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You may not have known this but Youth In Revolt, the Miguel Arteta-directed film released this month, is actualy based on my life as a 15-year-old, and not a novel written in 1991 by C.D. Payne (a little mix-up perpetuated by silly PR people and Michael Cera). Sure, some liberties are taken – the film is set in a trailer park, and not Swords Pavilion shopping centre, Portia Doubleday, who plays my first girlfriend is actually physcially attractive, and the protagonist is a weedy, pretentious hip kid with a taste for Frank Sinatra records (so wrong – I hate Frank Sinatra). Otherwise, it’s a straight-up biopic. Seeing my first relationship played out before me on the big screen, and the approach of Valentine’s Day brings to mind the lengths of self-deceit we go to in convincing ourselves that our first love isn’t a hysterical, dyedblonde borderline psychopath with a taste for made-up stories and using you as a weapon against her parents. Because, after all, she doesn’t think you’re random for watching Fellini films or a sap for listening to Beulah – she appreciates your eccentricities, and she touches you in public. However, as we mature we realize we are random saps or borderline psychopaths, and that functional relationships are all about self-repression. So as you flick through countless Amazon recommendation pages and Totally Dublin Valentine’s food specials for the perfect way to spend the 14th, remember that nothing says ‘I love you’ like totally changing your personality to keep your other half happy. And touching each other in public. Daniel Gray
Oh! Dude, great! I was looking for you. I wanted to see if you’d just read my Valentines Day card I’m sending to my wife.
We’ve been having some problems lately so I wanted to make sure it reads OK.
dear bitch IF you think that I will ever let you leave me you are insane. I wiLL kill yoU if YOU try to leave you are mine WHEELSPINNINGHAMSTERDEAD
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TOO INTENSE? (c) ALAN MOLONEY WWW.WSHD.NET www.totallydublin.ie
8 Roadmap Dreams can come true. Look at us baby, we found you. 10 Threads Work it move that bitch cr-azy 12 Four Tet and the London Underground There is love in it 19 Listings With Xiu Xiu, Brenda
Blethyn, Asian Dub Foundation, and Australian architects 32 Hamburg Somehow devoid of McDonald’s puns 36 Sarsparilla Damo Lynch gives me hope
42 Gastro Nibble me this 50 Film Deep fried film festival 54 Audio Written by the judging panel of the Choice Music Prize 2011
40 Barfly The Good Bits and The Gay Bits
JU T XIBU T JOTJEF UIBU DPVOUT DSFEJUT XIFSF DSFEJU T EVF Totally Dublin
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I HAD TOO MUCH TO DREAM LAST NIGHT :: Fuchsia’s an NCAD student of culchie origins, and Jim’s an Oxfordian with a penchant for popping up on University Challenge, and together They Are Pop. If Jim makes the jump to Mastermind his specialist subject will be York City Football Club, and if Fuchsia makes the hop to vizcom degree holder it won’t make a bit of difference – her illustrations will be still face-ridingly brilliant. Amongst the already copious moments of glory and statistical bewilderment on their collaborative This Is Pop blog are Fuchsia’s dream illustrations – sketches of her (little bit warped) dreams. They look like this. And everything else they do looks like this: www.thisispop.org
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EGGS MARKS THE SPOT :: Oi! Wanker! How do you like your eggs? Scrambled? Fried? Poached? Lubricated? Benedict? Wait. What? Lubricated. Lubricated? Well, yes. Haven’t you ever had eggs a la tenga? A surefire way to lower your cholesterol (though perhaps not your heart BPM), Tenga eggs are the cutest, most cleverly designed way to beat your whisk and grind your pepper canister. From the mind of a Japanese (need I say?) innovator named Mr. Matsumoto who wanted his artificial vaginas to be as tasteful and innocuous as… well, eggs, the Tenga ‘onacups’ have sold in millions in their home country. They come in six flavours (pun intended) – Wavy, Clicker, Twister, Stepper, Silky, and Spider – named after their internal textures, and extras include the Tenga Warmer and Tenga Egg Lotion (you can’t make eggs without hot oil, after all). We haven’t been in Basic Instincts in a while, so we’re not sure if these free-range fancies are available in Dublin yet, but if you’re treating yourself for Valentine’s Day, or looking for an Easter alternative, check out www.tenga-europe.com/
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WEST COAST COSMETICS :: The godfather of sleek red-carpet dressing, Michael Kors, is known for his all-American glamour, dressing stars on-screen and off in his signature sleek luxe neutrals and classic designs. He’s bringing starlet style to the masses this February with his cosmetics line debut, a collection of glosses, powders and eye pencils directly inspired by Hollywood. Produced with Estée Lauder, the limited edition products cover soft pinks and sleek, glossy neutrals, with the luxurious formulas expected of the venerable cosmetics house. We’re especially charmed by the kitschy, cabana-chic packaging, with beige and gold cases housing shades like ‘Bungalow Pink’, ‘Starlet Rose’ and ‘Bel Air Beige’. Available from Brown Thomas and selected chemists from February 1st
FAKE PLASTIC HEARTS :: Why wear your heart on your sleeve when it looks so much better on your toes? Vivienne Westwood’s footwear collection with Brazilian plastic shoe-makers Melissa was going to be a one-off collaboration, but anyone who missed out on their cult ‘Lady Dragon’ shoes will be pleased to hear that the line is back for Spring 2010. A classic heeled court shoe with a cartoonish Betty Boop twist, the punk grande dame’s design takes the plastic jelly shoe to new heights, and is the perfect way. Available at Dolls
BRASS EAR :: Tin-can headphones have a certain geek-appeal, but jamming them under a hood or a hat when it rains can be a problem, leaving the unfortunate wearer looking lumpy with a bedraggled ‘hat-hair’ effect. The adorably lowkey solution is these Micro Gem headphones by Idea International, a streamlined reinterpretation of the old-school headsets. Somewhere between jewellery and a functional tech accessory, the spherical metal headphones stay fixed unobtrusively in place and promise high-quality sound. www.mymagma.com
EVER WONDERED WHAT ABSOLUTE MINIMALISM SMELLS LIKE? :: Apparently it has notes of Galbanum, Lentisque and Incense Resin, to name but a few. Maison Martin Margiela, the fashion house known for their elegantly pared-back, monochrome clothes produced in an all-white factory and sold without labels, have gone the way of Viktor and Rolf and produced their first perfume in collaboration with L’Oreal. Idiosyncratic and poetically plain, the mysterious green elixir comes housed in a retro-clinical glass bottle under the name (Untitled). Available from early March after a limited preview in Parisian über-boutique Collette.
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I don’t know, I didn’t see it so much as revitalization – I hear exciting new electronic musicians and reach out to them, it’s sort of what I’ve always done. I do feel like it’s a good time for electronic music, in London in particular. There’s a lot of young producers around with distinctive production sounds, it’s a healthy thing. – Joy Orbison’s only released one single properly and he’s already got a perfectly defined sound, it’s a real sign of quality.
words // DANIEL GRAY pictures // KIERAN HEBDEN & JODIE B ‘No guest list, no press people, nothing.’ Kieran Hebden is talking about his recent residency at London club Plastic People, but his words are multipurpose – he’s been chewed on so much by the PR and word-writing caste that his escape from the cavernous journalist gob alive and unmasticated is remarkable. After 13 years releasing music under the Four Tet moniker, however, he’s finally outrun all-purpose labels – no longer the folktronic acolyte, the IDM wunderkind, the post-rockist, the jazz dilettante, but the creator of some of electronic music’s warmest, most eloquent moments in recent times – none more so than his newest album, There Is Love In You, a searing, energized record that rolls every recorded branch of music into one ball of bastardized brilliance. I mean, what sane person DOESN’T like Four Tet?
I think there’s a formalization of the rules of dubstep at the moment, and equally this kneejerk reaction to any solidification of what dubstep should actually be, and that tension’s giving birth to new hybrids. The line that most critics (like, erm, me) will toe with this album is the perceived dubstep and garage influence, which doesn’t dominate the record, but is definitely present – but that it’s within the Four Tet framework is that kind of hybrid I mean. I think I’ve got no choice in the matter – I’ve got my own sound which I can’t get away from, so it’s better to apply the best parts of it. The melodies and the drum sounds I use are the identity that I would apply across anything I do, remixes, stuff with Steve Reid and so on, but yeah, I guess dubstep is an influence, it has to be. I hear it around so often in London, but this wasn’t meant to be, you know, my dubstep record or anything. Would you still participate in the clubbing scene in London, or do you experience new electronic music more through radio and record hunting? Oh I do go and hear acts in clubs a lot. If someone’s put out a record I like and I see they’re DJing I’ll go and check it out – coming up this Friday at Fabric there’s Untold, Joy Orbison and Deadboy which will be fantastic. Hearing this music in a club gives it a totally different perspective.
Oh. I’ve got a copy of the Wire magazine in front of me right now with the review of your new album open. So question one – what did you do to piss off the Wire? I think I made something vaguely coherent and not late-80’s industrial. They have certain things on a pedestal, and the funny thing is that review goes on about how great the stuff I do with Steve Reid [jazz drummer of Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, and Fela Kuti extraction] is, but they absolutely panned that at the time too. The review pans you as retro-effective, which isn’t very nice. I’d say this is your most forward-looking album, it seems to explore the forefront of current electronic music. Is collaborating with Burial and having Joy Orbison remix your single a way of revitalizing the Four Tet sound?
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9-* 143)43 :3)*7,74:3) SUBBASSCULTCHA As duly noted by Kieran, the London underground electronic scene is healthier than a buck-rabbit’s libido right now. As dubstep devolves back to its garage roots and factors new DNA strands into its identity, 2010’s movers, shakers, and breakbeat-makers will be:
BURIAL The Don Corleone of depressed dubstep, Burial’s first full release since the gamechanging Untrue is expected this year – with the heart-jittering Wolf Cub/Moth collaboration with Four Tet and Hyperdub exclusive Fostercare as opening salvos, you wouldn’t bet your left blender against his being the album of the decade (already).
JOY ORBISON
What sort of hip-hop is it that influences you – I can see the 90s stuff, but is there any newer hip-hop that’s impressed you? Yeah, the stuff I keep going back to is the mid-90s stuff like Large Professor and DJ Premier and all those guys. Then after that Timbaland and the Neptunes had an impact on me, like everyone else, but in recent years there just hasn’t been a fresh new direction for hip-hop, other than Madlib and all that five years ago – there’ve been great records, but nothing fresh.
Joy Orbison might sound quite mellow at home, but with the big soundsystem there’s this pounding sub-bass and it’s a totally different experience. Is the hallmark of that dubstep influence on your album that it’s made for a club context more so than before then? Yeah, definitely. As I was making the album I was DJing a lot. I had a residency at this club, Plastic People [after which a song on the album is titled], in London, trying out tracks I was working on as I was doing it, so they evolved from there. From a sitting-at-home-with-a-pair-ofheadphones standpoint there’s a conciseness to There Is Love In You, do you make ‘statement’ albums? I’ve very traditional views of what an album should be, you know, like I still sort of write for something to fit on both sides of a cassette. It’s important to me for there to be a logical beginning and end, that’s quite retro and stuck in the past. This is hopefully coherent, and a complete listen. Are you still a record-collecting nerd? Oh yeah, totally. This record’s method hasn’t changed or anything. The root of what I do is still very much hip-hop.
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Which is where the ‘hip-hop is dead’ line currently doing the rounds comes from – it’s not that it’s not still throwing up great records, it’s just not the innovator anymore. Yes, I think there aren’t enough young people dying to get involved with it on either side anymore. When I used to DJ a hip-hop record would make the room go off, you don’t hear a hip-hop record playing in a bar anymore. There’s a lot more new electronic music that fills that void. A few years ago it was still all the Warp guys seen as the innovators – now it’s Burial, and that whole new generation. It does feel like it could be the most exciting year for electronic music in a long time – I suppose it comes off the back of minimal techno dying out and the popularity of the Hyperdub compilation last year I think precipitates how open DJs are to more challenging stuff now. Totally. There’s a really big opening for electronic music. Good time to release a Four Tet album. Haha, hopefully! Just don’t listen to the Wire.
Have there ever been so many words about so few songs? Or so few songs made of so few pieces to warrant so many words? Off the back of last year’s Hyph Mngo single, an expertly remix of Four Tet’s Love Cry, and the new tracks emerging across internet hype (hyph) outlets, Pete O’Grady’s already established himself as the dubbodu-jour to the point of BBC recognition. And we all know the BBC are arbiters of cool. Right, Owl City?
DEADBOY This guy. This guy right here. You don’t know what Deadboy has done to us. Sticking on the radiator to melt icy dubstep down to liquid 2-step and R&B, Deadboy’s souled-out, irresistible U Cheated, and its accompanying Fact Magazine mix has pushed the sound to a new watershed – as emotionally expressive as Ableton-made music has ever been.
UNTOLD Needs more house! Having been a label boss throughout the advent of jungle, drum n’ bass, and 2-step, Jack Dunning’s been there, done that, bought the breakbeat - his forays into bass-inflected dance have pointed at one of the most progressive minds in London dubstep. His is a heady cross-pollination of dubstep’s dark intensity with the wider dance spectrum, to seriously stomach-wobbling results.
ZOMBY At the yellow end of the dubstep spectrum, Zomby’s music is more a retread of 90’s hardcore – but its vitality is undeniable. With fans from Kode9 to Animal Collective (who’ve stuck the elusive chap on the cover of last month’s Fader), and enemies from anyone who’s ever tried to book him for a gig to followers of his Twitter, Zomby’s polarizing in the way that only a somebody who spends their days with a drawer of spliffs can be.
Yeah actually, ff you’ll excuse me, I’m off to listen to some Throbbing Gristle.
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words // KARL MCDONALD From putting a nude rent boy on an album cover to writing the lines “Did you know you were going to shoot off the top of a four year old girl’s head... and see into her throat” on 2004’s anti-war dirge Support Our Troops, Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart has never shied away from the more shocking aspects of contemporary life. This year, he returns with an album called Dear God I Hate Myself, combining “pop structures” with (ahem) selfhatred to create what might be the best work of his career so far.
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A line in the new single Gray Death struck me. “You expect me to be outrageous, I will be extra-outrageous.” What do you think of that as an introduction to Xiu Xiu? It’s a little self-serving for me to say that it might be. It’s probably not wholly inaccurate. It kind of comes more from some advice that my dad gave me. He was in music and before he died he advised me to try to take things too far. So it’s sort of a bit of an homage to his advice I guess. With a title like Dear God I Hate Myself and a picture of yourself on the cover, the new album seems confrontational. Was that the intent? I think the intent was just to express feeling that way sometimes. How to put this... extreme negative emotion is sometimes looked down upon as not being genuine. So in addition to being an autobiographical comment, it’s an attempt to make extreme negative emotion something that doesn’t necessarily have to be hidden away. Do you think you’ve had a problem with people interpreting you as theatrical? People are free to interpret things any way that they want. I know that it’s not that, and there’s nothing I can do other than to be honest in my own attempt at expressing that. All of the songs are about something real that is happening. And almost by definition, saying something that is honest is confessional. So do you write to get past problems? I don’t really feel cleansed for having written a song about something. It clarifies an issue, but it doesn’t make it go away. It gives the energy behind it some place to go, but it doesn’t make it go away. When Women As Lovers came out in 2008, the press release said that it was your most accessible album to date “on a
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human level”. Does that carry on to this album? I don’t know if I necessarily agree with that line. We’ve never done anything to attempt to be accessible. We’ve really pointedly played around with pop structures and pop types of songs because we like pop songs, but the point of that is not to be accessible, it’s to make the music that reflects what we’re interested in at the time. I would say that Dear God I Hate Myself’s arrangements are extraordinarily influenced by pop music, and whether that makes something accessible by default, I don’t know. The point is not to try to be accessible, it’s to try to be as good as we can be.
Sometimes that is achieved and sometimes it’s not, but the intent to do it is definitely there.
Is it difficult for you to sing the songs night in night out, or do you feel detached from them? No, it is difficult. The point would be to not have a detachment from them. It would be the opposite of what I’ve always tried to do with this band. It gets exhausting for sure. I try as hard as I can to be as honest as I can every single night.
And what keeps you awake? What doesn’t keep me awake. I’ve had a bad time sleeping since I was a little kid. Horrible, horrible, horrible sense of anxiety every night.
In homage to the chorus of Chocolate Makes You Happy, what makes you happy at the moment? Well, it’s really cold in New York right now, and I grew up in California so I’m not used to it being cold. And I’m really interested in birdwatching so I’ve began to put gallons of birdfeed in the grass. My front yard is completely infested with the local birds. Looking at them every morning makes me pretty happy. However chocolate still makes me very happy as well.
Xiu Xiu play Whelan’s on 20 February for the sum of €15. If you’re not at Lady Gaga, like.
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Oscar win this year is a reflection of people’s appreciation for what’s happening within the Japanese film industry. There is more variety in Japanese film now. Our films aren’t falling into certain stereotypical categories. The new generation of film-makers are quite keen to explore the outside market and are taking an international audience into consideration when making their films. In that respect it’s a very different kind of filmmaking to what we had in the 1950s. It certainly is an interesting and encouraging time for Japanese cinema.
Henry and Sunny, Dublin-based writer/director together twenty years after their original setting Fergal Rock’s ‘melancholic tale of true love against and they meet for the first time in a cafĂŠ in Moscow all odds’, is a unique vision quite beautifully realwhere they discuss each other’s lives. ized. Shot in high-contrast black and white, Henry and Sunny imagines a complicated relationship Can you tell us about the programme and why you These plays are not related though are they? They
words //between PADRAIG MORAN an unemployed clown and his high-profile have chosen these particular films? aren’t sequels? love interest who inhabit very different worlds that We try to promote a deeper understanding of Japanese No, they are both completely different characters Rounding off TheProjects Abbey’sisto By Popular Pallas Contemporary something ofapart, a tragically threaten keep themDemand despite their society and culture. A lot of the films’ themes this year from completely different plays. The only link is that season, which saw the welcome (Terminus) and not hidden gem best in Dublin’s artistic landscape, secreted efforts. compliment that aim. We have five films for Dublin so welcome (The Sea Farer) return to the Abbey they both share an author and a location. The play away from the This larger tourist haunts commercial latest short fromand Rock assembles an acand I hope that I have selected a good combination andthat Peacock stages ofcity some ofhas itsWhich most talked-about entities populate theteam centre. isn’t contributed stands on its own feet however, so audiences wouldn’t complished that undoubtedly that people will enjoy. The press responses to all of image: ACCA shows, is Little Gem, the debut to say that it’s inaccessible, in award factreception in winning the fish have to be familiar with Chekhov to enjoy to the film’s positive onbowl the festival necessarily circuit. them have been very positive. We have Ponyo, the latfrom actor/writer Elaine Murphy. Ever since its of Dublin city, it’s just past the little plastic diver, Here he discusses the film’s depiction of a love less the play. animation Miyazaki who is quite well known much-raved-about appearance as part of the Fringe In Little Gem the role ofest Amber provedfrom the most tucked awayordinary, betweenand Stoneybatter Smithfield. how they and stumbled across lead actor or costumes. from Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. Ponyo findexperience that a lot of the timehad when I go into a in 2008, it has played to sold out audiences Has the“Inew Dublin a significant difficult to cast. “This playThere has aseems reallyto big elderly If you’re willing toBraganca. go slightly off road with yourin Ed- Have be a strong sense of fragility in your Paulo you worked with Brian Friel’s plays in the past? wasisasohuge hitfun, in Japan. quite a deceptive film as it I don’t recognise the characters on stage. inburgh, Londontake anda New York, snaring its scribe effecttheatre on what you’re producing? fanbase, because the Kay work, role much and toIt is the city centre strolling, lookey-loo in this month, particularly concerning grammar of urban Yes, myI first Brian Friel play was in 1966, as a kid in appears to be aimed at a younger audience but we can wouldn’t meet them in my everyday life. With some serious accolades ranging from the Fishamble Typically our work is a response to both the physiget them to listen to what a 19 year old has to say where Australian artists Pat Foster and Jen Berean architecture, does all of this relate back to that ‘inwork to doofwith costumes andHowever, props so our choice cast it. Two Portuguese plumbers turned up at our The concept of clowns as the latest casualtiesthe of the Abbey The Loves Cass McGuire. always expect Miyazaki to deliver a deeper message Little Gem, I think, the audience members recognise New Writing award to the 2009 Carol Tambor cal and social structures of a given environment, so and to really care about it, you really need someone have openedrecession a
new exhibition to one. coincide with their builtone anxiety’? to shoot in black and white simplified things on that producer Orla’s door daysurface to re-fit her bathis a unique What made you settle on than the suggests. A Stranger of Mine is a very oneasofsoon the greatest acting experiences I particularly have themselves more in think the characters, if of interest In response toever theatmospheric. level shown in year’s Best of that Edinburgh. bad for woman as we landed Dublin we quickly started strong in thelast role.� international studio This senseone of fragility in the work is intended to level. I also it looks much more room. She texted me saying of them idearesidency. as Not the basis for ayour film?who only interesting film from awould youngbedirector named Kenji had was playing Casimir in another Friel play called you seeIt it all incity, one of the to suburban theatres like the event the Japanese Film Festival hasAs broadened its the wrote itwell she couldn’t benative arsed walking to a researching the through walking around, a perfect writer and an actress is she the dreaming uphim any Already established in Melinherent lack ofhe’d stability within the goes back that almost Farside-like idea of for parthighlight of Henry and asked if I because actually wrote thetheir script while I was doing Uchida. Iton is his first film, shot on a low budget and Arguably Ireland’s greatest living playwright, Brian of Aristocrats. took playthrough toof London and then Civic inrobbing Tallaght.� horizons, now taking in three locations across the library. talking to We locals andthat digging images. juicy roles for the herself He to bring toof life stage? bourne, Foster and Berean vocabulary fabric urban space, that in-built anxiety. The the clowns their color and distinctive be interested. was really surprised because he’d masters in DIT.employ At one the stage I was working in a call uses noafamous actors. The brilliance of this film is its Friel turned 80 January, celebrate his Aswhich the in a long, long line Irish writers New York, iton allthe sorts of of awards. This a welcome return country before making to Dublin “I last initially started writing the piece as a vehicle Attempting to latest getearned a grasp workings of the “I’mactually playing with it. You write piece and you architectural design to appraise how we underconstant act of trying tofew achieve this stability has traits. made a feature film in Portugal a years centre and a and lot oftothe people working there with clever script and structure. It has a great twist finding their voice in Andrey monologue wonder milestone birthday Gate Theatre are presentinhowever, theform latterI lucky halftook of November. programmer for myself,� she tells me when I In meet herlooked for tea like in isn’t myand first time playing we also its significant history. We were about whether can see in unusual it or famous stand and utilize our built environs. preparing the affect, rendering social spaces even more to Festival bethink interpreted. Afterplay is aadverse bityourself of aas gem, and earlier. He hadyou a great career relatively methe were involved in the arts and theycity which Ibetter don’taoff want to say too much about. It’s the kind what istaken about this mode ofyear theatre that makes it Shinji Yamada has a schedule reflective the would “I had an audition andjobs. IStability, was toowriting lazy often enough to itAustralia beWere on a fantastically insightful tourcompiled whether somebody else befew in the ing three ofThe hisAbbey. greatest works in succession: Faith Afterplay to early this with Francesca their residency show, The Problem with fragile. Our work suggests that this lack of stability you being satirical about the entertainment although itfado has beenofpreformed a times in Ireland, singer over there, was signed to David Byrne’s were better suited to other My of film you will want to see twice! Kamikaze Girls is a so attractive emerging playwrights? imagination andtoforward thinking that has made Japato go toinvolves get new monologue. I Best had this idea a Annis local historian that really helped us toBarber. start role. There’s always thenot question about whether I’d process hasabeen ideally positioned between should be understood as a it. key in how we Healer,their Afterplay and The Yalta Game. known now I’mtodoing it with Frances industry? record label and toured around America. He wentfactor taking something familiar andfor putting itby inaand many Friel fans will still be overly familiar with beautiful coming-of-age story about teenage friendship “I was talking to Abi Spillane about it, whose nese cinema an institution, affording Irish audiences script. The youngest character came from that. Then understand the layers of history that inform Dublin. be able to have enough distance from the piece to PCP and the IFSC-based Station shape the built environs. for theStoneybatter’s classic Philadelphia Here I context. Come and DancI think it’s gentle satire. We’re not taking pot-shots to London to pursue a music career but it didn’t a slightly different IFire think that’s where the
and Japanese fashion subcultures. Shall We Dance, own debut Punk featured three actors deliverthe opportunity totwo appreciate thedounique cinematic I had this idea for the granny’s character. I started yes, the city has affected thethat work we it justice.â€? Studios, allowing to experience a crossmenial section at anybody. I think fact they’re surrounded out so he came toto Ireland to doorbathroom idea ofthem having clownsa working jobs where ing at Lunasa he has also translated number of AndSohow different iscertainly itGirls doing thethe same part with Have fans work of Chekhov warmed theconfused play dis- the Hollywood re-make, has not to be with ing monologues, and wecharacters agreed that it’s just athe matoutput of one of world’s largest and oldest film thinking about how I was going to bring them have produced. “I do miss acting though. I have aThe small part inhe aany of the city, and the seismic-shifts that recent trends So have you come across buildings or infraby over-the-top who are motivated by installation with his brother. moment walked they stand-out visually came from. The clowns Chekhov’s plays into English, giving them a new lease different actors? credited it? become a modern classic in Japan. Departures is a faster of getting the piece up and getting it out there. If industries. together in a play and that’s how I came to write romantic comedy called Happy Ever After which is of boom and bust have wreaked. In the midst of all structure in Dublin that youHe think could benefit fameitand money clownsboth more sympain I knew that Paulocinating was perfect for the role. are symbolic of esteemed artists in aactor way. When of life. Totally Dublin spoke to Niall we started It’s great because keeps one makes fresh. the They’re filmin, about Japanese I have only ever done ittoinjust Australia where there death rites. It has become you to dosay something really withisno set changes, the mother. Is it fair yourTheir work alsosimple, experiments with the and Wellout in January andempathized its nicefrom walk get your this to-ing and fro-ing, caught upwhole with the a few cracked thetic. natural instinct to entertain completely with Henry as windows? he was also of its Oscar win so we shooting theArtsdesk film last year global financial Buggy about his role in Afterplay, and histhe history wonderful actors and both of them aresetfriends, it’s more widely because was a very warm it. Friel hasavailable translated asome newer developthree actors who can literally upisusers shop The real 1950s ofteninregarded as the golden age ofresponse When I finally finished writing I itwas too old tonot builtjust form inprovide the aftermath ofThere’s design, where script, get dressed up and to off you go.â€? pair to suss out what they had in storeitso for us‌ Well there does appear tohim be up humour. generosity involved in trying to resurrect his career. So we signed meltdown had just started seemed silly with Friel’splay works. very important to get on with your co-stars because are delighted that we managed to secure it for the festinumber of Chekhov’s plays so he knows the material living people areJapanese more likely to take cinema butathe selected show Amber and tooon young or story Lorraine ‘read’ and room, reconfigure their environShe finds writing quite lonely. “Your cast on create that certainly have suffered both poor what they do, which isown in direct opposition tofilms otheryou have and as soon as we ments posted about him our blog we from to comment it buttoitplay wasKay a love we wereoftenyour val. I think all fiverespect films are good representations of the naturally you have to spend a lotsuch of time together. and characters inside out and knew how to risk on you.â€? imagination and innovation. Do you think that last thing I wanted, after spending so long ments? this bond and the production have this bond, and Whatand canthe we expect from your new show? planning and the recent economic downturn. Big characters’ more selfish values. started getting comments from his Portuguese fans. making and that’s what we decided to concentrate diversity and capabilities of Japanese cinema. Can you usproduced a bit of the background also provides new writers withhow aJapanese much them. modern cinema may have entered intopart writing thein bloody thing, wasfor to of be inPallas itplay? myself, so I Yes, ourItwork specifically focuses upon we greater there is He a little of you that’s looking on,We’ve waving Wetell have allend. new works thethe new empty buildings withbeen vacant has aahuge following over there. verypublic spaces on the Well the play has borrowed two characters Afterplay wasideas written intheir 2002, why dointo you think the vehicle to present voice. “You can tell soofmuch period rival that decade? meeting the standards left it in Paul hands.â€? understand of ‘use’ and ‘misuse’ terms of piece goodbye.â€? show over the pastMeade’s month whilst we havetaken been in attached.Hopefully the next few You had an interesting, diverse group people Is it the lucky all the way through. The Japanese Film Festival takes place in Cineworld moresuch ofinteraction a story and goFriel anywhere. forget that from two different Chekhov plays. Andrey Gate a modern celebrate his set bytoPeople the likes of Kurosawa and Ozu? is Little Gem is Station ayou simple story, based on three thechose public’s builtplay environments. We residence at Why the Fire studios. The show will Afterplay playing Healer and Yalta onboard forwith the film. How did they all become will be the alongside same! onFaith did chose aI play monochrome color scheme? November 20-22the it’s just one actor speaking because they are preI think that we have entered into a new phase and that generations of women from Murphy’s native from Two Sisters, and the other character is Sonya are really interested in how public space is designed Little Gem runs at The Peacock Theatre from life’s work? consist of a We sculpture and wall-based works that are The Problem with Stability runs in Pallas ContemGame in The Gate Theatre, from the 9th - 19th involved? wanted the film to have a unified style so For more, see www.accesscinema.ie with all amazing images going through the value ofdidn’t Japanese has changed. Departures’ Artane. Itresponse chronicles aimages year inand their lives. A simple withsented aalways certain in-built anxiety predicated 19 January-27 February. Tickets priced from Uncle Vanya. Friel hashad these characters an abstracted tobrought relating Writers like tothese have theiranmost recent work porary 30â‚Ź15 January until 13 March, The idea ofanxiety, auditioning people reallyfilm appeal More information on the Projects film is between tofrom be found at everything to have thetexts same palette throughout. September heads.â€? play, in Ifmonologue form, withand no controlled. extravagant sets a lot upon a fear and of misuse. and â‚Ź18. to how social spaces designed Thursday to Saturday, 12-6pm. to meexpectation so we weren’t sure how we were going to http://henryandsunny.blogspot.com/ we hadare shot in color we would have had of their
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words // ROSIE GOGAN-KEOGH Bhangra-Punk innovators and Britain’s most politically conscious band Asian Dub Foundation return to Dublin this month to try out some unrecorded material from their new album on an Irish audience. We caught up with guitarist Chandrasonic to chat about the X Factor, saying no to David Bowie, and anger management. You’ve been together for 17 years now, how have things changed? It’s been very evolving. I suppose it goes into periods. The first three albums was one period. The fourth and fifth was another and the last album we began a new period. The first three the whole concept came into place and we made a big impact all pretty unsuspectingly. When I look back I’m amazed we got as far as we did because the band was so different and so challenging, so unusual. For a group like us to break out like we did was pretty unprecedented. It had to change after that. The original vocalist left and we got a couple of new ones. We added Cyber, the percussionist on tabla and gong which has defined the sound for this past decade. It put this bhangra punjabi element into the sound. Now we’re expanding again. You’ve been labeled the last angry band in Britain. Do you think this is true? If you’re being labeled anything then it’s not true. I don’t consider any labels put on us by anyone else as valid. I think we’ve got a lot of passion. I think we’re not afraid to be a bit rough soundwise.
#)"/(3"4 "/% ."4) 61 "4*"/ %6# '06/%"5*0/ We’re not afraid to be energetic and fast and get people going. I don’t think we really make a stand about things so much anymore. The problem is, whether we do or don’t, people think we do. I could write a song about me feeding my goldfish and someone will think it’s some kind of antiAmerican rant. What do you think about RATM’s recent Christmas number one success? I bought it. I thought it was a nice statement against the X Factor thing. Yet people say the X Factor is killing music but that kind of trite cover version thing, created by a talent show, created by big corporations controlling the whole package, it’s been around all the time. There’s nothing new about it, it just seems a lot bigger and all-pervasive. I heard you were involved with fundraising for a Dublin based educational initiative? Yeah, that was our first gig in Dublin, in the Temple Bar Music Centre in 1995 to fundraise for a local education project. What a gig that was. David Bowie came to see us. He wanted us to tour with him, we turned him down.
Who says no to David Bowie?! You support David Bowie, it’s not a great thing. Some one else we know did that support tour and when they were playing David Bowie’s band was setting up in the back. They didn’t get paid, they played when people were walking in. It’s like David Bowie says, ‘Oooh, I’ll have them,’ then he absconds from the process and allows his cronies to treat you like shit. That’s no disrepect to him though. I’m a great fan. From doing the live soundtrack to La Haine to a punk musical to your ongoing social work, what on earth can we expect to see from ADF next? We’re working on an album called A History of Now. It’s about a similar theme we’ve all lived through; a kind of second industrial revolution which has changed everything just in the past ten years with things like social media and reality TV. I guess a bit of ADF futurology I suppose that hasn’t been done before. Asian Dub Foundation play Tripod on 19th February, with tickets on sale for a handsome â‚Ź22.50/27.50
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When it comes to pulling in the big guns to tread across our boards Irish theatre has come up pretty short of late, so this month’s production of Haunted at the Gaiety Theatre is very good news indeed for those counting the box office receipts. From the pen of the woman Philip Roth calls ‘the most gifted woman now writing in English’ (Edna O Brien) Haunted is a play about guilt and loss, and stars two-time Academy Award-winner Brenda Blethyn as a woman whose husband (Niall “I made the BBC” Buggy) has secretly been giving away her clothes in return for elocution lessons from a young ingénue. Considering she is one of the few actresses able to have a film career past forty without bitching about the lack of worthy roles being offered to her, I wonder what has tempted her back to the more rewarding, yet fiscally unsound stage. “Edna has this wonderful ability;” she says moments after stepping off the plane from England. “In a time when we are all reduced to texting and emailing, where eloquence seems to be a thing of the past, to read a play that is so beautifully written is a total joy.” A memory play that deals with loss, guilt and love, it’s heartbreaking yet funny, a celebration of language coming from the mouth of these very ordinary people. “All the characters have a love of language and it deals with the human condition, about your own sense of inadequacy. But it’s also hopeful because the central character acknowledges it.” The part was specifically written for Blethyn after O’Brien caught her performance as the wrung-out former Southern belle Amanda Wingfield in the 2008 revival of The Glass Menagerie. The controversial Irish writer was so enamored with what she saw she sent Blethyn a rejigged version of an old telly play she had written at the start of her career in the hopes that Blethyn would fall for the part. Blethyn, who at first resisted the persistent O’Brien’s gentle reminders, was thrilled with what she found when she finally sat down and read it. “I LOVED it. With a passion. Absolutely loved it. I called her straight away. I sent it to (the director) Braham Murray who also loved it so much he not only agreed to direct but actually made room for it in the Royal Exchange’s schedule.” Not that it inflated her ego that one of the world’s
finest writers had sculpted a beaut of a role for her. In fact she wasn’t even aware of Edna’s work before starting rehearsals. “I’d never read a word. I’d heard of her, but I’d never read her novels. Given her delight at the language in O’Brien’s play I ask her if today’s playwrights disappoint her with their preference for short, sharp, often crude prose. “Well it only reflects what’s going on in the street. Everyday life. There is leisure about writing. In an age of speed it was just such a pleasure to read her script.” How did Brenda not only continue to find work but hit her stride on what is considered the wrong side of forty? “I don’t have any issue with the size of my parts. All I care about is whether it’s a good part. I don’t mind playing parts that are not overly sympathetic. I don’t always have to play the goody. I’m loved in life; I don’t need to find that love on stage as well. The mother is often the band-aid, the tea maker, the door opener. But for me someone who opens and shuts a door is still a character. You want to know if they like this person they’re letting in.” The play opened to rave reviews in Manchester in May and Brenda has hooked up with Buggy, Murray and the rest of the Haunted crew in Dublin to rebuild the piece for the Gaiety stage. “It’s the first time we have played the play with a proscenium arch because in Manchester we acted in the round.” She’s excited about the possibility of making new discoveries during this process and hopes Edna is there to give her few cents in the rehearsal room. “Whenever you rerehearse something you uncover something new, it’s inevitable. It’s one of the joys of being in theatre because you keep finding new layers every time you perform a piece. Since most plays I perform in are classics, the writers are dead so it’s a privilege to have Edna there. If I’m doing something she doesn’t like I’d rather know early on. It’s her work of art as it were.” Haunted runs from the 4th-13th of February at The Gaiety Theatre, with tickets priced between €25-47.50
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Live gigs Tuesday 2 February ■ Marduk Whelan’s 8pm, Tbc Metal Cringe-fest ■ Bad Mood Band JJ Smyths 9pm, €8 Open jam with new blues & soul band
Wednesday 3 Feb ■ Open Trad Session Hedigan’s Brian Boru 9pm, Free. With local musicians IMRAMA.
Thursday 4 February ■ Cobra Starship The Academy 7.30pm, €16.50 Tween favourites ■ Isotope JJ Smyths 9pm, €10 Long-running jazz session ■ Eimog Whelan’s 8pm, €10 Italian instrumentalists
Friday 5 February ■ Kelly Clarkson
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TOTALLY DUBLIN
Olympia Theatre 7pm, €44.20 Sans-airbrush ■ Paddy Keenan & Tommy
■ Ben Reel Band JJ Smyths 9pm, €10 Castleblayney’s finest musical export
Sullivan Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre 8.30pm, €18 “the Jimi Hendrix of the pipes” ■ Big Big Darius The Village 8pm, Tbc ■ Parchman Farm JJ Smyths 9pm, €10 One of Ireland’s premier blues bands ■ The Blue Choir Whelan’s 8pm, Tbc Musical collective ■ Thom Southern & Band Whelan’s 8pm, €15 Whelan’s debut for anti-folkster ■ The Shoos Academy 2 8pm, €12 They do a nice version of ‘Just dance’. That’s about it.
Saturday 6 February ■ Fox Avenue Academy 2 8pm, €10 Progeny of The Blizzards
■ Albert Niland Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre 7.30pm, € 16 Acclaimed guitarist & storyteller ■ Cluster The Village 7.30pm, €20 Plus guests Boys of Summer ■ Sing-along Sound of Music The Sugar Club 7.30pm, €15 With subtitles so ya can singalong ■ Subplots Whelan’s 8pm, Tbc Hotly tipped three-piece
Sunday 7 February ■ Mark McKnight Trio JJ Smyths 8pm, €10
■ The Ex The Button Factory 8pm, €17.50 With Brass Unbound and Zun Zun Egui
Monday 8 February ■ Xavier Rudd The Academy 7.30pm, €30 ■ The Low Anthem Vicar Street 8pm, €18
Tuesday 9th Feb ■ Jennifer Batten Whelan’s 8pm, €16.50 Guitar hero who happens to be female ■ Iain Matthews Whelan’s 8pm, €20 Fairport Convention founder
Wednesday 10 Feb ■ Jamie T The Academy 7.30pm, €18.95 Re-scheduled date from last year ■ Neosupervital Crawdaddy 11pm, €5 Yes, they’re still around ■ Open Trad Session Hedigan’s Brian Boru 9pm, Free. With local musicians IMRAMA. ■ Diana Jones
Upstairs at Whelan’s 8pm, Tbc Singer-songwriter ■ Jonatha Brooke Whelan’s 8.30pm, € 17.45 Singer-songwriter
Thursday 11 Feb ■ Ne-Yo The O2 8pm, €49.20 ■ Mariza National Concert Hall 8.30pm, €35/40/45 World music diva ■ David Bazan Whelan’s 8pm, €15 Pedro the Lion frontman plus guests Postdata ■ Debasement presents
Upstairs at Whelan’s 7pm, Tbc Line up TBA
Friday 12 February ■ The Aftermath Academy 2 8pm, €12 Mullingar mods ■ Eddi Reader The Button Factory 7.30pm, €22.50 80s hitmaker
■ Netnakisum Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre 7.30pm, €16 Austrian classical music ■ The Leisure Society Sugar Club 8.30pm, €15 ■ Dusty Kid Tripod 11pm, €15 Big beats ■ Parchman Farm JJ Smyths 9pm, €10 One of Ireland’s premier blues bands ■ Benefit for Beaumont Crawdaddy 8pm, €15 With Transformation Blues Band & Asalaters ■ Tune-yards Whelan’s 8pm, €16.50 With the excellent Hunter Gatherer ■ The Doors Alive The Academy 7.30pm, €16.50
Saturday 13 February ■ Beach House Whelan’s 7.30pm, € 16 One of 2010’s rising stars plus guests Lawrence of Arabia
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■ The Susan Tomelty Band JJ Smyths €10, 9pm Rhythm & Blues ■ John Shelly & The
Creatures Upstairs at Whelan’s 8pm, €5 With guests Escape Act & Idle Generator
Sunday 14 February ■ Dickie Rock Olympia Theatre 7.30pm, €25 Just what you wanted for Valentines ■ Slow Session Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre 7.30pm, €5 Regular trad event hosted by Paudie O’Connor ■ Yoi-Tang! JJ Smyths 8pm, €10 Jazz vituoso
9.30pm, Free Zodiac Sessions ■ Open Trad Session Hedigan’s Brian Boru 9pm, Free. With local musicians IMRAMA.
Thursday 18 Feb
■ Tupelo The Village 8pm, €10 Acoustic roots quintet
■ Man in the Mirror Olympia Theatre 7pm, €25 Incase you still have Michael Jackson hysteria
■ Xiu Xiu Whelan’s 7.30pm, €15 Cult experimental goth/pop with guests Crayonsmith
■ Nanci Griffith National Concert Hall 7pm, €39.50
■ L’Angelus Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre 7.30pm, €12 Roots, rock & motown from Louisiana siblings
■ Charlie Winston The Village 7.30pm, € 18.50 Re-scheduled date ■ Band of Skulls Academy 2 8pm, €13.50 Garage rockers ■ Alphastates Whelan’s 8pm, €10 Farewell show
■ Midlake Vicar Street 8.30pm, €23 Indie-rock
Friday 19 February
Monday 15 February ■ MIKA Olympia Theatre 7.30pm, €39.20 He makes big girls feel special
Tuesday 16 February ■ Noelie McDonnell Whelan’s 8pm, €10 Galwegian singer-songwriter with support from Jess Klein
Wednesday 17 Feb ■ Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt Olympia Theatre 7.30pm, €44.20 ■ Keith Mullins Bruxelles
■ Man in the Mirror Olympia Theatre 7pm, €25
■ Man in the Mirror Olympia Theatre 7pm, €25 ■ The Lambrettas Whelan’s 8pm, €27 Modfathers ■ Asian Dub Foundation Tripod 7.30pm, €22.50 Dub with a conscience ■ Yeasayer The Academy 7.30pm, €16 ■ Little Xs For Eyes Upstairs at Whelan’s 8pm, €10 With Mackerel the Cat & Daithi O Dronai
Saturday 20 February
■ The Heavyweights JJ Smyths 9pm, €10 Blues collective ■ Xiu Xiu Whelan’s 7.30pm, €15 Cult experimental goth/pop with guests Crayonsmith ■ Lady Gaga The O2 8pm, €36.10 Sold out
Sunday 21 February ■ Shockwaves NME Awards Shows The Academy 7.30pm, €20 Because the NME still stands for something
8pm, €36.10 ■ Metier JJ Smyths 8pm, €10
Monday 22 February ■ Seasick Steve Vicar Street 8.30pm, €28 Guitar-led tales of rough-living and hobos
■ The Screaming Orphans Upstairs at Whelan’s 8pm, €10 Sinead O Connor’s old backing singers
Tuesday 23 February ■ Air Olympia Theatre 7.30pm, €49.20 ■ Carlene Carter Whelan’s 8pm, €21 Nashville royalty ■ Seasick Steve Vicar Street 8.30pm, €28
Wed 24 February ■ Holly Williams Whelan’s 8pm, Tbc Singer-songwriter/fashion designer
■ DST Whelan’s 8pm, Tbc Disposable Sex Toys. Right.
■ Open Trad Session Hedigan’s Brian Boru 9pm, Free. With local musicians IMRAMA.
■ Piper In The Parlour Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre 2.30pm, €5 This month’s musicians are Darach deBrún (Pipes) and Gerard Byrne (Flute).
■ Aja JJ Smyths 9pm, €12 Playing the music of Steely dan
■ Lady Gaga The O2
■ Nick Kelly Upstairs at Whelan’s 8pm, €17
Monthly collaboration with surprise guests
■ Canadian Singer-
songwriter showcase Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre 7.30pm, € 16 Showcase of four Canadian singer-songwriters
Thurs 25 February ■ Tinchy Stryder Olympia Theatre, 7.30pm, €28 The acceptable face of grime
■ Finley Quaye The Village 8pm, €23 Remember him? Didn’t think so.
■ The Grunts Whelan’s 8pm, Tbc Indie-rock with guests The Shed
■ U.S. Girls Thomas House 8pm, €8 With No Tmmrws & School Tour
■ Jesca Hoop Academy 2 8pm, €12 Tom Waits sponsored singersongwriter
■ Sixteen Layers The Sugar Club 8pm, €10 Homegrown rock n roll
Friday 26 February
■ The Saw Doctors Olympia Theatre 7.30pm, €31.80
■ Thirty Seconds to Mars The O2 7pm, €39.20 Woeful emo from middle aged men
■ Codes The Academy 8pm, €15
■ The Last Tycoons The Village 8pm, Tbc
Sunday 28 February
■ Super Extra Bonus Party Whelan’s 8pm, €10 Another ommission from the Choice list
■ MachineHead Olympia Theatre, 7.30pm, €33.60 To take you back to the days of Fibbers
■ God Is An Astronaut The Academy 8pm, €19.85
■ Three Blind Wolves Whelan’s 8pm, Tbc Unsigned Scots
■ Groove Armada Olympia Theatre 7.30pm, €35.60
■ Clanntrai – Families in in
Saturday 27 February
Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre 2.30pm, €5 Regular trad event
Traditional Music
■ JLS The O2 6.30pm, €39.60 Sold out (yes, really)
■ Slow Session Workshop Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre 7.30pm, €10 This month’s event is tutored by Aoife O’Keefe
■ David Lyttle Group JJ Smyths 9pm, €14 Featuring Terrell Stafford
Weekly clubs Mondays Think Tank
■ King Kong Club The Village, 26 Wexford St, D2 Musical game show 9pm, Free
Think Tank, Temple Bar, D2 Pop, Rock and Soul 11pm
■ Soap Marathon Monday/ Mashed Up Monday
■ Upbeat Generation @
■ Sound Mondays The Turk’s Head, Parliament St & Essex Gate, Temple Bar, D1 Indie, Rock, Garage and Post Punk 11pm, Free ■ Island Culture South William, 52 Sth William St, D2 Caribbean cocktail party Free ■ The Hep Cat Club 4 Dame Lane, Dame Lane, D2 Swing, Jazz and Lounge with classes 8pm, Free ■ Dice Sessions The Dice Bar, Queen St, Smithfield, D7 DJ Alley Free
24
TOTALLY DUBLIN
The George, Sth. Great Georges St, D2 Chill out with a bowl of mash and catch up with all the soaps 6.30pm, Free ■ The Industry Night Break for the Border, 2 Johnstons Place, Lr Stephens Street, Dublin 2. Pool competition, Karaoke & DJ 8pm ■ Make and Do-Do with
■ Euro Saver Mondays Twentyone Club and Lounge, D’Olier St, D2 DJ Al Redmond 11pm, €1 with flyer ■ Recess Ruaille Buaille, South King St, D2 Student night 11pm, €8/6 ■ Therapy Club M, Blooms Hotel, D2 Funky House, R‘n’B 11pm, €5 ■ Lounge Lizards Solas Bar, 31 Wexford St, D2 Soul music 8pm, Free
Panti Bar, 7-8 Capel Street, Dublin 1 Gay arts and crafts night 10pm
■ Dolly Does Dragon, The Dragon, South Georges St, D2 Cocktails, Candy and Classic Tunes 10pm, Free
■ DJ Ken Halford Buskers, Temple Bar, D2 Chart Pop, Indie, Rock 10pm
■ Oldies but Goldies Ri-Ra, Dame Court, D2 Blooming Good Tunes 11pm, Free
Panti
■ Austin Carter + Company B + DJ Dexy Fitzsimons Bar, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 9pm – 1.30am ■ DJ Darren C Fitzsimons Club, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 11pm Chart, pop, and dance with a twist
Tuesdays ■ C U Next Tuesday Crawdaddy, Old Harcourt St Station, D2 A mix every type of genre guaranteed to keep you dancing until the wee small hours. 11pm, €5 ■ True Stories Bernard Shaw Free, 8.30pm House, techno, hip-hop, B-more and loads more at the Shaw ■ Taste Solas Bar, 31 Wexford St, D2 Lady Jane with soul classics
■ Star DJs Sin, Sycamore St, Temple Bar, D2 Disco, House, R’n’B 9pm
and more 8pm, Free ■ Rap Ireland The Pint, 28 Eden Quay, D 1 A showcase of electro and hip hop beats 9pm, Free
■ Juicy Beats The Village, 26 Wexford St, D2 Indie, Rock, Classic Pop, Electro 10.30pm, Free
■ Groovilisation South William, Sth. William St. D2 8pm, Free DJs Izem, Marina Diniz & Lex Woo ■ Tarantula Tuesdays The Turks Head, Parliament St & Essex Gate, Temple Bar, D2 Disco, House, Breaks 11pm ■ Sugarfree Ri-Ra, Dame Court, D2 Soul, Ska, Indie, Disco, Reggae 11pm, Free ■ Le Nouveau Wasteland The Dice Bar, Queen St, Smithfield, D7 Laid back French Hip Hop and Groove Free
■ Jezabelle The Purty Kitchen, 34/35 East Essex St, Temple Bar, D2 Live Classic Rock 7pm, Free before 11pm ■ The DRAG Inn The Dragon, Sth Great Georges St, D2 Davina Devine presents open mic night with prizes, naked twister, go-go boys and makeovers. 8pm, Free ■ Glitz Break for the Border, Lwr Stephens Street, D2 Gay club night with Annie, Davina and DJ Fluffy 11pm
www.totallydublin.ie
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■ Trashed Andrews Lane Theatre, Andrews Lane, D2 Indie and Electro 10.30pm, €5 ■ DJ Stephen James Buskers, Temple Bar, D2 Chart Pop, Indie 10pm ■ Funky Sourz Club M, Temple Bar, D2 DJ Andy Preston (FM104) 11pm, €5 ■ Hed-Dandi Dandelion, St. Stephens Green West, D2 DJs Dave McGuire & Steve O ■ Takeover Twentyone Club and Lounge, D’Olier St, D2 Electro, Techno 11pm, €5 ■ John Fitz + The K9s + DJ
Mick B Fitzsimons Bar, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 9 – 1.30am ■ DJ Keith P Fitzsimons Club, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 11pm Classic hits & party pop
Wednesdays ■ Rattle Records with Ross
(The Chapters) Pygmalian, South William St, D2 9pm, Free Entry ■ Galactic Beat Club The Turk’s Head, Parliament St & Essex Gate, Temple Bar, D1 Disco, Boogie, House, Funk and Balearic 11pm, Free ■ Blasphemy Spy, Powerscourt Town Centre, South William St, D2 Upstairs Indie and pop, downstairs Electro 11pm, €5 ■ Beatdown Disco South William, Sth. William St. D2 Stylus DJs Peter Cosgrove & Michael McKenna - disco, soul, house 8pm, Free ■ Wild Wednesdays Twentyone Club and Lounge, D’Olier St, D2 Frat Party €5 entry, first drink free ■ Shaker The Academy, Middle Abbey St, D2 11pm, €8/6
Electro/Tech House Party 11pm ■ Antics POD, Old Harcourt Station, Harcourt St, D2 Indie student night with live music slots 11pm, €5 ■ Dean Sherry Sin, Sycamore St, Temple Bar, D2 Underground House, Techno, Funk 9pm ■ 1957 The Dice Bar, Queen St, Smithfield, D7 Blues, Ska Free ■ Soup Bitchin’ Panti Bar, 7-8 Capel St, D1 Gay student night ■ The Song Room The Globe, 11 Sth Great Georges St, D2 Live music 8.30pm, Free ■ First Taste Crawdaddy, Old Harcourt St Station, D 2 A new weekly party playing all new and advance music in The Lobby Bar 7pm, Free ■ A Twisted Disco Ri-Ra, Dame Court, D2 80’s, Indie, Electro 11pm, Free ■ Unplugged @ The Purty The Purty Kitchen, 34/35 East Essex St, Temple Bar, D2 Live acoustic set with Gavin Edwards 7pm, Free before 11pm ■ Space ‘N’ Veda The George, Sth Great Georges St, D2 Performance and dance. Retro 50s, 60s, 70s 9pm, Free before 10pm, after 10pm €8/€4 with student ID ■ DJ Alan Healy Buskers, Temple Bar, D2 Chart Pop, Current Indie and Rock Music 10pm ■ Mud The Twisted Pepper, 54 Middle Abbey St, D2 Bass, Dubstep, Dancehall 11pm, €10 (varies if guest) ■ Sexy Salsa Dandelion Café Bar Club, St. Stephens Green West, D2 Latin, Salsa 8pm, Free
■ Synergy Solas Bar, 31 Wexford St, D2 All kinds of eclectic beats for midweek shenanigans 8pm, Free ■ Gaff Party Wax, Powerscourt Centre, South William St, D2
26
TOTALLY DUBLIN
Pygmalion, South William St, D2 DJ Scope and Handsome Paddy + special guests take the controls with a mix of hip-hop, electronica, funk, and soul. 10pm - Free Entry ■ The Odeon Movie Club Odeon Bar and Grill, 57 Harcourt St., D2 8pm, Free The Odeon Movie Club kicks off on Thursday February 4th and will feature seasons of different genres of Classic movies on the big screen, with full floor service offering cocktails from €5. Starting off with Film Noir, the first month’s line-up looks like this: Feb 4th: Vertigo Feb 11th: Chinatown. Feb 18th: La Confidential Feb 25th: Casablanca. ■ Jam Think Tank, Temple Bar, D1 Student night 10:30pm, Free ■ Soul @ Solas Solas Bar, 31 Wexford St, D2 Mr Razor plays the best in Soulful beats and beyond. International guests too! 8pm, Free ■ Eamonn Barrett 4 Dame Lane, D2 Electro and indie 10pm, Free ■ Extra Club M, Blooms Hotel, D2 Kick start the weekend with a little extra 11pm, €5, Free with flyer
■ Sidetracked Crawdaddy, Old Harcourt St Station, D2 Indie, Disco, Loungey House 8pm, Free ■ Off the Charts Twentyone Club and Lounge, D’Olier St, D2 R&B with Frank Jez and DJ Ahmed 11pm, €5 ■ Tea-Time Thursdays Howl at the Moon, 7 Lower Mount St, D2 Complimentary Captain Morgan’s and BBQ. Karaoke with Cormac and Stevo 9pm ■ Muzik The Button Factory, Curved St, Temple Bar, D2 Up-Beat Indie, New Wave, Bouncy Electro 11pm
■ Alchemy 12-14 Fleet St, D2 Alchemy DJs play a blend of indie, retro and chart floor fillers 10.30pm ■ Guateque Party Bia Bar, 28-30 Lwr Stephens St, D2 Domingo Sanchez and friends play an eclectic mix 8.30pm ■ The Little Big Party Ri-Ra, Dame Crt, D1 Indie music night 11pm, Free ■ Mr. Jones The Twisted Pepper, 54 Middle Abbey Street, D2 House, Electro, Bassline 11pm, €8/5 ■ Alternative Grunge Night Peader Kearney’s, 64 Dame St, D2 Alternative grunge 11pm, €5/3 ■ Krash Spy, Powerscourt Centre, Sth William St, D2 Pop/80s/Disco/Hip Hop 7pm, Free before 11pm, €5 after ■ Monkey Tennis Thomas House, 86 Thomas St, D8 Live DJ 9pm, Free ■ Eamonn Sweeney, The Village, The Village, 26 Wexford St, D2 10pm
Fitzsimons Bar, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 9pm – 1.30am ■ DJ Darren C Fitzsimons Club, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 11am Chart, pop & dance with a twist
Thursdays ■ Choice Cuts present The
■ Noize Andrews Lane Theatre, Andrews Lane, D2 Student night with live bands, Indie and Electro 9.30pm, €5 or €8 for two people with flyer ■ Thursdays @ Café En Seine Café En Seine, 39 Dawson St., D2 DJs and dancing until 2.30am. Cocktail promotions. 8pm, Free
Gay cabaret. 10pm ■ Mofo + One By One + DJ
Jenny T Fitzsimons Bar, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 9pm – 1.30am ■ DJ Dexy Fitzsimons Bar, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 11pm Energetic blend of dancefloor fillers
Fridays ■ SUPAFAST The Underground @ Kennedys, 31-32 Westland Row, D2 An open forum for music, performance, drawing, painting, sound and installations 11pm, €5/€8 ■ T.P.I. Fridays Pymalion, South William St, D2 Pyg residents Beanstalk, Larry David Jr. + guests play an eclectic warm-up leading up to a guest house set every week. 9pm, Free ■ Jam Hot 4 Dame Lane, D2 Funky Disco, House & Electro with Rob Linnane. Free ■ Hustle The Odeon, Old Harcourt St. Station, D2 Dance floor Disco, Funk and favourites. All Cocktails €5/. Pints, Shorts & Shots €4 10pm, Free
■ Kelp South William, 52 Sth William St, D2 Mash-ups, Bootlegs, Covers 9pm, Free
■ Friday Hi-Fi Alchemy, 12-14 Fleet St, D2 Rock, Funky House and Disco 10.30pm
■ Jason Mackay Sin, Sycamore St, Temple Bar, D2 Dance, R’n’B, House 9pm
■ Disco Not Disco Shine Bar, 40 Wexford St, D2 Disco, house, funk & soul 9.30pm
■ Fromage The Dice Bar, Queen St, Smithfield, D7 Motown Soul, Rock Free
■ Fridays @ The Turk’s Head The Turk’s Head, Parliament St & Essex Gate, Temple Bar, D1 Live guest bands and DJs 11pm, Free
■ Control/Delete Andrews Lane Theatre, Andrews Lane, D2 Indie and Electro 11pm, €3/4
■ The LITTLE Big Party Ri-Ra, Dame Crt, D2 Indie 11pm, Free
■ Davina’s House Party The George, Sth Great Georges St, D2 Drinks Promos, Killer Tunes and Hardcore Glamour 9pm, Free before 11pm, €4 with flyer
■ Rob Reid + EZ Singles +
DJ Karen G ■ A Twisted Disco Night Ri-Ra, Dame Crt, D1 80s, Indie, and Electro 11pm, Free
Beatdown
■ After Work Party The Purty Kitchen, 34/35 East Essex St, Temple Bar, D2 Live Rock with Totally Wired. 6pm, Free before 11pm ■ Big Time! The Bernard Shaw, 11 - 12 Sth Richmond St, Portobello, D2 You Tube nights, hat partys... make and do for grown ups! With a DJ. ■ The Panti Show Panti Bar, 7-8 Capel St, D1
■ Rotate Solas Bar, 31 Wexford St, D2 Oliver T Cunningham mixes it up for the weekend! 8pm, Free ■ Friday Tea-Time Club Break for the Border, Johnston’s Place, Lower Stephens St, D2 Karaoke with Cormac and Stevo from 6pm. Budweiser promotions. DJs until late.
■ Afrobass South William, 52 Sth William St, D2 Dub, Ska, Afrobeat 9pm, Free ■ Foreplay Friday The Academy, Middle Abbey St, D2 R ‘n’ B, Hip Hop, Garage 10.30pm, €10 after 11pm ■ NoDisko The Academy, Middle Abbey St, D2 Indie Rock with regular guest DJs €5 after 11pm ■ Hells Kitchen The Dice Bar, Queen St, Smithfield, D7 Funk and Soul classics Free ■ Friday Night Globe DJ The Globe, 11 Sth Great Georges St, D2 DJ Eamonn Barrett plays an eclectic mix 11pm, Free ■ Ri-Ra Guest Night Ri-Ra, Dame Court, D2 International and home-grown DJ talent 11pm, €10 from 11.30pm ■ Late Night Fridays The Sugar Club, 8 Lwr. Leeson St, D2 Residents include The Burlesque and Cabaret Social Club & Choice Cuts 11pm ■ War Spy, Powerscourt Centre, Sth William St, D2 Indie, Electro and Pop 10pm, Free before 11pm, €7/€10 ■ Al Redmond Sin, Sycamore St, Temple Bar, D2 R’n’B, House, Chart 9pm ■ Fridays @ V1 The Vaults, Harbourmaster Place, IFSC, D1 Progressive Tribal, Techno and Trance 10pm, €5 before 11pm, €10 after ■ The Friday Night Project The Purty Kitchen, 34/35 East Essex St, Temple Bar, D2 DJ Austin Carter 10pm, Free before 11pm ■ Sub Zero Transformer (below The Oak), Parliment St, D2 Indie, Rock, Mod 11pm, Free ■ Stephens Street Social Club Bia Bar, 28/30 Lwr Stephens St, D2 Funk, Soul, Timeless Classics
■ Fridays @ Café En Seine Café En Seine, 39 Dawson St, D2 DJS and dancing until 3am. Cocktail promotions 8pm, Free
■ Panticlub Panti Bar, 7-8 Capel St, D1 DJ Paddy Scahill Free before 11pm, €5 with flyer, €8 without
■ Cosmopolitan Club M, Anglesea St, Temple Bar, D1 Chart, Dance, R&B 11pm, €9 with flyer
■ Music with Words Pravda, Lwr. Liffey St, D1 Indie, Ska, Soul, Electro 9.30pm, Free
www.totallydublin.ie
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â&#x2013; Give a Dog a Bone Panti Bar, 7-8 Capel St, D1 Pennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the bar! â&#x2013; Jezabelle The Purty Kitchen, 34/35 East Essex St, Temple Bar, D2 7pm, Free before 11pm Live Classic Rock
Wednesdays â&#x2013; DJ Stephen Battle The Turks Head, Parliament St & Essex Gate, Temple Bar D1 11pm, Free
Underground House, Techno, Funk â&#x2013; 1957 The Dice Bar, Queen St, Smithfield, D7 Free Blues, Ska â&#x2013; The Mighty Stefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Acoustic Nightmares The Village Bar, 26 Wexford St, D2 Acoustic night with The Mighty Stef. â&#x2013; Soup Bitchinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Panti Bar, 7-8 Capel St, D1 Gay student night
1st Prize `500.00 Starts 7th February
â&#x2013; The DRAG Inn The Dragon, Sth Great Georges St, D2 8pm, Free Davina Devine presents open mic night with prizes, naked twister, go-go boys and makeovers. â&#x2013; Glitz Break for the Boarder, Lwr Stephens Street, D2 11pm Gay club night.
â&#x2013; Tectric The Button Factory, Curved Street, Dublin 2 Electro, funk and house music â&#x2013; A Twisted Disco Night Ri Ra, Dame Crt, D1 Free, 11pm 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Indie and Electro
â&#x2013; Wednesdays @ Spy Spy, Powerscourt Centre, Sth William St, D2 10pm Late club night â&#x2013; The Song Room The Globe, 11 Sth Great Georges St, D2 8.30pm, Free Live music
â&#x2013; Stylus presents The Barfly Sessions Solas Bar, 31 Wexford St, D2 â&#x2013; Trashed â&#x2013; We got Soul, the Funk, and the With residents Mr Motto, Paul Andrews Lane Theatre, Andrews Kitchen Sink Cosgrove and Michael McKenna Lane, D2 emons sing for the glory of Dame ock Court, & ollD2 Ri-Ra, Funk, & soul, hip-hop,to reggae, Latin 10.30pm, 5 alling all araoke ngels Contest commences 7th February 2010. Heats every Sunday. Grand April. 11pm,final Free4th before 11.30, 5 after Indie and Electro The audience picks 2 finalists each week to go through - Grand Prize `500.00 Soul and Funk â&#x2013; Antics Your Host rother eclan with Songs of Faith & Devotion from DJ Rory Montane POD, Old Harcourt Station, â&#x2013; DJ Stephen James Spanish cuisine in the heart of Temple Bar â&#x2013; Unplugged @ The Purty Harcourt St, D2 Buskers, Temple Bar, D2 Every Sunday from 10.00pm. Admission FREE The Purty Kitchen, 34/35 East 11pm, 5 10pm Tues-Sun 6pm-11.30pm Essex St, Temple Bar, D2 Indie Rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roll student night Chart Pop, Indie Free before with liveAsdills music slots. Row, Temple Bar,7pm, Dublin 2 11pm Live acoustic set with Gavin â&#x2013; Funky Sourz Edwards. â&#x2013; DeanWWW.GETPRAISE.COM Sherry Club M, Temple Bar, D2 Sin, Sycamore St, Temple Bar, D2 11pm, 5 â&#x2013; Space â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Veda 9pm DJ Andy Preston (FM104)
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national irish visual arts library
Public Research Library of 20th Century and Contemporary Irish Art & Design
National College of Art & Design 100 Thomas Street Dublin 8 T: 01 636 4347 romanod@ncad.ie http://nival.ncad.ie
t: (01) 6777392 /// www.lapalomadublin.com
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■ Processed Beats Searsons, 42-44 Baggot St. Upper, D4 Indie, Rock, Electro 9pm, Free ■ The Bodega Social Bodega Club, Pavilion Centre, Marine Rd, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Soul and Disco with Eamonn Barrett 11pm, €10 (ladies free before midnight) ■ Scribble The Bernard Shaw, 11 - 12 Sth Richmond St, Portobello, D2 Funk, House, Dubstep, Hip Hop 8pm, Free ■ Room Service Feile, Wexford St., D2 Latin, Funk, Disco, uplifting Choons and Classics 9pm, Free ■ Frat Fridays Twentyone Club and Lounge, D’Olier St, D2 Student night with drinks promos and DJ Karen 10pm ■ John Fitz + The K9s + DJ
Darren C and DJ Mick B Fitzsimons Bar, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 8pm – 2.30am
12pm – 6pm, Free ■ Dizzy Disko, Andrews Lane Theatre, Andrews Lane, D2 11pm, €10 ■ KISS Twentyone Club and Lounge, D’Olier St, D2 Keep It Sexy Saturdays with DJ Robbie Dunbar 10pm, Free before 11pm, €8 after ■ Saturday with Resident DJ Club M, Blooms Hotel, D2 Chart, Dance and R&B 10:30PM, €15/€12 with flyer ■ Viva! Saturdays The Turks Head, Parliament St & Essex Gate, Temple Bar, D1 Retro club with house, electro and 80s 11pm, free ■ Saturday Night Out Noobar, 2 Duke Lane, D2 Live DJs playing the latest club hits 8pm
■ Rory Montane 4 Dame Lane, D2 Rock and roll in the bar 10pm, Free ■ Aoife Niccanna & Marina 4 Dame Lane, D2 Latino breaks and beats 10pm, Free
Saturdays ■ Solar The Bull and Castle, 5 Lord Edward St., D2 Soul, Funk, Disco 11pm, Free ■ Squeeze Solas Bar, 31 Wexford St., D2 Aidan Kelly does his thing. Expect the unexpected. 8pm, Free ■ A Jam Named Saturday Anseo, Camden St., D2 DJs Lex Woo, Mr. Whippy, Matjazz, Warm DJ & friends. Jazz, disco, breaks, latin, hip-hop, house, afrobeat, funk, breakbeat, soul, reggae, brazilian, jungle. 7pm, Free ■ Strictly Handbag The Odeon, Old Harcourt St. Station, D2 Music with words for your dancing pleasure with an alternative 80s feel. 11pm, €10 (2 for 1 before midnight) ■ The Matinee Brunch Club The Odeon, Old Harcourt St. Station, D2 Super family friendly brunch club. Kids movies on the big screen at 3PM.
28
TOTALLY DUBLIN
■ Laundry The Pint, 28 Eden Quay, D2 House, Techno, Disco, Nu Disco 11pm ■ Sugar Club Saturdays The Sugar Club, 8 Lwr. Leeson St, D2 Salsa, Swing, Ska, Latin 11pm, €15 ■ Reloaded The Academy, Middle Abbey St, D2 Commercial Electro 10:30pm, €5 before 12, €8 after ■ Saturday Night Globe DJ The Globe, 11 Sth Great Georges St, D2 DJ Dave Cleary plays an eclectic mix 11pm, Free ■ Space... The Vinyl Frontier Ri-Ra, Dame Court, D2 Soul, Funk, Disco, Electro 11pm, Free
■ Saturdays @ Café En Seine Café En Seine, 39 Dawson St, D2 DJs and dancing until 2.30pm. Cocktail promotions 10pm, Free
■ Irish Reggae Dance Peader Kearney’s, 64 Dame St, D2 Reggae 10pm, €5
■ Guest band + DJ KK and
■ The Promised Land The Dice Bar, Queen St, Smithfield, D7 Soul, Funk, Disco Free
DJ Keith P ■ DJ Ronan M and DJ Ross Fitzsimons Club, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 11pm Funky Friday and music mayhem
Eamonn Doran’s, 3a Crown Alley, Temple Bar, D2 11pm, €8/5
Fitzsimons Bar, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 8pm – 2.30am New live band plays every Saturday night ■ DJ Dexy and DJ Aido Fitzsimons Club, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 11pm Dublin’s biggest party night ■ Saturdays @ Break for the
Border Lower Stephen’s St, D2 Current chart favourites from DJ Eric Dunne and DJ Mark McGreer. From 1pm, Free ■ Transmission The Button Factory, Curved St, Temple Bar, D2 Indie and dance with international guests 11pm, varies ■ Pogo The Twisted Pepper, 54 Middle Abbey St, D2 House, Funk, Techno 11pm, €10 (varies if guest)
■ Saturdays @ V1 The Vaults, Harbourmaster Place, IFSC, D1 R ‘n’ B, Soul and Hip Hop with regular guest DJs ■ Wes Darcy Sin, Sycamore St, Temple Bar, D2 R’n’B 9pm ■ Basement Traxx Transformer (below The Oak), Parliment St, D2 Indie, Rock 11pm, Free ■ Downtown Searsons, 42-44 Baggot St. Upper, D4 Indie, Soul, Chart 10pm, Free
The Dragon, Sth Great Georges St, D2 House music 10pm ■ Beauty Spot Karaoke The George, Sth Great Georges St, D2 Karaoke and DJ Miguel Gonzelez playing super sexy Spanish House. 9pm, Free before 10pm, €10 after ■ Basement Club Panti Bar, 7-8 Capel St, D1 Pop and Electro ■ Saturday @ The Wright
Venue The Wright Venue, South Quarter, Airside Business Park, Swords, Co Dublin Rock, Pop, Hip-hop, Dance 10pm
Saturdays
■ Gossip Spy, Powerscourt Centre, Sth William St, D2 80s, Disco, Hip Hop, House Free before 11pm, €10 after
■ DJ Goldy 4 Dame Lane, D2 Beats/breaks/hip hop/funk 10pm, Free ■ DJ Gaviscon 4 Dame Lane, D2 Everything under the sun 10pm, Free
Sundays ■ Sunday Roast The Globe, Georges St, D2 9pm – 1am Free admission ■ Ear Candy Solas Bar, 31 Wexford St, D2 Disco tunes and Funk Classics to finish the weekend. 8pm, Free ■ The Matinee Brunch Club The Odeon, Old Harcourt St. Station, D2 Super family friendly brunch club. Kids movies on the big screen 3PM. 12pm – 6pm, Free
■ Strictly Handbag Bodega Club, Pavilion Centre, Marine Rd, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin 80s with DJ Mark Kelly 10pm, €10
■ Songs of Praise The Village, Wexford St., D2 The city’s rock and roll karaoke institution enters its fifth year. The wildest of each Sunday’s performances will go forward to the final on the 28th of February and the chance to win €500! 9pm, Free
■ Toejam The Bernard Shaw, 11 - 12 Sth Richmond St, Portobello, D2 Afternoon: Car boot sales, film clubs, music lectures, t-shirt making etc. Later on: Resident DJs playing Soul, Funk, House, Electro
■ Salsa v Samba The Odeon, Old Harcourt St. Station, D2 Learn to dance Salsa & Samba from some of the best instructors in Ireland. €5, Classes from 5pm, club from 8pm – late
■ Sidesteppin’ Bia Bar, 28/30 Lwr Stephens St, D2 Old School Hip Hop, Funk 45s, Reggae 8pm, Free
■ Dancehall Styles The Button Factory, Curved St, Temple Bar, D2 International dance hall style 11pm, €5
■ Flirt Alchemy, 12-14 Fleet St, D2 Sultry, Funky and Sexy Beat alongside Chart Hits 10.30pm
■ Saturday @ The Village The Village, 26 Wexford St, D2 Noel Phelan 11pm
■ The Weird Scientist
■ DJ Karen @ The Dragon
■ Gay Cabaret The Purty Kitchen, 34/35 East Essex St, Temple Bar, D2 Gay cabaret show 9pm, Free before 11pm ■ 12 Sundays The Bernard Shaw, 11 - 12 Sth Richmond St, Portobello, D2 Funk, Disco, House 4pm – 12am, Free
■ The Workers Party Sin, Sycamore St, Temple Bar, D2 With DJ Ilk 9pm ■ Hang the DJ The Globe, 11 Sth Great Georges
Wed 10 February ■ Neosupervital Crawdaddy, Old Harcourt St Station, D2 Bell X1’s touring drummer by day, becomes the synth, sunglass and sharp suit loving Neosupervital by night. 11pm
Thurs 11 February ■ Cosmo Vitelli (Solid/DFA)
■ DJ Karen The George, Sth Great Georges St, D2 Pop Commercial and Funky House Free before 11pm, €5 with flyer, €8 without ■ The George Bingo with
Shirley Temple Bar ■ Punch The Good Bits Indie/Disco in one room and Techno/House and Electro in the main room 11pm, €2 between 11-11:30
■ Download + Tripod POD, Old Harcourt Station, Harcourt St, D2 Access all areas at the Pod complex with local residents and special guest DJ slots over five rooms 11pm, €12
St, D2 Rock, Indie, Funk, Soul 9pm, Free
The George, Sth Great Georges St, D2 Bingo & Cabaret with Shirley Temple Bar 8.30pm, Free
+ support Pygmalion, South William St, D2 Regarded as one of the best French DJs around Cosmo remixes for the likes of Daft Punk and Simian Mobile Disco. He is also one half of Bot’ox, a live electronic Disco act. His long overdue return to these shores promises to be a night of eclectic disco electro and house. 11pm, €5
Friday 12 February ■ Choice Cuts present The
■ Elbow Room South William, 52 Sth William St, D2 Jazz, Soul, Disc & Latin 8pm, Free
Beatdown Pygmalion, South William St, D2 DJ Scope & Handsome Paddy take over once again for this Friday edition of The Beatdown. 10pm, Free
■ Alan Keegan + One By
One + DJ Darren C Fitzsimons Bar, 21-22 Wellington Quay, Temple Bar, D2 Free, 9pm
Once Off Clubbing Friday 5 February ■ John Digweed Tripod, Old Harcourt St Station, D2 Progressive House champion and boss of Bedrock Records headlines Tripod tonight. 11pm, €21.95 ■ Alex Metric Wax Radio 1 DJ and producer Alex Metric brings his electro pop to Wax. 11pm, €10/5
Saturday 6 February ■ Pygs Will Fly: Ryan Elliott (Spectral Sound/Detroit), Sexshop (Pyg) Pygmalion, South William St, D2 Detroit native and Berlin resident Ryan Elliott is often seen playing legendary back to back sets with his pal Matthew Dear. Known in in-the-know circles as the DJ’s DJ, and a very versatile one at that Pygmalion welcomes him for the entire weekend. 11pm, Free
Sunday 7 February ■ Smooth Sailing with
Special Guest Ryan Elliott (Spectral Sound/Detroit) (Alternative Set) Pygmalion, South William St, D2 The second night of Ryan Elliot’s weekend in Dublin with all drinks half price. 8pm, Free
■ Dusty Kid Tripod, Old Harcourt St Station, D2 With otherworldly tracks on labels like BPitch Control, Boxer and Systematic, Dusty Kid cements his rapidly growing star status at Tripod tonight with support from Al Keegan. 11pm, €15 ■ SPEEDY J, Hobo, Hugo
Johnson The Button Factory, Curved St, Templebar, Dublin 2 Big Dish Go are beat-down to mark their return to The Button Factory. Shaking the audience will be the legendary techno prime mover Speedy J, a live show from the newest m-nus label heavyweight Hobo” with support from “Hugo Johnson” of Dublin’s own FVF records. 10.30pm, €15 ■ Family South William Bar, Sth. William St., D2 Dave Salacious and friends 8.30pm, free
Saturday 13 February ■ FVF present Marc Ashken (Leftroom/London) + support Pygmalion, South William St, D2 Pure unadulterated techno 11pm, Free ■ Discorotique South William Bar, Sth. William St., D2 Djs Mark Kelly and Kelly Anne Free, 10pm ■ Discotekken present DMX
Krew Twisted Pepper, Middle Abbey St, D1 After a very successful run of parties, Discotekken bring over their first international guest DMX Krew whose productions vary from 80s pastiche pop to chicago influenced acid house to detroit techno & electro. Expect disco & boogie to house &
www.totallydublin.ie
techno, to miami bass & latin freestyle music. 9pm,
Dutch trance giant Marco V lashes it out at The Academy. 11pm, €23
11pm, €23
Sunday 14 February
■ Asian Dub Foundation Tripod, Old Harcourt St Station, D2 Britain’s most politically conscious band will be debuting brand new material from a new album soon to be recorded, as well as playing all the greats from classic releases such as Rafi’s Revenge, Community Music, and 2008’s Punkara, their first album with former King Prawn singer Al Rumjen on lead vocals. 7.30pm, €23.50/27.50
Twisted Pepper, Middle Abbey St, D1 Caspa, the brains behind the 2008 wonky dubstep anthem ‘Where’s My Money’, makes his Irish debut tonight with support from Rod Aslan and the Mr. Jones posse. 10pm,
■ Radiomade Speed-dating Pygmalion, South William St, D2 A night of romance and fun hosted by the Radiomade crew. 7pm, Free
Thurs 18 February ■ Funk 45s South William Bar, Sth. William St., D2 Dublin’s finest 7” collector DJs spin strictly 45s Free, 8.45pm
Friday 19 February ■ Climaxx South William, 52 South William St, D2 Chewy and friends 8.30pm, Free ■ Marco V The Academy, Middle Abbey St, D2
■ Mud presents Caspa &
Rod Aslan
■ Locodice Tripod, Old Harcourt St Station, D2 Via his DJ sets or his productions on labels like M_nus, Cadenza, Ovum, Four Twenty and Cocoon, Locodice merges perspectives in his delicate sense for sounds and reflective atmospheres, inspired by the hip hop to create delicious minimal techno.
Convextion & Test DJs. 11pm, €10 ■ Best Foot Forward South William Bar, Sth. William St., D2 DJs Rizm and Colm K play hiphop, funk, afrobeat, house Free, 9pm
Saturday 20 February
■ Go 4 It! South William Bar, Sth. William St., D2 Hiphop, breakbeats, jungle and jazz Free, 10pm
■ Whigfield: Larry David Jr.
Thurs 25 February
b2b Fratboy Babe-Stealer Pygmalion, South William St, D2 11pm Free Entry ■ Test present DJ Funk &
Convextion Twisted Pepper, Middle Abbey St, D1 Following his no-show in November due to passport trouble, booty king DJ Funk is re-scheduled and ready to get rumps rolling in the basement alongside Test favourite
■ Scribble Soundsystem South William Bar, Sth. William St., D2 G-Frequency (deejay), MC Little Tree (vox), Chucky (drumz) & Moschops (dex) Free, 8.45pm
Fulton The Button Factory, Curved St, D2 Dublin legends DowntownSounds celebrate their 9th year of promoting with disco wonder Maurice Fulton 11pm, €10 ■ Hertz U present DJ Storm
& Moose Mic Twisted Pepper, Middle Abbey St, D1 Hertz U get down with the lady of Metalheadz DJ Storm making a welcome return to Dublin alongside Moose MC. Upstairs on the Stage ChoiceCuts roll out their Revolution party with special guest TBA. 10pm
■ Nightflight Presents:
■ Tenth Planet The Good Bits, Store St, D1 Blake Baxter, Corrugated Tunnel, Nelson Ramalho, Djamel and more. €8/14, 11pm
DowntownSounds 9th Birthday with Maurice
■ B-Music
Friday 26 February
Thomas House, Thomas St., D8 Latin with Sarge, Mick Donohue, Mici Durnin, and Paul English Free, 7pm
Saturday 27 February ■ Pygs Will Fly: Lee Curtiss (LIVE) (Spectral Sound/Wolf + Lamb/Detroit), Fratboy BabeStealer (Pyg) Pygmalian, South William St, D2 Pygmalion welcomes back quarterly Pyg resident Lee Curtiss for his third time in six months. This time he’s come back to Europe with a new live set. 11pm, Free ■ Big Dish Go & Teknowarfare with Luke’s Anger(live) and Ed Chamberlain(live) The Underground @ Kennedys 11pm, €12
comedy weekly Ha’penny Bridge Inn Wellington Quay, Temple Bar., D2. ■ Tuesday & Thursday Nights Battle of the Axe Dublin’s much loved open mic night. 9:00pm €9 ■ Wednesdays & Sundays Capital Comedy Club The club’s flagship night. 9:30pm €7/5
Anseo Camden St, D2 ■ Wednesdays ‘Laugh Out Loud’ Comedy Nights with resident MC Aidan Killian. 8.30pm €5/7
Peadar Kearneys 64 Dame St., D2 ■ Fridays ‘The Comedy Gaff’ promises drinks specials and comedians from around the world. 9pm Door €10/Concession €8/ Students €5.
Sheehan’s Chatham St., D2 ■ Tuesdays Comedy Dublin: A night of improv and stand up.
€8/6. Students €5.
The Bankers 16 Trinity St., D2 Thursday & Friday Comedy improv with ‘The Craic Pack’. 9pm €10/€8 with concession. Saturdays Stand Up @ The Bankers 21:00 €10/8
The Belvedere
■ Wednesdays 9.30 The Comedy Cellar with Andrew Stanley €8/10 ■ Thursdays & Fridays The International Comedy Club with resident MC Aidan Bishop 8.45pm €8/10 ■ Saturdays 8 & 10.30pm The International Comedy Club. Early and late shows added due to popular demand.
Great Denmark St., D1 ■ Sundays Sunday improv session hosted by Comedy Dublin. 8pm €8/6. Students €5.
The Flowing Tide 9 Lwr Abbey St., D1
■ Sunday What’s New @ The International New material night. 8.45pm €5
The Woolshed Baa & Grill Parnell St., D1
■ Fridays Neptune Comedy Night 8.30pm €8
The International 23 Wicklow St., D2 ■ Mondays Comedy Improv night. 8.30pm €8/10 ■ Tuesdays Andrew Stanley’s Comedy Mish Mash (Brand new comedy showcase) 8.30pm €8/10
■ Mondays. The Comedy Shed hosted by Australian import Damian Clarke. €5
Hedigans, The Brian Boru 5 Prospect Road, Glasnevin, D9 ■ Tuesdays Hedigan’s comedy features some of the best improv and comedy talent Dublin has to offer. 9pm €5
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Slattery’s 217-219 Lower Rathmines Road ■ Thursdays Farlmeister’s comedy box is a student friendly comedy night with up and coming stand ups and student / unemployment discounts 9pm €5 / Students €2
once-offs
■ Pappy’s Fun Club The Twisted Pepper, 54 Middle Abbey St., D1 Four-man comedy troupe unleash their critically acclaimed World Record Attempt: 200 sketches in an hour show. February 2nd 8:00pm, €14.45 ■ Pat McDonnell Better known as Eoin McLove from Father Ted, McDonnell has since appeared in RTE’s Val Falvey TD and The Savage Eye. Andrew Stanley is MC for the evening and newcomers, George Fox and Chris Kent, provide support. February 3rd 8:30, 12€ ■ Dara O’Briain Vicar Street, 58 Thomas St, D8 The hugely popular Irish comedian and host of BBC’s Mock The Week returns to the Vicar Street with an extended run of his new show. February 4th – February 21st 8pm, €28 ■ Stephen Amos Vicar Street, 58 Thomas St, D8 Well known from appearances
on Mock the Week and Have I Got News For You, panel show regular and comedy circuit veteran Amos makes his Irish debut. February 12th, 8pm, €23 ■ Neil Delamare Vicar Street, 58 Thomas St, D8 Since performing his debut show at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2004 Delamare has amassed an enviable following which has seen him perform on 5 continents and sell-out venues nationwide. The former Panel star presents his new show Bookmarks. Feb 13th 8:30, €28 ■ Batty Ryan Will Change
Your Life
Draiocht Arts Centre, The Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15 Business guru Batty Ryan, aka former Father Ted star Joe Rooney, guides us through his seven steps to success in life and business. February 18th 8:15pm, €12/15 ■ David O’Doherty Draiocht Arts Centre, The Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15 Armed with his muse, a second hand Yamaha keyboard, this brilliant Dublin comedian performs his latest offering David O’Doh-Party. February 19th 8pm, €14/18 ■ David O’Doherty Vicar Street, 58 Thomas St, D8 Armed with his muse, a second hand Yamaha keyboard, this brilliant Dublin comedian performs his latest offering David
O’Doh-Party. February 25th 8pm, €25 ■ Jon Kenny Vicar Street, 58 Thomas St, D8 Rural demi-god, comedian Jon Kenny of d’Unbelievables fame, rolls out his new show Back to Front for the Vicar street crowd. February 20th 8pm, €28 ■ Lee Mack Vicar Street, 58 Thomas St, D8 The BAFTA award-winning British stand-up comedian is the star and writer of sitcom ‘Not Going Out’ and has featured on a number of panel shows including ‘They Think It’s All Over’ and ‘Would I Lie to You’ where he currently resides as team captain. Mack brings his high-energy banter to Dublin as part of his ‘Going Out’ tour. February 26th 7:30, €25 ■ Ardal O’Hanlon Vicar Street, 58 Thomas St, D8 Forever linked with the hapless priest Fr Dougal McGuire, former Father Ted actor Ardal O’Hanlon has repeatedly proved his chops as one of the country’s finest stand up comedians. After a recent stint on television, the comedian returns for a one-off show in Vicar Street. Feb 27th 8pm, €28
Theatre ■ Decked Theatre Upstairs @ The Plough Written & directed by Paul Walker, produced by Karl Shiels, performed by Ciaran Kenny. Gerry’s flooring business isn’t going too well. So he decides to take the recession sitting down – on the roof of his house. 1:10 pm, Soup & A Show €10 18th January – 13th February
■ Missing Football Theatre Upstairs @ The Plough Written by Peter McKenna, directed by John Cronin, performed by Stephen Kelly. Stephen Wright is a boy about to make it big on the pitch. Everybody says so. But fastforward ten years and it’s a very different story... 6:10 pm, Pint & A Play €10 18th January – 13th February
■ Victor & Gord Project Arts Centre By Una McKevitt Real life friends Vickey Curtis and Áine McKevitt, aka Victor and Gord, revisit the everyday experiences that cemented their friendship and consider where it all went wrong? Sneaky cans. Sneaky fags. Free love. Victor and Gord, featuring Jay Breen, is a funny and deeply moving theatrical celebration of friends and family. Una McKevitt’s Absolut Fringe sell out show (nominated for Spirit of the Fringe) returns to Project Arts Centre in a new and updated version. 8:15pm, €15/12 15th February – 27th February
■ Romeo & Juliet
■ Off Plan Project Arts Centre By Simon Doyle We’ve built ten-room mansions on our hillsides, tarmaced over our bog lands, hooked up CCTV to our ironclad gates. We’ve burnt through the easy money and now we’re reeling, searching for who we actually are. OFF PLAN is a new adaptation of Aeschylus’ Oresteia by Simon Doyle especially commissioned by the critically acclaimed company RAW, which has staged multi-award nominated Irish premieres of international playwrights such as Abi Morgan, Falk Richter and Jon Fosse.
Visual art Alliance Francais 1 Kildare St, D2 ■ Mandy O’Neill - Exhale Taken over a two year period at St Saviours Boxing Club, this photographic work explores the yearning for authenticity and a more stable, vital existence. 27 November until 6 February
Bad Art Gallery 79 Francis Street, D8 ■ Deborah Donnelly - Coffee, Cakes and Country Air An exciting first showing of new work by Deborah Donnelly, who has been painting professionally for fifteen years and has held numerous exhibitions around the world. 28th January - 18th February
Caffe Noto 79 Thomas Street, Dublin 8 ■ Milada Bacik - “The Space Inside the Mind” An exhibition of new paintings by Milada Bacik, part of a continuing work on theories of mind and pattern, influenced by her recent residency in Armenia. 6th December 2009 to 28th February
Chester Beatty Library Dublin Castle, D2 ■ Telling Images of China Major loan of thirty eight figure paintings from the Shanghai Museum, exploring how stories
30
8pm, €22/18 11th February – 27th February
TOTALLY DUBLIN
The Pavilion Theatre Shakespeare’s classic story of star-crossed lovers torn apart by bitter rivalry and misplaced honour. Romeo and Juliet are separated by their fathers’ bitter rivalry as they experience a first love that is truly forbidden. In the long hot summer they pray for time alone - away from the blistering passions of masculine honour and the vicious cycle of violence brought on by their families’ ongoing feud. In this cruel adult world of pride, envy and greed, youth and innocence have no place, Romeo and Juliet must take desperate measures to be together. 1pm, 8pm, €23/20/17/10
and tales from folklore, religious lore and literary culture were translated into pictorial images in paintings across six centuries in China. 12th February - 2nd May
Douglas Hyde Gallery Trinity College, D2 ■ Ciaran Murphy Mixture of old and new work. Murphy’s images are based on photographs that although simple at first glance often reveal themselves to be complex and contradictory. 28th January - 16th March ■ Ritual Objects from Nepal, with photographs by Kevin Bubriski. Exhibition includes a borad variety of items that are employed in shamanic ceremonies, accompanied by a Kevin Bubriski. 28th January - 16th March
Draiocht
9th February – 12th February
■ A Taste of Honey The Pavilion Theatre By Shelagh Delaney Shelagh Delaney’s moving drama of life in northern England at the end of the 1950s was memorably filmed in 1961 starring Dora Bryan and Rita Tushingham. Love & Madness’ Artistic Director Neil Sheppeck directs this modern classic about a pregnant teenager, her irresponsible mother and the gay art student who takes care of her while she waits for her baby to be born. 8pm, €23/20 Saturday 13th February
■ The Plough and the Stars Mill Theatre By Sean O’Casey Set in war-torn Dublin in 1916, the play portrays the needs and aspirations of a group of neighbours in a timeless story containing elements of both tragedy and humour. The characters are both loveable and at times, irritating. Uncle Peter, who appears resolutely stuck in the past and at war with himself and those around him, sees Covey, a young man seeking to move forward, as his tormentor. Nora a young wife desperately tries to persuade her husband not to go to war, while Fluther Good weaves a seam of goodness throughout the play. It is fitting that O’Casey finally makes his debut in the Mill theatre with this timeless classic. 8pm, €18/15
Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery Charlemont House, Parnell Square North, D1 ■ Francis Bacon - A Terrible Beauty Major exhibition comprising paintings, drawings, photographs, unfinished works and slashed canvases, some previously unseen, offering the viewer an astonishing new look at Bacon, in this the centenary of his birth. From 28th October until 7th March ■ Katie Holten - The Golden Bough Holten combines drawing, sculpture and text for her Golden Bough installation, continuing her exploration and ongoing interest in organic processes and in the relationship between drawing and object. From 28th January until 2nd April
The Blanchardstwon Centre, D15 ■ Artist’s Proof, in association with Chester Beatty Library An exhibition by 24 Irish and international fine art printmaking artists, allowing visitors to see the creative methodology of the printmaker, and showing the development of an idea from the research and exploration stages through to the rigorous process of making the print. 28 January until 27 March
IMMA Royal Hospital, Military Road, Kilmainham, D8 ■ Picturing New York: Photographs from the Museum of Modern Art Including photographs by such influential photographers as Berenice Abbot, Diane Arbus, Garry Winogrand, Lisette Model, Alfred Stieglitz and Cindy Sherman, these 150 masterworks capture the world’s
2nd February – 6th February
■ Waiting For Ikea Mill Theatre By Georgina McKevitt & Jacinta Sheerin After selling out last year ‘Waiting for IKEA’ is back for the last time ever in an extended and even better version. Set in the heart of ‘new’ Dublin, Pimlico where night wear is day wear and bitching is everywhere. Pimlico Flats is akin to Cheers where everybody knows your name, your business, your record and what you are having for dinner. Nothing much changes in Pimlico, each day begins and ends the same; it’s what happens in between that keeps the neighbours gossiping. The Celtic Tiger has been and gone and they never even stroked it. Recession! What’s da? A new fragrance from Calvin Klein? 8pm, €17/15 22nd February – 27th February
■ Christ Deliver Us! (After Wedekind) The Abbey Theatre By Thomas Kilroy By the banks of the Gowlawn Gash river, Mossy, Michael and Winnie are growing up, wild as weeds. Vulnerable, confused and brimful of desire, they strive to make sense of the world and their place within it. With the Church held up as their guide, their future is at its mercy. Please note the play contains scenes of a disturbing
most vibrant urban centre from the 1880s to the present day. 27th November until 7th February 2010 ■ What Happens Next is a Secret An experimental exhibition that attempts to addresses the question of what happens when artworks are shown in the context of a collection. By changing and re-positioning works, or even adding new ones, the exhibition shifts over the course, generating absences, which call to mind gaps in our memory and point to the partially hidden nature of Museum collections, as well as new relationships that challenge our understanding of the narrative. 26 January until 18 April
Kerlin Gallery Anne’s Lane, South Anne Street, Dublin 2 ■ Mark Garry - Another Place An exhibition of work that attempts to create a dialogue between physical practices and the artistic thought process. 15th January until 13th February
The Mill Theatre Dundrum Town Centre, Dundrum, D16 ■ Eve Parnell - Grasshopper Photographic exhibition that showcases the resilient delicacy of natural structures and the
nature. Suitable for over 16s. 2:30pm, 7:30pm, € 25/20/18/17/15 9th February – 13th March
■ Les Liaisons Dangereuses The Gate Theatre By Christopher Hampton The Tony-Award-winning play tells the sordid tale of the cunning and confident Merteuil and the wickedly charming Valmont, two high-society rivals who use sex as a weapon to humiliate and destroy. Laced with seduction, betrayal and spectacular revenge, Les Liaisons Dangereuses is a thrilling dark comedy of mannered decadence and sexual intrigue that will take you to another era and leave you wanting MORE. 8pm, €20-35 25th February – 17th April
■ Haunted The Gaiety By Edna O’Brien Haunted tells the story of a middle aged man, his wife and his obsession with a captivating young woman who visits their house. Desperate to ensure she returns he takes a number of actions that threaten both of his relationships in this tale of desire and regret. 2:30pm, 7:30pm, €25-47.50 4th February – 13th February
they bargained for as they while away the night on a train to nowhere. With the help of drink, poker and a beguiling Gipsy, they explore the void within themselves through their experience of each other.Drink, cards and prophecy, not to mention comedy and tragedy pervade this intriguing piece of theatre which examines identity and how the seeds sown in the past have a habit of sprouting, whether we like it or not. 8:15pm, €15/12 2nd February – 13th February
■ Oleanna Mill Theatre By David Mamet A story rife with sexual politics and tangled agendas ‘Oleanna’ presents us with John ; a successful university professor on the brink of achieving tenure, and Carol; his troubled and confused young student. What follows is a compelling disaster of intense emotion, mixed communication, arrogance, indifference and vengeance, as two people divided by deeply held beliefs become unwitting victims of their own actions. 8pm, €16/13 22nd February – 27th February
■ Last Train to Holyhead Project Arts Centre By Bernard Field Two men discover more than
wonderful strangeness of these tiny worlds. 20th February until 25th March Daria Pietryka - The Peculiar Case of Ms Cloud An analysis of solitude in terms of the single human being and in context of society, Pietryka presents paintings with a deeply meditative atmosphere. 16th January until 18th February
collection of Ireland, with short commentaries provided by each individual selector. 15th January until 27th February in Dr Tony Ryan Gallery ■ Roisin Lewis - R497 A landscape constructed from foliage gathered along the R497, from an ongoing project Lesser Trefoils. 15th January until 27th February
RHA Gallery
The Science Gallery
15 Ely Place, D2
Trinity College, Pearse Street, D2
■ Video Killed the Radio Star curated by 126 Multi-disciplinary works that speak of and to society, at a time of perceived change, with responses that range from the critical and cynical to those with a more playful and humorous tone. 15th January until 27th February in Gallery II
■ Love Lab: The Science of Desire Exploring love, attraction and desire through a variety of scientific experiments that involve the visitor. 11th February until 12th March
■ Nevan Lahart - A Lively Start to a Dead End Bucking commercial trends, this looks set to be a uniquely personal exhibition, that promises from the outset that it will not be offering “understanding, meaning or a new lifestyle choice.” 15th January until 27th February in Gallery I
Rubicon Gallery 10 Stephen’s Green, D2 Eithne Jordan - Night in a City A hauntingly atmospheric picture of night time Vienna emerges from Eithne Jordan’s most recent paintings, as she continues to explore some of the hidden and forgotten spaces in Europe’s great cities 10th February until 20th March
■ Mirror Mirror Diverse selection of 24 portraits from the National Self-Portrait
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6-7 Marine Road, Dun Laoire â&#x201A;Ź49.5/59.50, 6.30pm www.harborbarandgrill.com
ge gig
Hedigans Brian Boru 9pm Weekly free event hosted by Shebeen Chic Free, 8.30pm Flamenco Latino vibe
â&#x2013; Electric Six Free, 9pm
Thurs 26 November
Red Danc-
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gafaun
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â&#x2013; Yes Olympia Theatre â&#x201A;Ź39.20 Fully seated show by influential progrockers â&#x2013; Arctic Monkeys The O2 â&#x201A;Ź42.50 With support from Eagles of Death Metal â&#x2013; Joel Plaskett Whelanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x201A;ŹTbc, 8pm Canadian folk-pop
Friday 27 November
â&#x2013; Ben Prevo Band JJ Smyths â&#x201A;Ź10, 9pm Blues, rock and country from a regular JJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fixture
â&#x2013; Gomez The Academy â&#x201A;Ź26, 7.30pm Mercury Prize-winning indie rock
The Breakestra â&#x2013; Monotonix Crawdaddy 11.30pm Till Late â&#x201A;Ź13
The Button Factory â&#x201A;Ź25.20 Funk/hip-hop ten-piece hailing from LA
â&#x2013; Mundy Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre â&#x201A;Ź20, 7.30pm Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsible for that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Julyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; song you know
â&#x2013; Laura Izibor Tripod â&#x201A;Ź17/22.50, 7.30pm Omnipresent R&B soulstress
â&#x2013; James Blackshaw The Joinery, Stoneybatter â&#x201A;Ź10, 7.30pm With support by Cian Nugent, At Last An Atlas, Owensie
â&#x2013; Hey The Village â&#x201A;Ź25/30, 7.30pm Polish Rock â&#x2013; The Ed Deane Band JJ Smyths â&#x201A;Ź10, 9pm Respected blues guitarist backed by full band
Vitalic a good pint... For a good laugh â&#x2013; and
â&#x2013; Bell X1 Olympia Theatre â&#x201A;Ź29, 8.00pm
The Academy â&#x201A;Ź33.60, Pascal Arbez returns to give his new disco-inspired material a live outing
M. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brienâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
â&#x2013; Little Boots The Academy â&#x201A;Ź18.50, 7.30pm Debut Irish headliner by electro popstrel
Sun 29 November
8-9 Sussex Terrace, Upr Leeson St, Dublin 4â&#x2013; The Mission District â&#x2013; Paul Barrere and Fred Academy 2 Tel: 01 676 2851
m riter with bitions
â&#x2013; Kasabian The O2 â&#x201A;Ź33.60 Contenders to the Oasis crown nab their biggest venue here to date
m chants
â&#x2013; Booka Shade Dj Set Tripod â&#x201A;Ź22.50, 11pm DJ set from German House duo
Tackett
Whelanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x201A;Ź25, 8.00pm â&#x2013; Charlie Winston The Village â&#x201A;Ź16.45, 8.00pm Former busker turned major European celebrity tries his hand at the Irish market
Sat 28 November
â&#x201A;Ź10, 8pm Canadian tween favourites
Mon 30 November â&#x2013; Federico Aubele Academy 2 â&#x201A;Ź17.50 Acoustic set by Buenos Aires bred, afro-sporting Aubele
Tuesday 1 December
FOGGY
DEW â&#x2013; Hoodwinked Shebeen Chic
â&#x2013; Bell X1 Olympia Theatre â&#x201A;Ź29
â&#x2013; Paolo Nutini Olympia Theatre â&#x201A;Ź30, Sold Out
â&#x2013; Hoodwinked Shebeen Chic
â&#x2013; Bell X1 Olympia Theatre â&#x201A;Ź29 local musicians IMRAMA.
â&#x2013; Eamonn Keane Whelanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x201A;ŹTbc
Thurs 3 December â&#x2013; Lisa Hannigan Vicar Street â&#x201A;Ź28, 8.30 pm
WOW >~Â&#x2019;vtÂ&#x2DC;
â&#x2013; Julian Plenti The Academy â&#x201A;Ź33
â&#x2013; Paolo Nutini Olympia Theatre â&#x201A;Ź30, Sold Out The Academy â&#x201A;Ź19.50, 7.30pm Fresh from the college gig circuit
ĂŞ~y{Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2039; [trÂ&#x2030;u~Â&#x2030;r ~r Sick of
Offers â&#x2013; Clubland Live 3 The O2at Harbor
â&#x2013; Propagandhi The Village â&#x201A;Ź18, 7.30pm Vegan anarchists anti-everything
â&#x201A;Ź33.60, 8.00 pm One for the Tallaght Massive
Wed 2 December Live music â&#x2013; Snow PatrolFriday and Olympia Theatre Saturday â&#x201A;Ź56.80/â&#x201A;Ź62.70 + Nondescript musings from insanely successful foursome Sky Sports â&#x2013; Spectrum.. JJ Smyths â&#x201A;Ź10, 9pm Ensemble jazz and blues lineup featuring members of The Camembert Quartet
â&#x2013; Syllian Rayle The Village â&#x201A;Ź10, 8pm Album Launch With Red Dancers Cometh â&#x2013; W.A.S.P The Button Factory â&#x201A;Ź24.50, 7pm Heavy metal joke
beans on toast? Student Sunday 6 December meal deal & Megafaun Burger â&#x2013; Whelanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s +Deer a Tick pint Friday 4 Decemberonlyâ&#x201A;Ź12â&#x201A;Ź10! â&#x2013; Marillion The Button Factory â&#x201A;Ź35, 7.30pm Brit rockers known for obsessive fanbase
â&#x2013; The Tragically Hip The Village â&#x201A;Ź29.65, 7.30pm â&#x2013; Nigel Mooney JJ Smyths â&#x201A;Ź10, 9pm
ID Required Michael Jackson Tribute The Button Factory 8.00pm â&#x201A;Ź15 With Ben Jackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sons (snigger)
Makeâ&#x2013; aAll Access Academy date ofâ&#x201A;Ź19.50, it 11.00am 3>Â&#x2122;sÂ&#x201E;~Â&#x2030; =Â&#x2039;Â&#x152;vÂ&#x2030;{ryvÂ&#x2030; courseSatdinner Christmas Crackers 5 December Alcohol-free rock-fest for the National Concert Hall kids with Elliott Minor, Home +wÂ&#x2019;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020; a bottle of Â&#x2039;Â&#x2030;v Star ÂĄrÂŚ â&#x2013; Hadouken â&#x201A;Ź35/12, 8.00pm Runner, Fox Avenue, Jody Tripod Saccharine-soaked Christmas Has A Hitlist, The Shower house wine â&#x201A;Ź20, 7.30pm singalong with Ellen McElroy, Scene â&#x201A;Ź60andfor 2Dance-rockers people drawing lazy Michael Casey Quintet
Ă&#x2C6;òĂ&#x2039;
comparisons to the Prodigy
more
~Â&#x2030;tÂ&#x201E; Â&#x2DC;r¤vÂ&#x2022;
â&#x2013; James Morrison The O2 â&#x201A;Ź39.2/49.20, 6.30pm British singer-songwriter with Ray Lamontagne ambitions
â&#x2013; The Pogues â&#x2013; Kate Voegele Olympia Theatre Academy 2 â&#x201A;Ź27.50, 8.00pm â&#x201A;Ź14.50, 7.30pm Still making a living out of that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Starâ&#x20AC;? of teen drama One Tree â&#x2013; Sonic Youth Christmas number 1 Hill who wants to be Fiona 97 Ranelagh Road, Ranelagh Village, Dublin 6 Vicar St Apple â&#x2013; Horslips â&#x201A;Ź48.5/42.50, 7.30pm Tel: 01 4977821 â&#x2013; Open Trad session The O2 Influential noise-merchants Hedigans Brian Boru â&#x201A;Ź49.5/59.50, 6.30pm 9pm â&#x2013; Electric Six Weekly free event hosted by
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5
words // PETER STEEN-CHRISTENSEN
The year is 845. The 500 inhabitants of Hamburg wake up to the sight of 600 viking ships arriving to destroy their peaceful village. It’s a horrible day. And since then Hamburg has not only been burned down but beaten up, occupied, destroyed by fires, floods and diseases but always risen again, more prosperous than ever. Whereas Berlin thrive on the image of being a cheap and cheerful hub of creativity and the cultural capital of our continent, and Munich does little else than sell the idea of drinking one litre jugs of weissbeer to an oompa oompa soundtrack in giant tents full of people in traditional dress, Hamburg is the hip and wealthy cousin in designer-wear. The city is today seen as one of Europe’s success stories. Being the second biggest city in Germany, Hamburg is of great importance both economically and culturally. Erase the old pictures of Hamburg in your mind. Forget the Beatles. Forget the sin and sleaze, the pirates and whores. Hamburg of today is something entirely different. A quickly growing international metropolis – in terms of the numbers of consulate, they’re the most international city in the world apart from New York – with high living standards and everything you need for a cosmopolitan lifestyle. What Hamburg perhaps soon will have more of than anything else is magnificent architecture.
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TOTALLY DUBLIN
www.totallydublin.ie
(-".#63( In contrast to many of Europe’s other main port cities Hamburg’s port is only growing. With more than ten million containers handled every year it’s one of the biggest ports in the world and together with Rotterdam, Europe’s prime logistic centre. Still, very close to the city centre a once half-desolate part of Hamburg’s harbour by the warehouse district and the river Elbe you find the new prominent project called HafenCity. With some ambitious designs and wild ideas this area will become an elegant and exhibitionistic part of town with plenty of cutting-edge architecture. Some office and residential buildings are already up and it’s an exciting area to have a look at either by strolling around by foot or seeing it from one of the many available boat trips. The most talked-about project is the new concert hall (The Elbe Philharmonic Hall) built within and upon an old warehouse and due for completion in 2012. The upper portion of the building is a glassy wavelooking extension, spectacularly erected on top of the old brick structure, with a public plaza in between the two. A project that embodies the clash between the massive old brick warehouses along the canals and the bold, futuristic pioneering of the HafenCity urban planning. Another ambitious project is a “living bridge”, where a five storey residential house would be built on top of a bridge over the river Elbe. And the surreal sketches of the gigantic ring design as the proposed Science Centre and Aquarium would further renown the city as a breathtakingly bold architectural hotspot. But The HafenCity development is not only a couple of extraordinary landmark buildings and an inspiration to what ways the waterfront could be reused - it’s Europe’s largest inner city urban development project. The work will continue well into the 2020s and will, when completed, certainly distinguish Hamburg as one of main metropolitan areas in Europe (especially if you add the proposed Eco City in another formerly flagging part of the Hamburg harbour).
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Although it has to be said that the city of Hamburg already prides itself on its existing architectural scene, regardless of implementing these new projects it has been recognized for its bold urban planning and striking architecture all through the 20th century. Having said that, the former landmarks like the Chilehaus, the TV tower, or the contrast of the new and old in the shape of Hadi Tehrani’s Docklands Office building and the St. Nikolaikirche are all sweet, but this new architectural extravaganza would for sure propel the city of Hamburg into world wide recognition.
© Elbphilharmonie Hamburg: Herzog & de Meuron
ARCHITECTURE
www.mediaserver.hamburg.de/S. Swami
ARCHITECTURE, FOOTBALL, AND TINY LITTLE PEOPLE IN EUROPE’S FASTEST GROWING PORT TOWN
TOTALLY DUBLIN
33
I have seen Hamburg’s Lange Reihe been described as the city’s Greenwich Village. Not sure of the validity of that statement, but with its restaurants and cafés it’s one of my favourite places in town, and shining the brightest is the trendy Cox restaurant, which boasts a nice interior, a small and sweet looking bar, and food that could be labelled as nouvelle cuisine with a local German twist. On my last visit I had a fantastic meal (wild boar, would you believe it) and a great overall experience due to some of the friendliest waiting staff I have ever had the pleasure to be served by. This kindness and service-mindedness, although not always taken to this level, is something that has taken me aback during each and every one of five visits to Germany over the last three years.
REEPERBAHN
The area of St Pauli was once a no man’s land between the towns of Hamburg and Altona. It was shaped by the maritime trade and the hordes of sailors who came looking for excitement in the shape of gambling, drink and women. Although the Reeperbahn is not what it was, now a vast array of nightlife entertainment has replaced a lot of the seedier alternatives and instead of drunken sailors you are more likely to see young drunken students.
PLANTEN UN BLUMEN
Let’s first get one thing very clear. Trains can be very important to people. I was never like that. At least not with trains. To me the thought of model railways seems incredibly dull and uninteresting. But in Hamburg, there is this giant warehouse right by the canal that is called Miniature Wonderland which hosts the world’s largest small scale model of the real world. In a brochure I find some astonishing facts - 4.000 square meters of floor space, whereof 1.500 square meters are choc-a-bloc full of seven miles of railroad track used by 900 trains made up of 12.000 carriages, there are 200.000 trees, 200.000 human figures and 300.000 lights. A flurry of artists have spent more than 500.000 hours to build this wonderland, created by a pair of German twins who most certainly don’t get out much. It took us travelling through Scandinavia, Hamburg, down through southern Germany to Switzerland before we went to Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and quickly had to change floors where luckily enough the hot dogs were of normal size. It’s really cool and as humungous as it seems (staff apparently numbers 160 people to show visitors around), it’s only half way done. It’s projected to be finished by 2014 and will then be about twice the size it is today. Calculate with half a day instead of an hour.
FISHMARKET
The Fishmarket in Altona has been going on for 300 years. Plenty of fish obviously but it’s more than that. You can for example get sausages and pastries too. It opens at a time so early in the morning you didn’t even know it existed and is quite a spectacle.
ROYAL MERIDIEN
Ok, they have not given me a stay for free. Honestly. But The Royal Meridien just by the Alster Lake in central Hamburg is a great place to stay. I have been there twice and the location, swimming pool, bathrooms and beds are all super but what I have to mention is the breakfast. The view is spectacular but you don’t realise it’s there if you’re at all hungry.
www.mediaserver.hamburg.de/C. O. Bruch
My latest visit to Hamburg was right before Christmas. It was unusually cold and apparently even touching minus 15 Celsius, which shelved our plans to go skating. The Planten un Blumen, which is a nice recreational park perfect for picnics in the summertime, offers a great big outdoors skating rink. We did have a short look at those braving the Arctic weather – we were rewarded with seeing some hilariously exquisite skating from a totally unexpected number of ungraceful punters. At slightly more pleasant temperatures, they’ll have to look out.
MINIATURE WONDERLAND
Photo: Peter Steen-Christensen
COX
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TOTALLY DUBLIN
www.totallydublin.ie
ST. PAULI
Brown is a very unconventional colour for a football team. But then again, St. Pauli, the team from the infamous district full of sailors and bikers, punks and prostitutes, are not your conventional football team. With the skull and crossbones Jolly Roger flag as the club’s official symbol St. Pauli represents something different from their city’s other, and somewhat bigger, team Hamburg SV as well as from most other typical football clubs you know. With some way over 300 fan clubs dotted around the world from Glasgow to India, one wonders where the obvious fascination for this traditionally lower league team comes from. It most certainly stems from the romanticised view of Reeperbahn, the proletarian lustre of the St. Pauli area and the titillation of its red light district. Now he may, or he may not - depending on your views and allegiances, be a beloved public figure, but there was a time when he lived his life as a humble man named Corny Littman touring the country for years and years with the Schmidt
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Family theatre. He eventually settled in this very same St. Pauli district in the late eighties. His Schmidt’s Tivoli Theatre was established when Littmann turned 50, whereupon he asked himself what he would like to do with his life apart from running two Hamburg theatres. Being president of a football club and setting up an opera was the swift reply to himself. By chance, a couple of weeks later, St. Pauli the football club approached the former drag queen and he didn’t hesitate, and apart from that his opera has now been set up in Rostock. Some people get it all eh? So what differentiates this club apart from playing in brown, the skull and crossbones symbol and coming from a red light district? Well, as you can imagine from having an openly gay president, absolutely everyone is most welcome, a fact which permeates their whole atmosphere. Hamburg’s alternative club is for Hamburg’s alternative people and in the late eighties when fascist-inspired hooliganism was an occurring threat in German football the club were the first to ban
www.mediaserver.hamburg.de/FC St. Pauli
right-wing and nationalist activities. It’s Friday night and St. Pauli Football Club, this season surprisingly in the higher echelons of the Zweite Bundesliga (the second division), has just finished a game. Another win. The club are on course for promotion to the German top-flight where they were last seen for a season in 200102. While chairman Corny Littman prepares his appearance as housekeeper Jane Twisden in The Mystery of Irma Vep show at one of his two theatres, the twenty or so thousand severely bescarfed fans pile out of the Millerntor stadium and into the surrounding bars* in the area downing pints of the local Astra beer - a beer that not only happens to be the club sponsors but also has an appropriate anchor in its logotype and stems from the St Pauli brewery. The fans might well be celebrating the win, but if you ever visit you could sense that to this lot the result isn’t the be-all and end-all. Their emergence as a cult club with followers from all over the world has brought an unusual party atmosphere to the ground. The people colour the terraces in brown, white and red and sing the most unusual football ditties you’re ever likely to hear like Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon and Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – a song that has been covered 78 times on record but I suspect never quite like this. *If you are looking for an Irish connection there’s always The Shamrock right outside the ground. The small bar, established in the eighties, is the oldest Irish bar in Hamburg and it has to be said turn pretty German on a matchday.
TOTALLY DUBLIN
55
words // PADDY O’MAHONEY picture // PADDY LYNCH The eighties are easily dismissed as a silly, cheesy time, when everyone rocked bicycle shorts and listened to A Flock Of Seagulls; but that doesn’t fly with Sarsparilla. The Wicklow-born producer is more than enamoured with the decade, and cites the soundtracks of John Carpenter and Giorgio Moroder among his main influences. Countless childhood hours spent watching programs like The Equalizer, Airwolf, and V evidently left a profound mark on Sarsparilla’s electro, a fact that becomes crystal clear when listening to his latest release, Slave To The Cat Gang. He harbours a healthy obsession with outboard gear; and his collection of old drum machines, vintage synthesizers, and electric pianos lend an authenticity to his production, which encapsulates disco, electro, and the film soundscapes close to his heart. Solely focusing on the inspiration of the eighties, however, betrays the musicality of Sarsparilla’s production, which, while paying homage, is never bound entirely to nostalgia. Although his ultimate goal is to write film soundtracks, let’s hope he doesn’t stop making albums. Ahead of the release of his latest one, he talks tunes, Italo disco, and making Ibiza house tracks for his ma. When I listened to your album, I felt that there was a strong influence of Italian dance music, and maybe even Dutch electro. Are these an influence? It depends what age you are, if you know what I mean? Italo definitely, you know with that dark electro sound, but it’s mainly movie soundtracks. Like John Carpenter’s soundtracks? Yeah, it’s not my fault. I can’t stop it, you know? I start something and he comes in. I was a metaller as a kid, but I always liked that sound of things, through John Carpenter. That’s an influence, alongside the Warp records stuff, Autechre and Boards of Canada and stuff like that. But I think a lot of the Italo sound comes out because I use old drum machines. How important is this old hardware for you? If for whatever reason, you lost all your equipment would you still have the same interest in making music digitally? Yes, definitely. There’s this whole thing where people say “oh, I only use analog”, but I hear loads of music that’s made on a laptop that sounds fucking amazing. That being said I need something to press, I can’t use a mouse for too long. Just looking at a screen doesn’t really appeal to me, I get really bored. With the machines, you have to go across the room to use some-
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SARSPARILLA JUST WANTS TO BE A BIG FAT BEARDED LAD WHO LIVES IN THE WOODS MAKING MUSIC FOR FILMS
thing. Every part of the song is a different machine. You said you’ve been making beats for 13 years, when you started out was it similar to what you’re making now? The stuff I’m making now is more like the stuff I made when I was starting out. Because when I started out it was the Roland 606 and the Juno 60, which is another very John Carpenter-sounding analogue synth, I was 17 and I was living in London. We knew about electronic music, but in Ireland it was all guitars and stuff. And then I made music with T-wok for a while. But you drift apart, because you’re doing you own thing you know. I was always into the 80’s stuff, toms and drum machines and stuff. I think there’s a strong disco influence in your music, but without the cheesiness a lot of people associate with disco. Yeah, I try and steer away from that. Sometimes the odd track people will say to me “Oh I like your track, it’s real cool, cheesy eighties.” To me the eighties was cool. It’s not cheesy to me. Of course there was cheesy times, and cheesy clothes, but the music was deadly. Your music is very different to a lot of the electronic production that comes out of
Ireland. I often do gigs with metal bands, guitar stuff like Cap Pas Cap. I think it’s good, because it puts me on my own rather than with a bunch of electro artists. Maybe that’s because there aren’t a lot of electro artists in Dublin. There are a lot of dubstep lads and hip-hop lads, and they’re all deadly, but in what I’m doing there’s only a handful of people. You don’t seem to have too much interest in the marketing side of things, but I mean obviously you’d like to sell CDs and make a bit of money… Yeah, it’s kind of a head wreck. You make the album, and then you have to talk about it. The main thing for me is that people enjoy what I’m trying to do. As far as the money thing goes, there’s no money to be made. My plan is to make music for films, a big fat bearded lad who lives in the woods and makes music for films, and has loads of money. That’s my plan. But the idea of making records, I love that, but it’s purely for the art. I’ll try not to pigeonhole myself, but I’m only going to make the music I like, whether it’s old disco or new hip hop. I’ve tried [making different types of stuff] though - my mum used to say “Would you not make one of those Ibiza house tracks and make your mammy a bit of money?”
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Sharpen Up Your Business Skills Are you wondering how you can attract more leads without spending a fortune? In a recessionary economy we all have to watch our overheads, but now is not the time to stop marketing. The Dublin City Enterprise Board ‘Tune-up Your Marketing’ workshops with social media and brand guru Krishna De provide a guide to marketing your business on a limited budget while ensuring your marketing activities have great impact and success.You will discover easy-to-implement and cost-effective marketing strategies to boost your sales in a downturn economy. This is just one of several one-day workshops that will run throughout 2010. We will also be offering our popular half-day training modules on topics ranging from ‘Tax for Beginners’, ‘Negotiation Skills’, ‘Get More Business From Your Website, ‘Time Management’ and ‘Sales & Selling’. If you are considering starting a business, the one-day Dublin City Enterprise Board Ideas Generation workshops are ideal to explore your ideas and find out if you’ve got what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Try our popular ‘Start Your Own Business’ courses (eight evenings once per week, or 6 full Saturdays).
Greg Swift, CEO and Pat Lynch, Chairman of Dublin City Enterprise Board introducing what’s new in 2010
'FNBMF &OUSFQSFOFVS "XBSE 8JOOFST Karen Brown of Chic Commodities scooped the 2009 Award for the Most Improved Business in the Dublin City Enterprise Network for Women. Karen’s company is a leading distributor of “ethical and green” cosmetic brands, including an organic fake tan, a professional spray tan, and an organic skincare range for men. Karen has grown the business from two to seven people in two years. The winner of the Rising Star Award was Agata Stoinska of D-Light Studios. Agata’s company rents studio space for photographers, television crews, theatre companies, exhibitions, creative workshops, and fashion shows. The competition is open to members of the Dublin City Enterprise Network for Women. Membership is open to female entrepreneurs based in Dublin city.
8IBUµT /FX - Watch out for our Mentor Clinics on different topics taking place throughout 2010. - Dublin City Enterprise Board Facebook page – Become a fan! - Financial supports for eligible (export-oriented) businesses are changing - Your free online guide to enterprise supports in Dublin city www.dcebenterpriseguide. com - Interactive free online business tools, chose from five topics • How To Target Your Marketing • Five Ways To Increase Your Profit • Quick Start Business Plan • Working Out Your Prices • Why You Need eCommerce To find out more about all the new developments check out www.dceb.ie
Karen Brown of Chic Commodities and Pat Lynch, Chairman of DCEB
CreativeD Network CreativeD is a network-based business support programme designed for the creative industries. Creative D is a network involving: • Sales and finance opportunities • Introductions to industry experts • Meet people from across the creative industries • Potential for collaborative projects • Links to creative industries in the U.K, France, Germany and Holland • Workshops and events every two months
Daniel Plewman, Happy Threads winner of the Link! Best Business Plan Award with Pat Lynch, Chairman of Dublin City Enterprise Board presenting the Trophy sponsored by Precious
Link! Award Winners Link! is the network for start up businesses based in Dublin City, and there were no shortage of contenders for this year’s Best Business Plan awards.
Greg Swift, CEO, Dublin City Enterprise Board and Minister of State for Labour Affairs, Dara Calleary, TD at the CreativeD Network
Happy Threads (www.happythreads.ie) won the top prize thanks to the success of their garment import and personalisation service. Run by chartered engineer Daniel Plewman and his wife, Dr Abigail Moore, a paediatric dentist, the duo spotted their opportunity on a recent visit to the US, where personalized fashion scrubs were available to healthcare professionals. The couple have established chains of supply and now offer better quality garments to the Irish market, as well as their unique embroidery service, which can put names, logos, and designs on clothing and work wear. Second prize went to GRIP Communications (www. membergrip.com) a Dublin-based software company providing development of bespoke, database-driven software systems and applications. Jaroslaw Woznica and Milena Woznica are the company promoters. The Dublin City Enterprise Board’s Link! network is open to new members.You can join online at www.dceb.ie for only €100 for annual membership.
Pat Lynch, Chair of Dublin City Enterprise Board, Sarah Newman, entrepreneur, and Tom Flanagan, Head of Commercialisation, Hothouse, DIT and DCEB board member at the ‘Be Inspired’Talks.The series of live interviews with successful Entrepreneurs. A series of free lunchtime talks. DIT Hothouse in conjunction with Dublin City Enterprise Board (DCEB) are proud to present the 2010 Be Inspired series starting in January with Dr. Chris Horn, cofounder of Iona Technologies and an inspirational figure in Ireland’s software industry.
DFCI8@M GDCBGCF98 6M
:063 1-"$& 03 .*/& §*5 "*5 words // CAOMHAN KEANE picture // PETER FINGLETON
As yet another gay night exalts the joys of dressing and acting up, it would appear that there is no place left for gays to be here, queer and get on with it. But, jazz hands aside, there is no point in criticising áit AIT for what it is not. Let’s look at what it is. Formed last year by Ciaran Rua and friends, it bloomed out of a mutual disdain for the restrictiveness of Dublin’s gay scene. Dominated by places that played really generic pop music, it was stagnant and limited - great for a certain type of person who lived a certain lifestyle but if your head was in any way outside the box the whole thing got old. FAST. Queer and Alternative was rarely on (and rarely alternative) while many of the other clubs were male dominated, intensely shallow and intimidating. On his return from London, Rua found the scene more conducive to his dreams of a club night that didn’t take itself too seriously; where the crowd got something more than thrusting groins and grinding jaws and where the performance element, a really important part of queer culture and identity, was thrust into the limelight, equal in stature to the heaving dance floor. This in part, had to do with the newly-opened Panti Bar which apparently appealed to their less pretentious side. Held, generally, on the third Friday of every month, áit AIT is a free night which isn’t run for profit. Each night is themed, though this is more of an indicator for the type of performances you are going to see and the type of music you’re going
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to hear, than a call-to-fancy-dress-arms. Although Rua himself parades about in costume, most of áit AIT’s regulars are spectators rather than participants. Among the past themes have been ‘áit AIT celebrates Bloomsday’ (where Edwardian-style costumes were donned and a cake was made from photocopied sheets of Ulysses); ‘áit AIT celebrates Marie Antoinette’ (including a renactment of Ms. Antoinette’s beheading to the tune of Heads Will Roll by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs); and ‘áit AIT celebrates the Holy Stump of Rathkeale’ (where an apparition of the Virgin Mary was spotted at the bar with a bishop giving out holy bread in the form of white chocolate buttons). Making sure not to miss any trick in the big book of homosexual stereotypes the áit AIT lads are also fabulous bakers providing tasty treats that are as delicious as they are absurd; a tree stump with the Madonna’s face on it, a golden pyramid for ‘áit AIT celebrates Cleopatra’, and the evil Disney princess with a decapitated prince’s head in her hands for ‘áit AIT celebrates Disney villains’, all lovingly and
creatively prepared by DJ HarleQuinn. So what about the tunes? I beg to differ with their claim of avoiding the floor filler - I’ve had my fill of them here. From stalwarts LCD Soundsystem to more predictable gay favourites Lady GaGa and her vastly superior (but rapidly deteriorating) predecessor Roisín Murphy. But to give the many DJs who play at áit AIT their due, they do have the most eclectic music policy in the city. From Swing to Disco, show tunes and Eurovision classics, the DJs have free reign to do as they please and have pulled some stonkers out of the bag. Some stinkers too, but so long as they raise a giggle then who cares? All in all áit AIT is a little bit extravagant, but not too much so. If you enjoy an evening of manic camp where crazy decorations, costumes and baked goods are as crucial to the ambiance as booze, bass and banter then this ought well be your first port of call. áit AIT @ Pantibar 7-8 Capel Street e: somefrustratedgays@gmail.com
www.totallydublin.ie
5)& #655 &/% 4503& 453&&5 4 (00% #*54 words // ROSIE GOGAN-KEOGH picture // EMMA BRERETON What a difference ten minutes makes. Located just that little bit too far away, the club premises beside Isaac Butt’s Hotel has a murky past. Once known simply as The Isaac Butt, it was for years a grimy indie hang-out famous for The Grove parties in the vaults. With the renaissance of dance music in the city it then got a makeover and transformed itself into Radiocity, an easily-forgotten club which never got off the ground and struggled to find an identity. The latest leaseholders are keen to shake off this history. The past is another country. After much searching for the perfect venue, DJ Johnny Moy and his three entrepreneurial colleagues have decided to take on the challenge of this location and turn what is an amazing space into an amazing club called The Good Bits. Having spent six months completely gutting the venue and facing serious challenges like flooding from the Liffey coming in under the basement, The Good Bits finally opened its doors last October. The idea behind it: to create not just a club, but a social hub. The owners are keen to point out it’s not just about dance music - it’s a live music venue, restaurant, hangout... it even has a library. Travellers emerging from Busaras are now greeted by a giant neon love heart and funky graffiti signage guiding you towards the sprawling venue. Inside there are three sections: the upstairs bar and lounge which is open all the time and is decorated by Johnny himself to be like an extension of your living room. Here chillout disco is on the menu. Downstairs
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the main room has been updated with recessionista chic courtesy of Oxfam with countless tacky mirrors and paintings. These and reupholstered red velvet benches attempt to add the character that the space was always missing. The cave, the crowning glory of the club remains the same, the low lying vaulted ceiling perfect for a sweaty techno rave. Here on Saturday nights Arveene and other residents takeover with electro, techno, Baltimore hiphop and all things in between with Punch. The rest of the week is a cacophony of student nights, live bands and quiz nights. Starting next month, the venue is welcoming its first international DJs to launch it to the next level. With this and some sly celebrity appearances by the likes of The Saturdays, The Good Bits is getting itself on the map - whether it’s the right one or not is questionable. What is it about us Dubliners and not wanting to travel that extra distance? Are we just so spoiled from having everything right there on our doorstep? In other cities (see Berlin’s Berghain) ravers don’t think twice about travelling to the city limits for a good party. Can The Good Bits change our attitude and become the Great Bits? With obstacles like its location and the Liffey flooding it’s going to be tougher than tough, but watch this space. The Good Bits Store St., Dublin 1 t: 01 8197635
'2/'!.3 7HERE TIME STANDS STILL (OST TO A CONTINUOUS CHANGING ART EXHIBITION
3OUTH 7ILLIAM 3TREET 4ELEPHONE
Sandwich platters, pastries, fruit, drinks teas & coffee, soup & salads
CAFE
Low call 1890 843 726 orders@tiesan.com www.tiesan.com
*offer available for limited period only
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41
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A swarm of talk has surrounded Bentley’s since the opening of the oyster bar and obscenely-priced restaurant in the cold cadaver of Browne’s on the Green. I saw the pre-theatre menu (€24.95 for 3 courses) as a good opportunity to sample the wares of the prodigal chef before committing to spending a special occasion at Bentley’s, paying full whack for a meal that may not be worth it. On entering the exquisite Georgian building from the stone steps outside, there is a sense that what we are about to experience will be as lavish as the stunning interior of this townhouse that is set in the much coveted location of Stephen’s Green. However, our Bentley’s experience got off to a rocky start when we were left waiting in the entrance hall feeling like spares despite there being three staff members behind the front desk, only one of whom appeared busy. When we were finally relieved of our coats and shown to our table, we were positioned uncomfortably close to another couple even though the restaurant at 6.15pm was not busy. There was a distinct lack of presence of a maitre d’ or man in charge for the most part of our meal, but later we witnessed the level of service and atmosphere of the place lurch from zero to high voltage coincidentally, when two suited managers arrive at “a
la carte o’clock”. Oysters are an aphrodisiac for some and a regurgitant for others. For those who fall into the latter category, at Bentley’s there is Oysters Rockefeller, usually baked or broiled, and tempura of oysters, honey and black pepper. We sampled a selection of three types of oysters – Galway Coast, Carlingford Lough and the wild and more expensive Galway Natives. Presented on ice and with a side vinegar and shallot sauce, the raw molluscs were gobbled up mainly by my companion and mother whose iron stomach I sadly did not inherit. Both our chosen starters were also available as main courses, but I would advise against ordering large portions of either dish. With little evidence of tomato or basil in the sauce, the shellfish linguine’s fishy flavour was not at all what we had expected. And the vibrant risotto dish, while reasonably tasty and nicely garnished with sprigs of watercress, was latent with cheese - parmesan, according to the waiter who answered gruffly when quizzed on the ingredients. Medium-rare is how they cook the steak at Bentley’s. Once the knob of butter atop the tender meat had melted, it made for a pleasant bite. The accompanying chips were pale in colour and wanted seasoning. Our other main course had us foaming at the mouth, literally. The smoked haddock with smoked milk foam was a clever combination, fusing the flaky fish with a smooth froth that felt like a lather of sweet suds on the tongue, but the bland bed of crushed potatoes beneath was a dull and poorly matched accessory. By dessert, the mood at Bentley’s had switched dramatically. Empty tables were not only filled with patrons (the average age being about sixty, the women – grey, glamorous and noticeably bejewelled) but the flagging dining hall was suddenly humming with ambiance. The two maitre d’s on duty worked the room, pulling out chairs and engaging in friendly chatter with the regulars and first timers. Even the staff perked up, the gruff waiter from before bending over backwards to answer our questions with witty repartee. As all this was going on, we plunged into a bowl of old fashioned and delicious bread and butter pudding and dipped into a scrumptious helping of warm, toasted apple crumble with sage and walnut ice cream, wondering if it was all too little too late. At Bentley’s, it seems to me that the pretheatre diners are treated as the lowest nook on the food chain, or members of the Glee club. If Corrigan’s cooking had been outstanding perhaps ill feeling would give way to kudos here but, unfortunately, our Bentley’s experience was disappointing overall. With two glasses of Merlot, a glass of 2008 Bergerie, a latte and the included 12.5% service charge, the bill came to €100.18. 22 St. Stephen’s Green Dublin 2 t: 01 6383939
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www.totallydublin.ie
Well the weather outside was frightful, and driving conditions “treacherous” in the word du jour of Met Eireann, AA Road Watch and Martin King. While sensible folk were huddled indoors replaying the now legendary YouTube clip of ‘that guy who fell on the news’ repeatedly while finally understanding the true meaning of schadenfreude and silently praying that tomorrow it wouldn’t be them, we braved the bitter weather and slippery pavements for a meal at Valparaiso. An eldritch stillness had descended upon Monkstown Village; there were no cars on the perilous roads and we were the only craturs to shuffle slowly up the hill, clutching on to one another for fear of becoming the World Wide Web’s latest laughing stock or badly bruised hero, should there be an RTE camera lurking in the shadows. A roaring fire was a joyous sight on entering the cosy, modern and newly refurbished restaurant and we were seated within close proximity of its hissing glory. Simple décor of chocolate brown walls, alpine wood flooring and atmospheric
lighting adds to the comfortable, chic feel of this place and while it was quiet on the eve of our visit, it was certainly not devoid of charm or ambiance. An all night early-bird runs six nights a week with two courses for €21.95 and three for €25.95 which is a great offer provided you choose your courses carefully. We began with the seafood chowder – a soulful, creamy soup full of generous chunks of fish, and the ‘Monkstown crab cakes’ which I’m not so sure the village would be so proud to lend its name to, should it acquire taste buds and the means to speak its mind. While the dish was beautifully presented, served with a delicious Asian salad and drizzled with spicy mango salsa, the cakes themselves were soggy and unappetising, and I regretted my ordering them against the advice of a good friend who had recommended the duck liver and fois gras parfait from the starter menu, as well as the antipasti plate. Again with our main courses, one stood out above the other, but our least favourite – the pan roast Peking duck breast, was still more than adequately tasty. Two decent cuts of meat, one sporting more fat than is preferable, shared the plate with a duo of roasted vegetables and cubed potatoes and all components mixed amicably with the deep red and divine cherry based sauce. As for the superior dish, the Valparaiso fish pie featuring the perfect catch of cod, brawny prawns, salmon and smoked haddock; nothing could be more delightful than tucking into this pie’s herb and parmesan crust and uncovering such hearty, wholesome goodness, especially on a cold winter’s night. But dessert was riddled with dissatisfaction. A resounding squelch could almost be heard as each lump of ginger pudding met with my molars; it was so moist to me it appeared half-baked, and the rhubarb crème brulèe with shortbread biscuit although better, was not great. The meal at Valparaiso was not without its flaws, but the excellent chowder and gorgeous fish pie are proof of what this little eatery in the southern suburbs is capable of. Including two glasses of wine, a €4 supplement for the duck and a fair 10% service charge the bill at €75.68 could hardly give us chills. If only we could say the same about the weather… 99 Monkstown Road Monkstown Co. Dublin t: 01 280 1992
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When it comes to wine, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know your arse from your elbow. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pinot Noirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sounds more like something youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d see on the top shelf in the adult section of Xtravision than a grape variety to you whose vitivocab barely extends beyond the realms of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;redâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;whiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lucky then that the oenophiles at ely have put together a number of introductory wine appreciation courses that will run throughout February and March at all three ely venues and aim to enhance your enjoyment of guzzling that grape juice with a fun, fresh and sociable approach to wine tasting. Each evening over three weeks, you will taste six wines before being served supper with a further glass of wine. While spittoons will be provided, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably best to leave the car at home to reap the full benefits of this ely experience and maybe even get a little tipsy. The â&#x201A;Ź150 course fee includes membership of the ely wine club and supper each evening. The module in March will cover other vinous delights such as fortified and sparkling wines, labelling and storing of wine as well as matching wine with food. Find out more at www.elywinebar.ie.
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It had been making quite a name for itself as the matchbox-sized pizzeria â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Don Mimiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, beside Dun Laoghaireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Purty Kitchen. Critics raved about the thin crust goodness and queues were out the door since well, there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much space inside to wait, let alone sit down and enjoy a slice of pizza. However, due to a breakdown of partnership in the business, Don Mimiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is not only occupying a new premises in nearby Blackrock but is also operating under a brand new moniker â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Da Paoloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. No need to fret dough (get it?), the pizza
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is every bit as delish. A popular one with regulars is the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Piccanteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a sizzling spicy salami offering with mozzarella and mixed peppers as well as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Don Mimiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an old favourite featuring prosciutto Parma, shaved parmesan, cherry tomato and rocket. There is a different homemade pasta dish on the blackboard each night such as cannelloni, tagliatelle, spaghetti or lasagne for around â&#x201A;Ź8, and a handful of Italian wines and beers are available to wash it all down with. Local delivery costs â&#x201A;Ź2 but an extra fifty cent will ensure you get your pizza pronto if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re slightly more than just a stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throw away.
Smithfield can sometimes seem like a barren wind tunnel with little life blowing through its vast industrial sized spaces. Even at lunchtime thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often a deserted feel about the place. That is until you venture down Duckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lane, the sheltered laneway that links the main square with the entrance to the Jameson Distillery, and duck into Christopheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CafĂŠ where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually rather tricky trying to find a seat. A popular haunt of legal types fresh from the nearby Four Courts, Christopheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has been around for almost seven years yet still retains its hidden gem appeal. Proprietor Joe Forkan ensures there is a varied selection of delicious, homemade dishes on the menu to keep his customers satisfied throughout their busy day and Christophe staples include Toulouse sausage with red onion gravy, steak and kidney pie and beef bourguignon, all â&#x201A;Ź12.50. The cafĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Roast in a roleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at â&#x201A;Ź7.25 is not only filling but fabulous. A choice of bagels, salads and paninis are also available as is breakfast which includes the whole shebang and eggs every which way, from 8am. Sweet treats are baked in house and a decent array of wines of mainly South African, French and Italian origin line the shelves, and although the doors close at 6pm Mon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sat, the venue can be hired for private parties after hours. In the summer, the outdoor area provides a serene space for recreation and a beer, and with the lighthouse cinema conveniently positioned across the way, Christopheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is the ideal spot for a pre-movie bite.
31 Deansgrange Road Blackrock Co. Dublin t: 01 2897745
Duckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lane Smithfield Village Dublin 7 t: 01 8874417
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3 course lunch only â&#x201A;Ź12.50 Monday to Friday Early Bird â&#x201A;Ź18.50 (3 courses) - all night long!
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Y L L A T O T
FOOD
Restaurant Guide
Brasserie Sixty6 66-67 South Great Georges St, Dublin 2 Stylish, buzzy restaurant, right in the heart of Dublin’s shopping and entertainment district. Great food and drink, fantastic surroundings, exciting atmosphere, reasonable prices. Whether it's a lazy brunch at the weekend or a business lunch, or simply a romantic dinner, at brasserie sixty6 is always our pleasure. Finger-licking desserts, a full vegetarian menu, carefully selected wine list chosen with accessibility, value and good taste, delicious cocktails to start your evening… you will not be disappointed.
Odessa
Cafe Irie
Odessa is Dublin’s original dining lounge, a mesh of style and substance. Thanks to its newly-popular Fivers menu, its defining quality has become offering affordable sophistication. The restaurant offers a mouth-watering menu renowned for its tapas-style offerings and an unparalleled cocktail menu, all in a chilled-out atmosphere.
A Buddha-balanced haven from the helter-skelter lunchtime of the rest of Dublin 2. With a more-thancomprehensive range of coffees, teas, and juices, and a meaty menu comprising paninis, ciabattas, sandwiches, and some rustic pizzas, Irie’s Zen-attuned environment offers the food to match. Its car-bootsale approach to decor and smiling staff makes it impossible not to eat, drink, and be Irie.
t: 01 670 7634 www.odessa.ie
t: 01 672 5090
14 Dame Court, Dublin 2
11 Fownes Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Open: Mon-Fri at 11am, Sat-Sun 10am, Until: Sun-Wed til 10.30pm, Wed-Sat til 11pm
t: 01 400 5878 www.brasseriesixty6.com
Brasserie de Verres en Vers
Café Novo
Brasserie de Verres en Vers is a new, modern interpretation of the French brasserie. Quietly glamorous and sedately cool, design is an integral part, with clean lines, dark wood finishes and an elegant contemporary floral detail. With an all-day menu, the emphasis at Brasserie de Verres en Vers is on classic French bistro fare, with ever-changing plats du jour, staple and signature dishes and a focus on fresh quality produce. The menu at Brasserie de Verres en Vers is complemented by a carefully chosen list of French wines and champagne and a great selection of aperitifs and digestifs.
Café Novo, a chic new international bar and brasserie opened it doors in October 2008. This fun and flirty eatery will woo diners with a carefully selected menu that offers traditional favourites with a twist - making it the perfect brunch stop for peckish shoppers or evening dinner and drinks spot for city slickers. Conveniently located on Harry Street, just a few steps from Grafton Street, Café Novo offers informal-style drop-in dining, whether you want to grab a modern take on a club sandwich or to simply sip on a cocktail. Mon-Sun 10am-10pm, bar open to 12.30am
at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Dublin
Breakfast: Dinner: Sunday Brunch:
Harry St, Dublin 2
06.30-10.30 Mon-Fri 07.00-11.00 Sat-Sun 17.00-22.00 Mon-Sun 13.00-4pm
t: (01) 6463353 dine@cafenovo.ie
www.radissonblu.ie
Sinners
Café Carlo
12 Parliament Street, Dublin 2
63 - 64 O’Connell Street, Dublin 1
Belly dancing and Baba Ganoush, Sinner’s is a traditional Lebanese restaurant in the heart of Dublin City, which combines good food with a vibrant atmosphere. Sinners Lebanese Restaurant is a former recipient of a “Best Ethnic Cuisine” Temple Bar award and continues to serve patrons a wide variety of tantalising Lebanese fare. Guests at Sinners will find a welcoming staff, who provide an excellent service to ensure you have an authentic, fun night out.
The relaxed and intimate setting of Café Carlo, coupled with its high-quality, reasonably priced food and friendly, attentive staff has made this restaurant a huge favourite with Dublin diners. Not only is it a popular choice with visitors to our fair city, it's also found a place in the hearts of the discerning locals, who return time and again to soak up the Cafe Carlo atmosphere and enjoy some genuinely delicious food. Free glass of wine with every main course when mentioning this ad!
Open 5pm til late
t: (01 888 0856 www.cafecarlo.net
t: 01 675 0050
Eden
Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 The acclaimed, award-winning Eden restaurant serves contemporary food with a distinctive Irish flavour, overlooking the vibrant Meeting House Square in Temple Bar. With a set of mouthwatering dishes available for mains, from mushroom tarts to duck confit, and a stunning location, Eden is one of Dublin’s must-eat experiences.
t: 01 670 5372 www.edenrestaurant.ie
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Venu
Punjab Balti
Anne’s Lane, off South Anne St, Dublin 2
15 Ranelagh Village, Dublin 6
Venu has enjoyed a loyal following since it opened in 2006 and it has been renowned for its well-executed, varied food menu and for its award-winning cocktail bar. If you are looking for a vibrant place that serves great cocktails and quality ‘home-made’ dishes at reasonable prices it is hard to look much further than Venu Brasserie. Tues - Sat: Dinner 5.30 til late Saturday Brunch: 12pm til 4pm
Old favourite Punjab Balti retains its popularity and success after 13 years by consistently serving authentic Punjabi cuisine, prepared in the same traditional manner as in the Indian subcontinent's Punjab region for centuries. Over the years this famous Ranelagh restaurant has won major recognition for it's top quality food, intimate ambience, excellent value and service. You can bring your own beer or wine and there are also takeaway and delivery services available that are perfect for a Balti night in. For current special offers check out www. punjabbalti.ie
t: 01 67 06755 www.venu.ie charles@venubrasserie.com
t: 01 496 0808 /01 491 2222 info@punjabbalti.ie
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SoHo
South William
La Mere Zou
Dillinger’s
Unpretentious cooking, laid back surroundings, nice sounds, reasonable prices, easy dining and a friendly welcome. Bang in the middle of Dublin city centre - right where you want to be. One all day menu, whether for a quick bite, or a shared platter, or lunch, or casual dinner with friends or colleagues. We offer simple classics and staples prepared using the best ingredients, and executed with style..What you want, how you want it. Laid back eating at SoHo.
With a new menu devised by Lolly and Cook’s, the South William bar transcends regular pub grub. With tasty quiches and salads on the board, along with the aptly named ‘Savage Roll’, this is a bar you’ll find almost impossible to leave, and food you’ll keep coming back to. Open 7 days from midday.
A solidly French restauramt offering bistro classics with a moden touch, La Mere Zou opened in 1994 and specialises in Classic French cuisine. They also offer a large selection of seafood directly from the local fishmarket. At La Mere Zou you can relax in a warm, familial atmosphere while enjoying the very best in cuisine and service.
Dillinger’s is a new restaurant situated in the heart of Ranelagh village. Their American influenced food is not precious. It’s fun, punchy, generous and all about flavour. As part of their wine list they import three Italian house wines to give you better value per glass or bottle. And they do great cocktails too.
Food served from 12am to 10pm
Lunch: Monday - Friday 12 -3pm Dinner: Monday - Sat 6 - 11pm
17 South Great Georges Street, Dublin 2
Open: Mon-Fri 12pm, Sat & Sun 10.30am Last Orders: Sun- Wed 10.30pm, Thurs-Sat 11pm
52 South William St, Dublin 2
t: 01 672 5946 www.southwilliam.ie
22 St Stephens Green, Dublin 2
47 Ranelagh. Dublin 6
t: 01 497 8010 info@dillingers.ie
t: 01 61 6669 www.lamerezou.ie
t: 01 707 9596 www.sohodublin.com
Diep Le Shaker
Il Primo
Diep Noodle Bar
Prices dropped... Standard still very high. To ensure absolute authenticity in Thai cuisine Diep fly all essential ingredients in fresh from Bangkok. Diep Le Shaker make no adjustments in the chilli content of their fare. This stunningly designed restaurant is the recipient of the prestigious Thailand Brand Award awarded by the Government of Thailand and the Thai Select Award awarded by the Ministry of Commerce, Thailand for authentic cuisine.
Il Primo is one of the longest-established Italian restaurants in Dublin’s city centre. For over a decade, Il Primo has been serving rustic Italian food paired with some of the best wines that Tuscany has to offer. The restaurant is located in a romantic period house, which has been converted into a lively, homely bar area and a cosy and intimate dining room, located five minutes from St. Stephen’s Green.
Thai and Vietnamese food experts, Diep, offer a great value noodle-based menu with an exciting and exotic range of dishes including soups, salads and stir-fries. Diep Noodle Bar’s Bangkok Street Food menu is a steal and includes three courses of soup, appetiser and main course for €16 available Monday to Sunday until 7pm. With it’s fresh and genuine approach to cooking alongside it’s popular cocktail bar, warm hospitality and it’s releaxed but vibrant atmosphere. Diep Noodle Bar is a firm local favourite.
55 Pembroke Lane, Dublin 2
t: 01 661 1829 www.diep.net
16 Montague St., Dublin 2
Ranelagh Village, Dublin 6
t: 01 478 3373 info@ilprimo.ie
t: 01 497 6550 www.diep.net
DAX
Coppinger Row
A welcoming bar area offers a post-work winddown or light evening meal, perfect for you and your colleagues to enjoy with hot and cold tapas, available Tuesday to Saturday. Ideal for business and perfect for pleasure, or to dine privately for groups of between 10 and 14 people, Dax Restaurant is only a stones throw away from you and your business so why not take the time to visit a restaurant of refreshment, rejuvenation and reinvigoration.
The Bereen brothers from South William Urban Lounge have created an exciting new option for dining out in Dublin: fresh simple mediterranean dishes, perfect for diving in and sharing with friends, family and work colleagues alike, in the funky laid-back atmosphere of Coppinger Row, slap-bang in the middle of coolest quarter of south city Dublin.
23 Pembroke Street Upper
Off South William St, Dublin 2
Tues - Sat 12noon - 11pm Sunday 1pm - 8pm Closed Monday
Tuesday to Friday from 12.30pm to 2pm Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm to 10pm
t: 01 672 9884 www.coppingerrow.com
t: 01 676 1494 olivier@dax.ie www.dax.ie
Pacino’s
Ukiyo Bar
The Farm
Chai Yo
For over 15 years Pacino’s has been a family-run restaurant known for its delicious ‘Classic & Gourmet’ pizzas and pastas, steaks and salads. It serves traditional, fresh, quality Italian cuisine. Its beef is 100% Irish, and sourced from reputable suppliers, and its pizza dough made fresh, inhouse, daily. Pacino’s offers a modern dining experience, with an old world vibe – stylish brickwork, wooden floors and soft lighting all combine to create a relaxed, rustic, informal atmosphere.
Ukiyo Bar is Dublin’s premier late night bar, restaurant and entertainment venue. Open from 12pm till late 7 days a week, especially on Thursday, Friday and Saturday when we keep our kitchen open past midnight. At Ukiyo we strive to provide our customers with a unique dining and entertainment experience - from the best value lunches to great sushi and sake in the evening, attentive and knowledgeable service, top shelf cocktails and some of the best club nights in Dublin at the weekend. Not to mention our private karaoke booths, making Ukiyo the immediate choice for a first date, a birthday party or a corporate bash.
The Farm is about tasty homemade locally sourced free range, organic and fresh food. Healthy vegetables and fresh herbs. All their food is freshly prepared and cooked to order.
Famed for their Teppenyaki tables creating a unique and interactive eating experience, as well as meals made from the freshest, highest quality ingredients and a great party opportunity, Chai Yo perfects the balance between fun and food. For the less party-inclined of visitors, there is a quieter downstairs section. Something for everyone!
18 Suffolk St., Dublin 2
t: 01 677 5651 www.pacinos.ie
7-9 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2
t: 01 633 4071 www.ukiyobar.com
www.totallydublin.ie
3 Dawson St, Dublin 2
11 am to 11 pm 7 days a week
t: 01 671 8654 hello@thefarmfood.ie
100 Lower Baggot St, Dublin 2
Mon-Fri:12.30-3pm, 6pm-11.30pm Sat: 5.30pm-midnight Sun: 3pm-10pm
t: 01 676 7652 www.chaiyo.ie TOTALLY DUBLIN
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7"-&/5*/& 4 41&$*"&"5 :063 )&"35 065 words // KATIE GILROY picture // EMMA BRERETON
MICHELLE DARMODY OWNER, THE CAKE CAFÉ
MARC BEREEN OWNER, COPPINGER ROW
What does Valentine’s mean to you? Valentine’s Day usually means work for me. We get busy in the cafe, baking on the run up to Valentine’s Day. Our heart shaped cookies are particularly popular so I usually end up rolling and cutting out lots of cookies and icing cupcakes. Myself and my boyfriend try and take a day off later in the week or the following weekend to celebrate. We usually book a lunch in a really nice restaurant and treat ourselves to a boozy afternoon. Lunch deals can be really great value and you have the extra feeling of being a bit bold as you sip a glass of Champagne knowing that you should be in work and it is still daylight outside. Worst Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received? Nothing. My boyfriend usually gives me nothing!! I do not get him anything either. I do bake him some cookies. Ideal date? I know it’s cliché but I would have to say Paris. There is a restaurant called ‘Julien’ a short walk from Notre Dame. It’s very romantic with stunning glass painted ceilings and old Parisian decor, there are vases bursting with roses and the soft velvet seating is the perfect place to sit back and watch Paris’s bright and beautiful swanning in and out. My perfect date would be to secure a corner table in the back room and to tuck into a rare steak and a great bottle of red. Why you should treat your other half to a bite of L.O.V.E by Cake Café… All of our cookies and cakes are hand made and they not only look great but they taste great. I think edible gifts are always a really safe bet.
What does Valentine’s mean to you? Two tops, two tops everywhere. I don’t really go for the whole HALLMARK Valentine’s thing. Surprise, out of the blue romance is always the best. Best Valentine’s gift? As always the best Valentines gift for me or from me is good food, wine, laughing and loving..... Just perfect! Ideal date? In Mexico with my lady, she moved back there for college at Christmas. Boo hoo! Why you should spend Valentine’s at Coppinger Row… Well if it doesn’t work out with your date, the flavours of the food and our hot staff will tantalise your senses. Free Valentine’s cocktail for all the ladies in the house.
For all your tantalizing treats call 01 4789394
Dial-a-date on 01 6729884
PUNJAB BALTI No need to whisk your girlfriend off to Paris for Valentine’s this year just to prove you’ve got at least one, however small, romantic bone in your body. Punjab Balti, Ranelagh’s tastiest Indian restaurant, is pulling out all the stops this February 14th to ensure that cupid’s victims have a truly memorable night. Forget cliché kisses on the Eiffel Tower or barftastic boat trips along the Seine. Instead, indulge in some Bollywood style romance at Punjab Balti where you can enjoy a four course meal full of flavour for €30 each, or €40 including a bottle of wine. A complimentary glass of Bucks Fizz will be given on arrival as well as a red rose for the ladies, and live entertainment provided by authentic Bollywood singers during the course of the evening. To add to the magical occasion, the lovely people at Punjab are offering a fantastic prize of a romantic getaway for any couple who get engaged on the premises that night, but you must have the ring to prove it. And not too worry if it’s too early on in the relationship for marriage talk, you could still win a weekend away in the raffle that will take place after dinner. Revenge may be best served cold, but at Punjab Balti, romance is always served hot and with a side of pilau rice! 15 Ranelagh Village Ranelagh Dublin 6 t: 01 4960808
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05)&3 7"-&/5*/& 4 41&$*"-4
PÓL Ó HEANNRAICH CHEF PATRON, BLOOM BRASSERIE What does Valentine’s mean to you? I have worked most Valentine’s nights so it’s usually about cooking great food and making sure everyone has a memorable night. After work, if they’re lucky, someone might get a rose and a nice bottle of wine or Champagne. Best Valentine’s gift you’ve ever given or received? I took my ex skiing once for Valentine’s and she loved it and I got a nice pair of boxers! For me, Valentine’s is more about the woman and as I said, I’m usually working so it’s often a late bottle of good Champagne, some oysters…And happy days!! Ideal date? A good home cooked meal including fresh oysters, maybe a few candles, some fine wine and good
Champagne. And a hot babe to share it all with, of course... Why take your lady to Bloom this Valentine’s? At Bloom you’re guaranteed great food, fine wine and the setting is perfect for a Valentine’s date. I’ve watched even the grumpiest old couples fall back in love over the course of their meal at Bloom; the low lighting and candles make for a perfect setting to enjoy fabulous food and fine wine with that special person and the value is great. You won’t be rushed through your meal and there’s no compromise on quality as there often is on Valentine’s night. Bloom’s romantic Valentine’s menu will be available on both Sat & Sun (13 & 14 Feb), €43/3 courses. A Valentine’s cocktail will be on offer and there will be a rose for the ladies on arrival. t: 01 6687170
ONE PICO: Lunch 12.30 – 3pm €29.95/3 courses; Early Valentine’s dinner 4 – 6.30pm, €39/3 courses; Full Valentine’s dinner 6.45 – 9pm €59/4 courses, available both Sat & Sun. t: 01 6760300 BLEU BISTRO: Lunch 12.30 – 4.30 €15/2 courses; Early dinner 5 – 6.30pm €20/2 courses; Full Valentine’s dinner 6.45 – 10pm €30/3 courses. t: 01 6767015 IL SEGRETO: Valentine’s menu €35/3 courses including ‘corso gratuito’ of butternut squash soup with coconut cream and chilli jam, and ‘sopresa corso’ of Prosecco and pink grapefruit sorbet. Special cocktail ‘Master in Love’ – a blend of raspberries and blackberry liquor topped off with bubbles will also be available. t: 01 6618700 ELY: €35/3courses with complimentary glass of Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato, available at ely winebar (t: 01 6768986), ely chq brasserie (t: 01 6270010) and ely hq gastro pub t: 01 6339986). ODESSA: €32/3 courses. t: 01 6703080 FIRE RESTAURANT: Valentine’s menu available Thurs – Sun, 5 – 10pm, €45 inc. glass of Champagne. t: 01 6767200 LA PENICHE: €68/5 courses including red rose and Kir Royal on arrival. t: 087 7900077 HARVEY NICHOLS: Lunch 12.30 – 3.30pm €50 pp including glass of bubbly and live jazz music. Dinner €80 pp including glass of bubbly and live renditions of classics by Michael Bublé, Dean Martin and Harry Connick Jnr by singer Roy Taylor. t: 01 2910488 DYLAN HOTEL: Valentine’s Weekend Aphrodisiac Menu designed by Executive Head Chef Nathan Dimond. This menu includes the sexually charged foods such as oysters, lavender, almonds, champagne foam, caviar, rocket and pine nuts. The dessert menu features a chocolate fondue to share. €38.50/3 courses. Valentine’s cocktail, Rose Petal Martini also available, €10.50. Package price for a room (with a bed scattered with rose petals) and 3 course meal is €149.50 pp sharing. t: 01 6603000 MERRION HOTEL: ‘All Loved Up’ – Overnight accommodation on Feb 14 in a luxurious double room in the Garden Wing including full Irish breakfast, chilled rose Champagne, heart shaped chocolates on arrival plus a candlelit 3 course meal at The Cellar Restaurant, €227.50 pp sharing. t: 01 6030600 DILLINGER’S, Ranelagh, will be taking bookings for couples on 14 Feb despite their usual no booking policy. t: 01 4978010
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The Jameson International Film Festival isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just confined to the cinemas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there is an evening of Nino Rotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film soundtrack work on at the National Concert Hall on February 22nd. Soundtrack legends donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come much bigger than Rota, whose work includes scores for La Dolce Vita, Il Gattopardo, Amarcord and The Godfather among many, many others. European cinema would sound very different without his influence, so the chance to listen to some of his best known work in a concert setting will be a treat for film fans. David Brophy is the conducter of the DIT Symphony Orchestra and an unassuming music fanatic; he enthuses about Deep Purple, Steve Reich, Damon Albarn, Joseph Haydn and The White Stripes during our brief chat. Brophy will be in charge of the orchestra on the night so I ask him what difficulties arise from playing Nino Rotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music in the absence of the visuals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You generally donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the film although sometimes we doâ&#x20AC;?, he tells me in a break before rehearsals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done the remastered Wizard of Oz live â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you know Dorothy singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow with the live concert orchestra playing along and it was amazing. Most of the time you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the luxury of the actual film and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even have stills. The luxury is when you record for film - I sometimes record in Windmill Lane. You have a TV screen beside you and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re playing the film as youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re recording. So you get to see whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on. And there are recording studios in America now where the whole orchestra see a big screen, they literally record the whole orchestra in a cinema so you can play to visuals and see how your notes are going to blend with the film. So obviously when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just an orchestra on the stage at the concert hall and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve no visual aspect, you have to use your imagination, but I suppose imagination is implicit in all types of music anyway whether it be film music or so called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;classical musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Imagination is part of it, you know.â&#x20AC;? So many of Nino Rotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soundtracks have taken on iconic status, they seem to transcend the films they were created for. Brophy agrees that these works are important enough and great enough to stand on their own merits. Listening to Rotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perhaps best known piece itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impossible to dispel the image of Marlon Brando. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Nino Rotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re left in no doubt what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meant to depict. Apart from the strong visual images that go behind the music, the music can stand on its own as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very strong as well. The Godfather, I did it a couple of times before and apart
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(-* *5"-*"/* 40/0 ."55* /*/0 305"Â&#x2DC;4 /05& 1&3'&$5 406/%53"$,4 words // CIARAN GAYNOR
from the opening trumpet solo, eventually when it gets into the, you know, the mandolins and the guitars and that it does go into this slow, almost death waltz and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s melancholy, Italian and reminiscent of Italy and because The Godfather is an American film - even though it touches on aspects of culture from all around the world - thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an element of Jewishness in it as well as the Italian thing. I think that melancholy piece is like yearning for Italy. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that sort of yearning quality to it which I think is very strong.â&#x20AC;? The word â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nostalgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; crops up a lot in discussion of Nino Rotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work, and Brophy has a theory about this: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think Nino Rotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not afraid to delve into old music or familiar music for his ideas. One of the cues for the concert is - I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know the name of the piece - a famous circus piece (Sings what turns out to be Entry Of The Gladiators by Julius Fucik). Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s used in La Dolce Vita so I think heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not afraid to take those things that we all know and use them. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not afraid to take classical composersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ideas and use them, like the long Rossini crescendo, so he does have that nostalgia side to him, that yearning for times gone past or yearning for a different place from where he is now â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly a part of him and who he is. His style of writing is all in that as well. Even
though this is an orchestral gig he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t limit himself. He doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;oh I have an orchestra here soâ&#x20AC;Śyou knowâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very specific, which is always easier to conduct.â&#x20AC;? Before our time mulling over the merits of arguably Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best known soundtrack composer (Ennio Morricone being a notable contender to the title) comes to a close, we get onto discussing the meeting points between classical music and rock. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We did a gig last October with Jon Lord (of Deep Purple). Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a part of me that thinks weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been ruined by recording. I suppose with rock music you probably do go along to a gig and expect something different from what you get with a CD - the interaction, the improv, the playouts are a bit longer and so on. At a classical show you expect to hear what you have on the recording, note-perfect, in the hall and if [the audience] donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get that they feel theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been sort of short-changed and I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s completely unhealthy. So you know I think I like the notion of a little bit more anarchy in concerts, I like the idea of things going wrong because I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sort of real.â&#x20AC;? Not that one should expect anything to go wrong at the National Concert Hall of course, rather expect Nino Rotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music and - in your mindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye at least, the films they accompanied - come to life.
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Edge of Darkness Director: Martin Campbell Talent: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Bojana Novakovic Released: 29 January
Ponyo Director: Hayao Miyazaki Talent: Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Noah Lindsey Cyrus, Liam Neeson Released: 12 February I went into the pressscreening of Ponyo with high hopes. I’ve rarely enjoyed a children’s film since I stopped being a stupid, stupid child, but I had genuinely appreciated both Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke (Hayao Miyazaki’s most successful exports to the western market), without having to prefix any compliments with: “Well, for a kids’ film...”. Some very pleasant imagery aside, however, Studio Ghibli’s latest offering (a re-telling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid) lacks the “magic” that its discerning and totally cultured fans will tell you abounded in previous efforts. Often hailed by true aesthetes and modern-day geniuses as “the thinking child’s Disney”, Ponyo will do little to convince the unconverted of Ghibli’s alleged brilliance. And that’s the problem: Miyazaki has become so mythologised in western culture that this film, for all intents and purposes an overly familiar, Pixar-style foray into moral conservatism (in terms of the narrative), will not attract the criticism it perhaps deserves. Ghibli are resting on their laurels here. The script is laughably weak at times, causing one to wonder how, when a lot of money has clearly been spent on rather high-profile voice-acting (Liam Neeson is the main offender here: “Ah yes! I can feel the power of the entire ocean coursing through my DNA!”), that the lost-in-translation kinks were overlooked. Though it might represent the ideal day out for the bohemian family (pro-environmental sentiment abounds throughout), Ponyo feels like a commercial cop-out. It is a shame that such striking visual beauty (and the animation is excellent) is met with such unoriginal subject matter. The queue of adults so emotionally pure and sincere as to really “get” this film (“coz it’s Japanese and they’re well spiritual”) is bound to be long, so book ahead if you want it to “really speak to you” before anyone else. Oisín Murphy
Edge of Darkness is a tedious and tepid re-creation of the 1985 television series on which it is based. In his first role since 2002’s Signs Mel Gibson plays grieving father Thomas Craven, a prominent homicide detective investigating his daughter’s senseless murder. All evidence points towards a violation of protocol at the high-security research facility where she worked and Thomas’ wild allegations of a corporate cover-up make him the unwitting target of some dangerous individuals. Campbell’s re-make cleverly reflects the paranoia of the current political climate while depicting the extreme lengths to which one will resort in the pursuit of justice and driven by despair. Sadly these elements are sorely underplayed and Gibson struggles to convey his anguish believably, even as he cradles his dying daughter. Meanwhile the plot unfolds in far too lengthy a manner, is easier to resolve than your average crossword puzzle and is as inconsistent as Gibson’s fluctuating Boston idiom. - AR
A Prophet Director: Jacques Audiard Talent: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup Released: 22 January A Prophet is a gruelling parable of a young no-hoper’s rise from nobody to kingpin during a six year prison sentence. This film is an accomplishment in storytelling as well as a gripping thriller. At almost three hours, this is a long film and often difficult to endure. It is brutal, it is nasty, it is full of unlikeable characters and frustrating situations. However, it never stalls, not for one second. This is a beautifully constructed look at prison life and an interesting plot in which a man who has no loyalties and no education is bold enough to learn to take for himself after years of being used. Jacques Audiard proves his skill as a director with a stylish and beautifully-paced drama. Unrelentingly powerful and skilfully woven, this film is a treat to any cinema fan. Not to mention one of the most chilling and brilliantly shot death scenes in recent memory. Highly, highly recommended. - CL
Adoration
Eamon
Director: Atom Egoyan Talent: Scott Speedman, Rachel Blanchard, Kenneth Welsh, Devon Bostick Released: 29 January
Director: Margaret Corkery Talent: Robert Donnelly, Amy Kirwan, Darren Healy Released: 5 February
Overwhelmingly dismal and ominous from start to finish, Canadian writer/director Atom Egoyan’s Palm D’or nominated film is a grim and obscure meditation on human relations post 9/11, a world where difference is perceived as threatening. Inspired by a translation exercise at school Simon puts a fictitious spin on his family’s troubled history. This deception is encouraged by his teacher who suggests he present the story, about a failed terrorist attack, as truth. However their social experiment has a viral effect on the online community where Simon spends his time. Egoyan’s approach to story-telling is certainly a challenging one, his writing is of a typically high standard here and the film’s fractured time-line enhances the intrigue inherent in the story. However Adoration somehow fails to engage, never tackling the timely issues it raises, (racial/religious segregation and the roots of martyrdom), with enough vigour to make the patience invested in it seem worthwhile. - AR
Debut film from director Margaret Corkery explores the Oedipal relationship between the six year old of the title, his mollycoddling mother Grace and sexually frustrated dad Daniel. A gloomy beach holiday sheds light on the twisted dynamics of their family unit and from the opening scenes it’s unclear whether Corkery is aiming for kitchen-sink realism or dark comedy. In many ways Eamon is a watchable treatise which parents will identify with but the inability to carry off the more unrealistic moments spoils the show. Prime examples include the parents dancing like Bez after just two drinks and a pointless ending that’s destined to throw most viewers. The Irish film industry may be in dire need of a surprise hit at the moment but sadly this isn’t it. One thing’s for sure, watching the brattish exploits of the attention-deficit Eamon is the best birth control a girl could ask for. - LH
AR - Aoife O’Regan LH - Lisa Hughes CL - Charlene Lydon
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Both albums available from Tower Records now Select Bella Union back catalogue titles are also available for a limited period while stock last
Lindstrom and Christabelle Real Life Is No Cool [Smalltown Supersound] Lindstrom’s Where You Go I Go Too was a blast, his collaborative album with Prins Thomas last year (II) less so, but this hook-up with singer Christabelle sees him back on track. Sometimes it sounds like a slow-funk version of Cerrone, but there are plenty of housey piano lines and melodies to keep it all afloat. Let It Happen and So Much Fun are headphones-friendly and like most of this album just the ticket for that long train or bus journey. - CG
These New Puritans Hidden [Angular] Erase those NME associations, and abandon those angular, sub-Bloc Party art-rock expectations. These New Puritans have, against all likelihood, gone all Steve Reich, succeeded, and turned in a truly impressive, monolithic experimental record. Hewn from a palette of sounds that ranges from the clanking and nightmarish to the frankly Diplo-esque, Hidden may well be to the post-punk revival as Drum’s Not Dead by Liars was to NYC punk-funk. KMcD
Massive Attack Heligoland [Virgin] Massive Attack made their name documenting urban decay in the early 90s, providing dance music’s social conscience between the acid house boom and the introduction of the Criminal Justice Bill. They did it rather efficiently too, whilst often sounding whispery and threatening like an episode of Eastenders. Indeed even now, on Heligoland there are points where you half expect Robert del Naja to interrupt his flow of rap with a stern request that the listener “mind the stall” while he “goes round The Arches”. The drama of Albert Square doesn’t equal the drama of a great Massive Attack record though and at their best Massive Attack sent chills up the spine – there aren’t many singles that can hold a candle to Safe From Harm, Unfinished Sympathy, Protection or Teardrop. But on Heligoland the torrent of gloom and right-on politics is so relentless and mirth-free you wonder why the band don’t rename themselves PC Plod and have done with it. There are dark muttery bits about the credit crunch (of course), and creepy wisps of sound that suggest Massive Attack have been listening to Burial, grime and Warp records – but they never really make these sounds their own and at points what would really go down a treat is something resembling a bloody tune. But people don’t come to Massive Attack for whistleability, and occasionally the atmosphere conjured on Heligoland is just haunting enough to hold the attention. Babel employs Marina Topley-Bird to useful effect and has echoes of the Wild Bunch’s Bristolian post-punk Pop Group roots. The star turns are rather hit and miss; Guy Garvey pops up on Flat Of The Blade and recalls the sombreness of Elbow’s Asleep In The Back. Damon Albarn guests on Saturday Come Slow and that sounds exactly like you’d expect an Albarn/Massive Attack collaboration to sound. This is the heart of the problem here: Heligoland often just sounds like a missive from a collective who said everything they had to say 15 years ago. That said, Protection and Mezzanine benefitted from repeated plays and while Heligoland sounds a long way behind those records, with time its charms may unfold. It’s still heavy going, though. Ciarán Gaynor See also: The Specials - More Specials [2 Tone], The Good, The Bad And The Queen - S/T [Parlophone], Tricky - Knowle West Boy [Domino]
Owen Pallett Heartland [Domino] Well, Owen Pallett is no longer Final Fantasy. Don’t worry though, he’s still all about the baroque flourishes. Heartland is sometimes dazzling, as on opener Midnight Directives in particular, but Pallett’s issue has always been that he can dizzy people with texture without ever delivering a knockout blow in the form of any sort of prominent melody. A fanbase pleaser, but it might nonplus the casual listener. - KMcD
Los Campesinos! Romance Is Boring [Wichita] There are many reasons to dislike Los Campesinos!. That name for one thing (F Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that using exclamation marks was like laughing at your own jokes). It’s their line of slightly “zany” indie pop that I take umbrage with, but if you feel you need a tune-free, stop-starty song called We’ve Got Your Back (Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #2) in your life, hey knock yourself out. – CG
Sarsparilla Slave To The Cat Gang Slave to the Cat Gang, the latest addition to Irish producer Sarsparilla’s expanding discography is a journey to a bygone era. Steeped in haunting synths and rumbling bass lines, Sarsaparilla’s finely tuned production lovingly pays homage to the eerie soundtracks of John Carpenter films, old school electro, and Italo disco. The dark, ambient disco of songs like Runner contrasts brilliantly with Bring Them Then, a driving acid house number and album highlight. Sarsparilla’s brand of eighties sci-fi horror disco is a bright light in Irish electronic music. – PM
Liars
Pantha du Prince
Sisterworld [Mute]
Black Noise
First impressions have always been null and void with Liars LPs, but after my sixth spin of Sisterworld I’m still not sure whether it’s trying to steal my heart or my wrist-watch. Undeniably more focused than their last smash-and-grab self-titled album, Sisterworld’s evil glint and axe-murdering glee is more in line with their highlyNSFW They Were Wrong, So We Drowned, but falls short of the sophistication of Drum’s Not Dead. Still worth the wrist-watch, mind. – DG
To describe someone as harmless is possibly the worst character assassination you can dish out. Unfortunately, ‘harmless’ perfectly sums up Black Noise, the latest release from Pantha du Prince. The third album from the German electronic producer offers eleven ambient tracks, each one as pleasant and forgettable as the last. An unintrusive soundtrack, like that person you meet and realise you have no more to say to than “So, what did you do last weekend?” - RGK
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Midlake
AFCGT
The Courage of Others [Bella Union]
AFCGT [Sub Pop]
Revivals are one thing, but it’s always best to bear in mind that some styles of music die for a reason. Woodsman-type prog-folk, replete with flutes and acoustic guitars trilling away, died because it is insufferably melodramatic and staid. Midlake fail to appreciate this, and though they bring something approaching modernity to it, they are still reviving a demon someone probably martyred themselves in the early 70s to rid the world of. - KMcD
Remember when Sub Pop was a label with balls, setting the soundtrack for rageful college drop-outs with no direction in life? Yeah, well, the Postal Service probably won’t ever release another album, so AFCGT stands as the most betesticled release the Seattlite label’s going to put out in the next while. Noise rock in the Magik Markers vein, AFCGT do psychedelic trance (Nacht), gutted blues (Two Legged Dog) and Wolf Eyes dreadzoning (Reasonably Nautical) all with equal aplomb and virility. - DG
Spoon
Fyfe Dangerfield
Transference [Merge]
Fly Yellow Moon [Geffen]
Transference is a surprise. Spoon’s snappy, repetitive grooves have remained much the same for their whole career, but this is their first record in a decade for which “more of the same” is not an adequate description. It’s deft and sometimes unorthodox, and Who Makes Your Money is as meticulous and beautiful a song as the band have produced since Paper Tiger in 2002. Kudos for stepping outside the tried and trusted. - KMcD
The errant Guillemot seems worryingly clipped of his wings on this syrupy collection of hastily-produced lovesongs. Apparently bent on proving he can thrill without the cymbals, strings and recorded elephant sounds of previous work, Dangerfield’s quest for the perfect pop song leads him into easy-listening territory, Motown pastiche and forgettable folk strumming. A talent like Fyfe Dangerfield’s (hell, a name like Fyfe Dangerfields’s) deserves overblown orchestras and choirs of angelic schoolchildren; heaven know why he’s trying instead to be the new David Gray. - RK
The Magnetic Fields Realism [Nonesuch] As any fool knows, The Magnetic Fields’ mainman Stephin Merritt is a hugely gifted songwriter, but he’s also occasionally prone to bouts of toe-curling smart-arsedness. The main offenders on that score here are the unbearably twee We Are Having A Hootenanny and The Dolls’ Tea Party but if you can get past those slips this is their most enjoyable album in years - I Don’t Know What To Say and Better Things are particularly lovely. Will prove to be a grower. - CG
Mux Mool Skulltaste [Ghostly International] The hip-hoptronica trend has received little devoted focus due to its distinctly decentralized nature - Mux Mool may be geographically yonks away from Hudson Mohawke and Dam-Funk, but musically he’s within walking distance of the two. Gallic house and J Dilla hover over Skulltaste too, but its sugar-sweet electro soul is tall and swaggering enough to step out from those particularly long shadows. Proof that skulls are pretty fucking tasty, but then we knew that already. – DG
Surfer Blood Astrocoast [Kanine] I think Surfer Blood r a Contra – or at least a Chutes Too Narrow. Distilling the influences of the more hyped surf indie acts of the last… well, the last however long using the term ‘surf indie’ makes sense, Surfer Blood have tapped a rich songwriting vein that doesn’t run dry once during Astrocoast. It’s a conservative record, but one that lays out enough constrained magic to keep you and the Natalie Portman in your life happy. – DG
Hot Chip One Life Stand [EMI] The rockist template for expansionism is a well-worn one – bigger guitars, bigger vocals, bigger drums, bigger hair – inflation to the stadium-sized version of one’s former self. Amplification in electronic music is a little more puzzling however, when you’re not David Guetta, but in fact five self-effacing nerds from Wandsworth. Hot Chip’s fourth studio album, as with its predecessor Made In The Dark, is the muddled-up attempt to solve this particular puzzle. Since their growth from the cheapo-keyboard hugging, thick-black-framed soul of the ingenious Coming On Strong to the streamlined pop coherence of The Warning, Hot Chip have faltered. While their first two salvoes had the strut of a band languishing in its own invention and uniqueness (what other act on the planet could make driving around Putney in a Peugeot sound like the sexiest way to spend your Sunday?), their third tripped over its own tied shoelaces as a mid-range, mid-tempo, mid-quality attempt to please new fans rather than their own impulses. Made In The Dark’s most impressive ingredients – Al Doyle’s itchy guitars, Alexis Taylor and Joe Godard’s Monsters Inc-redolent vocal interplay, choruses to make your ma sing in the shower – earmarked it as a developmental album. One Life Stand’s bound to be genius, right? Right. Hot Chip’s songwriting panache is stronger than ever here (We Have Love, Take It In, and Alley Cats are all turbo versions of earlier victories) - in all other regards it’s by far their weakest effort to date. What’s with all this violin shit? The Chip’s sonic template swells like a glandular infection across the album, taking in dozens of new textures, and never deigning to use them more than once. The result is a bloated textural mess. First impressions are that One Life Stand is a directionless effort, but further listens reveal a breadcrumb trail to the epicurean awesomeness that once again could have been. Maybe they should just try bigger hair. Daniel Gray See also: Matthew Dear – Asa Breed [Ghostly International], Fujiya & Miyagi – Lightbulbs [Full Time Hobby], Scritti Politti – Cupid & Psyche 85 [Rough Trade]
Toro Y Moi Causers of This [Carpark] Woah. What a rager, guys. Who knew DMT went so well with neat bourbon? Yeaaaah! Sorry about your couch, by the way. Leather furniture ftw, ha! But man. Oh man. I need a comedown. Bang on some Spiritualized. Toro Y Moi? Duder, I think I saw that Almodovar already. Chillwhat? Oh cool. You’re right, this is neat shit. Remind me to borrow this off you when everything, like, stops sounding like I have my head stuck down a toilet. I have my head stuck down your what? MORE DMT! – DG
Twit or wit? Send us your Twitter reviews of current singles and videos to http://twitter.com/totallydublin DG - Daniel Gray RGK - Rosie Gogan Keogh PM - Paddy O’Mahoney RK - Roisín Kiberd KMcD - Karl McDonald CG - Ciaran Gaynor
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