Rebellion Day 3 The Boomtown Rats were Eire's best ever popular music band...Eire's Best Pop Band. That's a bigger compliment that it might appear at first. Few areas of human endeavour are more competitive than pop music. So mane people want a hit single or to be a pop star: so few get there. Since … Continue reading Rebellion 2015 day 3 – the wildhearted outsider
Rebellion 2015 day 2 from the wildhearted outsider
Rebellion Day 2 Here's the thing...a few thousand punks gathered together in a Northeastern English Seaside town in August 2015...why would that matter? Is it all nostalgia? An attempt to recapture, relive, or even reimagine youth? The Q&A conversations provide an opportunity to hear first-hand reflections from some of the people who were there. Pioneers. … Continue reading Rebellion 2015 day 2 from the wildhearted outsider
Rebellion Day 1 – the wild hearted outsiders view
Rebellion 2015 day 1 I don't look like a punk, so perhaps I am not a real punk in the sense of living and looking the part. Yet punk has had a profound impact on the way I see the world, and even on the decisions that I make. If I am not a punk...punk … Continue reading Rebellion Day 1 – the wild hearted outsiders view
Cry Before Dawn. Review. Button Factory October 11 2013
I have always really respected Cry Before Dawn.I first came across them when Mick McCaughan brought them to Trinity when he was Ents Officer. He had a real knack for spotting and supporting talent. And a great big heart that felt everyone should get a chance to listen to music they liked. And if they … Continue reading Cry Before Dawn. Review. Button Factory October 11 2013
Starter for 10
First off the soundtrack was very evocative and captured the highly charged and equally fun times in college in the 80s. Three of the band featured played at Trinity either right before, or while I was there; The Smiths, The Cure and the Psychedelic Furs. It was also great to hear a bit of Paul … Continue reading Starter for 10
What Richard Did
This was not the film I was expecting.I recall hearing vague pieces of information about it that make me curious.I knew that it might have something to do with a book called Bad Day At Blackrock, which I have not read. A book I suspect had something to do with a real life incident that … Continue reading What Richard Did
Mike Scott (The Waterboys) new song about Arthur’s Day
One of the highlights of working with the band the Pleasure Cell occurred when Mike Scott from the Waterboys came to the Underground and joined the band onstage.It was an act of incredible generosity on his part. Here was a little Dublin band doing their thing in the swampy, sweaty basement on Dame Street that … Continue reading Mike Scott (The Waterboys) new song about Arthur’s Day
Phil Chevron Testimonial, Olympia Theatre, August 24, 2013
Phil Chevron Testimonial, Olympia Theatre, August 24, 2013 Chevron reminding us of the celebration that life is never what we expected. And always worth embracing. What Irish artist of our generation chronicled more accurately that twilight world between despair and hope? Who gave voices to the margins? Who sliced through the haze obscuring chances and … Continue reading Phil Chevron Testimonial, Olympia Theatre, August 24, 2013
Everybody’s On Top of the Pops….except the people not on it!
One of the most interesting things about the TOTP documentary was talk of the Clash and their notorious boycott of the show. They refused to appear and I am sure their record sales suffered to some extent. BBC had their revenge though…and put their troupe of dancers on screen to cavort to Bank Robber when … Continue reading Everybody’s On Top of the Pops….except the people not on it!
Everybody’s On Top of the Pops – The Rezillos
In 1978 two songs (there may have been more) that mentioned Top of the Pops were performed on Top of the Pops. Producer Robin Nash said it was nice to be remembered even if it was irony. Dublin band the Boomtown Rats located their song ‘Rat Trap’ in their native city, where watching Top of … Continue reading Everybody’s On Top of the Pops – The Rezillos