University Observer o-two Volume XVII Issue 3

o-two 19th Oct 2010 Issue 3 Vol. XVII

The University Observer’s Arts & Culture Supplement

Host of The Panel Neil Delamere speaks to o-two about his upcoming documentary, his prospective beard and Craig Doyle

+insid e > Makin gM > Take M oney e > B for Out Baby > Lolca ts

Contents

03 REGULARS

16 FILM

Cycling vs. Driving – Who will win? My guess is the high velocity metal death box.

REVIEWS We give our thoughts on The Social Network, Easy A and the IFI’s recent Polish film festival.

TOP TEN Magnificent facial hair by Daniel Day Lewis and Catherine Maguire.

Feature Jon Hozier-Byrne takes on Take Me Out and explains why his sexy ass feels objectified.

TV Bríd Doherty encourages you to watch AMC’s latest slice of televisual genius, Breaking Bad. An Idiot Abroad with Karl Pinkington does what it says on the tin, according to Mathew Jones.

07 ICON

20 GAMES

SOAPBOX Modern kids’ TV is crap says Sarah Doran.

Well, maybe you shouldn’t be watching it, Sarah.

HOT AND NASTY Fadora pulls out her knowledge and shakes it in your face.

SHOW PATROL Oooooh, I didn’t know he was in town! €50?

Oh, screw that then.

ATTEMPTS Natalie Voorheis waxes lyrical on her successful flea market stall.

06 HEAD TO HEAD

The Den is eulogised by Rebecca Windsor.

8 TRAVEL

Journey to Australia, the magical upsidedown land of heat and spiders.

In addition, Sarah Doran goes on a magical Milanese adventure.

9 WEBWATCH

Teh histry o LOLCATS bai Conor O’Nolan.

You can also send your bank details and mother’s maiden name for access to Killian Woods’ internet hoaxes.

10 HOROSCOPES

Will you meet the love of your life or will you waste ten minutes on baseless nonsense?

Only Mystic Mittens has the answer.

11 FASHION

Be stylish and snugly this autumn with Kieran Murphy’s style guide.

And learn how not to look like a pumpkin with o-two’s fake tan tips.

14 HEADLINER

Grace Murphy talks to Neil Delamere and if her Gmail status is anything to go by, she loves him.

Unimaginative? Lacking talent? Don’t worry, you can just remake something!

Elizabeth O’Malley, I choose you to write a Pokémon review.

21 MUSIC Interviews o-two talks to Two Door Cinema Club, Swedish House Mafia, Jamaica and Halves Shuffle Grace Murphy locks her door and tells us the best songs for, um, alone time.

Write Like Apes Fight Like Apes’ Pockets returns, replete with his usual idiosyncratic mannerisms.

26 REVIEWS

Between Foxrock and a Hard Place: Alyson Grey interviews the stars of the new Ross O’Carroll Kelly play.

Bridget Fitzsimons reviews B for Baby.

28 BACK PAGE

o-two talks to a real college band who totally exist.

Please Talk to us, we have sweets in the van.

Letter from the Eds Hi boys and girls!

This fortnight, o-two is throwing its toys out of the pram and crying about how modern kids shows just aren’t as good as they used to be before saying a fond farewell to The Den, the last bastion of our low-budget childhoods. We also review the old Pokémon games, the child friendly phenomenon of imprisoning animals and forcing them to fight to the death. Ah, memories.

It’s now week six of term, half way through (how did that happen?!) and with essays and midterms looming, you can understand the wish to crawl back in the womb, but never fear, o-two has some kick-ass features to remember the joys of adulthood too; you might want to check out Shuffle to that end.

And don’t forget to take a gander at Hot and Nasty with Fadora McSexypants for advice on noisy neighbours.

We round off the magazine with the only slightly less sexy music interviews with bands we had most definitely heard of before, our headliner, comedian Neil Delamere, and tons of movie and film reviews so that you never have to form an opinion on anything. If you want to forget about your responsibilities (and can’t afford the pub) then you have come to the right place.

Mwah, mwah, Emer and Killian

19 October 2010

Rant

o-two

SOAPBOX With political correctness having gone mad, Sarah Doran reminisces about when kids TV was worth getting up at dawn for

WHAT’S WHAT’S

HOT NOT

&

You’re not as hip as Alison Lee, but with her guidance, you can be. Almost

Winston The IFI Horrorthon Churchill

Old Movies in the Cinema

This may not be so hot if you’re a complete wuss when it comes to horror movies. If you’re made of sterner stuff however, you’ll relish the IFI’s eclectic collection of scary flicks, including the Irish premiere of Paranormal Activity II. The festival runs from October 21st to October 25th and it’s the perfect way to kick off celebrations this Halloween.

Finally, Hollywood has copped on that there’s really no point in spending all that money remaking old classics and failing miserably in the process. Instead, they’re choosing the lazy option of just showing the old classics (including Back to the Future and Terminator 2 of late) on the silver screen in all their glory.

M

Josh, Zoey 101 and iCarly.

It seems that somewhere during the nineties to noughties transition, children’s television lost its cheekiness: not to mention somewhat awkward yet its faith in the intellectual exciting individuals. They capabilities of its target made slightly questionable audience. Children are no jokes and had bumbling longer deemed intelligent conversations with kids who enough to handle anything regularly spewed unexpected, substantial. Despairingly embarrassing lines. Today watching kids struggle however, presenters are with simple questions on like robots; speaking in a mid-term favourite Quiz condescending tone at a pace Zone, I asked myself: “Were similar to that of an elderly we really this clueless?” It nun’s Nissan Micra. seems modern children’s TV On-air sidekicks prove has done little but breed a equally infuriating. The generation of unimaginative days of Podge the postman, young individuals. a particularly petulant Sheltering these puppet who dared to deintellectually undermined sanctify Santa Claus and children now seems the deem D’Arcy an “eejit” on priority of parents and air, are a distant memory. television executives. Katy Witty and often cynical Perry felt the wrath of the characters such as Zig, Zag protective parent when her and Zuppy were replaced escapades with Elmo were by a sanctimonious safetypulled from Sesame Street: conscious sock monster. her brand of Princess dress Tinky-Winky and the was deemed unsuitable gang’s arrival was a major for the young minds of “eh-oh!” Whilst shows like tomorrow. The “scandalous” Two of a Kind and Hey scenes are still available on Arnold! had encouraged YouTube. children to think for Ted, the panda who themselves, the arrival of the sporadically attacked Ray Teletubbies heralded a new D’Arcy on The Den, would era. In the comedic realm, be deemed a controversial insipid writing allowed figure in modern children’s ointment, pimples and television. grandma’s hygiene issues His inappropriate brand of to constitute humour. The violence would doubtlessly writers at Dan Schneider’s damage delicate minds ‘Bakery’ have much to and warrant weeks on the answer for, having produced naughty step, but did it an unimaginative, moulddo us any harm? Well, it’s infested batch including The probably too soon to call Amanda Show, Drake and that one.

What’s Not

What’s Hot

odern children’s TV wouldn’t incite the nineties generation to bounce out of bed. In the days of Ray D’Arcy, children’s TV presenters were

He helped lead the Allies to victory and now he’s back scaling the UK album charts.

The album marks the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and Winston’s hit is ‘Reach for the Skies,’ played by the RAF’s Central Band with Winston’s speeches played over the music.

Not bad for a guy who’s been dead for forty-five years.

Shop-Bought Loyalty Halloween Cards Costumes

Dublin Bus Route Changes

Whether it’s twoeuro-shop tack or the snazziest, priciest costume-shop outfit going; it’s still not cool.

Making your own costume is almost as fun as showing it off and telling people: “Oh, I whipped this up myself.” Plus the procrastination involved in elaborately decorating, sewing and trying on clothes whiles away hours of study time.

Getting a bus was always tricky business, but thanks to the new route changes, taking public transport is akin to playing Russian roulette.

Ok, maybe ending up in Terenure when you wanted to get to Clontarf isn’t quite as bad as shooting yourself in the head, but it’s still bloody annoying.

Anyone else sick of being asked: “Do you have a Boots Advantage card?” or “Do you have your Tesco Clubcard?” or “Where’s your Buy-nineterrible-coffees-and-getthe-tenth-free-at-NineOne-One card?” No, I don’t have one, and if I do, I’ve forgotten it. I don’t really want 15 cent off own-brand spaghetti hoops anyway. And don’t get me started on UCD’s own equivalent loyalty tard scheme.

Advice

o-two 19 October 2010 4 They kept me up all night with their incessant moaning, shouting, and taking the Lord’s name in vain. I felt just filthy listening to them and made sure to go Mass in Donnybrook church the next morning to cleanse my soul.

My question is: how can I stop him procreating in the middle of the night? Would it be too much to give him drugs and install a chastity belt while he’s unconscious?

Born-Again in Belgrove Good evening Born-Again.

This fortnight, your saving grace and acclaimed biochemist Fadora McSexypants explains how to deal with noisy roommates Dear Fadora,

When I moved up from Sligo a month ago, my Mammy warned me to be wary of all the city people, because you never know what mad things they’d be getting into. My problem is

that my roommate is a bit of a loose cannon. He goes out every Wednesday night in Coppers, which is madness with his 10am lecture the next day.

The other day it got worse when he brought a woman home.

It’s never fun to hear a friend moaning in joyous ecstasy, particularly when you’re not involved. However, as someone who’s been known to keep up her neighbours with more than late-night coffee and an unwanted erection, I also know the moral dilemma facing your roommate. Sure, he should be considerate of his good friend’s sleeping patterns but, on the other hand, he wants to find him a tramp and start getting damp. They are two equally valid points.

Born-Again, I’ll give you the same advice I gave my mother last week: “You need to get laid, son.” I’d be willing to bet my spacious and flawlessly furnished house that no one has touched your St. Patrick’s serpent since you showed your Padre Pio

Show Patrol 19th of October

The Duke and the King – The Academy – €16.50 Ross O’Carroll Kelly – Olympia Theatre – €25.00 - €49.50

20th of October

One Night Only – The Academy – €13.50 Chiddy Bang – The Academy – €14.50

21st of October

Warpaint – Crawdaddy – €14.00 We Should Be Dead & the Doo Wrongs – Whelan’s – €10.00 Octopussy – The Academy – €4.00

22nd of October

Alabama 3 – Tripod – €20 - €24.50 Bowling For Soup – The Academy – €25.00 Planet Parade – Whelan’s – €10.00

23rd of October

David O' Doherty – Vicar St – €25.00 Maps and Atlases & Adebisi Shank – Whelan’s – €17.50

24th of October

Fake Blood – The Academy – €23.50 Marina and the Diamonds – Vicar St – €23.00

25th of October

Steven Winwood – The Olympia – €39.20 Shapeshifter – Whelan’s – €15.00

26th of October

Lady Gaga – The O2 – €54.80

27th of October

The Black Keys – Tripod – €21.50 An Evening with Greg Dulli – Whelan’s – €25.50 A Flock of Seagulls – The Button Factory – €22.50

28th of October

Mark Ronson and the Business INTL – The Academy – €28.00 Imogen Heap – The Button Factory – €23.00

29th of October

The Cat Empire – The Academy – €23.00 Digitalism – The Academy – €25.20

30th of October

Whose Line Is It Anyways w/ Phil Jupitus – Vicar St – €28.00 Propaganda – The Academy – €8.00€10.00

31st of October

Jamaica – The Academy – €16.50 Debasement Presents – Whelan’s upstairs – Price tbc

1st of November

Tinie Tempah – The Academy – €19.50 The Temper Trap – Tripod – €28.00€30.50

pillow case a rocking good time when you were eight.

My biggest pet peeve in this world is people who resent others for getting the ride, or “lay-her hating” as I call it.

Maybe it’s time to stop thinking about the body of Christ and start thinking about the body of Christina, that blonde in the Merville Centra that keeps giving you fiddly eyes.

Next time your housemate is rattling away at some Copper Face Crack and the breathless moaning is keeping you up, both metaphorically and literally, take matters into your own hands, so to speak.

Take a gentleman’s holiday to fingertown, and if that doesn’t work, why not ask if you can join in? A Devil’s three-way is a great way to get over your religious inhibitions, and if my suspicions are correct, will clear up some of those deeply confusing feelings you’ve been having for some time now.

Love and Tickles, Fadora McSexypants, MD Next issue, Fadora tackles that important question – if you dip your wang in olive oil, is it still extra-virgin?

Send your relationship and sexual queries to mcsexypants@universityobserver.ie

Gig of the Fortnight: The Black Keys October 27th - Tripod – €21.50 In support of their sixth album Brothers, The Black Keys return to Ireland after storming Oxegen’s main stage last July. The Ohio duo are sure to deliver a gimmick-free performance, with good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll being the priority. Given that they have achieved considerable commercial and critical success in recent times – including reaching No 3 in the US Billboard charts, featuring in the Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack and being name-dropped in the blogs of numerous Hollywood darlings. One should get down to Tripod for this pre-Halloween treat and experience the band behind the hype.

5

19 October 2010

ATtempts

o-two

o-two Attempts

Getting Rich Fast Yearning for copious cash, Natalie Voorheis translated her creative abilities and eye for a bargain into a stall at the Dublin Flea Market

M

oney. Glorious cash, light of my life!

Provider of overpriced coffee, unending credit, lavish nights out, new phone, new haircut, new laptop, new car, seasonal wardrobe, sun holidays, concert tickets and whatever else my heart desires. Oh wait, that’s right, I’m a student.

Right so, scrap all of that and replace with cracked screen Nokia, Tesco value rum and an age-old bicycle with flat tyre, no breaks and mind of its own. I was brought up on the famous seanfhocail: “Is fearr an tsláinte ná na táinte,” meaning health is better than wealth. I had never thought to question my resolute adherence to this phrase until the year I began UCD when my belief in its practicalities began to wane.

Due to the pressure of mountainous student bills, I’ve tried my hand at numerous jobs over the years.

I’ve worked as a waitress, telephone operator, sales assistant, babysitter, house-sitter, dog-walker, food promotions girl, legal secretary, dance teacher, choreographer, corporate dancer, unqualified hairdresser for my nearest and dearest and more.

All and all it’s been completely rubbish and at €8.65 an hour, just not worth it. I’ve had my fill tidying tables and always under the watchful eye of some demanding manager or other. There is, however, no getting away from the pressing matter of money, cash is king and I’m a stuck in the role of courtier.

Whilst having a grumble about the above in The University Observer office recently, the o-two editor saw an opportunity to create some havoc and challenged me to an o-two Attempts. Get rich fast, or die trying.

Teaming up with my best friend Bríd Doherty, we took our first steps down the road of becoming selfmade women. Settling on a business model took little effort as it grew from the roots of a blog, which we jointly run.

“Teaming up with my best friend Bríd Doherty, we took our first steps down the road of becoming selfmade women”

We both sew and knit and the blog follows our attempts in the world of the handmade. We decided to translate this into a stall at the Dublin Flea Market, which hosts a huge event on the last Sunday of every month in Newmarket Square, where over sixty stall holders sell their retro wares. Our stall, we decided, would compose of handmade items and a selection of retro and vintage goods, all of a kitsch style and under the brand: Crafty Students.

Trekking around Dublin, we eventually sourced such items as a as a baby blue and cream record

"Bursting with so much with creativity, the table overflowed" player from the ’60s, a number of beautiful vintage typewriters in a variety of styles and colours all in full working order and with their original carry cases. Not to mention a variety of oh-so-kitsch tea sets from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, a vintage, original Bush radios, a Soviet globe, some authentic cricket jumpers (which could not have been more preptastic!) and boxes of records and slates.

Getting our sewing machines, knitting needles and crafty brains out, we made floral hairslides and hairbands, preppy rosettes for blazers and bags, numerous lengths of decorative bunting in different styles and colours from sailor stripes to granny floral, hats and fascinators, knitted woolly scarves each decorated differently, make-up bags and pencil cases.

Spurred on, we even used decoupage to cover the entirety of a chair in vintage Beano comic strips and made housewife style aprons out of a pair of vintage curtains we had picked up.

The run up to the Flea was a time of extreme nerves for us both. With so much time, effort and money invested, the only option was for the day to be a success, but with no previous experience, we had no idea what the outcome would be. We began to promote wildly, on Facebook, our blog and through business cards but with a niggling fear that all those

virtual “I’m attending”, promises on Facebook wouldn’t translate to reality.

On the day, our stock spilled over the edges of the table and engulfed the floor around us. To our relief, we were swamped with custom as hagglers argued over who had seen which tea set first and literally grabbed various typewriters, claiming them as their own.

Neither of us ate all day, not that we didn’t try to tuck into two massive falafel kebabs, but so constant was the flow of people that we were unable to take more than one or two bites. Reflecting that my favourite seanfhocail seemed to be taking ironic delight in my situation by furnishing the two of us with terrible colds, we fought on.

At one point, a frenzied bargain hunter seemed to be fussing over our stock more than anyone and I asked her if I could help. She subsequently revealed that she was a scout looking to source quality vintage stall holders for a new flea market she was setting up and pressed us to consider joining her.

The Monday after the flea, I marched into the Arts Café, now able to afford their over-priced coffee and saw a guy walking in the opposite direction proudly sporting one of our preppy cricket jumpers. Crafty Students had arrived. Roll on the good times!

HEAD to HEAD

o-two 19 October 2010 6

Cyclists vs. Drivers In this issue’s Head to Head, staunch cyclist Anna Burzlaff and devout driver Jon Hozier-Byrne argue over the best way to get from A to B Anna: Alright lazy boy, I understand that the concept of exercise is probably

beyond your grasp, but there should be some simple points on the benefits of cycling even the most mentally stunted can comprehend.

Drivers are contributing to the destruction of the environment and you have to admit that it can be pretty pricey to own a car. Daddy’s income may seem neverending, but all that money on petrol and insurance does add up and it is a recession, loike. Perhaps the benefits of cycling don’t enter into the consciousness of those looking for their latest McDonald’s fix. However, when considered with exercise, the environment and money, cycling is truly a no-brainer.

Jon:

Listen here you rudderless hippy. When has the environment done anything for us? All Mother Nature’s ever done is stop flights over Iceland and trap Chileans. Granted I, like everyone else, don’t give a thru’penny-wank about Chileans, but you have to admit the environment is a prick.

You should be thanking me for burning up as much petrol as I possibly can.

Occasionally I just leave my car running outside my godson’s Montessori when I go in for a sly cigar. My point is that if I want to burn rubbish in my back garden using petrol and seal-blubber, there’s not a damn thing you can do to stop me. Cut your hair and put down that jazz woodbine. You’re only fooling yourself.

Anna:

Typical driver response. Who cares if our country is slowly sinking into the sea? As long as we have heated car seats and electric windows, everything’s a-okay! Your ten-minute drives down to the local shop are threatening much more than a bunch of annoyed Ryanair customers, but I guess that’s the hallmark of the 21st century driver: destruction over effort. You’d run over your own grandmother if it meant less work in pushing the brake pedal. If caring about the planet makes me a hippie, then buy me a hemp jumper and dread my hair.

Jon:

What was that? I’m sorry; I couldn’t hear you over the scraping of your mannish cyclist’s thighs. For your information, my drive down to the local shop takes nowhere near ten minutes. With my sweet Daewoo Lanos, I’m there in no time flat. AND, I can go if it’s raining, without the fear you experience of getting your tie-dyed T-shirt and sandals wet.

Anna: Oh big mistake bringing out the body insults. The sound of your

bingo wings flapping every time you turn the wheel of your car to pick up your frappuccino makes the polar bears on the melting ice caps cry.

Jon:

Polar bears are wankers, giving their babies Coke like that. They’re like the bear equivalent of poor people.

Which brings me nicely to your second point: cars are expensive. Yes, yes they are. I bought my own car, I pay the tax and I pay the insurance, as well as petrol, services and NCTs. I am able to do this because I work and CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING TO SOCIETY. Unless they find a way to turn pedalling and jointrolling into a lucrative profession, I reckon you’ll be stuck on the ol’ two speed for the foreseeable future.

Anna:

Oh yes I’m sure the Irish economy has benefited massively from your purchase of a Korean car. Let’s face it; your tax and insurance payments are more likely going towards government trips to Las Vegas.

What about the plethora of drivers who disregard the rules so much that not only do you put yourselves in danger, but everyone else near you? Although I have a variety of scrapes and bruises to represent various nights cycling home when my journey was less then steady, I doubt I was ever in the position where I could actually cause serious harm to someone.

While you drivers may think it’s alright to ruin the environment or indulge in sickening laziness, your inherent inability to get into the right lane, indicate, or slow down proves just how inconsiderate you are.

Jon:

How could insurance payments go to government trips? Were you too busy tonguing your bong in CSPE to know how government works?

Right, so your argument is that cyclists are safer than drivers because by your own admission, you cycle while drunk. Brilliant. Cyclists care as little for the rules of the road as I do for the animals of Farthing Wood that I’m slowly suffocating with my exhaust fumes. Believe it or not, according to the law, you can’t do whatever the hell you feel like, when you feel like it. That’s how you cause accidents, accidents that the grown-ups with insurance then have to pay for.

Nobody cares about cyclists. They are incompetent, idiotic, selfish attentionseekers who want nothing more than to light up a fat doobie and gently weep in a forest while masturbating furiously. End of.

7

19 October 2010

o-two

o-two icon

The Den

ICON

After learning of the impending cancellation of a childhood gem, Rebecca Windsor reacquainted herself with The Den

A

h the nineties, how glorious they were. We all remember those leggings, tie-dyed t-shirts and primary school-related mishaps involving the ground and some apparently expendable limb. It would be utter blasphemy to suggest that somewhere out there in UCD exists someone who doesn’t know at least one line of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song.

Of course the nineties were also the years in which this generation first became acquainted with The Den – a show with all those glorious moments and characters which had such an impact on our formative years.

The show was first aired in 1986 under the command of DJ Ian Dempsey. Succeeding his claim to the throne was current household name Ray D’Arcy, followed by Damien McCaul, Frances Boylan and more recently, a joint presenter scheme. The show has undergone a few title changes in its time; however one will recall that The Den as we remember it, both in title and spirit, was presented by Ray D’Arcy.

Indeed most of our generation’s fondest memories of the show will undoubtedly involve watching his broadcasts, whether they came from the treehouse, the chipper van, the UFO or the newsroom. The Den was kid’s time, a time when we were reminded that there was more to viewing than the news at 6pm and the news at 9pm.

In fact The Den will often be remembered for poking fun at those esteemed Irish personalities such as Pat Kenny, through the reference made to his (fictional) internet guide being “an insufferable bore”. Another individual to fall victim to the programme’s ribbing was Mary Robinson, as she was accused of having “smelly feet” during an appearance on the show.

The Den also conjures up deep-seated memories of those anthropomorphic creatures and monsters we all came to know and really love. Zig and Zag were the fist puppets on the show, having arrived from their home planet Zog in the search for new jokes. The zany Zag was responsible for introducing Dustin the Turkey into the show. He won him in a game of golf against radio presenter Ronan Collins.

Dustin himself was quite the talented turkey; remember the flap flaps? Not to mention his brush with musical fame following the release of his Irish Christmas number one song: ‘Christmas Tree’.

Socky, the sock monster, is among the most loved of the puppets. One can be sure that several readers pestered their parents until a blue bucket, as similar to his as possible, was purchased. One can also be sure that some readers sent in their smelly socks as a gift for the madcap monster.

Snotser, another Den fixture, was quite an interesting creation given that his identity as a pig was kept secret for some time. Until then, he had simply been featured as an amorphous high-pitched voice.

Ted was a character under no illusions as to his physical presence. Readers will remember that he was the crazed monster hell-bent on attacking Ray at the end of every show. Now some puppets can be quite

From left to right: Zigmund Ambrose Zogly, Dustin the Turkey and Zagnatius Hillery Zogly in happier times creepy (Chucky anyone?) and Podge was no exception, with his bulging eyes. He delighted in causing mayhem and often times tricked Zag into all manner of evil goings-on.

Aside from these creatures and TV personalities, the show also featured holiday specials – the most memorable being the Christmas one. After all,

“Snotser, another Den fixture, was quite an interesting creation given that his identity as a pig was kept secret for some time”

Christmas time always meant Den time.

Those unfortunate enough to have a propensity for awakening extra early on Christmas were kept somewhat sedated from 6am until 1pm by the show’s variety of Christmas capers. We all remember those Grinch-like storylines and Christmas conundrums.

There was the year that Podge locked Santa into a cabinet in an effort to ruin Christmas. Naturally, Ray managed to thwart the evil puppet’s dastardly scheme.

There was also the year that Rudolph’s nose stopped shining, thrusting the Yuletide celebrations into chaos. The Den was broadcast live on Christmas Day and one can remember thinking how horrible it must be to forgo the festivities in favour of work, yet fearing the day that the live shows would cease. In later years this practice was in fact stopped and instead, re-runs of old Christmas specials were aired.

There are so many memorable incidents and characters on the show, it is impossible to mention them all here. This was a wonderful article to write and many fond memories have since resurfaced involving The Den and its unique sense of madness.

However, this is not quite the end of The Den as we remember it; there is a DVD entitled The Golden Years set to be released soon. It features all those moments that made the show something special. So fear not, where there is a DVD player, there is very much a way.

TRAVEL

o-two 19 October 2010 8

Going for Gold A

The koala bear – the most uniquely Australian of species.

Masked as a work experience placement, Alison Lee took advantage of a trip Down Under and experienced the Gold Coast’s many luxuries

h me, the life of a vet student. Clocking up twenty-two weeks of work experience during our “holidays” is no picnic. However, but it’s not all bad, especially when you cheat a little and bag yourself a placement at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, in Queensland’s Gold Coast, Australia.

This state’s coastline is famed for its beaches and theme parks, while the untamed interior is renowned for being home to more venomous animals than you could shake a stick at. (Note to prospective tourists: shaking sticks at these critters is not recommended).

The Gold Coast is classed as a city, but it’s really a sprawling suburbia, with highways connecting small towns, malls and resorts like Surfer’s Paradise.

If you’re searching for tranquillity, culture, art and architecture, this is probably an area to avoid. But if you’re happy to party, hit the beach and make friends, then the Gold Coast is the place for you.

There’s no dodging the fact that travelling to Australia involves an expensive long-haul flight with at least two connections. The Gold Coast has its own tiny airport in Coolangatta, and Brisbane airport also makes a convenient destination. To make life easier, search for cheaper airfares, short stopovers, have your luggage transferred from plane to plane for you and don’t forget to apply for a visa.

Australia has been the backpackers’ capital of

the world for years, so you won’t be short of budget accommodation options. The Coolangatta YHA became my home for a four-week placement. This hostel wasn’t especially cheap, but it boasted great facilities and lovely, helpful staff.

Adventurous types will definitely not be bored on the Gold Coast. You can give watersports like surfing, snorkelling and scuba-diving a whirl, or brave a bungee jump or skydiving session.

If Steve Irwin hasn’t entirely put you off Australian wildlife, there are plenty of zoos to visit. These include the excellent Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, and Australia Zoo, founded by the Crocodile Hunter himself. Whale watching is a must in the winter, when humpbacks migrate along Australia’s east coast, and there’s a rake of theme parks like Seaworld, Movieworld and Dreamworld to choose from.

If you’re not too exhausted after all this sightseeing, then hit Surfer’s Paradise at the weekend, and don’t forget to blow some cash in one of the Gold Coast’s many casinos.

My only regret was that five weeks was far too short a time to spend in this amazing country. If you go to Australia, go the whole hog and spend at least a few months travelling, sightseeing and working and be sure to include the stunning Gold Coast on your itinerary.

Milanese Magic Don't let Milan's unfair reputation of being an expensive city put you off visiting, writes Sarah Doran

W

hen my boyfriend suggested we visit Milan the look on my face was apparently priceless. “We’ll never be able to afford that,” I scoffed; flights and accommodation would surely drive the bank balance into the red. How wrong I was.

Ryanair operate direct flights to Bergamo Airport (Orio Al Serio to those in the know), located just an hour north of Milan itself. €20 will secure you a comfortable return transfer to the city centre on one of the privately operated coach services.

Finding accommodation is the tricky part, as staying in the city centre is not cheap. A hotel or

hostel in the suburbs is probably your best bet.

Check online for last minute deals.

You would naturally assume getting around couldn’t be easier in a bustling fashion capital which boasts a metro, bus and tram service. However, public transport strikes are not uncommon. It’s best to check online before you leave to avoid being stranded. We purchased 48-hour Metro cards before learning of a 24-hour strike the following day.

That said, Milan is not a difficult city to navigate on foot if you’re feeling adventurous. Find yourself a map and you’ll have very few problems.

Milan is home to Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper.

However, gaining entry to view the masterpiece proves a task in itself. Tickets must be booked online and they tend to sell out months in advance. The Castello Sforzesco marks the boundaries of medieval Milan and is home to many historic artefacts.

Michelangelo's last sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà, Andrea Mantegna's Trivulzio Madonna and Leonardo Da Vinci's Codex Trivulzianus manuscript can all be found within the castle walls. The Duomo at the centre of the city is definitely worth a visit and entry is free.

Its architecture is stunning, proving a worthy rival of Paris’ Notre Dame. A climb or lift journey to the cathedral roof is worth the investment; the view is breathtaking, but whatever you do, don’t look down.

A beautiful city, Milan caters to a certain demographic. The metrosexuals and fashionistas of the world will undoubtedly revel in all Milan has to offer. The main shopping street, Corso Buenos Aires features H&M and Bershka and individual boutiques are widespread. You never have to look too far to find a designer.

However, for those less well acquainted with Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs, Milan is debatably little more than another European city. Many friends who have visited this fashion capital have agreed that there is simply very little to do if you’re not in town to shop.

A word to the wise; in Milan, as in any other city, don’t be careless. Don’t leave valuables in sight and don’t dress in a way that screams ‘tourist’. If you’re offered free bracelets or food for pigeons at the Duomo, just say no. A bit of common sense will help you avoid the perils of pickpockets. Oh, and if you want to stay in style in this fashion capital, leave the A.C. jersey at home; in Milano they’re all about Internazionale.

9

19 October 2010

WEB

o-two

Lies, Damned Lies and the Internet The internet is full of lies and very rarely tells the truth, writes Killian Woods

I

t is truly amazing how something so valuable to the world can be so full of lies. The internet has become the main reference point for most people regardless of what the subject is, and pollutes us with drivel, or 404 Error. In fact, it is mainly this constant drive for more drivel that brings people back to the internet.

Although some of the nonsense churned out can give a laugh or two: 1. Celebrity Deaths It is just another Sunday afternoon. You are Justin Bieber and are just popping down to the local Centra to buy the Sunday Tribune when you casually decide to check your Twitter timeline. Suddenly, you are witness to a spate of “OMG! Can’t believe @justinbieber is dead,” or “@justinbieber choked and died eating yogurt! Good enough for him”. Many celebrities have fallen victim to the viral internet death syndrome and surprisingly enough, many live to tell the tale.

2. Y2K One time, the internet threatened to kill us and all over something as fickle as the way we type the date.

Y2K was to be the end of us all, but who successfully spread the rumour around? The internet. Sounds like a cheap bit of scaremongering in hindsight. Anyway, apart from some bus ticket validation machines in Australia going haywire and the master clock that keeps America’s official time reading Jan. 1, 19100, the internet again was clearly making a big deal over nothing.

o-two very rarely condones violence, but…

3. 1,000,000th Visitor You click on a link and the internet happily guides you through the web space highway to your desired location.

What’s that in the top banner? Flashing lights saying: “You’re the 1,000,000 visitor.” You want to send me on a cruise to Greece? Of course I’ll give you my credit card details so that you can verify my identity. Seriously?!

4. Hot Girls in your Area Most internet adverts are so shameful and worthless that you end up pitying those who actually pay to have them featured on a website. Of all these misleading and ridiculous adverts, this one that has to be most deceptive.

None of the hot girls advertised at these easy to reach

landline numbers for €2.39 per minute live in your area.

And even if they did and were hermits, they wouldn’t want to speak to you.

5. Wikipedia The free encyclopedia is usually the first point of reference for any queries. Whether you are checking the exact spelling of Eyjafjallajökull or the next Square Root Day, Wikipedia is trustworthy for the most part.

However, sometimes reading about how David Beckham kept goal for the 18th century English football team and that Robbie Williams makes his money by eating domestic pets in pubs in and around Stoke can pass you by.

A Brief History of Lolcats Lolcats are more than just a novelty, they are an outright phenomenon, argues Conor O’Nolan

F

or those of you who have lived in a cave without internet for the last few years, I shall explain what a “lolcat” is. A lolcat is a photo of a cat with an amusing caption. While the origin of lolcats is uncertain, photos of cats with captions have actually been around quite a while. One image from 1905 shows a cat in a dress asking for dinner in perfect crisp English. Bad grammar would not be invented until the 21st Century.

The term “lolcat” was first recorded in the gutter of the internet; 4chan (a place to be feared and respected). They were popularised in 2007 by the website icanhascheezburger.com, which ensured the meme transformed into a full blown phenomenon that has taken the world by storm.

Despite how simple the concept seems to be, lolcats are actually a continually evolving entity. There are memes within the meme, such as the eternal dichotomy of Ceiling Cat (God) and Basement Cat (Satan). There is a project on the internet that is

slowly translating the Bible into lolspeak: “An den Sam Jackson said: Teh walkies of the Ceiling Cat beliefer iz fightins an stuff by lotza unfair gredy aholes an George Boosh. Mani cheezburgerz 2 teh beliefer cat cuz of bein nice n stuff 2 helpin kittehs thru teh scary plaice. He gud beliefer cat and finden losted kittehs an such. Ceiling Cat gonna pwn demz who fuk wit my budz. U kno mai name iz Ceiling Cat when I'z scratchin yo ize out n such.” [Ezekiel 25:17] Clearly, it is a profoundly important movement.

Lolspeak has also been used for (somewhat) more practical things. There is a functioning programming language called LOLCODE. The best example of lolcats being used offline is a book entitled: All Cats Have Asperger’s Syndrome. The book explains Asperger’s syndrome with the aid of captioned photos of cats and a simple narration. The concept might seem slightly redundant, but it helps to explain what is often a profoundly misunderstood condition.

There is literally a Lolcat for every occasion.

Lolcats have had a bizarrely profound impact on the landscape of our internet. It is a generally harmless and innocent meme which continues to be funny despite having existed for three years already.

Let’s just hope we don’t ever run out of cats to photograph.

Horoscopes

o-two 19 October 2010 10

Mystic Mittens

Terrifying predictions abound as Mystic Mittens returns with her fortnightly splice of foreboding info

Aries

Leo

Sagittarius

(March 21 – April 20) The alignment of the stars suggests that you have improbable beliefs.

(July 24 – August 23) Fame is closer than you think.

Marry your sister and go on Jeremy Kyle.

(November 23 – December 22) Try to go to bed earlier. And then get up later. Get someone to incept your lecture notes.

Virgo

Taurus

Capricorn

(August 24 – September 23) You will have a falling out with your best friend this fortnight but stick to your instinct, no matter what the court says.

(April 21 – May 21) If it’s any consolation, I don’t think you’re ugly.

(December 23 – January 23) Buy me a burrito for, erm... luck or something.

Libra

Gemini

Aquarius

(September 24 – October 23) For good luck, wear green. For really good luck, paint everything but yourself green.

(May 22 – June 21) On October 21st, go to classroom A109 at 1.23pm. Your soul mate will be there. With cake.

Cancer

(January 21 – February 19) The moon in Aquarius today conjuncts Pluto and sextiles Venus. I hope that helps.

Pisces

Scorpio

(June 22 – July 23) You will develop a new allergy this fortnight, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

(February 19 – March 20) Expect a financial windfall this fortnight. In fact, why not start spending now?

(October 24 – November 22) While you were reading this, someone stole your bike.

MCD PRESENTS

FRI 26 NOV 10

OLYMPIA THEATRE

MON 08 NOv 10 - THE ACADEMy 2 e13.50 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)*

MoN 22 Nov 10

oLYMPIA THeATRe €32.50 (INC.BKG.FEE)*

F20.00 (INCL. BKG. FEE) * e41.70 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)*

Darwin Dee z

09 JAN 2011 WWW.JLSOFFICIAL.COM

Tue 09 Nov 2010 The Academy 2

TICKETS E39.60 (INC.BKG.FEE)*

Mon 15 nov 10 The AcAdeMy e14.50 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)*

e19.00 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)*

THE MUSIC OF MICHAEL JACKSON

MAN IN THE MIRROR RoSS NoBLe TICKeTS FRoM e30.80 (Inc.Bkg.Fee)*

Tue 23 Nov 10 - oLYMPIA THeATRe

g30.80 (INC.BKG.FEE)*

Tues 23 Nov 2010 Tripod g25 (INC.BKG.FEE)*

THE ANNIVERSARY TOUR STARRING ANTHONY WALKER

28 NOV - OLYMPIA THEATRE (MATINEE & EVENING SHOW)

Doors: 2.00pm & 7.00pm

g15 (INC.BKG.FEE)*

TUE 30 NOV 10 - TRIPOD TICKETS e24.50 (ING.BKG.FEE)*. DOORS 7:00PM

FIND US ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/mcd.productions *TICKETS from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. 24 Hrs: 0818 719 300. Buy On Line; www.ticketmaster.ie. (Telephone & Internet bookings subject to e3.35 s/c per ticket up to e28.50; 12.5% over e28.50 (max e6.35) / Agents e2.25) Subscribe now to mcd.ie for the latest live entertainment, news and tickets.

11

19 October 2010

FASHION

o-two

Campus Style Watch Name: Laura Lovejoy Course: 3rd Year English Wearing: Trench coat is from a vintage store in London, dress is from H&M, cardigan is from H&M, shoes are from a second hand shop, the belt is vintage and my bag is from Debenhams Backpack or Handbag?: Handbag absolutely

Name: Aoife McGuinness Course: 1st Year Biomedical Studies Wearing: Mostly Penneys but my sister-in-law made the necklace and earings Essential Winter Item: A big scarf is a must have

Name: Becca Geedon Course: 1st Year Arts Wearing: Jacket’s from H&M, Top is from River Island, Jeans are from Topshop and the shoes are from Miss Selfridge Style or Comfort?: A bit of both to be honest Author: Ciara Murphy Photography: Kieran Murphy

Not So Tan-tastic Fashion Editor Kieran Murphy finds out how to get that perfect sun-kissed look

I

reland used to be a nation of pale-faced beauties – the type who still win the Rose of Tralee every year. But since the turn of the decade, fake tan has been hitting pharmacies and salons across the country, becoming a staple in bathrooms everywhere. However, with UCD's reputation as Willy Wonka's new chocolate factory, it's time to determine how to be sun-kissed as opposed to tangoed.

Sonya Doran from Carter Beauty in Blackrock tells o-two how to achieve the perfect tan. She places a particular emphasis on preparation: “Exfoliate the skin. It's best to do it the night before you come in. Keep the skin moisturised as well. The day you come in for a spray tan, don't wear any perfume or deodorant, as the tan will come out better that way."

And how do people end up looking like they work for Willy Wonka? It's too much fake tan too often. Sonya explains that “you have to make sure it's totally off before you get another one put on”. Putting on fake tan too soon after a previous application will cause your skin to

A prime example of a disastrously fake tanned end product. get darker and patches will appear on your back if you're not careful.

For students who can't afford to get a spray tan, there are plenty of home options to retain your sun-

kissed appearance. Sonya recommends Rimmel Sun Shimmer for an instant fake tan that comes off when you wash it.

People can be tempted to go to sun beds for the perfect tan. And with some costing less than a euro per minute of 'sun,' it can be easy to see why it's so tempting. However, Sonya would not recommend them to anyone, telling o-two: “Sun beds are very dangerous. They can lead to skin cancer and create freckles and moles on your back.”

Before adding: “Some sun beds are actually stronger than the sun. So you're doing more damage than you think.”

But not every poor soul has to rely on faking it to get a California glow. Most people know someone who has spent their summer abroad and have come back with a flawless tan. So when you do make it to the actual sun, Sonya recommends wearing SPF 50, as you can still get a tan from sunscreen with a high factor.

And with the winter months coming up and balls just around the corner, everyone at o-two hopes that the women and (in some cases) men will take our advice. It’s important to realise that moderation is key and to try and eschew at least one stereotype associated with UCD students.

Autumn Updates

FASHION

o-two 19 October 2010 12

Surviving the cold months ahead requires significant wardrobe renovation, writes Kieran Murphy

T

Jane Wears

Sweater - €11 Shorts - €15 Fur Gillet - €21 Shearling Gillet - €25 Jeans - €20 High Heels - €19 Tights and Shoes Model's Own

he leaves are turning brown, the wind is messing up everyone’s hair and we can no longer wear flip-flops to college. Autumn has definitely arrived and for those who still aren’t in denial, it’s time to update your wardrobe for the upcoming chilly months.

While most of our summer clothes have become totally useless, owing to the cold and wet weather, we can salvage some items. Shorts for women are still in, but to keep frostbite at bay, they must be paired with thick tights and, if you’re brave enough, thigh-high boots.

Guys can relax and still hang on to their checked shirts from the summer, though maybe it’s time to pair them with something new, such as a pair of suit pants or maybe a smart trench coat.

Military has been a trend for years now, but for autumn it seems to have evolved, with an emphasis on the buttons rather than the embellishments. The trend is now more focused on subtle hints of the armed forces, rather than full on colonel gear, and is suitable for both guys and girls.

Faux fur is making its mark this season, with fur gilets the easiest way to achieve a hint of glamour in your life. It can be combined with just a pair of jeans or simple dresses to make any outfit look spectacular.

Shearling is one of the must have fabrics this autumn, with it appearing on everything from jackets to gilets. This continues the military trend, but takes it away from classic military uniforms and more into Top Gun territory.

Big chunky wool knits are coming back into style.

Think Aran Island sweaters and you can’t be wrong.

Wrap up in cropped jumpers for girls or a massive scarf, but be wary not to go overboard and only wear one chunky knit piece at once.

Autumn weather is a bit haphazard, allowing for all four seasons to fall in one week, but when it begins to rain non-stop, don’t fall into the trap of shapeless rain coats and dodgy boots. Face the bad weather with dignity and equip yourself with a smart black umbrella and one of this season’s trend coats to get to college dry and stylish.

13

19 October 2010

o-two

Models: Jane Lunnon & Michael O'Donnell Stylist: Kieran Murphy Photographer: Emily O'Hanlon Style Assistant: Imelda Hehir

FASHION

Michael Wears

Sweater - €20 Coat - €40 Shirt - €11 Shoes and Jeans Model's Own

Feature

o-two 19 October 2010 14

Republic of Delly Following his successful gig in UCD, Grace Murphy and Killian Woods spoke to Neil Delamere about his burgeoning comedic stardom

N

eil Delamere is a comedian that has a special relationship with most college students. Hitting the Irish comedy scene circa 2004, the Offaly native grew up in correlation with the teenage years of the average present-day student.

As he developed his reputation as a comedian and skills throughout the mid 2000s, the comedic taste of the present-day college students also gradually evolved from fart jokes to all out cynicism in every aspect of life. This nature of pessimism and sarcasm that lies at the heart of Irish comedy is a taste that is acquired mostly during the teenage years as most of us strive to act more sophisticated and mature.

Like Dara O’Briain and Colin Murphy, Neil Delamere was one of the many comedians who

guided our generation along this path and is partially responsible for our taste in comedy. His exploits on the late night show The Panel helped shape our attitude towards comedy and our ability to laugh at ourselves.

Delamere, however, is quick to cite the ever-growing age gap between himself and freshers year on year, while also acknowledging that how he is perceived can be dependent on the type of crowd at his gigs. “It depends on whether they’re all freshers. Sometimes freshers can be a little bit wet behind the ears, but they generally make up for that in their enthusiasm.”

He continues: “The older I get, the more distance there is between us, so you kind of notice that. Once you get beyond 30 you notice it. The first time I ever

did college gigs I was supporting Dara O’Briain and he said that to me.

“He was my age now, then, if you know what I mean. So I was probably 25 and he was 31 or 32. I know what he’s talking about now. It just makes you work a little harder, which is a good thing.”

O’Briain is another groundbreaking Irish comedian whose career took off at the turn of the century. Both he and Delamere were an integral part of The Panel, with O’Briain a former host of the show. Delamere is, to this day, very involved in the show that helped develop his career and he speaks excitedly about the upcoming series. “The new host is Craig Doyle. I met him once on the show and he was good craic. I was never on his own show.”

15

19 October 2010

o-two

Feature the main host. There’s a guy in your ear going ’bring him on now, bring somebody else on, plug his book’ whereas me and Maxwell just talk rubbish when we’re on it together.”

Much of the success that The Panel has enjoyed over the past few years has boosted Delamere onto other prosperous television projects. Becoming the host of the Just for Laughs show, which collates best bits from the Montreal comedy festival, and heading the Republic of Telly show, further demonstrated the value of Delamere to The Panel.

However, this decade is a new dawn for the comedian and plenty more is in the pipeline. Neil Delamere told o-two about the array of television ventures he is about to undertake in the coming year.

“I do this show in the North called The Blame Game which will be back in the next year. I’m doing another little thing for RTE, kind of a documentary that will be out next year hopefully.”

Further demonstrating his dedication to The Panel, he continues: “I had to give up my other show cos it was going to clash with The Panel and my tour, so I decided to stick with The Panel.”

On the subject of his upcoming documentary, Delamere reveals to o-two that “it’s about Vikings”.

With a comedic spin? “Yeah, with a comedic spin. It’s not necessarily cast iron.” So, Neil Delamere – the David Attenborough of RTÉ? “I’m going to grow a big beard and put on some weight, that won’t be too difficult, and I’m going to be generally fierce-lookin’ I suppose. None of those things will be true, but anyway.”

And what comedy tickles Delamere’s fancy at the moment? “Pyjama Men are the best thing I’ve seen in a long time. Hans Teeuwen – he’s a Dutch comedian.

They make me sound quite arty. I’m going to pick somebody else. I think Michael McIntyre’s brilliant at what he does.”

The aforementioned sketch group received rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last summer; however, Delamere sat out on those festivities this year. “I wasn’t at Edinburgh this year, it took us so long to make Republic of Telly that I couldn’t go.

“I’m definitely going next year. Definitely. Cos I did it the last three years in a row and you kind of miss it. They got better every year. I got multiple five star

Delamere adds in relation to the new full-time host: “He has a dark sense of humour so we have to bring that out of him, that’s all. This will be consistent; he’ll be the host for the whole thing, so there won’t be guest hosts and stuff. So it’ll just be him as the host and other people kind of getting used to working around.”

Delamere has, in the past, enjoyed successfully hosting The Panel. However, he is happy to be a contributor, as he feels it grants him a greater sense of freedom. “I hosted it in 2007 and 2008. Me and Murph [Colin Murphy] took turns. Whatever they ask me to do I’m happy enough to do.

“I really like being a contributor cos there’s no responsibility. You just fuck around, you know?

There’s lots of housekeeping involved when you’re

“Sometimes freshers can be a little bit wet behind the ears, but they generally make up for that in their enthusiasm”

reviews in 2009. I got two or three in 2008, so I got better every year.”

Appearing a bit over-confident at first in light of his reflection on the rave reviews received, Delamere was quick to show his real thoughts on the significance of this praise. “But you have to take them all with a pinch of salt. Sometimes you go to a show and they don’t get it. So you kind of try to take them all with a pinch of salt.

He continues: “That’s what my agent says to me anyway. I could ring him and say ’oh, I got a great review’ and he says ’yeah, but if you believe that one you have to believe the other one that didn’t really like you so much’. You know whether you’re doing a good job or not. And so do the audience.”

Off the wall and taking the interview onto a different tangent, o-two quizzed Delamere about his pet hates at the moment. “The thing that’s pissing me off at the moment is the increasing propensity of Irish people to become Americans. And that ridiculous Dart accent.”

Delamere, without question, excelled when challenged about his hates. Taking the conversation further away from his career, he continues: “I like finding out what people dislike when it’s entirely unreasonable. I know a guy who hates people who use the word ’kids’. He thinks it’s ridiculous. They should say children. I think that is just so narrow and so specific. That’s just a bit of an odd one.

“I know another guy who hates people saying ’I’m good’. ’Do you want some toast?’ ’I’m good’. He hates that. I don’t know why he hates that. ’I’m good at what, what do you mean?’”

Delamere describes how he goes about developing material for his stand-up act, saying: “I just like finding out the weird things that people dislike.

It makes you think that you’re not as mental as everybody else. Or you are as mental as everybody else, or everybody is as mental as you.

“It’s just normal to be slightly unhinged. It’s a good name for an album or something, isn’t it?” He continues: “This one [show] is called Implement of Divilment, which is a messy, generic title. It’s Normal to be Unhinged sounds good to me. Or Unhinged. It sounds more arty, cos it’s just one word. I’m doing every county. I’ll bring it over to Edinburgh, as it kind of evolves.”

Listening to Delamere describe his frantic working life, it was evident that something had to give.

Something had to go, as Delamere explains, in relation to his departure from Republic of Telly.

“I’m done with Republic of Telly. It’ll still go on, but it’ll have a new host. I just have too many other commitments. I just couldn’t do it all, and my choice was really a tour, The Panel, The Blame Game and stuff in the UK. “I did Michael McIntyre’s show last year and this year. I did a thing for Paramount Comedy as well. You just can’t do everything. It’s hard to walk away from things you like doing. You just have to toss a coin.”

The work ethic of any successful comedian is always one of utter dedication to their profession. Along with this work ethic, if a connection with your target audience can be forged, this will make the said comedian stand out from the crowd. Although Neil Delamere may be growing older, the connection he has made with this third-level-educated generation will surely be lifelong.

He may be seldom recognised for his role in our generation’s maturation, but when he announces an extensive list of gigs in Vicar Street, tickets will inevitably be few and far between.

Neil Delamere plays Vicar Street on November 12th.

FILM

o-two 19 October 2010 16

Defacing Reality

Title: The Social Network Director: David Fincher Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake Release Date: Out Now "You don’t get 500 million friends without making a few enemies." Well, for one thing, they’re not technically his friends. David Fincher’s The Social Network depicts the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), as an intellectual loner.

Zuckerburg is isolated not necessarily because of his computer programming genius – Harvard babes love that type of thing – but for his seemingly nihilistic attitude to relationships. Zuckerberg favours the social capitalism of the ‘facebook’, ultimately leaving him and one-time best friend Eduardo Severin (Andrew Garfield) in the midst of a bitter lawsuit.

Fincher’s extraordinary film takes place over three timelines, with one time frame elapsing into another by way of explanation through flashback. It’s a style Fincher does extremely well, and the chaotic structure brilliantly adds emotional depth to the narrative.

As the plot is gradually unveiled, it’s difficult to decide who the bad guy is – apart from the obvious snake-in-the-grass Sean Parker, the founder of Napster, who is played surprisingly brilliantly by Justin

Timberlake. Parker’s seemingly effortless cool is best highlighted in the standout scene, wherein he casually exits a restaurant in which the main characters are located, telling the impressionable Mark to “drop the ‘the’” from ‘the facebook’, as it sounds “cleaner”.

It seems Timberlake has finally found his acting niche as one of those characters the audience loves to hate. Parker acts as the catalyst in the demise of friendship between investor Eduardo and creator Mark, and highlights the main, inherently social issues raised by the film – loyalty and betrayal.

The film’s structural conceit – how the narrative is explained through the framing device of the two lawsuits – turns what could have been dry subject matter into a dramatic, visually interesting and fastpaced 120 minutes. The film’s ingenuity becomes apparent when we begin to question the validity and truth of each character’s testimony, and in doing so, challenge not only our own ideas of who the ‘bad guy’ is, but challenge the ability of the film itself to represent the truth.

This is not a film about Facebook. This is a film about social interaction, about being human and all the jealousy, frustration and greed that comes with it.

In a nutshell: A Rashomon-esque exploration of truth in which both the cast and director emerge with credit.

- Aileen Johnson

Easy Entertainment Title: Easy A Directed By: Will Gluck Starring: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Lisa Kudrow In Cinemas: 22nd October

While you could make certain assumptions about Easy A being yet another dull teen movie, this is a film that packs a punch. Defying all expectations, Easy A was incredibly entertaining and I would go so far as to say it was one of the funniest films I have seen in a long time.

The films revolves around the main character, Olive (Emma Stone), pretending that she loses her virginity, resulting in everyone thinking that she’s a slut. Instead of trying to correct people’s assumptions, she cleverly decides that she’ll be badass if she carries on this rumour. She pretends to sleep with a shed load of other guys (in exchange for gift cards and discounts to shops such as Bath and Body Works) until it gets to the point where she is mistaken for an actual prostitute.

The God squad (led by Amanda Bynes) object to her fictional lifestyle and decide to protest her very presence in the school. The film is then interwoven with scenes of Olive making a webcast explaining what really happened. Despite how tedious and ridiculous the plot might sound, it is genuinely funny and original, as well as making commentary on societal attitudes to women’s sexuality.

The cast is excellent, especially some of the supporting characters. Olive’s parents (Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci) play relatively minor roles in terms of plot, but add serious comedic value when they’re on screen. Emma Stone continues her streak of brilliant acting fused with genuine comic talent.

Naturally, the film is not exactly flawless. The webcast connecting the whole film was distractingly cringeworthy, and the film tries a little too hard to be quirky and random at times; it’s quite apparent that the writers were trying to emulate Juno’s Diablo Cody’s dialogue style. In addition, the film’s antiChristian plot becomes a bit irritating, driving the point home just a tad too much.

However, what the film does well, it does really well, and what it does badly will only bother the kind of person whose job is to slightly over-analyse it.

In a nutshell: It may not exactly be groundbreaking, but it is a mildly diverting comedy.

- Conor O'Nolan

17

19 October 2010

FILM

o-two

Hidden Treasures

Top Ten Movie Facial Hair

Following the IFI’s recent Polish film season, Magdalena Puzmujzniak looks at some of the highlights of the event

P

olish cinema has always reflected the progressive changes occurring in the country’s society. There are a great number of Polish films relating to a society in crisis, and Michal Oleszczyk presented a synthesis of these films in the Civility in Crisis series, which ran in the Irish Film Institute.

Four varied and quite outstanding films were selected, all entirely diverse in terms of genres, styles, compositions, and conventions. What was interesting about this very impressive selection was how it showed Polish society set within a historical context. In order to avoid censorship, films made in Poland before 1989 had to have a veiled intent – but these films are definite criticisms of social and political mechanisms, and importantly, critiques of Polish society writ large.

The Treasure (1948) focuses on a young couple as they try to acquire a house in ruined post-war Warsaw. Leonard Buczkowski’s film is propagandistic, however subtly, and entirely detached from the ideals of Stalinist-era filmmaking. This is the first Polish postwar comedy, and is worth watching on those grounds alone. It was shown with the short documentary film Warsaw ’56 (1956).

Marcel Lozinski, one of the most internationally acclaimed Polish documentary filmmakers, describes (with a grain of salt) the social reality in the

mid-1970s. How To Live? (1977) is an ironic story of young married couples staying at a Union of Young Polish Socialists camp. The couples compete with one another over the title of “Exemplary Couple”. The film raises the theme of collective mentality and uses the poignant imagery of a penal camp adeptly.

A post-nuclear world is presented in Piotr Szulkin’s sci-fi movie. O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilisation (1984) focuses on a group of passive survivors who wait for the ‘Ark of Salvation’ to arrive and rescue them. The film thrillingly analyses civil mechanisms, but more importantly, also reflects on everyday life after martial law, which was enacted in Poland in 1981.

Zero (2009), Pawel Borowski’s extraordinary first film, which achieved significant critical acclaim, portrays 24 hours in the life of a nameless Polish city. The film is composed of a number of short stories about love, violence, betrayal, friendship, and forgiveness.

The director introduces the audience to a disillusioned society, to an estranged Polish people who keep their distance from each other. Zero was screened with Zbigniew Rybczyński’s Tango (1982), which won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.

Polish cinema may often be overlooked, but the IFI’s series has shown it for the innovative and socially relevant art that it is.

Competition!

We have ten The Social Network t-shirts to give away to our lovely readers. To win answer the following question: Which popular website is The Social Network based around?

Send your answers to info@universityobserver. ie, along with your t-shirt size. Closing date is Tuesday 26th October and winners will be informed shortly afterward.

Left with the daunting task of compiling a list of the best facial hair in the history of cinema, Catherine Maguire braves the hairy beasts head on 10. Tom Selleck – Nothing worth mentioning You know the guy I’m talking about, he played Monica’s older boyfriend Richard in Friends. You’ll know him by his killer ’tache. This is one of those incidents where the soup strainer precedes the grower.

9. Clark Gable – Gone with the Wind This is possibly the most refined moustache that has ever graced the big screen – ideal for anyone who doesn’t give a damn.

8. Daniel Day Lewis – There Will Be Blood Rugged. Thought-provoking. Oscar-winning. Oh, and there was some acting involved too.

7. Joaquin Phoenix – I’m Still Here Like the bizarre love child of Johnny Cash and Zach Galifianakis, poor Joaquin developed a tragic case of crazy beard.

6. Daniel Day Lewis – Gangs of New York Day Lewis scores again. Terrible film, awful accents: one cracking moustache.

5. Harrison Ford – The Fugitive This magnificent monochrome hairpiece has made its mark on Ford’s career.

We reckon this must be one of Osama bin Laden’s favourite films.

4. Chia Hui Liu – Kill Bill Vol. 2 Anyone that has lived for a thousand years and can throw a beard over their shoulder deserves a reverential mention.

3. Sir Ian McKellen – The Lord of the Rings Gandalf the Grey is the embodiment of the old wizard, with his staff, lopsided hat and bushy beard. Following a fight with a Balrog, he gets out the GHD and some bleach and emerges as the sleek new Gandalf the White.

2. Johnny Depp – Pirates of the Caribbean Johnny Depp is the only actor that cannot even properly grow a beard and still look damn sexy while trying to. It is certainly a creative attempt at chin fur.

1. Charlie Chaplin – The Great Dictator So influential, Hitler nicked his look – straddling the razor thin line between comedy and fascism.

TELEVISION

o-two 19 October 2010 18

Take Me Out has already proved to be a hit in the UK.

Leave it Out With its sexist outlook, Take Me Out ultimately does a disservice to both males and females alike, writes Jon Hozier-Byrne

M

en and women aren’t equal. They should be, of course, the same way Communism should work, or how I should recycle instead of using my green bin only when the black one is overflowing. In theory, men and women should be treated equally by society, but like a lot of idealistic theories, the practicality falls short.

Women are still paid less on average than men for the same work and are grossly misrepresented in government. Men still hold the majority of the highest-paid jobs in the country, and there is an unfair social bias against women who pursue these careers as opposed to more traditional gender roles. You’d be forgiven for thinking women are given an unfair lot these days – but that was before Take Me Out. TV3’s new dating-show Take Me Out, serialised from the ITV show of the same name, features thirty single ladies and one single man looking for love, or most likely sex and/or momentary attention.

The premise is admittedly clever – thirty young women, each with a lighted podium in front of them, are introduced to a single man. The single man must do his best to impress the voracious ladies. If the women like what they see, they keep their lights on. If not, they turn their lights to red, indicating that they want nothing to do with the lonely bachelor.

If any lights are left on after three rounds of introductions, video testimony and talent, the boy gets a date. If not, the boy has to go home dateless to gently weep in the dark while watching old episodes of Blind Date.

So, it’s all good, hormonally-charged fun for all the family. Wait, no, not that, the other one. Oh yes, it’s hugely objectifying and demeaning.

Granted, everyone on the show signed up to do it of their own free will, and frankly, if you have the magic combination of brash arrogance and low selfesteem that makes you want to be on a show like this, then good for you. But just think about the actual mechanics of the show for a second.

A man comes down a suitably phallic elevator to the music of their choice, introduces himself, and then the women get their first opportunity to turn their lights off. That’s it. The entire first round of the competition is based entirely on physical appearance, possibly resulting in massive humiliation for the hapless gent.

Consider if the genders were reversed. Imagine a show where thirty sweaty men have a woman lowered down to them, judge her entirely by physical appearance, and then immediately press a button indicating, essentially, whether or not they consider her worth sleeping with. If there was vast public outcry over Hunky Dorys’ adverts with women in revealing rugby jerseys, what kind of response will this show get from the viewing public?

Add to this the fact that about half the men they actually choose to be their ‘hunky bachelors’, are in fact weirdoes, geeks or old men, who they naturally intend to be humiliated. TV3 knows watching people socially prostrate themselves makes good television.

While a good few are hunky beefcake types, a lot

more emphasis is put on the kind of men who’d be rejected from an X Factor casting session. The gentleman who are professional Elvis impersonators, or have an extensive Mickey Mouse doll collection, are intended to be the true highlight of the show.

Again, imagine a show when the gender roles were reversed and socially maladjusted or just plain unattractive women were exploited in the exact same way – would that also just ‘all be in good fun’?

Ultimately, this reflects badly on our culture as a whole. The show implies that it is perfectly acceptable that men are subjugated and taken advantage of in such an obvious and perverse way.

One might raise the surprising argument – and many have – that it is morally justified as a form of ‘social reparation’ for hundreds of years of women being the so-called ‘second sex’.

While no one could dispute that sexual bias existed in the past, it is exactly that: a thing of the past. Men of my generation cannot rightly be held accountable for the unfair sociology of times gone by. Some poor unfortunate kid with a Disney collection and thirty red lights had very little influence on universal suffrage.

There is an indubitable social bias that pervades the modern media, showing men as incapable, idiotic and childish. Take RTE’s new project, Don’t Tell The Bride, in which a couple, Anthony and Doireann, are given ten thousand euro for their dream wedding – the only catch being that Anthony has to plan everything without Doireann’s knowledge, right down to the dress. The entire marketing hook is that we men, oh, us hopeless men, are incapable of functioning without grown-up supervision, and if left alone, we’ll just wander off and play football or look at breasts.

Men and women aren’t equal, at the very least in the way the media deems it appropriate to treat each gender. I say this not to diminish the very real inequalities faced by women in our society, but it does not make the patronising and objectifying of men any more acceptable.

Take Me Out is broadcast on TV3 on Fridays at 9.00pm.

19

19 October 2010

FILM

o-two

So Bad it’s Good

Searching for the next must-see television show? Look no further than Breaking Bad, writes Bríd Doherty

I

f you have an Internet TV void in your life to be filled, AMC's Breaking Bad may be just what you need. Their first original series, Mad Men, proved to be one of the most fantastic shows of recent years.

While the two shows have little in common, except for one thematic concern: both depict the disreputable acts that seemingly normal family men are actually capable of carrying out.

Breaking Bad is based around Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer.

When his family are plagued by financial troubles, Walter realises that when he passes, he will leave his pregnant wife and cerebral palsy-afflicted son with nothing.

The cogs of Walter's mind are set into motion, as he tries to work out a means of making sufficient money to support his family. While watching television one afternoon, he sees a raid on a local methamphetamine (or crystal meth) lab, and is quickly struck by the large quantities of cash scattered across the room.

Inspired by the potential for earning big bucks, Walter pairs up with an old student of his who is already involved in meth production and distribution. They purchase an RV, create a rolling meth lab, drive it out to the rugged New Mexico desert and begin a marathon “cook” session.

Although an unlikely pair, Walter's chemistry skills and desire for perfection result in the two producing the most coveted meth in New Mexico.

The precedent for the show has been set and as

Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston of Malcolm in the Middle fame. the series continues, the two become more deeply involved in the New Mexico drug scene – a pursuit which is fraught with unhappy consequences. Walter was once a timid worrier, but by standing at death's door, he has come to life and unleashed a whole new and darker dimension of himself. Throw in Walter's brother in law, a DEA agent, Walter's suspicious wife, and a smattering of crazed drug lords into the mix and the real problems for the two begin.

Breaking Bad has undoubtedly brought an old star back to life, and Malcolm in the Middle's Bryan

Cranston is riveting as a chemistry teacher who finds a more commercial use for his skills. He has won three Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor with the role. The rest of the cast are equally convincing.

Breaking Bad is perfectly constructed and runs like clockwork, never dragging or feeling unoriginal. US fans are currently awaiting the show’s fourth season which will air in July 2011. This means that there is plenty of time to spend on Megavideo, acquainting yourself with Walter White and the trials and tribulations of cooking meth.

Sheer Idiocy An Idiot Abroad proves that Karl Pilkington has the talent to match his more renowned peers, writes Matthew Jones

R

icky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington are names that immediately spring to mind when considering the modern comedic greats in our world. Gervais’ and Merchant’s work on both Extras and The Office changed the way we think about comedy. The addition of idiot savant, or just plain idiot, in the form of Karl Pilkington, in The Ricky Gervais Show, improved on the already excellent formula.

Essentially just an animated podcast, this show soared to popularity due, in no small part, to Pilkington’s frequent and nonsensical rants. The group seized upon this and in An Idiot Abroad, gave the audience what they want – more Karl Pilkington.

Pilkington frequently admits: “I don’t like fun,” saying that he finds maintaining relationships with family and friends a chore. It is with this knowledge that Gervais and Merchant decide to send him around the globe, persuading him to visit the new seven wonders of the world. Pilkington is a man who hates

leaving his comfort zone and Gervais explains his reasons for choosing Pilkington as the ideal subject for this hilarious travel documentary: “There is nothing funnier than Karl, sitting in a corner, being poked with a stick.

I am that stick.”

Pilkington himself brings a lot to the show, despite being thrown in at Karl Pilkington first found fame producing and co-presenting the deep end. He gets stuck in and tries to make the most of the various The Ricky Gervais Show. trips. He even completes a variety of makes no attempt to accept any other culture that outlandish challenges along the way, one of which is to differs from his own. walk the entire length of the Great Wall of China.

Gervais describes the show as being “one of the He hates it though, he hates every second. He hates funniest, most expensive practical jokes I’ve ever done,” the food, the noise, the jet-lag, but most of all, he hates and it really is. If you haven’t been watching this show, the toilets. Pilkington’s frequent and winding rants get yourself to a TV set and catch it before Pilkington about all things foreign are what give the show its runs out of wonders. strength. In many ways, it’s a better travel documentary Catch An Idiot Abroad on Sky 1, Thursdays at 9pm. than most others, if only for the fact that Pilkington

Game Review

o-two 19 October 2010 20

Remake Mistake Remakes are the last refuge of the unimaginative, writes Emer Sugrue

Y

ou have the money and most importantly the desire for more money required to make a game, but you have no ideas, nothing that will capture the imagination of the fat-walleted public. There are two ways to solve this problem: remake an old game, or remake an old game but pretend you haven’t by slapping a different name on it.

The second variety is shockingly common. These are usually sequels or spin-offs that follow exactly the same pattern as the last game. The most obvious example is Pokémon, which not only releases the exact same game every single time and brings it out twice, but in different coloured boxes to double the hassling of the parent.

After selling Crash Bandicoot for undisclosed squillions of monies, creators tried to emulate Naughty Dog with a host of similar animal games hoping to recreate the magic, but it never quite worked – remember Ty the Tasmanian Tiger? Lame, Electronic Arts. I like my Austral-Asian creatures from the major continent thank you very much.

The other type is straightforward remakes and this is actually much trickier and needs to be handled quite delicately. You may want to bring your oncesuccessful pixel baby to a new audience, but there are hordes of die-hard fans of the original, ready to shit on your doorstep if you screw up.

Gotta Play ‘em all!

o-two whips out its balls for Elizabeth O’Malley’s rundown of the enduring Pokémon phenomenon

O

fficially recognised by the Guinness World Book of Records as the bestselling RPG of all time in 2009, Pokémon, the cult classic from our childhood, holds a special place in many of our hearts. What it lacked in special effects, it made up with its sheer addictiveness.

GoldenEye 007 proved one of the most popular first person shooters to be ever made.

The latest game in line for this treatment is GoldenEye 007, originally released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64, to cash in on the recent Bond movie. It was an overwhelming critical and financial success.

It’s remembered as one of the best first-person shooters ever made and topped dozens of pointless “best of the decade, century, millennium” polls.

13 years on, however, is there anything a remake can offer? Better graphics of course, and more interactivity considering it will be released for the Wii (my guess is some Wiimote action on Natalya Simonova). For The premise of the game is that you play a budding Pokémon trainer, discovering the world of Kanto in which you befriend and battle Pokémon ranging from the electric mouse Pikachu to the fire-breathing dragon Charizard. Along the way you must battle Team Rocket and defeat gym leaders to become the greatest Pokémon trainer in the land.

Since the release of the game the Pokémon series has expanded into TV, movies, playing cards and toys, not to mention continuous releases of other games increasing the range of Pokémon and the worlds in which they inhabit. The original Pokémon games were also re-released in the form of Pokémon Leaf Green and Pokémon Fire Red, giving us the familiarity of the old games while also drastically improving the graphics and interface.

Its brilliance lies in the depth of the world. While many games become repetitive over time, this was never the case with Pokémon. There were new challenges along the way; gym battles, trying to ‘catch ‘em all’, the mini trials within the game, facing Team Rocket and your rival, collecting items and much more.

The thing that the game had that many others underestimated was the social aspect that was incorporated into it. You had to trade certain Pokémon so that they would evolve and there were Pokémon only found in red or blue that required trading to complete your Pokédex, the encyclopaedia of all 150 Pokémon. The fact that the Game Boy was portable meant that you could easily carry it

an FPS, the Wii is not a good choice. The Wii is for cartoons, for pretending to chop celery; not sexy violent Bond action. They can’t be marketing it at kids, so is it for the Dads who played it in the 90s?

The market is flooded with realistic FPS; Halo Reach just came out last month, so who is going to buy GoldenEye 007? There isn’t even a Bond film coming out and apparently the plan is to delete Bronson and sellotape Daniel Craig’s face in there.

Wicked. But in this cruel cynical world, I can’t help but feel this shameless cash-in will pay off.

Pikachu became the most recognisable Pokémon of the series around with you and play with your friends, exchanging tips and information.

Pokémon was something of a revolution in its day and it still is popular worldwide, enjoying the love of nostalgic teenagers as well as the kids discovering it for the first time. I suppose the main testament to the game is that over ten years after its release, it is still something of a fashion statement, and that’s not something that happens very often.

21

19 October 2010

MUSIC

o-two

Jamaican Good Music Never Do Jamaica’s Antoine Hilaire uses his travel time to Berlin to chat with Imelda Hehir about the band’s first major tour and their plans for Hallowe'en

Things by Halves Halves talk comical technical problems, making a statement with a debut album, and why you should never call them post-rock, with Cormac Duffy

H

With their Poney Poney days behind them, Jamaica are now a duo.

J

amaica are a band who are making waves at the moment. Their considerable impact on the dance music scene has even enabled them to appear on Tony Fenton’s playlist. Despite being barely aware of such plaudits, the band are embracing their growing success.

One week into their tour, Antoine Hilaire tells o-two that shows have been great, and anticipation is growing, particularly in relation to their American dates. “It will be our first tour there, and although we know the country quite well, it is the first time we will get to play there.”

Due to illness, o-two learns that bassist Florent Lyonnet will be sitting out the start of the tour.

However, there is a silver lining to this unfortunate occurrence. Their temporary touring bassist has expanded Hilaire’s musical palette, as he has been playing the early of U2 works lately. The French singer confesses: “I only knew the hits, but the first record is really good, and I’m more into them than I expected to be.”

From the Irish music scene to the French, o-two asked if the band are happy to be part of the their own country’s new music scene which appears to be stepping back from the characteristic electro/dance sound for which France is renowned. While not entirely neglecting the dance influence of their peers, Jamaica lean far more towards the indie-rock side of things when it comes to creating new music.

Whilst mentioning their contemporaries like Daft Punk, Justice, The Teenagers and Phoenix, Hilaire said: “It’s a great honour to be mentioned in the same sentence, but we do play different music and I hope that we bring something new, something different from those bands, even though we are only on our first record.”

Despite production on debut album No Problems coming from Xavier de Rosnay of Justice and Peter Franco, the band stuck to their no synth rule.

It’s no surprise French director So-Me is behind the genius video for the single ‘I Think I Like U2’. The video involves stereotypical images of a clichéd rock star career portrayed by the band and Hilaire jokes: “So-Me never has any good ideas, we had to take care of it.”

On a more serious note, Hilaire adds: I don’t remember who came up with the first idea, but we definitely worked on the basic concept together, and then put pen to paper and then left it completely in their hands.”

While only being at the beginning of the tour, Hilaire admits they have already given thought to their Irish Halloween show. Admitting he has never really celebrated the festival, he concludes: “I just want the people to come and have a good time with us; we will probably prepare something special.”

Jamaica hit The Academy on October 31st. Their debut album No Problems is out now.

alves are easily the most interesting act in Irish music at the moment. The core of the experimental rockers Brian Cash, brothers Tim and Elis Czerniak, all serve as multi-instrumentalists, something they do to “keep themselves amused”.

Their expansive, atmospheric sound has filled two buzz-generating EPs and their debut LP is eagerly awaited by fans and critics alike. Yet, speaking with Brian and Tim the night of their Hard Working Class Heroes performance, there’s a sense of trepidation about them.

Apparently, this festival has cursed them with “comical technical problems” through the years. In 2007, the laptop used in all but one of their songs died.

When rebooted, the Apple start-up sound blasted through the speakers, setting the crowd and band laughing.

They fared little better the next year, as the stage crew forgot to turn off the house music, leaving the band in competition for the audience’s attention with a Don Caballero track.

The gig aside, they have much reason to be optimistic.

After being in the works for the best part of a year, their debut album It Goes, It Goes (Forever & Ever) is about to be released. As Tim remarks, “for some reason it’s taken us ages to make an album”, but the reason is clear.

Determined to record something genuinely different, they’ve used not only a rock band set up, but synths, strings and choral parts to expand the scope of the album. “A lot of albums today tend to be people putting ten songs in a row, and that’s it,” they say.

Halves’ new album is an attempt to create a cohesive “body of work”, encompassing eleven tracks playing in three clear parts. “Note this is not a concept album,” Cash laughs. Either way, it’s shaping up to be one of the most original Irish albums of the year. “It’s nice to be somewhat unique,” Tim says with a smile.

Does this experimental tendency justify the press calling them post-rock? Apparently not. “It’s a stupid fucking term,” claims Cash. “Those two words together, it’s disgusting, it implies rock music died.”

Even their debut was an attempt to “make the most un-post-rock album we could”. And they’re extremely happy with the result. “In three weeks time we’ll be the happiest, drunkest men in Ireland.” Their music may be about pushing boundaries, but their goals are summed up simply by Cash: “If we’re happy, some people like us, and we’re not doing Vodafone adverts, we’re happy.”

MUSIC

o-two 19 October 2010 22

CD Reviews Artist: Warpaint Album: The Fool

✮✮

Artist: Yann Tiersen Album: Dust Lane

✮✮✮✮

Dust Lane is the sixth studio album from Yann Tiersen, a solo artist from Brittany, best known for composing the soundtrack to the film Amélie.

This album marks a new development for Tiersen, as Dust Lane blends the avant-garde piano, violin and guitar melodies of his previous works, with vintage electronic sounds. The result of this mixture is quite impressive.

Most of the songs are slow starters, but their progression from bleakness into delicate and uplifting anthems makes them a treat to listen to. ‘Dark Stuff’ is the best example of this, as its gritty opening develops into a triumphant and epic conclusion, encapsulating the strengths of this well-polished effort.

In a nutshell: A fascinating and enjoyable synthesis of various musical elements.

- Steven Balbirnie

Brown, red and ochre entangled on black skin, searching for an endpoint but never finding it.

The name would suit a metal band pretty well, but behind the martial surface are four girls from Los Angeles playing pop/rock. Still, Warpaint's music is a bit burdensome.

Their debut, The Fool, was recorded in a gym in LA and consequently, all tracks are soaked with reverb.

Interweaved guitar textures reminiscent of numerous post rock bands are supplemented by trip hop-like drums. Above that foundation floats Emily Kokal's bright, gentle voice.

While the album manages to create a dark psychedelic atmosphere, the wow moments are missing. Listening to depressed hippie-girls can get frustrating in the long run.

In a nutshell: This might be appropriate elevator music for a haunted house.

- Lorenz Beyer

Artist: Superchunk Album: Majesty Shredding

✮✮✮✮

Artist: The Walkmen Album: Lisbon

✮ ✮✮ ✮

The Walkmen will probably never escape the demoralising “Hey, it’s one of those indie bands from The OC!” tag. However, the Brooklynites’ sixth offering proves them more accomplished than that moniker suggests.

Lisbon still has moments of bruising velocity that defined The Walkmen’s early material. The rhythm section can still thrillingly compliment Hamilton Leithauser’s animated yelps, but when the band does calm down they produce a sound of gorgeous maturity. ‘Blue as Your Blood’ and ‘Stranded’ flourish in this less frenzied environment, and the respective additions of strings and horns serve to enhance a wonderful change of pace.

The record remains relaxed until the end; ‘Woe is Me’ and ‘Torch Song’ can only produce a longing smile, but the disarming simplicity of ‘While I Shovel the Snow’ marks the true climax of a fine album.

In a nutshell: Intermittently languid and energetic, continuing a bittersweet transition into musical maturity.

- George Morahan

Artist: Cloud Nothings Album: Turning On

✮✮✮ Superchunk are long overdue some credit. Having slouched out of North Carolina just over 20 years ago, the slacker-rock heroes have ploughed on through the years, never achieving the fame or acclaim they deserve.

Ninth album Majesty Shredding may not break new ground, but it shows the band still do two things excellently: write songs and rock out.

Their sound is a classic ’90s marriage of power-pop songcraft with a punk aesthetic. It’s indie before it was a fashion buzzword, or emo before it meant side fringes. The tunes themselves are stellar, each one a feast of catchy hooks and dazzling guitar lines.

Tracks ‘Rosemarie’ and ‘Learned to Surf ’ are like bursts of energy that refuse to be ignored.

Ultimately, it’s the musicianship of the band, and the frenetic enthusiasm they play with, that makes them irresistible.

In a nutshell: A lovably energetic chunk of indierock nostalgia.

- Cormac Duffy

Dylan Baldi of Cloud Nothings is obviously adept at writing fun, interesting pop music reminiscent of The Kinks and Guided by Voices. Turning On is an album that delivers memorable hooks, instrumentation that is proficient though not spectacular and liberal use of skilful vocal harmonies. These elements showcase the high quality of Baldi’s songwriting.

Unfortunately, the lo-fi production style of Turning On will not distinguish Cloud Nothings from much of the indie pop currently being released. This is especially problematic when one hears songs such as late-album highlight ‘Morgan’ and the fantastic ‘Old Street’, which arguably could have sounded even better if traditional production values were used. This minor issue, however, does little to hamper Baldi’s fine effort.

In a nutshell: Solid if not innovative.

- Jason O’Mara

23

19 October 2010

MUSIC

o-two

Write Like Apes Between taking feminine painkillers and bargaining with pharmacists, Fight Like Apes’ Pockets asks how shit are these new codeine regulations?

Songs to Get Off To Feeling lonely and unsatisfied on these long cold nights? Grace Murphy provides the perfect playlist for taking matters into your own capable, waiting hands Alanis Morissette – 'One Hand In My Pocket' I've always appreciated the creative expressions utilised in this song. 'Flicking a cigarette', 'giving a high five' and 'hailing a taxi cab' are euphemisms to be admired.

DiVinyls - 'I Touch Myself' A classic; the ultimate wank anthem. Minimal input needed, with maximum returns.

Michael Jackson – 'Beat It' You know you want to. Just don't think too hard about what you're doing.

Miley Cyrus – 'The Climb' Needs no explanation. Starts off calm and gentle, builds up slowly. Oh so slowly. Then, wait for it, the dramatic key change. Oh yes, oh yes. It's the climb.

Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin – 'Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves' “Standing on their own two feet, ringing their own bells.” Quite the balancing act. I for one am inspired.

Beatfreakz – 'Superfreak' Feeling kinky? Run of the mill fap tunes not doing it for you? Me too. Have fun.

The Cure – 'Pictures Of You' I find coupling this with one of those suspiciously erotic Marks and Spencer ads is the perfect end to a long, stressful day. Toes will curl.

Eric Carmen - 'All By Myself' A ballad to help you through a particularly dry patch.

For the more indulgent Allied Irish. Let it all out, dear.

Crystal Swing – 'She Drinks Tequila' Not my cup of tea but hey, whatever does it for you.

I'm not one to criticise your tastes. Just don't come near my family. Creep.

Frightened Rabbit – 'Good Arms Vs. Bad Arms' A classic example for the slightly reluctant, selfloathing lover. There there. It'll be okay. There's nothing to be afraid of, just be yourself and don't forget to clean up the mess afterwards.

Metallica – 'Battery' Perhaps this one is best reserved for the more experienced self-lover. Careful that thing doesn't fall off. They call it flicking for a reason.

Caesars – ‘Jerk It Out’ If you are unable to decipher innuendo, this song pretty much spells it out for you.

I can’t deal with it anymore. Is there anything more smug than a pharmacist asking you what you want Solpadeine for, all decked out in their tidy whites, prim and proper, when you clearly have a hangover and just want to feel that little bit better?

“It’s to do my fucking gardening!” a friend of mine told them recently.

I can’t deal with it anymore. The barrage of questioning, the knowing glances, that glint in their eyes that says: “I’m onto you”. Of course you’re onto me. It’s two o’clock, it’s a Tuesday, I’m wearing shorts, I can barely look you in the eyes.

Do I really expect you to believe that I’ve got an allergy to all other medicine apart from Solpadeine and that I broke both of my ribs last night in a mysterious skateboarding accident?

“Have you ever heard of Nurofen?”

Oh here we go. Let’s make with the inferior brands. It’s like going to buy a pair of Nike Air Jordans and coming out with fucking sandals.

“Did you know that Solpadeine is harmful to the liver?”

Horse, look at the state of me. I clearly reek of booze and I was clearly out last night. Do I really look like a lad who cares about his liver at this exact moment in my life? I want to feel better! I’m not going to burn twelve of them on a spoon and hardwire them to my veins.

I’ve even tried Feminax at this point. I was worried I was going to grow tits for a while.

Luckily I’ve finally perfected my spiel. I went in, in my shorts and my Nikes (tremendously comfortable footwear) and told them I needed it for my girlfriend, as it was her time of the month, all the other painkillers make her sick. They didn’t believe me of course.

During the course of my inquisition, I flat out told them: “Listen, I’m not being funny, boss, but my bird is a fucking nightmare at the moment as you can imagine. If I come home with anything less than Solpadeine I’m going to genuinely be back in here with two broken ribs and you’re gonna have to give me the Solpadeine regardless.”

Laughs all round, Solpadeine in pocket, pharmacist in pocket. Now I just have to make twelve last a month.

MUSIC

o-two 19 October 2010 24

Cinematic Gold

Alex Trimble and Sam Halliday of Two Door Cinema Club chat to Aoife Valentine about touring the world, independent record deals and being virtually homeless

Two Door Cinema Club have been lauded as one of the best bands of 2010.

Y

ou’d be forgiven for assuming Two Door Cinema Club are just one of the many vapid indie-pop bands that have flooded the music scene of late. The Bangor-born guitarist-trio’s catchy debut album identifies easily as indie-pop. It’s simple and inoffensive, and it’s easy to see why they could be dismissed as generic on paper.

However, the trio have far more to offer than just catchy beats. Their polished sound left them with a debut record that doesn’t expose their relative lack of recording experience at all.

The band is comprised of Alex Trimble (vocals/ guitar), Sam Halliday (guitar) and Kevin Baird (bass) who met at school and formed in 2007.

However their debut album, Tourist History, was only released earlier this year. What happened in between?

“We spent a few months writing, and then a few gigs in the summer, and then obviously we had to go to school that next year, so we just kind of just did shows in Belfast whenever we could,” says Sam. “Whenever we’d left school, we pretty much kept calling people and sending emails and we had a booking agent by the end of the summer and had our first tour of the UK the following September.”

He continued: “We built up a team around us.

We started working with management and then we signed the record deal and we’ve just been touring all this time. Then went in and made the record and then did more touring and then released the record and did more touring.”

It’s been a hectic year so far; they must be kept

busy? “We’ve been the whole way around the world a couple of times. We’ve just met so many people and experienced so many things that you almost never would if you weren’t in our position. It’s just been so great.”

Touring is clearly a high priority for the trio, but they expressed shocking happiness regarding the constant travelling touring involves: “It’s not as bad, really, as a lot of people do make it out to be. I don’t like flying a lot, but we don’t need to fly a lot really.

We can drive to Europe, and then if we go to Asia or Australia, we fly, or America, we fly. But you know, it’s one or two flights.” o-two wondered how often they even got to go home during all of that travelling. “I don’t have a home at the minute. We all shared a flat in London for a year and gave that up a few weeks ago because we were never there. The only time off we got was Christmas until March. No point in having a home.”

In an unusual move, the band signed a record deal with small, independent French label Kitsuné Records. “It’s just the right one for us. We knew we didn’t want to be with a major record label, we wanted to maintain control. First of all, with Kitsuné we own all of our music, we have a 100 per cent say in everything we do. We can do whatever we want but still we’re really, really close with them all and it’s still very collaborative. We respect each other’s opinions and artistically, I think we’re very similar.”

And do they feel pigeonholed into the indie genre?

“Not necessarily. A lot of journalists and reviewers like to have these little boxes to put people in and I

think that’s the one that we probably fall most easily into. It’s very strange. It seems to be in the UK, people kinda say that you’re indie and then when we go to Europe we get thrown on festival bills with dance acts and when we go to America, people call us a rock band.”

Despite this confusion, Two Door Cinema Club received major recognition from the BBC when they were long-listed on the Sounds of 2010 list. “We were in Japan, in the airport, when we read that.”

Sam continues: “No one even told us, it was posted online. We were browsing the Internet, just using up the last of our Yen before we flew home, and Kev just found it online.”

Following the immensely successful release of Tourist History, the band seem to have no intention of slowing down anytime soon. “Another six months of touring around the world. We’re going to a bit further afield though. After Christmas we’re going to North America, South East Asia.

“I mean we’ve been around the UK two or three times now recording this album, but we haven’t really been to South East Asia at all.” Sam adds: “After that we’re back to making the next record, and spending a few months doing that, and then doing it all over again.”

With little set to stop them, exciting plans for the future and a certain endearing uniqueness, Two Door Cinema Club are anything but bland and generic and only look set to get bigger.

Catch Two Door Cinema Club when they play Tripod on December 8th.

25

19 October 2010

MUSIC

o-two

Burning Down the House Axwell talks to Conor O’Nolan ahead of the release of Swedish House Mafia’s new album later this month Axwell collaborated with the other members of Swedish House Mafia long before they released singles

A

xel Hedfors, better known as Axwell, has been producing house music for the best part of the last ten years. His impact on the dance music industry was reflected in DJ Magazine’s Top 100 DJs poll last year, where he was placed at number 14.

His first international success was seen in 2004 with the release of ‘Feel the Vibe’. From there he continued to produce successive hits and started to take his collaborations with two fellow DJs under the guise of Swedish House Mafia more seriously.

With twenty million and counting views registered on just one of their tracks on YouTube, Swedish House Mafia are an undeniably huge entity in the world of dance music. With the release of their debut album, they are sure to make even more waves in the music industry.

Swedish House Mafia consists of three DJs: Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. They met when Axwell moved to Stokholm in 2000: “We were just the few people up here who made house music and you know, it’s a small city and we got sort of together, as friends, and then started to do small bits together.”

Axwell initially collaborated with Angello and Ingrosso separately. He recounts: “We started to do small gigs together and then the word kind of grew and somebody started to call us Swedish House Mafia.”

Despite being active together for so long, their first official single was only released earlier this year, and their first album will be a compilation of the trio’s output from the last few years. “It won’t really be anything people haven’t kind of heard before, but it’s been stuff that people haven’t been able to get before.”

Axwell has been producing remixes for a huge array of artists, ranging from Usher to Hard Fi. As a selfprofessed huge fan of Pharrell Williams, he remixed the N*E*R*D song ‘Maybe’, but this year he had

the chance to properly collaborate with Williams on the track ‘One (Your Name)’. Axwell cites this as a personal highlight in his career.

Another recent collaboration with Tinie Tempah is proving to be a huge success, having attracted over half a million YouTube views in just over a week. “We didn’t have any idea what it was going to be, or what was going to come out of it, and he was really nice and interesting to work with. He started writing lyrics to our very sparse beat. We had at the time and just came up with these incredible cool vibes.”

Tinie has mentioned that Swedish House Mafia was

“This year has exceeded any expectations we’ve had. We’ve achieved more than all the goals we’ve ever had” a huge influence on his new album, and Axwell holds a similar level of respect for him: “He’s just a true professional,” he remarks. Axwell enjoys producing house with a hip-hop crossover and feels his latest effort with ‘Miami 2 Ibiza’ brings something entirely new to the table, claiming: “I haven’t heard anything like it.”

He is, however, keen to try some new things. When asked what artists would he like to collaborate, he immediately stated that “Chris Martin, or Coldplay

in general, would be a dream come true” and “Kings of Leon, that kind of rock vibe, or Beyoncé for that matter”.

There have been whispers in the music industry that the house music scene has become stagnant and lacking in creativity, Axwell agrees with this, saying that house has “been so exploited lately that people are trying to get as much stuff out at the moment and it’s hard to take the time to reinvent oneself or take the time to discover new sounds for people.”

He continued: “First of all, there’s no money in music, so if you want to make a living, you have to tour all the time. So yeah, you don’t have like two years to invent a new sound.”

This, according to Axwell, in combination with technological advances, make musicians more likely to produce derivative music. However, all is not lost, Axwell is eager to persevere: “I think that we will have to work hard to make things sound even more interesting.”

Axwell also has plans for some solo material in the near future, “I’m kinda working on my album continuously and I hope that one day it will be ready,” and it will be in a relatively similar vein to his previous output: “Not sure, but of course it will be house, because I want it to be stuff that I can play out, but I’m sure there might be some more experimental stuff on there as well.”

Aside from solo record plans, Swedish House Mafia will continue progressing at a similar rate. “We’re gonna try and make up some new stuff, make up some new music, some new interesting sounds. We want to keep developing this and this year has exceeded any expectations we’ve had. We’ve achieved more than all the goals we’ve ever had.”

Swedish House Mafia’s album Until One is released on the 25th October.

Food & drink Review

o-two 19 October 2010 26

Pub Review: The Porterhouse Temple Bar The Porterhouse, Temple Bar is a great place to go for international beers and cocktails, writes Alison Sneyd

T

emple Bar offers its own unique mix of schmaltzy tourist joints and genuinely interesting venues. Thankfully, the Porterhouse, located on the corner of Parliament Street and Essex Street, falls into the latter category.

Inside, the walls are lined with beer bottles. The warm lighting and wooden benches gave an inviting atmosphere. Although it was early on a Wednesday evening, almost all the tables were full and my companion and I wound up tucked away in a corner behind a staircase. The spot was cosy but, as we soon learned, difficult to attract staff from.

The Porterhouse is a microbrewery and stocks a range of their own award-winning lagers, stouts and ales. In addition, they have a huge selection of international beers. We chose from the extensive cocktail menu. I had a San Fran Mule (vodka, lime and ginger beer) at €6, and my companion opted for the Surfer on Acid (Malibu, Jägermeister and pineapple juice) at €8. My drink was smooth, the bitterness of the lime complementing the spiciness of the ginger.

The Porterhouse offers a good food menu. It has a beer theme running through it, offering choices like the Beef and Porter Stout Pie. I ordered the Classic Burger costing €11.50; it came with chips and a side salad. The burger was acceptable but nothing special and the bun quickly got soggy. The chips were excellent though – big and crispy.

My friend chose the Spanish Chickpea Stew at €10 and found it tasty, but too chunky. For dessert I

Mmmmovie Food Save your precious movie pennies with Elaine Lavery’s handy DIY guide

The Porterhouse provides patrons with a fun selection of beers. had a €5 chocolate brownie. It was delicious, moist and covered in a rich, thick fudge sauce. It came with cinnamon cream, which proved the perfect accompaniment.

Throughout the evening service was slow, though the staff were always pleasant. Food and drinks at the Porterhouse are more upmarket than the average student pub, and the prices reflect this. Many of

the beers on offer cost €5.50 or more. So it's not the place to go for a cheap student night out. But for any budding beer connoisseurs out there or anyone who ever wanted to try Belgian fruit beers, a visit is recommended.

entered a kitchen and never intend to, I will say this once, and once only. Go to Lidl, get one of those bumper trolleys and fill it with as much cheap crap as you can handle. You may be as happy as a pig in shit for a while, but it won’t be long till you feel like one too.

For anyone with a more open mind, the options are endless, whether working from scratch or cheating and cutting a few corners. Some ideas include homemade pizza, baked potatoes and nachos. Not exactly

original you may say, but you can be as creative as you like with toppings, fillings and dips.

Don’t be afraid of the homemade pizza. All that takes getting used to is handling the dough. Any recipe is at your fingertips with your old friend Google. The more you do from scratch, the cheaper, tastier and more satisfying the result.

Finally, we can’t talk home cinema without mentioning popcorn and other microwavable stuff; it’s time to get out the kernels. Kernels are not only miles cheaper, but you can also add your own flavours.

Toffee popcorn is deceptively easy to make with a bit of butter, brown sugar and golden syrup. Or for an unusual alternative, why not try adding some ground spices like cumin, cardamom and chilli powder? A giant bowl of your choice accompanied by a couple of plates of chewy homemade cookies (chocolate chip or peanut butter are especially fitting) and you’re sorted.

Just make sure the movie of choice isn’t Hunger.

Y

ou’ve pulled the curtains, dimmed the lights and are ready for action, but you’re missing one essential component. Yes, the movie experience is never quite the same at home without the mindless consumption of empty calories. With the prices they charge at your average cinema, it makes far more sense to go the DIY route. You can pull out all the stops without unnecessarily wasting your money.

There are a few points to consider. You might think twice about punching a stranger in the cinema for chomping and crumpling plastic in your ear, but anger management isn’t so easy when it comes to your nearest and dearest. As well as not being too loud, the food of choice must not be too messy or awkward; we’re talking hand-to-mouth coordination here.

So what is allowed? For those of you who’ve never

The Porterhouse Temple Bar, 16-18 Parliament Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 679 8847.

“Toffee popcorn is deceptively easy to make with a bit of butter, brown Kernels – the cheaper alternative to microwave popcorn.

sugar and golden syrup”

27

19 October 2010

THEATRE

o-two

B for Breathtaking Title: B for Baby Director: Carmel Winters Cast: Louis Lovett, Michele Moran Running Until: 6th November in the Peacock Theatre Tickets: €15

B for Baby by Carmel Winters is not what it seems on the surface. Telling the story of two residents in a care home, B and D, and their relationship with one of their carers, Mrs C, it envelopes the audiences in its world and engages them in issues that are not often talked about.

B and D exist in a world of their own making, upon which their relationship seems to centre. B, played to perfection by Louis Lovett, seems to be the simpler of the two, whereas Michele Moran’s D adds venom and sarcasm to their exchanges. Her dominance over B makes for a dynamic which is both tender and tense.

With the introduction of Mrs C, also played by Moran, comes more tension, as well as a realisation of issues that are not traditionally discussed in the public sphere. While society at large tends to ignore those with learning disabilities, Winters forces us to realise that their issues and worries are as important as anyone else’s. Similarly, the juxtaposition of B and D with Mrs C and her husband, also played by Lovett, makes for

interesting analysis of our reactions to the problems of those with learning disabilities versus those without.

Lovett and Moran’s performances are nothing short of stunning. They switch easily between their respective characters and embody them so beautifully that it feels as if there are four actors in the play. Their representations of the characters are realistic and vital but never feel contrived. It is on the strength of the actors that the play is so moving and affecting.

Winters’ dialogue is both funny and tragic, which reflects her characters perfectly. Like the acting, the dialogue flows naturally. In addition, the set perfectly complements the play, as it manages to convey its themes of hopes and dreams. While it is a limited set, its combination of a sky print on a small stage captures perfectly the juxtaposition of B and D’s lives. The intimate space of the Peacock Theatre also adds to the atmosphere of the play.

B for Baby is a play that will both intrigue you and pull at your heartstrings. The characters always prove engaging and you will be stunned by the calibre of the acting. An emotive and funny play, B for Baby will not disappoint even the most skeptical of theatre-goers.

In a nutshell: An interesting meditation on the mentally disabled, coupled with a series of striking performances.

- Bridget Fitzsimons

Rossessionary Times S

outh Dublin hero Ross O’Carroll Kelly returns to the stage this October with his latest play: Between Foxrock and a Hard Place. The play sees the characters deal with Ireland’s latest economic crisis, as the world the privileged O’Carroll Kelly family knew no longer exists; Renards has closed, the economy has collapsed and their beloved Foxrock is being rezoned as Sandyford East. As if this isn’t enough to deal with, a gunman trying to pull off a tiger kidnapping makes an appearance.

Ross and his family, including his wife, son and newly-discovered sister Erika gather around to find out their cut of the sale. This premise forms the backdrop for the play as the audience see the cast on stage together throughout the drama. “It’s all set in the one time period and there is no set change,” remarks Lisa Lambe, who plays the character of Sorcha Lalor.

“We’re almost doing a family portrait for the audience, so they’ll see the good and bad of everyone at the same time, under pressure.”

The story continues on from the previous play, The Last Days of the Celtic Tiger, showing how the characters have been affected from the recessionary

Ahead of the new Ross O’Carroll Kelly stage production Between Foxrock and a Hard Place, Alyson Gray chats to actors Lisa Lambe and Aoibhinn McGinnity

times while “making light” of the situation, as Aoibhinn McGinnity puts it. She plays Erika; famous for her vicious repertoire of put-down lines and snobbish ways.

“Playing her is great because you just don’t ever get to say the comments she makes in real life, you have to just bite your lip and she doesn’t at all, or at least her face says it for her,” explains McGinnity .

With the exception of McGinnity and Après Match star Gary Cooke as the gunman, the original cast return; with Rory Nolan playing Ross, along with other familiar faces including Susan FitzGerald, Laurence Kinlan, Lisa Lambe and Philip O'Sullivan. Yet in spite of her newcomer status, McGinnity claims she felt comfortable straight away and believes: “It will be hard work, but it won’t feel that hard, because there’s so much comedy in it. It’s funny every time you read it which is great.”

Ross has become a relevant part of Irish life, making this South Dublin caricature an obvious feature of 21st century Ireland. McGinnity, a Monaghan native, claims that Ross mania is something which is apparent as soon as you cross to the south of the Liffey: “Especially if you’re not from Dublin and you come

here, you notice it straight away, you know the shops you’ll see it in. It’s very funny.”

One of the primary upsides of the play, according to the actors, is how easy it is to prepare for the role. Lisa explains: “It’s great for research because normally with a play, especially if it is a very old piece, you don’t have many sources except for the written stuff, whereas this is all around you.”

Between Foxrock and a Hard Place is now on in the Olympia Theatre, until 14th November.

BACK PAGE

o-two 19 October 2010 28

Please Talk!

What is the one item you couldn’t live without and why?

“My dog because he’s really cool. He can play dead.” – Sarah Grahan, 1st Year Animal Science.

Downhill: Don't take the name as some sort of omen.

“My imagination. Life would be boring if I couldn’t make a skit out of everything I saw.” – Adaeje Onubosu, 1st year Law.

Campus Band Interview

Downhill

Kristian McGrath of pop-punk band Downhill provide the answers for this issue’s Campus Band Questionnaire Who are your members and what do they play?

Kristian McGrath (singer), Alan McNally (guitar), Conor Walsh (guitar), Cian Ryan (bass) and Daniel Duggan (drums).

Which acts would you choose to headline your dream festival?

Four Years Strong, Set Your Goals and maybe, A Day To Remember. They’d definitely be an inspiration.

Where did the bands name come from?

It came from a New Found Glory song called ‘Its All Downhill From Here’.

And the worst thing about UCD? The academic side. Literally every class I go to. I study English and Drama. I like English, not Drama so much.

Where do you gig?

We play Irish and UK tours. We’ve done Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Newcastle, Manchester, York.

We rent a van. We play Irish tours before we go away and make money to support our English tours. We really just have to pay for the van.

“I’m a Christian so I’d say my bible, because I believe it’s the word of God” - Fiona Orr, 2nd Year Social science.

Where would be your dream place to play?

It would probably be Warped Tour. Is that an aspiration? Yes, big time.

What do you play on your tour bus?

Mostly bands like Four Years Strong, Blink 182 and Set Your Goals.

How do Downhill differ from other bands in UCD? I’ve never heard of or seen any pop-punk bands in UCD before.

- In conversation with Grace Murphy

What’s the best thing about going to UCD? The craic. I like the chill factor.

Watch out for Downhill around campus or check them out on Facebook.

“My iPod, literally. It stopped a sharpened axe from falling into my leg and still worked after.” Coire McCrystall, 1st Year Law with Philsophy.

- Elizabeth O'Malley