take me somewhere nice

the artist formerly known as Londis...

2009-08-19T21:59:00.004+01:00

blink and you'll miss it, but this shop beside Busáras Luas stop is actually a "Landis". clever.

(double click on the above image for a closer look)

Poland Place

2009-08-18T23:11:00.012+01:00

Given that the only thing of note on this tiny Dublin street..

.. is this Polish barbers..

...then why hasnt anyone painted over the 'M' on the street sign yet??

Michael Scott: the thinking man's chameleon!

2009-07-22T23:48:00.007+01:00

"Sometimes I'll start a sentence and I won't even know where it's going..."

Leinster Rugby: its a long way from there to here..

2009-07-11T21:01:00.013+01:00

Leinster's jersey has gone from this..

.. fast forward to this..

.. then this..

..to this & this..

.. but now THIS!?

Sacre bleu this is bad.. Still, at least we have the consolation of being Champions of Europe to make up for this shortcoming!!

How to be a good dictator: dress like Michael Jackson...

2009-07-11T16:53:00.004+01:00

this story from TMZ.com is Off The Wall!!

Gotham Chopra - friend of MJ - has claimed that the release of North-Korean-imprisoned prisoners Laura Ling and Euna Lee hinged on one question: Is Kim Jong Il a "Thriller" fan? Chopra, also a friend of both American reporters, says Jackson called him three weeks ago asking how he could help. Jackson thought Jong Il would let them go if he talked to him ... provided the North Korean leader was a fan.

One reason why Michael thought Jong Il could be a devotee: "You know, he wears jackets like mine."

Gotham told Jackson he'd look into it -- but Michael died before the plan could get off the ground.

A Short History of the Irish Diaspora

2009-07-05T01:22:00.010+01:00

Found this satirical clip in Ronan Carr's 2000 short film Coolockland:

Loosely described as "a film noir pastiche of soaring Dublin property values and Irish society's obsession with celebrity culture", Coolockland meets somewhere between a weird dream about the Anglo-Irish literary canon and a lampooning of Sin City (before it was even made!)..

Clint Dempsey: Coolness personified

2009-07-04T12:21:00.003+01:00

After his crafty performances in both the "EPL" for Fulham and in the Confederations Cup for Team USA of late, Clint Dempsey's stock has risen enormously from bit-part yank to hard-grafting lynchpin in any side he plays in. In fact, he is the embodiment of the sea-change in US football in recent years, no longer afraid to stick it to world-beaters and deploying an ethic of grit and balance that Trapattoni would be proud of!

And just when you thought Andy Cole was the best (i.e. only) rap artist to emerge from a Craven Cottage dressing room, this NikeSoccer video crops up to show us that Clint Dempsey has got the vocal delivery to match his on-pitch credentials:

What do Stacey's Mom, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, and Mmmbop have in common...?

2009-06-24T17:57:00.004+01:00

Tinted Windows, thats what! The new hybrid supergroup comprising James Iha (ex-Smashing Pumpkins), Taylor Hanson of Mmmbop fame, the bassist from Fountains of Wayne, and Cheap Trick's drummer.

Their self-titled LP has been out since the end of April so its well past its zeitgeist-date at this stage..

Despite Taylor Hanson's naff musical beginnings - luckily they don't transfer on this effort – it’s not bad. It is unashamed power-chord-driven pop rock, to the extent they could be pigeonholed as a Thinking Man's Busted! This is probably unfair though, in patches it does lend itself more to Dinosaur Jr's 2007 album Beyond..

Check out the single Messing With My Head...

Dead Serious is another good album track too...

Health warning: this is college rock by a band with an average age of 42 - not everyone's rock music ideal. There is however some trademark James Iha guitar-squealing, albeit used more sparingly in the mix..

Am I the only one who thinks this album is half-decent?

Review - Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse Present: Dark Night Of The Soul

2009-06-24T12:55:00.010+01:00

As if parting ways with Paul McCartney and Radiohead wasn't enough kudos-shattering for one decade, EMI now finds itself embroiled in a right kerfuffle with the enduringly zeitgesity producer-cum-cash cow Danger Mouse. His über collaboration-compilation with Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse - featuring such luminaries as Frank Black, Iggy Pop, Julian Casablancas, Gruff Rhys, and Nina Persson (The Cardigans) - has been streaming online on NPR for the past few weeks , originally in anticipation of a physical release through EMI. However, following disagreement with EMI over release logistics, Mouse et al have opted for the pragmatic route. With David Lynch contributing a vast collection of photography described as a "visual narrative" to the music, the album's completion was marked by a limited release of an artbook of these photographs along with "a blank CD-R as an artefact to use however you see fit".

It might not be available on an official CD release, or via a legitimate download, but that nice NPR stream of the album came in handy...

So, how does it rate?

Well, Gnarls Barkley it isn't. Nor would you expect Danger Mouse not to diversify with every new project he embarks on. Given the time of year this album has found its audience, you might expect Danger Mouse to have one eye on shiny summer pop-ulism. Not the case. Its a remarkably dark album, perhaps best stored up for those dull introverted winter nights.

Album opener 'Revenge' finds a pensive Flaming Lips churning out what can loosely be described as a sombre retake of 'Fight Test' in that it features the same Wayne Coyne confidence-inducing brand of lyrics but in a far more stifled and moody fashion. Although slow-paced a lá Beck's cover of "I Need Your Lovin (Like The Sunshine)" it does reach an intense drum-laden crescendo, the kind that leaves you wishing that this was a full-length Flaming Lips album in its own right so they could continue exploring this newfound dark sound.

The renaissance of Gruff Rhys finds a new chapter on 'Just War' - it starts out as a swampy slide guitar effort but quickly sidesteps into electricified layers. Although oozing in complexities, its actually quite a simple tongue-in-cheek anti-war song.

Another highlight includes Frank Black's appearance on 'Angel's Harp' - it has all you would want from Black - the thrashy guitars, the iconic wail, its fantastic. Although sounding quite fresh and new, its possibly the most Pixie-esque track he's written since that band stopped recording together.

Apparently all the vocalists on this album were sent instrumental tracks and simply asked to record over them with whatever vocals they wanted and its pretty evident on Iggy Pop's effort 'Pain'. By no means Iggy Pop's worst ever project - see his Sum 41 collaboration - it does come across as a self-indulgent imitation of Ian Curtis. Even though there mightn't have been a Joy Division without the Iggy influence, this song just isn't good.

The rest of the album is very filler-ed - albeit with some bright spots from Nina Persson and Julian Casablancas - but on the whole DNOTS keeps Danger Mouse up there on the producer wishlists across the popular music landscape. Surely Michael Jackson will be on the phone to recruit him for that comeback album any day now...

Finally, a tasteful abstract video of Mogwai performing live!

2009-06-24T07:06:00.005+01:00

Mogwai - Mogwai Fear Satan from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

someday these guys will get round to releasing a live DVD, and it will be awesome.

Are you watching RTÉ Sports' Advertising Department?

2009-06-23T22:20:00.004+01:00

Park Ji Sung is to North Korea as Gary McKay is to the Republic of Ireland!!

2009-06-19T11:57:00.015+01:00

__
The North Korean soccer team have achieved the impossible by qualifying for 2010 World Cup. By holding out for a nil-all draw in their final qualifier against Saudi Arabia, the North Koreans have qualified for their first FIFA World Cup since their impressive showing in 1966:

This is thanks in no small part to NK goalkeeper Ri Myong-guk - who kept a clean sheet for the fourth time in five games - but also to South Korea & Manchester United's Park Ji Sung, whose 81st minute leveller in the South's own qualifier against Iran ensured the North Koreans held on to 2nd place in the group and avoided a play-off against both Bahrain and New Zealand. Having qualified 2 weeks ago, South Korea really lent a helping hand to the Secret State by drawing both their remaining meaningless games to keep NK's dream of automatic qualification alive.. Shades of Gary McKay's dig out for Jack Charlton in our Euro '88 qualifying campaign spring to mind, although its unlikely that Park Ji Sung would be received as openly in Pyongyang as McKay is this side of the Irish Sea!

This article in today's Indy imagines the scenario should the USA be drawn in North Korea's group in South Africa (Stranger things have happened...)

Speaking of Ji Sung Park, here he is "having a laugh" with Patrice Evra and "Carlito" Tevez - Go on the lads!!

Has Dean Kiely been shafted or is he a victim of the golden age in Irish goalkeeping?

2009-05-29T00:29:00.007+01:00

When Dean Kiely came back into the Irish squad last year, it was surely on the promise that he was assured of being Shay Given's understudy, especially after the outstanding season he had as West Brom stopper through their successful promotion charge back into the Premiership.

One year on and while Kiely has come full circle at club level - losing his no. 1 spot to Capello-rated Scott Carson only to reclaim it again in recent weeks - a curveball has been thrown Trapattoni's way in the guise of Kieron Westwood, who himself mirrors Kiely's vein of form this time last year (in fact Westwood has been selected on the PFA Players' Team of the Season in the Championship). This must have given Trap a selection headache going into today's Nigeria, especially with a surprisingly match-fit Shay Given back in the fray.

One suspects that Kiely had expected to slot in as Given's first-choice replacement based on assurances he must have received off Trap et al on his return to the Irish set up, and his frustration when this did not transpire is surely what led to his departure from the squad. However it is not unreasonable of Trap to select Westwood ahead of Kiely at present given the superior game-time Westwood has under this belt this season coupled with his consistent performance levels. We see at Manchester United how Fergie manages to seemingly keep 3 goalkeepers satisfied that their futures at the club are intact, although obviously club football naturally offers more opportunities to players. Perhaps it is more telling to look at a country like Poland, where there is an abundance of goalkeeping talent - Boruc, Kuszczak, Fabianski and Zaluska all have worthy claims to the no. 1 jersey yet none seem dismayed at their lack of gametime. Of course Kiely is not in the position of having time on his side as these keepers do.

Its a real pity that Kiely has walked and one wonders how Trap could have handled the situation better given the legitimacy he has in selecting Westwood. One also wonders what role Alan Kelly could have or can play in this situation or its resolution. Lord knows Shay Given is never far away from a detrimental injury so it is of utmost importance that Ireland has three top-class keepers at their disposal and although Paddy Kenny has also been a fine-performer for Sheffield United of late, the fact that Kiely has clawed his way back into the West Brom side ahead of a keeper of Carson's pedigree, it does highlight how much of an experienced and talented stopper he is (as witnessed in his man-of-the-match performance this time last year in Craven Cottage versus Colombia), and the efforts he has gone to get back in the shop window are clearly fuelling his frustration. A year is a long time in football, and with Colin Doyle, Joe Murphy and Paddy Kenny waiting eagerly on the fringes, its safe to say that Ireland has never before had a such a rich vein of goalkeeping talent. One suspects Kiely has a future as a goalkeeping coach however, so for him to walk away from the Irish camp could deter any contribution he could give to Ireland in this capacity. Heres hoping for clarification on both sides of this kerfuffle...

Reach for the Stars.. and lose your disability benefit!!

2009-05-28T21:47:00.006+01:00

The Susan Boyle success story may be "heartwarming", but this story emerging from Britain's Got Talent 2009 is more of the funny-bone-warming variety!

Wanna be a top-brass politician in France? Earn your stipes as an Au Pair in Dublin first!

2009-05-28T21:10:00.007+01:00

If she'd actually won the super-close 2007 Presidential Election run-off with Nicolas Sarkozy, this would probably be well-known or at least not an irrelevant piece of trivia... The Indy did some insightful exploring into Ségolene Royal's time spent in Ireland as an Au Pair during her teens! She didnt mention it in her autobiography surprisingly but the gist of the article is if she got the chance to mind France as well as she minded Irish kids, there might be less strikes there today (I wont say no strikes, in France that would be impossible!).

While I'm at it - heres the link to what is now widely established as one of the great political campaign debates of the TV age, Sarkozy and Royal's duel before the 2007 Election.. Pity there isn't a big Irish vote in France, we could claim another Superpower head-of-state as one of our own!

RTE's Peter Collins makes Ryan Giggs cry, while Thierry Henry wins the battle of the Reeboks!

2009-05-27T23:56:00.009+01:00

...well not really, but who knows how the Welsh wizard reacted off-air to Collins' line of questioning in this post-Champions League final interview tonight...

Check out the above link to see Peter Collins rub it in with a downbeat Giggsy, essentially saying to his face "God it must be awful" and "United lost on your watch as captain, that must hurt like a bitch.."

What must also hurt is losing to his fellow Reebok-wearer Thierry Henry. Check it out this witty ad Reebok brought out to capitalise on having Reebok endorsers on both sides - surely a first for them in these times of Nike and Adidas suffocation! Its a great ad, it ignores the boots and focuses on the rivalry... Giggs may have sent TH the Man Utd Opus but Barca's own Opus could become substantially larger if Pep Guardiola continues to have his way!

See What O2 Can Do?

2009-05-26T20:55:00.010+01:00

Far be it from this blogger to promote the use of meaningful music in mindless marketing, but O2's latest Blueroom ad campaign yet again highlights their kudos in spotting eye-openingly gorgeous tracks to soundtrack their bubble-laden branding.

But whats more impressive is that these tracks always tend to be mostly unheard of by the larger public. Memorable song-usages include Leftfield's 'Release the Pressure', with which O2 launched its brand in 1999, and later followed this with 'Blood On The Motorway' in the See What You Can Do ads in 2002 - an otherworldly song snaffled off DJ Shadow's divisive second album The Private Press, which could easily have become an end-of-album afterthought for many if spared of this glowing exposure..

Back to the present, O2's current blueroom ad gives Florence and the Machine's 'Cosmic Love' track from her anticipated debut album Lungs (released this July) its first airing anywhere - believe me, myself and thousands other are looking for this song in mp3 format all over the internet, and the blueroom ad is literally the only place it can be heard..

Top marks to O2 for seizing the zeitgest yet again, and expect to hear a lot more of Florence and the Machine this summer.

The futures so bright....

2009-05-26T00:44:00.007+01:00

No wonder Trap's making sounds to stay on for the Euro 2012 campaign. Despite the limited amount of Premiership talent in his current Irish squad selections - 14 in the latest - there has been a future-embracing 26 Irishmen deployed in the top flight at some stage during this Premier League campaign. See Daniel McDonnell's detailed feature in today's Indo for the rundown on the bright new Irish upstarts gnawing their way in from the edges of the world's greatest league. Add to this the cluster of Irish at Wolves, Birmingham and one Burnley bright spark in the guise of Chris McCann entering the Premiership next season, its fair to say that Ireland's cross-channel soccer talent is one stock that will rise in the next 18months...

Its Time for the End of the Season Made-Up Awards!

2009-05-25T23:29:00.016+01:00

Now that the footys over for another year - well apart from the small issue of Guardie v Fergie this Wednesday – it’s high time to take a helicopter view of the season that was, via some made-up obscure award titles!!

Best Goal Scored Under Pressure…

Robbie Keane for Liverpool v Arsenal – thrown into the starting XI for a rare start in place of the injured Torres, Keane stepped up to the mark by scoring an instinctively clinical drop-volley on the run to prove his worth to Rafa Benitez. Unfortunately for Robbie, it wasn’t enough to impress Rafa in the long-term. Given that Benitez was at home recovering from his kidney stones operation when the goal was scored, one wonders if Rafa ever saw the goal that impressed many of Robbie’s potential in a red jersey…

Worst Best Signing of the Season…

Jimmy Bullard (Fulham to Hull) – Having totted up a mightily impressive 74 Fantasy Football points by January for Fulham, Phil Brown pulled off what seemed to be the transfer coup of the transfer window in snapping up the boisterous Bullard for £5million. However, a knee injury sustained after only 38 minutes of his first appearance for The Tigers ruled him out for the season. What might have been… Still, at least he’ll be returning to action with a Premiership team next season.

Most Ironic Shirt Sponsor of the Season…

Given their soon-to-be-terminated position as sponsor of the world’s most successful and financially healthy football club, never has the term “appearance versus reality” been more accurate in the case of AIG. Even the insurance giants’ advertising ubiquity at every visible moment of United’s season couldn’t save them from reporting a fourth quarter loss of $61.7bn (£43bn) for the final three months of 2008 - the largest quarterly loss in corporate history. Not everything Ronaldo touches turns to gold…

Worst Pundit of the Season…

You would think that a striker who was a central figure in Manchester United’s treble-winning 98-99 season - as well being part of 5 title-winning squads – would prove to be an insightful voice on the complexities of Alex Ferguson’s tactical and man-management style, as well as having strong views on the all-round strikers’ drought as witnessed in the Premier League this season. Alas, Andy Cole’s appearances on Sky Sports this year proved to be monosyllabic, brief, inarticulate, and even gave Jamie Redknapp a John Giles-like aura. In Cole’s defence, he’s only been retired since November so maybe he hasn’t adapted to life off the pitch enough to take an analytical step back from it yet. Here’s hoping he can put his vast experience to use next season.

The Hindsight is 20/20 award…

What did Avram Grant do wrong at Chelsea last season? Fans are crying out for Guus Hiddink to stay on as Blues boss but why so given the standard that their last caretaker manager reached? How come last season's report card of competing for the title on the final day of the season, and only being a Anelka/Terry penalty slip-up away from winning the Champions League was deemed not good enough, whilst less is more with Hiddink?

The Thank You Mike Ashley Award…

Although it was Kevin Keegan who released Stephen Carr from the Newcastle United squad last December, it’s been speculated that it was actually Mike Ashley who showed Carr the door. Given Carr’s solid and regular performances for Birmingham City since Alex McLeish coaxed him out of retirement in February, Carr must be thanking his lucky stars for the sequence of events that have led to him being catapulted back into the Premiership and with the reward of a 2year contract at what looks like a steady Birmingham side who can hold their own next season. At least Mike Ashley has done right by one Newcastle player!

And finally…

The “Why Didn’t You Pick Up The Phone” Award…

.. goes to Rafa Benitez for his indifference at out-on-loan striker Andrei Voronin’s prolific season at Hertha Berlin. In a season riddled throughout by either the unavailability or the lacking-usual-sharpness of Fernando Torres, Voronin’s impressive early showing in the Bundesliga (culminating in a total 11 goals in 20 apps) surely warranted at least a recall to Anfield given the gravity of Liverpool’s efforts this season. Who’s to say Voronin couldn’t have made a difference when Liverpool went on their costly “drawing streak” in December, especially since Benitez was reluctant to even put Robbie Keane on the bench?

Who do we really want in the Premier League?

2009-04-26T22:55:00.011+01:00

Given that we are now at the business end of the season, with relegation dogfights and play-off posturing aplenty, the question arises: who do football fans really want in the Premier League? Leaving aside the cash-induced potential for success at clubs like MK Dons and QPR, if we strictly applied a purist criteria of legacy, tradition, atmosphere and fanbase, what 20 teams would best reflect the uniqueness of English football at its highest level? Below is my ideal Premier League (based of course on the unlikely scenario that the clubs listed would all have competitive teams worthy of the Premier League in a given season) along with some explanatory notes. Feel free to question my choices or to come up with your own Premier League wishlist!

IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

Arsenal

Aston Villa

Blackburn

Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea

Coventry - They might have been relegated in 2001 but this was after a 34-year unbroken run spanning back to their initial top flight promotion under the legendary Jimmy Hill in 1967. Also, the impressive Ricoh Arena deserves to reach the heights that Highfield Road did.

Everton

Ipswich Town - Keano-hype aside, the Tractor Boys are one of the great English clubs, having tasted several league and cup successes under such luminaries of the game as Alf Ramsey and Bobby Robson. And who can forget George Burley's 2001 Ipswich side which finished an impressive fifth place — being pipped by Liverpool on the last day of the season for a place in the Champions League.

Leeds United - A given. Hooligan criticisms aside, they get an average attendance at Elland Road of over 25,000... in League One! nuff said.

Liverpool

Manchester United

Manchester City

Newcastle United

Nottingham Forest - With 2 European Cups to their name, the shadow of Brian Clough still looms large at the City Ground, as does more recent memories of the ruthless Stuart Pearce, a fresh-faced Roy Keane and an erratic Pierre Van Hooijdonk!

Portsmouth

Sunderland

Tottenham Hotspur

West Ham

Wigan

AFC Wimbledon - the spiritual continuation of the legendary Crazy Gang following the demise of Wimbledon FC in 2003. Its fiercely loyal fanbase has seen the club go 78 league matches in a row without defeat over three seasons, a run which has already earned them promotion to the Conference National. With support on-board from former Wimbledon FC players and managers such as John Fashanu, Dave Beasant, Efan Ekoku, Neil Sullivan and Dave Bassett, the Crazy Gang mark II are worthy of a Premiership spot on passion and tenacity alone.

What do Arsenal Football Club, Dublin GAA, the Irish Rugby Team, and Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland soccer teams all have in common?

2009-04-24T10:58:00.004+01:00

Dr. Kevin O'Flanagan. Confused? For a bit more context, read the following snippet from Brian Glanville in last week's Sunday Times:

"What should be emphasised, however, is that those footballs of yesteryear picked up both moisture and mud from pitches. Playing against Bolton in 1946, Arsenal’s Irish winger, Dr Kevin O’Flanagan, wiped mud from the ball with his sleeve before scoring with an extraordinary right-footed free kick from 30 yards. The same year, sporting allrounder O’Flanagan turned out for Ireland’s rugby union team against France, then featured for the Northern Ireland football team against Scotland seven days later."

Further investigation shows that O'Flanagan also played with distinction for the Republic of Ireland soccer team, was on the Dublin Minor Football team in the 1930s, and had illustrious spells with London Irish, Lansdowne, and Leinster with the oval ball. Puts a bit of perspective on how worked up punters get when they hear of the dilemmas Tomás O'Leary and Shane Long have had with committing to sporting codes!

During his time on the Dublin minor panel, it emerged that O'Flanagan also played soccer with Home Farm, as did soon-to-be Manhcester United legend Johnny Carey. When the GAA found out, O'Flanagan, but not Carey was dropped from the Dublin panel. After moving to London in 1945 to work as a GP, he divided his spare time between playing soccer for Arsenal and rugby union for London Irish - can you imagine anyone from the current none-too-physical Arsenal crop making the London Irish XV? I sure cant! In his debut season with Arsenal, 1945-46, he scored 11 goals in 18 Football League South appearances, finishing as the club’s top scorer. Despite clearly being good enough to play soccer as a professional, he remained an amateur so he could continue to play rugby union.

For more info on O'Flanagan's extraordinary sporting life, check out the following:

- Obituary in The Independent (he passed away in 2006, aged 86)

- Kevin O'Flanagan wikipedia article (nice summary of his life and times)

Mogwai (live in The Academy, Dublin)

2009-03-22T18:18:00.003Z

The term “post-rock” has attached to it Celtic Tiger levels of stigma – who coined the phrase, who invented it, who pioneered it, who defines it? From Slint to Explosions In The Sky, there have been many life-altering post-rock moments but for me post-rock was born upon hearing Mogwai’s ‘Like Herod’ at Oxegen 2003. Its raucous and tense “bridge-chorus” section completely outshone the quiet-then-loud formula of bands I worshipped like The Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. As much as Mogwai might dislike being pigeonholed by an umbrella term, their live show does put them head and shoulders above whatever people may consider their contemporaries in the spectrum of instrumental rock.

Although never quite reaching their characteristic earplug-essential levels of loudness in this intimate club venue, the set-closing rock-out of ‘Like Herod’ and ‘Batcat’ – along with an intense feed of strobe lighting – was awesome. Leaving the stage before 10pm, there was a palpable sense of anti-climax amongst the crowd. They needn’t have worried. Returning with an encore consisting solely of the 20 minute-plus epic ‘My Father My King’, it was the closest thing to metaphysical I had encountered since I was told to use the term on the Yeats’ question in my Leaving Cert. Based essentially around one brief arabic-esque melody, the track is somehow kept alive with intricate riff variations and in particular the crunching guitar of Stuart Braithwaite. This is all sounds very Spinal Tap – especially since the volume was turned up to eleven – but it works. Well worth checking out the Steve Albini-produced EP that brought this track to life.

‘Scotland’s Shame’ aside, this reviewer was not overjoyed with Mogwai’s latest offering The Hawk Is Howling. However the layered crescendo of ‘I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead’ and Barry Burns’ eerie keyboard tinkering on ‘Thank You Space Experts’ did give the album a new breath of life in its live format. Burns himself induced the biggest headfuck of the evening with some indistinguishable-yet-haunting vocoder acappella at the end of ‘Hunted By A Freak’. I’m going to park this review now, Mogwai’s is not a medium to which words can do justice. In a dream world, these guys would be filling stadiums in their own right but until then lets hope we see them at the Electric Picnic.

Franz Ferdinand (live in Dolans, Limerick)

2009-03-03T12:14:00.004Z

The anticipation amongst the lucky 400 in Dolan’s Warehouse ahead of this ‘warm-up’ gig was that the Glaswegian art-rockers would use this chance to rehearse material from their new Tonight album with one eye on their upcoming European tour. Not so. They played what seemed like every memorable moment from their already-classic debut album, kicking off the setlist with a stomping rendition of ‘Come On Home’. Alex Kapranos made sure he reminded the crowd where they were with frequent ‘Thank you Limerick’s between songs, but whether he was aware the Terry Wogan namedropped in ‘Dark of the Matinee’ is himself a Limerickman was unclear. However a spontaneous crowdsurf at the end of the gig did ensure Kapranos left Shannonside with an intimate knowledge of the city Wogan left behind!

Kapranos’ authentic vocal talent was a constant but what also impressed was his frenetic double-jobbing as lead guitarist, especially during ‘Do You Want To’. A banging ‘Take Me Out’ was played surprisingly early in the set, followed by a string of new songs (DISCLAIMER: I haven’t heard the new album yet. For shame.) Recent single Ulysses was warmly received by the crowd - a welcome endorsement for FF in these days of Kings Of Leon daytime-radio overkill. The encore comprised a subtle-then-manic delivery of their best-ever song Jacqueline, a surprisingly tasteful 4-man assault on the drumkit at the end of another newbie, and regular curtain-closer ‘Burn This City’.

Lasting Impact: The bulk of the tiny crowd remained subdued throughout – even for Take Me Out – which annoyed this reviewer given the rarity of gigs like this and the energy FF put in to their performance. In fairness, it was stadium-rock in a room the size of a small community hall - what more reason do you need to rock out? As for Franz themselves, here was a band that cared more about playing their favourite songs rather than pushing their new record, and the enjoyment of such was clear to see on their faces at the end of the gig. Having seen them play in Lansdowne Road 4 years ago, its great to think they still give me the same buzz. It was a privilege to be there. Keep the big guns coming, Dolans.

What a sickener...

2008-11-29T22:55:00.012Z

If you thought Munster were unlucky against the All Blacks recently, spare a thought for non-league, almost-giantkillers Droylsden FC whose FA Cup 2nd Round tie versus League Two side Chesterfield today was abandoned at half-time due to fog. Droylsden were 1-0 up.

"At the end of the day if the ref was going to call it off he should have done that at the beginning," said Droylsden Manager slash Chairman David Pace. "He came into the dressing room and I said "give it 15 minutes" but he said he was calling it off straight away. To let us get 1-0 up in the FA Cup and then call it off is scandalous. It was a bit iffy at the start and if he had stopped the game when it was 0-0 then there is no argument, but to let us get 1-0 up and then call it off is ridiculous. If the roles had been reversed this would not have happened. If they had been 1-0 up then I don't think the game would have been called off."

Needless to say Chesterfield's manager welcomed the ref's decision. The fourth-tier outfit did not manage a shot on goal in the first 45 minutes. Perhaps they are still missing Caleb Folan - who was with the club from 2003-2007. With a lucrative place in the Third Round draw at stake, Droylsden may live to wonder what might have been. Get behind them for Tuesday night's replay! If more enticement is required, they do have an Irishman in their ranks - ex Irish U-21 International Colin Cryan

Neon Neon play Tripod (Dublin) : review

2008-11-16T23:18:00.002Z

I think the term juxtaposition applies here: Neon Neon is a collaborative project from producer Boom Bip and Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys - amongst others - entirely devoted to Detroit-born engineer and entrepreneur John DeLorean and the “dream” car he produced near Belfast primarily for the American market. Hmmm....

Whilst The Good, The Bad and The Queen had their Dickensian, urbane merits, Neon Neon’s Stainless Style album stands out as the most energetic and ambitious side-project this side of John DeLorean’s alleged affair with Raquel Welch. Indeed, NN’s early stomper ‘Raquel’ (on said liasion) is accompanied by a cinematic montage of Welch’s voluptuous career. Phwoar. This, along with in-house DeLorean footage, air drums, moog synths, casio guitars and applause placards ensured Neon Neon’s Tripod performance was a surreal homage to the slick lifestyle of the first playboy engineer. I’ve seen the term ‘retro-futuristic’ attached to Crystal Castles of late, but its far more appropriate when faced with soundtracked Bond-like visuals of DeLorean sports cars speeding around mountainside backdrops. You simply forget all subsequent technological advances and want to be an affluent cigar-smoking businessman in the early Eighties with a copious disposable income.

One man who knows how to live that lifestyle – as least in his typecast 1980s roles – is Michael Douglas, who haunts his namesake song in one of the most memorable moments in NN’s live show: the chorus’ tagline “I see my reflection... in Michael Douglas’ mirrored sunglasses” in tandem with the image of Warhol–esque portraits of MD on the big screen and Gruff Rhys on his knees playing air drums! As if that wasn’t enough of a headfuck, the sight of Obama-loving wigger Har Mar Superstar rapping whilst standing on his head during ‘Trick for Treat’ left the indie kids in the crowd faced with a completely different type of animal to the Golden Retrievers normally associated with Gruff Rhys’ live repertoire.

Musically, NN did aural justice to their album. ‘I Told Her on Alderaan’ stood out – imagine a synth-laden version ‘Jessie’s Girl’ and you’re not far off. ‘Belfast’ is a beautiful organ-drowned track, and seeing it accompanied with footage from the Troubles sparked the thought that the song will probably be used in a Prime Time report if Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness don’t make friends soon. ‘Steel Your Girl’ was the perfect wind-down song late on in the set, with a backdrop of early-morning high-speed DeLorean-dashing round an autobahn whilst the chorus sang “goodbye for the final time”.

You could say Neon Neon rocked, but it’d be more accurate to say they oozed. On average, a painted DeLorean sports car is worth up to 20-30% less than an unpainted, stainless equivalent. Likewise messrs Rhys, Boom Bip et al won’t be adding another layer to the Neon Neon project, so those who catch them live before they soon disband really will have seen a stainless and stylish concept at its peak.