17th January 2012 Issue VII Volume XVIII
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The Arts & Culture Supplement of the University Observer
inside:
Janis Ian
“I’m waiting for more black people and people in gospel or country to come out”
OTWO talks to Henry Rollins about snakes and globetrotting
Also inside >>
istina Perri | Dead Cat Bounce
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Chr
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contents Page 3 – Regulars
Aoife Valentine gets to ragin’ about the January sales before calming down enough to tell you all What’s Hot and What’s Not.
Page 4 – Spiritual and Gender-related Advice
Dixon is all grumpy and old; Mitten is all cute and sassy. Put them in close living quarters and throw in a quirky best friend/love interest played by Zooey Deschanel and you’d have sitcom gold, but instead you have our advice page. Also, Mittens is a cat, so that whole premise could be quite weird and definitely flawed.
Letter from the Editors
Page 5 – What’s On
DramSoc are preparing to host their second 24 Hour Musical and auditor Eoghan Carrick spoke with Evan O’Quigley so he could inform you good people of UCD what you can expect from their musical rendering of Scrubs. Meanwhile, Sally Hayden has taken a look at the new exhibitions at the National Gallery of Ireland.
Page 6 – Fashion
Sophie Lioe takes a moment to commend promising, young Irish designers and shows you how you can integrate some minimalist trends into your wardrobe.
Page 9 – Food
Elaine Lavery analyses a few of the cookbooks that are probably gathering dust on your mammy’s shelves and Ethan Troy-Barnes gives you some tips on what to fill your roll puff pastry with.
Page 10 – Travel
Emer Sugrue explores Budapest, Elaine Lavery espouses the virtues of Letterkenny and Lizzy Beecham hits up Stieg Larsson country for some retro fashion finds.
Page 12 – Games & Technology
Steven Balbirnie looks inside the world of indie game development in an interview with Frictional Games co-founder Jens Nilsson and we review Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge and Rayman Origins.
Page 14 – Cover Feature
Author, spoken word artist, actor, comedian, DJ, erstwhile Black Flag vocalist and alternative legend Henry Rollins talks at Cormac Duffy in an articulate and opinionated manner in this week’s cover feature.
Page 16 – Film & TV
Reviews featured this week include War Horse, W.E. and J. Edgar, Emer Sugrue counts down the Top Ten detectives in film and Dermot O’Rourke tries to get to the bottom of Mrs. Brown’s inexplicable popularity. Finally, the Fatal Foursome lock horns over TV’s best shows about people yelling “STAT!” and such.
Page 20 – Music
Music includes a diverse range of interviews this week, with the likes of Christina Perri, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Janis Ian. In addition, we have a bundle of album reviews, a Duffington Post that is chock full of laughs and a Mixtape for when you become a movie character.
Page 25 – Special Feature
Aoife Valentine talks to Dead Cat Bounce, who are a comedy troupe and not an economic concept or some macabresounding game for young people with loose morals and too much time on their hands.
Page 26 – Otwo Attempts...
Emer Sugrue – yes, her again – goes without technology for one whole day, which decidedly slowed down the process of compiling this very issue. Bitch.
Page 28 – Backpage Bants
The Man Who Slipped on the Ice is the subject of this week’s Ordinary Level and the few people who were actually on campus last week give us some VoxPops. 2
Issue 7 – We need to talk about seven Oh hai, It’s been a long few weeks since we were wishing you all luck in your exams, but don’t worry, you can stop trying to figure out how to go about filling that Otwo shaped void in your life right now – we’re back. We know, we know, we don’t know how you coped either but lucky for you we’re here to distract you from those pesky results and we promise unlike when you read them, when you read us, you won’t suddenly owe the man a load of money. Well, unless that’s what Mittens has in store for you; that shit is legit. What we can promise is twenty-eight pages of hot, sexy arts and culture content, not least of which are our features this issue. Sophie Lioe considers the rise and rise of up-and-coming young Irish fashion designers, Steven Balbirnie talks to Swedish independent game developers, Frictional Games, Dermot O’Rourke considers why Mrs Brown’s Boys has been so well received in the UK and Elaine Lavery gives you the low-down on what’s what in the cookbook world. You will also find interviews aplenty, with overnight sensation Christina Perri, indie-rockers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Grammy-award winning folk legend Janis Ian all cropping up in music, while musical comedy trio Dead Cat Bounce speak to us ahead of
the start of the tour of their new show, ‘Howl of the She-Leopard’. The Man who Slipped on the Ice, Kevin McGahern braves an exam in January for your entertainment when he sits Ordinary Level and last but not least, the angry man on the cover spoke to our resident hipster columnist, Cormac Duffy and didn’t quite eat him alive. Not picking on hipsters? Henry Rollins, you’re softening with age. All the regulars return, with What’s Hot & What’s Not remaining an arbitrary scale of cool, Soapbox ranting about the January sales, Top Ten looking at the greatest detectives in film, Fourway debating the best medical drama around and Mixtape pretending your life is a movie for a while. If you’re still not satisfied, travel takes you to Budapest and Stockholm, and all the usual reviews are knocking about. And if you’re still finding the culture lacking, take a look at DramSoc’s twenty-four-hour musical, Scrubs, or the new exhibitions in the National Gallery as Evan O’Quigley and Sally Hayden let you know what’s going on. If you’re still not satisfied, all that’s left for you to do is read your results. We can do no more for you. Well, unless you’re up for some hot-off-the-presses-but-notreally online content, in which case, the website is waiting for you. xoxo, Aoife and George
sale fails deraile d
What’s hot and what’s not
What’s Hot
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soapbox
Mid-season TV breaks being over
You know what’s not cool, TV Gods? Taking away all our favourite shows, and not only when we want to procrastinate during the exam period, but over Christmas too. Why? So you can show Mrs Brown’s Boys over and over again? That’s not a good enough reason. It’s just not. The gradual increase in Grey’s Anatomy and Gossip Girl and decrease in Mrs Brown’s Boys in our lives is very much welcomed.
Skittles Crazy Cores
Just when you thought you could do no more with Skittles than make them sour, and throw in some winter “berry” flavours every other year, Skittles have come up with Crazy Cores. The shell is a different flavour to the core, and they’ve added in flavours that aren’t fruits – madness. Instead of tasting the rainbow, these are supposed to make you experience it – it’s that type of cringe that forces things into What’s Not, but these are too delicious.
The Fault In Our Stars
Author, YouTube celebrity, and general badass John Green’s latest novel, The Fault In Our Stars, was released last week to an extraordinary reception from Nerdfighteria and beyond, which probably made painstakingly signing all 150,000 copies of the first printing thoroughly worth it. If you remain unconvinced about the book, Henry, the cutest one year old who can say awesome there is, will change your mind.
What’s Not Increases in Bus Fares
Ah here Dublin Bus, stop your messing. Not only have you made it harder to buy rambler bus tickets by introducing Leap Card, your incredibly stupidly named smart-card ticket, but you’ve added roughly a million cent onto bus fares. At this rate it’ll literally be cheaper to get Ryanair to fly us into campus.
Blue Ivy Carter
Beyoncé and Jay Z had a baby girl last week which was lovely up until they chose to call it Blue Ivy. It sounds like a nail polish shade or a brand of vodka, or some nightclub you’d find in Naas. Also, Jay Z has already released a ‘duet’ with his newborn daughter. At two days old she was already following in her parent’s footsteps, apparently. Eugh, there are so many things wrong here.
Pasta Earrings for Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana seem to be trying to satisfy models’ hunger pangs by hanging carbs from their ear lobes, and really, it just doesn’t wash. Calories you wear simply don’t count. Painting pasta may have been so hot when we were five, but really pasta should only be used for eating. Let’s not reinvent it any further than that. by Aoife Valentine
Post-Christmas sales are a seemingly never-ending blackhole of dodgy stuff no one wants, and they should be banned, writes Aoife Valentine
Y
ou would imagine that there is very little wrong with post-Christmas sales. All the stuff you wanted before Christmas at a lower price, while you have a load of vouchers from relatives who don’t really know you that well. It sounds like a winning combination if you’ve never actually experienced sales shopping, but there is everything wrong with these sales, not least of which is the fact that they start on St Stephen’s Day. Next, your friendly, bland high street clothes store opens its doors at 6am on Stephen’s Day and there is always a queue outside. Opening your shop and forcing people to work at 6am the day after Christmas should literally be illegal. There is no reason not to wait a few more hours until daylight becomes a thing. Those who were there earlier than that queuing should get themselves lives. It’s not like they’re giving away iPads or anything; all you can buy is the weird clothes no one wanted, in the weird sizes no one is. By the time 10am rolls around, the latest Irish X Factor reject rolls in to open the Arnotts sale, where people get competitive over the handbags people recoiled at before Christmas, so much so that they named the display on the day, “Handbags at dawn”. Literally die right now. The queues to get into Hollister still hadn’t subsided several weeks after Christmas, which is about the saddest thing in the world. There are only a few things in life worth waiting around for, and hoodies which are still overpriced even after they have been marked down in the sale don’t fall into that category. Shopping in the dark must be particularly unpleasant when you can’t move without crashing into another frenzied Celtic Tiger cub with more money than sense. All that could possibly be forgiven if shops weren’t still throwing up “New lines added!!!” signs in their windows, which are offensive firstly because they’re all lies – it’s just more of the same shit – and secondly because there is really no need for so many exclamation marks. After almost a month of sales, there is almost definitely nothing left that you could or ever should possibly want, at any price. If you weren’t impulse buying it because it’s three quid, you’d most definitely be laughing at the person in the dodgy patterned leggings. Seriously, stop being that person. 3
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Mystic Mittens’ feline fortunes Taurus
May 14th – June 21st Be wary of that girl with the lazy eye, she has poor vision, but she also has a pretty gnarly pickaxe collection.
Gemini
June 22nd – July 20th I am a cat; I’m supposed to lick myself for days on end. You are not. Mittens isn’t feeling particularly clairvoyant this week, but sure, she’ll give it a go anyway
Aries
April 19th - May 13th It is time to put the selection box down and wear something other than pyjamas. I cannot guarantee your selfesteem otherwise.
Dear Dixon, The more of your column I read, the harder I find it to stomach your selfindulgent nonsense. I find it shocking that anyone reads the egocentric ramblings of a man who has deluded himself into thinking he’s a detective from the fifties. Your views are completely and utterly disgusting to all forms of decency and taste. How exactly your verbal detritus acquired column space in a culture supplement is beyond me. This is not a question, you are deluded, and you are shit. Lovingly, Conor Listen here Lemon Con-Cons, Firstly, I’m glad you like the column. As you’d imagine, I get a great deal of fan mail, and it always warms the cockles of my cockles to know that there are so many people out there that appreciate my sweet blend of manly journalism-making and advice-giving. A daisy dick like you has refined taste, and I like that in the people who think I’m the cat’s pyjamas. But buck up those ear flaps, pal o’ mine, because I know for every sullen Susan with sunken sucker, there’s a real man with a pulsing pride-hole just waiting to pounce. 4
Cancer
July 21st – August 10th Diets and resolutions are clearly not your thing; it may be gastric band time.
Leo
August 11th – September 16th Leo, rub my belly or else I’ll tell the cosmos to get after you this year. Abuse of power? What of it? I run this shit.
Virgo
September 17th – October 30th What will you and Steve Kean have in common soon? That’s right: baldness. Also, you’re both very unpopular. Football reference.
Libra
October 31st – November 23rd That 2012 apocalypse could come at any time, so you might as well aim for that Black Semester. Your module co-ordinators will understand.
Scorpio
Sagittarius
December 18th - January 20th Your New Year’s resolution went down in flames quickly enough, as will your latest attempts at learning to cook.
Capricorn
January 21st – February 16th You can reduce those bus fares just by standing next to the driver and staring intently at him for a prolonged amount of time. Trust me.
November 24th – November 29th You might win a small amount on a scratch card or you might not, it’s hard to tell. Either way, you’re still poor, so ha!
Aquarius
Ophiuchus
Pisces
November 30th – December 17th Ophiuchus, I see great success and fortune in your future. Just kidding, you’re not even a real star sign. Do you even go here?
February 17th – March 11th Just saw The Guard. It’s a good film; I think you’d like it.
March 12th – April 18th Back to college, full of optimism and zeal, you wanna keep this feeling going, right? Well, don’t look at your results. Good luck this semester!
Leave your questions for the dashing detective on the Dixon Coltrane Facebook page
Every time someone has a whine on the Internet, you know they are just compensating for a life sadder than Pagliacci with his pelvic pointer stuck in a revolving door. That’s you all over, son – a sad clown with two red noses. Never let it be said that I don’t take my shots to the chin, sonny-boy-jim-boy. So, for the rest of this excellent column I’m going to point out all the things that are clearly terrible in your life. Firstly, what are you doing sitting in at 2am on a Friday night, complaining about a fictional journalist? You should be out drinking whiskey straight from between the breasts of a local breast-haver, or solving the case of the missing breasts. You shouldn’t be at home alone, crying into your own flim-flam - that’s Sci-Fi Soc kind of behavior, and it just won’t stand. Secondly, no man sounds like a man when he’s whining about another man’s man column – and should stay away from my man column if you don’t want a jimmy screw to the breadbox. And finally, I don’t know you and I don’t wanna know you. Do
Dixon Coltrane Real Men Smoke on Airplanes you think you can get away with slandering a gentleman’s gentleman like myself? I own several pairs of comfortable wing-tipped shoes and play Texas Hold ’em with Harry Lime, Philip Marlowe and a whole host of other fictional characters every Tuesday night. You’re a snivelling little girl scout who isn’t fit to pass me the Zippo I carried between my proud, American lower cheeks as I was held captive in the
Ardennes by some of the Wehrmacht’s finest and most flammable. But let me give you some advice there, Con-tinental drift, you need to do something, and quick. That kind of bile ain’t good for a man or the company he keeps, so remember, live and let live. Unless the person you’re letting live is different to you – then all bets are off. That’s the rub, Dixon Coltrane
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National Gallery of Ireland
W
ith the Christmas trees abandoned, work resuming, and the nights still enveloping the days, you’d be forgiven for believing January to be the most depressing month of the year. It is therefore fitting that the National Gallery of Ireland’s annual JMW Turner exhibition is entitled ‘A Light in the Darkness’. This exhibition is a commemoration of two men; the collector and the creator. Henry Vaughan bequeathed the gallery this watercolour collection in 1900, stipulating in his will that it was only in January that Turner’s works could be displayed, because it was the month when they were least likely to be damaged by the presence of
As the National Gallery of Ireland opens its doors for a new year, Sally Hayden discovers where nature and light hide in January
book illustration,” according to McNally. Goblins, elves, fairies and dragons are all represented, as imagined by John Butler Yeats, Harry Clarke, and Richard and Charles Doyle (Arthur Conan’s brothers) among others, and thus far has “proved extremely popular with the public.” The ongoing presentation ‘Masterpieces from the Collection’, featuring “the cream” of the gallery’s acquisitions, is also on display. The focus is on a selection of European art from the early Renaissance to the twentieth century, which is rotated on a regular basis, and currently includes works by James Barry, William Orpen and Charles Jervas. Turner: A Light in the Darkness runs until January 31st. Also to be seen here is a range of Byzantine and Russian icons dating from the 1390s to the 1550s, any natural light. which demonstrate an alternative and interesting Though electricity has done much to make sun- approach to religious art in the West. light completely avoidable since Vaughan’s day, The National Gallery is the ideal January desthe gallery still honours his last request. Niamh tination. Your wallet won’t mind because entry McNally, assistant curator in the NGI states that to all exhibitions is free. Your spirit won’t mind, “it has become something of an occasion in peo- because inside you can escape the cold and gloom. ple’s annual calendar to come and see the Turner With the natural world in hibernation embrace watercolours.” This makes sense. Turner’s works the artificial light, and use this time of darkness to focus on the beauty of nature, which visitors must admire the works of man. find uplifting in the darkest days before spring. Running alongside this is another exhibition, Further information on exhibitions, free talks ‘Fables and Fairytales – Illustrations from the Col- and tours can be found on www.nationalgallery.ie. lection’, featuring prints and drawings dating from Fables and Fairy Tales – Illustrations from the Col1870-1920. This was “a golden period in children’s lection runs until the March 25th.
Welcome to Sacred Heart DramSoc’s Eoghan Carrick speaks to Evan O’Quigley about this year’s twenty-four hour musical
U
CD DramSoc are set to perform their ‘24 Hour Musical’ for the second year running on Thursday, January 26th. Preparation has already begun for the show, which this year will be Scrubs: the Musical. Last year’s A Very Potter Musical (cast below) was a huge success, resulting in the decision to run the twenty-four hour show for a second time. “We really enjoyed doing it last year so we decided to do it again,” explains Eoghan Carrick, Auditor of DramSoc. The musical will draw heavily from the TV series, using elements of episodes, and adding to them using music entirely from the series. “We’re not feeling constrained, we’re taking liberties with
it,” Carrick explains. To clarify for people who may be confused regarding the title of the show, the musical itself is not twentyfour hours long, but rather it is prepared and rehearsed over a twentyfour hour period the night before the show. “[It’s] twenty-eight hours of absolute bedlam, chaos and fun. It’s the most chaotic thing you’re ever going do but committing to it’s easy because it’s only twenty-eight hours, you’ve got the twenty-four hours to prepare for the show, and then you have the show itself.” Absolutely anybody can get involved with the production or performance of the project if they wish,
as experience of any kind is not required. “On Tuesday [January 24th], the auditions will be taking place in the Student Centre. Once it’s cast, that’s kind of it. You just show your interest in whatever area, and then you get involved with whatever you want.” Carrick feels that the show is a great opportunity for students to get involved with the society. “It’s so early on in the college semester, you can do it without feeling that it’s taking away from study or whatever. We have a lot of first years who didn’t really get involved in the first semester but will get involved this time.” The musical was hugely successful last year, and while preparing for
it over a twenty-four straight period was exhausting, this has not put Carrick off getting involved for a second time. “You’re going on adrenaline as much as anything. You’ve been exhausted up to this point, but all the work that you’ve done over the last twenty-four hours is culminating in this one performance.” In the end you’re like ‘I get to sit down now and chill out’, and that’s a great feeling as well, you really feel you deserved it at that point. Then on Friday night, after you’ve had your rest, you can hang out with the people you’ve met over the twentyfour hours, and celebrate.” Auditions for Scrubs: the Musical take place in the Student Centre on January 24th. DramSoc perform Scrubs: the Musical in the Astra Hall on January 26th. Tickets are priced at €5.
“[It’s] twenty-eight hours of absolute bedlam, chaos and fun”
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OTWO Fashion
f r e s h ly S
harp. Clean. Minimalist. What better way to start off the New Year than embracing the sleek lines of Celine and Jill Sander’s shows and giving your wardrobe a new beginning? Enough with the festive jumpers and drab winter colours; it’s time for a fashion overthrow and a clean start. Minimalism found itself at the forefront of trends at this year’s Spring/Summer 2012 shows. Celine continued their reign over the modern, minimalist look, prompting clean cuts and straight lines to be a major trend for the high street to follow. And you don’t have to look far, or take out a loan, to find yourself commanding this trend in an everyday way. In fact, this look can be built from
the simplest pieces from your wardrobe, combined with some more structural, tailored items that aren’t easy to miss on the high street. Simply stick to the basics – blazers, t-shirts, skirts. Block colours and geometric patterns help to bring out the individuality of each piece. Minimalism is as simple to pull off as it looks. Colour-blocking is key, but don’t be afraid to throw in a few geometric shapes here and there. Stripes work well, but basically anything that involves a straight line will do the same job. Highwaisted, knee-length pencil skirts are everywhere this season, and with good reason. They elongate the figure and when worn in block colours, they
v
Maggie wears: Striped cardi · €16.99 Green top · €19.99 Green bag · €22.99 Trousers · €21.99 Shoes · €32.99
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John wears: T-shirt · €12.99 Jeans · €24.99 Shoes · €29.99
squeezed provide an eye-catching statement outfit and a great foundation to base the rest of your look around. They’re versatile too – a cotton or jersey skirt can easily be worn with flats and a cardigan during the day to college, and all you need to do is throw on a pair of chunky heels and some statement jewellery and you’re ready to go at night. Guys can follow similar rules when it comes to the minimalist look. Geometric t-shirts make a statement and sharp shoulders compliment this. Emphasis on chest pockets is big this season – contrast stripes and t-shirt pockets, and combine with a simple pair of jeans to keep the look clean. Although accessorising may seem like exactly
Fashion OTWO
what you’re not supposed to do with this look, it is crucial if you want to cement the entire look together. Bright clutches and boxy bags are the perfect complement to your outfit. Stack up the bangles too – the chunkier the better. Jewellery in any strong, bold shape and colour will emphasise the look, but just don’t overload accessories; stick either to bracelets or necklaces, both tends to be too much. Finish off the look with some bright, matt lip colour and a slick high ponytail (boys, only if you want to) and you have the perfect fresh start to 2012. By Sophie Lioe
Models: Maggie Rek and John Cloney Photographer: Caoimhe Mc Donnell Stylist: Sophie Lioe Clothes: New Look
Maggie wears: Peach top · €19.99 Brown trousers · €21.99 Blue heels · €32.99 Bangles · €7.99 each
Maggie wears: Maroon top · €11.99 Striped skirt · €18.99 Blue heels · €32.99
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OTWO Fashion
The Irish Invasion
Following the recent success of young Irish fashion designers at London Fashion Week, it’s time to reevaluate our standing on the international fashion scene, writes Sophie Lioe
F
orget knitted Aran jumpers and The twenty-three year old Dubgranny cardigans; Irish fashion lin-born designer graduated from has come a long way from tradi- NCAD with a BA in Fashion, before tional knitwear to become a melting going on to gain an MA from Central pot of cutting-edge talent and inno- Saint Martins. With these qualificavative design. Although renowned for tions and success knocking on her our creativity on most fronts, fashion door before she had even finished was never our strongest department. college, it was clear that Simone RoOvershadowed by our British and cha was certainly not being shafted American counterparts, Irish design as a result of her father’s fame in the talent struggled to be seen through same field; she has real talent and the the midst of more illustrious fashion industry is recognising it. From being hotspots. The Irish fashion and de- chosen as one of Selfridge’s “Bright sign landscape however, has changed Young Things” of 2011, to Lady Gaga beyond recognition in recent years posing in her designs on the January thanks to the talents of those such 2012 cover of Elle, it looks like nothas J. W. Anderson, the bright young ing will stop this Irish talent. star of London Fashion Week, and Her show at this year’s London Simone Rocha – the daughter of the Fashion Week, where she debuted household name John Rocha – who her Spring/Summer 2012 collection, is making waves in the fashion scene was her first solo showing that did in her own right. New talent is right not encompass the mentorship and around the corner. platform of Fashion East, the proSimone Rocha has proved to be an gramme run by Lulu Kennedy which emerging star with the talent to take seeks out young, up-and-coming deon her father’s prestige and image, signers and helps them build a solid and carve out a name in her own right. foundation through a collaborative
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process under Kennedy’s watch- has ensured that his name has staying ful eye. Graduation from the pro- power, as reactions to his most recent gramme, and producing a critically collection have proved. A Vogue reacclaimed show proves that the other view highlighted that “Where AnRocha is big news for 2012. derson is on much surer ground is Although her father made his as a compiler and editor of pure and name with his affection for tradition- simple garments with a minimal refal Irish fabrics and his distinctly Celt- erence (or two) in the language of ic connections, his daughter appears street style,” and a solid connection to be taking that design aesthetic to between the brand and its customer. a new level and a new audience. Her He also aims to make his brand one father even stated in a recent inter- that is accessible to a greater audiview in the Independent that: “I think ence, and not restricted to those with Simone’s view of fashion is quite dif- an overflowing pocket. His brand is ferent to mine in that there is a more flying the flag for a new generation of youthful element, and it’s more edgy,” home-grown talent, putting Ireland yet her clean lines and sleek tailoring on the fashion map yet again. are a testimony to her father’s aesWith these two emerging design thetic. In any case, she is showcasing talents on the road to super-stardom, Irish talent to the world, and as her set against the backdrop of everprofile soars, so too will Ireland’s de- present heavyweight Irish names sign reputation. such as Philip Treacy, Paul Costello J. W. Anderson, although not a and Orla Kiely, Ireland is certainly household name yet, has become churning out talent, which is proving one of the most celebrated talents to impossible to ignore on the internacome out of Ireland and make one tional front. With London Fashion very distinctive mark on the interna- Week being invaded by increasing tional scene. Although based in Lon- numbers of Irish designers, the fudon, Anderson’s origins are some- ture looks good for regaining our repthing he is clearly proud of. Born in utation for creativity and showmanMagherafelt in Northern Ireland, ship. the twenty-seven-year-old studied at The collapse of the Celtic Tiger the London College of Fashion and has resulted in Irish designers dehad his first show in London Fashion pending more on the international Week way back in 2007. scene to survive. This is the notable Since then he has caught the at- advantage of this economic downtention of more than a few industry turn, as it is making the Irish fashinsiders and become the poster child ion industry more visible worldwide. for raw, young talent on the fashion Coupled with a new wave of talent, scene. Although still regarded as be- this is exactly what is needed to re-esing a boy with time to mature and tablish confidence in our very worthy grow in front of him, his success so far national fashion scene.
Food OTWO
NOM NOM NOM
Timeless Cookbooks
with Elaine Lavery
Forget basing your meals on faddy diets and the latest ‘superfood’, just let Elaine Lavery suggest a cookbook that stands the test of time instead
Just Roll
T
he best New Year’s piece of advice one can adhere to is to ‘take up’ not to ‘give up’. Learning a new skill is doable, abstaining from alcohol until St. Patricks Day is not, particularly if you are a student. If you have good intentions to eat well in the New Year, knowing how to cook the basics is essential. Instead of leaving Aunty Mary’s annual Christmas gift of a book token in your bedside table until next year, spend it now and spend it wisely. Here are a selection of Otwo’s top-rated cookbooks that will make learning to cook even more achievable.
Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course
Simply known as ‘The Bible’ in many households. If you were only to own one cookbook in your lifetime, this would be the one. It comprises all the recipes taught in twelve Ballymaloe Cookery School courses – from how to poach the perfect egg to how to joint a chicken. It’s all there in step-by-step guides with accompanying photographs. The book also contains many original recipes collected from all around the globe by Allen’s students over the years. Signature dish: Too many to choose
Jamie’s Italy
Love him (XX chromosome) or hate him (XY chromosome), Jamie Oliver knows Italian food. Mentored by Gennaro Contaldo, Oliver has had a long love affair with Italian food, which he explores region by region throughout the pages of this book. It’s a one-stop shop for authentic antipasti, pizzas, pastas and risottos as well as rustic mains and traditional desserts. Signature Dish: Pizza Fritta (yes, that’s fried pizza: a veritable gorge fest)
Cornucopia at Home - Eleanor Heffernan
A compilation of recipes from the popular vegetarian Dublin café/restaurant. With background information, detailed intros and vibrant photography, the book is a piece of art in and of itself, and its hearty recipes would turn even the most savage carnivore veggie. This is perhaps not for the novice, as many of the recipes seem overly long. However, the more experienced cook will find that many of the laborious steps can be omitted to achieve roughly similar, splendid results. In comparison to the competition, this hardback is not cheap, but you will find it pays dividends since the ingredients for all its recipes come cheap themselves. Signature dish: Potato, Pea and Mushroom Curry
River Cottage Handbook ; Cakes - Pam Corbin
For the sweet-toothed, this book is a must-have of favourite teatime treats. It is not for the artiste who is willing to spend hours labouring over a single iced cupcake, but for the gourmand who doesn’t mind indulging in a bit of gluttony every now and again. The book is all about the eating and the proof is in the pudding. Follow Corbin’s precise measurements and instruction to the letter and her recipes are foolproof. Signature Dish: Classic Victoria Sandwich
Home Chef - Neven Maguire
This is the book to have when you want to impress. Without being overly complex it allows the cook to create interesting, original and delicious, taste-every-morsel, restaurant-style food. Be prepared to search high and low and have deep pockets when it comes to sourcing your ingredients. But with a nice bottle of wine, a romantic dinner for two can be created without too much fuss and for significantly less expense than any average Dublin restaurant, with thanks to Maguire. Signature Dish: Seared Scallops with Date Jam and Curried Cauliflower Puree
Your own compilation - You
Like newspapers and novels, the traditional combination of ink on paper looks set to stand the test of time. For the foodie, there is nothing more pleasurable than an afternoon spent leafing through a new cookbook. However, with the Internet age, almost any recipe can be got from Master Google with the click of a mouse. Keeping soft copies of your favourite recipes archived is a handy way of keeping tabs of those recipes you return to again and again. Likewise, keeping a scrapbook of newspaper, magazine and internet cut-outs of your favourite recipes, alongside your mammy’s spag bol and your granny’s brownies is a popular way of organising your repertoire.
Over the holidays, Ethan TroyBarnes has been experimenting with ready-rolled pastry to take the ache out of bake when it comes to pies
L
et’s face it; homemade short-crust pastry is not convenient. It takes time and effort – two things in short supply on a weekday night. Fortunately, you can buy ready-rolled pastry in the supermarket. All you have to do is defrost and unwrap and you are set to create some fancy-looking savoury treats. Otwo experimented with a vegetable pie, but feel free to play around with fillings. For instance, meat or potatoes work a charm – although tend to be drier, so will require the addition of a dash of stock or some kind of sauce. First, pre-heat a deep ovenproof dish in a fairly hot oven (180-200°C). Then, prepare your filling of choice. Panfry some roughly chopped mixed vegetables in a little olive oil with spices/seasoning to taste, until al dente but not fully cooked through. The main idea here is to ensure your filling is cooked enough to speed up cooking times later, but not so far done that it will turn to mush in the oven. In this instance Otwo used onions, cherry tomatoes, peppers, salt and pepper. The next step is to chuck the lot into your pre-heated pie dish. At this point, Otwo recommends adding some herbs for flavour (basil worked well with this combination). If so inclined, add some cured meats or cheese for additional flavour. Otwo experimented with a couple of blobs of pesto and a few hunks of goats’ cheese dotted about the dish. Then comes the easy bit, simply lay your pastry over your filling. It’s important to poke holes in your pastry at this stage in order to let any steam from the filling escape – this prevents your pastry from going soggy. Finally, brush with egg wash if desired (not a necessary step), and place in the oven for about ten minutes, or until the pastry puffs up and has turned a light golden colour. Enjoy hot or cold with a simple green side salad. Note: Regardless of your vegetable combination, Otwo recommends using tomatoes in your selection; because of their high water content, they tend to collapse into the most succulent of sauces, especially in the presence of cheese. 9
OTWO travel
H idd e n G e m Beyond Retro, Drottninggatan 77 11160, Stockholm
Pay a visit to this Swedish treasure trove and find that unique gem you never knew you needed, writes Lizzy Beecham
Letterkenny, County Donegal
Wait for a good spell of high pressure weather and there is no lovelier place to visit than County Donegal, writes Elaine Lavery
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Photographer: Elaine Lavery
‘V
intage’ is an almost ubiquitous term in fashion these days. Some vintage clothes shops just seem to be depressing purveyors of overpriced tat. Contrast this to local charity shops, which often not only have delightfully unfussy but keenly priced merchandise, whilst maintaining the ethical upper hand. Beyond Retro brings something different to the table altogether, with imaginative sales displays, wonderful staff and great quality clothes on offer. In terms of range, Beyond Retro has everything from jewelled turbans to old military uniforms and is kept updated with seasonal trends - in December the world’s most joyously festive Christmas jumpers are to be found on its racks. The effort and flair of the staff in creating a unique shopping environment is demonstrated, for example, by their Oscarthemed display with nods to The King’s Speech and Black Swan, et al. The sales assistants are incredibly helpful and display a real love for assisting shoppers rather than pressuring you into a purchase. They are always on hand to seek similar styles in the stockroom, or, in this writer’s case, teach you very slowly how to perfectly tie a scarf into a bow. There are few places better to hunt out authentic elements for a costume from any era or for something a bit unique for a college ball. Beyond Retro has another, equally large outpost in Stockholm in hipster central Södermalm (Åsögatan 144). It has become a well loved institution among Stockholm natives and is almost regarded as a must-stop on any shopping trip to the capital. Luckily, Beyond Retro can also be found closer to home with a shop on London’s Brick Lane. One is likely to leave Beyond Retro not overburdened with bags of purchases but with one or two really special items, and isn’t that the beauty of shopping?
any Irish people have fond childhood memories of summers spent in West Cork and the Kingdom of Kerry. Less celebrated, though not forgotten, is the north west of the country – Connemara, Sligo and Mayo all get their share of attention. More often overlooked is County Donegal. Bundoran is popular for surfing, but what of the other joys this lesser known county has to offer? Base yourself centrally in the conveniently-placed town of Letterkenny and you are well set on your voyage of discovery. Many are unaware that Donegal is renowned for scuba diving. Most of its popular dive sites, including many shipwrecks, are located at the most northerly tip, about an hour’s drive from Letterkenny. If you have your qualifications, a local guide is strongly recommended. If you have not dived before, PADI courses are on offer all around the country. Diving is an expensive pastime, but join up with a club, such as UCD’s own Sub-Aqua Club, and lessons and equipment rental are significantly reduced. You will be ready to dive in Donegal by the summer. Diving is hungry work and there is plenty of good grub to be found in Letterkenny and further afield. The town itself can look a little drab, with many empty shop fronts. However, there are many very reasonably priced, friendly restaurants to be recommended. La Fantasia, an authentic
Italian restaurant, bizarrely located in a business park just outside of the town, is worth checking out, as are The Lemon Tree and The Yellow Pepper. However, the most stellar meal to be had in Donegal (including the freshest, most delicious fish this writer has ever tasted) is at the Rathmullan House Hotel, again about an hour’s drive from Letterkenny. Visit Donegal on a beautiful day and simply take a drive along the coast to enjoy the spectacular views. However, much like Connemara, visit on a misty day and you will be lucky if you can see your own hand held out in front of you. On such an occasion your options are limited. Otwo’s best suggestion is to treat yourself to a bucket of popcorn, bag of pick ‘n mix and a film in Century Cinemas. The people of Donegal are incredibly welcoming, which is a sure sign of an area reliant on tourism, but they are extremely hospitable nonetheless. During the summer months there are plenty of options for accommodation in and around the town, with all B&Bs opening their doors. In order to get a good deal, you are advised book early, especially for the busiest weekends in July and August. In the quieter winter months, many of Letterkenny’s B&Bs will have closed shop, but there are ample hotels offering competitive rates.
travel OTWO
Buda-best See what Eastern Europe has to offer with Emer Sugrue’s guide to Budapest
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here is a great train that stretches all the way from Hamburg to Budapest and is used by all backpackers. You can hop on and off at any stage with an InterRail pass, or buy a ticket for any part of the journey. Seats are not allocated – as many as possible are sold and if you don’t manage to cram yourself on then you have to wait for the next one. Normally this isn’t a problem, but last August thanks to the Sziget festival, the train was packed. Sziget is one of the largest music festivals in Europe, with nearly 400,000 people attending annually and over a thousand acts performing. It is held in the centre of Budapest on one of the many islands on the river Danube and makes Budapest the city to be in over August, so be sure to get your ticket early to avoid feeling left out. Apart from the train, Budapest is breathtakingly beautiful. The city is dominated by the Danube, with important buildings to be found on either side of its banks. From the huge central Széchenyi
Chain Bridge you can see the baroque Buda Castle, rebuilt in the sixteenth century after the destruction of the original medieval castle, and the neo-gothic Parliament House – the biggest building in Hungary. Everything along the river is lit up at night, making for spectacular scenery. Most of the museums are around this area, and though you have to pay for entry, they offer student deals and discounts for visiting more than one. Even without these the fee amounts to no more than a few Euros. There are also free walking tours several times a day, each showing different aspects of the city. Budapest is very easy to get around, either by foot or metro. The cost of the metro is reasonable, which is fortunate, because unlike most of the surrounding countries, it is impossible to get on without a valid ticket. There are staff at every entrance and exit checking and stamping tickets and they come down hard on anyone trying to cheat, so be warned.
Taxis are expensive because they know only tourists will take them, but your hostel might be able to help you out, both to assist you with the language barrier and to make sure you don’t get ripped off too badly. There are day trips you can do outside the city but if you are only staying a short time then the centre has plenty to offer in a small space, making even the metro unnecessary if your hostel has a central location. Ultimately, Budapest demands a comfortable shoe. One thing you should not scrimp on is your accommodation. While there are plenty of cheap hostels, many of them are outside the city centre, and the metro does not extend very far. The average quality is not as good as other cities, and at busy times you could easily end up paying over the odds for a dirty, noisy dorm. Along with the beautiful sites there are scary back streets full of boarded-up strip joints, so pay attention to the ratings on the booking site. The food is similar to other
Eastern European cities; lots of meat, potato, stews and dumplings, and all delicious. Because it’s such a tourist-reliant city, it’s not as easy to get a cheap meal as other places. Depending on your budget you may have to take a walk away from the castles and museums, but even nice places aren’t outlandish. Two things make it feel more expensive than it is; first, if you have been travelling around a lot and come from somewhere like Slovakia, everything over a Euro seems horrifying. It’s amazing how quickly your expectations can adjust. The second is the currency. Hungary uses the Forint, worth approximately 320 to the euro. Paying over a thousand of anything will give you pause, even if it’s actually a fantastic deal. Even the cafés aimed at tourists are much cheaper than anywhere in Dublin. Although maybe not as budgetfriendly as the rest of Eastern Europe, Budapest has plenty to offer anyone with a love of travel, food or history, and an adventurous spirit.
Photographer: Emer Sugrue
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OTWO Games
powered by
REVIEWS Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge
Rayman Origins
Expertly placed for a European release just as the Rugby World Cup furore has completely died down, Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge seeks to pick up where the dreadful Rugby World Cup 2011 left off, and to save rugby games the world over from continued mediocrity. Thankfully, much like its Playstation 1 namesake, Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge raises the bar for videogame adaptations of the sport. Rugby Challenge represents the perhaps the best virtual representation of the sport so far, the game mechanics masterfully incorporating the complexities of dummies, side-steps, hand offs, all variety of kicks and even grubbers to be chased frantically past the try line. The more esoteric aspects of the game, such as scrums, line-outs and breakdowns are handled, if not perfectly, infinitely better than the games’ primary competition. Perhaps the simplest and most effective modification to the traditionally unchanged rugby game formula is the mechanics of kicking for goal, touch, punting or grubbing. The camera zooms in on the kicker, the wind direction becomes visible on the ground, and the entire game slows to a Max Payne style bullettime. This slow motion reprieve
In this reviewer’s euphoric N64 days, one videogame, Rayman 2: The Great Escape was played to such an extent that since hanging up the oddly-shaped N64 controller, much despair has been caused by the decline in quality of the franchise’s subsequent output. In recent years the Rayman universe had been hi-jacked by the ‘Raving Rabbids’, a furry sagadestroyer the likes of which have not been seen since the Ewoks. With Origins however, Ubisoft, the game’s developers, have wiped the slate clean, providing a 2D platformer reminiscent of the original Rayman, for which Origins serves as a prequel. The series has always tried to not bog down its players with drama, and as such Origins presents a refreshing bare bones approach, in which Rayman’s friend Globox irritates a granny, living in the land of the living-dead, who in retaliation fills Rayman’s world with bad guys. This bizarre introduction sets up a 2D side scrolling adventure that inhabits a world that is not only visually breathtaking, but filled to the brim with imaginative characters, level designs and music, as well as the trademark humour that you would imagine to be logical in a game in which the protagonist’s body is disconnected from his hands and feet.
Title: Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge Publishers: Tru Blu Entertainment Developers: Sidhe Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Playstation Vita 12
allows you to perfectly judge your kick’s distance against the wind, and only ends when the ball is struck or the player is tackled. If the gameplay was to be faulted, it would be the fact that passing is occasionally a slapdash affair, particularly that crucial final pass out to a winger inside the opposition twenty-two – although, to be fair to Sidhe Studios, that may just be an attempt at an accurate representation of the Irish team’s current form. Speaking of which, European players will be slightly miffed at the absence of an officially licensed Irish (or indeed, English, Welsh, Scottish or French) team, our Golden Generation unceremoniously replaced by random players with stock, and occasionally misspelt, Irish surnames. With the IRFU having granted their licence to the wildly inferior RWC2011, Irish fans can take solace by playing any of the four lovinglyrecreated provincial sides, as well as the entire rosters from the ITM Cup, Super 15s, Aviva Premiership, Rabodirect Pro 12, and the French Top 14. Add to this a Career mode, immense team creation and customisation options, and the result is a game with a longevity that far surpasses any rugby title in recent memory. In short, a dynamic, robust and genuinely enjoyable title from the little studio that could. by Jon Hozier-Byrne
Title: Rayman Origins Publishers: Ubisoft Developers: Ubisoft Montpellier Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii
In relation to the aesthetics, which are vital to the game’s charm, Ubisoft have employed a brand new graphics engine entitled ‘UbiArt framework’, allowing game artists to focus on the art itself, without having to worry about the technical aspects of game development, thus providing this young year’s most artistically cohesive videogame, with smile-inducing art direction. Plant life unfurl around you, pillars collapse and avalanches unveil lush landscapes with smooth animations, all wrapped up in a sixty-second frame rate. The online mode has been abandoned in favour of local multiplayer, however this seems nearly irrelevant as its brimming personality is perfect for four player local multiplayer. With so many things going on onscreen at the one time it can be difficult to focus, but the animation remains flawless and exquisite. Despite its playful nature, Rayman is as challenging as they come, relying on the player’s dexterity and twitch reflexes and ultimately showcases the finesse and wit of the experience as a whole. Rayman is the joyous return to form of one of the most significant franchises to the platform genre; a genre in which Origins will now remain as a highlight. In a time in which bleak and gory war videogames are in excess, Origins emerges as a gorgeous stalwart of confidence and colour. by Jack Walsh
Games OTWO
The Lurking Fear
Co-founder of Frictional Games, Jens Nilsson, talks to Steven Balbirnie about the challenges of being an indie game developer and how to make the perfect horror game
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ased in Helsingborg, Sweden, Frictional Games are the developers behind the Penumbra and Amnesia series. This is a remarkable achievement considering that the company was only established in 2006, after co-founders Thomas Grip and Jens Nilsson met in university and worked on a thesis together. Their first title, Penumbra: Overture, a survival horror set in Greenland, started life as a tech demo but garnered enough attention to be developed into a full game and the first chapter of a trilogy. It was the release of Amnesia: The Dark Descent in 2010 however, that really got Frictional Games noticed. A psychological horror set in the nineteenth century, Amnesia draws on such diverse influences as H.P. Lovecraft, the Milgram and Stanford Prison experiments, seventeenth-century scientific practices and films such as The Others. The game has chilled and thrilled both gamers and critics. With Amnesia: The Dark Descent widely considered to be the most terrifying game released in recent years, Otwo takes the opportunity to ask Nilsson what goes into making a truly scary gaming experience. “Less is often more when it comes to horror. Important elements are to let the game build up, to not rush to the horror parts, to pace it well and to allow for dynamic and contrast between horror-filled and horror-free parts.” Sound design is also a crucial component of any successful horror game, and Nilsson explains why: “Sound design is important for any game; it adds a lot to how you perceive things, regardless [of whether] you notice it or not. It’s important that cars have the sound of the doors closing designed so that it
makes the car feel like it has quality and is safe, which is perhaps not something you go around and think about every time you close the door. With horror it is crucial to build up a sense of what is to come, to tickle the imagination of the player, so that it starts working and doing the job for us.” With so many big budget horror games failing to deliver scares, Otwo asks Nilsson where he thinks the larger developers are going wrong. “They are working hard on following the standards and requirements of today’s game industry; that is to make challenging, fun games that are lengthy and have a lot of collectables or achievements, instead of concentrating on the experience.” However, Nilsson is quick to point out that not all blame should be placed on the developers. “It’s the gamers’ fault as well, they want lengthy games, re-playability, achievements and whatnot. Yet every time someone collects data and releases statistics it shows that very few actually complete the games. I think a lot of games would benefit greatly from being four to six hours of well-polished, one-time enjoyed the best, type of experiences.”
The polished experience of Amnesia: The Dark Descent certainly impressed critics at the 2010 Independent Games Festival, where Frictional Games won three awards. Nilsson hasn’t let the game’s critical success go to his head however. “It sure was fun and a great moment. But I think we are much more proud of all the awesome community created content we have seen, everything from costumes, to comics, videos, stories and plays. The feeling of having created something that inspired such creations is a much better reward than any prize we could possibly win.” These achievements are even more impressive when you consider how precarious the existence of an independent developer can be. Nilsson is candid about how the future of Frictional Games hinged on Amnesia’s commercial success. The company needed to sell 30,000 copies just to break even. “If we did not get this money back fairly fast then we would probably not have been motivated to keep making games under the terms that we had up to that point. It was simply not motivating any longer to work as much as you possibly could for as little money as you could pos-
sibly get by on. We were very content at that time to have been able to make four games, running our own company and deciding exactly what we wanted; not many get to do that. But as you get older you might feel an urge to do other things, get a more stable living situation and, you know, all those grown up things.” Thankfully, Amnesia was well received commercially so Nilsson and Grip can continue to unleash their brand of Lovecraftian horror upon the world. And what’s next for Frictional Games? A new, untitled game is in the pipeline, which Nilsson describes as “a natural continuation of our previous work, where we add some new stuff to the mix that we have not been able to do before and just continue on trying to expand on the ideas that we have on what makes a good game.” Otwo mentions a rumour that the new game may not feature the puzzles that have been a staple of their previous titles, but Nilsson is quick to correct this. “The game will not have puzzles for the sake of puzzles, is probably a more correct statement. We have had this idea since before, quite a bit in Amnesia, and we try to continue improving it. The idea that puzzles are more to be obstacles to overcome, that can have any shape or form, but should not stand out, be silly, halt progression or any other typical hiccup that puzzles can create.” Regardless of whatever form this new project takes, one thing is certain; in the years to come, Jens Nilsson and Frictional Games will continue to delight and terrify their audience in equal measure. The Penumbra and Amnesia series are available to buy for PC and Mac through the Steam store and at www.frictionalgames.net. 13
OTWO
They see me, ’ n i t a h y e h t , s n Rolli I
“It’s not like I’m some great teacher or anything,
I’m just a high school graduate, there’s nothing I can really teach you.”
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n his thirty-year career, Henry Rollins has earned the reputation of a renaissance man, a pop-cultural polymath. Rising to fame as the frontman of hardcore punk legends Black Flag in the early eighties, his work on their seminal, canonical records such as Damaged and My War, not to mention his subsequent nineties work with The Rollins Band, have made him a core protagonist in the continuing history of punk and alternative rock. Since then he has written extensively, established his own publishing house, appeared as a neo-Nazi enforcer in the TV series Sons of Anarchy and even hosted his own chat show. Above all else, he has become a traveller of the world, making documentaries, photography books and taking part in charity work. Known, perhaps unjustly, as an uncooperative, stubborn interviewee to many, Otwo instead encounter a man who is happy to talk about his many exploits in depth. As he speaks to Otwo, he has just completed the first night of his ‘The Long March’ spoken word tour, which hits Dublin this Sunday. His approach to spoken word walks the same thin line between indignant, acerbic wit and vitriol-laden social commentary once frequented by late greats such as George Carlin and Bill Hicks, mixed with a globetrotting raconteur’s tales. “All my tours are basically the same ... I basically go into a city and go onstage and talk about what I saw and where I’ve been since the last time I was there.” This tour has been promoted as centering on his recent travels to Africa and Asia, as well as world political change, and he gives a special mention to “these very hilarious people attempting to become president” in his native America. Among his latest excursions was a trip to Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan with water charity Drop in the Bucket, a journey during which he took the time to meet those who had been affected by the area’s devastating history of conflict. “We met some people who’d been abducted by Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army, and they talked about how they were forced to commit atrocities,” Rollins gravely outlines. “We’re talking about fourteen-year-old kids made to hack other people into pieces.” Drawing attention to the areas left in the aftermath of war and disaster has been a cornerstone of Rollins’ recent career. In 2008 he was com-
OTWO
Hardcore hero turned spoken word performer Henry Rollins speaks to Cormac Duffy about serving his audience, working with National Geographic, and why he’s not returning to music anytime soon missioned by his then-employer, the Independent Film Channel (IFC), to make Henry Rollins: Uncut, a four-part documentary that saw him using interviews with politicians and people on the ground to examine life in post-apartheid South Africa and post-Katrina New Orleans, amongst others. But when Rollins works such solemn issues into his spoken word, as he commonly does, has he moved beyond entertaining his audience and into educating them? “In my mind, I’m not looking to entertain them, because that word just doesn’t sit right with me. It’s kind of disrespectful to some of the material or some of the people that I’m trying to talk about,” Rollins bluntly replies. “I’m not taking myself seriously, but if I’m telling about people who’ve suffered twenty-two years of conflict in Southern Sudan, I don’t know if I want to put that soldier who I might be talking about who saw all his friends die … in a routine light to you, that would be kind of making fun of him.” His recent travels have inspired another addition to his already herculean resume; 2011’s Occupants, a book of photography taken in big cities, slums and villages around the world. “I started work on the book about five years ago, when I started planning trips that were [based around] being outside all day with a camera in my hand,” Rollins explains. His approach continued to expand, trading up gear and seeking to improve. “I started working on technique, trying to get a handle on getting images that were more emotive of what I was feeling at the time. Almost trying to translate your emotions into aperture.” One photo humorously depicts an Indonesian saleswoman wearing a Black Flag t-shirt, a coincidental cross-cultural encounter Rollins stumbled upon that shows how widely the band’s influence has subtly spread. Despite the devotion Rollins has to bringing untold stories to the audience, he is incredibly modest about the motivation behind it. “Because I’m curious, and I want there to be a by-product of that. It’s not like I’m some great teacher or anything. I’m just a high school graduate; there’s nothing I can really teach you.” This notion of a by-product is something selfless that can be brought to fans. “It may sound kind of weird, but one of the main motivations for me … is an idea of servitude.” In this category, he lumps everything from talking to fanzines to how he sees himself as a “faithful correspondent” to his audiences. “That’s kind of my mind set, and it allows me to work very, very hard, and to remain humble and to try and
“At the risk of sounding really self-gratifying,
I realise I still have it.
I still have something I can offer where I could probably still kick a lot of ass.” remain open-minded,” as well as making sure that it does not go to his head. His reports often seem pointed to cover areas that the media may neglect otherwise, mainly on behalf of US citizens detached from the world as a result of their media’s failings. Rollins hurls particular scorn on the corporate culture that dominates stateside media. “At the end of the day, it’s servicing General Electric, and it’s serving the petroleum-based bottom line. It’s not always telling the truth because the truth might not be serving that bottom line.” Rollins tries to tell the truth straight to his audience and underline the realities he discovers in his travels as a means of undermining this restrictive orthodoxy. “I’m trying to do my part as basically a one-man op-ed machine onstage.” Having left IFC several years ago, Rollins has found himself in a most unexpected profession for an aging hardcore icon; a regular contributor to the National Geographic channel. His first project with the network was hosting The Warrior Gene; a show exploring the relationship between genetic characteristics and behavioural predilection for violence. He attributes his willingness to take part to the fact that “the topic was interesting because it leads to a very interesting discussion of nature versus nurture, which has got my interest from a very early age, me being the product of not the happiest household, and a city, Washington D.C., that was extremely racially tense when I was living in it.” Between his tough image and the unbolted aggression that defines his spoken word and musical persona, there is scarce room to argue that anyone else would suit the job better. Rollins’ next project for the channel was Snake Underworld, which explored the relationship between humans and snakes, from collectors and academics to black market traders. Rollins’ involvement came from his long time interest in snakes - he is a former snake owner; an experience which enabled him to find his own interview subjects, an allowance he had not been granted with The Warrior Gene. It gave Rollins the chance to interview herpetologist and Slayer shredder Kerry King, as well as to showcase his friend Tim Freedy’s developed immunity to venom by watching him survive a lethal dose injection of Black Mamba venom. Snake Underworld proved a hit with viewers and network executives, leading to Rollins’ signing on for a soon to be released three-part
series, Animal Underworld. This time he has travelled India, Vietnam and around the US to look at how mankind uses and abuses exotic species, and has taken a more hands-on involvement in the show. “I had a great deal of input into those as well in that it’s my hands; I’m the one picking up the cobras, I’m the one eating the snakes, I’m the one eating the rats and I’m the one jumping on the backs of alligators, not the film crew.” If you’ve ever heard the radio show Rollins hosts on LA’s KCRW or read his music column for LA Weekly, it’s plain to see that music is still hugely important to him. With such an attachment to it, does he miss making music himself? “Yes, a little,” he concedes, “because, every once in a while I will do it, I’ll do some benefit show, get up with somebody and sing a song.” These are the moments when Rollins rediscovers his own talent. “At the risk of sounding really selfgratifying, I realise I still have it. I still have something I can offer where I could probably still kick a lot of ass.” But such performance would need new material to back it up. “For me to be able to do that and justify it, I would have to be able to write and record new music, because what I’m not going to do is go onstage and sing a bunch of old material, because it’s artistically lazy and it’s not taking a risk.” The roots of this principle come from how he takes his artistic cues from the ever forward-moving jazz musicians he admires, and even from his old Black Flag band-mate and SST Records boss, Greg Ginn. In the days of Black Flag, Ginn would refuse to play the hits and built the set on the latest record. “And people would say ‘Why don’t you play ‘Six Pack’?’”, referencing one of the many iconic crowd-pleasers from Damaged. “It was never my decision and we got quite a bit of flak for that.” He explains all this, building up to his reasons for not writing any new material. “I literally just do not think lyrically anymore. Nothing occurs to me to write a song about, I just don’t think that way.” The process of writing, recording and touring is one he devoted much of his life too, and is one he does not feel any desire to relive. “At this point, I’m looking to do things that are new to me and so I left music in an effort to not repeat old patterns.” Rollins, above all else, is an artist who refuses to rest on any laurels. “Some of my peers, they kind of rely on their past, and I never want to do that.” Henry Rollins plays Vicar Street on January 22nd. Tickets priced at €24.90.
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OTWO film
REVIEWS
W.E.
Title: W.E. Director: Madonna Starring: Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle, James D’Arcy Release Date: 20th January
P
erhaps the toughest barrier for any film involving Madonna is the unavoidable fact that it does indeed involve Madonna. Should Madonna ever create a genuinely good film, a testament to its success should be when Madonna’s involvement isn’t its most talked about feature. Sadly, W.E. is not one such film. Written as two concurrent narratives, Madonna (who co-wrote the script with Alek Keshishian) runs the story of the controversial relationship between American socialite Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) and King Edward VIII ( James D’Arcy), alongside a story of a contemporary New York woman, Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), her troubled relationship and her nearobsession with Wallis and Edward. Though the second narrative is supposed to act as a modern-day parallel, instead it somehow manages to trivialise its subject matter to the point of genuine tedium. Wally’s fascination with the “the twentieth-century’s greatest royal love story” acts as the principal link between the two narrative strands; that and a few ill-fitting parallels including spousal abuse and the fact that both women made sacrifices in their lives. The two storylines are further sewn together by several
mawkish scenes wherein Wallis and Wally speak er it generally feels as if more attention was paid to each other on screen. to the details in the costume department than The film flits sporadically between the two any other part of the film. stories, with the New York plotline managing Highlighting so many faults does seem quite to be the more uninteresting of the two. Though unkind, as W.E. isn’t so bad as to be irredeemable. the cinematography and costumes are truly ex- Any positives to be drawn are not concessions; cellent, often the awkward nature of the writing they are genuinely praiseworthy aspects. That proves extremely distracting. The most bewilder- said, the fact that the best part of the film is an ing moment of the film involves Wallis dancing unremarkable new Madonna track that plays the Charleston with a bald African tribesperson about a minute into the credits tells its own story. whilst Edward rolls on the floor laughing set to the sneering punk rock of ‘Pretty Vacant’ by the In a Nutshell: Madonna’s sophomore attempt Sex Pistols. What exactly this mess of a scene is at directing is not as horrendous as it could supposed to represent is truly unfathomable. The have been, but still has few redeeming feaimpeccable costume choices actually add some tures. believability to often weak performances, howevby Robert MacCarthy
J. Edgar
A
lthough J. Edgar is an interest- Department, the establishment of ing portrait of the titular con- the FBI and his extensive career as troversial director of the FBI, director where he was innovative in it does seem that this is a Leonard his establishment of a federal invesDiCaprio film we have seen before tigative agency and the modernisain The Aviator; a biopic of an eccen- tion of criminal investigations with tric and ambitious man who rises to science. As well as all that it also power and accumulates wealth only squeezes in the two most intimate to be ultimately driven to paranoia by this wealth and power. Have no doubts about it, DiCaprio’s incarnation of J. Edgar Hoover is excellent, even when buried under heaps of aging make-up, and it only becomes all too clear how strong a performance it is when you compare it to the minor cast. While DiCaprio’s performance is undoubtedly the centrepiece of the film and is certain to attract the attention of the Academy, it is just a little unfortunate that there isn’t an equally strong narrative to provide a good enough support structure for him. The narrative conceit is Hoover dictating his memoirs; a well-trodden device for a biopic, however, its most glaring problem is that while this film attempts to be comprehensive in its portrayal, it ends up being far too broad. The film tracks Hoover’s fifty year career from his time as an ambitious young man in the Justice
Title: J. Edgar Director: Clint Eastwood Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench Release Date: 20th January
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relationships in his life: the Oedipal Rights movement and having his herelationship with his mother, played roic deeds in the film take a 180° turn by Judi Dench (Casino Royale), and that leaves you with a slightly empty his chastised homosexual relation- image of Hoover come the film’s end, ship with FBI colleague Clyde Tol- and one that does not command the son, played by Armie Hammer (The respect and sympathy DiCaprio’s Social Network). Howard Hughes commanded in The While the early scenes of the am- Aviator. bitious Hoover during his time in the Justice Department actually flow at In a Nutshell: Despite DiCaprio’s a good pace, it is the latex and make- excellent performance, everything up heavy years of Hoover’s later life else lets the star player down, leaving where the narrative becomes over- the character of J. Edgar Hoover stretched and cannot seem to decide possibly more enigmatic than before. whether he is the hero or villain. It is by Dermot O’Rourke amidst Hoover discrediting the Civil
top10
film OTWO
Movie
Detectives
As the second series of Sherlock finishes on BBC One, Emer Sugrue takes a look at what movies you can use to fill that detective-shaped hole in your heart 10. Sam Spade - The Maltese Falcon (1941) The original hard-boiled detective, and the Bogartiest of all Humphrey Bogart’s roles. If he was any more hard-boiled he’d be a peppermint humbug. 9. Nick Charles - The Thin Man (1934) It’s half detective film, half slapstick comedy, but all drinking binge. Although Nick and his wife do manage to solve a murder, it’s merely a distraction from all the cocktails. 8. Clarice Starling - The Silence of the Lambs (1991) FBI academy student Clarice is in a race against time to find a serial killer, so she enlists the help of a serial killer. So outside the box, this film created a new box in which it is firmly placed twenty-one years later. This movie ruined Chianti, fava beans, and the name Clarice.
WAR HORSE Title: War Horse Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Peter Mullen Release Date: Out Now
W
ar Horse, based on the 1982 the Great War. All of the above is children’s novel by Michael linked by Joey, the titular war horse. Morpurgo and the 2007 The film is beautifully shot, with stage adaptation of the same name, exceptional attention placed on is Steven Spielberg’s first attempt capturing landscape. In particular, to depict onscreen the events of the depiction of the Second Batthe First World War. Prolific in his tle of the Somme is fantastic, with production of film and television impeccable colour tone and thorthat occur at the time of the Sec- oughly thrilling action. If Spielberg ond World War, Spielberg’s newest defined the World War II battle set film is most certainly made with piece with the opening scene of Savthe mentality that he has some- ing Private Ryan in 1998, he may well thing to prove, and it cannot be have done it again for World War I helped but to enter the film with with War Horse. this same mindset. However, for all the bluster of By the end, Spielberg has proven battle and sweeping landscapes, himself. In fact, he has thoroughly War Horse is not without fault, and outdone himself. War Horse is very it is a fault that lies within its broadmuch an epic: an expansive picture, ness and epic nature. It could be moving from the sleepy Devon argued that perhaps this is a film countryside to the horrific terrain intended to leave audiences tearyof the Somme, concerning a wide eyed, but there is a sense of disconcast of characters; English, German nection, as if the emotion is like a and French, soldiers and civilians, soft drink marketed as ‘Emotionand how their lives play out during lite’. It’s there, of course, but the film becomes far too broad, emotionally obvious and watered-down. It will pull on heartstrings in the most sentimental and simplistic way but afterwards will, for the most part, be forgotten. It is this lack of staying power that sticks out all too clearly and is solely a result of War Horse’s monumental scale. In a Nutshell: Although a beautifully pictured film, its epic nature goes against the real, piercing emotion and longevity it should possess. by Mark Malone
Below: Peter Sellars as Inspector Clouseau
7. Will Dormer - Insomnia (2002) This hard-bitten detective travels to Alaska to solve a murder and battle his conscious while suffering insomnia caused by the twenty-four hour sunlight. Jeez Will, just close the curtains. 6. Inspector Thomson and Constable Dexter Gosford Park (2001) A better breed of bumbling detective. The comic relief duo in this murder mystery accidentally but systematically destroy most of the evidence at the scene and fail to solve anything. 5. Roger Murtaugh - Lethal Weapon (1987) This is the archetype of the buddy-cop movie and Roger Murtaugh is too old for this shit. He does it anyway. The movie is twenty-four years old, so think how badass this guy must be now. 4. Eddie Valiant - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) This dark, film noir, washed-up, alcoholic detective has to prove the innocence of a cartoon rabbit. It is exactly as awesome as you imagine. 3. Inspector Clouseau - The Pink Panther (1963) A return to the bumbling side of things with Peter Seller’s French police detective. His attempt to foil the theft of the titular Pink Panther diamond ends with him in prison for the crime. The original and the best. 2. Doctor Watson - Sherlock Holmes (2009) The first film in decades to avoid ‘Stupid Watson’. While Dr. Watson was an intelligent and insightful man in the books, second only to Holmes’ genius deductions, most adaptations skewed him into a bumbling idiot who couldn’t figure out a murder if the victim had written the killer’s name is five-foot letters in blood in Watson’s own kitchen, thus allowing Holmes to provide endless smug extrapolation. The latest reboot restored him to his rightful intelligence. 1. Sherlock Holmes - Sherlock Holmes (2009) The first true detective, he can figure out your life from the ketchup stain on your tie when everyone else just figures out that you’re sloppy. 17
OTWO Television
The Irish Mammy of British TV
Mrs Brown’s Boys may be achieving surprising levels of success both in Ireland and the UK, but does this mark a cultural regression, asks Dermot O’Rourke
F
or a show that is remarkably seventies, and the sexual innuendo reminiscent of the sitcom par- humour of the Carry On films in signifier ody When the Whistle Blows this time of post-Office sitcoms, or which is in Ricky Gervais’ Extras, even down does the reason for its popularity lie m i r r o r e d to the animated opening credits and at a deeper ideological level? by both the poor critical reception, Mrs Brown’s It is actually quite rare that an char-acters and Boys is something of a cultural phe- Irish television show achieves the plots themselves. The nomenon. The show has attracted mainstream success Mrs Brown’s characters in Mrs Brown’s Boys are such a large audience in the UK that Boys has had in Britain, much less also portrayed as stereotypically it would seem it has been nothing be commissioned by a British chan- happy-go-lucky, sexually immature short of a huge success for Irish nel in the first place, which must and, often, overtly idiotic, all of programming and for the promo- draw us to the conclusion that this which leads to quite an unflattering tion of Ireland. is good thing for Ireland, right? picture of Irish people as relatively Not only has Brendan O’Carroll’s Well, no. backward and one that, by virtue archetypical ‘Irish Mammy’ been It is important to recognise that of this representation of a cultural a hit with Irish audiences, it has any Irish show on British television ‘other’, reaffirms a subtextual British been one of our most successful is portraying an Irish national iden- colonial dominance for audiences. cultural exports to Britain by be- tity for British consumption. In reThis idea of British audiences ing one of the most popular shows lation to Irish culture and Irishness enjoying the Irish portrayed in this currently airing on the BBC. In fact, there has, culturally and historically, negative light for reaffirmation of the Christmas special episode was existed the notion of a cultural ‘oth- dominance is not new in Britain. It on during primetime on RTÉ One erness’ in Britain in which British is interesting to note that the only on Christmas Day as well as prime- culture and Britishness is defined two other Irish TV programmes to time on BBC One on St. Stephen’s by what the Irish are not. For in- be picked up by British channels and Day, where it attracted 6.61 million stance, if the Irish are Catholic, ter- achieve mainstream success – Father viewers. The second series has just rible at football and unruly, then the Ted and The Rubberbandits’ show – begun on BBC One with audiences British are Protestant, good at foot- have attracted multiple complaints of over five million per episode and ball and civilised. What this means for negative portrayals of Irish peoit has already been granted a third is that the Irish culture represented ple (interestingly, most commonly series. in Mrs Brown’s Boys beamed into from the British themselves). The popularity of Mrs Brown’s British homes becomes a reference Furthermore, the notion of coBoys in Britain however, does point by which British audiences lonial dominance can also be seen prompt the question: in a time of characterise British culture and through the gender paradox of the true innovation in television pro- Britishness. character of Mrs Brown. It has been gramming, why has Mrs Brown’s The format of Mrs Brown’s Boys argued that, historically, British and Boys, an Irish show with a seem- is similar to the multi-camera setup European colonialism was congruingly outdated television format performed in front of a studio ent with Western sexual stereoand the broadest of comedic sen- audience preferred by working- types and it meant that political and sibilities, become one of the most class family sitcoms prevalent on socio-economic dominance could popular programmes on British tel- British TV in the post-War era. It is be symbolised as the dominance of evision? Is it that British audiences a sitcom format that is old fashioned man and masculinity of the colonial are nostalgic for the working-class and thus signifies backward power over the more passive female family sitcoms of the sixties and thinking for British audiences, a and femininity of the colonised 18
country. Examples of this can actually be seen clearly in the work of Irish poets throughout the time of British rule who made references to Ireland as ‘her’, Irishness as something that is feminine, and most startlingly, that colonisation itself represented a violation. Mrs Brown’s Boys, but more specifically Brendan O’Carroll as Mrs Brown herself, is an extension of this idea in modern times. O’Carroll dressing as a woman for his portrayal of our national identity for British audiences upholds this gender stereotype symbolisation and can be viewed as a feminisation of Ireland in the eyes of British audiences, and thus augments the subtextual colonial dominance. Although arguably our most commercially successful cultural export of last year, to say that Mrs Brown’s Boys is a good thing for Irish television programming and, more pointedly, Irish culture, would be naive. It would ignore the issues that lie on a deeper ideological level and the fact that the show actually represents a regression in the projection of Irishness in Britain. Mrs Brown’s Boys good for Ireland? As Ricky Gervais in When the Whistle Blows would retort: “Are you ‘avin a laugh?” Illustration: Conor O’Toole
Television OTWO
Fatal Fourway What is the best
medical drama? After Aoife came out on top in a brutal Christmas Fourway, the defeated must gather themselves to defend their choices of the best medical drama
Scrubs
House
M*A*S*H
Grey’s Anatomy
George Morahan
Dermot O’Rourke
Jon Hozier-Byrne
Aoife Valentine
Scrubs is quite simply my favourite show and it is by far the best medical show of all time, by virtue of its enduring quality, but also because hospital dramas are usually a bit crap. While the Grey’s and ERs of the world will manipulate any emotional situation for a slice of heightened drama, Scrubs tries to bring a bit of levity to the genre – it can still hit all the emotional beats perfectly, but there’s also ample room for inane, slapstick humour, wonderful inter-racial bromances and the Janitor. In that regard it takes quite a bit from M*A*S*H, but Scrubs is also assuredly a product of the twentyfirst century and has shaped the landscape of television a great deal. Would we have Dr. Gregory House without Dr. Percival Ulysses Cox? Would Grey’s end every episode with a beloved patient dying to a soundtrack of mopey indie rock? Could you imagine Arrested Development, 30 Rock or Community without Scrubs’ original blend of the surreal and the whip smart? Scrubs is not only one of the funniest shows ever, but it was extremely inventive and refreshing at its best, and refused to dwell on overwrought melodrama. Scrubs almost makes you want to go to hospital.
The mark of any good medical drama, in my opinion, is that while you are watching it you think: “If I had a lifethreatening disease I wish I was attended by those doctors because I have no doubts that they would cure me.” No other medical drama on TV epitomises this sentiment more than the members of the diagnostic team, and more importantly Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), in House. Although he appears insensitive to your life-threatening condition (some may say professional), is lovingly described as an “egotistical, pill-popping lawsuit magnet” by his colleagues and has possibly the worst bedside manner in the history of medicine, there is no denying that House is a genius. With his painkiller addiction, tendency to destroy all personal relationships and misanthropic nature, House should be, by rights, the most disliked character on TV but it is however because of such characteristics that he has such a profound effect on audiences. His method for diagnosis is more akin to solving a crime compared to other TV doctors’ more boring approach and although he may get it wrong the first couple of times, causing your life-threatening condition to somehow become worse, you can be guaranteed that House, in the end, will cure you and leave you staring into the middle distance contemplating your life.
It’s time we all swallowed a bitter pill – medical dramas are boring. Sure, there may have glossy aesthetics, with glossy action performed by glossy beautiful people, but look past that, and what is there? Doctorial double speak, artificial tension, and actresses that are months away from starring in their very own L’Oréal advert. There is one exception to the rule, however, and that is the legendary M*A*S*H. Instead of gloss, you get a grim allegory for the Vietnam War, witnessed through the optics of Groucho Marx poured into a raw alcohol martini. Set in the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, it represents one of the darkest comedies to ever be considered mainstream. With episodic plots including concert pianists losing their fingers, and even an infamous storyline in which the protagonist, Hawkeye Pierce, is hiding from the enemy, and inadvertently tells a mother to kill her own baby to stop it crying – an episode which, at the time, was the most-watched in television history – the show had a message to go along with its comedy, and delivered both with gravitas and aplomb. A vote for M*A*S*H is a vote for black comedy, for activism, and for men in dresses. Don’t be fooled by Valentine and her swoon-inducing men – vote M*A*S*H.
Much like you were all doomed to failure when you didn’t choose Love Actually as the greatest Christmas movie, omitting to choose a medical drama which McNicknames its hot men was the fatal flaw in your selection process. Even if you don’t like medical dramas, the presence of McDreamy and McSteamy is probably enough to win you over. Let’s face it though; we’re not watching these shows for whatever medical bullshit they’re peddling, because we all know it’s mostly lies. I’m sure people are saved from triple madeupectomys by some intern who doesn’t know their place all the time, but really, it’s just kind of cute when Meredith is dark and twisty, and McArmy helps Cristina not be made up solely of mentalsauce. Also, Bailey. Even without the medicine, there’s plenty of drama. I mean, George loves Meredith who loves Derek who loves her but also maybe Addison who loves Mark who loves Lexie and kind of Callie who was straight but has since gotten with any lesbian around but before that she married George who had an affair with Izzie who married Alex who screwed Lexie, who was also with George and Mark, and who hit on Derek who has a post-it marriage to Meredith who is Lexie’s sister and on and on. There is literally too much drama. I mean, seriously. Seriously.
Go on the University Observer Facebook page and have your say; what is the best medical drama?
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OTWO Music
She learnt the truth at seventeen
really big, really unyielding. It would be nice if we could go back to being people in the record business and people who really loved music and were fans, as opposed to people who go into it because it’s a gross industry.” She does note that there have been improvements in how record labels treat artists in recent years. “I think one of the things that’s happened is that record companies realised that it’s much better to have a happy artist who’s willingly touring and doing press, who wants to continue working with you than to have the adversarial relationship that they had
“I would love to think that ‘Married in London’ is a tiny cog in the change in gay marriage”
Folk legend Janis Ian speaks to Lorraine Haigney about her struggles with the music industry and life as an out musician
J
anis Ian first became famous for her depiction of an interracial couple in the song she wrote at the age of thirteen, ‘Society’s Child’. Released in 1966 after over a year of talks with twenty-three record labels, it became an anthem for many of the disenfranchised who were involved in the Civil Rights movement. Her ability to use folk music as a vehicle for social change has not waned throughout her forty-year career. That said, she states that she doesn’t write under the impression that her music has influence on the big issues. “If I started thinking like that I would start thinking about how fabulous I am, rather than thinking about writing new songs,” she remarks in conversation with Otwo. “I would love to think that ‘Society’s Child’ was a tiny cog in the change affected. I would love to think that ‘Married in London’ is a tiny cog in the change in gay marriage but it’s really impossible to speculate.” Ian has always remained consistent in her style, never deviating from her folk roots. On her 2008 album, Folk is the New Black, she commented on how folk comes in and out of fashion. “Everybody was suddenly saying ‘Oh my gosh, folk music is so fabulous! It’s wonderful, how amazing!’ They were just discovering something that’s been around since dog’s years.” As a noted and much acclaimed figure on the folk scene, she doesn’t think that its fluctuation in popularity will be an issue or something that could threaten it. “Folk music goes in and out of favour so fast and so often, it really doesn’t affect it much” she says. “People who aren’t going to remain in folk music get out pretty quickly.” Ian has always been vocal about the problems that she sees in the music industry, going so far as to start her own label, on which she launched her two most recent albums; Folk is the New Black and The Best of Janis Ian. Commenting on the current state of the industry, she says “It’s gotten 20
adopted for so long. It’s stupid really; we’ve all got to work together.” Openly gay artists like Ian are lauded for contributing to the welfare of the LGBT community in that they provide a figure for young people to look up to. Ian recalled the lack of gay role models in the media when she had been growing up. She says that “the out gay people I saw as a kid really scared me,” and cites this as a factor in her decision to come out in the early nineties. “Me coming out so loudly was because the head of the Human Rights Campaign Fund sat me down and asked me come out publicly because of the teenage suicide rate and how tied in that was to kids thinking they were gay.” While the impact of positive role models on LGBT youths is well documented, Ian believes it spills over into the heterosexual fan’s way of thinking. She explains “Each time you see one of your heroes or somebody you respect come out and [they’re] normal, it’s another chink in
the divide.” Though pleased with the increase in stars who are not staying in the closet, she sees a need for more diversity. “I’m waiting for more black people, in this country anyway, and people in gospel or country to come out. That’s just not happening. When Wanda Sykes came out here it was huge, I thought that was a wonderful thing.” On a professional level, Ian admits that identifying herself as gay has, in some cases, affected her adversely. She disagrees with any speculation that her sexuality could be used as a selling point, something to further her career. “If that were true, I would have gotten the Grammy awards I was nominated for! When you blow open the door of that closet, there’s such a strong wind. I can’t imagine anyone doing it with an ulterior motive, other than just living a life.” Ian gives less weight to the drawbacks than to the positives, explaining that staying in the closet would have been impossible, especially as she was in a long term relationship with Pat Synder, the woman she married in 2003. “I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Pat, I couldn’t imagine evading the question of whether or not I was in a relationship.” She says that life is difficult for friends of hers who haven’t chosen to go public about their sexuality, and that she is glad that she did. “I really think that, if you’re a gay person, you can’t be in two places at once. It makes you crazy.” Ian concedes that being entirely open and outspoken might not have been the easiest path to take, commenting, “There’s always going to be people who find anything different to be threatening, threatening enough that they’ll try to stand in your way.” However, it is her ability to face down adversity to get her message across that has cemented Ian as one of the living legends of folk music. Janis Ian plays Vicar Street on January 29th. Tickets priced at €36.50. The Best of Janis Ian is out now.
If you’re indie and you know it…
Music OTWO
Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah brings David Moloney up to speed on the story behind the band’s hiatus, the creative process and his problems with the blogosphere
N
ot many bands these days can create an air of mystery around themselves while also avoiding being labelled as inauthentic, but Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are definitely one of these few. For months in early 2011, the music world was filled with speculation as to whether the Brooklyn quintet had gone on hiatus or were actually secretly writing, an issue complicated by statements from the band about their hiatus being immediately followed by a performance on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show. As long ago as that was, the issue has never been cleared up by the band, so Otwo thought it would be the perfect opening question to put to lead singer, Alec Ounsworth. He confirms that they were on a hiatus but “because we were on a break I don’t believe that we were ever really broken up.” How very Ross and Rachel of them. The real question is, of course, why they felt the need to go on a hiatus. “It just didn’t seem right and the pieces weren’t falling into place. I think the last thing that anyone should do when they’re trying to be creative and make a record is to try to force it,” Ounsworth says. “You know, you have to go your separate ways and do your own thing for a little while and then kind of come back and see if the next time is better. If it’s not, you have to re-evaluate your position altogether.” With Ounsworth having pursued a solo project and an album as his alter-ego Flashy Python, not to mention the other band members’ side projects, did cyhsy find it difficult to start working together again? “It was surprisingly easy and it kind of made me understand why this project worked in the first place. There is
a certain element to cyhsy that I can’t really put my finger on that just makes it work and makes it stands up.” This realisation occurred almost immediately; “I saw that as soon as we started working again, literally at the first practice, I could see why it worked whereas before I’d probably taken it for granted to a large degree because it was really the first band that I had been in.” Listening to the band’s third and latest album, 2011’s Hysterical, one can easily understand what Ounsworth is talking about. Coming four years after their last effort, Some Loud Thunder, the record has a level of togetherness that was lacking in previous offerings. This could be due in part to their choice of the legendary John Congleton, noted for working with acts as diverse as St. Vincent and Baroness, to produce this album. How did they decide to get him on board with their latest project? Ounsworth states that he had been in contact with Congleton around the time of the ‘break’ and had always found what he had done interesting. He considers Congleton a musicians’ producer because “he’s been through it and he knows what it’s like.” However, the main reason that he chose Congleton is “that John toils away the way I do, trying to write songs pretty constantly and that’s something I hadn’t come across necessarily. It was something that was very valuable to me at a particular time and fortunately the rest of the guys took to him as well and it all just came together easily.” It would be impossible to have an interview with cyhsy without asking Ounsworth’s opinion on the blog culture that dominates music
journalism nowadays. Cyhsy could almost be considered the most perfect case study of the influence music blogging has acquired, and how it can ‘make’ a band in a very short space of time. Their 2005 debut album became an overnight sensation after an intense bout of online hype. So what are his views on the culture that brought him and his band into the spotlight? “It’s strange because it’s at once very influential, and on the other hand not very influential at all. It can put somebody on the map, let’s say somebody who has a certain approach that is seen to be unique, somebody who might not have been discovered otherwise and whether or they can run with that has to do with how much work they’ve put in. So basically, it helps in the short term, I imagine.” He goes on to counterbalance this point with “it has the ability to cheapen a potentially honest
and unique thing by virtue of the fact that there’s so much out there. People say that the proliferation means that people are listening to more music than ever these days but I wonder what that really means.” To him the variety of musical experience blogs promote can be shallow, favouring breadth over depth. He says that this is in stark contrast with how he approaches music because he likes “to really dig into one person for a long time. I have my favourites and I’ll listen to their entire records and that still happens but I get a little bit sceptical when I hear people are just consuming constantly. I just wonder how much of that is going in and staying there.” Clap Your Hands Say Yeah play Tripod on January 25th. Tickets priced at €20. Hysterical is out now. 21
OTWO Music
L
Christina
ess than two years ago However, did dealChristina Perri was ing with such a large working in a coffee shop franchise mean some in Los Angeles and was comcompromise on her pletely unknown to the music creative freedom? “It world. Overnight, after her was challenging to stay song ‘Jar of Hearts’ was used authentic and to stay as the backdrop on an episode me. A lot of people of So You Think You Can wanted to get involved Dance, the American dance and I kept complete competition and reality show, creative control, which Perri was catapulted into the is why I think it was spotlight. Within two weeks, chosen, because it is so ‘Jar of Hearts’ had sold over genuinely the artist. The 100,000 copies and less than song you hear is exactly a month later, it had landed the way I wrote it.” her a record deal with AtAmerican singer-songwriter and overnight sensation Christina Perri Work is already underlantic Records – quite a leap way on her second album speaks to Aoife Valentine about Twilight fairytales, staying true to from her humble beginnings and Perri recently tweeted in the coffee shop. herself and when it’s best not to think too much that she had just finished “The song really took off writing her thirty-second and I’m just one little human and I makes for a well-rounded story as Dawn, Pt 1 soundtrack, a dream song, with a goal of fifty tracks needed to be in fifty places at once. far as the journey of my little heart. which she didn’t exactly keep a before October. Perri however, I eventually got to all those places, Unfortunately, I keep falling in and secret. “I mentioned it subliminally isn’t convinced that even that will but it was eleven months straight out of love, but as long as many times to my label and be enough. “I can only hope that with no days off, flying all over the each song is genuine, I would drop hints all the in fifty songs that I have a great world. It was amazing, but at the whether it came time that I wanted to be twelve. Do I hope I am inspired same time it was really challengfrom me when I on the soundtrack, but to write twenty more songs? ing to jump into a brand new life. was seventeen or the fact that it hapTotally! I believe in the theory of I had gone from a waitress to a me at twentypened is magical. It the musical genius as being like a professional musician overnight. I four, I feel like felt like a fairylittle fairy. She isn’t in me, but it had been writing and playing music I’m just telling tale in so many comes through me sometimes. I’m forever, but to have that shift hapthe truth.” ways. I’m still a just hoping my second album is as pen overnight was just bananas,” Every year, giant Twi-fan genuine as my debut album. I hope explains Perri. Perri makes and I hope to to have some really cool collaboraHer appearance on The Tonight a list of be involved tions” When Otwo asks Perri for a Show with Jay Leno further cement- dreams and in the second hint as to who she may be working ed her position as one to watch, but ambitions to one. I’m still with in future, she carefully reveals it was a very last-minute affair, as be fulfilled, in awe of my just one collaboration. “I will say she was drafted in as a replacement and top of last experience. that Jason Mraz and I have been the day of the show. “They told me year’s list was I’m like this working together...” that morning. I remember because getting a track geeky TwiBefore she can get back in the it was my first day off for about on the Twihard whose studio however, she has a UK and four months. I have two day-to-day light Saga: dream came Ireland tour lined up. Touring is managers who work under a bigger Breaktrue.” still an experience which holds a guy; the big head honcho called me ing degree of novelty for Perri, with and he asked ‘Can you do Jay Leno her first ever tour being less than a right now?’ I was like ‘What am I year ago, as a support act for James gonna wear?’ I was just a waitress Blunt. “That was pretty crazy. I at this point, I didn’t have any cool was so green and scared. I cried clothes.” almost every day on that tour. He With such hype surrounding the was wonderful and the audiences release of her debut album, Loveswere wonderful, but I was just trong, there was an obvious added on such a learning curve that pressure for the album to live up to I was terrified. I learned so, so ‘Jar of Hearts’ and her extremely much that I knew exactly what I well-received second single, ‘Arms’. wanted when I did my first head“I definitely think there could line tour in the summer and that have been a lot of pressure, but I tour was pretty epic for me.” personally remember making a pact Perri is looking to better that with myself to not feel it. I needed again when she reaches European to make this album as if no one shores, as she has changed her live knew who I was yet. I tried not to act somewhat. “I’ve got my whole trip out or think too hard; I think band, which is awesome. We rethinking is one of the worst things hearsed for a week in LA and we’re to do when you’re doing something bringing out all the songs from “I tried not to trip out so epic in your life.” Lovestrong, as well as a new one and Only four of the tracks on the a cover. We’re trying to make sure or think too hard; album were written after Perri that it’s fresh, new and different to I think thinking is signed her record deal; the remainwhat we did in the States. I’m really ing songs were written from when excited.” one of the worst things she was just fifteen and onwards. to do when you’re Perri regards the record as cohesive Christina Perri plays the Olympia for something which was written Theatre on 22nd January. doing something so across roughly a decade. “I think it Tickets priced from €19.
22
Perri
epic in your life.”
Music OTWO
album REVIEWS Enter Shikari A Flash Flood of Colour A
The Big Pink Future This
The Internet Purple Naked Ladies
Maccabees Given to the Wild
C-
D-
B-
Enter Shikari’s first two albums were refreshing and interesting takes on the dance-infused hardcore genre they helped to pioneer. However, they were not without fault, both efforts containing too many songs with a few too many ideas thrown into the mix at once. A Flash Flood of Colour is easily their best work to date. The best elements from their last albums were hand-picked and perfectly mixed with fresh ideas to form an incredibly interesting, and most importantly, fun album. Crucially, they have learned to trim the fat off songs, resulting in a consistent album that flows properly and isn’t over laden with ideas. The band have managed to write songs that cover serious issues like environmentalism and capitalism, while maintaining a sense humour. It is nigh on impossible to not at least tap your foot while listening to this, despite the occasionally heavy lyrics.
London-based duo The Big Pink’s latest offering Future This is a poor follow-up to their 2009 debut. The opening track ‘Stay Gold’ is reminiscent of ‘Dominos’, their biggest hit to date, but does not possess the same charm, while the remainder of the album falls flat in its wake. There is a distinct lack of lyrical vigour, most notable in songs such as ‘Lose Your Mind’, which contain predictable lines like “I owe it to me/ Now yesterday’s gone/ Doing it on my own”. The record leaves a lot to be desired; many tracks fill the listener with anticipation, awaiting a break into a cracking chorus, but they all too often fail to reach such heights. Overall the album is quite inoffensive but it remains a shady grey throughout, offering nothing new or exciting but providing what could be construed as good background noise.
When you hear that Syd tha Kyd and Matt Martian of Odd Future fame have teamed up under the guise of The Internet, it’s understandable to be a little excited. Unfortunately, that excitement is misplaced. After listening to the group’s debut, Purple Naked Ladies, you’ll be left with two things; disappointment and a sneaking suspicion that both members have an exceedingly short attention span. It’s clear that The Internet know noughties R&B incredibly well and make some admirable attempts to blend it with some current music trends. That said, they try and force too many ideas together and don’t spend enough time trying to ensure that the ideas gel. The result is a frustrating, potentially decent record that needed somebody to say “Enough!” It is made all the more frustrating due to the utter brilliance of the track ‘Cocaine’, a demonstration of how good it could have been.
London indie-rockers The Maccabees have shown a willingness to embrace musical eclecticism on their third record, and this is certainly a move for the better. The album begins with the haunting, almost euphoric ambience of the title track, which fades into the true start; the melancholic slow burn of ‘Child’. The next four tracks are infectious, upbeat tunes that unfortunately sound like one good, but ultimately forgettable, twenty-minute song. This trend is pleasantly broken when the downbeat expanse of ‘Forever I’ve Known’ and ‘Heave’ finally come along. ‘Pelican’ and ‘Went Away’, especially the latter, are a pleasantly energetic twist to the album, both songs recalling Vampire Weekend’s excitable brand of indie. More room is made for sonic sharp turns with the touching ‘Go’, before ending on a climactic high with ‘Grew Up at Midnight’. It’s a big finish, but one the album undoubtedly deserves.
In a Nutshell: Fancy getting shouted at about the economy, while dancing simultaneously? Acquire this. by Conor O’Nolan
In a Nutshell: A boring and forgettable effort from the indie duo.
In a Nutshell: Incredibly disappointing. Forget the album, just listen to ‘Cocaine’.
In a Nutshell: Diverse indie to be recommended.
by Ciara Andrews
Guided By Voices Let’s Go Eat the Factory B+
by David Moloney
The Guided by Voices back-catalogue is a veritable odyssey, spanning over thirty albums and EPs, so it should perhaps be of no surprise that these prolific veterans could not resist returning after an eight-year hiatus. As the first outing for the band’s “classic line-up” since 1996, Factory harkens back to the their earlier days, with four track production and an abundance of short, snappy songs rarely clocking in at over two minutes. The lo-fi fuzz that surrounds these recordings aids the transition over twenty-one tracks, yet the band’s love of progressive rock shines through with the David Gilmour-esque guitar on ‘The
by Stefan Bracken
Big Hat and Toy Show’, and there is even a brilliant use of trumpet to round off the chorus on ‘Imperial Horseracing’. The pinnacle is ‘Chocolate Boy’; a breezy acoustic ballad that recalls Flaming Lips at their best. Simply put, it’s the very welcome return of a massively influential band. In a Nutshell: A brilliant cacophony of lo-fi indie rock.
by Dan Moriarty 23
OTWO Music
The duffington post Is your New Year’s resolution to be more of bandwagon-hopping trend junkie? Good. Let noted seer Cormac Duffy give you a head start Despite the accepted logic, lists of predictions for the year ahead in music are not infallible oracles of wisdom. Rather they are dispatches from that murky netherworld where divination is a middle class sport: arts journalism. But if you truly insist on some guarantees on what you’ll hear this year, there are a few safe bets. 2011 saw chart music engulf the tropes of dubstep for its own gain, so expect more of the same subcultural exploitation this year. Word has it that Miley Cyrus’ weed habit has left her working on what she has called “a totally rad chillwave album.” Kedollarsignha will realise that to fully articulate the moral bankruptcy of her life, it’ll take an album of Throbbing Gristle covers. On a related note and scant high-point, Scott Walker will unveil another album so bleak that the only release format will be a Freddy Krueger-style concert appearance in your nightmares. Needless to say, what’s heard is what’s talked about, and what’s talked about is what’s controversial. I’d advise keeping an eye out for rising rapper A.C.R.O.N.Y.M’s debut mixtape Excessively Casual Reference to Violence, as well as UK pop sensation to-be Katie J’s single ‘Lezploitational Undertones’. As another surge of vapid, uninspired peons attempt to make music out of leftover bits of the past, a 1940s revival is the logical next step. It’ll be perfect timed for the breakup of the EU, the return of war to the continent, and the UK government brainwashing Adele to become a Vera Lynn-esque Jingoist songbird to score their vicious fight against common markets. What’s not to like? No one seems to have noticed that the proposed Mayan doomsday falls very close to the annual release of The X Factor winner’s single. It seems clear to me that a putrid, key-changing, power-ballad cover of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ will cause the gods to lose all faith in the virus with shoes we call mankind, and finally unleash that plague of locusts they’ve been prototyping since the inaugural Eurovision. Now for the real predictions; a ragtag gang of white guys wishing they were The Strokes will become inexplicably popular, the year’s bestselling album will be the one easiest to give to your mum as a Christmas present, a man in sandals will vehemently promote a recently made-up genre (“Wait until you hear post-crunk, it’s the best thing since noise-hop!”), Dr. Dre will release Detox (maybe), Lady Gaga will wear a thing made from other things, and everyone on the BBC Sound of 2012 list will release a “promising”, soon to be forgotten debut. Watch out world, it’s going to be some year. 24
mixtape The soundtrack to your life as a movie
Ever think life would be more fun as a movie with a clichéd soundtrack? Let Emily Mullen set you on your first step to hyper-reality with the Mixtape for your biopic Birth: T– Rex – ‘Cosmic Dancer’ Drug addiction: Oasis – “I danced myself right out of the womb” – ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ let’s face it, this happened. It was likened Has your badass lifestyle has left you to the Immaculate Conception, no juice in need of some ‘me time’? A solvents or grunts, only synchronised dancing. abuse montage is definitely the answer. Childhood: Hanson – ‘MMMBop’ In your idyllic childhood, life merely consisted of mála and the learning of Pokémon names while Hanson were just young enough for us to let them get away with this song’s idiocy. Innocent times.
Post-battle relaxation: Wet Wet Wet – ‘Sweet Surrender’ Marti Pello provides some light relief from your hectic day of raping and pillaging historical fiction villagers as you sing in the shower to show that you’re not just your average avenger.
Depression: Coldplay – ‘Yellow’ Your life has sunk into Jane Eyre mode, and all you can hear is Chris Martin’s microscopic whine carried on the wind through the moors. It doesn’t get much lower.
Fight scene: Carl Douglas – ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ Fighting a mysterious man in a dark alley, the world becomes a flurry of kicks, punches, and jittery camera work. Even though you have never shown any aptitude for Kung Fu before, you still bait him around the gaff.
Self-discovery: Rihanna – ‘We Found Love’ Just as Rihanna found love through glamourised domestic violence and cuss words, you find your true self buried deep in those thug life lyrics. Love: Lykke Li – ‘Little Bit’ Nothing is done in half measures in cinema. You just met them all of ten minutes ago, yet you love them. Insert some much needed cynicism into this facetious expression of affection. Sex scene: The Smiths – ‘Handsome Devil’ “Let me get my hands on your mammary glands and let me get your head on a conjugal bed.” Oh I say, Morrissey. Panning of camera towards fireplace or billowing curtains optional. Suspense: Buffalo Springfield – ‘Something’s Happening Here’ Nothing says something amazing is about to occur better than a ten minute prelude.
Chase Scene #1: Iggy Pop – ‘Lust for Life’ A classic, and deserved number one in your “running from nasties” iTunes playlist. Whether from dealers, loansharks or Librocop, it’s perfect for a life or death getaway. Chase Scene #2: Blackout Crew – ‘Put a Donk it’ No film or life is complete without a car chase. Show the Guards what speed your turbo-charged Honda can do and “Put a bangin’ donk on it” like a scumbag Blues Brother. Murder: Pink Floyd – ‘Comfortably Numb’ The sarcastic musical accompaniment to your brutal murder. ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ also acceptable. Make sure to face the curtain with some aesthetically pleasing ultraviolent pomp. Credits: Bon Jovi – ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ Time for the outtakes of your life. It’s been some journey. Let’s just hope that your fans don’t illegally download the DVD.
Music OTWO
Gig of the Fortnight
Dara O’Briain
Jan 25th-28th – Vicar St – 7:30pm – €28 Dara O’Briain returns to Dublin for another brief residency at Vicar Street this fortnight. Famed as the host of The Panel and Mock the Week, as well as for his stand-up and travels with Gruff Rhys-Jones and Rory McGrath as part of the Three Men in a Boat BBC series, the comic and UCD alumnus will be performing his latest show, Craic Dealer, to what are sure to be sold-out audiences. Get your tickets now to avoid missing a glimpse of Ireland’s favourite expat before he starts tickling the English again.
January 17th
Dirty Dancing – Grand Canal Theatre – 7:30pm – €35–€50
January 18th
Whirligig VI (Irish Showcase) – The Workman’s Club – 7:30pm – €10–€12
Show Patrol January 19th
A Winged Victory for the Sullen – The Sugar Club – 8pm – €13.50 Jason Byrne – Draoicht – 8pm – €22.50
January 20th
The Jon Cohen Experiment – The Grand Social – 8pm – €8 Josie Long – Whelan’s – 7:30pm – €16.50 Snow Patrol – The O2 – 6:30pm – €44.50
January 23rd
Never Shout Never – The Academy – 6:30pm – €16 One Direction – The O2 – 8pm – €35
January 28th
Chymera – Pod – 11pm – €9.20 The Saw Doctors – The Olympia Theatre – 7:15pm – €22.00
January 25th
Reggie Watts – Whelan’s – 8pm – €20 Damo & Ivor – The Academy – 7:30pm – €23.50 Snow Patrol – The O2 – 6:30pm – €44.50
January 22nd
January 26th
Capital Comedy Club – The Ha’penny Bridge – 8:30pm – €5–€7 Christina Perri – Olympia Theatre – 7pm – €19
The Dubliners – Christ Church Cathedral – 8pm – €20–€40 Fiach – Whelan’s – 8pm – €10 Jeff Mills – The Button Factory – 11pm – €22.50
January 24th
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Tripod – 8pm – €20 Lisa O’Neill – The Button Factory – 8pm – €16.20 Michael McGodrick – Christ Church Cathedral – 8:00pm – €30 T. Mills – Academy – 6:30pm – €12
January 21st
January 27th
The Comedy Shed – The Woolshed – 9:30pm – €5
January 29th
James Morrison – The Olympia Theatre – 7:30pm – €44.05 Janis Ian – Vicar Street – 7:30pm – €36.50
January 30th
Get Back: the Story of the Beatles – Trivoli Theatre – 7:30pm – €20 – €28.50
Dara O’Briain – Vicar Street – 7:30pm – €28.00 The Van Diemens – Whelan’s (Upstairs) – 8:30pm – €10
by George Morahan
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25
OTWO
Dead Cat e c n u o B
I
t’s not often that a sketch troupe perform their first ever show with Will Ferrell in the audience, but it was just such a situation which marked Dead Cat Bounce’s arrival on the Irish comedy scene. Ferrell managed somehow to take some of the pressure off the trio by distracting the audience with his mere presence, but one has to wonder what exactly a Hollywood film star was doing at the debut show of an Irish sketch group in the Project Arts Centre. “He was staying in the Clarence and he said to the concierge, ‘I want to see some comedy tonight,’ and there was a very lazy concierge in the Clarence and he looked across the road and said ‘There’s some,’ and so he came to our show. He was a lovely dude, he came backstage and was chatting to us,” explains Shane O’Brien, bassist for the sketch troupe turned musical-comedy group. The self-declared “international rock and roll comedy super-group” first met in Trinity College, and each was pursuing their own musical endeavours at the time, but were also all involved in writing comedy sketches. The transition to combining their comedy sketches and their musical capabilities however, proved a rather natural one. “It ended up that we’d do more and more music in the sketch shows and then it just became entirely musical and pretty soon we were just a comedy band. Also, I think any time we’ve kind of tried to write serious songs, people sort of struggle to get behind them, and we struggle to be serious in them … I think we’d be a terrible real band. We’d be playing very similar songs;
an office now, so it’s a luxury.” Working comedic bits into songs has become a slightly different process, with a new sound since their keyboardist, Mick Cullinan left the band last October. “It was just a natural thing that happened after Edinburgh last year. The band continues on as normal and we are pretty much playing as a band as we always have, just with no keyboards and with a lot more complicated guitar and bass lines.” It was in Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival that the trio completed a mammoth sixty shows in twenty-five days, which included a forty-eight hour stint during the last weekend in which they performed six shows in three different locations in the UK, including the Reading and Leeds Festivals; a gruelling schedule for anyone, but O’Brien insists that not even that could put him off touring. He admits however: “We got literally physically sick that month. The last weekend I think we slept about two hours in the whole time and then at the end of it everyone was just completely dead. We went home, we had about two days off and we went to Electric Picnic. We were kind of bordering on getting pneumonia; it was a ridiculous couple of weeks.” It would seem that with a new show, ‘Howl at the She-Leopard’, in the pipeline and plans to spend two months in Australia once March rolls around, that not even the threat of pneumonia has put a halt to their gallop. “We’re going back again [to Australia] in March for a couple of months this year. Australia is just a cool place and there are so many Irish people over there now, we will find more and more people coming to the show who recognise us from home, which is kind of weird but it’s great as well.”
“I think we’d be a terrible real band. We’d be playing very similar songs; we’d just be doing it with no sense of irony.” we’d just be doing it with no sense of irony.” They may not consider themselves a ‘real’ band but they have always maintained the same stance over their somewhat frugal attempt at the rock-and-roll lifestyle. “It is a very shoestring approach to rock-and-roll. We never had roadies. Before Christmas, we supported The Darkness in Dublin and they have like, three or four articulated lorries full of gear, and ten dudes carrying everything for them. I mean, they just show up and everything is set up. We arrived at the back door, carrying our gear ourselves.” Their approach to the creative process is equally simple and grounded. “Basically, we sit there and stare at each other until something funny comes out and then we’ll work that into songs. Ordinarily, we’d just be in each other’s living rooms staring at each other, but we’ve got 26
Shane O’Brien, bassist for musical comedy act Dead Cat Bounce, speaks to Aoife Valentine about visits from Will Ferrell, the rock-and-roll lifestyle and just how tight their trousers can really get
This was never more obvious than when they stopped by a Tommy Tiernan show in Australia last year. “We went to see Tommy Tiernan in Sydney and he walked out, and said, ‘Are there any Australians in?’ and about six people went ‘Yaaay,’ so he said ‘I suppose I can guess where the rest of you are from,’ and the whole crowd just went nuts. It was just 1,500 Irish people for five nights, in Sydney. It was ridiculous.” Before they jet off to Australia to continue living their rock-star lifestyles, the trio are performing the new show in Dublin and London, and O’Brien promises, “You can expect a lot of weird stuff. Demian [Fox, drums] is currently in the process of trying to work out a five-minute drum solo that’s going to involve all sorts of juggling glow sticks and nonsense. It’s gonna be a silly show.” However, when a comedy band wear such outrageously tight trousers, Otwo can’t help but be more intrigued by the practicalities of the muchpromised tighter pants than by drum solos and glow sticks. Dead Cat Bounce of course, are not an act to disappoint. “We’re actually having new costumes made at the moment and yes, they’re fully skin-tight, they’re very shiny and there’s a lot of glitter involved. We’re going to step it up this time. There’s going to be a lot of rhinestones, and it’s going to be very sexy.” If ever there were things which simply epitomise the rock-and-roll dream, they most definitely are a studding gun and a lot of glitter. Dead Cat Bounce perform their new show, ‘Howl at the She-Leopard’ at Vicar Street on February 24th. Tickets priced at €20.
OTwo Attempts... Living in the
OTWO OTWO
dark ages It may have been acceptable in the eighties, but it’s not now. Emer Sugrue attempts to give up modern technology
W
hen Otwo asked me to give up technology for a day, I told them no, and then I posted it on Facebook. However, after much negotiation, tears and eventually prying my iPhone from my still tweeting fingers, I was off on my technology-free adventure. My instructions were to give up technology but I decided I needed clearer rules that that. What counts as technology? Was I allowed have the lights on? Is the printing press considered too high tech? Inspired by the New Year’s release of cabinet papers, like any good time traveller I settled on a cut off point of thirty years. Were they even that technology-free in 1982? They had televisions, phones and even video games, limited as they were to shooting circles with a triangle. When it comes to practicality though, I was in a much worse situation than my eighties counterpart. People in the eighties had landlines, but I don’t; mobile
Photographer: Caoimhe Mc Donnell
phones are so ubiquitous that landlords don’t bother to install them anymore. Then again, a student in the 1980s wouldn’t have had a phone either so it’s just as well. Similarly with Ataris, VCRs, walkmans or other eighties technological breakthroughs; while they existed at the time, few people had them and I certainly don’t. I don’t even own a radio. My attempt was also limited by the technology used in my flat – students in Ireland were unlikely to own a fridge but I don’t think my flatmates would have taken kindly to me plugging it out. As for TV, RTÉ existed in 1982 but frankly, I’d rather watch the fridge. Stripped down to the basics, I began my day. I was quite looking forward to it. How hard could it be? I had lived in the eighties before. Briefly. Once I got over the initial shock of not being able to communicate every inane
thought I had the second it occurred to me, I began to miss the truly useful aspects of modern technology. I went for a run but didn’t get far. Normally, I have an app with a voice telling me every few minutes how well I’m doing – just hours without constant electronic reassurance, and my life was falling apart. I decided to go to town but I couldn’t check the bus timetable. In preparation for my technologyfree boredom, I had arranged to meet a friend the day before. One of the major things we’ve lost as a society is the ability to plan. Normally when I’m going to meet a friend, I make a vague arrangement some days before, decide on a time that morning and then shortly before tell them I’m running late, all through text. Back in the day if you made a plan but something had come up in the mean time, there was absolutely no way to let them know. You either had to go anyway, or just leave them waiting. To check the bus times I had to walk to the bus stop and write down the times. On paper. Like a peasant. I don’t usually wear a wristwatch since I have my twenty-first century pocket watch - a phone - so I misjudged the timing and arrived at the meeting place a bit late. My friend was nowhere to be seen, but I had no way of knowing whether he was also running late or had arrived, waited a few minutes, and then left. I had no choice
but to sit down on some convenient steps and wait. And wait. I waited hours, years. Or maybe ten minutes, I didn’t have a watch. I couldn’t contact him, he had a phone but I didn’t have the number except in my phone. Even if I had, I would have absolutely no idea where I would find a payphone, or even how to use one. I’ve had a mobile phone for as long as I’ve had anyone to call. The worst part was I had nothing to do; nothing to play with, nothing to listen to. It was a long time since I’d heard the unadulterated sounds of the outdoors; I nearly always have my iPod on when going anywhere. Even when I’m not listening to music I have my headphones on so charity collectors, homeless people or random weirdos don’t start chatting to me. I was in great danger of becoming the latter that day. Eventually my friend arrived and noises of the outside world aside, I was able to enjoy a fairly normal day drinking coffee and wandering around the shops. One bit of luck for the day was that I was able to use an ATM – cash machines arrived in Ireland in 1980 so I was saved the ignominy of having to go into the bank and interact with people. I headed home and after satisfying myself that whether past or present, RTÉ is rubbish, I spent the evening reading. For a normal if slightly duller day, going technology-free wasn’t too bad. If it had been college time it wouldn’t have been possible at all. Back in the eighties we would have had to hand-write everything rather than just our exams, with our keyboard-withered claws. We would have had to go outside to discover new information, possibly even reading it on something that wasn’t backlit. We would have had to keep up with our friends by actually talking to them instead of reading their status updates and contributing “lol”. Truly, this is a golden age.
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OTWO What did you do in 2011 that you plan to avoid doing in 2012?
Ordinary Level
“I stopped being a student and became staff” Sinead Murphy M.A. in English Literature
“I probably worried too much, so I’m just taking it easy this year” Meredith West Study Abroad student
“I didn’t travel last year, so I plan on doing more travel” Diana Baker Economics
“I plan on working less in college. Can I say that? My tutors are gonna read and think ‘Oh, god, who is this person?’” Maureen McManus (left) Engineering
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“Contracted scurvy. It was a right pain in the eye” Reginald Hammersmith 4th Year Classical Literature
by George Morahan Photographer: Aoife Valentine