeling down talk it out with their friends or family; then he explored the clinical options available to people who need more help. He also raised the vital point that mental health services in Ireland are underfunded, largely because we still haven’t accepted, at official level, that mental health illness requires the same level of treatment as physical illness. “I hope by the time my children grow up, it won’t be like that,” he told us. Speaking before his performance, poet Stephen James Smith quoted Seamus Heaney to explain how poetry helps him cope with his own mental health issues: “If you have the words, there’s always a chance that you’ll find the way.” Stephen then shared his poem ‘We Must Create’, a powerful statement on the driven nature of making art. The winner of our Now We’re Talking song competition, Emma Quinn, delivered 'Instead of Demons', a stream-ofconsciousness rap-style mediation on battling inner turmoil, that bursts into a soulful chorus: the perfect way to close Part One. The second panel featured rapper/spoken word artist God Knows, All-Ireland-winning Tipperary hurler Niall O’Meara, Virgin Media presenter Elaine Crowley, and Pieta House’s Leigh Kenny. Niall O’Meara talked openly and very movingly about his brother Paul’s suicide when Niall was just 11, and how deeply this early experience affected both himself and his family. He also spoke about the pressures that come with being part of a successful GAA county hurling squad, and how many GAA players have started to talk about mental health. Finally, he revealed that – as a primary school teacher - he’s now teaching
young people how to deal with things like cyberbullying. Leigh Kenny, the Regional Manager for South Leinster Pieta House, explained the nuts and bolts of what’s involved when people come into contact with the service. Leigh spoke eloquently, helping to demystify – as well as de-stigmatise – what's involved in first approaching Pieta House. Elaine Crowley gave an eye-opening, and often funny, account of depression, and how it can affect a person even when they appear to be doing well. She spoke, with profound honesty, about the times when the depression almost stopped her from going to work, and the challenges that come with being a public face when you’re battling these issues. Finally, God Knows (also a member of the Choice Music Prize-winning The Rusangano Family) touched on the intersection between mental health and music, noting that the common thread in his recent songs has been mental health. He spoke about learning to be understanding if a family member is dealing with mental health issues. There were performances that offered a fine elaboration on the themes of the night. Delorentos’ Kieran McGuinness took to the stage to sing ‘Am I Done?’, a lovely, introspective song about writer’s block and the nature of making art, from the band’s most recent album True Surrender. Following a fine, heartfelt introduction from singer Niamh Farrell on the importance of being able to talk about mental health issues, HamsandwicH sang their 2015 single ‘All Worthwhile’. With the wonderful conversational vocals of Niamh and Podge leading to exquisite harmonies, which drew in guitar player Brian Darcy, this was a perfect way to end the night... Overall, the evening served as an important moment in broadening what is a vital discussion about mental health. It perfectly capturied the purpose and intent of the Now We’re Talking campaign. Through its network of centres nationwide, Pieta House offers counselling and support free of charge. If in crisis, call 1800-247-247 or alternatively text Help to 51444 (standard message rates apply).
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Indie-folk crew Brave Giant talk about their stunning debut album White, Pink + Blue, creating “dark, dark tunes”, and why – despite the odd ruction over count-ins – they’re putting no limit on their ambition.
L L TO R: MIGUEL RUIZ, INDIE CALDWELL
anding a headline gig at Dublin’s famed Olympia Theatre before even releasing your debut album is no easy feat, but Longford indie-folk maestros Brave Giant have managed it. “When we announced the Olympia last year, none of these songs were written,” admits lead singer Podge Gill, pointing to a copy of their debut album, White, Pink + Blue. “So that gave us the incentive to have them released before we do the Olympia. It gave us a timeline of when to start, when to complete it, and when to have everything done. (Laughs) It gave us a kick up the ass, essentially.” After all, they needed to give fans a bit of time to learn all the words! “We need to learn them first,” chuckles bassist Mark Prunty. PLaying the Olympia is a real statement of intent. It’s the “holy grail of Irish music”, as multi-instrumentalist Ross McNerney puts it. “The Mecca”, Mark adds. “It’s just the most…” Podge trails off, struggling to put the feeling into words. “It’s the biggest, yet most intimate venue you can get in Ireland. You’re only a couple feet away from the audience. At the Olympia, everyone’s right close to you. You can really feel the energy of the crowd.” Brave Giant are renowned for their brilliant
INTERVIEW BRENNA RANSDEN live performances, but that energy will inspire them to even greater heights. “Our live sets have become a lot more fun to play,” explains drummer Emmett Collum. “A lot of the tracks we’ve done before – a lot of ballads and stuff like that – have got a little bit slower. But now with the new stuff, we’ve got the licence to go a bit–“ “Apeshit,” chimes in Mark. “Mental,” Emmett suggests. “A little more ourselves,” adds Ross. “You’re kind of meant to be a bit…“
“WITH THE NEW STUFF, WE’VE GOT THE LICENCE TO GO A BIT APESHIT” “Do a little bit of headbanging,” concludes Mark, with a laugh. The lads are completely in tune with each other, finishing each other’s sentences and nearly jumping out of their seats with excitement to share everything about their latest endeavours. Conceived as a band nearly eight years ago, Brave Giant have been friends for much longer. “We all went to school. We grew up together,” explains Ross. “If we weren’t in a band, we’d go drinking together,” says Mark. “Well, we do that as well. And we play football together – we do
everything together.” They also do their bonding, healing and sharing as a collective. The inspiration for many of their songs, comes from personal experience. “It’s our personal struggles,” Mark reflects. “Our truth. It’s not just one of us who went through a tough time or whatever it might be. The band shares it and I think that comes across when we’re playing live. It allows all four of us to have a view on the songs in the studio. We’re close enough to have that collective voice in our songs, which is good.” That brotherly love seems all-encompassing. They may have no difficulty coming to a consensus in relation to the songs but there are moments when it seems they might be taking their inspiration from Liam and Noel Gallagher. There have been ‘falling outs’. “We were doing 2FM and we’re attempting a cover of ‘Little Lies’ by Fleetwood Mac,” recalls Emmett. “So I played it and Ross was like (does high-pitched voice), ‘It’s a bit… meh’.” The lads burst into laughter, taking turns mocking the infamous “meh”. Ross, still laughing, admits he now loves the song after playing it. Once the chuckles die down, Podge assures me that they really do get along well. “Generally, the actual creation of the music is quite easy. Except when you two forgot to count for ‘Otherside’”, he says, glaring across the table. A mixture of groans and laughter ensue. “I don’t even know what happened,” Emmett
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BEYOND T H E PA L E With Longford-born Brave Giant set to make international waves, we take a look back at five other acts from the far reaches of Ireland who’ve achieved national, and international, acclaim.
Saw Doctors Formed in Tuam in 1986, The Saw Doctors are one of Ireland’s most beloved bands, scoring eighteen Top 30 singles at home, including three number ones. Their first number one, ‘I Useta Lover’ topped the Irish charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1990 and still ranks as the country’s all-time biggest-selling single. Renowned for their live performances, the band have maintained a firm following throughout their career and still draw massive crowds to their shows.
Gemma Hayes Born in Ballyporeen, Tipperary but not related to Ronald Reagan, Gemma Hayes is a prolific musician and singer-songwriter. A multipe Hot Press and Meteor Awardswinner, she’s released five studio albums, all of which have infiltrated the charts here. In addition to her solo work, Gemma was a member of the Irish music collective The Cake Sale, and has worked with Bell X1’s Paul Noonan for his side-project Printer Clips.
Ciaran Lavery Hailing from the village of Aghagallon, 20 miles south of Belfast, Ciaran Lavery is one of the most respected acoustic-folk singers of his time. His second album, Let Bad In, scooped the Northern Ireland Music Prize back in 2015, and the follow-up, Sweet Decay, showed that he could dabble with a full band sound, as well as his trademark stripped-back acoustic style. Having racked up multi-millions of streams, Ciaran is proof that you can live in a reclusive part of the country and still achieve widespread success…
Cry Before Dawn Celtic rock band Cry Before Dawn were hugely popular in the years following their formation in 1986. Their debut album, Crimes Of Conscience, and follow-up, Witness Of the World, received acclaim from both sides of the Irish Sea, and many commentators at the time praised them for how, lyrically, their music connected with rural Ireland – and in particular their home of Wexford – rather than being beguiled by the allure of the capital.
Mundy Coming from the small town of Birr, Co. Offaly, Mundy was one of Ireland’s most popular performers throughout the ‘90s and ‘00’s, and remains an influential figure in Irish music. His song ‘To You I Bestow’ was featured on the best-selling soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, and his cover of ‘Galway Girl’, with Sharon Shannon, was the most downloaded song in Ireland in 2008.
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“IT’S NOT JUST ONE OF US WHO WENT THROUGH A TOUGH TIME. THE BAND SHARES IT AND I THINK THAT COMES ACROSS WHEN WE’RE PLAYING LIVE.” says, shaking his head. “I don’t…” Mark trails off, putting his palms up in an I-didn’t-do-it manner. Convinced he was on the right side of history, Podge explains that the band were trying to figure out the instrumental break for the track ‘Otherside’, and they couldn’t come to consensus on when they were supposed to come in. “We were on 1-2-3-4, but they came in on 2,” clarifies Ross. “And the two of them were convinced they were right.” Mark and Emmett jump in to defend themselves and brotherly banter ensues. After a few moments of back-and-forth, I’m assured that the track is a cracker. “We made it work in the end,” Mark assures me. “It’s different.” “It’s a little bit different, but it was the same idea,” defends Podge. “Yeah, same idea, but it’s in the normal time now,” agrees Mark. The track in fact turned out to be one of the best on the album, he adds. “It’s a dark, dark song. There’s quite a punky beat going through it. But then you hear this really light and melodic mandolin breaking through. It works well – well we hink so!” The mandolin adds a different dimension to their sound. “Obviously the mandolin and the banjo – they’re folk instruments,” explains Ross, who plays both for the band. “They’re traditional instruments.
You can’t avoid that. But definitely, on this, they’re messed up. They’re altered. I go into music shops like Waltons and X Music and I’m like, ‘I wanna get such and such a pedal for a banjo.’ They’re looking at me like I have three heads.” “You can’t do that!” mocks Emmett, at which they all laugh. “I want a distortion for a banjo,” Ross adds, “or I want a flanger for a mandolin, and they’re like–“ “Get out!” snaps Emmett. The desire to explore new sounds comes from a myriad of sources. They’ve been doing their homework, expanding their tastes and attending as many gigs as possible for inspiration. Foals are a common denominator in their music libraries right now, with other favourites including Bon Iver, Tame Impala and The National. As for Irish artists, the lads name Talos, Dermot Kennedy, Fontaines D.C. and The Murder Capital as current favourites. “There’s so much inspiration everywhere in Ireland at the moment,” says Ross. With charisma, musical maturity, and great things on the horizon, it won’t be long before others are putting Brave Giant on their list of inspirational Irish acts. You just wait.... • White, Pink + Blue is out now. Brave Giant play Voodoo, Belfast (October 23 & 26) and the Olympia, Dublin (November 9).
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AS SYLK For our 1000th issue, we sat down for a special discussion with one of Ireland’s most exciting young acts, dark electro-pop duo Sylk. Up for discussion: Lady Gaga, rock vs pop, Berlin techno, the role of drugs in music, and the background to the group’s industrial banger ‘Cigarettes & Sex’.
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I N T E R V I E W : P A U L N O L A N PHOTOGRAPHY ZOE SALVUCCI
ver the storied history of Hot Press’ 1,000 issues, we’ve received new music from countless up-andcoming bands. Of the class of 2019, one of the most impressive young acts have been Dublin-based duo Sylk, who specialise in a brilliantly atmospheric brand of dark electro. Especially excellent was the track ‘That’s On You’, a throbbing, industrial-tinged effort featuring MC Daragh Locke. Sylk’s visual aesthetic was also perfect, with the visuals containing elements of everything from witch-house to the stark moodiness of Nine Inch Nails and The Cure. We were intrigued, excited – and we wanted to know more. Thus it is that we find ourselves in the eerily calm surroundings of St. Audeon’s Church in Dublin, where Sylk – comprised of groove technician Beibhinn and vocalist Taylor – strike poses in the medieval courtyard. Photoshoot complete, we retire to a nearby bar to discuss Sylk’s career to date. Fittingly, the duo’s origin story involves an electro-pop icon. “We met at a Lady Gaga concert about 10 years ago,” explains Taylor. “I told Beibhinn I loved the Lady Gaga disco stick she’d made! Then a year later, we were going to London to see Gaga again, with a bunch of mutual friends, and we remembered each other.” “When we first started making music, it was around October,” notes Beibhinn. “That’s our time of year. It’s dark.” Where does that darkness in Sylk’s music come from? “It arrived by accident,” replies Beibhinn. “We love hearing that type of music, but when we began writing, we didn’t even have in our head what it would sound like. It wasn’t like, ‘Let’s do something like such-and-such a band’ – it just came out. And aesthetically, it’s the kind of image we like. With dark electronic music, you can create a lot visually.” Talk of early influences leads to Crystal Castles being mentioned, specifically the first incarnation when Alice Glass – one of the most brilliant and charismatic performers of
her generation – was still in the group. Sylk have notable similarities in their live show, with Beibhinn cranking out punishing beats behind a wall of electronic gear, and Taylor stirring the crowd out front with anarchic punk antics. “Visually, they were definitely an inspiration,” reflects Beibhinn. “We went to see them together at Metropolis and we went, ‘This is insane.’ It was so intense. Some people would be like, ‘That’s a bit much’, but I love when something is that powerful. When we’re writing music, we also think about how it’s going to work live. We love strobes. We want it to be full-on.” “They had the new girl at Metropolis,” adds Taylor. “She looks similar and they do the same songs. But Alice Glass can never be replaced!”
“IT WAS LIKE TAKING ON A PERSONA – IT WAS ABOUT SOMEONE FUCKING WITH YOUR HEAD AND VICE VERSA.” Of course, the Crystal Castles story took a dark turn a few years back, when Glass alleged that her bandmate Ethan Katz had behaved abusively towards her over a long period. “It’s really sad,” says Beibhinn. “In the creative industries, more and more stories are coming out. It’s so sad the way power works. With people like Chris Brown, it’s very hard to just listen to the music for the music.” Have the group themselves experienced sexism in the industry? “I don’t think so,” responds Taylor. “Not much here, although obviously it is a thing. In Dublin, we haven’t really experienced it first-hand ourselves. For me, people have been fair. Maybe other people’s experiences are different.” “There’s a festival in Whelan’s, We’ve Only Just Begun, which has an all-female line-up,” says Beibhinn. “We played it last year and it
was unreal. It was a cool concept. Personally, I wouldn’t have been that aware of the subject of sexism in music, but then you see those festival posters online with the male acts removed, and there’s hardly anyone left. I wouldn’t have noticed that it was mainly guys, but that stuff opens your eyes.” “There was one festival this year and there were only three or four females in the whole thing,” notes Taylor. “It’s crazy when you think about it. But it’s good that you see these initiatives now where there are 50-50 bills – it’s nice people have that opportunity.” Returning to their live shows, Sylk work hard to deliver consistently ferocious performances. “Our live show developed in tandem with our records,” Beibhinn reflects. “Fiach, who shoots all our stuff, he turned up to our first rehearsal with lights and a mixing desk. He was like, ‘Wait ‘til you see this!’ He had all these mad strobes going while we were practising. From the very start, that was part of our show. The lights and the visuals are fundamental to what we do.” The intensity of Sylk’s shows is matched by the group’s lyrics, with one track notable for Taylor’s seething declaration, “I can fuck you up any time I please”. “We wrote that song with the idea of doing something random and fun,” says Taylor, a tad cautiously. “It was like taking on a persona – it was about someone fucking with your head and vice versa. It was like, why not? I love that track; it’s fun to perform it and put on that persona. “That’s part of the pleasure of creating,” Beibhinn chimes in. “Something like that, it’s very different to how we actually are. But it’s cool to explore that stuff. We’re very open to it.” Well, mind games are part of life. “That’s it,” nods Taylor. “We write about stuff that comes from experience in some way. Like, someone might be messing with your head and you’ll throw it in there. We draw inspiration from different areas of life.” Another of the group’s tunes is titled ‘Cigarettes & Sex’ – is that what the song is actually about? “The verses are really deep,” replies Taylor. “And then the chorus is ‘cigarettes and sex’. I mean, it makes it fun. You have to be daring – it wouldn’t be such an exciting show if we were just sitting there, singing depressing songs. “You know... It’s actually my dad’s
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FIVE OTHER G R E AT F E M A L E DUOS Saint Sister Initially beginning their careers as solo artists, Morgan McIntyre and Gemma Doherty came together to form Saint Sister while they were both studying at Trinity College. Gemma’s classical background, mixed with Morgan’s flair for experimentation and creating sparse, ethereal soundscapes, made for the perfect combination. Their debut album, Shape of Silence, was released back in 2018 to widespread acclaim.
First Aid Kit A Swedish duo consisting of sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg, First Aid Kit breathed a whole new lease of life into the country-folk genre when they broke internationally back in 2012, with their second album The Lion’s Roar. Inspired by everyone from Townes Van Zandt to Emmylou Harris, First Aid Kit have released four successful albums, and emerged as one of the most iconic female duos of recent years.
The Webb Sisters, Hailing from Sevenoaks in Kent, Charley and Hattie Webb gained international recognition when they were picked by Leonard Cohen to join him on his 2008 tour. They were still working with the legendary Canadian when he passed away in 2016, with their tribute to their friend and mentor appearing in Hot Press. They’ve also toured with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and have released several studio albums independently.
Heart Formed in 1970 as ‘White Hart’, the iconic rock band came into its own as Heart in 1973, when it recruited Ann and Nancy Wilson as lead vocalists. The versatility in their music – they’ve been called everything from folk rock to hard rock to easy listening over the decades – came about as a direct result of the sisters’ wide range of musical stylings. For a while it looked as if punk/new wave had rendered Heart redundant, but they successfully reinvented themselves for the MTV generation with such monster hits as ‘Alone’ and ‘These Dreams’.
McGarrigle Sisters Anna and Kate McGarrigle were born in Montreal, in 1940, of mixed Irish and French-Canadian descent. Having originally concentrated on standards they started performing their own songs, which led to them releasing their self-titled debut album in 1976. An inspiration on everyone from Judy Collins and Emmylou Harris to Linda Ronstadt and Nick Cave who recruited them to appear on No More Shall We Part, their career came to an enforced end in 2010 when Kate, mother to Rufus and Martha Wainwright from her marriage to Loudon Wainwright III, fell victim to cancer. Their influence, though, remains enormous.
“THE CHORUS IS ‘CIGARETTES AND SEX’. I MEAN, IT MAKES IT FUN. YOU HAVE TO BE DARING.”
favourite song! (laughs uproariously). He rang me yesterday and I told him we had a gig. He was like, ‘Are you doing my favourite song?!’” “We exaggerate things to get our point across,” Beibhinn emphasises. “At our live shows, we want it to be intense and for people to get swept up in it. There’s a rave vibe.” When the Pet Shop Boys first arrived in the ‘80s, Neil Tennant made a point of expressing the group’s preference for the technicolour excitement of pop over the dull worthiness of classic rock. Asked recently if it was a battle he still felt passionate about, he replied, “No – because pop won.” Sylk definitely fall on the pop and electronic side of the debate – so what are the origins of their love for electronic music? “One of the most inspiring things I ever came across was a module I did in college in London,” reflects Beibhinn. “It was about the development of music since the war. That’s where electronic music began, in Germany and France; you had music concrète and elektronische musik. In music concrète, they’d manipulate the sound of trains, or record on a track and reverse it. “And in elektronische musik, they’d create sine waves with these massive machines that were the size of a room. I just remember being blown away. They were creating music because it was a sad time after the war. They didn’t want to be creating this happy classical and romantic music. That wasn’t the spirit of the times. “I was so taken by all that and I always come back to it. I also think it’s maybe where some of the darkness in our music comes from. But we also have pop melodies – it’s moody but you still want to dance.” An enquiry about which guitar bands, if any, Sylk currently listen to prompts Beibhinn to mention The 1975, of whom she is a huge fan. She was unaware of frontman Matt Healy’s stint in rehab for heroin addiction, which leads to a
wider discussion of drugs’ relationship to music generally. Certainly, they have a notable role in the history of dance music, in particular the widespread use of ecstasy during acid house. “It’s an interesting topic,” says Taylor. “When people listen to our music, we want them to feel like they’re on drugs – we don’t necessarily want them to actually be on drugs. Even after the gig last night, a random guy came up to me and said, ‘I’ve never seen you guys before, but your music made me feel like I was on drugs.’ I was like, ‘Thanks so much, that’s exactly what we want.’” “Some people say they do it for the creative process. Then you had The Beatles taking acid and stuff like that. I was so fascinated by The Beatles.” We talk on, about Sylk’s delight at playing the Pride festival in Cork among other things, before ending on a chat about Berlin techno – one of the most exciting scenes in the world currently. Leading the way, of course, is Berghain; evolving out of the city’s ‘90s gay scene, the club – famously located in a converted power plant – has become a mecca for techno fans from around the world, with acts like Prince Of Denmark and Ben Klock responsible for some of the most exhilarating music of recent years. “It’s one of the top places we’d like to go,” enthuses Beibhinn. “The kind of stuff that gets played in Berghain, it’s some of the best music to lose yourself in – ‘immersive’ is probably the best word. You’re in your world. It’s surreal. The mad thing as well, when you think of it, is that the sounds aren’t even real or organic – they’re created. It’s amazing.” • Sylk’s latest single, ‘All In Ur Head’ featuring Daragh Locke, is out now. They play with Vokxen at the Coven night in the Sunflower Bar, Belfast on October 18. Access to St. Audoen’s Church courtesy of the OPW. For more info see heritageireland.ie
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THE SUBSCRIBER’S TALE A magazine’s loyal readers are essential to its success – and longevity. Without those generous and hugely valued foot-soldiers, a publication like Hot Press could not exist. Aaron Govern is one such. A resident of Warwickshire in the UK, he began subscribing to Hot Press all the way back in 1984 - and has done so continuously ever since. To mark our 1,000th issue, we asked him to tell us his story.
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ell, well, well. The 1000th edition of Hot Press? Who would have believed it possible I was born in the UK and grew up there. Apart from my parents, however, all my relatives lived in Ireland. Every summer, my father and mother would visit home – Dublin and Wexford respectively – to see their own parents. So I always felt a very strong connection to the island of Ireland. By the early 1980s, music had became a huge passion for me. I was at an age where rock ’n’ roll was beginning to have a significant influence on the way I looked at the world. My father had taken me, in the late ’70s, to see rock behemoths like The Who, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. And I had fallen in love, entirely off my own bat, with the Two-Tone music scene that originated in Coventry, not far from where I have lived most of my life, with bands like The Specials and The Selecter to the fore. Other family members were also to have an influence on me. A family visit to Ireland meant meeting up with my cousin Hugh, a DJ in Dublin, who bought records by the proverbial bucketload. He would pass tapes and vinyl on to me, to listen to – and one year he gave me a copy of U2’s October album. It was a life-changing moment: I was completely hooked by this new rock sound.
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As a result of hearing that tape, and playing it over and over again, by early 1983 – following the release of the band’s third album, War – I had already seen U2 twice in Birmingham, catching them in full youthful flow, as they began their ascent to the dizziest heights of rock ’n’ roll stardom.
RUSH OF EXCITEMENT
By 1984, I had become a regular buyer of the weekly UK music publications – the ‘inkies’ as we fondly knew them – mainly the NME, but also Melody Maker and Sounds. Then on a visit to Ireland with my parents in August 1984, I went into Eason’s on O’Connell St, and saw my first ever copy of Hot Press – an instant purchase, helped no doubt by the fact that it was the copy that featured Bob Dylan and Bono on the cover, after the latter had bounded on stage to join Dylan, in an early Slane Castle concert that same summer. Holding that unique edition in my hands, I was utterly transfixed by the content of this previously undiscovered magazine, which at the age of 16 was good beyond my highest expectations. Here was a publication which would not only connect me to my Irish heritage, but also offer stunning and wide-ranging articles and features on music, the arts, politics, books, film, sport and theatre. And it did. This was a magazine that would become an intrinsic part of my life ever since, and which has greatly influenced me, in my thoughts and beliefs. Following that initial purchase, I realised that I couldn’t reliably buy Hot Press in England, and so I subscribed. Over 35 years later, I still get that rush of excitement at the sound of the letterbox opening and closing on a Saturday morning every fortnight, with the newly published edition of Hot Press landing on the mat. It never fails to excite me. Time stops. I literally rip off the wrapping, and turn straight to the front cover, and then the contents page. I anxiously think about which part of the issue to read first, before ploughing on into – and through – the rest of the writing.
MUCH NEEDED LIGHT
Hot Press is a tour-de-force. There are no weaknesses in this magazine: each and every page is worked on and finely-tuned by some of the best journalists in the industry. And what journalists there have been in the 35 years of reading some 900+ copies of Hot Press: the late, great Bill Graham; Neil McCormick; Declan Lynch; Michael D. Higgins (I wonder what ever happened to him?!?); Liam Mackey; Eamonn McCann; Stuart Clarke; Olaf Tyaransen; Lorraine Freeney; Anne Sexton; and numerous more. And let’s not forget that some of the most incredible photographers
“Here was a publication which would not only connect me to my Irish heritage, but also offer stunning and wide-ranging articles on music, the arts, politics, books, film, sport and theatre.”
have graced those pages too, notably including Colm Henry. Hot Press has been home to some of the most talented people – and they, in turn, have been loyal to the magazine over the years, their work revered by readers and industry participants alike. But the main reason I love Hot Press is the big man himself – Niall Stokes. The founder and editor of this magazine since its inception in 1977, his editorials are like no other. They cover the main issues of the day, and are always on the pulse. Rarely do I read one and not agree with the sentiments and views that he manages to get from pen to page. Niall is, and has always been, masterly in his prose, fully focused on highlighting the injustices, the mistakes and the downright incompetencies in the great world that we live in… Injustices and causes have been highlighted consistently in his editorials, over the years. I honestly believe that Hot Press has been at least partially responsible for getting much overdue legislation passed in the Dáil, by campaigning for action to be taken on issues from the legalisation of contraception back in the late ’80s through to more recent concerns such as gay marriage and support of feminism – not least the role Hot Press played in ensuring the passing of the Referendum on Repealing the 8th Amendment, and the subsequent successful introduction of legislation. Since 1977, Hot Press has chipped away at the gargantuan task of demolishing the old and
antiquated structures of the Catholic Church, which had exerted such control over almost all aspects of Irish life. In the process, Hot Press brought some much needed light, following many decades of a very dark past – and, as a result, a new, liberal Ireland has emerged.
PLAYER AND MANAGER
I have so many great and fond memories of the journalists and columns of the past. What’s more, the letters page always used to make me laugh out loud, with some of the readers becoming legends in their own right. Remember the contributions by Pete the Roz? And who can forget the regular missives of a loyal reader called Kathy Evans, who constantly wrote in to Hot Press – and even got her very own section on the letters page called ‘The Kathy Evans Corner’. Great memories indeed. I am proud to discover that – as far as the official records go! – I am the longest, unbroken, fully paid-up, independent subscriber to Hot Press. I have subscribed continuously for all of 35 years – and long may that continue. So thank you Hot Press. Thank you Niall. Keep an eye on the ‘wrongs’ of the world like you do. And one last thing: may your knees not be knackered, and long may you continue in your role as player and manager of the wonderful Hot Press Munchengladbach 1891 football team! Here’s to the 1000th edition. Already, I am I looking forward to the 2000th. Sláinte!
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ELBOW
GETTING SOME
ELBOW ROOM Painful loss and the ongoing chaos of Brexit underpin Elbow’s powerful new album, Giants Of All Sizes. Frontman Guy Garvey reflects on the record’s difficult creation, whilst also touching on the lighter moments of visiting Youghal and enjoying pints in London with Cillian Murphy.
INTERVIEW: PETER McGORAN
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G
uy Garvey is reaffirming his place as the nicest man in rock. A few weeks after yours truly first interviewed the Elbow frontman, then subsequently left the recorder in a field in Stradbally amidst the excitement of Electric Picnic, Guy has agreed to answer my questions all over again. Actually, “agreed” is the wrong word. Guy is “more than happy to” talk to us. He’s been on the press circuit for over a month now, but retains the same exuberant energy as he did when we first met – mainly because he’s immensely proud of the band’s eighth album, Giants Of All Sizes. “We’ve had a sneaky word on some of the reviews,” notes Guy, “It feels like it’s really connected with people. It’s been the most difficult record to make, because it’s very reflective of the time we live in, as well exploring the grieving process. So it’s great that people are connecting with the songs’ lyrics and working out what they’re about.” Guy is speaking to us from Manchester, where he’s en route to Elbow’s rehearsal room. It’s the morning that the band have announced an extensive arena tour of the UK & Ireland, with a stop off at 3Arena. Guy’s family connections to Ireland have assured that he’ll always pencil a date here. “We’ve got a history playing there now,” he says. “I was just there over the summer for a holiday. I’ve got a brother-in-law who’s a Cork man, he’s from Youghal. So we all went there to spend three days out in the beautiful countryside. My sister lives in Waterford and I don’t get down to see her half as much as I should. She really enjoys giving me a hard time about how little I
I S S U E S P E C I A L
“YOU END UP GETTING GRIEF IN MANY FORMS IT’S THE DARKEST RECORD WE’VE EVER MADE”
visit them. But any time my sister starts guilting me, I start gently rubbing my shoulder, to remind her about the time she pulled my arm out of its socket when we were five! (Laughs) The ultimate guilt trip!” Sibling disputes aside, family matters factor into Giants Of All Sizes in a number of ways. According to the singer, the album is “an angry lament that finds salvation in family, friends, the band and new life.” Appropriately, the album opens with ‘Dexter & Sinister’, a maximalist, seven-minute odyssey combining stomping, distorted guitars, gentle pianos, prog-rock and some ethereal wailing from Guy, which seems to cover the full breadth of his vocal range. Its themes? Disaffection with UK politics, familial loss and confrontation with your own mortality (“I don’t know Jesus anymore / And an endless sleep is awaiting me”). For an album as grand – and heavy – as this, Elbow broke with their time-honoured tradition of going to the Scottish countryside to record. Instead, the made the decision to go to the dreary outskirts of Hamburg. What was the thinking behind that? “We normally would’ve gone to Scotland, or sometimes the French countryside, for the isolation,” says Guy. “Mark would do all the cooking. And we’d spend our evenings in solitude, messing about getting drunk, playing music. But we decided to go to Hamburg to see what it would do for the sound. As it turns out, we didn’t exactly do our homework properly. We thought we were going to be in the city centre, but in actual fact, we were on an industrial estate outside of it. In a really beautiful, well-equipped studio – but in the middle of quite a desolate industrial estate.”
The overhaul in the recording process came because this was, in Guy’s words, their “most difficult album to make”. Why was that the case? “Well, my father died a year ago of cancer,” he says. “I knew he was going to die. My wife was filming in Vancouver, so I was out with her when it happened. It was very difficult to find out while I was away from him. But looking back, I was in the right place, I was with my family. And he was surrounded by my brother and all my sisters and his grandchildren. And he said he never felt so loved in the last couple of weeks that he was alive, which is what you want to hear.” Months after this, Guy experienced several more losses. Jan Oldenburg – owner of the Night And Day café, a hub for bands like Elbow in the ‘90s, which can be credited with helping to birth the city’s iconic Northern Quarter – passed away. A few days later, another friend from that scene also died. “I’m like many, many people who are in their mid-forties, in that I’m experiencing a bit of loss,” reflects Guy. “So I write lyrics to reflect that. The music on this album provokes. It’s heavy, rocky and full-on. You also have the backdrop of Brexit, and you can feel my despair with our leaders. You end up getting grief in many forms – it’s a darker record than we’ve ever made.” This comes through in ‘White Noise, White Heat’, the album’s central song, where all of the anger about UK politics seems to coalesce. Guy spoke extensively to us about Brexit during the last album cycle in 2017. Did he really think he’d still be talking about it again three years later? “I’m afraid to say I did,” he acknowledges. “I think I’ll be talking about
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MANCUNIAN CA N D I DAT E S GUY GARVEY namechecks the iconic Night & Day Café as being essential to the growth of Elbow and other bands in Manchester’s vibrant musical history. We take a look at five of the city’s most influential groups. Joy Division, 1976 - 1980 Drawn from different parts of Manchester and welded together by their ferocious live energy and lyrics of desolation and alienation, Joy Division came to define the genre of ‘post-punk’. The band were shortlived, following the suicide of Ian Curtis in 1980, but they were immortalised with their two albums Unknown Pleasures and Closer.
New Order, 1980 - present day From the fallout of Joy Division came a band which proved to be equally as influential in modern day music. With Bernard Sumner as the frontman, and a decisive move towards electronic music, New Order played an important role in the development of UK dance. They’ve released 10 albums throughout their career – all of which have been successful – and still continue to draw in huge audiences for their live shows.
The Smiths, 1982 – 1987 Perhaps the most important band to emerge from the British independent music scene in the ‘80s, The Smiths were revered during the five heady years they were active, and have gained a steady cult following in the thirty odd years since their demise. The songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr continues to be the stuff of legend.
Oasis, 1991 – 2009 With their trio of albums, Definitely Maybe, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? and Be Here Now, and the unprecedented demand for their stadium shows in the UK and beyond, Oasis were a ubiquitous force of nature in music throughout the ‘90s and ‘00s. But despite the widespread commercial and critical acclaim, the band’s frontmen, Noel and Liam Gallagher, were victims of themselves and their own tempers. Their acrimonious split back in 2009 has never quite been resolved…
The 1975, 2002 – present day
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falling in?” Does Guy get frustrated by the limits of the artist in the wake of the degradation of politics? “That part was in the wake of Grenfell,” he explains. “I’d just moved to London when that happened. It’s the most appalling illustration of the inequality in our society. People burnt to death because they were poor. I felt so powerless and useless and privileged – because I am. And I knew immediately afterwards, as I still know now, that no one’s gonna go to prison over that. It won’t be allowed to happen. It’s the slow erosion of kindness which resulted in that disaster. It’s, ‘Fuck ‘em, they’re poor. Let’s cut a corner here. Another there. Bottom line, the profit will be the king.’ And for that to happen, I thought, what use is it to write songs? What purpose am I? How can I write an uplifting anthem when this is happening? It’s a song about lethargy through despair.” In contrast, there’s a really affecting sense of catharsis on the album’s final song, ‘Weightless’, which almost perfectly sums up Guy’s relationship with his father. “I’m singing to my dad,” he
PHOTOS: MIGUEL RUIZ
The 1975 rocked up onto the scene a few years ago and have quickly become one of the biggest bands in pop. The recent Electric Picnic headliners keep getting better and better. Only three albums in, they’re just getting started
it for another couple of years. It’s not going anywhere fast. The worst outcome of all of this is the massive division down the middle of the country. Both sides consider themselves absolutely right and consider the other side bad people.” Guy admits that he partly lived in a bubble when it came to UK politics, which burst the day the referendum result was announced. “I thought that the remain vote would romp home! I was stunned by the result, and I realised that’s because I was blinded by my acquired privilege. And yeah, over half the people in this country are unhappy now to gamble on any kind of change. I’m not having this thing of, ‘They’re stupid, they’re racist’. I know some people are, but I think in general it’s a vote against the establishment, it’s a vote for change, and that needs to be listened to and understood. But right now?” He pauses, before spitting out, “It’s a fucking disaster. An absolute disaster.” There’s a line in ‘White Noise, White Heat’ that goes, “Who am I / With a lullaby / When the sky is
ELBOW
Sweet sensation: Elbow playing this year’s Forbidden Fruit
“IN THE WAKE OF GRENFELL... I FELT SO POWERLESS AND USELESS AND PRIVILEGED.”
says. “Or rather, I’m singing to my son about my dad: ‘You look like me / I look like him / And when the end came, just as you are / He was weightless in my arms’. He wasn’t literally weightless, he never lost his appetite, he was a very healthy 6”4, 18-stone man. But in terms of the word weightless, it was a reflection of the music. There’s a gap in the drum-beat that reminded me of people floating freely in space – a weightless moment. “I thought about my complicated relationship with my father, and how, by the end, it was just love between us. Pure love. No regrets. No baggage. No recriminations. And you sum somebody up when you lose them. My dad was a fucking great bloke. And he was really, really easy to love. And that’s what I mean by weightless. For all the dark themes on the record, that was a joyous song to end with.” While Elbow were off recording Giants Of All Sizes, Cillian Murphy took over Guy Garvey’s coveted Radio 6 Music slot. How does he reckon the Cork actor did? “A little too well for my liking!” Guy laughs. “All my sisters and my nieces were getting in touch asking me about him. Even my wife. I’m telling you, we were watching Peaky Blinders the other day, and my wife
couldn’t help herself. She turns to me and goes, ‘God he’s just so beautiful, isn’t he?’” Did he get a chance to talk to him outside of the BBC studios? “We went for a pint. Of course we did. We went for a pint in Soho and we’ve become pals and I can safely say that he’s a fucking really nice bloke. I like him an awful lot. And he works so hard. I hope he’s managing to find some time for himself and his family. But no, very proud to be his friend. He’s such a great actor.” What does a normal Guy Garvey/Cillian Murphy conversation over pints involve? “We talk about music,” Guy says. “He loves his music, that’s a given. And we’ve got 40 years’ worth of stories to tell each other. He’s quite the raconteur, and I’m not too bad either. So it’s more a question of, what don’t we talk about? He’s very down to earth, a very real person. You quite often hear that phrase, ‘Down to earth’, and often it’s a posture. But with Cillian it’s genuine. I tell you something, if I was as good looking and talented as Cillian Murphy, I’d be a fucking nightmare!” • Giants Of All Sizes is out now on Polydor. Elbow play 3Arena, Dublin on March 28, 2020.
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1000 TH ISSUE SPECIAL
RDS THE STORY OF A LEGENDARY IRISH VENUE
With brilliant performances from the likes of P!nk, Post Malone and Foo Fighters, and return engagements with legends like Bon Jovi and Fleetwood Mac, this summer marked another bumper year for a venue that has been synonymous with great music for over 40 years. Commercial Manager Eddie McCarron tells the remarkable story of the RDS, Dublin. 112 HOTPRESS.COM
O
ver the years, the RDS has hosted some of the most iconic performers in music. Located in historic Ballsbridge on the southside of Dublin, the expansive grounds of the RDS encompass the Main Arena – a great outdoor concert venue that is now also home to Leinster Rugby – the RDS Simmonscourt, the Main Hall and the Concert Hall. As a result, the range of music seen at this legendary venue has been truly remarkable. Having worked at the RDS for 40 years, Commercial Manager Eddie McCarron has seen it all. He has observed everyone from Queen at the height of their musical powers, to nascent superstars Picture This walk through the doors – not to mention Pavarotti and the Guinness Choir! For Eddie, that Queen gig in 1979 – just two years into the lifespan of Hot Press – is still amongst his personal highlights. “It’s a bit scary to think that concert was so long ago,” he laughs. “But it really was hard to beat. They were absolutely scintillating.” It was, indeed, a very special occasion. A review from the Evening Press – one of two major Dublin-based evening newspapers in existence at the time – noted that the RDS gig marked the first time future classics ‘Save Me’ and ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ had been heard by the public. Swedish pop powerhouses Abba also played the venue in 1979, in another gig for the ageas. Other concerts Eddie fondly recalls include Thin Lizzy (“They were really something else”) in 1983 and German
big-band supremo, James Last. “He always put on a phenomenal show,” Eddie reveals. “You’d have the conga working its way around the hall for the entire night! We also had Neil Diamond here for an incredible nine-night run. The precision of his show was amazing: you could set your watch by when he started and finished. The volume of the audience singing along was so loud that they had to hand out earplugs to block the crowd noise!”
BIG HOLE UNDER THE STAGE
Since Eddie has been involved in running the venue, the RDS has developed close working relationships with some of Ireland’s biggest and best promoters, including Aiken Promotions, MCD and Pat Egan, who put on that landmark Queen show. The late Jim Aiken of Aiken Promotions – his son Peter Aiken runs the show today – acted as promoter for a concert that featured every big-name artist in Ireland. It’s one that people still talk about. “Self-Aid was an epic thing,” Eddie recalls of the 1986 benefit concert, which aimed to raise funds that would be used to reduce youth unemployment in Dublin. “There was such an incredible amount of goodwill, such a feelgood factor around the whole thing. It was an enormous success.” The line-up really was a true ‘who’s who’ of Irish music at the time, featuring The Boomtown Rats, Rory Gallagher, Thin Lizzy, The Pogues, U2, Van Morrison, Clannad, Christy Moore and many more. “People thought they were really making a difference,” Eddie recalls. “I don’t know if you’d get that feeling nowadays. It’s hard to imagine something succeeding to that degree again. Even the audience were on board – everyone felt that
Sponsored Content (Clockwise from opposite page) Queen, Pavarotti, Post Malone, Bruce Springsteen and Self-Aid.
GIVING IT BACK It may come as a surprise to many that the massive summer concerts at the RDS, like this year’s epic P!nk, Post Malone and Foo Fighters shows, actually contribute to a programme of other great events run by the organisation. Thanks to the success of these concerts, the popularity of Leinster Rugby and events like the Ideal Homes Show and Funderland, the RDS can provide a range of fantastic events on a not-for-profit basis. Here, we list just some of the great events that wouldn’t exist without the RDS’ status as a registered charity.
THE DUBLIN HORSE SHOW
The Dublin Horse Show is one of the most celebrated events in the Irish equestrian industry, a sector that contributes over €800m to the national economy. One of the most high-profiles visitors to the extravaganza was The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen.
RDS RISING STARS CONCERT & MUSIC BURSARY
they were contributing. It was a phenomenal movement at the time.” In the years since then, the RDS has hosted legends like Prince, Pavarotti, Bruce Springsteen (an incredible 11 times!), Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, Elton John, REM, Simon & Garfunkel and The Eagles. During down-time, both Pavarotti and The Boss made a recreational return to the RDS, to attend the world-renowned Dublin Horse Show.
night with Foo Fighters, promoted by MCD, with Denis Desmond at the helm. As with all great venues, the RDS is in a state of continual, ongoing improvement. Currently, they have plans in the works for further developments that will enhance the concert-going experience. “This past year was exceptional for new music,” Eddie notes. “It’s great to see some fresh faces, like Post Malone, putting on amazing shows and selling out concerts here.
“IT’S A BIT SCARY TO THINK THAT QUEEN CONCERT WAS SO LONG AGO. BUT IT REALLY WAS HARD TO BEAT.” The RDS was also one of only three venues in the country to receive a visit from Michael Jackson, the erstwhile King Of Pop. “He played in the main arena,” Eddie remembers. “We had to dig a big hole under the stage where he could hide underground and then come flying up onto the stage. It is amazing what goes on behind the scenes, that members of the public never see. As long as fans have a great experience, we’re happy.”
YOUNGER ARTISTS BREAKING THROUGH
Not ones to rest on their laurels, the RDS have had continued success with such relative newcomers as Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z and P!nk – culminating in a series of brilliant concerts this year, including a celebratory
For a few years it looked like the younger acts weren’t breaking into stadium-sized venues, but they’ve started to come through now. That said, Fleetwood Mac was the concert of the summer for me (laughs). Showing my age I know!” Looking to the future, Eddie reminds us of plans to develop a new stand at the RDS Arena. “That will bring brand new levels of comfort and access to the patrons coming to the shows,” he says. “With all the advances in technology, the big screens and developments in AV tech, it’s going to be interesting to see what the future of live entertainment looks like. But the RDS is determined to stay at the heart of everything here in Ireland. In fact we’re really looking forward to it.”
The RDS Rising Stars Concerts showcases new talent in Irish classical music from third level, helping them gain valuable performance experience. The bursary has a prize fund of €30,000, and offers students a unique opportunity to progress their career.
RDS CRAFT AWARDS
The RDS Craft Awards was established in 1968 and has contributed significantly to the growth of the Irish craft sector. It has a prize fund of €50,000 for emerging craft makers, as well as a €10,000 award for established practitioners.
RDS VISUAL ART AWARDS
Providing a platform for graduating artists as they transition to their early careers, a selection have their work shown in a curated exhibition, with the opportunity to win a share of the €30,000 prize fund.
RDS SPRING AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY AWARDS 2019
The RDS Spring Awards celebrate the principles of climate-smart agriculture, recognising the very best farmers, foresters and agri-innovators.
ESB SCIENCE BLAST!
ESB Science Blast! is a non-competitive education programme that challenges teachers and pupils to investigate a simple question about the world around them. They then present their findings at showcase events attended by hundreds of other classes.
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DA R K L A N D S
DARKLANDS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN Having scored an international hit with Blood, Ireland’s secong television channel Virgin Media Television are about to unleash another must-watch Irish drama, entitled Darklands. While filming the show in Bray last July, the cast and crew spoke to Stephen Porzio about Love/Hate comparisons, MMA and the rapidly changing Irish TV landscape.
IN
many ways Irish television is in a better place. Yes, there are funding challenges, with RTÉ currently trying to figure out how to re-position itself in the digital age. Yes, it is fair to say that commissioning editors could be more adventurous. But back when Hot Press launched, could anyone have imagined the eruption of Love/Hate on Irish television screens? Or the heady psychological tension of Virgin Media Television’s Blood? Now comes another Virgin series, Darklands, which promises great things. There’s enough talent behind it to believe that it could potentially become as iconic as Love/Hate which bristled with fierce energy and not a little gore – across Irish screens from 2010 to 2014. It’s written by Cardboard Gangsters’ Mark O’Connor – who shares directing duties with Conor McMahon (From the Dark, Stiches). It also stars a strong blend of Irish film legends, acclaimed theatrical actors and excellent first-timers. Set in Wicklow, it tells the story of Damien (Dane Whyte O’Hara), a teen in his final year of school, who dreams of becoming a professional MMA fighter. However, his home-life is troubled, and his brother Wesley is involved in criminal activities. When Wesley botches a major drugs import and goes missing, his best friend Butsy (Thommas Kane Byrne) promises to take Damien under his wing and help find his brother. However, his real aim is to turn the teen into a gangster. Will Damien choose a life of crime? Or will he listen to his MMA coach Paddy (Mark
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O’Halloran) and stay on the straight and narrow? 16-year-old Dane Whyte O’Hara has no previous experience in acting but plenty in martial arts. He shot the show during his secondary school holidays. “When I was six, I started off with kung-fu,” he says. “Eventually, I got more into the sport side of fighting, learning kickboxing and Muay Thai.” Having idolised Bruce Lee as a child, O’Hara stumbled upon the opportunity to audition for Darklands. “I saw they were looking for a martial artist. I didn’t know they wanted a lead. I thought it was just going to be some boxing in the background. Eventually, I found out. So, I said ‘screw it’ and went for it.” Having done an acting workshop with Paul Ronan, father to Saoirse, O’Hara sealed the role. “Often,” executive producer on the series Frank Agnew says, “casting a 16-year-old, you look for a 20-year-old who can remember what it was like being that young. But he actually is that. So, it makes it much more natural. Because he’s fresh faced, you warm to him. With something like this, you go with your emotional response. Is that baddie scary? Is that goodie someone I’m going to warm to? You have a gut reaction.” The age of the protagonists sets Darklands apart from Love/Hate. “Obviously, there’s going to be comparisons thrown around,” says Thommas Kane Byrne who plays Butsy. “But crime has never been approached from the outlook of people so young. Those already involved in the crime life, they’re gone. But you can actually stop people from getting into it.” Agnew agrees. “When you are 16 or 17, you’re trying to decide what you are going to do with your life. Except Damien’s choices are much more extreme. So, Mark O’Halloran’s Paddy represents a future where Damien uses his talents and abilities, to fulfil a dream. The gang
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“THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A MARTIAL ARTIST. I DIDN’T EVEN SEE THEY WANTED A LEAD. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST GOING TO BE SOME BOXING IN THE BACKGROUND.” on the other hand represents a very easy option. With them, you don’t have to worry about applying yourself, trying hard and facing disappointment. You’d get your money tomorrow and you’re part of this gang. The show is a broad canvas, but it asks an essential question - how do you choose what and who you’re going to be?” Byrne offers an insight into how he approached his character: “I think there’s a part of Butsy that’s jealous of Damien because he’s his whole life ahead of him. Whereas Butsy’s resigned to his own fate. I can’t see him giving it all up and getting a job in Tesco.” Darklands benefits from having strong female characters, including gang leader Bernie, played by Derry Girls’ Judith Roddy. “Butsy doesn’t answer to anyone except Bernie,” says Byrne. “That’s interesting. He’s arguably the most powerful man in the series, and the only person more powerful is a woman.” Bernie is seen as the Michael Corleone of the story: “She’s very intelligent, cunning and ruthless. Her machinations direct everything. Everyone ends up being moved by what she decides.” Given his collaborations with Lenny Abrahamson and appearances in dramas like Dublin Oldschool, The Virtues and Viva, the presence of Mark Bachelor’s Walk O’Halloran is like a stamp of quality. He wanted to (RTÉ 2001 - 2003) work with Mark O’Connor. Created by Tom Hall, Kieran “I really liked Cardboard Gangsters,” O’Halloran Carney & John Carney says. “And I love that Mark’s carved out this unique presence in the Irish film and television world. I love Pure Mule the milieu of Darklands. The scripts are terrific. It was (RTÉ 2005 - 2009) a no brainer for me. Plus, Cardboard Gangsters was Written by Eugene O’Brien the biggest Irish box office hit in years. Mark really knows how to play to an audience. Being involved in Love/Hate (RTÉ 2010 - 2014) something with that kind of appeal is great. Hopefully Created by Stuart Carolan it’ll be a smash.” The haim is to get Darklands waway outside Ireland, Rebellion like Virgin Media’s other major drama Blood – which (RTÉ 2016) has been hugely successful abroad. “Blood is in 60 Written by Colin Teevan something countries now,” Agnew says. “We were getting messages from people who saw the finale Blood in New Zealand and Iceland. That was very exciting. (Virgin Media Television 2018) So, we’re trying to get programmes seen outside of Created by Sophie Petzal Ireland because it’s confirmation that we’re making good quality drama. The themes of Darklands are relevant anywhere.” What about season two? “You wouldn’t make a drama unless you had half a plan for where it might go. When you see who survives in the end, you can’t help but go ‘I wonder what happens to them’. I hope it’ll hit the mark, and people will re-invest so we can do more. There is room to grow.” That is – or should be – the motto for Irish television. Here’s to the future...
WE TOO H AV E LOVED...
• Darklands airs Mondays at 9pm on Virgin Media One.
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WWW.SPINSOUTHWEST.COM
FASHION / SEX / TRAVEL / FOOD
WILD LIFE
DE VERE WE GO!
Taryn de Vere talks about her brilliantly imaginative designs.
pg.120
Sex | 118
Hot Flavours | 124
Travel | 122
Sarah Richardson on the history of groundbreaking writing about sex in Hot Press.
Stuart Clark rounds up all the latest foodie news.
Rachael Bailey enjoys a trip to Cork.
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The latest sex opinions, tips and news with Sarah Richardson
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Dermod Moore - Bootboy
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Throughout its existence, Hot Press has fearlessly documented Ireland’s ever-evolving attitudes to sex, and remained a steadfastly progressive voice. Our sex columnist, Sarah Richardson, looks back over 40 years-plus of groundbreaking writing (and riding!).
reland has had a complicated history in relation to sex. The extent of sexual repression here under the over-weening influence of the Catholic Church has been well documented. Over the past 40-plus years, however, Ireland has gone on a massive journey in relation to sexuality – and in coming to terms, finally, with the realisation that sex is first and foremost about pleasure. This journey has been made possible through a political campaign that took flight in the 1970s with the Magee Case, on which the future President Mary Robinson worked at the time, and which established a married couple’s right to the availability of contraception, for the first time in Ireland; through the campaign for gay rights spearheaded by David Norris, with Mary Robinson again on board; but also through conversations that were started in art, theatre and music and which had the empowerment of minority groups as an essential touchstone.
SEX POSITIVE As someone from outside Ireland, who arrived here just a few years ago, it was hugely instructive, preparing for the 1,000th issue of Hot Press, to delve into the archives and learn about the history of the magazine and its uninhibited, revolutionary approach to sex and sexuality. For a long time, Hot Press has been at the forefront of this conversation in Ireland. As the archives confirm time and again, Hot Press has been reporting on, sharing stories from and giving
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space to a diverse range of voices in the world of sex, since the get-go. Reading these articles from the vaults was one of the most comprehensive educations I could hope for, in seeing how sex relates to Irish culture, the controversies surrounding it and how it has been, and is, viewed by the public. The wealth of articles, spanning across emerging generations, captures Ireland at numerous stages on its path towards achieving freedom of sexual expression. Along the way, Hot Press explored all of the gritty details.
“Hot Press has been reporting on, sharing stories from and giving space to a diverse range of voices in the world of sex, since the get-go.” Through the 1980s, in co-operation with the Irish Family Planning Clinic, Hot Press ran Sex Aid – an entirely un-blushing, considered but still often highly explicit column on sex, which involved answering readers’ questions – in detail. Meanwhile, the magazine also gave a running insight into what was going on, out there in the real world, via the very explicit – you might also say happily promiscuous – medium of the Hot
Press classified ads. In February 1987, Hot Press brought that spirit to an 8-page special on AIDS. “Don’t Die of Hysteria”, the cover headline said. It asked: where is the Government’s campaign? Dealt with The Church’s Holy War; declared Safe Sex: The Erotic Lives; spoke to a sex worker about being in a high risk space; wrote of Junkies: Dying of Apathy; and offered information and advice to its readership that was not available anywhere else. In May that year, AIDS week on RTÉ was announced and Hot Press covered that too. From delivering the facts of how AIDS can be transmitted, to talking about preventative measures, Hot Press saw the importance of being part of the solution. Liam Mackey interviewed RTÉ producer John Materson about his upcoming Borderline Special on AIDS. As a reaction to the new government campaign of the time, which typically downplayed the role of condoms – and then watching the BBC screw up a demonstration on how to correctly wear a condom – there was a determination, shared by Hot Press and John Masterson, to encourage people to have responsible sex. As well as doing an accurate demonstration on how to wear a condom, the RTÉ special featured a studio discussion between young people from different groups; a panel of experts; and a segment hearing stories from those living with AIDS. From early on, Hot Press was an enormously progressive voice – in that instance spurring the national broadcaster into action.
WILDLIFE | SEX
As part of its 15th Anniversary celebrations in 1992, Hot Press produced “The Sex Issue” – with an entire issue dedicated to sex. What more could you want? From porn to the LGBTQ+ experience, to stripping for a living, this issue had it all. And again, at the heart of the coverage was an emphasis on diversity.
A DASH OF HUMOUR
MADONNA
A N N I V E R S A R Y
ARDAL O’HANLON PIXIES
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+16 Pages of Classic Pictures
Ireland €7.00 U.K. £6.00
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wine: Anne reflects the conversations she’s had with friends; provides advice, anecdotes and education from the perspective of someone who cares; and once again, I am left wondering how I can fill those shoes. And then came me. Honestly, looking over the past articles, and the history of Hot Press’ coverage of sex and sexuality, I am in awe of what the magazine and its columnists have achieved, I am excited about the road ahead, and to see where we go next. Every issue, I write a sex tip. This week, I’m incorporating one here: anything you want to know, share or be inspired by when it comes to sex, all you have to do is delve into the Hot Press archives. I can promise you, the answers will be there. And moving forward, I am excited to be a part of the Hot Press family, and to be embarking on the next chapter of the Sex Column with you all. So any questions, thoughts or stories you want to share with me, don’t hesitate to get in contact – and become a part of my sex column journey.
SODA BLONDE THE MURDER CAPITAL KNEECAP LAURA WHITMORE
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sex. “The Sex Issue” encapsulated that, highlighting the myriad joys and pleasures of the S-word. Living in an Ireland that is still working towards achieving pleasure education, that issue shows how forwardthinking and sex positive Hot Press has always been. I also read previous Hot Press columnists like Bootboy and Anne Sexton in depth for the first time. Bootboy wrote for Hot Press for 18 years, and as he said in an interview with the mag, over that time he used the space to share with readers “his exploits, his sadness, his excitements and pleasures.” Bootboy was one of the first people to write about secret passions and fetishes. “Sex is what the Bootboy column was primarily about, rather than about being gay,” he reflected. Even now, Bootboy’s columns feel bold, daring and unapologetically honest. They liberate the way we talk about sex, challenging the homophobic narrative with wit, intelligence and power. Following in his footsteps as a Hot Press columnist is a terrifying but exciting challenge.
STARRING
PRESIDENT MICHAEL D. HIGGINS BONO THE EDGE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SHARON HORGAN
ISSN 0332-0847
“Honestly, looking over the past articles, and the history of Hot Press’ coverage of sex and sexuality, I am in awe of what the magazine and its columnists have achieved.”
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From trawling the HP archives, it is clear that the magazine has always emphasised the importance of sharing everyone’s story. In that way, Hot Press has been a platform that allows people to voice their opinions about, and experiences with,
In 2004, Anne Sexton won a competition run by Hot Press, looking for a sex columnist. It isn’t hard to see why. Her opening statement described her ambition for the space: “To provide a report from the frontline of the mating game in Ireland in the noughties.” Anne did just that. Stating that she wanted to use the column to discuss sex openly, to be totally honest and uncensored, Anne spoke of her own sex life, her experiences and opinions. Telling everything with a dash of humour, and in a way that every reader could relate to, her articles pull you in and reflect the Ireland that we live in now. It’s as though you are sitting with her over a glass of
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Ms. Ciccone had been on it numerous times before, but it was her gracing of the Hot Press cover shortly after her Sex book had been published, which lead to outraged newsagents pulling Ireland’s most fortnightly magazine from their shelves. By Madonna’s standards the photo was pretty tame, but being the ‘90s the country was still going through its ‘Down with this sort of thing!’ phase where offence wasn’t just taken, but actively sought by Holy Joe and his mate Mary. Ever since scoring her first hit with 1982’s ‘Holiday’, Madge had used sex and her sexuality as a weapon. Yes, she liked to shock people, but there was also a keen intellectual desire to challenge narrow mindedness and prejudice. The only female artist to have headlined Slane – her 2004 visit to Lord Henry’s gaff was the ultimate vote-splitter, but we have to say we loved every all-singing, all-dancing moment of it – Madonna’s ‘Justify My Love’ was adjudged to be the third Sexiest Record of All-Time behind the Velvet Underground’s ‘Venus In Furs’ and Patti Smith’s ‘Gloria’. Some in HP Towers wanted a recount, but the vote stood. “A straightforward song about wanting to fuck, and wanting to fuck now,” we noted. “The strange musical undertow adds an intriguing touch of menace.” • Covered In Glory: The Hot Press Covers Book is available from shop.hotpress.com
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WILDLIFE | FASHION
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DESIGNER | TARYN DE VERE I S S U E S P E C I A L
DE VERE WE GO! Taryn de Vere’s colourful and imaginative pieces mark her out as a unique talent – and the perfect designer to include in this landmark issue.
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hroughout its history, Hot Press has celebrated how Irish fashion designers have allowed Irish people to express themselves through fashion – not just by keeping up with changing trends, but by using fashion as a way to connect to the world. Fashion can be political, personal, environmental, emotional – and for our 1,000th issue, we’re delighted to feature a designer whose work encompasses all of those glorious complexities and intersections. Taryn de Vere is an artist, writer and fashion activist living in Donegal – but most importantly, she is possibly the most colourful woman in Ireland. Attracted to joy, unusual materials, upcycling and wearable art, de Vere is known for making unique jewellery and headpieces. Several of her wearable art pieces are in the collection of the National Museum of Ireland. Taryn de Vere’s output is assembled in the family home, “on a hill in Donegal, not far from the sea,” where she lives with four of her five children, who all help in the business. “The shop reflects our family – colourful, quirky, a bit silly and funny,” says de Vere – which is also the kind of family environment in which she grew up in Australia. “I was lucky enough to be born into a creative family,” says de Vere. “My mum, dad, stepmum and granny all make stained glass windows. My aunt works making costumes in the film industry, and I’m the third generation to make headwear. I was making and selling my own crafts by the age of 11, when I had my first market stall. I won a scholarship for a fashion and design course when I was 16 and worked in the fashion industry when I left school. I’m not good at sitting still. When I used to have a TV, I learnt how to knit so that I could be doing something while I was sitting still. Now I listen to podcasts as I create.” De Vere’s desire to embrace challenge means that her designs are all truly unique, one-off pieces. “I get bored very easily, which is why I don’t tend to make exactly the same thing twice,” she laughs. “My stock is everchanging, depending on what new thing I’ve discovered that week, and what materials I’m playing with. I love finding random things and thinking about how I could turn them into a piece of wearable art. For example, I’ve used a lot of dog toys in my headpieces – they’re often bright colours and fun shapes. I made an egg boob necklace out of dog toys once, and when people hugged me they squeaked. The squeak was an added bonus!” De Vere’s work is deeply influenced by her family life, with one of her collections called ‘The Things I’ve Said To My
Children’. There are also product names like ‘Can you just… wait til I get off the toilet?’ and ‘Are you telling me that you cut off chunks of your sister’s hair while she was sleeping?’ “I wanted the shop to be a reflection of my life as a lone parent with lots of kids,” explains de Vere. “There is no point pretending I’m living a glamorous prosecco lifestyle, when the reality is I rarely get to finish a hot cup of tea. So I decided to do things a bit differently, to be honest and open about my family, and include our stories on the website. Instead of giving the products covetable, aspirational names, I’ve gone for silliness and authenticity. The fun names work with the products and with the overall colour-pop aesthetic of the shop.” But her work is also inspired by her political beliefs, and she has made headpieces to wear to marches supporting trans rights, reproductive rights and enthusiastic consent. “I define myself as a fashion activist,” notes Taryn, “so all my work is inspired by my political beliefs and my personal experiences. I began making pieces of wearable art for protests during the water charges movement. I was going to these meetings where it was mostly men, and colour-wise they all looked so drab. I thought, ‘This movement needs some colour and art’, so I created a colourful cape. When pictures of that made it into a number of national papers I thought, I’m onto something here – I can get my message out through my fashion activism. I really upped that during Repeal, when the anti-choice people in Donegal were removing all our posters the day after we put them up. I created dozens of headpieces for each day.” She’s also amassed some celebrity fans, and though she has only just launched her online shop, author Marian Keyes, Derry Girls actress Bronagh Waugh and writer Emer McLysaght have all announced themselves fans of de Vere’s creations. “I’m on a mission to make the world more colourful,” says de Vere. “We know that what we wear affects our mood and that colour has an impact on how we feel, so I’m hoping to help people overcome their fear of wearing colour. I’ve colourful pieces from the very small and discreet to huge and over the top, so if you’re just dabbling at wearing colour, I have something for you – and if you’re a colour fanatic like me, I have something for you too.”
“I love finding random things and thinking about how I could turn them into a piece of wearable art.”
• You can buy Taryn de Vere’s pieces at taryndevere.com and follow her very colourful Instagram account, taryndevere.
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couch
A Hot Press Special Feature
HOTEL ISAACS Rachael Bailey experiences the brilliant luxury of Cork’s Hotel Isaacs, as well as its equally superb sister spots, Greenes restaurant and Cask bar.
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AN OVERNIGHT SENS ATION!
is the kind of treat that we should allow ourselves more often! How delicious the prospect of heading off to the metropolis of Cork, frequently cited as one of the finest, go-to weekendbreak destinations in Europe, to stay in Hotel Isaacs and dine in the grandeur of the awardwinning Greenes restaurant: as we left Dublin the sense of anticipation was high. Hotel Isaacs has a great reputation, and as for Greenes – it is long-term Leeside star… You can get from Dublin to Cork in no time nowadays: the roads are good all the way. And when you arrive there, the immediate impression
is of a bustling, charming and beautiful city. Google maps directed us to the Victorian quarter, where we found MacCurtain Street and there was Issacs – one of the shiniest jewels in Ireland’s array of fantastic hotels. Adjacent to it, under a cobblestoned archway, the renowned Greenes restaurant and Cask bar are located. They know how to do hospitality here. The staff are really friendly, showing us to our luxurious room and explaining properly how everything works. Hotel Isaacs offers lovely, meticulously clean, comfortable surroundings, with just the right degree of smart modernity to blend with the hotel’s Victorian heritage. There’s soundproofing and great WiFi in all the rooms. They’ve also just launched the first phase of 11 fully-serviced apartments, located in the same complex. These are almost worth the trip in themselves. The vibe is Scandi-inspired comfort. And the accomodation is quiet and
“CASUAL BUT ALSO VERY CLASSY, IT REALLY IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF SPOT THAT YOUNG COUPLES, SEARCH FOR.” private, despite the location bang in the city centre. A clean air system is top of the range and the accommodation is fully climate controlled. Essentially casual but also very classy, it really is exactly the kind of spot that couples, and especially young couples, search for – too often in vain. For dinner, we had booked into Greenes, which offers a tasting menu with wine specially chosen for each course. The food is modern and innovative. But, under the leadership of executive head chef Bryan McCarthy, it is also strongly rooted in local produce, delivering a vital sense of place. Vegetarians and carnivores are equally well catered to and there’s divine seafood (Dublin Bay prawns, scallops, hake, halibut, John Dory and more). We started with Duo of Ardsallagh Goats Cheese with walnut and beetroot; and Local Rare Breed Pork Belly & black pudding – accompanied respectively by an Australian Riesling and a Marotti Campi Alblano from Italy. Is it too much of a cliché to say it was mouthwatering, and promised a spectacular main? Being carnivores, we opted for the Duo of Angus Beef (me) and the Skeaganore Duck, this time accompanied respectively by a St Jacques de Siran, Bordeaux Superieur, and Domaine Ricard ‘Le Vilain P’Tit’, Loire Cot. Both dishes were exquisite! I know, I’m
young – but I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever before experienced food quite as tender and perfectly cooked. I didn’t want the meal to end! Meanwhile, out in the heated courtyard, overlooking an alpine garden, you can relax to the sound of a gorgeous waterfall, floodlit by night for al fresco diners. What more could you ask for? The waterfall, it so happens, isn’t just there for ambience. Isaacs is on a green journey and 240 tonnes of carbon will be saved annually when the current phase of development is completed. The waterfall wil play its part, as it will be used as a source for the hotel’s heat-pumps and so help lower energy costs. That upgrade will include an overhaul of the ground floors in 2020, new offerings at Greene’s and upgrading of rooms to feature full climate control. If you’re in the mood for further adventure – and we were – you can rock up to Cask bar next door, where the resident mixologist will offer you incredible cocktails from the extensive – and wonderfully original – menu. For example, their Farran Woods cocktail featured young spruce and new season nettles, foraged from Farran Forest Park, in Co. Cork. Cask is an adventure within an adventure, with tapas brought to the table, and leading DJs gracing the decks.
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WILDLIFE | HOT FLAVOURS
with Stuart Clark
(l to r) Turning Japanese, the wholefood truth & a Clonakilty pleasure
MEALING IN THE YEARS
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F O R T N I G H T T H E
AN
should be cut from yin to yang, according to what way they are found growing.” The Punk Wars may have been raging outside, but inside their sauté pan it was still Woodstock. Along with an endless variety of ways to cook millet, which like cassettes is surely overdue a revival, there were tips on boiling corn on the cob (stick in a pan of very hot water) and whipping up a light and fluffy pancake battery (proofreading wasn’t necessarily an HP strong point back then). What you definitely wouldn’t have got fortytwo years ago was Guinness having a test brewery that’s celebrating the Rugby World Cup with a trio of Japanese-themed beers. The tasty tipples include Yuzu Amber Ale, Ginger And Wasabi Stout and Stout Of The Rising Sun, an alcohol-free drop of the black stuff, which packs a real flavour punch. Open Thursday through Saturday, you can book a visit to the Arthur J. & Co. experimental taproom at guinnessopengate.com. The times are also a changin’ at Clonakilty who having wowed us for many a year with their black and white puddings – Blur’s Alex James is a massive fan – have come up with an equally tasty veggie ‘n’ vegan version. Packed with onions, carrots, black beans, gluten free oats and their signature spice mix, it’s a key component in the outrageously tasty clonakiltyblackpudding.ie recipe for falafel, another foodstuff that would have been considered the devil’s work here back in the ‘70s. To quote a wise Brighton man, we’ve come a long way, baby!
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indication of the state of gastronomic Ireland in 1977 is that the standard response in even quite posh restaurants to asking for the wine-list was “Blue or Black?” – those being Blue Nun and Black Tower, the horrific crimes against grapes inflicted on us and our British neighbours by sadistic Germans. Of all the foodie discussions that may have been had back then, “Which Japanese ramen joint are we going to later?” was not among them. Other words and terms that had yet to enter into Irish culinary usage included ‘dry-roasted’, ‘decaf’, ‘latte’, ‘sourdough’, ‘microwaveable’, ‘probiotic’, ‘eco-conscious’, ‘hummus’, ‘bagel’, ‘stir-fried’, ‘bao bun’, ‘Ballygowan’, ‘craft’, ‘artisan’, ‘bok choy’, ‘balsamic’, ‘stir-fry’, ‘haloumi’, ‘sustainable’, ‘diet’, ‘healthy’, ‘tofu’, ‘avocado’, ‘smashed’, ‘pulled’, ‘kumquat’, ‘celeriac’, ‘burrito’, ‘Pringles’, ‘poppadum’, ‘lemongrass’, ‘sashimi’ or ‘emulsion’ used in any other context than painting the kitchen. Asking for a “nice runny Gorgonzola, please” in a supermarket was enough to get you sectioned, and the parish priest would have been summonsed if you’d confessed to your parents that you were a vegetarian or, worse still, of the vegan persuasion. It was therefore considered pretty damn radical, nay seditious, that space was found in the early issues of Hot Press for a Wholefood column. Written with great authority by John and Dolores McLoughlin who didn’t mind having the V-word flung at them, it urged that, “Vegetables
T I P P L E
Ginger & Wasabi Stout was yet to be invented in the ‘70s, a time when Liebfraumilch reigned supreme, and veganism was still considered a mortal sin.
F IRE S T ONE WA L K ER 12.7% XXI I A NNIV E RS A RY ALE
Not content with bringing us their own very fine brews – keep your tastebuds peeled for the latest Idaho 7 edition of their Hop Adventure Series – O’Hara’s have set up a distribution wing, which is why Estrella Galicia, Wild Beer, Stiegl and Oskarblues can be found on so many Irish shelves. To that list can now be added Firestone Walker, the cult Californians whose brewmaster, Matt Brynildson, is something of a rock star having previously conjured up Goose Island’s world famous IPA during his time in Chicago. Along with such core rangers as their Pivo pilsner and Mind Haze IPA, which weigh in respectively at 5.3% and 6.2%, a limited supply of their 12.7% XXII Anniversary Ale has landed at Urban Brewing at CHQ on Custom House Quay. A blend of six beers that have variously been aged in bourbon, rum and gin barrels, it drinks like a cross between a Belgian barley wine and port with big plumb, damson, coffee and brown sugar notes. Mr. Brynildson gets extra marks for being a massive Wilco fan.
Award winning gastro pub & restaurant
DUBLIN’S LEADING CONTEMPORARY RESTAURANT SERVING THAI AND ASIAN CUISINE
Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, W91 P024 Web: www.ballymoreinn.com Email: theballymoreinn@gmail.com | Tel: +353 45 864585
Red Torch Ginger 15 St Andrew’s St, Dublin. info@redtorchginger.ie Telephone: 01 677 3363
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THE WHOLE HOG
1977- 2019
WE WERE
THERE
Over its 1,000 issues, Hot Press has documented and been part of many seismic moments in irish and world history.
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lus ça change, plus c’est la même chose, they say. The more things change the more they stay the same. How often have you heard it said? We’ve certainly used it, usually to grimly acknowledge that colossal social and economic forces continue to work as they always have. But how true is it? Looking back over a thousand issues of Hot Press is less conclusive than we might have thought. True, many of the things that vex us most are still in evidence: inequality, health, housing, prejudice and ignorance. But great tides have washed others away: the crippling post-colonial sense of inferiority, povertyinduced emigration, the over-weaning and desperately unhealthy influence of the Catholic church, the suppression of dissenters, the oppression of sexuality and sexual identity. And we’re not Britain’s beef-rearing backyard any more. Look at our first front cover, with its collage of faces and images, with the late, great Rory Gallagher at the centre. It wasn’t just music. There were also politicians, clerics and personalities and, right there just behind then Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave, two men kissing. That wasn’t just mischief. It was a deliberate statement that there existed another Ireland out there, right under the noses of the patriarchy. Under their dead men’s hands it was at best ignored and at worst oppressed and repressed. We wanted it to be brought out of the shadows. We wanted to see it centre-stage. There was an election looming at the time. Liam Cosgrave’s coalition had been in power since 1973. Ireland had joined the European Economic Community: it is now called the EU. The Yom Kippur war happened early in the term of that deeply conservative Fine
Gael-Labour government, followed by the OPEC oil embargo and, in turn, and unfortunately for the coalition, a global recession with cutbacks and restrictions and what we now would call austerity. There were no women in Cosgrave’s cabinet. The 1977 election was a landslide for Jack Lynch and Fianna Fail, uber-boosted by their decision to abolish city rates and fund local government through general taxation, a mechanism that returned in all its glory during the water protests a whole generation later. It didn’t go well. They overspent. Everything seemed to inflate. Disaster was inevitable. And so it transpired. Jack Lynch was ousted as leader of Fianna Fáil and Charles J. Haughey enthroned. He duly appeared on the telly one night to inform The Nation in his most serious and sonorous tones that “we have been living beyond our means.” We would have to tighten our belts. Austerity, in other words. As we now know, he should have been talking to himself but, of course, he wasn’t. Ah yes, change and more change. Dramatic times there have been many, and yet much remains the same. As we went to print in 1977, who’d have foreseen Ayatollah Khomeini’s 1979 revolution in Iran? Or the appalling man-made catastrophe of the Twin Towers attack in 2001? Should we have been surprised? The Palestinian Black September terror group had kidnapped Israeli Olympic athletes in Munich in 1972. And 1978 was just weeks old when IRA bombers left a large firebomb full of a kind of napalm outside the La Mon restaurant in Belfast, with 450 people inside. The
“WE’RE NOT BRITAIN’S BEEFREARING BACKYARD ANY MORE.”
I S S U E S P E C I A L
The first Hot Press cover: A crazy collage cabinet meeting, heralding a new voice for the people
fireball killed twelve and injured another thirty. It might have butchered far more. Terror was nothing new. The Troubles were in full spate as we launched Hot Press and it’s fair to say they were a constant preoccupation. The inherent rightness of the civil rights movement had been subverted by loyalist mobs and the RUC – and then subsumed into a far less justifiable terror campaign home and away. The Jesuitical arrogance of the IRA in claiming to be the real government of the whole island was dissected in this column on more than one occasion with the message: Not in our name. But it was vital to engage with what was happening in the North, and to hold the State – whether in Dublin or in London – to account for the wrongs which they perpetrated. Later, our commitment to a spirit of enquiry, discussion and debate on the future of the island of Ireland was reflected in the Hot Press interviews with a range of key figures, including paramilitaries on both sides of the conflict, as well as Republican and Loyalist political leaders, and establishment politicians, in which they revealed their thoughts and doubts and helped to generate the movement that led first to ceasefires and ultimately to peace. We had Peter Robinson of the DUP on the front cover in 1986 and Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin in the same coveted slot in 1987. It was the interview, conducted by Kate Shanahan, in which he said, for the first time in a really open, public way, “There is no military solution.” We made that the cover headline, and it resonated across the political spectrum. John Hume was listening. He picked up the telephone. The journey to the Belfast Agreement was a long one, but it started there. We are proud to have played a part in that process and warmly acknowledge the distance that the combatants travelled, in moving away from armed conflict. Everywhere
on the island of Ireland, the mood changed. But in Down, Antrim, Armagh, Tyrone, Derry and Fermanagh the effect was much greater: hundreds if not thousands of lives that might have been lost were spared. But again, change, change, change is on the way. With Brexit upon us, here we are again, looking into the dustbin of history and contemplating the prospect of a new disaster. Let it not come…
Rosaries and ovaries: the fight for women’s reproductive rights
There was a mitred bishop on that first cover and with good reason. Ireland was a fully-fledged theocracy when we started out on the long road to now. The then Pope John Paul II came a-calling in 1979. It was intended as a triumphal visit that would copper-fasten the Church’s grip on Ireland for the foreseeable future. For a while it looked as if it had done just that. Inspired by his visit, those who wanted to exert control over women’s bodies and their fertility styled themselves as pro-life and set about inserting into the constitution what they imagined was an absolute prohibition on abortion. In September 1983, the 8th Amendment was approved by referendum after a bitter debate in which opponents highlighted the things that might go wrong. At first, the papal visit and the Referendum looked like the building blocks of a new caliphate, a triumphant reiteration of Holy Ireland’s devotion to faith. A lot of young Irish people, especially graduates, upped and left, sickened by the acceptance, by the State, of the complete dominance exerted by Roman Catholicism. Little did we – or even more so the footsoldiers of Rome – know what loomed. A mere three months after the 8th Amendment had passed a teenager by the name of Ann Lovett died while giving birth in a grotto in Granard at just 15 years of age. Her tragedy powerfully symbolised the cold, judgemental, and brutally isolating nature of the old Ireland that had created the 8th Amendment. That old monolith unravelled thread by thread. Bishop Eamon Casey and Fr. Michael Cleary – who was later infamously exposed in all his arrogance and boorishness, in
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Fr. Michael Cleary
Pride Parade
Magdalene Laundries
Pope John Paul II
a Hot Press interview, again by Kate Shanahan – were the two cackling clergymen who cheer-led the Pope’s mass for young people in Galway. Both were revealed to be fathers. In exposing Eamon Casey, special mention must go to his sometime lover Annie Murphy, who withstood the far too apparent contempt of the host Gay Byrne, on her Late Late Show appearance, as she laid Casey’s hypocrisy bare. Byrne did many things very well and some of his radio broadcasts during which he listened to women’s stories were fantastic and progressive, but in this instance, he allowed his approach to be coloured by his own long acquaintance with the bould bishop. It was truly a #MeToo moment, way before such a thing existed. It was as if the vaults had been opened. And now that they had, it was impossible to close them again. Revelations continued, over a period of many years, about the Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Child homes; about sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults by priests like the monstrous Brendan Smyth; about the utterly scandalous coverup engaged in by the hierarchy and the religious orders, who shifted known paedophiles from parish to parish and from city to city. And on and on it has seemed to go. That there were good priests and nuns whose calling allowed them to do positive and healing things in the world is not in doubt. They became more collateral damage as the sickness and the evil boiled to the surface. The bid by the Catholic Church and its agents to control life in Ireland began well before the State was born, but it flourished in the years after independence, as women were driven out of public life, in a way that still inspires righteous anger. The Church’s calculated downgrading of women was driven by an obsession with sexual mores, and a fixation on controlling women in particular, The cover-ups and quiet redeployments and “mental reservations” in which the top brass of the Catholic Church embarked, often with the collusion of the State and the Gardaí, were all intended to divert media inquisition and mask the loathsome exploitation of the weak for which they were responsible; the extent to which they had created a unique, Irish version of slavery; and to protect the Church from
reputational damage – an objective which trumped all other considerations of justice or morality. Ironic that, given that it was the Church itself that launched the Spanish Inquisition. Hot Press also battled throughout its 1,000 issues for LGBTQ+ rights. The headlines are there to be seen on the cover. When Will The Gay Bashing End? we asked. A Woman In A Man’s Body: The Story of an Irish Trans-sexual. That was in the early 1980s. The Queering of Ireland. Dublin ’94: Young Gays Go For It. Graham Norton On The Homophobia Brigade. Right up to our two covers before the Marriage Equality Referendum that showed, respectively, two women kissing and two men, with the headline: Vote Yes. The background to the changes that took place should be acknowledged. Many of those who had battled on the pro-Choice side in the 1983 referendum and who supported David Norris’ campaign for the legalisation of homosexuality refused to give up the fight. Gradually, the sands shifted. Hence the joy that greeted the result of the Marriage Equality referendum and subsequently the Repeal of the 8th Amendment. Free at last!! And yet, they haven’t entirely gone away, the gang that Hot Press famously dubbed The Anti-Happiness League. A well-organised and well-funded guerrilla-style campaign is underway as anti-choice activists, still maliciously claiming the ‘pro-life’ tag, take a leaf out of the American far right playbook, by mounting pickets and harassing clients of clinics where abortion services are provided. But the old, deeply insidious power is gone. Church attendances have fallen dramatically and only a handful of priests are ordained each year. More importantly, the surrounding society has changed. The fall from grace of the old order was thanks, in great measure, to the media in Ireland. Journalists were able to sustain their own investigations, even in the face of much official hostility. The media aren’t short of critics, often deservedly so, but in this arena what was achieved was often brilliant. They say that the truth will out. Not always. But in relation to the rank abuses perpetrated by the Church and its clergy, and the horribly damaging effects of the marriage of convenience between Church and State, it did. And we are much the better for it.
“IT WAS TRULY A #METOO MOMENT, WAY BEFORE SUCH A THING EXISTED.”
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Stephen Rea in The Crying Game
fashion. There were housing shortages yet also empty houses. We were bust. But gradually we clawed our way back. Maybe that’s what made the Celtic Tiger boom, when it came, in the first decade after the Millennium, so giddy. We weren’t used to the oxygen. Or the drugs. Or, especially, the money which, of course, had become so much cheaper after we joined the euro. It was madness. But not that many people saw what was coming. The banks were the main problem, flinging money around like drunken sailors. All fiscal rules were bent or broken. There’s a boxing adage: “Never stick your chin out and ask to be hit.” But they did. Personal debt and bank debt expanded far beyond what was sane or prudent. The global financial crisis kicked off in 2007. When the crunch came here, in September 2008, the banks were fucked and so, in due course, were we, bailing them out to the tune of gazillions, money that we’ll still be paying off for another generation. Back to bust, only this time with knobs on. We are still feeling the effects and will do for many years to come.
No resources? No problem. We’ll be our own resource.
The Commitments
Something rotten this way comes
The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland was just one of the rotten apples that festered in the barrel of Irish life. There were many others. In February 2000 this columnist wrote: “Nobody could have forecast that we’d be cleaning out the stables in 1999. That we’d have exposed the corruption and/or wheeling-dealing of cattle barons, politicians, priests, business people, financial institutions, certain (local Government) public servants and the rich, in no particular order. And that judges would resign.” Throw in the Garda Síochána and you have the full set. Who can forget the findings of the Morris Tribunal on the monumentally corrupt activities of leading figures in the Donegal division of the Gardaí? Or the extraordinary saga whereby, more recently, Sgt. Maurice McCabe was first done down but later vindicated with honour. You could hardly make it up. Tribunal followed tribunal, covering a very broad range of scandals. At one point it seemed that they’d never end. Esteemed jurists did very well out of them, but that was sourly accepted by everyone as a price worth paying for what we discovered. Many things triggered the cascade of information and investigation including aggrieved developers, horrified families and fuming whistleblowers. And, again, we must salute the newshounds who stuck to the trail when all seemed lost. So are we all squeaky clean in 2019? No, not quite. But we’re getting there. Indeed many foreign companies now regard Ireland as one of the least corrupt places in the world, in which to do business. That’s not to get all dewy-eyed. Rather, it’s to acknowledge progress. But the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. And robust, independent systems.
Boom and bust: sure it’s a way of life!
A thousand issues ago, Ireland was slip-sliding away down the greasy chute. The oil crisis flicked a switch. The 80s weren’t good here, trust me on that. Prices and interest rates inflated, wages didn’t. Unemployment was rampant. Likewise bad
One of our abiding beliefs, when we launched Hot Press, was that Ireland could produce a publication that would be the equal of anything similar produced in the US, the UK or indeed anywhere in the world. Our attitude was: you don’t need to go to London. And anyway, we shouldn’t have to. The same applied to musicians. We needed the infrastructure here in Ireland that would enable Irish musicians and bands to base themselves on home turf. To foster and encourage that ambition was a central part of our mission. This was a political stance. It was also cultural: if we take the notion of independence seriously then we have to start acting that way. For sure, it was economically difficult. We were trying to match Rolling Stone, in a market about a sixtieth of the size. Or NME, in a market less than a tenth of the size. We’d have to work like fuck, we knew. And so we did. That notion, that Ireland should be doing its own thing, was echoed in many spheres. Take education. During the 1960s policymakers had decided that investment in education was to be a cornerstone of Irish economic and social development into the future, an inter-generational social contract, if you like. It took time – but in the long run it paid off. We didn’t have coal or oil but we had people. As the 20th century closed and the 21st dawned, our educated workforce proved a singularly valuable resource. Nowhere is this more evident than in music. Horslips had set a trend by not taking the boat. Punk, while attracting many to London, also fashioned a do-it-yourself ethic. U2 decided to base themselves in Dublin, before going on to become the biggest band in the world. Subsequent musical generations followed, each standing on the shoulders of earlier giants, each building the legend. Film and theatre were drawn in too. Think of of Alan Parker’s triumphant take on The Commitments (1991); of Neil Jordan’s Oscar-winning The Crying Game (1992); of Jim Sheridan’s In The Name of the Father (1993); of John Carney’s Once (2007) – with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova winning the Oscar for ‘Falling Slowly’ – and Sing Street (2016); of Lenny Abrahamson’s Room (2016). Riverdance, which was transformed from a 12-minute piece for the interval at the 1994 Eurovision, composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan, revolutionised Irish dancing and played no small part in marketing Ireland to the world. Nobody questions this in 2019. This is thanks to many things, technological change being one: you can do so many things at great speed and across huge distances now. Musicians can record music together while on different continents. Information travels at the speed of light. But it wasn’t like that then.
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THE WHOLE HOG
“THEY USE THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN SURREPTITIOUSLY COLLECTED – AND SELL IT TO THIRD PARTIES – IN A WAY THAT HERDS USERS INTO SELFMULTIPLYING ECHO CHAMBERS.” Global “Influencer”: Mark Zuckerberg creator of the behemoth of social media, Facebook.
The Hot Press Interviews
We always did interviews, of course, with musicians and writers and activists of various stripes, so why not politicians? And the style of interview was important. We tended, as was the case elsewhere, for example the NME in Britain and Rolling Stone in New York, to mainly let the interviewees speak for themselves, to let the quotes stand with relatively little change or interpretation. So when Charles Haughey agreed to an interview, the style was set. If he said ‘fuck’ we’d print it! It was a sensation. At the time it actually did him little harm – but the template had been created. Our interviewers included John Waters, Joe Jackson, Michael O’Higgins, Kate Shanahan, Liam Fay, Liam Mackey, Olaf Tyaransen, Jason O’Toole, Stuart Clark, Roisin Dwyer – and more. Hats off to them all.
Living in a digital world
At this stage it’s hard to remember the old days, when mobile phones were the size of a peat briquette and sported aerials a metre and a half long and were largely the preserve of builders who bellowed into them believing, like Dom Joly’s memorable alter ego in Trigger Happy TV on Channel 4 (2000 to 2003), that shouting enhanced the technology. Maybe it did. The World Wide Web (WWW), which is the principal mode of communication for most of the world now, dates from 1992 (Hot Press was a teenager by then!) – but it wasn’t till after the turn of the Millennium that people really started to see its enormous potential. And mobile phones, the most ubiquitous of all communications media now, only became smartphones with Apple’s iPhone in 2007. As for social media, the real expansion began with LinkedIn and Skype (2003), Facebook (2004), YouTube (2005) Twitter (2006) and WhatsApp in 2009. You had to wait until 2010 for Instagram; 2011 for Snapchat; 2012 for Tinder; 2013 for Google Hangouts and – well, it’s a wild ferment, as they say in
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natural winemaking and artisan beers. The point is that it’s all very recent. During our thousand issues, Ireland – like the rest of the world – had to make that leap from pre- to post-digital. People’s hands are changing shape from scrolling and texting. It’s okay to walk along a street speaking out loud to nobody now, even shouting. We just assume you’re on a call. Public transport carriages are almost as quiet as libraries – unless, of course, some drink-sodden would-be hooligans are creating a rumpus that they can record and bang up on their social media feeds. All fine and dandy, as far as it goes. But there is a dark side to all of this, or perhaps several. They did it by stealth, and to an extent at least Governments colluded – beginning with the decision to give them “Safe Harbour” status in the US – but social media companies have created a new kind of business: surveillance capitalism. It has emerged bit by bit that social media corporations have been harvesting data – often without adequate permissions and frequently covertly – from every single person that uses any of the major platforms or who “googles” for information. They use the information that has been surreptitiously collected – and sell it to third parties – in a way that herds users into self-multiplying echo chambers. The effect has been like a poison injected into the veins of the body politic. The way social media companies work is bad for democracy. And indeed, as has beeen emerging in The Guardian’s recent probe into climate denial, the big tech companies have colluded with many of the corporations that are primarily responsible for the environmental disaster that looms ever larger across the world. Social media companies and tech platforms – including YouTube – are also the principal vectors in the rise of racism, the far right and communal stupidity. Twitter is the chosen medium of Donald Trump. It would be wrong to suggest that it is all bad. Social media was important in the historic election in 2008 and 2012, of Barack Obama. Here in Ireland, an effective use of social media made a difference in the campaigns for equal marriage rights and repealing the 8th; and the progressive actions of the Swiss movement Operation Libero and, of course, the gathering campaign to tackle carbon emissions. On a more personal level, for families and friends all over the world, Skype, Facetime, WhatsApp and Hangouts, have been a remarkable boon. When mobiles were as big as briquettes nobody could have anticipated that two farmers could communicate in real time, and with video, from fields on different continents. But they can. Or that families could stay in intimate and constant contact, and sight, a great benefit for people like the Irish, who are highly mobile, technologically fluent and very family-oriented. Ireland has done well out of all this, providing a home for the companies as it previously did for high-tech manufacturing and the pharmaceutical industry. Tax issues have arisen: they need to be addressed. So also must the wider, political issue of responsibility. Hot Press has always believed that Facebook, Twitter and the rest are publishers. The level of cynicism and chicanery which has been enabled by them is dangerous. So too is the largely unfettered extent of hate speech, deliberate libel and divisive propaganda. That much of this occurs in ads, and social media companies make fortunes out of it, cannot be right. Those profiting from it all must be forced to accept that they cannot evade reasponsibility any longer. It is an issue for Europe. But Ireland must play its part.
Because we’re worth it
Early in the social media breakthrough years you’d open-up to find a box or a scrolling header or footer that said ‘trending now’ and it would point you to a link. Nowadays it’s called ‘going viral’. It isn’t always positive. Not by a long shot. Digital communications are so fast and capacity so great that anything – even the most appalling lies – can disseminate in minutes. Then there’s the creation of that new occupational category, influencer – signifying bloggers and vloggers who have amassed a significant following and accordingly, in some cases, great wealth by plugging products. Who, in 1977, would have envisaged the Kardashians? But there they are. And they are not alone. One key trend that emerged over the course of the thousand issues is the veneration of an even emptier kind of ‘celebrity’
I S S U E S P E C I A L – that is people who are known just for being known, rather than any achievement, accomplishment or ability. The emergence of Reality TV – from Big Brother onwards – was a key driver of this phenomenon. Love Island, a huge hit during the summer of 2019, is its lineal descendant. As a result, we’ve seen hundreds – or maybe thousands – of people who were famous for fifteen minutes. Few have sustained. A side-effect has been a significant rise in narcissism. It’s all about the selfie and presenting an ideal. Look how good my life is! Photoshop works wonders. See how fabulous I look! And it has, for some at least, become a nightmare: to not be what is widely accepted as ideal. Filters can only do so much. Against that background, there has been a huge rise in what has been called body dysmorphic disorder – a mental health problem in which you can’t stop thinking about perceived defects or flaws in your appearance. The question is: can we find a balance that makes sense for the majority? Gyms have opened everywhere and that’s a good thing. There’s a growing interest in fitness and health. And yet Ireland has one of the most expensive medical systems in the world. There is something that doesn’t add up. The problem, as successive Ministers for Health since 1977 have discovered, is identifying why.
The Age of Rage or maybe it’s just time for coffee?
Lifestyle historians might struggle to find a defining characteristic for the last forty years. It’s the Age of Rage for some. Shame and shaming have to be there somewhere closely associated with greed and cowardice. Think of the bankers. Think of shameful and shameless Donald Trump. Wellness has to be in there too. On which, it’s a case of information overload regarding what and how to eat, what to drink, how to exercise, which foods are good or bad for hundreds of afflictions both real and imagined, what’s the new superfood or supplement, little of any of it based on real science. It’s an upswelling of interest
and commerce that takes in a whole slew of health-ish stuff with a general focus on you. Because you’re worth it, of course. A thousand issues ago you buttoned up about your stress and distress but more recently we’ve all begun to tune in to mental wellbeing. It’ll take time and money. Mind you, there’s no hell quite like sitting beside someone on a bus as they unburden themselves about who’s been leaking their private Instagram feed. Some things should stay buttoned! Techniques for meditation and relaxation have been around for ages, but they’ve generally been on the fringes of polite society. Omming and awing, eh? But not now. Mindfulness has gone
Who’s listening? We are!
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10,000 years and man is causing the increase by burning fossil fuels, cutting down trees and making changes in agriculture. But we keep to our growth targets. We may like the sound of some of it – milder winters up north – but in truth it will be bad news across the spectrum. Further south there will be intense heatwaves that will kill many. Insect pests will proliferate. There will be an increase in malaria. The Mediterranean will be too hot for holidays in July and August. Like the sound of that? There will be no more skiing. Glaciers will melt. This will be a big problem for communities dependent on them for water, as they do in the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Andes and the massive Himalayas/Karakoram range. Many crops won’t grow. Many forests will die, because it will be too hot and there won’t be enough water. *** From 25-03 (28 February 2001)
“LOOK BEYOND THE SMUGNESS OF THE BEAMER DOT.COM RICH AS CROESUS BRIGADE AND YOU CAN SEE WE’RE PRACTICALLY AT THE TOP OF THE RAPIDS AND WE’RE GOING OVER.” - The Whole Hog early in 2001, on Climate Change: mainstream. In its pure form it’s very good, like a kind of secular Buddhism. But doesn’t it rather lose itself when implemented as a company strategy by large corporations? And then there’s authenticity. Out of the Great Recession and the ascent of millennials to the mainstage came big beards and small companies, coffee roasteries and artisanal beers, local gins and small plates and foraged foods and sustainability and bags made of linen or potato starch. Bean to cup, nose to tail. Reminds us how good Bewley’s was back in the day. And it’s all good.
The End is Nigh: sustainability and the environment
We’ve been saying this for a long time, but here’s the brutal reality: if things don’t change we’re fucked. To say that we have been banging this drum louder than most for a long, long time is to put it mildly. Here is what The Whole Hog had to say, early in 2001: More or less everybody knows we can’t sustain things the way they are going. We can’t build houses fast enough. And besides, who wants to live in south Kildare and work in Dublin? The whole conceit is out of hand. Really. It isn’t just that we haven’t the houses or big enough roads. It’s more. Look beyond the smugness of the Beamer dot.com rich-as-Croesus brigade and you can see we’re practically at the top of the rapids and we’re going over. At parish level there’s the Galway refuse problem. But at the global level there’s everything else. The Beamer and the top o’ the range Merc use a lot of fuel. And there’s the rub. You know the rest. The inter-governmental panel on climate change is predicting killer heatwaves in the near future. In their view, having examined everything, from tree bores to ice cores, is that the earth is warming faster than at any time in the last
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In a way, it is hard to believe. You could write exactly the same thing today, and it’d be equally true. Except that the wriggle room has contracted so enormously that the sirens have started to go off. Maybe the growing consensus is approaching critical mass. The recent European and local elections in Ireland showed a strong resurgence in green thinking. Schoolchildren and students worldwide are mobilising and going beyond passive resistance and fingerwagging to direct action. Make no mistake, taking corrective action is going to hurt. It will change many things we now take for granted. But we’ve got even less choice now than we had in 2001. There’s no time left for stalling. It’s action stations – or curtains.
The drugs trade
Was it that the war in Afghanistan freed up a vast harvest of poppies? Or the CIA connived in its release? Might corruption and US-backed military politics in South American countries have provided cover for the growth in coca plantations and their downstream product cocaine – a drug of choice in the music, finance, sex, fashion and media industries? And what about clever dicks circumventing regulations to make new synthetic drugs and vast amounts of money? Where does the announcement of the socalled War On Drugs, first by President Richard ‘Tricky Dicky’ Nixon in 1969 and then by President Ronald Reagan in 1982 – fit into the crazy tapestry that has taken shape around the issue of narcotics over the years since 1977? It can be filed under failure, that’s for sure. The Drug Policy Alliance estimates that the United States spends $51 billion annually on what are termed anti-drugs initiatives. A total of 2.3 million people – almost 1% of the entire population of the US – were imprisoned during 2016. A lot of them were for drug-related offences. Drug fashions change. They both reflect and affect the times. In Ireland we’ve had hash, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, handmade drugs, opioids, each triggering new issues and questions. The growth and diversification of supply has led to major growth in gangland activities. The profits are huge but you may well die young. The social damage caused by drug abuse has become almost secondary to the warfare over the proceeds. This isn’t on the same scale here as in Mexico where, according to the US Council on Foreign Relations’ Global Conflict Tracker, 150,000 people are estimated to have died since 2006 due to organised criminal violence. We’re far smaller, but it’s still a wretched waste of time, money and lives. Clearly, the ‘war’ is not working here either. The illegal trade continually infiltrates and corrupts. Like a river or a virus, when one avenue is closed off it simply finds another. If the demand is there, the supply will follow. Over 70% of inmates in Irish prisons have addiction issues. In a way, that says it all. Hot Press has long advocated legalisation – or decriminalisation at least – as the best way forward. Finally, it seems that the world is catching up. Here, we’re still stuck with the old prohibition paradigm, the idea that making it illegal will close off supply and thereby solve the problem of demand. It hasn’t worked and it won’t. Elsewhere, the trend towards legalisation, as opposed to decriminalisation, has been gathering momentum. A slew of US
“THE SOCIAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY DRUG ABUSE HAS BECOME ALMOST SECONDARY TO THE WARFARE OVER THE PROCEEDS.” States have legalised the sale of cannabis. Guess what? The sky hasn’t fallen. And they’ve harvested billions of dollars in tax. There is no perfect solution for the very simple reason that people are not perfect. But to take drugs out of the hands of criminals would be one of the biggest and most positive developments we could wish for. We might even get there before the 2,000th Issue of Hot Press.
Olé olé olé olé! Getting to like ourselve...
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when it happened. Perhaps it was when the Green Army descended on Germany in 1988 and everyone had a great time. Then there was that heady moment when Dublin and Galway were coming down with stars of music and literature, thanks to the artist’s tax exemption scheme – one of the good things Charles Haughey did in his time - outdoing each other in singing our praises. Or was it when U2 pilgrims started to appear in Ireland? Or the headline in the Irish Times over Peter Byrne’s report on Ireland’s victory over Italy in Giant’s Stadium in New York that seemed to say it all: Triers No More. It would be wrong too to ignore the Eurovision triple whammy and the extraordinary impact of the very first Riverdance. Later you had Munster’s Heineken Cup odyssey. Fail, fail again, fail better. Until they won. And then Leinster. And what about the Dubs and their five in a row? Somewhere in it all most of us (though certainly not all) lost the ould inferiority complex. We got used to the idea that we could win, could do success. Yeah, Irish people have long done it – but this was different: it was a collective realisation. And everyone seemed to love us. True, our period as the coolest people on the planet couldn’t last and didn’t. Yet, right around the world people want to have a bit of Irish in them (though not necessarily in the way Philip Lynott meant!) It’s what they now call soft power!
To close:
And so, you might say, it’s déjà vu all over again. The wheel has turned full circle. An election looms here as the UK turns its back on Europe and indeed Ireland. So long and thanks for the memories. It doesn’t always seem so, but we’ve emerged from the dark. New generations stand proud on the shoulders of warriors who went before. Let nobody think it was easy because it wasn’t. Let nobody think it will remain the same without hard work and constant vigilance because it won’t. There are still so many clouds: Brexit, addressing the green agenda, bringing order to the chaos of the health system and providing sufficient quality housing to meet the needs of an expanding population. So, yeah, we’ve all come a long way but, as Joe Ely says, the road goes on forever.
THE HOG
Christy Moore
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
W
e don’t just make music for export. Every incremental change to Irish society over our thousand issues has been soundtracked. Hot Press was just three-going-on-four when the infamous fire in the Stardust in Artane took the lives of 48 people, and injured 214, on that fateful Valentine’s night in 1981. So began the local working-class community’s bitter struggle for truth and justice. Shockingly, it is one that continues to this day with new inquests being announced recently. “Days turn to weeks and weeks turn to years/ Our laws favour the rich or so it appears,” Christy Moore sang in ‘They Never Came Home’, a protest song for which he was found to be in contempt of court. He was right. Whatever the law might have said, it was a bad decision. But Christy Moore is a courageous man. Through his music, in the songs he chooses and the ones he writes, he has provided a wonderful ongoing commentary on Irish life, of a kind that would be hard to match, by any singer or performer, anywhere in the world. From responding to internment and the hunger strikes in the 1980s up to the current homeless crisis – and with hilarious excursions like ‘Lisdoonvarna’ and ‘Joxer Goes To Stuttgart’ thrown into the mix – he has never shied away from dealing with controversial issues. And he has also given more to causes, playing benefits and rallying the troops on the ground, than any other artist. Irish folk music has been a powerful force for good – and for joy. Since 1977, outfits like The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts (both involving the great Donal Lunny), The Chieftains and The Dubliners (in their many guises) proved inspirational. Singers like Ronnie Drew, that fine songwriter Luka Bloom, the immeasurably brilliant Pierce Turner, Damien Dempsey, Maura O’Connell, Mary Black, Cara Dillon, Liam Ó Maonlaí and Rónán Ó Snodaigh, and latterly Lisa O’Neill, have carried the torch. For a time, it looked as if folk music might have lost its footing, but over the past few years there has been a resurgence. Lankum, with Radie Peat to the fore; Glen Hansard wearing his troubadour’s hat; Damo and Lisa Hannigan; the likes of A Lazarus Soul even; and in particular the incomparable Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, and the boys in The Gloaming have taken it back centre-stage. For a long time, music as protest seemed to be out of vogue but the referenda on marriage equality and the 8th Amendment seem to have re-lit that fuse too: the likes of Thumper and The Scratch have been performing for Extinction Rebellion. In a sense we have come full circle. Now we know that the very soil of the earth matters. We need to plug in to that main frame. And always remember that songs are for the people...
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THE WHOLE HOG
Enya
Bob Geldof
IRISH MUSIC:
A ST O RY WHERE HEROES ABOUND
A
s was emblazoned across the very first cover of Hot Press, it’s only rock ‘n’ roll. But we liked it, liked it, yes we did. Indeed, we wouldn’t be here without it. It has sustained us and kept us sane. Well, at least as sane as we were in the first place, which is probably not very sane at all. As that issue hit the presses, Rory Gallagher was set to headline the Mountain Dew festival in Macroom, the first large-scale rock festival in Ireland. Van Morrison and Thin Lizzy – with Philip Lynott to the fore – were also proudly flying the Irish flag internationally at the time. Horslips were a force to be reckoned with. And The Boomtown Rats would soon have their first hit with their debut single ‘Lookin’ After No.1’, which went to No.11 in the UK and No.2 in Ireland. Brilliant stuff. But, for many, witnessing another, extraordinary electric performance from the Cork guitar hero on his home turf would prove to be inspirational. And it was. As he recounts elsewhere in this celebratory 1,000th Issue of Hot Press, among the attendance at Macroom that historic summer was The Edge. Just over two years later, the kid – as a member of U2, who were themselves about to release their first record, U23 – was on the cover of Hot Press. The Boomtown Rats, The Radiators From Space, The Undertones – whose astonishing debut ’Teenage Kicks’ was released in October 1978 – and Stiff Little Fingers all helped
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to transform the musical landscape in Ireland. But all of those great bands upped sticks and emigrated to London. In contrast, U2 decided to base themselves in Dublin. That involved making a commitment to the place they had grown up in, to Ireland and to the city of Dublin – and in the long run, it was a game-changer. As their success grew, so too did the beneficial ripple effect across the island of Ireland. By War (1983) they were a big band. But in the summer of 1985, they seized the moment on Live Aid (itself a towering achievement for organiser-in-chief Bob Geldof) – and sales of their fourth album The Unforgettable Fire (1984) soared. With The Joshua Tree (1987), they topped charts all over the world, appeared on the front cover of Time magazine and became the biggest rock band in the world. It is a position they have maintained ever since. There have been ups and downs, and ebbs and flows, along the way from 1977 to here, but Irish artists have continued to make a huge global impact all the same. Already an established folk star, Paul Brady released his first album of original songs, Hard Station (1981): it was a cracker from start to finish. Clannad had made a big breakthrough with ‘Harry’s Game’ in 1983. Mike Scott of The Waterboys moved here, and delivered the epoch-making Fisherman’s Blues (1988). Also that year, Enya released ‘Orinoco Flow’ as the first single from her official debut album Watermark. The single went to No.1 in the UK and stayed there for three weeks. She (and her partners in the Enya project, Roma and Nicky Ryan) subsequently went on to sell 75 million albums, a staggering achievement. Over in England, through the 1980s, The Pogues were breaking all the rules, writing extraordinary, poetic songs and creating an indelible impression live. Lead singer and songwriter-in-chief Shane MacGowan would eventually relocate to Dublin. He was back on the ould sod where he belonged. Meanwhile, back at home, songwriters like Brendan Graham and Bill Whelan – the musical genius behind the astonishing success of Riverdance – decided that it was time to take an independent line, breaking away from the colonial imprint of the PRS and formed the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO). It was a crucial step forward for the industry, the subsequent benefits of which have been immense.
“THERE HAVE BEEN UPS AND DOWNS, AND EBBS AND FLOWS, ALONG THE WAY FROM 1977 TO HERE, BUT IRISH ARTISTS HAVE CONTINUED TO MAKE A HUGE GLOBAL IMPACT ALL THE SAME.”
Bill Whelan
Imelda May
Sinéad O’Connor was bringing a whole different, punkier kind of attitude to the game. She scored a mega-success with her version of Prince’s ‘Nothing Compares 2U’ (1990) that was accompanied by an emotionally powerful video. She went on to rip up a picture of the Pope live on US television, and became a revered, and sometimes controversial, figure. We loved her all the more. A Dubliner by the name of Kevin Shields almost drove Creation Records to bankruptcy, but pioneered the shoegaze genre with My Bloody Valentine and the hugely influential noise-fest, Loveless (1991). The Cranberries released Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? (1993). It was a slow burner but after ‘Linger’ became a hit, the album took fire, going to No.1 in Ireland and the UK. They never looked back, until the sad news came through that Dolores had died tragically and accidentally at the start of 2018. It was the stuff of nightmares. Louis Walsh put Ireland to the forefront
of the boyband world when he found a winning pop formula with Boyzone – and then repeated the trick with Westlife. He went on to become a TV star himself as a judge on The X-Factor. The Corrs were huge all over Europe and in the US, with their global breakthrough album, Talk On Corners (1997) smashing all sorts of records. Snow Patrol – who justifiably snaffled the Philip Lynott New Band Award at the Hot Press Awards in 1999 – wrote UK radio’s most-played song of the 21st century in ‘Chasing Cars’ (2006). Glen Hansard took his experience of playing tunes on the streets of Dublin and won an Oscar for it in 2008 with the lovely ‘Falling Slowly’. His contribution, with The Frames, Swell Season and as a solo artist, has been powerfully inspirational. In a sense, these are just the headline acts in a much bigger drama. All around those musical comets, great noise was being made. To list a few is to risk forgetting the many who soldiered brilliantly through what were often tough times. In different phases and stages, The Blades, An Emotional Fish, Mary Coughlan, Aslan, Hothouse Flowers, Something Happens, The Pale, The Saw Doctors, Therapy?, Ash, Divine Comedy, Kila, Cathy Davey, David Holmes, Damien Dempsey, Imelda May and Lisa Hannigan – and so many more – appeared on the cover of Hot Press, for the very good reason that they were making music that really mattered. And that still does. Eleanor McEvoy wrote ‘A Woman’s Heart’ and it was turned into an Irish
CONGRATULATIONS TO HOTPRESS ON 1000 ISSUES FROM THE OPEN UNIVERSITY The Open University is a unique university created 50 years ago to open up education for all across Ireland. We are open to anyone, anywhere, changing millions of lives across the world and always looking for new ways to help people succeed. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO openuniversity.edu
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phenomenon by Mary Black. Brendan Graham won the Eurovision Song Contest twice, in 1994 and 1996, before penning ‘You Raise Me Up’ with Rolf Lovland. The song has entered the canon and become one of the most covered tunes of the post-Millennium era. Jimmy McCarthy, Declan O’Rourke, Thomas Walsh aka Pugwash, Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol, Foy Vance, Iain Archer, Mick Flannery and Ruth Anne Cunningham have all forged impressive careers as successful songwriters. For bands, the idea that it is compulsory to uproot to London is a thing of the past. A new generation is bursting through. Hozier – a wonderfully considered character – has led the pack, following the extraordinary success of ‘Take Me To Church’. And he has built superbly on this, on a social and political, as well as a musical, level. Gavin James, of the golden voice, Picture This, The Academic, Dermot Kennedy, John Gibbons and SOAK are coming on strong. And a new wave of rock’n’roll bands has also emerged, all guns blazing, with Fontaines D.C. and The Murder Capital setting the pace. David Keenan, Saint Sister, Somebody’s Child and Kitt Phillipa are ready to shine. It’s not just about rock ‘n’ roll now. Early hip-hop pioneers like Scary Éire laid a strong foundation, but over the past few years the ground has shifted, with Ireland’s new multiculturalism filtering through into our art and music. Rusangano Family won the Choice Prize for Album of the Year with Let The Dead Bury The Dead (2017); Rejjie Snow has made a global commercial and critical impact with Dear Annie (2018). And in an ever-widening musical framework, Jafaris, JyellowL, Hare Squead, Soulé, Erica Cody, Fedah and her sister Loah are all rising stars-in-the-making. We’re even seeing a boom in rapping as Gaeilge, with Kneecap taking audiences by storm countrywide. The video for Hozier’s ’Take Me To Church’ became a viral hit. It was a demonstration of how digital media can be deployed effectively to gain a worldwide audience very quickly. Others have followed, with controversial rappers Versatile among those to capitalise on the new dispensation, garnering millions of views on YouTube. In the same vein, Athlone drill act, J.B2, has racked up over a
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“THE VIDEO FOR HOZIER’S ’TAKE ME TO CHURCH’ BECAME A VIRAL HIT. IT WAS A DEMONSTRATION OF HOW DIGITAL MEDIA CAN BE DEPLOYED EFFECTIVELY TO GAIN A WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE VERY QUICKLY. “ million plays on some tunes. Kojaque and Chasing Abbey are proving that white boys can rap. All good. But only up to a point. You need look no further than Faye O’Rourke of Soda Blonde’s powerful piece in this, the 1,000th Issue of Hot Press, to get an insight into just how badly we are treating our artists – and our young citizens generally. The housing question now poses an existential challenge to Irish music. The dance arena is one where doors have been closing: our restrictive licensing laws have forced acts like Sligo’s Brame & Hamo and Bray’s Mano Le Tough to relocate to Berlin to find a sustainable living. David Kitt has moved there. Damien Dempsey too. Will Kinsella. Wallis Bird. And so, the battle to turn this into an island that we can truly be proud of goes on. There are no easy answers, but answers there must be. Of course, it isn’t just about artists. It is about people being forced to sleep in tents. It is about people exposed to attacks in the night. It is about marginalisation and intolerance. About citizens dying in doorways. It is about young people being filled with despair at the realisation that rents are too high, and that they are unlikely ever to be able to afford a home. On every level the failure to address the housing crisis, and the cruel rise in associated homelessness, represents an appalling failure on the part of our politicians and policy-makers. What we have now, as a result, is an emergency. It must be treated as such. Housing must be made accessible and affordable, and that means an ambitious State building programme. The clamour is rising. We have to make it happen – and fast.
It
was Jim Aiken of Aiken Promotions who pioneered modern promotion in Ireland, bringing international artists to Ireland throughout the 1970s. But the Troubles in Northern Ireland meant that it was hard to get British acts in particular to play here. That was the scene into which Hot Press landed in 1977. The punk explosion of the late 1970s changed that. The field opened up. MCD made their entry. And gradually, from a position where Ireland was considered the poor relation, major acts started to see this country as a place that had to be included in tour schedules. Fast forward to the modern era. In terms of opportunities to see major Irish and international acts, Ireland has been transformed. The industry infrastructure has been built up steadily and surely. The opening of The Point Theatre seemed like a momentous occasion. It has since been completely revamped as 3Arena. Across the River Liffey, Bord Gais Energy Theatre is both an iconic building and a fine venue. The Olympia Theatre has been
HOZIER Hot Press receiveda text from Denis Desmond. “There’s something happening here,” it said. It was about Hozier. The singer from Bray had just released ‘Take Me To Church’, The video had been uploaded on YouTube. And the facts were there in the numbers. Those first signs were no flash in the pan. It was taking off. The rise and rise of Hozier began as if a rocket had been used for transport. The original video has now been viewed 323,553,222 times (and rising). It has gone five times platinum in the US. It has been widely covered by Demi Lovato, Ellie Goulding, Matt McAndrew and dozens more. It’s been widely used in films, and on TV. Hozier’s self-titled debut album was a huge success. The follow-up Wasteland Baby! Was a US No.1 and charted all over the world. And yet Hozier himself has remained extraordinarily grounded. In many ways he represents the new generation brilliantly: he is wok, intelligent, thoughtful and committed He has featured on the cover of Hot Press on four occasions. His shared billing for the 1,000th issue represents his fifth. That there will be more, we can say for certain....
superbly revamped. Vicar St. has provided a comfortable, intimate atmosphere for some utterly memorable gigs. Whelan’s has become an industry legend. Other impressive venues have sprung up: from Grand Social in Dublin across to Monroe’s in Galway and down to INEC in Killarney and the marvellous Mike The Pies in Listowel (also in Kerry), there is a bustling scene via which Irish artists can now aim to make a living. It remains enormously competitive. The main players are still the same with Denis Desmond in charge at MCD and Peter Aiken, son of Jim, directing operations at Aiken Promotions. It is fair to say that Ireland has one of the busiest live music, comedy and festival scenes in the world – if not the busiest certainly on a per capita basis. Increasingly, from an artist’s point of view, it is where the action is. Plus, with MCD’s close links to Live Nation, Irish artists have a better route than ever before to international support slots and tours. In this respect, compared to where we stood in 1977, this country is high on the hog. Long may it continue.
McCANN I S S U E S P E C I A L
THE KING AND I EAMONN McCANN
Hot Press was launched in June 1977. In the same month, Elvis gave his last concert. No connection, except that this was the end and the beginning of an era…
J
ohn Lennon said that before Elvis there was nothing. After Elvis, nothing was the same. Perry Como is said to have said that Elvis was a threat to the moral health of the nation. What brighter endorsement could you wish for? Dial him up singing ‘Lonesome Tonight’, last recorded song ever, slurring, drug-addled, stupidly giggling, and marvel at the shambling majesty even as you ache for what’s lost. Another thing about Elvis was that he was the most beautiful man in the world. To be as beautiful as that and also as bad was an alluring combination, love potion and lethal poison. When Pope Paul VI, or it could have been John Paul I, died within a year of Elvis, many of us shrugged. There’d be another pope along in a minute. But there’d never ever be another Elvis. Dissing the dead pope while singing hosannas to Elvis’s immortality was the pitch-perfect response. That’s the first thing I think of when I think back on 1977, and the big-bang beginning of Hot Press – an efflorescence of music to match the tumult of the moment. The Radiators, The Boomtown Rats, The Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers. The Sex Pistols were snarling ‘God Save The Queen’ at outraged citizens in England. The second thing I think of is that back then, there was nowhere in Ireland you could write about abortion without having to signal a shudder of distaste. When Hot Press arrived with a certain insouciance into what I believe is now called “the national conversation”, the axis of argument shifted just a notch. Not a lot, not nearly enough, but enough to make a discernible difference. The “pro-life” crowd comprised swivel-eyed loons, pious devotees, barking misogynists, victims of nuns and the like. “Go home, ya wifeswopping sodomites,” shrieked a well-known street preacher in one of the most memorable and entertaining occurrences of the campaign. Wasn’t so entertaining when a squad of fuming zealots followed your partner out of a meeting and all the way along Abbey Street, keeping her within range of their spit. The referendum of 1983 saw the ban on abortion inserted into the constitution. But the tide of history was turning. Amy Garvey, Terry O’Neill and myself organised Anti-Amendment
THE UNDERTONES: DERRY’S FINEST Music (AAM), with Christy Moore, Mary Coughlan, Paul Brady, Jil Turner, and a chorus of teenage tyros. This was the first occasion when Irish musicians assembled in political array. The “official” campaign believed that the point of AAM was to raise funds. But, O’Neill insisted, “We are not here to make money but to make this thing cool.”
“THERE’D BE ANOTHER POPE ALONG IN A MINUTE. BUT THERE’D NEVER EVER BE ANOTHER ELVIS.” The referendum was lost. But the pro-choice movement came away with something of a spring in its step to ease us along the rest of the way. You need a rhythm to march to when the going is rough and the enemy well dug in. It is fair to say that, more than any other publication in the land, Hot Press kept pace with the change rumbling underneath, heralding the transformation that was to carry the Yes side to victory in last year’s referendum. The same conversation is now again under way in the North. Three months ago, the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill was passed at Westminster. Along the way, it had acquired an amendment insisting on implementation of the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). These included decriminalisation of
abortion. But abortion is a “devolved matter” – Stormont business, not Westminster’s. For as long as Stormont remained out of action, the abortion law couldn’t be touched. Many found this extremely convenient. The DUP could relax, no need to fight to defend the status quo. Sinn Fein, still nervous of challenging the local power of the Catholic Church – things work differently up here – was happy enough to leave the issue to London. They could have abortion reform without sullying their hands with sin. As the old republican slogan proclaims, Blame it on the Brits. It was against this background that a Commons proposal emerged to bypass the zombie Assembly and directly amend a bill so as to strike down the prohibition on women making choices. In deference to devolution, it was stitched in that if the Assembly woke itself up and went back to work by October 21st, the amendment would automatically fall. “Pro-lifers” have been up in arms ever since, waving placards with pictures of foetuses mysteriously unattached to women and demanding that the DUP and SF set their differences aside and recall the Assembly to ditch the abortion proposal. But neither will, on account of other irresolvable differences. Come October 22nd then, abortion will be decriminalised in the North. The trek isn’t over, but the end is in sight. We shouldn’t underestimate the importance of music in driving society forward. In that sense, Hot Press is a history book. This is a twisted account of the Hot Press years, but twisted only to make it straight.
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THE ROCHES
THE SECRET STORY OF
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I S S U E S P E C I A L
When a little-known folk group comprising three sisters from New Jersey came to Ireland in 1979 they were rapturously received. Hot Press, among others, showered them with praise. But their exceptional promise was less than fully realised in the long run. What happened? In a way, it is a classic music industry fable. Sometimes greatness does go unrewarded. But the charm and the influence of The Roches endures. This is an insider’s account of their explosive rise – and what followed.
BY PAUL CHARLES
B
ack in 1979 when Warner Bros released the beautiful, self-titled, debut album, The Roches, being able to make fine music was more than enough. The Roches were three sisters: Maggie Roche, Terre Roche and Suzzy Roche, from New Jersey, USA. Maggie and Terre had sung harmony on ‘Was a Sunny Day’, a track on Paul Simon’s third solo album, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973) before joining up with their younger sister Suzzy to form The Roches in 1977. The Roches were a magical musical act, influenced by barber-shop style tight harmonies, Irish melodies, bee-pop and the Brill Building writers. They wrote – either solo or in various combinations – songs about: their lives together and apart; sweaty train journeys; cheating husbands; dogs; waitressing; family secrets; trips to Ireland; impossible or improbable relationships, and, sometimes, even an impossible and improbable relationship. They didn’t fit in, but by not fitting in they presented the perfect template for all the rest of us, who felt we didn’t fit in either. They eventually found a way to fit in by creating – stealing might even be a better word – a space for themselves in a music business distracted and preoccupied by rock, disco and punk music. Maggie and Terre and Suzzy were classed as folk, and maybe they were folk, as in good folk. Certainly they played acoustic guitars and they sang songs about ordinary people. They avoided sticking their finger(s) in their ears when they sang. But they were cute enough to pull off the masterstroke of the 1970s by securing King Crimson experimental guitar maestro, Robert Fripp, to produce their debut album. With this very brave move they demonstrated they were not scared to show their horizons lay way beyond the perceived limits of folk, or any other contemporary music for that matter. I still get the impression today as I did the first time I heard The Roches – the album – that every second of this sublime, perfect album had been
carefully and lovingly created with microscopic precision yet, at the same time, it is one of the most soulful albums you will ever have the pleasure of listening to. It is a timeless record in that it hasn’t dated a second in the intervening 40 years. Audio Verite indeed it was… and still is. Nothing is hidden. Even their breaths sound in perfect harmony. Nothing sonically or musically is allowed to get in the way of the voice. Robert Fripp’s genius-like work ensured that nothing distracted you from the voices. The soundscape against which he chose to set these exquisite voices and their songs, respectfully erred on the side of sparse, while still being warm and, its own way, as inviting as the acoustic guitars sound on The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes the Sun’. These guitars and the voices of the sisters are
“EVERY SECOND OF THIS SUBLIME, PERFECT ALBUM HAD BEEN CAREFULLY AND LOVINGLY CREATED” complemented subtly by Tony Levin on bass guitar, Jim Maelen on percussion, Larry Fast as synthesizer programmer and Mr Fripp’s own exquisite electric guitar work and the “Fripperies” he deployed to perfect both the voices and the songs to the ultimate degree. In their captivating, story-telling lyrics, not a single vowel is ever wasted. Their famous harmonies created by Maggie’s impish baritone, Terre’s angelic high register with Suzzy’s expressive (soulful) mid-range pulling it all together. The heart-wrenching blend of the three voices frequently offered an infectious headturning fourth voice. That’s not head-turning as in The Exorcist kind of way, more “how the heck did they manage to do that?” There was a kind of celestial magic in those harmonies.
ONE DAY OFF
As an agent on the lookout for classic artists I had the inside track on The Roches, due to the fact that my friend (and client) Loudon Wainwright III was dating Suzzy Roche. I heard the album before it was released. I loved it the same way I loved the Undertones’ Teenage Kicks EP and (later) Mary Margaret O’Hara’s debut album, Miss America, in that I couldn’t stop playing any of them. The next time I was in New York I met up with Loudon and Suzzy and Maggie and Terre at the Lion’s Head in the Village. It wasn’t a formal business get together. Our chat was very loose, extremely entertaining and we’d great fun altogether. The following afternoon the Roches and I met at Terre’s apartment in the buzzy Village, where they were rehearsing. Terre being the host asked me if I’d like a cup of tea. “I’d love a cup of tea,” says I. “Right so, I’ll make you one,” says she. We were chatting away about how I thought they should work in Europe and how we’d set it up. I endeavour in these early conversations with new acts to discover the detail of how the artists like to tour. For example: how many shows are they comfortable performing before having a night off? Dire Straits hate to have days off: I believe on one tour they actually played 37 shows without a break-night. Loudon succinctly caught the thinking behind this approach in one of his road songs, ‘The Home Stretch’: “If the day off doesn’t get you. Then the bad reviewer does.” Nights off are not all they’re cracked up to be. Yes, if you want to, you can use them to catch a breather. Most artists I know don’t want to take a break. It’s, “Okay bags in the room and we’ll meet you in the bar in 15.” But 37 consecutive days without a break: now that’s a lot. That sounds a bit like Robin Williams on the Johnny Carson Show, with Johnny adding the “Now that is a lot,” to the refrain. But it really is a lot. The norm is closer to three consecutive show-days and then a break-day. So we discussed that. Then I needed to know other things like: do they consider a travel day to be a
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THE ROCHES
“What tea?” says I. “The one I made for you,” says she. “I thought you’d forgotten it?”. “I left it on the sideboard behind you,” says she. I’d been so engrossed at the time that I hadn’t noticed her setting the cup of tea down on the sideboard behind me. While I was thinking: Terre’s forgotten my cup of tea, she had been thinking: he doesn’t like my tea. There must be a lesson in that somewhere, but I haven’t quite worked out what it is. Yet.
PACKED TO THE RAFTERS
The odd thing is that the mis-communication actually helped to make a human connection between the group and the agent, and in the early days of such a relationship that’s very important. On top of which, that night in the Kings Head, the sisters seemed to think it was absolutely hilarious, which made me like them all the more. For their first visit to the UK, I booked several cities including concerts in Edinburgh, London and Dublin. In a lot of ways, even though Warner Bros were based in London, the main concert of the visit would be in Dublin. Ireland has always been a canny backdoor way to break American (and even English) acts in the UK. Artists like Chris Rea, Nanci Griffiths and David Gray immediately spring to mind. The Irish audience was always guaranteed to be open-minded, willing to listen and, if they took to you and your work, they’d embrace you like no other audience in the world. Just ask Garth Brooks. We promoted them in the Olympia Theatre in Dublin on the first tour in 1979. I still have the poster. For their first visit, at 1,400 capacity, it was certainly ambitious. But in my defence The Roches really were that good and, as I said, in those different days (not better days or worse day, just different days) being “that good” was always enough. Dublin media was in its infancy but extremely enthusiastic. Key people like Niall Stokes of Hot Press, Ian Wilson and Dave Fanning of RTÉ 2fm, the late Chris Roche of Warners Ireland and Tony Boland of The Late Late Show were always generous with their time and efforts in helping spread the word about new acts. To cut a long story short, by the time they set foot on the Olympia’s celebrated stage in Dublin the venue was packed to the rafters. They’d been scared of coming to Ireland, not so much due to The Troubles – though that was the title of a song they’d written about a planned Irish tour, with a different promoter, that hadn’t materialised. There had obviously been a miscommunication or a misunderstanding with the PPP (previous prospective promoter) because The Roches thought the promoter’s intention was to have them perform in shop windows around the island of Ireland. Spinal Tap would have had nothing on it!
“THE ROCHES THOUGHT THE PROMOTER’S INTENTION WAS TO HAVE THEM PERFORM IN SHOP WINDOWS AROUND THE ISLAND OF IRELAND.”
day off (which it’s not) or do they like them to be included in the three days on, one day off rule. A successful agent has to tailor the tour to the artist’s unique requirements, rather than assuming one format suits all. I’d also explain what we would do for them, where I was suggesting they might play concerts, and that we charged 10% commission. I’ve found it’s always good to put that on the table right from the get-go. Half an hour passed but there was still no sign of my cup of tea.
LOUDON’S REGULAR TABLE
We were rabbiting away ten to the dozen. Mostly their questions were based around the theme of, “Yes that’s all very nice Paul, but do you think anyone will come to see us?” Every now and then one of them would break into a quizzical smile, which I’d take as a sign of them not picking up on the subtleties of my Ulster accent. So I’d back-track a little, pick up the point again, while ensuring I slowed my delivery down second-time around. They shared a few of their gigging experiences with me. One of the weirdest performances they had ever given was in the Warner Bros headquarters in Burbank, California, where, for their album launch, they were encouraged to hop up on the table in the conference room and perform a short set for the Warner staff. An hour passed and all the talking was making my mouth dry, but still there was no sign of the tea. Eventually, about two hours later, I needed to leave to get to my next appointment and they needed to get back to their rehearsals, a crucial part of their DNA.
“So, did you not like my tea?” says she.
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At the Olympia, they took the stage in front of an audience which was in danger of peaking with excitement from merely seeing them, in person, for the first time. “We are Maggie and Terre and Suzzy,” they sang “Maggie and Terre and Suzzy Roche We don’t give out our ages And we don’t give out our phone number Sometimes our voices give out But not our ages and phone numbers.” This was the first verse of ‘We’, the first song on the first album and the perfect opening number of their Dublin premiere. The audience was theirs from that song onwards. The thing about The Roches that struck me that night in Dublin was how absolutely beautiful the voices sounded live and how always on the button. They were, one and all, top musicians and first-class singers. They weren’t scared of following an individual thread of the evening, or about sending themselves up in front
PHOTO: ALISON ROSA
We’d agreed on a time – five months into the future – for their first tour and said our goodbyes. But our goodbyes weren’t for long. I was due to meet up with them again that night in the Lion’s Head, with Loudon, for a bit more craic. Over Loudon’s regular table in The Lion’s head I focused on Terre, wondering what happened to my tea. She was looking at me with an equally perplexed look. A few rounds later she came over and sat down beside me.
HANDEL’S MESSIAH REVISITED
of the audience. If anything, they used the stage and the revealing between-song banter as a kind of in-public therapy session. Then, just when we thought we’d started to understand their brilliance, didn’t they only turn around and floor all of us with an amazing acapella version of ‘The Hallelujah Chorus’. The show-stopper, in a set full of show-stoppers, was the final part of Handel’s Messiah, which had premiered on 13th April 1741 in Dublin’s historic Great Music Hall which had been located in Fishamble Street, three minutes and a few streets away from where The Roches were performing their version. I doubt the original performance could have had the same impact and caused the same excitement as The Roches, when their audience nearly lifted the roof off the Olympia. The Roches launched themselves on a very successful live career in Ireland, UK, Holland and Germany, returning frequently to sell-out shows everywhere, including amazing concerts in London in both The Dominion Theatre and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. They were one of the main acts at the Cambridge Folk Festival in 1981 and their performance shook the festival to its very core. There wasn’t one person of the 15,000 on site who hadn’t fallen head over heels in love with the music, and, it has to be admitted, the girls, by the close of the weekend. They had very loyal fans and had a peerless reputation for their live shows. They were a pivotal, influential group for a whole wave of artists including Susanne Vega, The Indigo Girls, Kate Rusby, The Dixie Chicks, Laura Marling and the Be Good Tanyas, amongst many more.
END OF AN ERA
On the recording front, things didn’t go so well. The main problem was that they didn’t have a manager. The unfortunate end-result was that, rather than making a mistake, they erred on the side of caution by saying, ‘No’, to absolutely everything their record label offered. Warner Bros released debut albums by Dire Straits and Nicolette Larson in the same “window” as they released The Roches’ eponymous debut opus. Dire Straits and Nicolette’s albums quickly gained the tag of being very radio-friendly. Of course, that’s not to say if a committed campaign had been put behind the majestic ‘Hammond Song’ or the melodic mainstream ‘Quitting Time’ or even the instantly loveable ‘The Train’ then, The Roches too, in hindsight, could also have been classed as radiofriendly. But when they said, ‘No’, to everyone, and to every suggestion,
IN THE SLIPSTREAM OF THE ROCHES The Indigo Girls It was ‘Hammond Song’ that did it again. As early as 1985, The Indigo Girls covered the song live, acknowledging their debt to The Roches’ gorgeous harmonies. When they finally got to sing it with Suzzy Roche, in 2016, with the backing of The University of Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Amy Rae and Emily Saliers described it as a “dream cone true.” It was a lovely version too.
The Be Good Tanyas all they achieved was to slip down the all-important list of record company priorities. In their defence, it has to be mentioned that some of the ideas presented to The Roches were pretty bizarre. One of the less bizarre (but still miles off the mark) suggestions was going on a coast to coast USA tour as the support act for a mega, heavy-rock, group. Then again, who knows? The blokes in the front row probably would have loved them! They continued to tour regularly, sadly having to interrupt a USA tour in 1995 when their father died. Later that year they released Can We Go Home Now and – a couple of years on – The Roches indefinitely suspended operations as a group and worked only on individual projects. Suzzy appeared in several movies, did some theatre work, recorded two solo albums and two more with Maggie. Then in 2005 after a 12-year break, The Roches, released their ninth album, Moonswept. Sadly it was to be their swansong. They enjoyed, with their brother David, a very successful tour of The USA and Canada. At the end of the tour they announced that they would no longer be touring as a group. Very sadly on, January 21, 2017 Maggie Roche died of cancer. She was only 65 years old. I believe that we are all on this earth first and foremost to try and make it a better place for our fellow humans. Maggie Roche and her sisters, as The Roches singing group, most certainly fulfilled their responsibilities to society. Would that we all could say the same.
• Paul Charles is a music agent and
author. He has worked with some of the biggest names in music including Tom Waits, Jackson Brown, Van Morrison, The Waterboys and Christy Moore. He has published 20 novels, including A Day In The Life of Louis Bloom (2018) and four books of nonfiction.
The Canadian alt-country group share The Roches’ gestalt: three girls together, playing acoustic instruments and harmonising beautifully. Along the way, the two groups shared a rather unusual double-CD that was issued by the radio station KCRW in 2017, with performances from 1995 and 2003 respectively. Still it felt very appropriate, in a nice old-timey kind of way.
Kate Rusby Nowadays we’re used to being told “If you like that, you might also like this.” Music-map offers a more sophisticated – and fun – version: “The closer the two names on the musical map, the greater the probability people will like both artists.” Just below Kate Rusby’s name sit The Roches. Others nearby are Irish singer Cara Dillon, Norma Waterson and, a bit lower, Unthanks.
Laura Marling The Roches’ collaboration with Robert Fripp on the beautiful ‘Hammond Song’ was cited as a great collaboration by LUMP, Laura Marling’s collaborative project with Mike Lindsay. In her own work, Marling has in common with The Roches a special kind of poetic and emotional vulnerability that is often a hallmark of great folk music written, and performed, by women.
Wyvern Lingo One of the most impressive of the new breed of Irish artists, Wyvern Lingo – who came to light first as backing singers for Hozier – are superb musicians. And – while they are not biological sisters! – they make delicious sisterly harmonies in a way that is reminiscent of The Roches. Now we want to hear them, too, do ‘Hammond Song’...
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Pat McCabe on the return of Francie Brady
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TV | 156 Ed Power on the best TV shows of Hot Press’ lifetime
Albums | 144
Live | 160
We give the verdict on the new album from Wallis Bird
Kneecap deliver a sensational performance in the Academy
Tech | 150 Pavel Barter runs the rule over Borderlands 3
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In-depth reviews from the world of rock, pop, hip hop, trad and everything in between xxxxx
CAVE STILL IN GOOD NICK Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Ghosteen GHOSTEEN LTD
‘Bright Horses’
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more. “He kisses you lightly and he leaves… baby bear, he has gone, to the moon in a boat,” Nick Cave sings – words that would shatter the hardest of hearts. ‘Ghosteen Speaks’ might well be Cave imagining a spirit at its own funeral: “I think they’ve gathered here for me… I am beside you, look for me.” Take pity on the artist forced to relate these feelings. ‘Bright Horses’ – one of the most beautiful things Cave has ever recorded – knows that “the little white shape dancing at the end of the hall is just a wish that time can’t dissolve.” Jesus, in his mother’s arms, resurfaces repeatedly, as an image of innocence lost to “a man mad with grief.” A man who in ‘Fireflies’ accepts – with an air of resignation – that “there is no order here… nothing can be planned”. TS Eliot wrote that “those who have crossed… to death’s other kingdom remember us – if at all – as the hollow men”. Pain has emptied Cave, worn him down: “We crawl into our wounds… there’s little room for wonder now”. The album is bookended by ‘Spinning Song’, with its promise that “peace will come” and the epic ‘Hollywood’, which has Cave still “just waiting now for peace to come.” Grief never truly heals, it merely subsides with time. This is an artist laying himself bare. This is art as bleak as it is beautiful. One can only hope it offers some sort of catharsis – some modicum of relief – to its creator. OUT NOVEMBER 8 · PAT CARTY
PHOTO BY MATTHEW THORNE
t was a cold soul that didn’t feel for Nick Cave and his family on the tragic loss of their son in 2015, the worst nightmare of any parent, any human. Accordingly, Skeleton Tree was, at times, a harrowing listen, although Cave claimed the songs predated his loss, like Dylan has always maintained the mortality-baiting material on Time Out Of Mind came before his brush with the reaper. Ghosteen continues in a similar vein – for how could it not? – with Cave documenting his anguish through work of rare beauty, transmogrifying unspeakable pain into high art. The music is, as one might expect, sombre. There are washes of analogue keyboards, punctuated by acoustic piano and semi-choral backing vocals. The words ‘ambient’ and even ‘prog’ spring to mind. The long opening section of the title track might remind you of the Bowie and Eno of ‘Warszawa’. Nothing even approaching percussion appears until the halfway mark of ‘Leviathan’, and, even then, it’s only a skeletal rumble. It is Cave’s lyrics and his voice – ranging from spoken word, through sonorous tenor, to plaintive falsetto – which must carry the most weight. Irish ears cannot help but wonder if the album’s title is a reference to a small ghost, the taibhse beag that haunts this record. The title track concedes that the centre cannot hold and “things tend to fall apart.” And there’s
CRITICAL MASS | ALBUMS Big Thief Two Hands 4AD ‘Shoulders’
EXCELLENT EFFORT FROM INDIE-FOLK MERCHANTS Big Thief’s second record of 2019, Two Hands, feels like a victory lap. Just six months ago, they released a contender for album of the year, U.F.O.F. Despite the proximity of the releases, Two Hands and U.F.O.F. are fundamentally different. The latter was a foray into the realm of celestial folk, recorded in the lush seclusion of pastoral Washington state. Conversely, Two Hands is the earth twin to its alien sister. Recorded in El Paso, just a stone’s throw away from the Mexican border, the 105-degree heat melted away the atmospheric layers of U.F.O.F. in favour of hissing guitars and pained vocal takes. The Two Hands sessions were mostly recorded live and oftentimes crack like the desert with vulnerability. The music is less calculated, but Big Thief are still thriving. What emerges from the dust-storm is a collection of 10 brilliant vignettes of trauma, lingering love, and sometimes self-hatred. The best part of Two Hands, and indeed every Big Thief record, is the combination of Adrianne Lenker’s otherworldly vocals and poetic lyrics. One standout is ‘Forgotten Eyes’, with the chorus line, “The wound has no direction/ Everybody deserves a home and protection.” Another highlight is ‘Shoulders’, a tune that can be traced back to live performances from two years ago. Lenker’s vocals soar and sometimes choke up, but never falter. Other songs are more subtle. The opening track ‘Rock And Sing’, for example, is soothing and comforting like a lullaby. For most bands, recording a full LP live would result in sloppiness and retakes a go-go. However, take a look at footage of Big Thief in concert, and you’ll see they’re a band capable of making it work. Bassist Max Oleritch once described the group’s live show as a practice in “radical spiritualism”. That makes sense, as there’s something transcendent within the spaces and changes of Two Hands. Indeed, releasing another phenomenal entry hot on the heels of the band’s magnum opus reflects Big Thief’s philosophy: relying on music to survive. Superb stuff. OUT NOW · JOEY MOLLOY Boa Morte Before There Was Air GARE DU NORD RECORDS
‘Ships Passing’
TERRIFIC RETURN FROM ALTFOLK VETERANS
Founded in the late ‘90s in Cork, Boa Morte’s early days are like a movie – and not a happy one either. Thanks to record label implosions and legal red tape, these one-time contenders unfortunately found themselves knocked out in the first round, when their debut Soon It Will Come Time To Face The World Outside sat on the shelf gathering dust for a few years. Thankfully, the four-piece’s story doesn’t end there. Their third LP Before There Was Air is a tale of redemption – and a reminder to never let the bastards grind you down. This is a luxurious listen, crammed with hushed hymns and magnetic slow-burners. For good measure, the band have also added ambient elements to augment their dark folk and slowcore sound. At times reminiscent of latter day Victory At Sea, the record rewards repeat plays, with the whispered vocals especially hypnotic. Highlights include the stirring ‘Ships Passing’; the Wicker Man-style ‘Sea Creatures’; and the fractured folk of ‘The Garden’. Some things really are worth the wait. OUT NOW · EDWIN MCFEE Ronan Furlong Diotima’s Ascent THOROUGHBRED MUSIC
‘Hades Nebula’
IRISH ARTIST’S ADVENTUROUS MUSICAL AND LYRICAL EXPLORATIONS Ronan Furlong’s last album, Minerva’s Meddling, was voted one of the top albums of 2017 by Hot Press, helping him score a record deal for this, his third album. Diotima’s Ascent threads links through Rory Gallagher, Mike Oldfield, Horslips, metal, folk and beyond, as Furlong’s wide-ranging voice floats on top of his intense electric and acoustic guitar playing. So, if it’s easy listening you’re after, try next door. Lyrically too, Furlong’s febrile vision connects Irish rock and folk cultures with the ancients in foreign fields, with lyrics that run the gamut from ‘Gweedore’, about an obstacle-strewn trip there, to the rich Middle Eastern flavours embedded in the evocative ‘Samarkand’ before it soars heavenward. The instrumental ‘Treasures and Fountains’ is a guitarenthusiast’s delight, as touches of dancing diddly-eye riffs interweave until his highly-charged vocals take it somewhere far away. The anthemic instrumental single ‘The Silver Torc’, with its furious Celtic Rock riffage, is vintage Furlong, and his punkoid drumming on the metal-ish ‘Will You Come To Meet Me?’ has occasional dashes of Keith Moon. ‘The Glass Ceiling’ is less frenetic, allowing Furlong’s skills as a melodist to shine. He can do subtle too, as on the slower
Mary Black Orchestrated 3U RECORDS ‘Carolina Run’
ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES At first glance, this might seem like more of the same – a collection of mostly familiar Mary Black tracks, road-tested over the decades. In reality, though, it’s a project that not only places Black in an invigorating, fresh environment, but also rejuvenates many of the key triumphs from her impressive and enduring back catalogue. Partnered by the RTE National Symphony Orchestra, and recorded at the NCH with arrangements by conductor Brian Byrne, the 11 tracks here show how Black’s voice still has the same evocative sparkle that enthralled fans in the ’80s and ’90s. Opening with Joni Mitchell’s ‘Urge For Going’, Black captures the uncertainty of relationships amid the chilly onset of winter. It acts as a fitting contrast to the companionable warmth of ‘The Summer Sent You’, one of Noel Brazil’s finest, while Thom Moore’s ‘Carolina Rua’ gets a stirring orchestral intro. Both are reminders of how Black defiantly blazed a trail for Irish songwriters, by having the foresight to champion their best work on her top-selling albums. So it’s no surprise that a major beneficiary of that largesse, Jimmy MacCarthy, shows up here through two gems, ‘No Frontiers’ and ‘Adam At The Window’ – both still sounding as if they were created for Black’s voice. Black is joined by Australian singer Marcia Howard for a version of William Blake’s poem ‘A Poison Tree’, which is the least convincing track, though Black brings a winning wistfulness to Richard Thompson’s ‘The Dimming Of The Day’. This is one project where the term “orchestral accompaniment” is no euphemism for blandness, especially with the strident end-section of ‘Turning Away’. But in the end, it is Mary Black’s voice people will come to hear. They won’t be disappointed. OUT NOW · JACKIE HAYDEN
‘Hades Nebula’, building it from a seductive intro to a meteoric squall before reverting back to base; and flurries of electric guitar plough deep furrows through ‘The Jupiter Express’. Betimes you might assume Furlong has reached peak tension, until he winds you up to new heights, but his forte is to be spectacular without being showy. He wrote, sang and played every note, and has been well-served by Mick Egan’s instinctive production and mastering. OUT NOW · JACKIE HAYDEN
Kim Gordon No Home Record MATADOR ‘Cookie Butter’
SONIC YOUTH TOTEM CHANNELS HER FORMER BAND’S FINEST QUALITIES The indie-rock power couple rankings were thrown into disarray in 2011, when Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore announced their separation – and with it the end of Sonic Youth.
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bars. Sonic Youth have dipped a toe in rap previously, of course, collaborating with Cypress Hill on the Judgement Night soundtrack in – pauses to feel very very old – 1993. Yet No Home Record is different: Gordon is forging her own course, honouring her past while refusing to be defined by it. Sonic Youth fans will be thrilled. But this isn’t a record for them specifically. It’s for the whole world, too. OUT NOW · ED POWER Jenny Hval The Practice Of Love SACRED BONES RECORDS
‘Ordinary’
Wallis Bird Woman
MOUNT SILVER RECORDS/CAROLINE INTERNATIONAL
‘Time It Is Not Waiting’
THE WEXFORD ARTIST TRIUMPHS WITH SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS SIXTH ALBUM. At a time when so many acts are opting for escapism, Wallis Bird is refusing to turn the other cheek. Boldly confronting some of the biggest social and political debates of the era through song, the Wexford-born artist’s sixth album, Woman, is her most accomplished yet. Opening with ‘As The River Flows’, inspired by the death of the three-year-old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi, it’s instantly clear that Wallis is not attempting a clean and calculated analysis of modern society, but a portrait fuelled by raw emotion. Self-described as the “most important song I might ever have written”, the opener contains some of the most starkly honest, liberating lyrics of her career: “A baby lost it’s family, lost it’s life/ Don’t turn your face away/ Don’t tell me borders are for jobs and civic order/ When I know you see it differently/ You want your palette white, you want it cleaned.” While the content is certainly weighty, addressing every pressing topic from immigration to abortion, Woman avoids revelling in angst and misery. An accessible pop-sheen is embraced across the album’s lush production - notably on the sunshine-infused ‘Life Is Long’ and the Janelle Monáe-inspired guitar-driven funk of ‘Salve’. The folk-flavoured ‘Brutal Honesty’ shifts the focus inwards, as does ‘Time It Is Not Waiting’, a tender, piano-led moment of serenity. Closing track ‘Repeal’ wastes no time dancing around the subject, instead delving immediately into the reality of women’s struggle for bodily autonomy: “Let me decide what’s good for me.” Wallis packs an effectively poignant punch by incorporating voices of women discussing the movement to Repeal the Eighth, gradually building the layers of the track until it forms a triumphant battle cry. With this immediacy, Wallis brings her portrait of the modern woman to life - celebrating her ability to find the joy in humanity despite these dark days. OUT NOW · LUCY O’TOOLE
Gordon was always the coolest component of the coolest band in alternative pop. She retains that drop-dead mystique on her first solo album, a bruising-yet-tuneful affair that feels very much part of the Sonic Youth expanded universe, and which is named after a movie by late Belgian feminist director Chantal Akerman (what were the odds on it not being named after a movie by a Belgian feminist director?). She begins as she means to continue with single ‘Air BnB’, a gently feral attack on Silicon Valley turbo-avarice and the societal
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schisms it has wrought. Guitars growl and the odd wonky beat prowls as Gordon and producer Justin Raisen (Angel Olsen, Charli Xcx, Sky Ferreira) conjure playfully with the ghost of Sonic Youth records past. Gordon’s vocals are as breathy as on SY classics. But there are innovations too. Gordon has described Cardi B’s “punk rock” hit ‘Bodak Yellow’ as an influence. The hip-hop flavourings are especially to the fore on ‘Cookie Butter’, where Gordon delivers her lines in discordant, half-sung
DISAPPOINTING EFFORT FROM ART-POP MAVERICK Norwegian avant-pop trailblazer Jenny Hval is back with her seventh album, The Practice of Love. The record comes three years after her gothic opus, Blood Bitch, an exploration of what it means to be female. This time around, Hval examines another personal topic: childlessness. In a sampled interview on the title track, Laura Jean says, “I have to accept that I’m part of this human ecosystem and I’m not the main character. I feel like the main characters are the people that have kids, because they literally keep the virus going.” It’s a crushing quote that succinctly summarises the album. Musically, the record carefully walks the line between challenging experimentation and radio-friendly pop. Hval seamlessly bridges the gap by incorporating dance beats, arpeggiated synths and lush atmospheric pads. There’s a lot going on, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s all interesting. The first two cuts, ‘Lions’ and ‘High Alice,’ are sweet synth-pop numbers that fail to offer anything memorable. The material on Blood Bitch was much stronger. The final two tracks, ‘Six Red Cannas’ and ‘Ordinary’, are the strongest. Here, ethereal synths fuse nicely with infectious melodies. If the whole project had been of this calibre, this would be a great record album. Hval has the ambition to tackle tough topics. On this occasion, however, she falls just short too often. OUT NOW · JOEY MOLLOY Ed McGinley Tangled Roots & Twisted Tales SONIC JUSTICE LABEL
‘Tattoo On My Heart’
LONG-AWAITED DEBUT FROM FORMER DIXONS MAN This is an album that seems tailormade for review in the 1,000th Issue of Hot Press. Despite a long and impressive career that
includes stints as guitarist with The Dixons and The Winters (both excellent outfits), Tangled Roots & Twisted Tales is Ed McGinley’s first solo album. For this momentous occasion, he’s gathered about him a bevy of Ireland’s finest musicians, including the ever-excellent Garvan Gallagher on bass, James Delaney on organ, Bill Whelan on banjo and Percy Robinson on steel guitar, with the inestimable Les Keye at the controls. They all – and others like them – have made a powerful, if often unheralded, contribution down the decades. Saluté. Most of the songs here are penned by McGinley, but he makes room for some well-chosen covers. Tim Hardin’s ‘Shiloh Town’ is treated to sparkling guitar/fiddle playing behind McGinley’s unfussy vocal, and the sombre brass intro lends a powerful sadness to a version of Hank Williams’ ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’ that takes the forlorn lyrics at face value. Bill Faye’s ‘Cannon’s Plain’ has clouds and rain and fallen trees to deepen the sombre mood. Robinson’s steel, meanwhile, makes for a stunning opening to McGinley’s own reflective ‘Highlands’ (not the Dylan song). ‘The Curse of The Midnight Special’ is a plaintive song about a train with the clichéd name, and ‘Tattoo On My Heart’ employs deliciously brittle guitar, a forlorn organ and trusty horns for a truly gut-wrenching track. Robinson’s steel is back for the jaunty countryfolksiness of ‘Long Ago and Far Away’ that evokes early Paul Simon; and ‘You’re Never Coming Back’ is a gut-wrenching song about a departed love, with elegant lines like “You’ll never tread this stair, never check your hair at that mirror over there.” Phew! McGinley has an effortless way with a winning melody, but he also has the confidence not to try too hard, eschewing the kitchen sink for a musical alchemy that will encourage repeat listens. OUT NOW · JACKIE HAYDEN The Sherlocks Under Your Sky INFECTIOUS MUSIC
‘Magic Man’
SHEFFIELD INDIE CREW SET THEIR SIGHTS ON STADIUMS Much like Follow Fridays on Twitter, Pokemon Go, and those now carefree days when we didn’t have to worry about The Walking Dead becoming a real life scenario, radiofriendly indie bands seem a thing of the past. There have been a few exceptions over the last decade, though, and this Sheffield band of brothers are one of them. On their sophomore outing, you don’t have to be the famous sleuth of Baker Street to deduce who The Sherlocks are taking their cues from.
This Killers-flavoured release adopts a sleeker, tighter and brighter approach, as the group make their bid for stadiums. While there’s no shortage of ambition on Under Your Sky, there is a lack of chart-breaking anthems to make them serious contenders. The likes of ‘Step Inside’ and the title track are toothless, and the record is a front-loaded affair. On the plus side, ‘I Want It All’ is an enjoyable stomper; ‘Waiting’ is one of their catchiest efforts to date; and ‘Magic Man’ – with its squealing guitar solo – suggests they’ve still got a few tricks up their sleeves. OUT NOW · EDWIN MCFEE Sturgill Simpson Sound & Fury WARNERS
‘Remember To Breathe’
BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH THE PSYCHEDELIC WAYLON When Sturgill Simpson broke through with his second solo album, 2014’s great Metamodern Sounds In Country Music, he seemed primed to reinject some outlaw spirit into his chosen genre. He had no interest in standing still, though, incorporating a distinct Southern soul influence, and even covering Nirvana on the Grammywinning letter-to-his-son concept album follow-up, A Sailor’s Guide To Earth. But take note: on Sound & Fury, he gleefully drives the Trans-Am right off the Nashville reservation. What we get are old-fashioned, analogue-sounding synths and plenty of fuzzed-out guitars. Imagine Eliminator-era ZZ Top or The Cars, produced by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, and you’d be nearly there. The album is paired with a Simpson-penned anime Netflix movie, which might explain titles like opening instrumental ‘Ronin’. The urban blues of ‘Remember To Breathe’ finds Simpson “Staying off the radar/ like a bomber on the run”, until the screaming guitar gives away his position. The neardisco boogie of ‘A Good Look’ is a co-write with John Prine, but you wouldn’t guess that in a thousand years. Tracks like ‘Fastest Horse In Town’ are just a little too far out there, but stick with this record and songs start to emerge. ‘All Said And Done’ mines a similar seam to The Black Keys’ more introspective moments. Elsewhere, the music biz-berating ‘Mercury In Retrograde’, and the ELO-on-meth shuffle of ‘Last Man Standing’ could have – with more traditional arrangements – fitted on those earlier records. I doubt this is ever going to be my favourite Simpson record – and I love the guy – but you’ve got to applaud an artist who follows his
muse so resolutely. OUT NOW · PAT CARTY Wilco Ode To Joy DBPM
RECORDS
‘Love Is Everywhere (Beware)’
MIDDLING EFFORT FROM US ALT-ROCKERS Following a year marked by two solo albums and an autobiography, Jeff Tweedy marshalled the troops, hunkered down at The Loft Studio, primed the cannons, sharpened the axes and prepared to sally forth once again. The military metaphors are no accident. There’s a sense throughout the album of a slow inexorable march in a landscape of mud and barbed wire – with little sense of the destination. All hinges on the most basic of elements: sparsely strummed nylon-strung guitars; woozy electric fireflies; and always the simplest of beats – Glenn Hotchke keeping time like the hortator of a galley-ship. For an album titled Ode To Joy, Wilco’s 11th has a curiously downbeat mood. There is little variation in its stark percussive pulse; clanking guitars and rusty clockwork gears creaking like a worn mattress with the springs poking through. Maybe it’s a reflection of Tweedy’s observation, in response to world events that, “This terrible stuff is happening, this deepening sense of creeping authoritarianism that weighs on everybody’s psyche on a daily basis.” In this light, Ode To Joy becomes a journal of resistance in beleaguered times. The relentless trudging breaks into an occasional canter on songs such as ‘One And A Half Stars’, while ‘Everyone Hides’ is almost jaunty. And – just to confound this reviewer – the final track, ‘An Empty Corner’, lapses into waltz-time. “Nobody needs more Wilco music.” These aren’t my words but come straight from the Tweedyhorse’s mouth: tongue in cheek perhaps. Feel free to disagree, nonetheless. OUT NOW · SAMUEL STEIGER Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Kitt Philippa Human PARAGON RECORDS
“Lion’
SUPERB DEBUT FROM ARMAGH SINGER-SONGWRITER The name Kitt Philippa has been on everyone’s lips for some time now. From winning the NI Music Prize back in 2018 with their breakthrough single ‘Human’, to wowing people at Other Voices – to the extent that Paragon Records insisted on throwing their weight behind their debut album – Kitt’s short journey has involved an incredible arc. Kitt was raised in a classical music environment, and performed original music live on stage with the Ulster Orchestra back when they were 21. This classical strain is the bedrock of their debut album. Many of the songs orchestrate a balance between Kitt’s piano progressions, their ethereal – yet gut-punching – vocals, and a beautiful swell of strings. ‘Lion’ is possibly the most rousing example; a song about courage in the face of adversity, it rings out as if performed in front of a packed music hall. The other side of the album is more experimental. ‘Human’ and ‘You’ have that sparse trip-hop sheen that made London Grammar household names. But on the soulful ‘Fahrenheit’ – the delayed vocals of which create a hall-of-mirrors effect – Kitt is doing something a lot more interesting than anything the London trio have ever attempted. Throughout, Human is poised between control and vulnerability, clarity and ambiguity. Kitt is evidently assured in their craft, but each song also has a heart-on-sleeve spontaneity, exemplified most clearly in the gospel chants of “Hallelujah” at the end of ‘Moth’. There are also superb lyrics, with one stand-out line in ‘Grace’: “What am I?/ Not quite playwright/ Not quite player”. The singer has the confidence to belt out the refrain “Let me go” at the end of the track, before qualifying it with the slightly more vulnerable, “But be by my side.” Crucially, there aren’t enough superlatives for Kitt’s voice. It goes for the tear ducts. It seems to say everything about human emotion, mental health, identity and self-perception, in a stunningly direct lilt that will linger with people long after they hear it. Album of the year material, no bones about it. OUT NOW · PETER MCGORAN
Colorado REPRISE
‘Milky Way’
YOUNG GETS BACK ON THE HORSE There’s no two ways about it, the last few Neil Young albums – apart from some marvellous archive releases – have been less than great, culminating in 2017’s fairly horrendous The Visitor. In fact, the last half-decent one was Psychedelic Pill with Crazy Horse, back in 2012. He’s now back in the saddle with The ’Horse – Nils
Lofgren is in to replace the retired Frank “Poncho’ Sampedro – as it were, which is cause for hope. Things start off well with ‘Think Of Me’: there’s a blast of harmonica over acoustic guitar; nice backing vocal “Oohs”; and a piano somewhere in the background. Young then turns up Old Black for the 13-and-a-half minutes of ‘She Showed Me Love’ – enjoy the ’Horse going at it like they used to. ‘Olden Days’ might have squeezed on to Freedom, and midpaced slabs like ‘Help Me Lose My
Mind’ and the great ‘Milky Way’ are worth your time too. ‘Green Is Blue’ brings the piano out to the front, as does ‘Eternity’, which, with its faint echo of ‘Till The Morning Comes’, allows the lads to do a fair After The Goldrush impersonation. It doesn’t all work – ‘Rainbow Of Colours’ drags, and ‘Shut It Down’ hammers the eco message a bit too hard – but fair play to Shakey, this is a welcome step back in the right direction. OUT NOVEMBER 1 · PAT CARTY
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TRACKS
The latest singles, digital downloads, videos and live sessions with Edwin McFee DANI FRO
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TRACK OF THE FORTNIGHT
NEW PAGANS Charlie Has The Face Of A Saint SELF RELEASED
SPINEFARM
After blowing everyone away at Slane earlier this year, the tonguein-cheek Satanists unleash a new double A-side single in time for Samhain. Billed as a lost rarity from 1969, both ‘Kiss The GoGoat’ and Mary On A Cross’ are super-melodic, flower-power freakouts from this insanely creative – or maybe just insane – outfit.
my solicitor faster that you can bellow “one-two-three-four”. Regardless of whether it’s a knowing homage to the Swedish garage-rockers or a shameless ripoff, Green Day’s comeback song is an enjoyable romp nonetheless. Billie Joe Armstrong’s falsetto proves you can teach an old dog new tricks, and in particular, fans of their Foxsboro Hot Tubs side project will love this. HAILEE STEINFELD Afterlife (Dickinson) REPUBLIC RECORDS
LILLA VARGEN Why Wait FUTUREKIND RECORDS
It’s been a breakout year for the Ballymena songwriter, and her new single is sure to earn her more acclaim. Backed by a thought-provoking video highlighting the Irish housing crisis, and built around Vargen’s beautiful croon, the track addresses the subject of toxic relationships. An exciting scenesetter for her November EP We Were Thunder, this waltzing folk number is a must-listen. GREEN DAY Father Of All… REPRISE
If I was in The Hives, I’d be calling
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The cynics might say this new release from the singer and actress is merely a canny means to plug her upcoming new TV series, which reimagines the life of poet Emily Dickinson – and I’m inclined to believe them. A cookie-cutter ballad that sounds like it was made from scraps off Sia and Demi Lovato’s cutting room floor, it’s a waste of Steinfeld’s undoubted talents. ALL TVVINS Divine FACTION RECORDS
Currently tapping a rich creative vein, All Tvvins’ standalone single ‘Divine’ is an excellent slice of altpop. The first of an intended slew of soon-to-be-released songs,
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All Tvvins: unmoved despite positive HP review GHOST Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic Kiss The Go-Goat/Mary On A Cross
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One of the finest guitar bands in the land, New Pagans’ growing army of fans should be swollen even further with this latest cut. Driven by typically explosive fret-work from ex-Fighting With Wire frontman Cahir O’Doherty, and trademark gloomy vocals from Lyndsey McDougall, this gem will appeal to fans of New Romanceera Pretty Girls Make Graves. In particular, the explosive crescendo will sound epic live.
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hook is especially exhilarating. TEGAN AND SARA Don’t Believe The Things They Tell You (It’s A Lie) SIRE RECORDS
JUST MUSTARD Seven PIZZA PIZZA RECORDS
The Dundalk genre-splicers have earned a formidable reputation for their utterly absorbing soundscapes, and ‘Seven’ expands their world even further. Drawing on post-punk, shoegaze, goth and the eerie, atmospheric parts of black metal, the single makes for a mesmerising four minutes. A fever dream from start to finish, this dark slow-burner is truly spellbinding, with Katie Ball delivering her finest vocals to date.
The Canadian twins continue their comeback with the new single from their latest album, Hey, I’m Just Like You. Admittedly, this writer felt it was a misstep to trade the indie-rock style of The Con for the full-on pop of Heartthrob. Nonetheless, this latest effort feels like a step in the right direction. Indeed, it’s a timely reminder that when it comes to beautiful melodies, few can match this twosome. FALL OUT BOY FEAT. WYCLEF JEAN Dear Future Self (Hand’s Up) ISLAND RECORDS
BLACK PEAKS King RISE RECORDS
With the suitably stately ‘King’, Brighton outfit Black Peaks again prove they’re one of England’s best rock bands. A bullish fusion of Biffy Clyro and Alexisonfire, their first offering since last year’s powerful prog-fest All That Divides is a muscular effort. Frontman Will Gardner’s croon has shades of Dallas Green, and the
Taken from the pop-punks’ upcoming second greatest hits album (yep…), this unlikely collab with the former Fugees man is a turbo-charged, surf-rock minded earworm. A spiritual heir to the Black Eyed Peas’ ‘Pump It’, it’s a high-tempo affair with horns, whistling, Dick Dale guitars, and possibly even Pete Wentz’s kitchen sink thrown in there too.
CLIP OF THE FORTNIGHT
THE INTERRUPTERS Bad Guy (COVER) Those of you who have caught ska-punks The Interrupters on their current American tour (anyone?) will be familiar with this dub cover of the Billie Eilish hit. For those who haven’t witnessed it yet, they’ve recorded a version (in one take) and it’s absolutely skank-tastic. See it on YouTube
Ear on Éire with Ray C
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CRITICAL MASS | TRACKS
Once you K-pop you can’t stop: Lizzo & AB6IX DAVID HASSLEHOFF Head On (COVER) Featuring on the Hoff’s latest album Open Your Eyes, this cover of The Jesus & Mary Chain’s classic is either fromagefuelled genius or unforgivably woeful, depending on your view. Check it out and decide for yourselves… See it on YouTube PALE WAVES Tomorrow (LIVE PERFORMANCE) The Mancunian indie-popsters debuted a brand new tune
LIZZO FEAT. AB6IX Truth Hurts (REMIX) The singer, rapper, flautist, actor, songwriter and slagger-off of music journalists has enlisted K-pop band AB6IX to remix ‘Truth Hurts’, and it’s well worth a listen. Hear it on Spotify
The Green Scene
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with Teresanne O’Reilly
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of the music played on WLR is Irish content Proud to support 20 Waterford acts with airplay in 2018
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at their recent headliner in Glasgow, and thankfully a fan captured some phone footage. A punk-minded number about smalltown life, it bodes well for the sequel to their debut LP. See it on YouTube
wlrfm.com 28/08/2018 11:37
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TECH
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The latest games, apps and gadgets with Pavel Barter
Borderlands 3: Joe Schmidt unveils his tactical plan for the All Blacks
REVIEWS & PREVIEWS
APP ATTACK
NEW ADVENTURES IN SCI-FI Borderlands 3 Xbox One (2K) Looting, storing and stealing is the order of the day in this sciencefiction bloodbath. It’s like Black Friday on Mars, as you mow down rivals and hoover up skill points. You play a vault hunter, embarking on a quest to overcome the corporate arseholes who rule the galaxy. Players select one of four hunters. FL4K brings trained beasts into combat. Mose transforms into a battle bot. Zane is geared up on gadgets, including machine-gun turrets. Amara is versed in buttkicking. The infinitesimal game mechanics of Borderlands are mind-boggling for newcomers. The multi-branching skill trees, and procedurally generated weapons, could have used a few tutorials (especially for this reviewer). Despite the cartoonish cel-shaded graphics, there’s plenty of grown-up fun to be had here, particularly with Claptrap the Robot, your wisecracking robotic sidekick.
8/10 FIFA 20 EA (PS4) FIFA, like any great football squad, has been through ups and downs. But as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One reach the zenith of their generations, this game feels stuck in a moment. On-pitch gameplay has been tweaked in favour of defenders. Now defensive AI will block shots quicker. In past iterations, slow defenders would catch up with
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attackers: unrealistically so. That’s been fixed too. But controlling the ball feels less fluid in FIFA 20. Clever ball physics – the balls getting slowed down by grass, for example – interrupt the flow. Career Mode, a go-to for many a footie fanatic, is largely the same as it was in FIFA 19 and 18. Volta, a new player mode, mixes FIFA Street with FIFA Journey. Playing 5-a-side football on a rooftop in Tokyo is great fun, but the story mode is full of the usual underdog clichés. Modes such as King Of The Hill, in which your side aim to possess the ball more than your rivals, and Mystery Ball, which brings a dose of the surreal to the pitch, are worthy additions.
6/10 Preview Amazon devices The Amazon is burning down, but not in Silicon Valley, where the tech giant of the same name grows like an Alexa-faced weed. Last month saw the launch of a heap of new Amazon devices, each adorned with the voice of the nosy robot butler. A new Amazon Echo was as inevitable as the sunrise. Not much new to see here, aside from a fresh coat of blue. Instead, turn thine eyes to the Amazon Echo Studio, which brings out the big guns. Five directional speakers, a 5.25-inch woofer and 330W of power, are built into this voluminous tub. Spookily, the speaker can sense the acoustics of a room, fine-tuning the playback for optimal sound. Amazon’s line-up includes the
STORYSIGN
Amazon Echo Show 8, a smart display with an 8-inch screen and camera. Amazon Echo Dot with Clock is Alexa’s reliable puck-shaped speaker, updated with (no prizes for guessing) a clock. Amazon Echo Flex – a smart speaker, which will cost under €30 – plugs into a standard electrical outlet. Don’t expect great audio from this yolk. Alexa whispers sweet nothings into your cerebral cortex via Echo Buds, Amazon’s first pair of wireless earbuds. They tick over for five hours of music playback, and have outer microphones, so you can interact with the wider world while plugged into the mainframe.
Preview Vodafone Smart V10 / Vodafone Smart N10 Vodafone are in the race for smartphone supremacy with two spanking new devices. The Smart V10 offers up a big screen experience – a 19:9 edge-to-edge display – on a 5.9” device. There’s a dual lens camera on the back, 13MP and 5MP in auto-focus power, and an 8MP selfie snapper on the front. Processing speed promises to be fast with 3GB of RAM, and the 32GB of internal memory is enough to store a healthy collection of music and photos. Smart V10 costs €149.99 on PAYG; it’s free on bill pay. Smart N10 is cheaper at €109.99 but has less muscle. The phone also has a 19:9 display, but is smaller at 5.7”. There’s an 8MP rear camera, and a 5MP camera at the front. 2GB of RAM should keep it chugging along.
Holidaymakers passing through Dublin Airport can sign up to a free threemonth subscription of NOA, an Irish app that turns written journalism into audio narration. The service includes audio versions of articles from The Irish Times, Washington Post, New York Times and The Economist, among others. A subscription normally costs €29.99 a month, but you can sign up for the free trial through the airport’s Wi-Fi service. STORYSIGN is another sound affair. This free app, for iOS and Android, translates books into sign language for deaf children using Huawei technology. Aardman, creators of Wallace and Gromit, designed the on-screen avatar, which narrates the tales in sign languages. Six books, including All About Spot and Max The Brave, are currently featured on the app. Drive into the sunset with TOYOTA DAILY RENTAL, a car rental app that revs up 110 Toyota cars across 46 locations in Ireland. It combines the forces of FLEET APP, Ireland’s “Airbnb for cars”, and Toyota Ireland. According to Maurice Sheehy, Fleet App CEO, the booking process is simple: “Just pick up your phone, choose a model, tap and go. Collect from your local dealer’s forecourt or have it delivered straight to your door.”
CRITICAL MASS | TECH TECH NEWS
T H E L I GH T FA N TA S T I C The Bright Stuff The Dyson Lightcycle task light continually adjusts its colour temperature and brightness in relation to your local daylight, providing the right light for the right time of day. It uses a unique time, date and location driven algorithm to calculate the colour temperature and brightness of daylight, anywhere in the world. Software validation was supported by data from over a million satellite based measurements of light conditions in the earth’s atmosphere at different times of day. A 32-bit microprocessor on board the Dyson Lightcycle task light continually interprets this daylight data, communicating it to the optical driver for dynamic colour tuning. The product’s 3 warm and 3 cool LEDs work in tandem to simulate daylight colour temperatures from 2,700-6,500 Kelvin. Even if we don’t notice it directly, low light, flicker and glare can cause eye strain and visual fatigue. The Dyson Lightcycle task light provides a uniform pool of
high-quality, powerful light with more than 1,000 Lux brightness, combined with glare protection and low optical flicker (<1%)i. And the Dyson Link app continually communicates with the Dyson Lightcycle task light to adjust light output for your age (as entered in the Dyson Link app), task, daily routine and local daylight – designed to support optimal illumination throughout the day. Do the bright thing: the Dyson Lightcycle
Studious types Booking a week or two in an average recording studio could cost your life savings. But it’s a cheaper affair on Instrument Studio VR. Musicians can dabble on acoustic guitars, bass guitars, piano, drums, and other instruments, through VR, creating beautiful music on a virtual mixing desk. Instrument Studio VR is the brainchild of three Irish musicians: Ken and Carl Papenfus, two thirds of the band Relish, who produce Sinead O’Connor, and Paul Cullen. The software is releasing on the Oculus Rift VR device next month for $20.
Rock of ages
Flipping burgers
From drunken brawls and cattle rustling in Red Dead Redemption, to drug deals and bank heists in Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar Games don’t always take the moral high ground. The naughtiest game studio on the planet has launched a desktop application for easy access to their titles on PC. The aptly named Rockstar Games Launcher features cloud saves and automatic updates for supported titles. Players who install the launcher can pick up a free digital copy of GTA: San Andreas on PC. Let the law-breaking begin.
Asking Alexa for a job at a fast food restaurant is not a common request of Amazon’s digital assistant. But Alexa, and Google Assistant, are now acting as recruitment agents for McDonalds. Jobseekers activate the Apply Thru skill on their device, then ask Alexa to “help me get a job at McDonalds”. On Google Assistant, announce “OK Google, talk to McDonald’s Apply Thru.” Applicants will then receive a text message with a link for completion of the application.
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The latest film reviews, interviews and opinion with Roe McDermott
INTERVIEW
THE JOAQUIN EDGE
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Joaquin Phoenix discusses his instantly iconic role in Joker, one of the year’s biggest and most controversial movies.
hen director Todd Phillips signed on to make Joker with Oscar-nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix as the lead, both actor and director knew that they wanted to make a truly unique comic book film. Not only an origin story of an infamously enigmatic villain, Joker also embraces a dark, gritty tone more reminiscent of bleak dramas like Taxi Driver than the crowdpleasing superhero films of recent times. But even before its release, the subject matter made Joker one of the most controversial films of the year. The marketing indicated that it would provide an empathetic backstory for an emotionally isolated man, who feels entitled to more social attention, recognition and power – and who eventually becomes violent. Immediately, people expressed concern that the film would become a rallying cry for toxic masculinity, and that this iteration of the Joker would become the poster boy for incels and other communities of angry young men, who blame society for their isolation and volatile emotions. Media headlines fuelled this rhetoric, and when cinema attendees in the United States found their bags being checked for weapons at early screenings, it was no longer clear if the threat was real, manufactured – or a manufactured threat that could become real. Though Joaquin Phoenix’s performance lies at the heart of this controversy, he – as ever – seems to float above the fray. His concerns are primarily with his art and performance, leaving
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the world to argue about the film’s social impact on its own time. For Phoenix, whose incredible performances in films like The Master, Walk The Line, You Were Never Really Here, Her and Mary Magdalene have always shown a commitment to exploring different aspects of the human condition, the idea of taking on the role of Arthur Fleck – the isolated clown at odds with the world – was a no-brainer.
“It’s certainly different than any movie that would fall into the superhero genre, but it was even different than dramas I had read.” “I thought it was bold, like nothing I’ve ever read before,” says Phoenix of the script, cowritten by Phillips and Scott Silver. “It’s certainly different than any movie that would fall into the superhero genre, but it was even different to dramas I had read. It seemed to have so many different flavours and tones.” Both canonically and in this film, Joker is an unreliable narrator. In the comic books and previous cinematic iterations, he is traditionally an untrustworthy villain or unpredictable anarchist, whose allies even remain unaware of his motivations. In Joker, Arthur Fleck seems
to have an unstable relationship with the world. Often, he believes it to be kinder than it is, resulting in heartbreaking incidents when he is literally and metaphorically beaten down by life. But he also lacks self-awareness, and often has inappropriate reactions – most notably, a medical condition that causes him to lapse into involuntary, uncontrollable shrieks of maniacal laughter. Phoenix had to work this unreliable aspect of Arthur’s nature into his approach to the character. “There were times where I thought he would enjoy altering his story,” muses Phoenix, “and the effect that it would have on somebody, and how somebody might feel about him. There are other times where he’d alter it just because that’s what he really believed. Usually with characters like that, it’s frustrating because you want to understand their motivations. But it became like a liberation for this character, and I realised that it could go in any direction.” To ground his performance and stay true to the vision of the film, Phoenix and Todd Phillips developed what the actor describes as a true partnership. “And it wasn’t only when we were on set,” he notes. “After we finished shooting, or on weekends, we would call or text, or meet up and talk about the next scenes. I felt like we were so unified throughout this process, that if one of us ever got to the point where we weren’t feeling inspired, hopefully the other person would inspire us. There were many times it was quite surprising, how much we thought of the same thing, the same solution to a problem.”
CRITICAL MASS | MOVIES 1 0 0 0 TH I S S U E SPECIAL
GOOD ÉIRE DAYS A look back at some of Hot Press’ favourite Irish films from across our 1,000 issues.
The Joker celebrates the opening weekend box office figures
A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man
My Left Foot
What Richard Did
Smile like you mean it: Joaquin Phoenix
One such moment of shared inspiration led to one of Joker’s most evocative scenes, when we glimpse Arthur emotionally transforming into Joker after a cataclysmic, life-changing event. The scene takes place in a bathroom, and in another film could see a character panicking and staring at themselves in the mirror, while splashing water on their face. But instead, Phoenix launches into a slow, eerie, dance as a cello plays ominously. Arthur seems to be expressing himself for an audience of no-one – but maybe that’s the point. He’s realising how he wants to be. “The preparation was the study of dance and movement,” explains Phoenix. “But we didn’t find the real intention of that scene until we went to set that day. When we arrived, we felt that we still needed something that would illustrate the emergence of a different part of Arthur’s personality. We landed on the idea because I had been studying all of this dance, and he started playing this cello music; it was a really effective piece of score that Todd had just gotten the previous night. And I said, ‘So maybe there’s a movement’, and he said, ‘Well, I would start on your foot. Start on your foot, and that’s your move’, and that’s all he said. And then we left and just thought about it, and that’s all we had. And something else emerged, and it’s both a turning point for the character and it was a turning point for me and Todd working together.” Another moment in the film that will undoubtedly be immortalised on the walls of college students across the world is Joker’s flamboyant, triumphant dance down some steps, again showing Phoenix’s unique intensity and Joker’s chaotic power. For Phoenix, the scene became a powerful metaphor for the process of acting, filmmaking and storytelling itself. “When I was writing in Arthur’s journal as part of my preparation,” he recalls, “Todd sent me something about steps, to inspire me in this writing. And then he told me about the steps that we would use in a few scenes, where Arthur ascends these long stairs over and over. I think there were a few pages in the journal where I just wrote ‘step after step after step’ over and over, across the pages, line by line. That became a thing we would text each other back and forth, ‘step after step.’” Like its eponymous character, Joker has ignited controversy – and left the next step in the cultural conversation up to us. Where will we take it? • Joker is in cinemas now
Intermission
The Commitments
A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man (Dir. Joseph Strick, 1977) Joseph Strick’s adaptation of James Joyce’s novel is told though the eyes of Joyce’s alter ego Stephen Dedalus. Played by Bosco Hogan, the film shows how Dedalus comes of age when he attends Dublin University. Though Strick adopts a more cinematic narrative approach than the novel’s streamof-consciousness technique, the film retains a poetic, ruminative quality. My Left Foot (Dir. Jim Sheridan, 1989) The film that scored Daniel Day-Lewis his first Oscar, My Left Foot sees the actor put in one of cinema’s greatest performances as the Crumlin-born, cerebral palsy-affected artist Christy Brown. This portrayal captures both Brown’s struggles and joys, as well as the dynamics of a family trying to support him. Indeed, Day-Lewis’ masterful performance showed a generation of actors how full-bodied acting could be. The Commitments (Dir. Alan Parker, 1991) Alan Parker’s hilarious adaptation of Roddy Doyle’s novel about a Dublin soul band offers a joyous tour of the city, making it a beloved classic. With its heartfelt portrayal of working class Dublin, spirited sense of humour, and standout performances from Glen Hansard, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Angeline Ball and Bronagh Gallagher, The Commitments deservedly became a cultural phenomenon. Intermission (Dir. John Crowley, 2003) This black comedy crime film features a multi-layered story with intersecting plots. Jam-packed with great Irish actors like Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, Colm Meaney and Michael McElhatton, the film roams around Dublin, allowing the eccentric characters to shine. The result in a compelling movie encompassing romance, betrayal, kidnapping, bank robbery – and a lot of brown sauce. What Richard Did (Dir. Lenny Abrahamson, 2013) Abrahamson’s film is not only a quietly devastating exploration of guilt and entitlement, but a telling tale of our time. Jack Reynor plays the eponymous Richard, a charismatic young rugby player who struts through his privileged life. When tragedy strikes and the film becomes a complex morality play, the keenly observed – and largely improvised – script not only portrays nuanced characters, but gives a biting insight the into the mindset of Richard’s peers. A stunning and humanistic tragedy.
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REVIEWS
MOVIE OF THE FORTNIGHT
FILM NEWS
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO Directed by Joe Talbot. Starring Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Tichina Arnold, Danny Glover. 121 mins. In cinemas October 25.
ELEGIAC LAMENT ABOUT LEGACY, CONNECTION AND LOSS Admittedly, director Joe Talbot’s love letter moodpiece about San Francisco, my home for years, was always going to make me cry. Talbot and co-writer and star Jimmie Fails are both San Franciscans, and their vision is alternately sharpened and softened by the city’s complicated relationship with change and gentrification. Cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra’s golden hues capture the unique romance of the city, while a slow, anthropological gaze highlights its oddities and contradictions. Derelict buildings stand beside multi-million dollar mansions. People enjoying the city’s historic pro-nudity laws now face a barrage of homophobic abuse. White people don hazmat suits to clean the water that served Black neighbourhoods for generations. There’s an anxiety to the constant sense of change; a danger you will be completely erased from the city in its latest rewrite. Jimmie (Fails) quietly resists, obsessively and lovingly repairing the beautiful Victorian home built by his grandfather in the Filmore district. Except, he doesn’t own the house – his family were displaced years ago, and Jimmie grew up in shelters and group homes. A white couple live there now, exasperatedly throwing overpriced croissants at Jimmie whenever he turns up. Jimmie’s efforts echo the grand, problematic gestures of romance films: he is holding up a boombox, convinced the house possesses the key to his happiness. But while understandably trying to preserve his past and invest in his desired future, he’s neglecting his present. Fails’ performance is quiet and soulful, while his best friend Mont (Jonathan Majors), and a Greek chorus of Black men, more explicitly address issues of male friendship, toxic masculinity and belonging. The dialogue and action are understated, as Talbot relies on atmosphere to create a wistful lament. “You can’t hate something if you didn’t love it first,” says Jimmie. He’s referring to the city, but he
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could be referring to a lover, a family, or humanity. Though it may prove too slow and opaque for some, The Last Black Man In San Francisco is a heartbreaking elegy elevated by specificity, but universal in its emotion. When holding on to something beloved hurts, it’s so hard to know when to endure, and when to let go.
A BUMP ALONG THE WAY Directed by Shelly Love. Starring Bronagh Gallagher, Lola Petticrew, Mary Moulds. 95 mins. In cinemas now.
WARM DRAMEDY ABOUT 44-YEAR-OLD SINGLE MOTHER FACING ANOTHER PREGNANCY Bronagh Gallagher’s warmth, strength and vulnerability makes for a lovely central performance in this warm portrait of pregnancy and motherhood, written by Tess McGowan and directed by Shelly Love. Gallagher plays Pamela, a hard-working, bighearted optimist whose mischievous energy has only been slightly worn down thanks to the pressure of becoming a single mum at a young age. Her teenage daughter Ally (Lola Petticrew) is a sensitive over-achiever, whose self-consciousness is kicked into high gear when 44-year-old Pamela becomes pregnant after a one-night-stand with a younger man. The flip of the typical pregnancy narrative is deftly handled. Pamela has to not only manage her emotions around the pregnancy, the financial pressure of a new baby, and the injustice that she will again be the responsible parent while a man simply walks away – she also has to deal with Ally’s judgement. Ally’s schoolgirl experiences of unrequited crushes and public embarrassments also feel empathetic, though her underwhelming school sequences tend to pull focus from the more compelling central narrative. There’s a gorgeous specificity to the writing that captures the lived realities of women’s lives, from including casual references to endometriosis, to a scene in a record shop that perfectly captures how women are watched by men as objects of desire – before being rendered completely invisible by age or pregnancy. Throughout, the film lets Gallagher’s sly humour shine, and her cackling interactions with best friend Mary Moulds are irresistible.
DONALD TRUMP AND BRENDAN GLEESON The Irish Film Institute (IFI) been awarded an inaugural JTS Award in recognition of its pioneering digital preservation work. This award joins the Digital Preservation Coalition Award which the IFI won last December. The IFI Irish Film Archive developed a suite of 55 open source scripts (IFIScripts) that support its digital preservation activities in a sustainable and efficient manner. Ross Keane, IFI Director, commented, “The IFI is hugely proud to receive this prestigious award, which further reinforces the reputation of the Irish Film Institute as a global centre of excellence. This award rightly celebrates the collaborative spirit of the open source IFIScripts, an innovative and ground-breaking project that is making an impact in archives around the world.” CBS Studios has cast Brendan Gleeson as Donald Trump in its upcoming miniseries, based on former FBI director James Comey’s memoir, A Higher Loyalty. Written by Billy Ray and also starring Jeff Daniels as Comey, the four-part show starts filming in November. Wildcard Distribution has acquired the rights for Alex Gibney’s documentary Citizen K from Kew Media. Wildcard, which handled the theatrical release of Gibney’s No Stone Unturned last year, will release the critically acclaimed film in Irish cinemas in December. Citizen K is an intimate-yet-sweeping look at postSoviet Russia from the perspective of the enigmatic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a former oligarch turned political dissident. Gibney uses Khodorkovsky’s story as a way to explore the complex interplay between oligarchy and government, and its destructive effect on democracy in Russia and beyond.
CRITICAL MASS | MOVIES
B R O N A G H G A L L A G H E R : S U P E R B I N A B U M P A L O N G T H E W AY
T H E J O K E R : T H R I L L E D T O B E A G U E S T O N T H E L AT E L AT E S H O W
JOKER Directed by Todd Phillips. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Zazie Beetz, Brett Cullen, Marc Maron. 122 mins. In cinemas now.
JOKER ORIGIN STORY PROVES HIGH ON GRIT AND LOW ON IDEAS For all the controversy swirling around Joker, all the political and cultural discourse, all the thinkpieces claiming it’s either the most genius or repugnant film ever released, the most shocking thing may be that it is, simply, fine. To say that Joaquin Phoenix is mesmerising is to say that Phoenix is in the film, because the actor has never not offered a compelling, complex and committed performance. He plays Arthur Fleck, an isolated professional clown with a medical condition that causes him to erupt in unnerving shrieks of laughter. The victim of bullying and some of Gotham’s typically vicious violence, Phoenix portrays Fleck’s fear and discomfort physically, contorting his gaunt face and emaciated frame into forced smiles and meek retreats. Arthur is desperate for kindness, which is in short supply in Phillips’ effectively grimy evocation of New York in the early ’80s, bathed in sickly mustards and greys, covered in graffiti and overrun by rats. The city feels weighed by a corruption and cynicism that seems to have pushed out the city’s joy, solidarity and humanity. Phillips’ camera work, the use of empty space, and the supporting performances all create an unsettling sense of isolation and hopelessness. Gotham’s corruption has real effects on Arthur’s life, as cuts to medical and psychological programmes deprive him of medication and support, while the wealthy continue to thrive. But Arthur also feels entitled – not only to care and attention from women, but fame and glory. He dreams of being a worshipped comedian, despite not being funny. An unclear amalgamation of these injustices, both real and perceived, leads him to gradually transform into the violent, maniacal Joker. In the process, he inspires an uprising, as he looks to finally make the society that alienated him pay attention. This amalgamation is the problem, both
narratively, and yes, politically. Shoving women’s lack of desire for a creepy man in the same “injustice” box as systemic wealth inequality is eyerolling – but it’s also a tired and mundane depiction of the creation of violence. Arthur is denied what he wants, then acts out, feels powerful, and the story escalates. This is an unoriginal portrait of villainy, of masculinity – and even of the Joker. Far from being groundbreaking, it’s a traditional approach. Other aspects of Phillips’ film also feel derivative. There are endless hat-tips to Scorsese and Lumet, while the director’s narrow vision of Gotham offers no sense of anyone else’s struggles beyond Arthur. The joker masks donned by the city’s growing mob further serve to keep them faceless. Joker is about a social uprising driven by a white, misogynistic, mentally unwell man – but says absolutely nothing about men, misogyny, mental health or society. It’s a writing approach that feels cowardly, lazy and unsatisfying. As a nightmarish portrait of urban isolation and a gritty comic book origin story, the movie is superbly acted and tensely paced. It also lacks nuance and plays into well-worn tropes. It’s good. It’s not great. But let’s definitely yell about it some more.
MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL Directed by Joachim Ronning. Starring Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Riley, Warwick Davis. 118 mins. In cinemas October 18
BLOCKBUSTER FANTASY SEQUEL PROVES PATCHY Angelina Jolie’s casting as Maleficent was always inspired, harnessing Jolie’s unique persona as both darkly mysterious sex symbol and loving earth mother. These she channelled into a modern portrayal of Disney’s fanged-butmisunderstood, not-so-evil fairy godmother. In the 2014 film, her performance was sharpcheekboned perfection. However, the script lacked compelling action, keeping Maleficent’s wings clipped. As Aurora (Elle Fanning) prepares to marry Prince Phillip, Maleficent has to grapple not only with the idea of losing Aurora – but also of losing her to a monarchy that’s been secretly
killing fairies on her beloved moors. Aurora, swept up in pre-wedding bliss, ignores that Maleficent’s suspicions have merit – particularly in relation to Phillip’s mother, Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer). An awkward dinner becomes a gloriously tense tennis-match between Jolie’s mercurial, protective Maleficent and Pfeiffer’s passive-aggressive mother-in-law. Ingrith does indeed have nefarious schemes afoot, deliberately creating a rift between Maleficent and Aurora. In her isolation, Maleficent finds a tribe of creatures that offer her the family and belonging she has never had – but in return, she must help them wage war on her surrogate daughter’s new kingdom. The themes of found family, corruption, and staying true to yourself in the face of power all fuel the action, which results in an epic, surprisingly dark showdown. However, the narrative evolution around the characters disappoints, so they remain quite dull – Aurora, the royal family and the moor’s population of fairies, in particular, are all utterly blank. Overall, an underwhelming effort.
THE DAY SHALL COME Directed by Chris Morris. Marchánt Davis, Anna Kendrick, Denis O’Hare, Jim Gaffigan, Danielle Brooks, Adam David Thompson. 87 mins. In cinemas now.
POLITICAL SATIRE LACKS CHRIS MORRIS’ USUAL BITE Based on “hundreds of true stories”, The Day Shall Come sees Four Lions director Chris Morris return to cinematic satire. Here, Morris explores the FBI’s practice of coercing men of colour into committing terrorism-related crimes, solely so they can swoop in and play the hero. “Pitch me the next 9/11” is the instruction. Set in South Florida, the hapless officials include ambitious underling Kendra (Anna Kendrick) and jaded bureau chief Andy (Denis O’Hare), who is happy to advise on the best (read: most ludicrous and immoral) ways to twist the truth and warp reality in order to secure a win. The irony is that their selected target – gentle, peaceful and mentally unwell would-be radical Moses Al Shabazz (Marchánt Davis) – already has a warped relationship with reality. His magnetism has assembled him a loyal microcult army of four, who listen attentively as he declares non-violent war. Moses celebrates the wisdom of ducks and the majesty of horseriding, and believes his ability to summon dinosaurs with a trumpet will help him prevail. Knowing that he is struggling financially to keep his community farm operating, the FBI try lure him into an illegal but lucrative weapons deal – but discover that managing Moses’ unpredictable flights of fancy is no easy task. Davis is utterly glorious, evoking an irresistible innocence and charisma, and infusing every interaction with an irrepressible humanity. In contrast, the FBI communications are dick jokefilled schoolyard bickering, with each agent jostling for meagre slices of power. Though this juxtaposition does highlight the bigoted mindset fuelling the “justice” system, there’s an overall lack of bite. There’s a sense that darker realities have been diluted by absurdity more than necessary. The subject matter is enraging, but the approach feels muted.
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TV
The latest shows, news, interviews and commentary from the world of TV, Netflix and everything in between >
I S S U E S P E C I A L
VIEW THE RIGHT THING
OPINION
In honour of this special edition, we shortlist the most important television shows to have aired in Hot Press’ lifetime. By Ed Power
ot Press is celebrating its 1,000th issue (you may have noticed). That adds up to more than 40 years at the cutting edge of journalism. A great deal has changed in that time, particularly in television. What then are the programmes that have weathered the decades and changed the medium? Here’s our countdown of the 10 most important TV series across our 1,000-not-out history. They are presented in no particular order – reflecting the diversity of the shows and also the fact we simply can’t make up our minds which we love the most.
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1:
THE LATE LATE SHOW
You are laughing and grumbling about “Tubs” and his megabucks salary. But, really, you shouldn’t. Hot Press first rolled off the presses when Ireland still had the Church’s figurative crozier at its neck. We played our part in removing the crucifix from public life and ushering the country into the modern world. But credit, too, must go to Gay Byrne’s Late Late Show, which became the nation’s unofficial debating chamber where the issues of the day could be discussed. In a repressed and repressive society such as pre-Celtic Tiger Ireland, this proved a crucial forum. People were practically passing out in the aisles when Byrne held a contraceptive up to the cameras in one episode. In another, Annie Murphy spoke of her affair with Bishop Eamonn Casey. Catholic Ireland was always going to come tumbling down anyway – but The Late Late Show did its best in holding to account the hidebound hypocrites who toiled to keep us in the dark ages.
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2:
LOVE / HATE
Stuart Carolan’s gangster epic was a long way from perfect and declined sharply in quality in later seasons. But it nonetheless represented RTE’s most convincing bid yet at prestige drama. It looked great, and the cast of Tom Vauaghan-Lawlor, Ruth Negga, Charlie Murphy, Aidan Gillen and others were glamorous yet very Irish. And it told a story we’d been craving to hear: that of warring gangsters going at it in modern Dublin. It has also proved hugely influential, with series such as the forthcoming Dublin Murders and Virgin Media’s Darklands very much following in its wake.
3:
FRIENDS
While Hot Press was chronicling U2’s ironic years and the rise and falliof grunge, on television the Generation X era was playing out very differently. Watched today Friends can seem smug, glib, not always funny (actually that’s what it often felt like back then too). But it nonetheless captured the zeitgeist and spoke to the universal truth that, in your twenties, your pals can seem more important than your family. It’s a passing phase – but Friends spun it into comedic precious metals. No wonder millennials and Gen Z-ers can’t get enough.
4:
LIFE ON EARTH Hot Press was not two years old when, in January 1979, David Attenborough materialised in our living
rooms plummily narrating the adventures of a family of iguana in the Galapagos. Thus began the BBC’s Life On Earth – and with it a new era of natural history television. The Trials Of Life, Blue Planet, Planet Earth and others would follow, and with them an increasing awareness of the fragility and preciousness of the natural world. A direct line can be drawn between Life On Earth and Extinction Rebellion – in hindsight, Attenborough’s rhapsodic chronicling of life on the planet marked the dawning of a global environmental consciousness.
5:
SEINFELD
Unlike Friends, early Seinfeld really does not hold up at all and is quite difficult to sit through (that canned laughter!). But the sitcom “about nothing” nonetheless has taken its place as the most revolutionary chuckle-fest in TV history. It was cynical, sardonic, knowing – in on the joke that actually there was no joke, just real life in all its absurdity. From Curb Your Enthusiasm (its star Larry David had produced Seinfeld) onwards, every “anti-comedy” that followed bore traces of its DNA.
6:
THE SIMPSONS
Aka the series that moulded the perspective and senseiof humour of at least two generations of Irish people. From roughly 1993 on, anyone aged 25 and under visited Springfield on a near daily basis, thanks to multiple showings on RTÉ Two, Sky One and Channel 4. The result: a country where every predicament and controversy is ultimately just a Simpsons meme waiting to be minted.
CRITICAL MASS | TV
MY TV FORTNIGHT with Selina Juengling “Gay Byrne’s Late Late Show, became the nation’s unofficial debating chamber. In a repressed and repressive society such as pre-Celtic Tiger Ireland, this proved a crucial forum. ” 7:
TWIN PEAKS
Life in early ’90s Ireland was surreal at the best of times. We’d only just started catching our breath after the moving statues saga, the Haughey era, Eamon Dunphy’s pen throwing meltdown when Ireland drew with Egypt in the 1990 World Cup etc. So we flocked, initially at least, to David Lynch’s brain-meltingly bizarre whodunnit. A remote town in a dank and rainy part of the world is shocked by a terrible tragedy. That could have been Ireland at any point in the previous 50 years. Instead it was Agent Dale Cooper en route to Twin Peaks in America’s Pacific Northwest to investigate the killing of Laura Palmer.
8:
BREAKING BAD
So much “prestige” TV to praise, so little time or space. We could have opted for The Sopranos or Mad Men. But the life and times of Walter White looms above them all. This was a morality tale that also served as a window into the fraught condition of middle class life, as struggling teacher White (Bryan Cranston) throws his hands in the air and reinvents himself as a terrifying crystal meth dealer. With each year, the shadow cast by Breaking Bad grows longer. Would anyone care about a Mad Men or Sopranos movie? A bit, maybe. But not too much. Contrast that with the excitement over the new Breaking Bad sequel that has arrived on Netflix.
9:
GAME OF THRONES
Yes, the ending was rubbish and nobody can defend the portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen as a “mad queen”. But come on, in its prime Game Of Thrones hooked and reeled us like nothing else.
10:
STRANGER THINGS
This remix of Stephen King’s greatest hits earns its place not because it is a moderately engaging slab of pulp – but because it represents TV’s future. Netflix, Amazon and their cheque books of power have remade the home entertainment landscape. In this age of the binge-watch, Stranger Things is supreme overlord of all it surveys. Decades from now, it may well be looked back upon as representing the moment TV changed forever.
Toni Collette’s Det, Grace Rasmssuen shows how victims can be treated with dignity By now, true crime dramas are a Netflix staple. Unbelievable stands out between all the Making A Murderers and Mindhunters though, with its relatable and complex characters, as well as impeccable storytelling and contemporary themes. The series is based on the news article, An Unbelievable Story of Rape by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong, published in 2015 as a collaboration between the non-profit news organisations ProPublica and The Marshall Project. It tells the story of a series of rapes in Washington and Colorado between 2008 and 2011, focusing in part on the first rape of a woman pseudonymously known as ‘Marie’, who is charged with false reporting for allegedly lying about her assault. Unbelievable alternates between Marie’s story, set in 2008, and the investigations of the rapes by two female detectives – Karen Duvall and Grace Rasmussen – in 2011. The two narrative strands contrast the varying standards of law enforcement. While Marie is urged by (male) police officers to tell the details of her rape again and again, Duvall gives the victim all the time that she needs, handling the situation in a sensitive and understanding manner. Scenes like this are the reason Unbelievable is so important, as they highlight the recurring flaws in investigations of rape and sexual assault. Marie is constantly pressured by the police, who doubt her story. Eventually, the young woman lies to escape the pain of telling the story again. Victim shaming is still very much a thing, although movements like Me Too have
WAT C H I T
fought hard to end the stigma around sexual assault. Unbelievable does its own fair share of opening up conversations without being too on-the-nose. The miniseries shows, for example, that every rape victim reacts differently and that no case is the same – a significant thing to remember when dealing with sexual assault. In order to highlight these issues and transform the real-life story convincingly into a TV show, the series relies on sublime performances by the lead actresses. Kaitlyn Dever, who portrays Marie, brings a vulnerability and desperation to the role that breaks your heart every time she’s on screen. In addition, you get incredibly strong performances from Merritt Wever and Toni Collette, who respectively play Detectives Duvall and Rasmussen. The two characters couldn’t be more different: Duvall is an empathetic mother who goes to church regularly, while Rasmussen has a cynical demeanour. However, they are far from onedimensional. Throughout the eight episodes, each shows strength as well as vulnerability, making for characters that you care deeply about. Although Unbelievable deals with the gruesome crime of rape, the assaults aren’t depicted explicitly. The few snippets shown are enough to convey the life-shattering nature of these experiences. Overall, the show is more interested in depicting the aftermath for the victims and the people around them. Unbelievable cares about its characters, which is why it’s so relevant and engaging.
CREEPSHOW (Shudder, 2019-) With Samhain drawing near, this is the time when film and TV buffs look for some spooky gems to get them in the holiday mood. If you’re among those searching for frightening fun, you could do worse than horror streaming service Shudder’s Creepshow, a reboot of the cult classic 1982 flick penned by Stephen King. The original movie was conceived as a tribute to ’50s horror comic books, and the new series follows suit. Certainly, its stories of haunted doll houses and
humans transforming into blob-like abominations feel pleasantly old-school. At the same time, the pacing and special effects give it a modern sheen. Produced by Greg Nicotero (a sometime director on The Walking Dead), the series draws on King’s voluminous catalogue, with the pilot adapting his short story ‘Gray Matter’. All of these elements result in an atmospheric show that will please both newcomers and fans of the original movie. STEPHEN PORZIO
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BOOKS
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INTERVIEW
“People described Francie as a psychopath, but he feels very strongly for one.”
HOW YAROO IS NOW? Patrick McCabe resurrects his most infamous character, Francie Brady, in his new novel The Big Yaroo. “There’s an anarcho-hillbilly thing I’ve always felt a kinship with,” he says. Portrait: Miguel Ruiz.
T INTERVIEW PAT C ART Y
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he success of The Butcher Boy in 1992 – the Irish Times Irish Literature prize, the Booker Shortlist, and, later, Neil Jordan’s celebrated movie adaptation – was one of the biggest Irish literary events of the Hot Press era. It bestowed an unlikely status on Clones man,
Patrick McCabe. “It still astounds me,” he acknowledges. “Having written a book where a woman is brutally chopped up, I’m still introduced on the radio as a national treasure. You think: ‘is there something wrong with the psychology of this country?’ I’m not saying I won’t accept it, but it’s pretty damn strange.” Perfectly in time for the 1,000th issue of Hot Press, McCabe returns to his most famous character, Francie Brady, in his latest novel, The Big Yaroo. It is patently obvious that he desperately wanted to be interviewed in our Anniversary Issue. “In a way Francie is an alter-ego, to be honest,” Patrick admits. “People might have a different relationship with the idea than I do. I don’t think in terms of books or careers or anything like that. The voice either fits a period in your life or it doesn’t, so I would never feel, ‘Oh, I’ll write a sequel’. I wanted to do justice to whatever feelings or philosophies I might have at this age, and to write about those things, it had to be authentic.”
In The Big Yaroo, Francie is a resident of the ‘Fizzbag’ psychiatric hospital in South Dublin. “The hospital only fulfils the function of the island in Robinson Crusoe,” says Pat. “Or the prison in Borstal Boy, in that it reflects the personality at different times. But I would never say The Butcher Boy defines anything about psychosis. People described Francie as a psychopath, but he feels very strongly for one. I always understood that psychopaths mimic feeling and don’t really feel anything, so I think you’d need to come up with a different term.” The first book referenced the threat of atomic war and Trump gets a mention in the new novel. The times they are a not-changing. “Frankie is 60 years of age, so he has to take some cognisance of the world around him,” notes Pat. “That happens to be on the TV. He’s a kind of a magpie, so anything that’s going on, he turns the world into a cartoon or comic book with the colour turned up. What he really feels deeply about is love, and it was short circuited for him at a very young age.” Everything that goes wrong for Francie can be traced back to this event, his mother’s suicide in the first book. In The Big Yaroo, one of the fantasy sequences has Googleboy going back to change the past, and Francie’s proposed cycle back home could be read as a desire to go back to this idealised state. This longing for a halcyon past is signposted by Sandy Denny’s marvellous ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes’ – it could be the novel’s theme tune. “It’s interesting you say that, because I wasn’t going to mention it, but that’s exactly right. That’s curious now. It’s a masterpiece and she wrote it when she was 19.” McCabe, who is a fine musician himself, returns to this song when I ask him about the Joycean stream of consciousness that he employs with his main character. “That’s more from movies than literature,” he says. “It’s all very influenced by David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, and The Night Of The Hunter, a movie I was very fond of. Stream of consciousness moves like a river, rather than building with blocks, kind of like a song. There is always a key song for me and I don’t know quite why that is. With this one it was ‘Daydream Believer’ by The Monkees, and Sandy Denny.” The subject of music – and what’s going on in Ireland in particular – is still one that gets McCabe excited. “I think where Irish folk music is now is fantastic,” he enthuses. “Lankum, Lisa O’Neill, Ye Vagabonds, even Fontaines DC. These people are at the centre of a movement
CRITICAL MASS | BOOKS
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Lankum (above) and Lisa O’Neill
that has shot folk music into the stratosphere. It’s like they’ve gone to the future and come back with something. The harddriving vigour of Lankum, it really speaks to me. It’s a raw energy I’ve always liked.” Small town Ireland has always occupied a central place in McCabe’s work, almost to the extent that it’s another character, like Joyce’s Dublin or the London of Charles Dickens. “I always felt that small towns were my landscape,” he nods. “There was so much there that I had to deal with. I couldn’t afford to be going anywhere else. And now that they’re fading, now that they’re gone, future generations will be re-evaluating these places. There have been really extraordinary books written about the American small town and what it meant, and how it formed people. When I wrote The Butcher Boy, people said ‘This horrible place’. But where does it say horrible? Creatively, whether it’s a kinship with William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha county or Kavanagh’s Mucker or whatever, you’re born in a place and it’s not a question of liking it or not liking it. That doesn’t come into it.” In a way, Francie is a representation of the culchie giving the finger to the would-be city sophisticate. “There’s an anarcho-hillbilly thing I’ve always felt a kinship with,” acknowledges Pat. “People always associate the goahead or the progressive with the urban or the metropolitan but, as this is Hot Press, where did rock and roll start? It started in the deep south of America with Elvis and African-Americans. These people weren’t sophisticated country club types, these were wild bucks.” Francie spends a good part of the novel creating a magazine called The Big Yaroo, but the reader might find themselves asking if the whole narrative is just a creation of Francie’s imagination. He could be like the narrator in Flann O’Brien’s The Third Policeman, circling around in the purgatory of his own head, or imagining the whole thing in a jacket with the sleeves tied around the back. “If he is mad,” McCabe laughs, “I can’t let you be sure! I’m glad you went in that direction, because there is playfulness, there’s a fairytale fabulism about it. That has been said by one or two people, and I say, ‘But aren’t we?’” Aren’t we only solipsistic constructs in our own heads? “All that.” Well, I can’t say if we’re real. “Neither can I!” • The Big Yaroo is available now through New Island Books.
THE COCKROACH
COLD STORAGE
A LETTER MARKED PERSONAL
Ian McEwan
David Koepp
JP Donleavy
Vintage
Harper Collins
New Island Books
A sickly strand of UK politics has emerged in recent years, alongside the straightforwardly ugly side of the hardcore Brexiteers. This other contingent features people so selfassured that remain was the right option, they overlook the social issues that caused the Brexit vote. As a result, they resign themselves to a simple conclusion: Brexit = bad. Ian McEwan’s latest novel is the perfect literary text for this particular echo chamber. It tells the story of a cockroach who – wait for it – wakes up one day as Prime Minister and conspires with his cabinet to force through a referendum that reverses the economic structure of the UK. You could say it’s a bit on the nose. Undoubtedly, there’s a great satire for the Brexit age waiting to be written, but this smug effort isn’t it. PETER McGORAN
Famed for his screenwriting work on Jurassic Park and Mission: Impossible, David Koepp knows a thing or two about positioning an audience near the edge of their seats. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his debut novel is as high concept as they come. A deadly, sentient fungus wants to infect everything. There you go. That’ll either make you want to read it, or it won’t, depending on your disposition. A bit of the Skylab space station falls in Australia, and Pentagon man Roberto Diaz is sent in to investigate. He finds a space-mutated strain of the real-world cordyceps fungi. The team manage, despite casualties, to destroy it, but not before ill-advisedly taking a sample. Said sample is put in government cold storage, but does it get loose and cause havoc? Well duh! Fabulously entertaining – and ridiculous – stuff that I couldn’t put down. PAT CARTY
Completed in 2007, JP Donleavy’s final novel is a worthy addition to his canon. Lingerie magnate Nathan Johnson’s story is one of aspiration, greed, and that tragic human trait – our apparent inability to be happy with what we’ve got. Johnson would appear to have it all – success, heaps of money, and a wife he loves. But when the model/actress known only as Iowa enters his life, his mind, if not his body, starts to stray. The character of Iowa seems deliberately constructed to annoy the reader, spouting a level of bullshit that would make even Gwyneth Paltrow blush – fairytales of New York, if you will. Alas, Nathan can’t see through it, in bondage, as we all are, to the raging madman of his libido, as Sophocles once so accurately put it. When his inevitable fall comes, he has only himself to blame. A fitting finale for Donleavy. PAT CARTY
M U SIC B OOK OF T HE F OR T NIGHT BEAUTIFUL AFFAIR: A JOURNEY IN MUSIC, FOOD AND FRIENDSHIP Mike Hanrahan Harper Collins
Mike Hanrahan’s new book is a delectable broth mixed with memoir, family recipes and lively explorations of how music, cuisine and community all meet. Mike takes us from his early days as a musician with Stockton’s Wing to his time as a trainee cook at Ballymaloe College. If
his journey sounds like an unusual one, the truth – which he documents here – is even more surprising and humorous. In a world bogged down with both self-serving celebrity biographies and cold, impersonal recipe books, Mike manages to do the impossible – create something which is an honest account of his life, as well as a heart-warming feast for the senses. PETER MCGORAN
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CRITICAL MASS | LIVE
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PIXIES
Olympia, Dublin The Pixies were like nothing alternative rock had previously encountered when they slithered from the darkest recesses of frontman Black Francis’ id in the late ’80s. Their songs were cathartic yet wonderfully oddball and disturbing. Consider fan favourite ‘Cactus’, which opens with the narrator in a prison cell wishing his lover would dispatch to him a frock streaked with her blood. Nirvana were bigger, Hüsker Dü more fraught – but the Pixies were the weirdest of them all. That delicate balance between thunderous and twisted has endured, as the band have taken their 2004 reunion to the obvious next level by recording fresh material. True, 2014’s Indie Cindy was a middle-aged misfire, plodding rather than ear-rattlingly perverse. But they did better on 2016 follow-up Head Carrier and this year’s Beneath The Eyrie, both of which at least scraped the underbelly of previous glories. But make no mistake it was the oldies that got the heart pumping at their sold-out Dublin show. Amid spumes of dry ice, Francis – Charles Thompson to friends and neighbours – guitarist Joey Santiago, drummer Dave Lovering and new (ish) bassist Paz Lenchantin began in a circle knocking out the opening riff to ‘Cecilia Ann’. “Quiet-loud-quiet” is the handle often applied to Pixies’ music. This was just loud and louder: a blast of melodic exuberance that shook the Olympia to its gilded rafters. A new album from a beloved band can be a troubling proposition. Pixies ploughed through most of Beneath The Eyrie. Sometimes it didn’t quite work: not enough people are familiar with the deep cuts, and anyway, they had forked out for an evening of nostalgia. The Pixies solution was to play the recent stuff – AND all the hits. A rapid-fire 33 tunes were dispatched over the course of a near two-hour performance and most of your favourites featured. A few could, in truth, do with being put out to pasture – ‘Here Comes Your Man’, for instance, feels nowadays like an extended stay in indie disco purgatory. Others remain as dangerous and glittering as
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they did three decades ago. A slowed down ‘Gouge Away’ left bite-marks and Area 51 paean ‘Motorway To Roswell’ has gained an eerie currency in light of the internet campaign to storm the American airforce base where the little green men are harboured. As is traditional with Pixies, it was all riffs, no chit-chat. Lenchantin brought muscularity and playfulness (you hardly missed original bassist Kim Deal) while the power trio of Francis, Santiago and Lovering chugged like titans. The evening was ultimately more about wistfulness for the past than the Pixies’ further adventures in nonconformist power pop. But there were moments of true transcendence as Francis unleashed the alien-obsessed eccentric within and beamed us all up to heavy rock heaven. ED POWER
INHALER
Whelan’s, Dublin The crowd at Whelan’s for Inhaler’s homecoming is a mixed bag. You’ve got your fangirls in the first row, but there’s also a sizeable middle-aged contingent – leave it to the latter to record every single moment of the concert on their mobile phones. In fairness, they’ve got plenty to film as Inhaler are in top form. “It’s good to be back,” says Eli Hewson as he arrives onstage with a beer in-hand. Without further ado, they kick into the catchy, synthdriven ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’. As you’d expect from a band still to release their debut album, the gig is short and sweet, but Inhaler still manage to create different atmospheres with each song. ‘I Have To Move On’ has grungy guitars reminiscent of Nirvana, while ‘This Plastic House’ has a more intimate vibe. Recent single ‘Ice Cream Sundae’ – dedicated to bassist Robert Keating’s father, who celebrated his birthday last night – even sparks a singalong. Most of the lines will stick with you, a testament to Inhaler’s excellent songwriting. ‘My King Will Be Kind’, for example, has the refrain “I fucking hate that bitch”, which Hewson shouts out with
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every fibre of his body. For good measure, it also sees him unleash a blistering guitar solo. As usual, they end with ‘My Honest Face’, another inspired mash-up of ’80s synths and grungy guitars. It’s a short concert, yes, but a gratifying one nonetheless. Imagine what these guys could do with a complete album! SELINA JUENGLING
KNEECAP
The Academy, Dublin At Dublin’s Academy, 1916 Proclamations are handed out at the door, and duly brandished by the crowd as they wait for Kneecap to arrive. The band’s beatmaker and musical lynchpin, DJ Próvaí, is chanted onto the stage, coming out with his tricolour balaclava over his head. He sets things up for ‘Tá na Baggies ar an Talamh’, from the band’s debut mixtape 3cag. Mo Chara races on first, followed by Móglaí Bap. Wearing their usual baseball caps and tracksuits, the group have also brought along their customary bottles of Buckfast. Beyond the music itself, it’s easy to see why these two make for such a commanding rap duo. Móglaí Bap has a hard-edged, energetic delivery, whereas Mo Chara boasts a rapid-fire flow (‘Your Sniffer Dogs Are Shite’ being the finest example). Just before they launch into ‘Ceacht Mo Chara’, Móglaí Bap draws attention to an incident at their Galway gig, where a punter allegedly exposed himself and assaulted women in the crowd. He makes it clear the band won’t stand for such behaviour and if it happens in the future, the guilty party will be duly reprimanded. Fair play. Other performers should take note. As an indicator of how much this gig means to them, Kneecap return to the stage to play – according to themselves – their first ever encore. They launch once again into ‘H.O.O.D’. And why not? It’s an out-and-out banger. The gaeilgeoir renaissance continues. PETER McGORAN
What’s On Your Guide To The Coming Fortnight
BRIAN LEGARD
THE HOT TICKET
SINEAD O’CONNOR Roisin Dubh, Galway, October 16 & 17; Wexford Spiegeltent, October 24; Cork Opera House, October 26; Vicar Street, Dublin, October 27 & 28
Le Boom
Lankum
MIGUEL RUIZ
MIGUEL RUIZ
Anyone who saw the Glenageary-born singer-songwriter’s breathtaking version of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ on the The Late Late Show this past September was left in no doubt that she’s back to doing what she does best. Before the performance, O’Connor told an effusive Ryan Tubridy that she is now “enjoying the feeling of performing; it’s nice because I actually thought nobody would be interested anymore. I really thought nobody was going to buy any tickets to the shows.” Shortly thereafter, those who were lucky enough to catch her at this year’s Feile ’19 in Semple Stadium were left gobsmacked by what many hailed as the highlight of the weekend. Opening with The Pogues’ ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’, accompanied by the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Sinéad delivered a confident set that put any lingering doubts to rest. She included another tip of the hat to the Pogues frontman when she was joined onstage by The Stunning’s Steve Wall for a performance of her and MacGowan’s 1996 hit ‘Haunted’. After a tumultuous few years, O’Connor’s welcome return to performing has been enthusiastically greeted, with much of her national tour already sold-out. Dates have been announced for an American tour in 2020.
Weyes Blood
MORE GREAT GIGS TO SEE
Villagers
HAVE A GIG? KING KONG COMPANY
WEYES BLOOD
Button Factory, Dublin, October 18
Button Factory, Dublin, October 26
LE BOOM
VILLAGERS
Roisin Dubh, Galway, October 18
Wexford Spiegeltent, October 27
GUINNESS CORK JAZZ FESTIVAL
MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS
Various venues, Cork, October 24-28
Have a show you want to plug? Drop us a line at
gigs@hotpress.ie to see
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Cork City Hall, October 27 LETHAL DIALECT
Whelan’s, Dublin, October 24
LOYLE CARNER
Vicar Street, Dublin, October 29 LANKUM
Empire Music Hall, Belfast, October 24
A-HA
3Arena, Dublin, October 29 RTE RADIO 1 FOLK AWARDS
Vicar Street, Dublin, October 24
162 HOTPRESS.COM
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What’s On 4317 FESTIVAL
DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL TATTOO CONVENTION The RDS, Dublin, November 1-3 The Dublin International Tattoo Convention brings together over 160 tattoo artists, body piercers, traders and entertainers from all over the world. Thousands of art lovers are expected to share in the excitement of this world class convention. The Dublin International Tattoo Convention will have competitions and live performances from a variety of acts that will make for a lively and entertaining weekend. Some of the highlights of this event include special guests Halo and Lydia Bruno, from Season 4 of popular show Ink Masters. On top of that, Marco Bratt and Tin Tin, known for their Japanese style of tattooing, will also be appearing.
BESSON, STERNAL & BURGWINKEL TRIO
PÚCA FESTIVAL Various Venues, Nationwide, October 23-27 Drogheda, Trim & Athboy, October 31–November 2
KAHN & SELESNICK
Jazz is not merely music for elders and this trailblazing trio is proof: Besson, Sternal and Burgwinkel belong to the new wave of European jazz musicians giving the dusty genre a rejuvenated feel. The group is comprised of French trumpet player Airelle Besson, and German jazz revolutionaries Sebastian Sternal (piano) and Jonas Burgwinkel (drums). Together, they create a fresh, compelling and innovative jazz sound that comes from the heart. The trio are set to play five different venues nationwide from October 23 to 27, starting off with the Sugar Club in Dublin. Check out musicnetwork.ie for more details.
AMANDA PALMER National Concert Hall, Dublin, October 24 Amanda Palmer’s last visit to Ireland coincided with the nail-biting build up and euphoric reaction to the results of the referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment. It was a visit that contributed in no small part to the creation of her latest opus, and first album in six years, There Will Be No Intermission. Our own Edwin McFee has hailed the former Dresden Doll’s latest long-player as “an utter triumph” and “the album she was born to make.” In addition to this NCH date, Palmer also hits Cork Opera House on October 23; Ulster Hall, Belfast (26); and University Concert Hall, Limerick, (27).
This year, Ireland will reclaim its rightful heritage as the birthplace of Halloween! Celebrated worldwide, the great feast of Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic harvest festival of Samhain, which originated on our shores over 3,000 years ago. Samhain marked the division of the year between the lighter half and the darker half, and it was said to be when the veil between this world and the next was at its thinnest. Named after the legendary, shape-shifting harbingers of fortune (both good and bad!), 2019’s Púca Festival is designed to capture the original and authentic spirit of Samhain across what promises to be three breath-taking nights of music, food, light and spectacle. Set to take over three towns in Ireland’s Ancient East, the festival will open with the time-honoured tradition of lighting the Samhain fires at the Hill Of Ward in Athboy, which will ignite a haunting three day programme of theatre, music, film and light installations in Drogheda, one of Ireland’s oldest towns. Some of the highlights there include musical performances from Louth’s own superstar in the making, David Keenan, and experimental musician Sive (Crescent Concert Hall, November 1); and singer-songwriter Lisa O’Neill (Crescent Concert Hall, November 2). At Trim Castle, the grounds and surroundings will be brought to life by a host of illuminations and interactive interventions, including aerialists, Púca performers, large scale projections, laser shows and a food & crafts market. The castle’s Porchfield will also host The Trim Castle Concerts, featuring some of the nation’s most exciting artists, including Jerry Fish, Æ Mak, Just Mustard, Pillow Queens and Kormac & The Irish Chamber Orchestra.
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Gig Guide Oct 18 – 30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 18 3RD RORY GALLAGHER DUBLIN TRIBUTE NIGHT Workman’s Club, 10 Wellington Quay, D2 ALED JONES & RUSSELL WATSON Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Grand Canal Square, Docklands, D2 DYLAN JOHN THOMAS The Academy 2, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1 KEYWEST The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1 KING KONG COMPANY Button Factory, Curved Street, Temple Bar, D2 LAURIE SHAW Sound House, 28 Eden Quay, D1 MICK FLANNERY Lost Lane, Adam’s Court, Grafton Street, D2 SAARLOOS Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 SAOIRSE CASEY Upstairs at Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 VINCI Grand Social, 35 Liffey Street Lower, D1
Middle Abbey Street, D1
SATURDAY OCTOBER 19 ARVO PARTY & THE EZEKIELS Sin E, 15 Ormond Quay Upper, D1 CAMILLE O’SULLIIVAN Olympia Theatre, 72 Dame Street, D2 EL CLASH COMBO Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 ELKAE CONFLICTUS BelloBar, 1 Portabello Harbour, St. Kevin’s, D8 ELKIN Upstairs at Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 FALLEN LIGHTS Grand Social, 35 Liffey Street Lower, D1 GILAD HEKSELMAN TRIO Arthur’s Pub, 28 Thomas Street, D8 HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE & GUESTS Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, D2 JESSE TERRY & EMMA STEVENS Workman’s Club, 10 Wellington Quay, D2 JOIN ME IN THE PINES Lost Lane, Adam’s Court, Grafton Street, D2 KAWALA The Academy Green Room, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1 KING KONG COMPANY Button Factory, Curved Street, Temple Bar, D2 THOMAS GABRIEL Workman’s Club, 10 Wellington Quay, D2
FRIDAY OCTOBER 25 BIIG PIIG Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 COCO & THE BUTTERFIELDS Upstairs at Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 COMFY COFFIN’S CRUCIFIXION BelloBar, 1 Portabello Harbour, St. Kevin’s, D8 HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, D2 INDIGO GIRLS Liberty Hall Theatre, 1 Eden Quay, D1 KAROL CONKA Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, D2 LANKUM Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street, D2 MUNDY Lost Lane, Adam’s Court, Grafton Street, D2 NICK MURPHY (FKA CHET FAKER) Olympia Theatre, 72 Dame Street, D2 THE SNUTS Grand Social, 35 Liffey Street Lower, D1 WILD CARD Arthur’s Pub, 28 Thomas Street, D8 ZHORA, EVERST QUEEN & SAIL Sin E, 15 Ormond Quay Upper, D1
SUNDAY OCTOBER 20 ART ALEXAKIS Sound House, 28 Eden Quay, D1 CHROMATICS Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street, D2 CRAIG FINN Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, D2 ESPOSITO QUARTET National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, D2 FINGHIN COLLINS Pavilion Theatre, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire FREDDIE GIBBS Button Factory, Curved Street, Temple Bar, D2 HAELOS Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 NSG The Academy Green Room, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1 OCTOBER FIRES Grand Social, 35 Liffey Street Lower, D1 MONDAY OCTOBER 21 ALBERT HAMMOND National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, D2 BOBBY OROZA FEAT. COLD DIAMOND & MILK Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, D2 SELF ESTEEM Sound House, 28 Eden Quay, D1 THIRD EYE BLIND The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1 TUESDAY OCTOBER 22 EVERYONE YOU KNOW Upstairs at Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 MOSTACK The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1 ORVILLE PECK Grand Social, 35 Liffey Street Lower, D1 THE RAGDOLLS Pavilion Theatre, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23 AIRELLE BESSON, SEBASTIAN STERNAL & JONAS BURGWINKEL TRIO Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, D2 BRIGID MAE POWER Sound House, 28 Eden Quay, D1 THE DELINES Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 JOSH JOHNSTON Lost Lane, Adam’s Court, Grafton Street, D2 RIVER MAN: THE NICK DRAKE PROJECT Pavilion Theatre, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire WSTRN The Academy Green Room, 57
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THURSDAY OCTOBER 24 AMANDA PALMER National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, D2 BATTLES Button Factory, Curved Street, Temple Bar, D2 BOA MORTE BelloBar, 1 Portabello Harbour, St. Kevin’s, D8 DEAD HORSE JIVE Underground, 64 Dame Street, D2 GARAGELAND Sound House, 28 Eden Quay, D1 GLORYHAMMER The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1 LETHAL DIALECT Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 OMD Olympia Theatre, 72 Dame Street, D2 RTE RADIO 1 FOLK AWARDS Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street, D2 SKINNY PELEMBE Upstairs at Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2
SATURDAY OCTOBER 26 A-TOTA-SO Underground, 64 Dame Street, D2 BURNA BOY Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street, D2 CARLOS LIGERO QUARTET Arthur’s Pub, 28 Thomas Street, D8 CONOR MAYNARD The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1 DAVID FORD Upstairs at Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 FLAMINGODS Sound House, 28 Eden Quay, D1 GALCHER LUSTWERK WigWam, 54 Middle Abbey Street, D1 LUGOS, REVEREND MONGO JONES & MORE Drop Dead Twice, 19 Francis Street, D8 PERCOLATOR BelloBar, 1 Portabello Harbour, St. Kevin’s, D8 PHILLIP GLASS: PERSPECTIVES RESIDENCY National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, D2 RITUAL KING & SKY PILOT Sin E, 15 Ormond Quay Upper, D1 THE UNDERACHIEVERS The Academy Green Room, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1 THE VARUKERS Underground, 64 Dame Street, D2 WEYES BLOOD Button Factory, Curved Street, Temple Bar, D2 WILLIE WATSON Grand Social, 35 Liffey Street Lower, D1 SUNDAY OCTOBER 27 FIRST DAY LIONS Upstairs at Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 KEVIN SAUNDERSON, DONNACHA COSTELLO & MORE Button Factory, Curved Street, Temple Bar, D2 GERD JANSON WigWam, 54 Middle Abbey Street, D1 MARTIN KOHLSTEDT Unitarian Church, 112 St. Stephen’s Green West, D2 PHILLIP GLASS: PERSPECTIVES RESIDENCY National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, D2 SINEAD O’CONNOR Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street, D2 MONDAY OCTOBER 28 BLACKBEAR Olympia Theatre, 72 Dame Street, D2 FM ATTACK Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 GIRL IN RED The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1
DUBLIN CTD HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower, D2 JAY CROOKES Sound House, 28 Eden Quay, D1 KLLO Workman’s Club, 10 Wellington Quay, D2 MASS BAND Lost Lane, Adam’s Court, Grafton Street, D2 SINEAD O’CONNOR Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street, D2 TUESDAY OCTOBER 29 A-HA 3Arena, North Wall Quay, D1 KRIS BARRAS BAND Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 LOYLE CARNER Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street, D2 SWORDFISHTROMBONES REVISITED National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, D2
YUNG GRAVY The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30 A LAZARUS SOUL Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 BANG BANG ROMEO Upstairs at Whelan’s, Wexford Street, D2 CONNIE HAN TRIO Arthur’s Pub, 28 Thomas Street, D8 JJ MCNAMARA National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, D2 LLOYD COLE Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street, D2 MARINA Olympia Theatre, 72 Dame Street, D2 REVEREND AND THE MAKERS The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street, D1
CORK FRIDAY OCTOBER 18 BRIGID MAE POWER The Roundy, Castle Street JACK O’ROURKE Sirius Arts Centre, Kilgarvan, Cobh JAKE CLEMONS Cyprus Avenue, Caroline Street JOIN ME IN THE PINES Coughlan’s, Douglas Street CRY MONSTER CRY Winthrop Avenue, Winthrop Lane SATURDAY OCTOBER 19 ELISE Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street MAMASONGUE Coughlan’s, Douglas Street SUNDAY OCTOBER 20 JOHN BLEK DeBarra’s, 55 Pearse Street, Clonakilty MR SHINGLES Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street THE OCELOTS Coughlan’s, Douglas Street WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23 AMANDA PALMER Cork Opera House, Emmett Place THURSDAY OCTOBER 24 COCO & THE BUTTERFIELDS Cyprus Avenue, Caroline Street MARK GEARY & THE STRAWHALL HOUSE BAND DeBarra’s, 55 Pearse Street, Clonakilty WILD YOUTH Cyprus Avenue, Caroline Street FRIDAY OCTOBER 25 ASLAN Cork Opera House, Emmett Place BOOKA BRASS BAND Cork Opera House, Emmett Place BRIONY Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street DAMIEN DEMPSEY Cyprus Avenue, Caroline Street JOEL CORRY Cyprus Avenue, Caroline Street STRANGE ATTRACTOR Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street WILLIE WATSON Coughlan’s, Douglas Street
GROGANS Where time stands still
SATURDAY OCTOBER 26 HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE Cyprus Avenue, Caroline Street INTERSKALACTIC Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street JENNY GREENE Cork Opera House, Emmett Place LONDON ASTROBEAT Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street MARY COUGHLAN Coughlan’s, Douglas Street SINEAD O’CONNOR Cork Opera House, Emmett Place SUNDAY OCTOBER 27 BRIAN DEADY Cyprus Avenue, Caroline Street DEREK ‘DOC’ O’CONNOR QUINTET Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street JENNY GREENE Cyprus Avenue, Caroline Street KING KONG COMPANY Cork Opera House, Emmett Place MARY COUGHLAN Coughlan’s, Douglas Street MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS Cork City Hall, Anglesea Street MOVING STILL The Roundy, Castle Street NO STRINGS ATTACHED Cork Opera House, Emmett Place MONDAY OCTOBER 28 CORK JAZZ ORCHESTRA Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street HUGH DILLON QUARTET Coughlan’s, Douglas Street PAUL DUNLEA GROUP Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street PONTIOUS PILATE & THE NAIL DRIVERS Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street TUESDAY OCTOBER 29 ALBERT HAMMOND Cork Opera House, Emmett Place CROW BLACK CHICKEN Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30 GERRY QUIGLEY & THE SHINKICKERS Crane Lane Theatre, Phoenix Street
Host to a continuous changing art exhibition 15 South William Street, Dublin 2 Telephone 01 677 9320
Photo Marie Planeille
DUBLIN
+IO:I TINARIWEN +IO:I
TINARIWEN NOV 11 2019 O L Y M P I A T H E AT R E
T I C K E T S F RO M € 3 3. 6 5 ( I N C B O O K I N G F E E & € 1 R E STO R AT I O N L EV Y ) *
MCD MCD PRESENTS PRESENTS
C A M I L L E NICK MURPHY O ’ S U L L I VA N S I N G S C AV E A N D O T H E R S
“AN ARTIST AT THE TOP OF HER GAME... THRILLING TO WATCH”
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“RAVISHING... A SUPERB PERFORMER AND GREAT SINGER... THE STAR IS HER SINGING VOICE”
THE SCOTSMAN
FKA CHET FAKER
RUN FAST SLEEP NAKED
LIVE IN CONCERT 2019
OLYMPIA THEATRE
FRI 25 OCT 2019 TICKETS AT NICKMURPHY.COM
TICKETS €30 (INC BKG FEE + €1 VENUE RESTORATION LEVY+ €1 CHARITY DONATION FOR PLUS 1)*
eeee
THE GUARDIAN
eeeee “HYPNOTIC”
VOTED BY TELEGRAPH THE DAILY THE AS ONE OF NCES FORMA TOP 25 PER EVER ON
THE INDEPENDENT UK
LATER WITH JOOLS HOLLAND
SAT 19 OCT 2019
Photo Marie Planeille
OLYMPIA THEATRE TICKETS FROM €32 (INC BOOKING & €1 RESTORATION LEVY)*
WWW.CAMILLEOSULLIVAN.COM
DAVID KEENAN
TOM SEGURA EXTRA MATINEE SHOW ADDED
SAT 03 NOV 2019 OLYMPIA THEATRE TICKETS FROM E34.65 (INC BOOKING & E1 RESTORATION FEE)*
13 JANUARY 2020 OLYMPIA THEATRE
SPECIAL GUEST
TICKETS E25 (INC BKG FEE & E1 VENUE RESTORATION LEVY)*
NOVEMBER 6
OLYMPIA THEATRE Tickets from E29.90 (Inc Booking Fee & E1 Venue Restoration Levy)*
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
FRI 29 NOV 3ARENA
THU 31 OCTOBER 2019 OLYMPIA THEATRE
13 NOV 2019 OLYMPIA THEATRE Fri 6th Dec 2019 Olympia Theatre
TICKETS €26 (INCLUDING BOOKING FEE) FROM TICKETMASTER.IE
TICKETS FROM €24
(inc bkg fee and & €1 restoration levy)*
TICKETS FROM €49.90 (INC BKG FEE & €1 VENUE FACILITY FEE)*
WWW.THISISTALOS.COM
THU 07 NOV 2019 OLYMPIA THEATRE TICKETS (INC BOOKING BOOKING FEE) FEE)FROM FROMTICKETMASTER.IE TICKETMASTER.IE••0818 0818719 719300 300(IRE) (IRE) • 0844 847 2455 (NI) TICKETS (INC • 0844 847 2455 (NI) *PHONE & INTERNET BOOKINGS SUBJECT TO 12.5% SERVICE CHARGE PER TICKET (MAX €6.85), AGENTS €3.30 PER TICKET
*PHONE & INTERNET BOOKINGS SUBJECT TO 12.5% SERVICE CHARGE PER TICKET (MAX €7.15), AGENTS €3.40 PER TICKET
Gig Guide Oct 18 – 30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 18 DONAL DINEEN & QOOL DJ MARV The Commercial, 46-47 Catherine Street I.NY MOTHER DJS Upstairs At Dolan’s, 3–4 Dock Road LANKUM Dolan’s Warehouse, 5 Rock Road SATURDAY OCTOBER 19 I.NY STRICTLY RHYTHM Dolan’s Warehouse, 5 Rock Road LE BOOM Dolan’s Warehouse, 5 Rock Road SUNDAY OCTOBER 20 I.NY BLOCK PARTY WITH QOOL DJ MARV Mickey Martin’s, Augustinian Lane MARTIN HAYES St. John’s Church, John’s Square THURSDAY OCTOBER 24 HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE Dolan’s Warehouse, 5 Rock Road SEAN O’MEARA Upstairs At Dolan’s, 3–4 Dock Road
FRIDAY OCTOBER 25 ALBERT HAMMOND University Concert Hall, Castleroy BRUFF BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Jack Clancy’s Pub, Bruff, Kilfinane KING KONG COMPANY Dolan’s Warehouse, 5 Rock Road SINNERBOY Upstairs At Dolan’s, 3–4 Dock Road SATURDAY OCTOBER 26 VILLAGERS Dolan’s Warehouse, 5 Rock Road SUNDAY OCTOBER 27 AMANDA PALMER University Concert Hall, Castleroy SEAN KEANE Glorach Theatre, Glorach Park, Abbeyfeale SIEGE OF LIMERICK: SAMHAIN 2019 Dolan’s, 5 Rock Road
GALWAY FRIDAY OCTOBER 18 LE BOOM Roisin Dubh, 9 Upper Dominick Street NOWONOS & ALAN FINAN Upstairs at Roisin Dubh, 9 Upper Dominick Street SATURDAY OCTOBER 19 ELLYD Monroe’s, 14 Upper Dominick Street LANKUM Roisin Dubh, 9 Upper Dominick Street SUNDAY OCTOBER 20 THE SONGS OF THE SILVER JEWS Roisin Dubh, 9 Upper Dominick Street
THURSDAY OCTOBER 24 LET’S HAVE A KIKI Upstairs at Roisin Dubh, 9 Upper Dominick Street FRIDAY OCTOBER 25 STILL DON’T MAKE NO SENSE Monroe’s, 14 Upper Dominick Street SUNDAY OCTOBER 27 JOHN CONNEELY INC Upstairs at Roisin Dubh, 9 Upper Dominick Street THE MOXIE STRINGS Monroe’s, 14 Upper Dominick Street THOMAS GABRIEL Monroe’s, 14 Upper Dominick Street
ANTRIM FRIDAY OCTOBER 18 GET JAMES HIS TOES BACK Voodoo, 11A Fountain Street, Belfast LA DAME BLANCHE Empire Music Hall, 42 Botanic Avenue, Belfast LOGAN MIZE Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast SATURDAY OCTOBER 19 AN ORCHESTRAL RENDITION OF DR DRE Limelight, 17 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast CELTIC SOUL Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast DYLAN JOHN THOMAS The Speakeasy, 92-96 Lisburn Road, Belfast HAELOS Voodoo, 11A Fountain Street, Belfast THE CRAWLING Limelight 2, 17 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast RYAN YOUNG, JENN BUTTERWORTH & ALFI Duncairn Cultural Centre, Duncairn Avenue, Belfast UK GUNS N’ ROSES Empire Music Hall, 42 Botanic Avenue, Belfast SUNDAY OCTOBER 20 KAWALA Oh Yeah Music Centre, 15-21 Gordon Street, Belfast MARK GEARY & THE STRAWHALL HOUSE BAND Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast THE RAGDOLLS Waterfront Hall, 2 Lanyon Place, Belfast MONDAY OCTOBER 21 CHARLES ESTEN Ulster Hall, 34 Bedford Street, Belfast GARTH KNOX Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23 OMD Ulster Hall, 34 Bedford Street, Belfast THURSDAY OCTOBER 24 ANDREA BOCELLI SSE Arena, 2 Queen’s Quay, Belfast THE FUREYS Riverside Theatre, University Of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine LANKUM Empire Music Hall, 42 Botanic Avenue, Belfast OF MONSTERS AND MEN Ulster Hall,
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34 Bedford Street, Belfast PADDY GODFREY Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast ZHORA Voodoo, 11A Fountain Street, Belfast FRIDAY OCTOBER 25 THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT Limelight 2, 17 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast RITUAL KING, SKYPILOT & MORE Voodoo, 11A Fountain Street, Belfast THE VARUKERS The Speakeasy, 92-96 Lisburn Road, Belfast SATURDAY OCTOBER 26 AMANDA PALMER Ulster Hall, 34 Bedford Street, Belfast BRAVE GIANT Voodoo, 11A Fountain Street, Belfast CIARA RAFFERTY & BAND Riverside Theatre, University Of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine COCO & THE BUTTERFIELDS McHugh’s Basement Bar, 29-31 Queen’s Square, Belfast DIY LK SHOWCASE Duncairn Cultural Centre, Duncairn Avenue, Belfast EATS EVERYTHING, FLOORPLAN & TRUNCATE Telegraph Building, 124144 Royal Avenue, Belfast SO LONG UNTIL THE SEANCE Limelight 2, 17 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast SUNDAY OCTOBER 27 DAVID FORD Empire Music Hall, 42 Botanic Avenue, Belfast LONDON ASTROBEAT ORCHESTRA Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast RANDALL STEPHEN HALL Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast SLOCAN RAMBLERS Duncairn Cultural Centre, Duncairn Avenue, Belfast MONDAY OCTOBER 28 HUMPHRY Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast MIDGE URE Ulster Hall, 34 Bedford Street, Belfast WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30 A-HA SSE Arena, 2 Queen’s Quay, Belfast KRIS BARRAS BAND Empire Music Hall, 42 Botanic Avenue, Belfast
REST OF IRELAND FRIDAY OCTOBER 18 BRAVE GIANT INEC, Muckross Road, Killarney, Kerry BUSY FOOLS Chasin’ Bull, Main Street, Drumacrin, Dundoran, Donegal THE CORONAS Knocknarea Arena, Ash Lane, Ballytivnan, Sligo HUNKPAPA Spirit Store, George’s Quay, Dundalk, Louth JOOLS HOLLAND INEC, Muckross Road, Killarney, Kerry STOMPTOWN BRASS Central Arts, 123a Parade Quay, Waterford
JONAS BURGWINKEL TRIO Regional Cultural Centre, Cove Hill, Gortlee, Letterkenny, Donegal ALL TVVINS Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford Quay, Wexford BIRD ON THE WIRE: THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN Hawk’s Well Theatre, Temple Street, Sligo CIAN & HUIB Chasin’ Bull, Main Street, Drumacrin, Dundoran, Donegal JACK LUKEMAN Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford Quay, Wexford THOMAS GABRIEL Mermaid Arts Centre, Main Street, Bray, Wicklow
SATURDAY OCTOBER 19 BRAY SIDE BOYZ Mermaid Arts Centre, Main Street, Bray, Wicklow CATHY DAVEY Oriel Centre, Dundalk, Louth THE CORONAS Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford Quay, Wexford ESPOSITO QUARTET The Model, The Mall, Sligo CHERYM Central Arts, 123a Parade Quay, Waterford JOOLS HOLLAND Knocknarea Arena, Ash Lane, Ballytivnan, Sligo KILFENORA CEILI BAND Hawk’s Well Theatre, Temple Street, Sligo NIX MOON & WE EAT ELECTRIC Spirit Store, George’s Quay, Dundalk, Louth SUNDAY WORLD MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA INEC, Muckross Road, Killarney, Kerry TRAFFIC Mike The Pies, 28 Patrick Street, Listowel, Kerry WAGGAMUFFINS Chasin’ Bull, Main Street, Drumacrin, Dundoran, Donegal
SATURDAY OCTOBER 26 AIRELLE BESSON, SEBASTIAN STERNAL, JONAS BURGWINKEL TRIO Mermaid Arts Centre, Main Street, Bray, Wicklow ASLAN INEC, Muckross Road, Killarney, Kerry BANGIN’ YOLKS Chasin’ Bull, Main Street, Drumacrin, Dundoran, Donegal DAVE FLYNN’S IRISH MEMORY ORCHESTRA Glor Theatre, Causeway Link, Ennis, Clare THE ILL WINDS Mike The Pies, 28 Patrick Street, Listowel, Kerry INDIGO GIRLS Knocknarea Arena, Ash Lane, Ballytivnan, Sligo PAUL NOONAN Hawk’s Well Theatre, Temple Street, Sligo SMASH HITS Set Theatre, 69 John Street, Kilkenny SOMETHING HAPPENS Oriel Centre, Dundalk, Louth WILD YOUTH Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford Quay, Wexford
SUNDAY OCTOBER 20 ALBERT HAMMOND INEC, Muckross Road, Killarney, Kerry THE CORONAS Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford Quay, Wexford DON BAKER BAND Hawk’s Well Theatre, Temple Street, Sligo TUESDAY OCTOBER 22 ALBERT HAMMOND Theatre Royal, The Mall, Waterford BUSQUITOS JAZZ QUARTET Glor Theatre, Causeway Link, Ennis, Clare PIERCE TURNER Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford Quay, Wexford WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23 MOSSIE MARTIN Hawk’s Well Theatre, Temple Street, Sligo THURSDAY OCTOBER 24 KING KONG COMPANY Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford Quay, Wexford THE DELINES Hawk’s Well Theatre, Temple Street, Sligo SINEAD O’CONNOR Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford Quay, Wexford THOMAS GABRIEL Spirit Store, George’s Quay, Dundalk, Louth
SUNDAY OCTOBER 27 BRAKE LOOSE Central Arts, 123a Parade Quay, Waterford THE CLANDESTINOS Mike The Pies, 28 Patrick Street, Listowel, Kerry LE BOOM Set Theatre, 69 John Street, Kilkenny PAT MCMANUS Chasin’ Bull, Main Street, Drumacrin, Dundoran, Donegal VILLAGERS Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford Quay, Wexford WILLIE WATSON Hawk’s Well Theatre, Temple Street, Sligo THE WOLFE TONES INEC, Muckross Road, Killarney, Kerry MONDAY OCTOBER 28 THE ACADEMIC Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford Quay, Wexford WEXFORD MALE VOICE CHOIR Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford Quay, Wexford TUESDAY OCTOBER 29 LLOYD COLE Set Theatre, 69 John Street, Kilkenny WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30 HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE Set Theatre, 69 John Street, Kilkenny
FRIDAY OCTOBER 25 AIRELLE BESSON, SEBASTIAN STERNAL, ANDREW HURLEY
LIMERICK
A-HA
3Arena, Dublin, October 29 / SSE Arena, Belfast, October 30 These exclusive concerts are expected to be completely different from anything the Norwegian ’80s pop superstars have done before. Magne Furuholmen, Morten Harket and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy will be performing in ‘An Evening With…’ format, with an interval. For the first half of the concert, they will play new and old, familiar and less-familiar songs. Then, after returning to the stage, they will play the 10 songs from their 1985 debut album Hunting High And Low in the running order of the original release.
MCDPRESENTS PRESENTS MCD
28 Nov 3Arena
björk
22 APRIL
3ARENA
Tickets from €49.50 (inc booking & €1 facility fee)* An MCD presentation by arrangement with WME
TICKETS FROM e50.20
PLUS SPECIAL GUEST
(INC BOOKING & e1 FACILITY FEE)*
bjork.com
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
EXTRA DATE ADDED
FRI 22 NOV 2019
3ARENA
TICKETS FROM €39.90 (INC BKG & €1 FACILITY FEE)*
OUT NOW
D OUT
SOL SAT 23 & SUN 24 NOV 2019 3ARENA DUBLIN TICKETS FROM €50.64 (INC BOOKING FEE, €1 Facility fee & €1 charity donation)*
THE
WH
+ SPECIAL GUESTS
TOUR 2020
UK & IRELAND TOUR 2020 SAT 28 MAR 2020
3ARENA DUBLIN
18 MARCH 2020 3ARENA
SUN 29 MAR 2020
WATERFRONT HALL BELFAST DUBLIN: TICKETS FROM €55.85 (INC BOOKING & €1 FACILITY FEE)*
TICKETS FROM C69.50 (INC BKG & C1 FACILITY FEE)* Tickets from e46.20 (Inc booking fee & e1 venue restoration levy)* e1 from each ticket sold will go to ONE TREE PLANTED.
ELBOW.CO.UK
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THE PHANTOM
THE SOCIAL SCENE MIGUEL RUIZ
MIGUEL RUIZ
Maurice Murphy, Orla Keely, Rebecca Drew, Ann Marie Finucane of Lyons Tea, Mark Mullaly, Paul Kelly (Marketing Director, Unilever) and Karen Murphy, at Now We're Talking: Live in Smock Alley, Dublin.
Anjelica Huston, Chris O’Dowd, Fionnula Flanagan and Roma Downey are among the patrons, as IrelandWeek returns to Los Angeles from November 1-8. Comprising of fifteen different events, the It’s A Schoolnight music showcase at Bardot will be hosted by KCRW DJ Chris Douridas and feature the combined might of SOAK, Pillow Queens, Soulé and Just Mustard. Elsewhere, the City of Angels will be treated to live Blindboy and 2Johnnies podcasts, a Seamus Heaney Symposium, which is being curated by his sons Mick and Chris, with musical input from Colm Mac Con Iomaire; Playboys & Beauty Queens: A Celebration Of Irish Theatre, which has been knitted together by Thisispopbaby man Philly McMahon; and a screening of Float Like A Butterfly, Carmel Winters’ empowering tale of a 15-year-old traveller girl beguiled by boxing… Monaghan actor Catriona Balfe, who we're thrilled to know is a massive Hot Press fan, continues to navigate her way round 1700s North Carolina in Season 5 of Outlander, which airs next February – and judging by the first teaser trailer will be more epically dramatic than ever. She also stars alongside Christian Bale and Matt Damon in next month’s Ford v Ferrari – strapline, “They took the American Dream for a ride” – which tells the real life tale of how the rival auto companies battled (not always ethically) to win the 1966 Le Mans
Jordanne Jones and Hot Press' Niall Stokes at Now We're Talking: Live in Smock Alley
24 Hours race… Meanwhile, the sixth and, sob, final season of Vikings premieres on Amazon Prime Time in early December with the body-count set to go through the roof. Shot in Dublin, it helped make Moe Dunford one of acting’s hottest properties, and also served as a reminder of how supremely talented Jonathan Rhys Myers is… The Irish Film & Television Academy have selected Gaza as our entry for the 2020 Oscars’ International Feature Film. During four years of intense shooting there, co-directors Garry Keane and Andrew McDonnell witnessed one of the fiercest assaults Israel has mounted on its self-governing Palestinian neighbour. If anyone deserves to take home one of those famous gold statuettes, it’s these guys… Expect copious amounts of dieselsucking next year, as Ted Hastings & Co. return to BBC One for the sixth season of Line Of Duty. While stressing that things are still “at the planning stage”, the creator of the police procedural drama, Jed Mercurio, says that all concerned, including Enniskillen, County Fermanagh’s Adrian Dunbar are raring to go… The champagne corks were popping in Cannes last week as Brown Bag Films’ Bronagh O’Hanlon was announced as the winner of the prestigious Kids Trendsetter Award at the MIP Junior conference. Bronagh is the director of Sadie Sparks, a
SOAK
CAITRIONA BALFE
CLAIRE BECK
series about a 14-year-old girl with magical powers that was a big hit last year Stateside on the Disney Channel… Seamus Collins, Louise Nesbitt, Emily DeDakis, Jan Carson and Karis Halsall capture the “humour, hope and heartbreak of contemporary life in Northern Ireland” in the standalone dramas that can now be viewed on the BBC iPlayer which – boo – is only available north of the border. Part of the BBC Writersroom initiative, The Break, it marks all five out as serious contenders… Meanwhile, BBC Radio Ulster is revamping its schedule with no fewer than fourteen new shows. Ones that will be of particular interest to Hot Press readers include Saturday’s 6pm-7pm The Culture Café arts magazine, which is being anchored by the excellent MarieLouise Muir, and Sunday’s 4pm5pm trip down the Blues Highway with musician Kaz Hawkins at the wheel… Down Dublin way, The Phantom’s pal Meghann Scully has taken over Classic Hits’ 11am-2pm Saturday show from the departing Owen Larkin, who’s gone to Downtown Radio in Belfast. Meghann, who’s a real talent, continues to helm Sunday night’s Guaranteed Irish slot, which goes several extra yards for emerging acts and a few who are happily selling gazillions of records too… Ireland’s Fittest Family coach, Anna Geary, joins Declan Pierce as co-host of Today FM’s new ANDRÉ ARAVENA
MIGUEL RUIZ
Daniel Coen, Ross Coleman, Keith Cannon and Rob Stubbings at Now We're Talking: Live in Smock Alley
David Rooney, Anne Brady from Athlone IT and Elaine Austin of Pieta House at Now We're Talking: Live in Smock Alley ADRIAN DUNBAR
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R E S TA U R A N T O F T H E F O R T N I G H T
Virgin Media TV presenters Simon Delaney, Anna Daly, Ciara Doherty, Karen Koster and Alan Hughes at the launch of their new morning schedule.
Saturday afternoon sports show, Pumped Up Kicks. Returning to Marconi House as part of their station’s new look weekends is Claire Beck, the former Phantom 105.2 and TXFM staffer, who follows them from 6pm-9pm with Saturday SoundSystem… The Phantom’s old mucker Irvine Welsh is in top form in the tenth installment of the Pikes Ibiza podcast, Pikes being the artsy Ibiza hotel where the likes of Grace Jones, The Libertines, Spandau Ballet and Freddie Mercury have partied – and occasionally chilled – down through the years. It also supplied the swimming pool for George Michael’s ‘Club Tropicana’ video, and has lately taken to throwing fabulously decadent DJ parties. Irvine’s Writing Wrongs confessions can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify… Just weeks after ending his four year stewardship of FM104’s The Big Ride Home, the always excellent Dara Quilty won both Music & Entertainment Presenter of the Year and General Music Programme at the IMRO Radio Awards, which is quite the doublewhammy. As previously reported in Ireland’s most fortnightly music magazine, Dara plans to focus on his band, Apella, and spend time in the States where he’s featured alongside the A-List likes of Ed Sheeran and Ashley Tisdale on MTV’s 99 Questions… Newstalk won the National Station of the Year Award, and scooped a bagful of gongs into the bargain. To see who else was victorious in Kilkenny, go to hotpress.com… Irish pirate radio has gone digital with unlicensed FreeDAB multiplexes being set up in Dublin and Cork, which are carrying the likes of Coast FM, Energy, Non-Stop 90s, SoulCity, Pulse, True 80s, Storm North East, Total Country and NRG. Stations are paying €100 to be hosted by FreeDAB, who are operating from offices
Gail Kaneswaran and her son Jackson at the preview of Gemini Man at the Odeon Cinema, Dublin.
Piglet Wine Bar in Cork’s Mariana Business Park. As of yet neither the BAI nor Comreg have taken action against the swashbucklers involved… Following a “fiercely contested” nine-way bidding war, Bloomsbury has secured the rights to Louise Kennedy’s debut novel, When I Move To The Sky, which focuses on a group of friends trying to keep their personal lives intact during The Troubles, and The End Of The World Is A Cul De Sac, a short story collection that includes the Sunday Times Audible Prize-winning ‘In Silhouette’. Currently residing in Sligo, Kennedy was a PhD candidate at the Seamus Heaney Centre in Queens Belfast, and previously had her work published by Stinging Fly. You really do get a sense of a literary star being born… The latest tome by Man Booker prizewinner Anne Enright, Actress, has been snapped up by Jonathan Cape who’ve confirmed its February 20 publication. Set in the 1970s, it’s described as “a brilliant and moving novel about fame, sexual power, and a daughter’s search to understand her mother’s hidden truths. This is the story of Irish theatre legend Katherine O’Dell, as written by her daughter Norah. It tells of early stardom in Hollywood, of highs and lows on the stages of Dublin and London’s West End. Katherine’s life is a grand performance, with young Norah watching from the wings.” We’re counting down the days! The HP Central flags have been flying at half-mast following the death last week of Ulick O’Connor, the Dublin journalist, poet, playwright, biographer and arch-contrarian, whose Late Late Show appearances during the 1970s and ‘80s were the stuff of legend. Flitting between The Observer, The Sunday Times, The Daily Mirror and The Evening Herald, he comprehensively spilt the media beans in the aptly-titled The Ulick O’Connor Diaries 1970-1981: A Cavalier Irishman.
Love Island stars Gabby Allen, Kendall Knight, Harley Brash and Kady McDermott at the Boohoo and BoohooMAN Ambassador Party in The Devlin Hotel, Ranelagh.
5 Cow’s Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin 8 Tel: (01) 707 9786 oink@pigletwinebar.ie Walking into Piglet on Cow’s Lane feels like entering a world far away from the caricature of Temple Bar. Instead of overpriced eateries and bars, on this side of the neighbourhood, you’ll find artistry, authenticity and good wine. An osteria (wine bar) rather than a restaurant, Piglet nonetheless boasts excellent food offerings. I’ve always had a soft spot for the prawns pil pil, one of Piglet’s stand-out dishes throughout its four years in business. A piece of Le Levain sourdough is topped by three delicious prawns, all swimming in a divine mix of tomato sauce, garlic butter and piment d’espelette – trust us, you won’t leave a morsel on the plate. As is standard for an osteria, Piglet has the mandatory cheese and charcuterie boards, provided by Sheridans, Le Levain and friends. We opted for the mixed olives and bowl of confit duck gizzard, with garlic butter and bread soldiers to start. For mains, the menu is tight – and the food delicious. There are three pasta dishes on offer — the highlight perhaps being the seafood option with its white wine and coral sauce. Indeed there are plenty of imaginative seafood offerings on the menu, including the grilled octopus with chickpea, chorizo and smoked paprika. Those who fancy meat, meanwhile, might plump for the pork and beans, comprised of braised pork cheeks, cannellini beans and rosemary. As for the wine – on a cold Dublin night, I wanted a full-bodied red. “I Saraceni” Primitivo, from the Puglia region of Cantina Sampietrana in Italy, was the perfect choice. It proved an ideal accompaniment to a deep conversation with a friend visiting from abroad. Small, warm and cosy, Piglet is the perfect place to spend a couple of hours on an autumnal Friday. IRINA DZHAMBAZOVA
Rory Cowan at the launch of his Mrs Cowan's Boy book at Cliff Townhouse, Dublin.
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Dublin Theatre Festival artistic director Willie White with actor Stephen Rea, at the Westin Hotel gala night in his honour
Described in a 2001 Hot Press interview as “an inveterate traveller, a literary stroller, a close confidante of artists and aristocrats, a barb-tongued enemy of bores and begrudgers, and a lover of life, women and, it must be said, himself”, Ulick was truly a one-off… Tributes have also been pouring in to Ciaran Carson, the Belfast poet who sadly lost his battle against cancer last fortnight.The 70-year-
Wild Youth's Calum McAdam and David Whelan at the Irish premiere of Joker, in Cineworld, Dublin.
Louis Walsh and Michelle Visage, with student Kevinas Sadauskas from Beechill School in Monaghan, at the launch of Junk Kouture at Charlemont Place, Dublin.
old’s literary admirers included John Banville, Sinéad Morrissey, Glenn Patterson, John Kelly and President Michael D. Higgins who reflects: “Growing up in an Irish speaking community, with Irish as his first language, Ciarán’s love of the Irish language lasted throughout his life. An early contributor to the understanding of traditional music, he was interested in all the arts and a generous supporter of other artists.
“He leaves such a wide body of work that people will have their own favourites, including the magnificent ‘Belfast Confetti’. Representing Belfast in all its variety, the memoirs and books, such as The Star Factory, revealed a deep love of place.” Ciaran’s final collection, Still Life, was published last week by Gallery Press, who’ve done a brilliant job down through the years of showcasing his work.
BRUISING 3-3 DRAW SEES MUNCHIES CLIMB TO SECOND IN THE TABLE High drama! With two league games, one cup joust and three wins under their belt, the season had started well for the Mighty Men of Hot Press Munchengladbach 1891. In the league, a 4-1 win over Mourne Celtic was followed by a 6-2 romp against Raheny United, with some especially memorable strikes along the way. King of the bunch was a scorching free kick from Axel Balvanera, whose 30 yard dead-ball rocket shot straight into the top corner against Mourne. There was also a memorable hat-trick from Suly Akambi against Raheny. But with victories over Lusk and Phoenix FC to their credit, Ringsend outfit Bridge United were also showing form, ahead of Saturday’s noon-time encounter, in TUD’s Grangegorman campus. It turned out to be one of those games. A couple of yellow cards brandished early would likely have prevented any escalation of malicious intent. But the cards remained in the referee’s pocket and what might have been tough became much worse. Bridge had been forcing the pace before they were awarded a very bizarre penalty for a non-handball mid-way through the half. 1-0. But the Munchies began to turn the screw. Shortly before half-time, the in-form Javier Castro – who was superb throughout – grabbed an equaliser, with a stunning strike from an acute angle. 1-1. The provocation factor had been high from the start. It spilled over, and a Bridge United defender was red-carded for foul and abusive language. The Munchies were on top now, but Bridge proved dangerous on the break. 2-1. 2-2. Then a sweeping move saw Danilo Stocco grab the lead for Hot Press with ten minutes to go. 3-2! The Munchies created three more chances but – like Aaron Connolly and Shane Duffy’s efforts late in the game for Ireland against Georgia – three times the finish just wasn’t clinical enough. Then disaster. With a minute left on the clock, Bridge launched the white spherical
object forward. It could have been cleared. But a moment of indecisiveness saw the ball being pumped across the edge of the Hot Press box. An attempted clearing lunge by a Munchies defender instead sent it zooming into the corner. There was nothing that net-minder Rodrigo Cardoso could do. 3-3. The final whistle went. One point gained or two lost? Ask Mick McCarthy… “I don’t understand all the negativity,” Hot Press player manager Niall Stokes, sporting a new shiner on his right eye, told his customary, packed post-match media conference. “Fair enough, our ball retention might have been better at times. And if we were a bit sharper in front of goal, we’d have scored five or six. But if you had asked me in advance if I would have taken that result out there today, then I’d have said "Okay, I’ll take that, now can I go to the pub for a quick snifter of brandy?” “Surely with your upcoming joust with Liverpool on the horizon, you’d want to create a bit of extra positivity,” the man from the Maily Dale said with a smirk, before taking a drag on his vaping contraption. “Don’t think you won’t kill yourself with that,” the Munchies main-man said. “It’ll blacken your lungs and turn you into a human equivalent of a piece of smoked salmon. Unless, of course, someone shoots you first to take you out of your misery.” The rest of the reporters took furious notes, wetting the lead in their pencils where necessary to keep them flowing. “Do you not think it would have been better to go 1-2-3-4 today, rather than sticking with 4-3-3 all the way?” the woman from The Grauniad, asked, knitting her eyebrows. “Have you ever played at senior professional level?” the Munchies supremo retorted with a snort. “I thought not. I wanted to make sure that we had enough at the back to defend corners but that’s something that you lot of keyboard
Javier Castro
warriors wouldn’t understand. Do you think Barcelona would ever win a game with eleven Lionel Messi’s on the pitch? Enough said.” “Back to that upcoming joust with Liverpool,” the man from RTÉ demanded. “Oh, sorry, did we digress?” the wily playermanager enquired, feigning confusion. “Look, you saw Jurgen Klopp there in the stand today, dressed up as a beer-guzzling vacationer from Tyrol. I thought the strange gear quite suited him actually. But part of the game-plan for us out there today was to leave him in a state of utter and complete confusion. The truth is that after watching that ill-natured pantomime, he won’t have a clue what to expect. “And if he tries copying our tactics, as he has been doing for the past couple of seasons – although not carrying them off with quite the same level of aplomb, it has to be said – then all the better. I think we might just have sowed a seed in that game today that will stand in our stead when we line up against Virgil Van Dyke, Mo Salah and the gang. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a very important appointment with a helicopter pilot who is taking me to Catalunya to have dinner in El Bulli.” “But that restaurant closed a few years ago,” the man from the Irish Currant Bun shouted. “I don’t care,” the boss of the Grand Old Club said. “I’m still going to have dinner there.” And with that, he swivelled on a sixpence, like George Best in his prime, and left the room amid a chorus of “Oooohs” and “Aaaaahs” from the assembled hacks. The season is young yet.
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