UCC Live Music Society Magazine February 2012
Denis Desmond Interview with founder of MCD, the biggest music promotions company in Ireland
Live Music Society
20 Years since Nevermind Nirvana’s masterpiece revisited.
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Interviews: - Denis Desmond (owner, MCD) - Paul Cheetham (festival director, popkomm festival berlin) - Evan Kelly (Irish guitar and lighting technician on working in the industry)
Features: - 20 years on, a look back at ‘Nevermind’ - The return of Sigur Rós Opinion: - A statue for Rory Gallagher? Reviews: - M83 Hurry Up We’re Dreaming - Patrick Stump ‘Soul Punk’ The Committee
Contributors
Auditor : Daniel Waugh Vice Auditor: Richard Sheehy Secretary: Cian Moran Finance Officer: Colm Foley Public Relations Officer: Barry Nevin Events Officer: Conor O’Sullivan Entertainments Officer: Katie Healy Booking Officer: Jake Biggerstaff First Year Rep: Elaine Malone OCM: Colm Clayton James Walsh Brendan Mangan Liam O’Mahony Andrew O’Callaghan Martha Hegarthy
Editor: Richard Sheehy Writers: Barry Nevin, Daniel Waugh, Elaine Malone, Kevin Curran, Orla Hodnett, Tracy Nyhan, Niamh Gunning Siobhán Hughes Design: Richard Sheehy Copy Editors: Daniel Waugh Conor O’Sullivan Commerical: Barry Nevin With special thanks to everyone on the committe.
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Back by popular demand, in this issue we have included a page 3 for the ladies. However, this time we were unable to find a UCC lecturer to strip down so instead we bring you back 40 years to a Cosmopolitan centre fold of Burt Reynolds rocking a chewbacca look that’s clearly still in style today. Enjoy sensibly.
Welcome to Rebel Yell magazine, a UCC Live Music Society production. I hope you enjoy the content in this magazine as much as you’re enjoying Burt Reynolds in his birthday suit. To calm yourself down why not have a read over some of our interviews and features, you can always come back to him later. If you simply love this magazine and the paper it is printed on, then everyone here and our respective egos would love to hear it. Any messages of a congratulatory nature can be sent to livemusic@uccsocieties.ie, or you can hit us up on Facebook (facebook.com/ucclms) and give us a virtual high 5 or some public display of affection - hell, you could even tell us how much you love us in person by attending our Battle of the Bands competition. Now we understand that it’s not possible to please everyone (although lord do we try!).If you have any mails of a negative or ‘complainy’ nature then please do not hesitate to write a long strongly worded letter, don’t hold back and send it to our complaints manager at roisin.shortall@oireachtas.ie. Richard Sheehy
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mcd...it all started in ucc Barry Nevin and Kevin Curran
Appearing at number 40 on the Irish Independent’s rich list, with a net worth of over €200m, Denis Desmond is one of Irelands’ leading business people. While he started off promoting music, his business interests have expanded greatly to include sports TV station Setanta Ireland, Fast Food chain Abrakebabra, racing circuit Mondello Park and The Gaiety Theatre. When Brody Sweeny’s chain of O’Briens Sandwich bars began to deteriorate in 2009, Desmond and Graeme Beere bought the master franchise. Other franchise businesses in Ireland that he owns include Gourmet Burger Kitchen and the Bagel Factory. Desmond had a founding shareholding of Today FM, which was sold to Scottish Radio Holding in 2002.
Denis Desmond, owner of MCD, began promoting while in UCC.
Today, the company is the biggest music promoter in the country with an estimated market share of 65%-70% in 2010 (IQ magazine). It has promoted some of the biggest concerts and festivals that this country has ever seen. Among these are the ‘Oxegen’ Festival (Originally ‘Witness’ Festival) and Slane Castle events, which have attracted the biggest acts from all over the world to play in Ireland. They also promote a considerable number of individual concerts. It is not only the superstar, “big money” acts that they are interested in either. They continue to promote smaller acts in smaller venues such as The Academy, The Olympia and Wheelans. This company grew out of a love for music and it is clear that passion remains despite the remarkable success.
His business career, however, started in the music business and despite his numerous other business interests this remains his main passion. Growing up in Cork, he was always interested in working as part of the music industry. Instead, he decided to go to Univesity. When we asked him about this he replied, “it was difficult to get into the business 40 years ago, hence the decision to go to college.” It was here, in UCC, that he began promoting gigs. He says that his “first shows were in ‘Downtown Kampus’, Cork”. Downtown Kampus was in the Arcadia venue where bands like The Cure (2305-1981), an undiscovered U2 as support for XTC (30-09-1978), The Undertones and Horslips all played.
Some of the notable acts that MCD have attracted to the country include: Rage Against the Machine, Kings of Leon, U2, Robbie Williams, Red Hot Chilli Peppers , David Bowie, Blur, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Florence and the Machine, Snow Patrol, Stone Roses, Jerry Seinfeld, Van Morrison, Muse, Foo Fighters, Daft Punk and R.E.M. To name just a few!
Desmond graduated from UCC with a degree in Engineering and went to work in Britain. From there, he promoted Irish acts in colleges around Britain and here he encountered Eamonn McCann, who he formed MCD with (McCann – Desmond). MCD’s first major event was at Slane Castle in 1981. It featured Thin Lizzy and support from a relatively unheard of U2.
In partnership with Live Nation, MCD are the parent company of Festival Republic and as a result have an interest in music festivals such as Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds Festivals, Latitude and Electric Picnic. Desmond was recently named the 36th most powerful man in the music business by the Guardian newspaper, which described him as having an “indisputable ability to stage and promote huge concerts and festivals in Ireland and across Europe”. Before Christmas he answered a few short questions for us, which you can read below:
From here, MCD continued to grow with McCann leading operations in Northern Ireland while Desmond focused on the Republic of Ireland. In the ‘90’s MCD ran their first music festival; the Féile music festival, which was often held in Thurles.
Where and why did you first start promoting gigs? I started in Cork where I was studying Engineering at UCC. My first shows were at Downtown Campus in Cork. Did you always see yourself in music promotion? No that was my wish [but] it was difficult to get into the business 40 years ago, hence the decision to go to university. Is music your main passion? I love music, but the music business is my passion. What advice would you give to new bands attempting to be noticed by music promoters? Write great songs and become a good live act.
Photo: u2theearlydayz.com
What, in your opinion, is the biggest challenge facing What kind of music do you listen to? new bands in Ireland today? Across the board, everyone from Snow Patrol to Pearl Jam to Little Competition; there is lots of great talent in the country, only a Roy. handful can succeed. What is the best gig you have ever been to? Is there still a career in the music business for someone Every show I’ve seen by U2. starting out now? Most definitely but only the most talented and hard working will Who has been the most impressive artist you have met? make it, Ed Sheeran is a good example. Bono How difficult has it been in the recession for MCD in the What has been your proudest working moment since you last couple of years? founded MCD? This is our third recession so we have plenty of practice. Thankfully, there have been a few. Doing two shows with U2 at Slane, first Thin Lizzy Tour in ’81, OXEGEN, Feile, etc. These days, with all your diverse business interests do you still find a passion for music? If you had a motto what would it be? Love the music, the passion is for the business side. Never presume, do your best and don’t be afraid of failure.
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The times they are a changin’ Kevin Curran speaks to Paul Cheetham, 20 year veteran of the music industry, about his life and times in the industry and changes that have taken place in music. He is festival director at Popkomm festival, Berlin and has been a promoter with LiveNation as well as managing bands. What has changed in the past 7 years?
Well, firstly getting big advances for extravagant videos for MTV and other music TV channels as well advances for big promotional drives almost changed overnight. Maybe 6/7 years ago this changed occurred. Suddenly record companies didn’t want to make videos. There was more emphasize on home-made “cooler videos” and tour support money was hard to come by. It became that maybe the record label way was the least useful way for most bands. Instead a lot of artists were in a better position if they held onto their copyrights and try making their own labels or their own collectives. As a manager I encouraged the non-label route for bands that now didn’t suit it. That has been the biggest change. There are so many more bands touring now because it is the best revenue stream.
Has there been a significant change in how the industry is made up? It’s like there are different layers of the music industry with more regional bands and your major label mass market bands. There are the bigger independents below the majors that might have a major hit like Arcade Fire or Adele and also there are bands from the bottom end of the market that people have heard of, who, you might not have heard of before. I don’t think much has changed just that the goalposts have been moved. Also people’s perception of the industry has changed. With social media there is a place to find smaller bands that weren’t there before but the majors still completely dominate the market.
Is the label route a viable option for most bands in this new digital age? I have found that publishers can be important now because they have closed the gap a little bit by offering development deals that the major labels don’t offer anymore. That has been a useful method of developing bands. Booking agents are an interesting development, agents are now interested in bands at an earlier stage. Now I find there are a lot more junior agents picking up bands without a label. The rise of digitization has raised questions of can bands be successful without a record label and what success actually means. I think Prince is an example of success in terms of money because he makes more money than ever because he sells CD’s to fans directly and does big shows every now and then.
How hard is it for bands in this new digital age? In the days of having a band signed to a major label; it was all very simple and quite easy. It was a machine that you plugged into and you had to keep them happy all the time and they supported you. It was one company for the whole world and there was nothing you could do about it. Now it is less likely for bands to sign an international deal with one label. You might have a major label in your own country, an indie label in Australia and so on. It is up to the manager of the band to pull it all together. In a way it is preferable because it allows a band more freedom.
Don’t Leave in a Hurry.
While not influenced by philosophy, it was partly responsible for the genesis of the band ‘Ruairi and I just stayed up all night before one of our first major philosophy exams in first year writing our first song ‘Interval’. Needless to say we failed the exam but I think we passed on first song merit’
Elaine Malone talks to Cork 4 piece Agitate the Gravel ‘Throw caution to the wind, we’re facing heavy weather’ Agitate the Gravel are an electrifying four-piece from Cork, with a Pixies like quiet-loud dynamic , that exudes raucous energy. They are Chris Somers (vocals/ guitar), Ruairi Dale (guitar/vocals), Muireann Levis (bass/vocals) and Cormac Connelly (drums). Meeting in UCC, Agitate the Gravel formed in late 2010. Their unusual name comes from a forgotten fifties phrase meaning ‘let’s leave in a hurry’ or as Chris put it ‘Let’s shun all responsibilities and be in a band and not study’. After an electrifying LMS showcase gig in Cyprus Avenue alongside Exit: Pursued By a Bear and Trumpets of Jericho, the band released their Christmas single ‘Christmas No.1’ . Inspired by bands like My Bloody Valentine, Blur and Weezer, and drawing influence form film scores and their dramatic motifs. They have forged a unique brand of shoegaze-pop. The band is contentedly unsigned. Chris records all their own material, with the Christmas single marking the first introduction of an outside source. Muireann says ‘It will be really different I think, It’s really nice having someone right there mixing all our stuff, we get to talk to Chris about it and we know exactly what’s happening. But it will be cool getting an outsider to see what they come up with’ Chris cuts in ‘It’s to improve the sound quality more than anything else. I’m usually mixing before deadlines, well into the night, taking time off work and college and other things to get things done, crazy 24-hour shift or pure creative bliss. The main thing is not to try this at home’ With a McCartney-Lennon style creative process of discordant chords and experimental three part harmonies, there is tangible chemistry among the band. Chris’ lyrics are inspired by ‘… day to day interactions with people and how they can affect you I guess, so much from my tragic past as a middle-class child from a nice suburban area and white, didn’t want to go there but you know, topical. Just about how people interact and how it’s not always what it appears to be.’ never straying into blasé or flippant territory.
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In a similar vein to the Pixies’ Kim Deal is bassist Muireann Levis. I asked her about women in the music industry ‘some people would see it as a gimmick and come out with “you play very feminine bass lines” but I guess because I’m playing with such great people it doesn’t matter. Everyone in Cork seems to be fairly receptive of it. I don’t consider myself a ‘female’ bassist. I don’t like to differentiate like that’. Defiant against the notion of an EP release, their future plans include their new single ‘Wait’ which will be launched on March 30th with a gig in Cyprus Avenue ‘and there’s going to be a big “tour-a-loura” for that’ After seeing them perform live I can testify to their awesome stage presence and unequivocal energy onstage. Chris mentions that ‘performing is the glue that holds the old biscuit together’, Ruairi adds ‘…it evokes terror’ Chris elaborates ‘playing live is what we’re known for. Sometimes people will understand the humour we’re doing, others think we’re taking ourselves really seriously. The opposite couldn’t be more true.’ Their crowd interaction is vibrant and witty rapport; Ruairi: ‘I like bands with more than one voice so I do my best to butt in, it’s interesting sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s really, really fun playing live.’ Showing Cork has more to offer the world than just Tanora, Agitate the Gravel are at the centre of vibrant music scene. Humble and totally appreciative of their chance to perform, they have huge respect for their peers like the vaudevillian Trumpets of Jericho ‘they’re like dark matter that band’, and of the efforts of Whipping Boy’s Fearghal McKee in promoting fresh Irish music. Their evocative single Wilderness Years has now been released for download on agitatethegravel.bandcamp.com.
Behind the scenes Kevin Curran talks to Evan Kelly, freelance lighting technician and guitar tech for bands such as Bellx1 and Cathy Davey, about life working in the industry.
Have you always wanted to work in the industry? Well yes in a way, I was in-and-out of bands when I was younger and wanted to do that for a living. I copped on to myself and realised I wouldn’t make a living from that so I looked for another way to stay involved in music. I started off promoting gigs locally and I began to do sound. Eventually, I moved into lights and then I started to work as a guitar tech as well. Was it difficult for you to make progress working as a lighting technician, and why lights? Yeah it was difficult and it still is. It is all down to having a good attitude and being prepared to start at the bottom. I wasn’t afraid to do long hours for little or no money because I knew it was a learning process. I was lucky to get work in a venue in Kilkenny that had just opened, and then I went to college in the Sound Training Centre in Dublin. I was able to learn a lot and make a lot of contacts while I was there. As far as why I ended up doing lights; I was always interested in art and design at school, and with lights I got a chance to experiment with design and be creative. Also, I love the way that you start off with a lot of flight cases and at the end of rigging your fixtures and programming, you put on this show that can represent the mood of the band and change the way the audience perceives the gig on the night. I think that is really cool.
in a penthouse suite in a hotel. I went back to my room at six in the morning and was treated to the sight of the van driver bollock naked, starfished, on my bed. Is it difficult to work as a guitar technician under the pressure of having thousands of people looking at you work on stage? Not at all, I suppose it would be if you thought about it but I don’t really take notice of how many people are there in the crowd. My main concern is getting the line check done and giving the okay to the tour manager for the band to go on, and then looking after the band during the gig. Actually, I find it more difficult in smaller venues, because it feels like people are on top of you when you’re trying to work.
“...having a good work ethic, being humble and having a good attitude are the most important traits.” Has anything gone badly wrong on stage? Anything and everything that could go wrong has gone wrong at some stage. One time in particular, one of the bigger bands I work with was headlining a festival; I walked out for a guitar change for one of their hits and I hadn’t tuned the guitar. When I realised what had happened, they had already started the song, so I just had to stand there at the side of the stage with my head in my hands! What has been your favourite gig to work at?
Lights on, RSAG at Electric Picnic
What do you think are the main traits for a good lighting technician?
It would be a toss-up between RSAG at Electric picnic and the live “Last Waltz” in the Olympia where they recreated the famous rock and roll movie about The Band. They both had their challenges, one was a festival gig with only half an hour to programme the show, and the other was a big production venue gig with a full light show and visuals, so they both stuck out for different reasons.
Well like I said before, having a good work ethic, being humble and having a good attitude are the most important traits. Also, being prepared to learn from guys who are in the business longer than you is so important because they’re the people who have the experience and been in all the situations. You have been on tour with bands such as Bellx1 and Cathy Davey, have you ever had any spinal tap moments? I was down in Limerick doing a gig in the Milk market; we ended up in a session in Dolans afterwards and then a party
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...oh well whatever, Nevermind. Elaine Malone
On the 23rd of September 1991 Nirvana released their seminal album Nevermind. Twenty years on and its effect is as strong as ever. An album of such great influence that it changed the face of the music industry and perceptions of youth ; the teenage diaspora Generation X. For whom, the striking frontman, Kurt Cobain, would become an unwilling spokesman. Following the trail punk had ruthlessly carved in 1977, Grunge ensnared a new generation with its nihilistic sound and paradoxically fragile lyricism. Among the albums produced at the time from Pearl Jam’s Ten to Soundgarden’s BadMotorFinger - none encapsulated the zeitgeist more than Nevermind. Central to this was the inherent chemistry of bassist Krist Novosellic and lucky drummer number three Dave Grohl - a formula that resulted in ferocious musical alchemy. Like San Francisco for the Hippie movement and New York for the Beat Generation, Seattle became the epicentre for Grunge (the birthplace of the great Jimi Hendrix, a dynamic figure, who like Cobain played left-handed guitar and died at the ominous age of 27). In the early nineties the city was famous for Starbucks and Microsoft, two giants of modern consumption and ruthless capitalism, the antithesis of what grunge represented. It articulated the desperation of disillusioned youth through the howls of the enigmatic Kurt Cobain and the snarling distorted riffs. Inspired by bands like the Pixies, Iggy Pop & the Stooges and The Melvins, they adopted the punk mentality and applied it to the grunge aesthetic of thrift store clothes and unwashed hair. The use of the ‘Big Fuzz’ distortion pedal brought a new layered sound, that echoed the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street. Creating a wiser, more developed interpretation of punk. The quietloud dynamic favoured by the Pixies became central to Nirvana’s sound. A homage amplified on their last record In Utero that was produced by Steve Albini, the producer of the biblically awesome Surfer Rosa. Cobain planned the album to have two sides, like on traditional records. A ‘Boy’ side focusing on early childhood experiences and a ‘Girl’ side of the songs composed about his relationship with Bikini Kill singer Tobi Vail. Unfortunately, this concept never materialised. The preliminary title for the album was ‘Sheep’ a reflection on there later dissatisfaction with the cleanliness of the sound and how they saw the American public. They settled on the title Nevermind, said almost with a shrug of apathy, a tribute to the Sex Pistols’ ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’.
The 90s are not associated with great revolution, however, the grunge movement provided emancipation for the frustrated youth of the world. Nothing is as synonymous with disillusionment and raw expression as the music of Nirvana. It took just eleven unique songs to launch themselves from relative obscurity on the Sub Pop label to meteoric fame. The impact of Nirvana is still felt in modern music. Their cynical view of the American dream encouraged an ethic that emphasised music above the image, an anti-capitalist affront reiterated by the chants of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ with its four opening chords inciting instant anarchy. The videos parody of social cliques in a high school attacks the superficiality of Generation X. The raucous screams of ‘A mulatto/An albino/ A mosquito / My libido’ typify Cobain’s lyrical abstraction saying both everything and nothing, never making his message obvious and always open to interpretation.
The subjects he chose for his songs were far from banal. Bob Dylan declared the acoustically driven ‘Polly’ as his favourite Nirvana song. Saying, in reference to Cobain, ‘The kid’s got heart’. Polly provides an unsettling juxtaposition describing the rape and torture of a girl; from the perspective of the rapist. The subtle acoustic guitar is deceptive, masking the hideous subject matter while Cobain was skilled in creating lyrics that both enlighten and disturb. ‘Drain You’ describes the murder of a foetus in utero by its twin. ‘Lithium’ is a schizophrenic’s weary acceptance; “I’m so happy ‘cause today I found my friend, he’s in my head”. ‘Come As You Are’ is a antithetical love song. ‘In Bloom’ critiques the gun-wielding , ignorant contingent of their fan base. ‘Something In The Way’ reveals Cobain’s poignant vulnerability. The eerie sparseness of his guitar coupled with his withdrawn voice contrasts with the heaviness of the first ten songs. It fades into silence, a tranquillity that is broken at 13:51 when the raucous hidden track comes out to play. ‘Endless/Nameless’, a jam of Captain
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Beefheart proportions assaults with discordance and violent screams. It’s something you discover accidentally, and never forget. It reflects the sacrificial destruction of their equipment after every concert, a climax and symbolic death. It is the real Nirvana, raw and unornamented. I remember when I first heard Nevermind, listening to it again I still get that shiver down my spine. The muted scratchings at the start of Lithium, the eeriness of Come As You Are, goose-bumps and awe at what those three men created with a few power chords, a bass and some animalistic drumming. Perhaps it reigns among Electric Ladyland, Blonde on Blonde and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as one of the greatest albums ever made because Nirvana never had a chance to make anything bad. Maybe the idolatry of the fallen rockstar created an impenetrable seal around Cobain and the band while Cobain’s suicide on April 5th 1994 added to the myth. Like Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin before him, he was one of the ill-fated 27’s club. A group defined by the brevity of their lives at the hands of the music machine. The state of Cobain’s legacy is desolate. Aside from the recent re-mastering, little has been done to keep the music alive. Strict control of the rights has limited their use in film soundtracks and on television, thus narrowing the audience reached. However the spirit remains strong. Today, more than twenty years after Nirvana knocked Michael Jackson’s Dangerous off the #1 spot, the effects of Nirvana can still be felt, albeit with subtlety. Play Smells Like Teen Spirit and a mosh pit ensues. It’s in those moments you find some ethereal connection, like a collective heartbeat in the rhythm. It makes me smile whenever I see someone with ‘Nirvana’ scrawled across their chest, or that stoned smiley face scratched onto a desk.
Scan this and have a listen!
20 years since Sir Henry’s.
Richard Sheehy doesn’t remember when Nirvana & Sonic Youth were rocking Cork’s live music scene, but it did in fact happen.
Over 20 years ago on August 20th 1991, Nirvana played Sir Henry’s - a nightclub at the time on South Main Street. A month before the release of ‘Nevermind’ and the bands subsequent explosion to meteoric fame, Nirvana were playing support to New York City rockers Sonic Youth. The Cork show was the first as they set off on a 10 date European tour, on which the band was recorded throughout for a documentary titled ‘1991, the Year Punk Broke’. While the documentary focuses on Sonic Youth, there is a still a lot of footage of Nirvana and there are even a few clips from the gig in Sir Henry’s.
Unless some of the ‘fifty thousand plus’ that claim to have been at the gig can get together and remember, Nirvana’s full
set list from Sir Henry’s is unknown. A 12 song set list can be found on the web but many have claimed that it is unfinished and that Nirvana played several songs before ‘Drain You’. Unfortunately, only a small selection of audio recordings from that night exist on YouTube.
“when we toured Ireland, we played in Cork and the entire day I walked around in a daze. I’d never felt more spiritual in my life.” - Kurt Cobain In a candid interview with rock journalist Jon Savage in ’93, Kurt spoke a little about his search for information of his ancestors which lead him to Cork. – “…I never really knew about my ancestors until this year when I learned the name Cobain was Irish……I found out by looking through phonebooks throughout America for the names that were similar to mine. I couldn’t find Cobains so I started calling Coburns. I found this one lady in San Francisco who had been researching our family for years.It [her
The Return of Sigur Rós
-Kurt, feeling spiritual in Cork surname] was Cobain, but the Coburns screwed it up when they came over. They came from County Cork, which is a really weird coincidence because when we toured Ireland, we played in Cork and the entire day I walked around in a daze. I’d never felt more spiritual in my life. It was the weirdest feeling and I have a friend who was with me who could testify to this – I was almost in tears the whole day.“ It’s nice to know that in a short time, Cork had left such an impression on Cobain. Kurt went on to say, “Since that tour, which was ‘bout two years ago, I’ve had some sense that I was from Ireland” - That’s surely enough to claim him as our own!
NIRVANA
Set List (Incomplete) Cork, 1991 Drain You, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Floyd The Barber, Sliver, Breed, About A Girl, School, Lounge Act, Negative Creep, Been A Son, Blew, Endless, Nameless
Dave Grohl at Sir Henry’s
Daniel Waugh
Sigur Rós are a band just dripping with emotion and creativity. Listening to Takk... with friends last year, one of my buddies described them as “the sound snow flakes make when they fall” – and she could not have been anymore correct. Now, the melodic and ethereal Icelandic collective have returned after a brief hiatus. New concert film and live album INNI (“Inside”), was recorded in London at the Alexandra Palace in 2008 during the final two shows Sigur Rós have revealed hopes to release their not-yet-named sixth LP after the lengthy tour for Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (“With A Buzz In Our Ears We Play Endlessly”). Directed by Frenchin the Spring and begin touring in 2012. When I first heard the news I Canadian, Vincent Morisset, we’re given an insight into the quartet immediately bounced to the Internet to scrounge for more details! not as bleak characters but people who are warm and enjoying For those of you who do not know Sigur Rós, let me tell you a bit about themselves but still witholds the air of mystery about them. The high this ‘otherworldly’ band. The group formed in Reykjavik, Iceland in Au- definition combined with the black and white truly makes the film “look and feel like something recovered from the past”. Accompanygust 1994 while adopting the name Sigur Rós (meaning Victory Rose) ing this is a two CD set with 15 songs sampled from each of the five from lead vocalist, Jón ‘Jónsi’ þór Birgisson’s newborn sister Sigurros Elin – who was born the day the group was created. Blending classical studio albums. I have listened to this extensively. It holds some of my favourites such as Glósóli, Hoppípolla, Sæglópur and Fljótavík. and minimalist with a post-rock sounds, the four utilize an extensive array of instruments to create their unique sounds using guitar, bass guitar, harmonica, banjo, bowed guitar (yes, that’s right), glockenspiel, The Wall Street Journal following Jónsi’s 2010 solo tour with album Go, the vocalist returned home and “went straight to work at their toy piano, flute, keyboard and drums. studio, set in a space once occupied by a swimming pool” in what he described as “coming home to see the guys. It felt natural”. With With the release of ( ) in 2002, drummer Agust leaves with Orri Páll Dýrason replacing him. The entire album is sung in Volenska or Hope- some difficulty, which Jónsi expressed as “we were recycling” the gang overcame the block and found their focus. The albums sound landic. This is an entirely constructed language of nonsensical words has been described by the quartet as “ambient”, “floaty and minimal”, and syllables which mimics the sound of the Icelandic language in a scat-like rhythmic manner, leaving any interpretation and meaning to “introverted” and a “slow takeoff toward something”. be in the hands of the listener. Those adjectives pretty much nail the best qualities Sigur Rós have already and I wait patiently for its release! Image Credit: astraltourism.com
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Music in my Life
Niamh Gunning gives her reasons for being old fashioned when it comes to purchasing her next album.
When I was asked to contribute an article to the LMS publication, I initially planned on writing a serious, well-thought out, well-structured and interesting article on a certain aspect of the Cork music scene. But then I realised I’d done that all before. And anyway, there are many, many other people who write about such things far better than I ever could, so I decided instead to do what I do best (which really isn’t all that good) and ramble on incessantly about some facet of my life: in this case, music. I’m not going to pretend that my love affair with music began as I lay in some maternity ward listening to a mélange of bawling babies, screaming mothers and soothing lullabies. Then again, who’s to say that’s not music? Getting back to the point (something I find difficult to do), I was one of those youngsters who went to Golden Discs on a Saturday to buy the latest ‘Now’ compilation or pop single. We could all simultaneously cringe at that thought, but I’m proud of my pop roots. To be fair though, I was always a great supporter of the ol’ home-grown talent (any of my friends will tell you of my not-so-brief obsession with the mighty Mundy.) In any case, I’m one of those increasingly rare characters who still buys music on a regular basis. I’m not talking about downloading a file from iTunes or wherever, but physically going into a record store, picking up a CD and taking it home to play on my stereo. Call me naive for being a poverty-stricken student who still spends precious (drinking) money on music I can just as easily – if not more easily – obtain on the Internet, but we do exist. There are a few of us left: music fans who appreciate the difficult work that goes into making a record. We acknowledge the numerous people who have contributed to what is not a few megabytes of data in your downloads folder but a physical item you can add to your collection. And each time you take out that disc or vinyl record, it’s an experience.
Then, when I’m getting on a train somewhere in order to continue on with the theme of my terribly cosmopolitan and sophisticated life, we’d hear a few bars of Bell X1’s ‘Rocky Took a Lover’, inspired by that Iarnród Éireann TV advertisement featuring Craig Doyle. As I stroll along an illuminated but deserted street at night, in the life’s-so-amazing-and-it-feels-like-I’m-in-a-Tumblr-post and not in the oh-my-god-I’m-going-to-be-attacked-and-murdered way, The National will be playing. With Matt Berninger’s thought-provoking and emotionally-laden vocals swirling around my head and the sounds varying from soft chords rising up to loud crescendos that fill the empty street creating such an unforgettably intense moment, it’ll feel as though nothing else will ever matter. Of course there’d also be raucous club scenes with a variety of techno, electronica and dance tracks playing, reverberating around the condensation-covered walls, as hundreds of bodies move in sync with the tempo, but I think what ‘My Life: The Musical’ stresses is how everyday life and chores are just that bit more enjoyable when there’s an accompanying soundtrack. Music is, of course, something to be shared and discussed, but there’s nothing wrong with being selfish and keeping a few bits to yourself if it adds some fun to life and makes you feel like you’re living in a film for the duration of a four-minute pop song. Now off you go and create a playlist to accompany your day, or stalk me on Twitter where you may direct abuse if you think I’m off my head or, God-forbid, a hipster, while I listen to the ultimate soundtrack to my life: ‘Being A Dickhead’s Cool’.
Music is then no longer just a case of pressing shuffle or leaving the aural atmosphere in the hands of iTunes DJ. It’s now something in which you actively participate by searching through your record collection and choosing that perfect album to put in your CD player or on your turntable. I’m not going to pretend that I’ve never downloaded anything. Of course I have. All I know is that I appreciate that downloaded music far less. Something is only worth the money you pay for it, but if I spend nothing, then it’s worthless to me. I don’t know whether I’m coming across all high-and-mighty or if I just seem blind to the facts of the society in which we live, but if I spend money on an album, I’ll make an effort to ‘get to know it’. Just because, on first listen, a collection of tracks doesn’t immediately appeal to me is not to say that it won’t one day become my favourite album. The National’s Alligator is, without a doubt, my favourite album, which I bought in Plug’d Records on ‘Record Store Day’ a few years ago. It’s an album I didn’t ‘click with’ initially, but once I started giving it a chance, it quickly became the album to which I never tire of listening, the one that means the most to me, the one that I associate with such a variety of emotions and events. Y’know, sometimes, I wish my life was a musical. I wouldn’t necessarily go around conversing with people through the medium of song (just talking is hard enough when I’m hungover; having to hold a tune would be living hell), but it’d be nice if there was a soundtrack playing in the background, reflecting the various highs and lows of my oh-so-fascinatingly complex life. As I sit in the window of my favourite café typing this on my MacBook, sipping on a flat white and gazing out at the grey weather, something suitably pretentious would be playing. It would probably be mellow, chilled out, with male vocals and an acoustic guitar or two strumming along. It’d be one of those tracks that kind of insulates you from the outside world, sealing me in a personal bubble of caffeine, low-level chatter and thoughts on society.
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The People’s Republic of Cork have recently released a new app for iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices and can be downloaded from those devices respective stores. This is the first App of its kind in the country and supports a huge range of features. From our point of view, one of the great features is the event section. Highlights of Live Music, DJ and other events for each night are displayed on one screen and more information about each event can be accessed quickly and easily. You can also search for the event listings on a particular date, great for visitors to Cork or if you are looking to plan your weekend! There are two more great features of the PROC app that make getting around Cork much easier. The first is a bus tracker, telling you when the soonest bus is scheduled to leave is. The app also includes a live feed to the cities car parks so users can see which are full and what capacities they have before they arrive into the city centre. The group have included their infamous slang dictionary so locals and tourists can brush up on their Cork lingo as well as easy access to the infamous discussion forum. There is also a Tourist Information section on the app which provides information on accomodation, attractions, night life, travel and festivals in the city and county. The City Council are set to help develop the tourist section of the app which is due for completion in time for the 2012 tourist season. Finally, other features include cinema & comedy listings, information on the tides, a video detailing live music in the city for the coming month and access to the sites forums & articles. The App currently has a 5-Star rating on both the Android Market and the Apple Store, which I feel is completely deserved as the huge database of information is incredibly helpful to both Corkonians and visitors to the city alike.
Opinion: Music Piracy: Are You All Aboard Matey? - Daniel Waugh Music: The art or science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. It will only cost you a tenner or more. The past decade has seen the illegal downloading of music striking blows to the mammoth that is the music industry. It appears the label bosses’ wallets aren’t as fat as they want them to be. But then musicians aren’t claiming royalties from record sales – and at what cost? To me, the ‘Torrent Revolution’ has made the art a universal creature and more accessible to people from all walks of life who are passionate about music. Even those with a low income can be exposed to melodies. Hell, students can’t afford to spend money on albums!
Yet the battle rages on against the revolutionaries, the 12th of September saw the European Commissions Office extending the performers copyright on music from 50 to 70 years. The campaign by Cliff Richard (resulting in the act being dubbed ‘Cliff’s Law’) sees music from the 1960s from performers such as Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey not falling into the public domain- such as classical music. While composers are already protected by copyright for 70 years after their death, this news is welcomed by performers who did not write their own music. The IFPI does point out ‘artists at the start of their career will benefit from an increased pool revenue…’. Fair enough, I suppose. Yet, as human nature will predict – many will not pay for something they can get for free. The mastermind behind industrial band Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, employs that ‘record labels [are] doing everything they can to piss people off and rip them off… no wonder people steal music’.
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I am all for the idea of ethical file-sharing.
Photo Credit: zazzle.com
Record Stores: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Once upon a time, record shops were ubiquitous. But they’re not all gone - yet!
- Daniel Waugh
While purchasing music from a store seems to be a dying pass time, there are still some small companies that survive on the not so distant trade. E2Music, a music and DVD store that buys and sells second hand products, started in Navan (only twelve years ago) and now has a second store operating from College Green. Maybe there is hope for those playing the toughest retail game out there after all… Owners Aaron McGoona and Darach Kane lease expires in March; what happens after is to be decided. According to McGoona the ‘business is primarily buying and trading, based on the Amazon model’. However, can the duo survive the harsh market? With such a large expanse selling music there is danger of the business fracturing. Corkonians saw through watery eyes the much beloved Plug’d records closing its doors on Washington Street in December 2009 after eight years. Jim Horgan and Albert Twomey of Plug’d came to the reality that ‘selling music is not enough to get by anymore’ becoming victims of the financial climate. Maybe it seems like a great idea to open a record store selling vinyls, CDs and DVDs for nostalgic values. For me, it’s reinventing the wheel on grounds where the wheel has become obsolete. Colossal companies such as Virgin Megastores, Zavvi and HMV have felt the effects of record sale decline. So what chance does the miniature have?
It’s a simple domino effect. The larger stores fall so competition for cheap deals become null. Thus, those who survive hike up prices. The independent record shops attempt to counter attack by selling products at a reasonable cost but eventually get gobbled up by the raging rescission. What’s left behind is a ghost town of record shops and overpriced hyperstores filled with junk. This fallacy is seen over and over since the advent of the digital age. Not to mention the biggest stab to the new record shops – illegal downloading. The new record shops are basically competing with an invisible enemy who is universal. I do wish any record shop the best of luck that promote homegrown music and I really do hope they do not become extinct. E2Music are just one of hundreds that combat the digital age today. However, will they still be here tomorrow?
A tribute to match the legacy?
Richard Sheehy belives a statue for Rory Gallagher in Cork should be a top priority.
This past week I asked several musically minded mates for their opinion on the monument to Rory Gallagher in Cork. With one exception, the reply I received was “what Rory Gallagher monument?” Unfortunately many people don’t even realise the little bronze sculpture that sits on Rory Gallagher Place, or Paul Street to most. The piece, made by Cork woman Geraldine Creedon who was friends with Rory in their teens, is a sculpture of a guitar on one side while the other side consists of scrawled lyrics from Rory’s 1982 album Jinx. While the tribute has seemingly not made a massive impact, the same could not further from the truth when speaking of Gallagher. Many inspirational musicians themselves including Brian May, Johnny Marr, Slash, Vivian Campbell and Joe Bonamassa have cited Gallagher as a major musical influence. In 1969, shortly after Woodstock, Jimi Hendrix was asked by a reporter “How does it feel to be the best guitarist in the world?”- Jimi replied “Uhmm, I don’t know, ask Rory Gallagher”. Rory was most acclaimed for his energetic live performances and sold over 30 million albums worldwide. It has been almost 40 years since Rory won the ‘International Guitarist of the Year’ award and Melody Makers ‘Guitarist of the Year’, beating Eric Clapton in the process. When you consider the impact Gallagher has had globally, you might feel that maybe the tribute to him in Cork is a little modest?
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Bronze sculpture on RG Place
Dublin commemorates Phil Lynott with a life size bronze statue on Harry Street, it’s hard to walk anywhere in Liverpool without seeing some celebration of the Beatles or one of the band’s members, a big gold statue of Elvis Presley stands outside the Las Vegas Hilton, even Nottingham has a statue to Robin Hood - a fictional character! Yet Cork lags behind in boasting about our best exports…and some people call us arrogant! Now I’d like to make it clear that I’m not knocking the sculpture that is in place – it’s a lovely little piece, it’s just that I believe it should be sitting beside a life-size bronze (or perhaps gold?) immortalisation of the legend holding his famed Stratocaster. Cork should ensure that every person who happens to pass Rory Gallagher Place knows at least of the blues musician’s existence. You’d never know…it might kick a bit of inspiration into the next young aspiring guitarist hanging around Paul Street, and by then they might be calling it Rory Gallagher Place!
Rory’s grave site at St. Oliver’s. His headstone is a replica of the International Guitarist of the Year award he received in ‘72.
Rory with his strat’. Image credit: panoramio.com
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Hurry Up We’re Dreaming - # - M83 ORLA HODNETT
Electronic shoe gaze outfit, M83, fronted by Frenchman Anthony Gonzales, have long been purveyors of otherworldly, dreamy tunes. Formed in 2001, the band enjoyed little success outside of their homeland until the release of their second album Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, which led to widespread critical acclaim. Various line-up changes have left Gonzales as the only permanent member. Despite the personnel issues, upon the release of their fifth album, Saturdays=Youth, the band were touring with huge names like The Killers, Kings of Leon and Depeche Mode. Perhaps the impression left upon the band by these big names is the reason for the epic undertaking of double-album Hurry up We’re Dreaming. The eighties are the main source of inspiration for M83 on Hurry up We’re Dreaming. The synth-pop of the era is the key musical influence. Another apparent influence is the bombast of eighties stadium rock, with the band undertaking the epic scale of the double-album; an ambitious endeavour indeed. To write Hurry up We’re Dreaming, Gonzales retreated to a cabin in the Joshua Tree National Park, in California, which was instrumental in honing the otherworldly sound of the album. This ethereal, spacy sound is very evocative of seventies progressive rock and eighties electronica. Gonzales has achieves a very focused, nostalgic tone on Hurry up We’re Dreaming. Hurry up We’re Dreaming opens on ‘Intro,’ a fairly minimal synth-led track, featuring the vocals of one Zola Jesus. The track builds up to an aggrandised finish, with depth added by drums and choir-style vocals. Lead single ‘Midnight City’ follows. It’s fairly obvious why it was chosen as a single: tenacious, bold, epic… It’s even got a sax solo! It invokes the best of eighties electronica. ‘Reunion’ bears striking similarity to Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You Forget about Me.’ It’s uplifting, danceable and catchy. Short instrumental tracks like ‘Where the Boats Go’ and ‘Train to Pluton’ act as little intervals to the album. ‘Wait’ is a simple, pretty little number, with acoustic guitar and orchestral elements. A little bit like the Coldplay of ten years ago. ‘Raconte Moi Une Histoire’ is beautifully fantastical. It features producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen’s fiveyear-old daughter on spoken word vocals, reciting lyrics about a psychedelic jungle frog. The sonically, this track is reminiscent of the opening credits of Bosco. Unparalleled stuff! The space-travel themed lyrics and glorious slap-bass of Claudia Lewis are a pretty dynamic mix. There’s something about eighties style electronica that lends itself well to these otherworldly elements.
The drum and synth breakdown is eighties bliss. The aptly named ‘This Bright Flash’ is a short, sharp burst of machine-gun drumming. ‘When Will You Come Home?’ and ‘Soon My Friend’ (which could easily be mistaken for a 1970’s Eurovision entry), blur dully into one another, leaving one anticipating a shift in gear for the second act. Part two of the double album picks up a bit from the lull on part one. ‘My Tears are becoming a Sea’ fulfils on the epic melodrama the title promises. The lyrical content of the pursuit of adventure is complimented by the frenetic synth, in ‘New Map.’ The flute and saxophone in the breakdown make it reminiscent of the baroque style of Broken Social Scene. We stray back into Simple Minds territory on ‘OK Pal.’ In soaring falsetto, Gonzalez serenades ‘We will dream on the shadow of our world.’ There’s an almost hymnlike quality to piano led ‘Splendour.’ ‘Steve McQueen’ opens, ‘I woke up stronger than ever, driven by big waves of fire.’ This is bolstered by an epic, powerful, soaring wave of sound. ‘Echoes of Mine’ wouldn’t sound out of place on an Arcade Fire album, with grand scale church organs and pounding bass drums. ‘Klaus I Love You’ is classic eighties synth. ‘Outro’ is a big grandiose closer. Gonzales belts the ostentatious lyrical statement of ‘Now and forever, I’m your king’; an impressive end to a musical marathon. Hurry up We’re Dreaming is uncompromisingly eighties in style. So atmospheric and evocative, it could easily be the soundtrack of a John Hughes film. ‘New Map’ would soundtrack the scene in which the hero undertakes his big odyssey. ‘OK Pal’ would set the mushy romantic scene. ‘Soon My Friend’ and ‘When Will You Come Back Home,’ would backdrop the boring bits, when you pop out for a toilet break. But ‘Steve McQueen’ and ‘My Tears are becoming a Sea’ would peal in the big, climactic, rocky-reachingthe-top-of-the-steps scenes. These epic, almost regal tracks could easily become indulgently cheesy. Gonzales has no reservations in widely using sax solos and slap bass. The key is that M83 are entirely unselfconscious in their assay, allowing them to pull off the ambitious scale of affairs with panache. While they triumph in parts, they fail in others. Perhaps the scale of a double-album is too great. They dropped the ball on a number of the short instrumental tracks, causing them to lack the depth of tracks like ‘Reunion’ and ‘This Bright Flash.’ This is only a small fault, in what is a fundamentally enjoyable album. Rating 7/10
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“Standing in the middle of France... In the rain... At Arcade Fire” Daniel Waugh 12th of July and the temperature is climbing above 20 degrees in Argeles sur mer. The forecast of a storm seems to have dodged past Les Deferlantes D’Argeles sur mer - a music festival nestled right in the heart of Southern France. Everyone is excited. The crowd swells, cheers and roars as the music is cut along with the lights at exactly 12:30am. An old-fashioned cinematic jingle brings to life a short mockumentary on the screens about the suburbs and its dangers, with ‘the Suburbs (continued)’ as a teasing overture. The seven-piece indie group who hail from Montreal stride onto stage and launch into ‘Ready to Start’ from their new record, The Suburbs.
Thunder, lightning and a wall of rain welcomes the chilling organ intro of ‘Intervention’. Everyone is too involved in the show (including myself) to care: we’re in this together, the music, and us. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) sees Régine Chassagne (accordion, drums, keyboards and organ) holding the crowd captivated with a quirky dance inviting us to move to the music. The haunting ‘We Used to Wait’ builds a palpable atmosphere as the set draws closer to an end.
Following ‘this is Neighbourhood #2 (Laika)’ and ‘No Cars Go’ - it’s a ballsy and powerful start to the gig as the fans get caught up in the energy the band are putting into their act. Lead vocalist Win Butler gains the crowds support for ‘The Suburbs’ with the catchy chorus being boomed back – “Sometimes I can’t believe it/I’m moving past the feeling” is echoed throughout the sultry French air as the rain begins to fall. On keys, the cheerful Butler whispers, ‘standing in the middle of France...In the rain...At Arcade Fire.’ –the crowd goes wild!
Finishing with ‘Rebellion (Lies)’, an old favourite from the 2005 album, Funeral, Arcade Fire give it their all – as if to make up for the storm raging around them. The fans are not discouraged but join in for the climatic close. There is no encore for us, standing in the middle of France, in the rain - but we’re left satisfied with a strong performance accompanied by a worthy set. So it’s à bientôt, Arcade Fire. Overall an extremely impressive group.
Les Deferlantes D’Argeles sur mer 12th July – 12:30am; Arcade Fire Full Setlist 1. Ready to Start 2. Neighborhood #2 (Laika) 3. No Cars Go 4. Haïti 5. Empty Room 6. The Suburbs 7. The Suburbs (Continued) 8. Rococo 9. Intervention 10. Crown of Love 11. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) 12.
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Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
We Used to Wait Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) Rebellion (Lies)
Image Credit: static.guim.co.uk
You can be your own spotlight. Tracy Nyhan
Patrick Stump’s Soul Punk shows off a side to him that Fall Out Boy’s music never could and for me, this had the potential to be the album of the year. However, I can’t justly say it was. As a massive fan of Patrick since his Fall Out Boy days, I was expecting so much from his debut solo album. In comparison to, say, Foo Fighter’s Wasting Light, or Bon Iver’s self-titled album, Patrick’s Soul Punk doesn’t have the same captivating element to it. It took me a few run-throughs of the entire album before I began warming to it, whereas I was instantly hooked to the two aforementioned albums. In an attempt to step out of the shadows of his former band mates and into his own spotlight, Patrick has released something completely unlike anything his old band has ever produced. This album is not just an ex-Fall Out Boy filling time before their inevitable reunion; this is a symbolic album – Patrick has stepped out of Pete Wentz’s shadow. Although admittedly, I miss Pete’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics, I feel Patrick brings something fresh and exciting to the table; honesty and authenticity. Patrick has made it no secret that he was particularly apprehensive about letting his lyrics out there and I can see why; at times I fear his lyrics are a little too simple. ‘This City’, in particular, is somewhat of a disappointment. I was left bewildered at how he was able to produce a four-minute song essentially singing the same thing over and over again. He loves Chicago; we get the message loud and clear! Despite this, his collaboration with Lupe Fiasco makes it one of the most well-known songs of the album.
It wasn’t all bad; ‘Spotlight (No Regrets)’ will go down well with his audience. Its melody is infectiously catchy and is a great place for Patrick to start off. ‘Allie’ is one of my favourites; his vocals and lyrics reveal his soulful side while the guitar and drums at the beginning ensure that his rock sound is not abandoned. For me, this song wholly sums up his style. Patrick conveys the exciting extent of his vast musical ability. Every instrument played, every word sung, every string plucked, every key struck on this record was written and performed solely by Patrick. I almost feel a sense of pride; this album is an impressive achievement. His vocals are something I admire most. His ability to slip smoothly between ranges is impressive and he seemingly loves showing off his falsetto, which he seems so comfortable in. While his versatility and extent of raw musical talent is displayed in the album, I still feel there’s something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. It was mostly very good, but as he sang himself; ‘I keep making mistakes, but it takes some time to get anything right’. There’s most definitely room for improvement but it has left me wanting more - so surely that’s not a bad thing. Image Credit: theprophetblog.net
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Misfits – The Devil’s Rain Album Founded way back in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey by Glenn Danzig – the Misfits have garnered a loyal cult following through their use of horror themes and imagery in their work. The fiend skull has become iconic worldwide and can be seen stamped on anything from t-shirts to socks to watches to toolboxes! Establishing a horror-rock subgenre, which blends punk rock with sci-fi and horror b-movie themes, the monstrous group after six years of not releasing a new album have set loose The Devil’s Rain, which has been on the shelves since October 4th. The sound of bells and a thunderstorm open up the album in The Devil’s Rain, creating an eerie horror movie setting. The drums creep in with the initial beat. Dez Cadena rips in followed by Jerry Only on vocals and bass who wails ‘It’s pouring down, its come for you, the Devil’s rain’. This is just one of the multitude of hooky choruses the Misfits howl. I must say this first song really sets the album off to a notable start. Land of the Dead is the first single to be released way back in October 27th, 2009. It mixes the old Misfits of punk with the new age Misfits who appear to carry metal overtones.
My favourite thing about the Misfits is the incorporation of horror and science fiction themed lyrics with punk rock and a hefty dose of a Buddy Holly influence. The Black Hole, The Twilight of the Dead, Cold In Hell, Unexplained are just some that bring to mind a ‘50s dance hall – but filled with ghastly ghouls! Rolling Stone has dubbed the macabre band as “the archetypal horror-punk band of the late 1970s and early ‘80s” and it’s no wonder. Although ‘Only’ is the only original member, the sound is slightly more metal; as the early punk roots have been pruned. It carries solos (which aren’t face melting, but fit well) and loses the heavy distortion of Famous Monsters (a classic from 1999) yet sticks true to the Misfits motif.
Daniel Waugh
The Devil’s Rain - Track listing 01. The Devil’s Rain (3:23) 02. Vivid Red (1:55) 03. Land of the Dead (2:13) 04. The Black Hole (1:50) 05. Twilight of the Dead (2:34) 06. Curse of the Mummy’s Hand (3:49) 07. Cold in Hell (2:50) 08. Unexplained (3:04) 09. Dark Shadows (3:40) 10. Father (3:40) 11. Jack the Ripper (3:49) 12. Monkey’s Paw (2:47) 13. Where Do They Go? (2:39) 14. Sleepwalkin’ (4:14) 15. Ghost of Frankenstein (2:55) 16. Death Ray (4:59)
It gets a 8.5/10. This gem of a punk album can be enjoyed walking, in the gym or cooking dinner (which I’ve done). Or you could listen to it while prowling around in a graveyard (which I have not done…). For all you fellow fiends out there, go grab a copy of this album!
Little Mammoths Debut At Cyprus Avenue
Daniel Waugh
Little Mammoths are your modern day rock band that you do not want to miss. With the “5 days off a year” Matt ‘Urby Whale’ Owens has from Noah & The Whale, he decides to weave together a true rock ‘n’ roll band with close friends Jimmy Besley (drums), Willy Sox (bass) and Tommy Trucks (guitar). We are drawn to the stage by the reverb in our ears, which is carried by a steady drumbeat when a dual guitar jam kicks off the night. The atmosphere is truly being set. It holds a classic rock vibe while a stimulating solo grabs the audience hostage as they head-bop along in approval. Hammering into ‘Scream Like A Siren’, a heavy bass, drums and a catchy guitar hooks us in with the four working in perfect unison. Their rendition of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Baby Don’t Do It’ plants a solid funky groove down. We’re treated to some blues next - embedded with short, snappy and exciting jams. Little Mammoths flaunt their capabilities to perform any genre well. Owens is not afraid to interact with the petite gang present and has some playful banter. Little Mammoths smile and laugh as they get caught up in their guitar heavy cover ofCaravan (Van Morrison) and cry out the chorus. “What the fuck is Electric Picnic!” Owens laughs before propelling into a lively original. Despite there being only a handful of people these guys are pounding out their solos as if it was the O2 Arena! A cover of The Doors’ Roadhouse Blues is layered with an extra hint of punk and sleaze - and as a Jim Morrison fan, I approve. The final song Good Golly is a blues-rock original and ends in an explosion of noise.
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Chatting with Owens and Besley afterwards, they kindly deciphered the setlist for me (which I hope I got right) and we had a bit of craic. Owens was not disheartened by the small number present but revealed he enjoyed playing “kamakazi gigs” and simply having a good time with friends shredding guitars on stage.
RECORDING STUDIO
B Positives & Vigo Hit Bourbon Street
Two distinct and fresh bands – one night.
It’s Arthur’s Day so I had to attend one of the myriad of gigs around Cork City. So, I decided to proceed to Bourbon Street and plop myself in a dimly lit corner with some friends and a chilling pint of Guinness. Vigo is a local instrumental trio who are a rare variety for the Cork music scene. On acoustic, Cian Moran takes the lead and alternates with electric guitarist Daniel Flynn while bassist Dave Scanlon plucks and strums the slim electric double bass. Scanlon does not hesitate to welcome the audience and dish out some demos – which I snatch up promptly! Two particular songs stand out. One being Elephant which sees Moran performing Spanish freestyle over Flynn’s chords, building up to a climax before dying away and fluttering back for the build up once again. The final song of the set, The Green Chronicles, is a truly beautiful classical atmospheric piece. The two guitars match up well, with soloing from the electric and the bass slides bring the hypnotizing melody back. Like & listen to Vigo on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vigo
Sam Clague dives right into the music on vocals and a bustling guitar solo. Brian Scally is hammering the kit and Edan Ray is pumping and stepping along to his reggae bassline. Edan sings “Evils right beside me” yet this dub song sees the three grooving and moving to their music on stage, dispelling any evils. Another catchy bassline accompanies a ripping solo from Sam. A cover of King of the Bongo has everyone in Bourbon Street singing – we’re loving it! The fast pace has my friends dancing in their seats and would you believe, I am too! An original, Wise Up, is a great speedy tune with ska elements. The gang sing together telling us we “got to wise up!”.The final song is just superb and the lights for last call begin to blink – so the B Positives give it everything they’ve got! They truly make you be positive. You can catch them in De Barra’s in Clonakilty regularly! Like & listen to B Positives on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bpositivesband
BRITNEY SPEARS IN CONCERT I had the ‘privilege’ of attending the Britney Spears ‘Femme Fatale’ Tour in Dublin on October 24th. Enough said? Well I’ll elaborate anyway. I was accompanying my boyfriend’s younger sister and cousin to the concert. They were determined to queue early to get to the front, so I willingly obliged. Why? I don’t know. Anyway, we stood freezing in half a month’s worth of rain for four hours with only an umbrella between the three of us. Oh the joy. Three girls standing drenched to our knickers surrounded by Italians and overly flamboyant fans – a dramatic change from when I went to see her when I was just twelve – 10 years ago. Back then, the crowd was an assortment of ‘tweenies’ screeching high pitched Britney tunes with their parents burying their heads in shame over the fact that their children were idolizing such a mess of a performer ( it was during her head – shaving, paparazzi beating, booze fuelled years). Eventually we gained entry into the arena which is always an intense rush as everyone holds the same aim – get as close to the front as is humanely possible. The sweet aroma of popcorn, candyfloss and hotdogs lingered in the air, gradually clouded by the smell of dry ice. Music was pumping and lights were being tested, adding to the excitement and anticipation of the audience. Eventually, following two support acts ‘Destinee & Paris’ and ’Jo Jonas’, Miss. Spears graced the stage. The cheers rose to a crescendo following an excited countdown and a pumping entrance with the song ‘Hold It Against Me’. She wasn’t drugged up to her eyeballs holding a blank stare as I had expected, plus she attempted to throw down the moves and groove to her tunes in a rather ‘jolly’ fashion.
Daniel Waugh
Now, the B Positives are a band I always enjoy seeing. They take you through ska, reggae, dance hall and more in such ease and confidence.
Siobhán Hughes reviews the pop princess on her ‘Femme Fatale’ tour.
Britney Spears rose to fame after appearing on the Disney Channels ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ alongside Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling. Her teenage years were overflowing with tours and appearances worldwide. She was fully dictated by her management and every move was monitored in a media blitz. Her life eventually spiralled near to rock bottom until recently and she has once again exploded back on to the music scene and is touring the world once more. From the audience you could see she was putting all of what she had (or felt she had) into the performance. Her dance moves were lax and it was evident that this was just her job – nothing more. The love of performing and the energetic shows are undeniably a thing of the past. It was particularly grim to see the mother of two skipping across the stage in her undies lip – syncing to her more up tempo electro – pop songs such as ‘I Wanna Go’. Despite the fact that her performance was almost completely lip synced, she did put on a good show. Her finale was spectacular as she performed ‘Til The World Ends’. Adorned with beautifully crafted angel wings, she soared above the audience, confetti poured from the ceiling and the light show was intense, mimicking that of Deadmau5. To my surprise, I enjoyed the show but her bubblegum pop, energetic dance routine days are sadly, without a doubt, a distant memory.
Britney (left); in Dublin and (right) rocking some side-boob for Rolling Stone Magazine. Image Credit: Rolling Stone
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