ets by etk

The Napoli Boys Vs Dumpland

2005-12-30T14:33:00.000Z

The first time we came across Richie was when he was still known as Plastikman, in Napoli in the mid nineties. Techno was the new House and it was about to explode there, soon becoming our favorite genre down south. When I heard Richie was going to play in Dumpland, I immediately rang the Napoli boys, “We simply can't miss this!” I said. I was going to be in Napoli all that week, but I booked an early return flight to be back on Thursday night. While the Knacker had to skip it, as he had to work, the Nervous and me wasted no time and booked our tickets on line.

On that Thursday I landed in Doooblin in the afternoon, dropped my bags at the airport baggage depot and headed into town for a shopping session. As usual Irish clothes shop had not much to offer in terms of choice, but I eventually found a Ramones T-shirt in Urban Outfitters. It wasn't second hand but it looked like it was so I got it, I was delighted. I had a solitary pint in Temple Bar and then went back up to the airport to collect my luggage.

In the meantime, the Nervous left Cork with a rented car, and speeded up to the Capital (Yeah, I know... Cork's the real capital) not fearing the snow and ice on the streets. He risked his life at least once, when overtaking a car that was overtaking a truck he found himself facing another truck approaching fast in the opposite direction. He pushed the car to the limit and avoided a potentially disappointing frontal collision. When I rang him he was a little agitated... Heh heh heh.

Eventually we met nearby Euston Station where we were meant to hook up with Blath who would let us stay in her house that night. When we got to her place we were introduced to a nice German girl that lives there. The night was shaping up nicely; the excitement was growing while we were getting ready for the night out.

Beautiful German techno... and girl!

We got to the club and queued up, while we were at it, the Bass crew also arrived. Once inside, we headed downstairs immediately. Richie was about to start playing and we were about to get totally drunk, with an endless stream of double JD and Coke. An unconcerned research on he dance floor to try and find the good ones led us to nothing, so we relied on the good ol' Jack to get us flying.

Technique!

The dance floor got soon ridiculously packed, mobbed like Pana on Christmas eve, but the excellent music selection by our favorite Canadian in Berlin was overwhelming. We danced and danced, sweating out the Coke and burning the alcohol, drunkenly but discreetly flirting with the Fair City females. At one stage, we were quite drunk then, the Nervous came up to me and said: "Can you smell it?" and I said "Smell what?" and he went “The smell of sex, girls' love juice, can you smell it?” I couldn't, although I could certainly feel the sensual vibe that hanged on the dance floor...

Mobbed!

Scent of women

Richie's set was not as minimalist as you would expect. He went for a slower, electro-er selection, although several traces of minimalism could be heard every now and then, when a bleep would submerge every so often from the speakers, to remind you where the man comes from...

Who's da man?

The set was unreal and according to the Nervous it was the cause for the aforementioned smell to get stronger and stronger. I tried to pay attention to Richie's actions for a while, standing by the boot, but I could see two Hawtins and 4 Powerbooks, and didn't know which one was real and which one was projected by the Jack Daniels. Soon I gave up and launched myself back in the crowd again for the last half an hour of pogoing (You can't call that dancing really), unlashing the photographer in me in an attempt to catch the unbelievable vibe of the night.

Richie + Powerbook = People go crazy

Culture kids

At 2:30 more or less the set came to an end, but not our night. As we stepped out of the club, someone came up and told us he got the ‘good ones’! Did we want some? I've never seen the guy before but went "Where the fuck were you earlier?", he laughed, money exchanged hands, the Nervous smiled with joy. We meet up with the corkonian Buckfast drinking bunch and speeded off drink driving to an all night party.

Wishin' it'd never end...

Once we got there we parked on Leeson St, in the Bus lane, just by the bus stop. We rang the party house and were told we were one block away. "Will we drive there?" someone asked, the drunken unanimous response was "No, let's march!” when we entered the house, the party was raging. Decks were spinning, and so were heads. Plenty of people, party people, if you know what I mean. So we mixed and mingled with the crowd, randomly feeling boobs, kissing necks and generally doing the Italian thing with many smiles and a few nasty looks from babes in return for our flirting services.

Downstairs...

The Djs...

The girls...

The lads...

Upstairs...

When at 5 or 6am the music stopped and the guys living in the house were kicking people out, we were among those not recognized as close friends and risked to be thrown out on the street as well, but Spongepants came to rescue us, and shortly after there was more walking around the house looking for a laugh, while the music restarted, darker and deeper...

We eventually left the party at 10am, walked down a busy Leeson St, while it was snowing and freezing. We couldn't really find the car and for a while we blamed this on the ‘good ones’, but after a short while it was clear the car had been towed away.

So, off me fuckin' trolley, I ring directory enquires, get put through to the bleedin' Tow-Away-ers, who tell me I can pay by Credit Card or in an office in the city center. Luckily I had the fecken' visa with me, give him the number (Several times, I was reading a different number each time until I got it right) and he gave me the location of the car.

They just move it around the corner, so we went around the corner and half an hour later we still couldn't find it, ring the tow-away fuckers again and confirm the location of the car. Then I told the Nervous to use the car alarm remote, we could see the car with the indicators flashing, that must have been our car. In fact it was, we walked by it ten times earlier but just didn't recognize it. I wander what car we were looking for all morning...

So there we were, in the car, trying to drive home. We realized there is no bleeding indication to get to Euston Station, so we drove around Dublin like two edjeets for another hour until we found the river and followed it. By chance we went in the right direction and once at Euston there was the problem of remembering where to go from there to get to Blath's place. The Nervous proved to be a little more sober then me and at the first attempt we took the right turn and eventually arrived home.

Blath was in tears; the floppy containing her essay on which she had worked all night (She didn't come to Traffic) was missing. I looked into her eyes, they were filled with tears from frustration and desperation, took three steps towards her portable pc, pressed the 2nd floppy slot eject button and out it came the floppy. She was overwhelmed with joy; the Nervous and me were about to collapse instead.

We fell asleep in the living room in odd positions and woke up several hours later in the same odd positions. It was too late to get back to Cork for Innercity’s 80s fancy dress party, but were delighted when the German babe came down and asked if she could get prepared for the night out in the living room, since the only mirror in the house was there. Of course we said she could and sat there in admiration, a little cabbaged.

Dead? No, just a little tired...

It took us another day and night of resting on that coach in Dublin before we could even think of driving back.

What a night, was it worth it? Fuck yeah!

D for Duriez - D for Detroit

2005-12-18T16:37:00.000Z

We've been waiting for this one for a while, Duriez founded 'Les Maçons de La Musique' in 1999, and he's an excellent Dj, producer, remixer, label manager, graphic designer... An eclectic. He's been active on the French house music scene since the early nineties and has been at the forefront of the French house scene for many years. Moreover, this was going to be Innercity official opening party.

Monsieur Duriez descended on Cork wearing a Detroit hoddie. In fact his tech-house, that could remind you of Garnier at times, was certainly French but also very Detroit.

David displays his dedication to Detroit

A well known groupie displays his dedication to David

For me and the Nervous, raised to techno in Napoli, it was a savage night, the tunes were class. Voices came to our ear that 'he's listening to more and more techno these days...' and you could hear that in his set. A real pity that the crowd wasn't that big, which was inevitable considering Hype (Crap&Bass - When I told my brother Sirguy back in Napoli that Hype was playing he went: "Are they still listening to Drum and Bass over there?") was also on that night.
Anyway, the place got going in the last half an hour and Duriez really gave us some techno dancing to do, and there was room for us to bounce around the place like at some obscure after hour party with just the fifty hardcores who are there for the 20 minutes versions. I think he actually liked that, he probably felt he could go deeper underground with his set.

Thumbs up David...

The party was raging outside....

When the lights went on he played some more, defying the not-so-techno bouncers and the absurd rules that constrain Cork nightlife. Corkonians are known to be rebels anyway, and in fact they were having their own street party raging by the fountain, celebrating Cork City winning the League.

City till I die

We stayed on for a while, catching on the celebratory vibe and joining the many that didn't really wanna go to bed, not yet at least...

Innercity... Finally!

2005-11-27T18:49:00.000Z

Having missed the first Innercity for being in Landan, I headed into town early to make sure I got into Fast Eddies for this much awaited weekly appointment with electronic music. I was gonna meet Hubert, just back from a year break in France (A break from what you might wander, a break from Cork!) Also back (From Barcelona) for a quick visit was Phelipe.

The Franco-Brazilian crew in the Oval

Me, the Knacker and Hubert dancing... Well, the Frenchman wasn't...

Inside we met Ed, Anita and Ron, among others, the night was certainly going to be a laugh. Unsurprisingly, it was also a nite of great music.

24/7 Party people

Drew Taking Over

This week it was going to be Drew da Bastard's week, with his set driving the crowd crazy. He Detroitctified Innercity and wrapped electronica in techno wrapping paper and gave us an excuse to sweat out the toxins as they were assimilated.

The crowd loving it!

The work out on the dance floor went on constantly, with a beautiful crowd filling Fast Eddies on a post-Jazz weekend night that are usually quite. People tends to recover from the drinks and the expenses of the swinging October Bank Holiday, but not this bunch of insatiable party goers.

Hail to da Bastard!

Wrappin' it up...

Electro culturettes and local terrorists

It was only Innercity second installment and it was easy to see that this night of a more eclectic mix of local and international electronic music was going to stay with us for a while.

Coupling...

We love electro and the beautiful crowd that has gathered around Innercity, a favorite Euro Trash night-out already.

Where's the party?

Couldn't Wait for the Jazz

2005-11-12T16:47:00.000Z

The pre-Jazz Festival weekend was shaping up nicely, with Greg & Shane celebrating the launch of the new label Go Deep in Fast Eddies in company of Tracey K on Saturday, and Bass filling a Room Full of Bassfull at Club One the Sunday night. The next weekend I was going to be away (Working...) thus I simply couldn't wait for the Jazz to have my mid-autumn madness, so I decided to head out both nights! Since I'm not young anymore, I took the following Monday off work (No I didn't ring in sick, I asked for the day off). Long gone are the days in which I could party all night and go to work without sleeping, when we spent more time in clubs than in our bedrooms.

Saturday night we headed into Fast Eddies where resident night Go Deep was gonna turn into a record label thanks to the magic delivered live by 'Deep Deep House' wizards Greg & Shane. Paving the dance floor with the melodies of the tunes from around the world that they alone can find, they fired bass and percussions across the crowd and with the help of fairy-like Tracey K, introduced us all to their new creature.

Scary Greg and Scary Shane...

Tracy shines in the dark...

'The Cure & The Cause' is a great tune that we danced to avidly, Tracy's singing accompanying us in yet another quest around the dance floor for 'that stare', the one that tells you that you've clicked and you won't be alone tonight. Love is ultimately the cure and the cause, and House is Love. Because we can't live without love, we can't live without House. And if we can't live without House, we can't live without Greg & Shane, at least here in Cork. Demonstrating again that they haven't lost their hedge and that they still have a great taste in music, these two always manage to create an atmosphere around them like not many others.

As it happens often in Cork, when you're enjoying the night, all of a sudden the white lights go off and you know it's over too soon... The night closed with me and the rest of the Napoli Boys remembering the many nights we spent with Greg & Shane's soundtrack as background, or even Napoli's House scene, while chilling out 'our way'.

The new fairy and the... old wizard! (He's gonna kill me when he reads this!)

Sunday passed by in an haze, but Sunday night we were out again. Notoriously good, the parties set up by Bass and UCC DJ Society are our favorites. Discontinuous, often unexpected, they jump out of nowhere with some fresh idea. Teaming up with Corksounds to take over for a night a Room Full of Bassfull, the lads brought together a good number of local electro acts and Dj Serge, from the dutch Clone records, taking over where Alden left.

When we went in the room was full indeed!

Full of acts, full of electro and full of nice ladies, which is always nice.

There were so many acts on that we spent the night switching from one bar to the other, at times splitting up to check them all out. From Jim P to Dextro, Timo Ras, Cork's own excellent Foreign Bodies and Drew The Bastard, they were all impressive. One thing about Dancepig I wanna say thou, his tune 'I Love You, You Love Money' is one of my favorite at the moment, often blasting out of my iPod.

Dancepig and Cal TV

Good Pig yourself!

As we danced away by the side of the dance floor, we met Ron. We were to spend the next few hours with this well traveled mad fecker. He's at least as appreciative of good music, nice girls and a good laugh as we are and we always have a good night when we catch him. Most of the PROC's Music forum addicted users were there too, as well as the UCC DJ Society smart asses eventually figuring out that it might be time to pump electro in a Cork PA on a weekly basis.

Cork loves electro!

DJ Serge then took center stage and got everyone on the move with his continental take on electro. The live visuals provided by cal and Nellboy were very good as well and sustained well the sounds of Dancepig and DJ Serge. Perhaps Ed didn't appreciate all of them! I didn't spend much time in the smaller room, the Nervous did and he said that both the music and the visuals were rocking over there too.

Serge fromsh hollandsh...

Going mad... and going meeed!

The only one missing in the main room was Drew, but you can see the smirk on his face there, as if he knew he was gonna take his revenge at INNERCITY a few weeks later, where he would headline, seriously rocking the dance floor.

"Spud said I have to stay here..."

By the end of the night everyone was somehow excited, it was a really good night, it felt like there was space for electro in Cork's nightlife. The people loved it and the DJs and local acts are there as well, you don't necessarily need international guests at each party.

Various types of migrants mingle with various types of locals...

The crowd responded so well to tonight that the following Friday our well deserved weekly night of electronic music would kick off at Fast Eddies, but that's INNERCITY and it's a different euro trash story...

Addictive TV, Forgettable Music

2005-10-31T20:22:00.000Z

Gareth was still celebrating his birthday and I decided to join him in watching TV. Not your regular TV though, none of that crap, this was Addictive TV. Worldwide renown VJs were going to put up a show in the Savoy as part of the Cork Film Festival, linking visuals to sound in the main room both for club goers and visual art passionates, along with the odd film critic and the many students out on the piss. We met in Gareth's gaff, where we had a couple of cans before heading into town. Gareth's got decks, so playing tunes is a constant when there, and he also got cans, so leaving pissed is the rule. On the way into town we speculated on how it would be tonight, until we came across this... Then we couldn't stop laughing.

We interpreted it as a clear sign that students where out on the piss tonight.

As we approached the Savoy we realized that we were early so we took a detour and headed for the Mutton. Once there we recruited the Balti, who was well oiled, for a couple of pints before returning to the club. Once inside we inevitably strolled to the bar. The place was just filling up, and the music wasn't that inviting yet...

Unfortunately it won't be for most part of the night, unlike the visuals. Their name is quite appropriate, because you kind of get addicted to the visuals, as the music provides little distraction from them.

Eventually the venue filled up, but filled with students, who didn't demonstrate much interest in the show as a whole and took over the floor for their drunken coupling rituals.

In the midst of all this there was a good bunch of us paying attention to the on screen action, often criticizing the music, but praising the capturing sequence of images.

Their VJing approach seems to be built around the video sequence and comes across as not very spontaneous, although overall it looks good.

I suppose it is complicated to have a more realistic flow of video and sound synchronized live, maybe the technology is yet to get there, what we've seen there didn't blow us away, but it was good all the same.

After the show we ended the celebrations in the best of ways...

Heh heh heh...

Euro Trash Picnic

2005-10-08T07:58:00.000Z

The first Electric Picnic last year, that lasted only for one day and ended with a great live set from Groove Armada, left me and the Nervous wanting more, so this year 2 days weekender could not be missed. At every step we took towards Stradbally (Getting the tickets, looking for the tent, booking the car etc...) we could feel the excitement growing. The week that preceded it was a frenzy of phone calls, text messages and cash changing hands, but eventually the weekend came along and we were ready to rock!

Getting There

We left Cork on Friday night, leaving behind the Knacker... The poor lad had to work on the following Monday and would miss the Picnic again this year... Despite traveling at night, we didn't get lost (Thank God! We did last year and it was my fault, the Nervous wanted to kill me!!!) When we arrived it was after midnight, we left the car in the car park and walked to the entrance to see what the story was, when we realized it was clear, we got our stuff and got in.

A quick search by a bored steward overseen by a couple of sleeping Garda, and the fluorescent yellow bracelets were snapped on our wrists! We found a spot for our tent pretty quick. One of those colorfully striped windbreakers was up by the footpath and we thought it would make the tent easy to find, so we set up our base there. When we opened up the tent we realized that there were no bloody nails to fix the tent to the ground! We started swearing at Argos but then found a quick fix by tyeing the strings to the windbreaker and the rope that divided the camping area from the footpath.

It looked a mess but solid, so we filled our bags with cans and rizlas and off we went to familiarize with what was going to be our party-ground for the next two days. As we walked through the camping site, me and the Nervous looked at each other with a smirk on our faces, we knew that was the start of it and we knew it was going to be great.

Our first and only stop that night was going to be the chai tea place. A relaxing southeast-Asian theme made the tea room (Or rather tent) the chill out area of our choice. After all, Friday was all about catching up with the others and chill. Sipping at our cans and schmokin' away, we waited for Michelle and met people around us. It wasn't too late when I thought I saw a marquee walking; when I realized it was only Mick from Bass, I decided it was time to get back to the tent.
The day after was going to be a long day of dance and celebrations, we needed all the sleep and the energy we could get.

Saturday

I got up earlier, around half eleven perhaps, to find that the windbreaker was on the opposite side of where it was the night before, and the strings that secured our tent to it untied. 'Someone spiked my chai tea' I thought, but then the guys next door enlightened me. The windbreak was theirs, it did not belong to the other tent over there as I assumed, and basically we set up camp on the wrong side of it. The windbreaker was there because they were saving up a spot for an extra tent coming on the Saturday, and we took exactly that spot! I had a can and a laugh with the lads, and when the Nervous got up we moved the tent towards the foot path, the lads moved the windbreak so we could tie up the tent to it, and we made space for the other guys that joined in later on that day.

We changed and baby-wipes-showered in the car park. On our way out we realized that there were several cars parked right outside the entrance. So we asked if we could bring the car there, one of the security guys said we could if we had a camper. The Nervous heard that we could full stop. So he insisted we try, and we tried. Of course we were stopped and sent back to the outer car park. A waste of time, but hey we tried!

Eventually we stepped into the festival and it was great, the sun was shining and the set up was impressive. Flowers were everywhere. They had the clever idea of using pictures of flowers and stick them everywhere, and place big cut out ones in fluorescent colors on the trees around the site. The thing that got our attention immediately was the Play Station Portable tent; we looked at each other and laughed: 'What a coincidence' I thought...

Our first visit was to the Body and Soul area for a decent espresso at Mark's and to catch up with Kid-O, who was working there, as were Michelle, Blo, Tikki and others.
We spent an hour or two there chilling in the sun, waiting for the sets to start, checking out the talent... Well me anyway, the Nervous couldn't really... Heh heh heh...

The Tikki on the road

A typical Stradbally ashtray... And a Hippy...

Kid-O... and Ronan welcoming us in the background... Langer!

It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, but we needed something a little more stimulating than dub and chill out stuff.

Flying already?

A few bleeps and a bass line that kicks you around the dance floor. It was half past two, it was time to stroll toward the Bodytonic arena, and pay homage to the Electric City crew, that would warm us up for Dj Deep 'Let's get them bodies toned everyone!'

Caution

The winner of the Bodytonic competition.... Electric City takes over...

Dj Deep

Stradbally Sur le Seine

Going deeper...

It was five in the afternoon, the sun wasn't even thinking yet of setting down, and the Bodytonic arena was rocking. But it was time to move on to the Electric Arena for Goldfrapp. A breath of fresh air and about a liter of water and we were ready to get our spot in front of Allison Goldfrapp. A painter student turned singer and muse for the band that bares her name and she leads with Will Gregory. Enough time for a can and we were hit by 'Train'...

Can't stop oh off the train, train yeah yeah yeah yeah...

Allison Goldfrapp

Goldfrappettes...

We skipped Arcade Fire for a few Cuba Libre at the Bacardi Bar, before heading back into the Bodytonic Arena where things would get seriously Electro at nine with Vitalic. Ben Watt was on when we arrived, and when nine came we realized that we were stuck with him and that Vitalic wasn't gonna play. We learned later that his laptop gave up on him. That was a let down, but not for more than 10 minutes. Mr. Watt kept us bouncing around the place, in the state we were in we were easy to please anyway...

The history of electronica was calling thou, so we strolled back to the Electric Arena, to catch the end of excellent Royksopp and pioneers of the robot dance Kraftwerk. At this stage, me and the Nervous separated, I simply couldn't miss what turned out to be a great show. Kraftwerk were super automatic and uber robotic just like you would expect them to be. You're thrown into this Tron like landscape until you short circuit... The encore was another show.

The return of die roboter...

The humanoids...

Das Ende

The Nervous went to see Fatboy Slim an his tri-dimensional fat beat set (The fat comes from the cheesy stuff he gets away with... :)

Smile

I went to give the best of me on the Bodytonic Arena floor, to dance to the guy who put sex back into techno, old french tech-house glory Laurent.

It was here that I discovered how the Sid Vicious inspired Fist & Smirk dance went down well with the ladies. It would become my trademark dance for the weekend. Stradbally had now become La La Land, there was no justification for normal behavior. The night would continue between an excellent performance by Kid-O's Green Monitor in the Body & Soul area and the Bass after-picnic in the car park, with an excellent set by Dancepig.

Sunday

Sunday morning was pretty much the same again, breakfast in the Body & Soul area, meeting the others and making sure that everyone was still alive. The previous night must have been tough for everyone, and the people was chilling out to a calming dub set in the natural theater.

Chillin'

The hippy, still there...

Again, it was a beatiful day...

A few cans later, we were still thirsty and we moved on to check out the Bacardi Bar. When we got there we filled up on Cuba Libre and quickly settled in on the dance floor. The place has been taken over by Cork people, there was culture everywhere. No wonder, under Mucca's vigilant eye Dr Bob Jones was delivering another lecture in house music.

A Doc and a King

Things started blurring up a bit...

The Napoli Boys

The Crowd

Stevie... Liberating a few Cubas...

Drummin' and Flirting'...

Socializin'...

The Bacardi Bar was a great laugh but we had to leave, there was nothing in the world keeping me and the Nervous from going to see LCD Soundsystem on the Main Stage. When we approached it from behind, we could already hear that mad fecker of James Murphy singing, so we rushed through the crowd to get as close as we could to the stage and the dancing.

NYC's finest delivered a set that was more punk than electro, but still funky enough to have us dancing all the time. My personal favorite must have been 'Tribulations', even though many other tune were mind blowing as well, like 'Losing my Edge', 'Movement', 'Beat Connection', 'Daft Punk...' etc.

'Woh Wohaoo Get your payment from th nation...'

When you see them live the whole thing seems undeniably the creature of James Murphy.
Despite the fact that all the band seems really into it, and the musicians are really good, especially the drummer (Which he joins quite often), in fact he continuously incites and introduces the members of the band.

Drum kit Connection...

His performance is strong, his confidence high, his voice is so New York it makes you feel like you're in Williamsburg listening to the sound of tomorrow, surrounded by... What?... Adam Ant!?! (Props at the metropolitan indian)

'You got to SET THEM UP!!! SET THEM UP!!!'

'AND NEVER NEVER LET THEM GO!!!'

If you think that the set was more or less the same as one at Trans Musicales in 2002, you realize how ahead of its time this guy's music is. You also realize how tight the set sounds, and that in reality the lyrics of 'Losing my Edge' are wise ass sarcasm.

'We all know what you really want...'

What a great gig, after this the Fist & Grin dance seemed even more appropriate, so we went to catch super eclectic Unabombers, stopping over at the Bacardi Bar for a drink or two. As the sun was setting we walked in all possible direction, stopping over to stare at all the freaky stuff that only happen towards the end of the second day at a festival. One thing that particularly got my attention was the estate, shining in ever-changing colors (...WoW...).
When we met Michelle it was time to go to the Electric Arena to see if the excuse they were making there was good enough for what we paid... Belgian electro-rock outfit Soulwax and steel-wheel alter-ego 2 Many Djs were among the bands we were waiting for. The albums from both sides of the same Ghent based bunch of langers, 'As Heard on radio Soulwax Part 2' ( Many Djs remix album) and 'Any Minute Now' (Soulwax) are excellent, and so are their singles like 'NY Excuse' and 'E Talking'.

As the people gathered to fill the Arena, we were downing the last cans, smoking away , awaiting for something special to hit us. The sun was now setting, the huge tent was getting darker and voicer, the concert was to start any minute now...

Minimalizm...

'I can shout... I said I can Shout!'- 'Stop shouting at me'

- 'Ok... STOP MAKING ME THEN!'

The gig started with the white light minimalism that you'd want from mittel-European cool Belgians, but things were going to get darker, both visually and musically. At one stage it got even tense, when someone up the front had a word with a bouncer. Singer Steven Dewaele invited everyone to stay calm 'Thiz iz zupposed to be a party!', he said loud, in a Flemish accent but perfect English, bringing the gig to an halt.

It's getting darker and louder

It was good enough...

The girl that crowd-surfed from the front all the way to the back symbolized the excitement at the end of Soulwax set, but it wasn't over. Thing were now going to get seriously dark, with obscure remixes and a lot of BASS!

This is Radio Soulwax

The end

Part of the weekend never dyes

And indeed, the weekend wasn't quite over yet. We managed to catch Dj Sneak at the end of his set, the place was rocking! Wiggle were to play an excellent gig in the Body & Soul Area, then the Silent Disco, and finally the second, great Bass party, with the Bodytonic people and Drew who stole the show (don't miss Bass next do)!.
Only the Gards could bring that to and end.

Just like I could end this post right...

Here.

Warm Summer Nights...

2005-08-29T10:32:00.000Z

The lazy summer days are coming to an end, as are the sunny afternoons that kept me away from Euro Trash Stories. It’s now about time to leave the beer garden sessions to return to my room and start writing again. It's been quite a good summer so far, let’s remember some of the good things we've done during this hot cultural summer.

Das Spiegeltent

When ze German Spiegeltent was just built up at the end of Cornmarket St, I happened to walk by on my way into town one afternoon. I had a look inside through the narrow openings on the back and I liked what I could see: mirrors; stained glass; dark wood. Immediately I decided I wanted to go to a gig in there soon, but it was only many days later that I eventually did.

When I first heard that Tikki was going to bring Sumu and Wiggle together in there, as part of Cork Midsummer Festival, I decided it was time to check out the Spiegeltent and hesitate no more! That was a wise decision indeed, and the gipsy tent as background was just great. I meet Kid-O there and Tikki of course, after work. We got our first Tiger and shortly after the gig was starting. Sumu where on stage while the sun was still shining through the opening on the back, but it didn't matter too much, soon it was shining through the stained glass and created just the right atmosphere.

We were exchanging every empty bottle of Tiger with a full one at the bar, and being there felt more and more like being in a kaleidoscope...

When we dropped the beer bottle trade for some good old dancing' things started to slowly get normal again...Well, sort of... The wooden dance floor was now wiggling...

Martians were everywhere...

And so was the Wiggle sound...

It was a great gig in a brilliant venue, the combination Sumu - Wiggle - Spiegeltent worked out really well, just as the Wiggle - Tiger combination that I and Kid-O experimented. It's a pity Das Spiegeltent it's gone, I was going to ask Kid-O to build an exact replica in our back garden but I don't think he can make it...

Scorching!

The start of the summer was sunny and warm enough, but one weekend it was hot, scorching like! We decided we had to go to the beach, and so we did. We went down to Inchydoney, and the place was packed so me and Kid-O parked on the road along the river and went down the side of the river and crossed it. As wee walked along in the sand we realized that we had to cross the river again, but it got quite deep! We started looking for shallow water to walk to the other side, until Kid-O said he found a place where we could cross. So off he went ahead of me, the water was getting to our knees and all of a sudden he disappeared into the water... A few seconds after he resurfaced, with his clothes and his lunch soaked...

Once we got on the beach, the Nervous and Michelle joined us and so did Sushi For 2's Mr and Mrs Sushi. As we roasted in the sun we downed a few bottles of Heineken. It was so hot I couldn't stop going in and out of the water, which was unbelievably warm. The floating around in the sea, the beers, the sun beating down on your head... in Ireland! Well it wasn't the first time, but it doesn't happen too often... Except the beers...

When we went away many hours later, we decided to skip the river this time and walked up the street. We stopped near this cool old VW and we all had a milkshake. I got a decent tan that day and that would avoid get me burnt under the Italian sun.

Thanks to Mr Sushi for the pic

A few days later I was going on holidays, in beautiful Tuscany...

Hey Ho Let's Go!

After I returned from Italy, there was one gig I could not miss: Marky Ramone! Reviews from his gigs in England stated that the show would last over an hour and include all Ramones songs; I had to go to this one. Despite the fact that none of my friends followed me (Langers!), I bought my ticket and started drinking a few bottles of beer to be in the right mood for some Punk! The gig was opened by Anti-Product, whose members would later join Marky to perform Ramones' songs. I skipped the opening act and was up the front when Marky hit the drums, and we were brought straight out to Rockaway Beach!

Despite the singer looked more like a hippy than a punk, he and the Anti-product girls had plenty of energy and delivered great renditions of Ramones' classics. A play list that filled two A4 sheets assured a long set that would include everybody's favourites.

The crowd was a mixture of old nostalgic farts like me and younger kids who came along to see why their older brothers couldn't stop playing The Ramones albums over thirty years after they first appeared on the scene. Inevitably there was pogo-ing going on, sparked most of the time by 30 sometings acting like teenagers, and loud choruses shouted out with drunken desperation.

Pet Cemetery

Classics like Sheena, Shock Treatment, Judy is a Punk, Rock'n'Roll High School, and my personal favourite The KKK Took my Baby Away, kept the crowd dancing, singing and shouting, filling the venue with a loud Hey Ho, Let's Go! after every song.

Marky introduced every song, dedicating some to the other Ramones and one to his wife, who he said is Irish and would have killed him if he didn't play Cork. When he came back on stage for the encore Marky had more anecdotes before launching in an energetic finale that concluded the set with R.A.M.O.N.E.S. and Blitzkrieg Bop. Everyone has been waiting for the latter all night, and we went a bit mad on that one...

The after show was a transformed into a money making machine, where if you purchased Marky's picture for a fiver, you could then go backstage to have it signed by Marky. I took the play list, had it signed and left...

I met the Knacker after the show and we had a stroll on Pana where we found a dancing crowd outside Gentlemen's Quarter. Percussionists where having a set and passers by just stopped and started to dance.

The madness went on for a short while, then the musician packed it in and people started walking away...

Me and the Knacker moved on and stopped outside the Savoy, where a bunch of people was hanging out after the club...

It was a nice evening so we decided to stop by, we met a few friends and then this two guys, I don't know where they came from, kept us entertained for quite a while...

Le Dj Kid c'est Loco!

A couple of hours away by plane, Paris isn't that far. Although we don't have Le Seine or Montmatre, tonight the Lee and Shandon will do, we're going on a Parisian night out! I met the Napoli boys in their place where we chilled out and had a couple of drinks while we waited for the number 222 bus to deliver Mad Ron. When he arrived we had a few more while waiting for other friends to get in touch. Eventually we moved on, it was late enough to go directly to the Savoy and have a dance with this loco Kid!

He started out as a guitarist landing in a few French punk bands in the 80s before moving on to production and a hip hop band, in the mid 90s he released his solo stuff as Kid Loco, producing a nice, eclectic mix of Indie and Electronica. He’s here tonight to have us dancing and he means business as he goes deeper and deeper with a mix of house classics and French electro.

The Savoy wasn’t packed as you would expect, and it won’t be later either, although it will get busier. The music was great thou and Kid Loco keep us swinging on the dance floor…

Kid Loco seemed to enjoy the set just as much as us and by the end had us sweating to the rhythm of a thousand percussions, when it all went Latin and we all went lala...
At the end he stopped to chat with the crow and sign autographs, with a big smile on his face, he really comes across as a nice guy, and we love his music!

Merci very much...

We met Chris, who's The Method had their last gig in the Brog recently (I missed it but Kid-O said it was brilliant) and had a chat.

With no party in sight we hanged around for a while until it was time to go home...

The Napoli Boys...

Waiting for the Picnic

The following week Mark Farina would come over from San Francisco to delight us with more house with a fresh West Coast twist. That night we hooked up with Ed, promoter of fine night outs such as the Homegrown Homegrown series.

Days later I and the Knacker went to our first Cork City match with Ho Chi Feen! It was the match with Djurgarden. We enjoyed the atmosphere, especially the chants from Cork's supporters. It was hilarious when the City side started chanting 'Who are ya? - Who are ya?' pointing with their fingers towards the Swedish supporters and those replied with the same chant 'Who are ya? - Who are ya?', to which the Cork fans responded 'I'm a feen - I'm a feen - I'm a feen...'. We were in stitches! And what about the rush to the Horse at half time, where we were quickly downing a pint when three Swedish supporters arrive, langers! One of them goes to the busy bar and asks: "Three!” and the barman: "Three what?” the three Swedes together: "Beers!!!"

The following week the excitement for the Electric Picnic was growing already. It was time to start organizing the whole thing. I and the Nervous would soon be wandering in a field in Stradbally and everything had to be perfect if we wanted to enjoy the weekend. That's another story thou, and it's coming soon with loads of pics...

The June Weekender (A posting in three parts)

2005-06-09T21:39:00.000Z

The June bank holiday weekend always brings back that summer feeling and great memories: The girl that stared at me from Sir Henrys' 1985 June Weekender poster I had up on the wall when we would Sweat every night of the Weekender; A mod rally down in Cobh and the subsequent party in the Rob Roy with Dr Bob Jones explaining his own way why he's the Doctor of Soul; Sweating like pigs in the back of a packed Lebowskis and still not being able to stop dancing; Getting lost going to Halfway and then finding the place and, having liked it so much, go straight back the day after. In a few words it has always been a brilliant weekend and expectations were running high, what would this one be like?

The Perfect Start to the Summer

I met Michael in the Bodega after work, where we ordered two glasses of Murphys. Then it was time to go home and get a quick bite. While the Frenchman was busy fitting lemon slices in Corona bottles I got ready; my beard was so long that the only thing that could go with it was my military shirt a lá Cuban revolutionary, no cigars lien' about the living room thou (we could have used a leaf or two). By half nine we were out of my place. We called into the Triskel to get tickets for the DJ Exchange night and headed in the Oval for a drink. My Friend Dario, drunk at home with his Polish flatmate (Yes, drinking Vodka of course), rang me right then and I told him to come down. As I hanged up Michael said he was feeling' claustrophobic, so we downed the two spirits and mixers we just got in one gulp and left the place.

Where do you go when you feel claustrophobic? To the Mutton of course! It was an early stage but we seemed to have lost any logic in our thoughts already. We entered the busy alleyway turned pub (Or is it a pub turned an alleyway) and met Sinead, Donal and mad Niamh. I squeezed inside and found a lucky space/time tunnel that got me to the bar and out with drinks in my hand in a nanosecond... I was astonished. We sipped at our drinks and mingled with the crowd. My Friend Dario rang again (Fuck we forgot about him!!!), he was in the Oval. I shouted down the phone to come to the Mutton, ensuring him that we would be there for at least another hour. We were never going to meet him that night. As I hang up the phone, Niamh hugs me (We haven't seen each other for ages) then I hear a glass smashing and it’s Michael! He's feeling claustrophobic then dizzy; we have to leave in a rush. The safe even of Burger King provided food and a seat for the French langer. When he felt better I proposed to go home and chill out, I didn't want to end up in an A&E room in the middle of the night. Michael insisted to go to the Triskel, so in we went.

Things were just being set up and only a few people were there before us, so we headed for the bar. A pint of Lager for me and a pint of water for Michael (Heh heh heh) and then straight out the back, where I placed the sick lad on a keg. We sipped away at our drinks, while Mick was trying to understand what just happened there in the Mutton... I couldn't stop laughing... When we walked back in I went to check out the dance floor. Things were just starting up and I realised that one of the 'Swedish djs' was also a 'Swedish girl'... how cool is that?

The mysterious Kirsten from Stockholm...

It was definitely time for another drink. I walked back out and there he was in all his splendour... the Knacker! He joined me on the way to the bar where the Nervous was already drinking with Michelle. Given the beard on me and the outfit it was time to switch to Cuba Libre and catch up with the lads. The venue started filling up in the mean time and our senses were loosening' up it was time to check on Mick (He was fine, still wandering' what happened... Heh heh heh) and launch ourselves into the jacking' sound of Swedish electro.

The Napoli boys and the Bar own dj...

Michelle and Aine... the Nervous dancing nervously...

At this stage I was dancing around the place unconcerned, while snapping pics with my Euro Trash Nokia camera phone, while the Napoli Boys, Michelle, Bloth and Mick were nonchalantly enjoying the music on one side of the room. Kirsten selection kept my knees flex rhythmically while Spark's visuals were messing with my brain that little bit more, until the bar was calling us again!

DK7! Live...

Jasper and Mark doing their thing...

Another Cuba Libre and a quick fag and we were all back inside for the DK7 live act. We really couldn't stay put for one second and went straight into dancing, messing about to Jasper Dahlback and Mark O'Sullivan's own take on electronic music. As Marc sung, Jasper kept us bouncing about and we got a chance to dance to some excellent tunes, 'The Difference' made the difference then! But you can't dance too long without a drink and even Michael, just back from the bar, had switched back to beer, so off we went for re-hydration... when we were back Jasper was launching into his set and the lads came out with the disposable cameras, just the right idea, and what timing! The room lighted up with flash lights and everybody did the euro trash thing to do!

Doing the euro trash thing... the photographers...

And the posers...

We were about to leave the Triskel but we (Me and the Knacker of course!) walked back into the dance floor, where the lights were on by now, and 'shyly' asked suspect questions about parties. Then Mark spilled it out: "69 XXXXX Rd". "He's taking the piss, it can't be at number 69", The Knacker said leaving the venue, "69 eh?" I started giggling, then we told the Nervous and the girls and we were all laughing...

Resting outside the Triskel...

...Before starting all over again!

Nobody believed there was going to be a party there at number 69, but it was on the way home and once we were there we heard music, so we knocked on the door and we were welcomed with a glass of red wine (How appropriate!) by June and her boyfriend, Aine and other two girls down from Galway who also were at the Triskel. We drank and we partied until dawn, then we walked back to my place, collecting more people on the way (Omar and Janette + half of Cartoon) and ending up having another party back at mine...

"This guys are mad!"...

While Michelle gets ready to leave in the morning for her holidays

What a night, the start of the summer couldn't have better!

Dazed & Confused

Saturday morning I woke up at 11 on my couch (I guess it wasn't worth going up two floors to go to bed for an hour) and after a strong coffee I started cleaning up the place. Tikki's voice resounding in my crane: "King Kapisi is coming at 12 with his wife, they're staying for the weekend". The place wasn't in a bad state but I was! Bumping into tables, chairs, doors, walls, I heroically got it sorted and ready for the Royal Family... I was ready for bed, this time for real...

Several, yet not enough, hours later I was rudely awakened by the Knacker's phone call. My euro trash Nokia woke me up to reality and dinner for two was arranged with the Napoli Boy. The original plan, to go to Ballinhassig with the Sushi for Two crew had been regretfully scrapped at 7 O’clock for total lack of energy. Never the less we walked into town and ate our dinner in Casanova. The coffee had no effect whatsoever, and when we left the restaurant I was still in a daze. We went to Le Ceile hoping to find some electro, but obviously the lads where Halfway away. We switched to the Bodega where Snow Patrol were going to do a dj set. The sound was terrible and the warm up dj set wasn't impressing. As soon as the Nervous showed up we left and headed to Fast Eddies for more exchanges with Sweden...

Fast Eddies was full, a couple of Vodka and Red Bull, which would resuscitate the dead, got me back in the mood for dancing and so I did, with the Knacker and the Nervous also enjoying the Swedish take on house. We meet again Aine and the girls from Galway, got more drinks but soon we were tired again, so we stepped to the side, sipping our drinks and watching the crowd have a great night. Once at home I eventually met King Kapisi and his wife, who were still up with Tikki and Ronan (The Tikki Lounge barman), so we had some wine and talked about New Zealand until it was time to rest.

Out at Sea With a British Power

After spending Monday at work, I met up with Ed and Mrs (Evil at times) Sushi in their sushi-plate-sized-apartment. Soon we headed down to the Cyprus Ave, leaving a half sick Mrs Sushi behind, and we got there early enough. We got in, got rid of our jackets and inevitably presented ourselves at the bar to check in for a drunken sail on the turbulent British rock sea, where waves are made of guitar riffs. But there were two acts before we set sail, an anonymous (but enjoyable) guy with an acoustic guitar and the excellent Sons & Daughters.

As the singer songwriter was singing the songs he wrote, me and Ed Sushi ventured downstairs for a smoke, when we came back we found Irish Jack trying to get in (He was on the guest list). It was time for me and Ed Sushi (Co-photographer - thanks Ed!) to get back in and down to the front for the Sons & Daughters. Neither of us had heard of them before and we didn't really expect them to be this good! They came on stage with their rockabilly attire, 50’s dresses and all, and stomped all over us with their rhythm charged and electrified garage ’n’ roll. Scott’s guitar riffs shouting back at Adele’s dark, sexy, poisonous voice, and David’s rattling drums dialogue with Ailidh’s rumbling bass. Adele’s violent pleads in ‘Dance me in’, the stomping duet in the excellent ‘Fight’, the hypnotic ‘Blood’ and the hunting punky-country of ‘Johnny Cash’ won us over immediately and we stayed up front for all the gig. At the end we went back to the bar and bought their excellent EP ‘Love the Cup’ (And Pins), of course we had another Corona...

Scott, Adele and Ailidh...

Adele!!!

It was time to queue up to embark on British Sea Power Ivy adorned boat and go for a little trip out at sea, in company of seagulls and a band that rocked! With a front man, Yan, in his bare feet, looking (and at times sounding) like a Ian Curtis in a sailors tenure from the 1800s, his brother Hamilton wearing a grey sweatshirt with a big deer embroidered (front and back) and a Ivy crown on his head, Eamon wearing all sorts of war helmets, they turn the venue into their own Club Sea Power, covering the stage in Ivy branches. They take over and we sail off, into the acid tinged electric sunset of this summer night, bringing nature with us...

British Ivy Power...

Banging!

Out at Sea...

They are an intelligent band that makes the effort, and brilliant music! They seem to come from another time, but they just hail from Brighton, with them probably being out of their mind playing their literate, intense, powerful British rock. For some bands they talk about guerrilla gigging, this is mutiny gigging instead, and the band sets the pace and the rules (or lack of) on this mad journey out at sea. The crowd couldn’t resist the mix of songs from both their albums (both excellent and constantly on my iPod since) ‘The Decline of…’ and ‘Open Season’. We all floated away on the electric waves of ‘Fear of Drowning’, ‘It Ended on an Oily Stage’, to the stormy ‘Apologies to Insect Life’ or the epic ‘Carrion’ (The lyrics go: “The salt, the spray, the gorgeous undertow - Always, always, always the sea - Brilliantine mortality”). Every and each song is good, and it gets better and better as the band gets more and more into their sound. They love what they do and we do too! The British Sea Power enrolled us in this mutiny, inviting us with lyrics like:

"Jesus fucking Christ, oh god no!

From the moment that you realise

Most of this ain't real

To the moment that you decide

Shall we go out tonight

And we'll swim from these island shores

Till there's a fear of drowning..."

We all sign up and join in on the madness, invading the deck and electing them our captains, carrying on drinking like old sailors and dancing and celebrating in anarchy. Until all rules were blown away, Eamon joining in with the crowd turned crew, carrying his drum with him, everyone banging it with their hands, their glasses, their bottles, then when he gets back Noble jumps on his shoulders and climbs on the ceiling, while Hamilton is by now literally eating his microphone. It was mayhem. By the end, half the band had left the stage crowd-surfing and disappearing into the back of the venue while most of the crowd was taking branches of ivy.

Tripping?

Welcome to Club Sea Power...

And good bye... Thanks for coming!

It was a great gig and the perfect end to a great weekend. The start of the summer couldn’t have been better, six months into this cultural shake up year and we’re having a bloody laugh!

Greetings from Cork... Wish you were here?

The Chalets, bubblegum sexy chancers

2005-06-01T19:06:00.000Z

The weekend started with me and Kid-O having a stereo fight, with him playing the stereo in his room real loud and me responding from across the hall with a louder than loud Nightrocker, pumping the bass on the mixer. It was half nine and it was time to rock and roll, I grabbed my John Deere hat and we left in Kid-O's new unpimped ride.

We got the perfect parking spot on the South Mall and before you can say one we were outside Club One. As we made our way in we met the promoter, whom Kid-O knows of course, who brought The Chalets back on the banks of the River Lee. We got rid of our jackets and approached the bar, a routine we're well used to. I realize the venue is half empty and think that maybe is still early, but the warm up band's on stage already and five minutes later I realize they just performed their last tune. I didn't ear much but I'd say I wouldn't mind their easy peasy electro pop and I liked one of the lads' sunglasses, with pulsating red lights a la Kit.

The Chalets were watching the gig in the crowd and when it finished they lingered around meeting entusiast fans, just like in the Brog a few months ago. These guys proved again to be nice kids, always up for a laugh. Shortly after they took their interchangeable stage positions and the set started.

While me and Kid-O were appreciating the lads and their great skills (As you can see from the pics I took, we had no interest whatsoever in the girls, Pony and Pee Pee, who danced their bubble gum sexy routine in miniskirts and boots in center stage) our favourite Dublin band entertained us with a thight set that included (not necessarely in the following order): 'Theme from the Chalets' and 'Two chord song', their trademark intro; then they introduced their brillinant new single 'Feel the machine', which is out just now... "You can even find it in Golden Disk" - pause - "We made it... we have a single in Golden Discs!" said the guitarist; then more intersting new material and our favourites 'Go Go (Don't Go)', 'Fight your Kids', 'Sexy Mistake', the brilliant 'Nightrockers'.

Me and Kid-O were ipressed, specially by the drumer who kept playing those drums in a timely, loud, still neat and thight fashion. The band have their live sound well together and swap stage position as easily as they swap instruments. Fair play to them, Kid-O can't resist and must buy the T-Shirt, but it's bar time once more. Then all of a sudden, it happens again, the seasonal students migration, that sees them drunk and disorderly moving out of the library, where they spent the last month sleeping, and into the pubs and the clubs for a week or two before they reach exhausted their hometowns in the four corners of the Republic.

We met Loz from Green Monitor, Laura and her flat mate, and Kid-O chatted up one of the girls from The Chalets and finally bought the T-Shirt off her. I colleccted our jackets and proposed to try and get into the Triskel. Kid-O accepted reluctantly as this meant we were leaving Laura behind. By the time we reached the door we were asked if we had tickets, we knew then the place was sold out and we wouldn't get in. ANT was just by the door, so I knocked on the glass and gave it a try, but there was no way we could get in. Too bad, maybe we should have staied in One, I think Kid-O was pissed off. We stopped in the Brog for a drink and the place was packed with young first and second year students. It was hot, loud, uninspiring and we left after a pint. Pity we couldn't get in to hear Derrick May, still I had a great time at The Chalets' gig. At home then is is living room drunken shite talk on eighteen year olds until we call it an early night.

Decent Days and (Drunken) Nights

2005-05-23T20:35:00.000Z

The much anticipated Heineken Green Room Session was approaching fast and still I had no ticket. I never got it in the first round and only a few days before the gig I was starting to think I wouldn't make it in. Then the fortuitous encounter with Ho Chi Feen at a bus stop on Pana restored my hope, he was kindly offering to have me on the list. I made it, but there were more friends, above all Kid-O, I didn't want to leave out, so I insisted checking the Heineken site until I got not one but two tickets, between Ho Chi's list and these we were all sorted! Given the effort put into getting tickets, I was pretty excited about the gig. Not that I'm a huge fan of the Futureheads, I probably really like four or five of their tunes, but it's the kind of music I like hearing live.

Friday at work was going really slow, but the news of a Spanish house party reaching me through the inestricably complicated incoming mail server cheered me up... great timing! Punctual as a swiss clok, I jetted out of the office and visited the offie to get some booze for the house do. At home then the usual 'relaxation' practices took place, before a quick munch would put my hunger to a rest. Showered, perfumed and dressed up, it was time to hit the yellow brick road to La La Land!

Missed, as you do, the appointment with Ed 'Sushi' and 'My Friend Dario' (Named thus after Vitalic's !fresh! tune... After all his name IS Dario and he IS my friend, it made perfect sense!) I headed straight to the party. Of course Kid-O left the house with me and joined in when he heard the words 'Spanish' and 'party' in the same sentence! The party wasn't the greatest (It was fairly early, it would pick up later) and there weren't many Spanish people (Read girls if you're Kid-O) but still some funny fuckers kept me entertained. Since most of these were Italians, Kid-O started giving out that it was an Italian party and not a Spanish one. My Friend Dario took center stage, he was too drunk too soon and and had everyone in stitches. We sipped away at our Heineken and in the meanwhile Ho Chi and his french flatmate joined the party. As more people arrived it was time for us to leave and head into the Savoy.

A first glimpse at the band...

When we got there and got our free pints (Danke vel mol Heineken!) we realised the band was on already. We thought they'd be on later, Kid-O was getting pissed off, accusing me about going to the party and leaving too late, but when we asked around we were please to know that that was only the start of their third song. The good news got us thirsty and downed a few pints at the speed of the 70's garage punk thrown at us. We mainly staied at the back and enjoyed the show. The athmosphere was good, people was really into it. A young energetic crowd that was a pleasure to see jump around.

Standing at the back, sippin on our Heineken...

Letting the young ones do all the work...

The taste of malt was getting stronger in my mouth and the percentage of alcohol poisoning my blood stream was now at an acceptable level but still I was able to spot Jenny and Paudy. Having lost the rest of the lads I stuck with this beatiful couple. Always together and always ready to party when needed. We had a great laugh and drunk like camels, setting up a nice wee party on our side. As jenny danced away, we enjoyed the NYish 'Carnival Kid', the catchy 'A to B' chorus line and its punching percussions and the ubiquotous 'Decent Days and Nights', were the kids went mad (escpecially those who thought 'This is their famus song!'); anyhow it pulls you into nodding your head and tapping your foot, and before you know it your jumping around too.

Curiously inspiring moments...

I guess I was fashinated by lights... ('nuff said)

The gig flowed through our ears, enveloped our offuscated brains and we loved it. We whistled and we shouted until the infectuous 'Oh oh ohoo' backing chorus that introduces 'Hounds of Love' and re-introduced The Futureheads on stage, in a mesmerising white light (Was it real or was I seeing my God?), had us all shout with excitement. A drunken crowd is easy to win over but this band came and played their music, conquering us song by song. Maybe not the best album or innovative, breakthrough music but a good dose of tenage angst and certainly an enjoiable live show.

"Oh ohoh ohoo..."

The band back on stage and the crowd back to business!

The end of the gig marks also the end of what I remember of the night. A few confused frames, still images of Kid-O, Ho Chi and Benedictus outside the Savoy; then Me, Ho Chi (With girl) and Benedictus back at the Spanish flat; Some beatiful Spanish girl that works in my office (He he he... Couldn't forget that!); Some other beatiful Italin girl (He he he... Couldn't forget this one either!). Then some audio, Ho Chi Feen saying: "I must head off, I gotta work early in the morning..." (He confessed the morning after, through a PROC pm, that he was late the morning after... very late). Then nothing...
Reports on Monday were alarming, apparently I slapped Mrs (Evil at times) Sushi on her ass... He he he! (Ed Sushi, will you ever forgive me? ...you gave me all that whiskey at the start of the night after all).
In the end it was all worth it, we had a great night (I had a drunken night) and we were all home safe and in one piece (Which is a plus).

The Republic of Langers

2005-05-19T20:19:00.000Z

Good word of mouth has been going aroud for a while, so we decided to check out these republicans of loose, a funked up night is always good! I met Camillo of HalfPenny Marvel at the door as scheduled and we went straight to the bar and there we hooked up with Sheena (Thanks for the pics!!!) and David. As I stood at the bar thinking what to get, out of the blue I thought of the summer and ordered a Corona. Camillo did the same and we stuck to it for the night, in fact by the end of the gig we were drunk like mexicans...

As we grabbed our first drinks the second band, Vesta Varro, started playing their first songs and they sounded cool, so we headed down the front. Corona after Corona they sounded better and better, the thing that impressed me the most is the energy they were putting into it. They might remind you of Coldplay too much at times, still it was a good bunch of songs they played, we liked them. Just enough time to get another Corona presto! And the Republic of Loose were on stage. They started with the hipnotic 'Ride with Us', reminiscent of The Doors, the singer infact looked a bit like Jim Morrison the day before dying, but without the huge beerbelly. When I saw the singer I realized that there was some trash elements in this band! Then when I saw the guitar player I got confused, I looked at the bottle of Corona, and I looked at him again, and he really looked like John Squire...

Two different styles of shouting...

...And no, the guitarist in the background is not John Squire!

It was all clear at the start... then things started to get fuzzy

They didn't sound too bad on stage but the reaction from the public was a bit slow to pick up and the singer could sense that. Anyhow I really liked a few of their tunes, starting with 'Hold up', which is fresh and funky, or the excellent, very danceable and with a real groovy bass, 'Tell more lies'... I danced... with a Corona in my hand of course, but it was then that I started paying attention to the lyrics, things like: "Tell more lies, put away your playstation - Tell more lies, you're not having any fun" or even better "Tell more lies, when you're on the telephone - Tell more lies, to yourself all alone" and "Tell more lies, you keep on counting on what you know, and that's gonna let you down", amusing, I wanna tell more lies! Then there was the smooth 'Girl I'm gonna fuck you Up' "...you wanted this way...feels so good...la la la la la lala", I liked the sarcasm, I thought they had great lyrics. The signs of a drunken singer started to be clear when he went around the stage picking up pints and all the other members of the band were going "No! That's mine", "...And that one's mine"

The singer becoming more and more a langer...

The funky bass guitar duo seen through yet another bottle of Corona...

By the end of the gig they had us all dancing, but it was a bit late and the fact that they sort of... 'forgot' to come back on stage for an enchore didn't help. The place empitied so fast by the time I was back from the bar nobody was there, so me, Shena and David decided to head off too, but we left Camillo there, who ended up staying out all night through other paths... as you do!

Where do all the langers go after midnight?

We stayed in the Brog until closing time of course. We met a good bunch of fellow social drinkers including Enea from beatiful Sardinia, the Italian speaking duo Trisha and Mary, Smiley and more. Me, David and Trisha went home for more, there we found Tikki up, with more people coming knocking on our door later... It went on all night, but that's another story...

The way home was long, fuzzy and blurred...

But that was just the beginning... all over again!

Homegrown

2005-05-02T14:45:00.000Z

Last Friday we went to the second installment of Homegrown in the Triskel. Having missed the first, I couldn't miss this one. I was also pleased to go back to the Triskel for a club night, it is a great venue for parties, is has been so since the Yummy Yuki, and it is even nicer now after the renovation. I went in to meet Derek and Kid-O in there. I found them right where they said they would be. Nellboy (with Kid-O of course) were just on stage, so me and Derek went to the bar to get enough supplies to see us through the gig without having to walk out of the main room again and again. For some reason though we kept on leaving the main room for a few moments every twenty minutes, not to go to the bar, but out the (more 'libertine') smooking area at the back.
Anyway... on stage there were a few surprises...

Kid-O on stage... MC Strict throwin' a few Homegrown rimes in there...

Mc Strict was unexpectedly on stage, how did he end up there without anyone knowing? "That's because I only gave him a call before the gig.that's because I only gave him a call before the gig" claimed Nellboy later on the Music forum. It was a a good addition to the line up many thought but it doesn't look like it's going to be permanent. Nellboy on MC Strict the day after on the Music forum: "Ya I thought he was excellent myself and he added a lot to it. I'm sure we'll have another outing with him alright. His heart is in the metal though, and rightly so for him, The Method rock. I'm just glad he's up for doing a bit when he's free".

One more percussionist and tonight's band is complete...

Nellboy approves... rightly so...

As the gig goes on and we dance to the eclectic mixture of sounds and textures enriched tonight by MC Strict's contribution, I find myself more and more captured by the excellent visuals flowed on the backdrop...

By the time Nellboy left us they had welcomed us in a party with friendly, familiar people, they had us wakin' up from the sleepiness that nearly kept us home tonight, put us in the mood for dancing, all in a sweet short but rich set. Itchy and the Optimist were to take over, we were to spend some time outside with a thirsty Kid-O and a nice crowd of Culture Kids and Culturettes.
We spoke with all of 'em I think, as the atmosfere got drunker and friendlier, and I even managed of being accused of putting up an Italian accent! Derek and Kid-O testimony didn't convince her either... Well after much socialising it was time again to go and have a wee dance at the best electro that this city has to offer recently. Itchy and the Optimist...

Itchy: "I did good didn't I?" - The Optimist: "Yeah, you did great bhoy!...
...'twas amazing, best set ever! Look at 'em they loved it! You're top!!!"

A local Optimist spreadin' the good mood...

At the end of the gig we were well danced, drunk, optimist about the future of the local scene, satisfied with the night out and tired from the previouse night Japanese non-sense rock. After a smoke outside the Triskel, it was time for us to return home. Kid-O went collecting his stuff, Derek got his usual 3 am roll in the shop and off we went, back where we came from, on the couch in our place...

Heavy Metal fol eva!

2005-05-02T14:30:00.000Z

After a much needed, and well deserved, quite weekend and spending the following one in Italy, to celebrate the national Liberation (From fascism, that is) Day home last Monday, it was time for me to hit the roads of the Capital once again. In Napoli I had a brilliant night out with Sirguy, who settled permanently in Bustin’ Loose studio in posh Posillipo, but the rest of my holiday were spent in and out of restaurants... it was time now for some action!

Thursday morning and I was bored at work (As you do), so I went checking the PROC’s Events section (As you do) and found out that the maddest (As in nuts) Japanese band, Electric Eel Shock, was gonna visit us again with their humorous take on Rock and Roll.

I texted Kid-O, and he was in straight away. A couple of nights earlier he mentioned wanting to shave his head soon, and the occurrence of a Rock concert (He is after all a big AC/DC fan!) was more than welcome, so he could party through his last Rock days with long, greasy, messy, in one word… Rock, head!

We headed into town early enough and after cruising around the whole center we found parking on Grand Parade. We headed to the venue, Cyprus Avenue, where we were supposed to meet Sheena and David. When we go in, there wasn’t much people and yet we managed not to find them for half an hour or so... - "Where are you?" - "Inside by the bar" - "All right, we’re just outside we’re comin’ in" - We got in, we met someone on the way in and stopped talking for a while, then got to the bar and there was no one there, then my phone rings - "Sheena?" - "Where are you?" - "At the bar, where are you?" - "We’re just out side havin’ a cigarette, we’ll see you in a minute" - And it goes on like that for a while, until 5 phone calls later you meet... It is comforting to see that there’s always someone at the bar though!

Captain Insano, a confused blur...

The first band on stage, Captain Insano, who where making a... load of noise really (I’m afraid grind metal is not my thing), didn’t catch my attention, but the bar did, so I decided to stick to it until everyone else would call by for their beverages, an eventually we all were there agreeing we didn’t like grind metal. The second band on stage, were a bit better, but still we engaged in a big ‘conversation’ at the bar, about New York, where Sheena comes from and where David lived for a few years. All the same we found the time to have a few drinks in between all the talking, and when Kid-O, finished his third Tiger beer, he started being attracted by the colourful T-shirt and Cds stand, and possibly the two Japanese girls who where behind it too, he felt the urge of buying a T-shirt and we all participated in choosing the right one for him...

A sneaky fag and we were back and up the front just in time for the first song ‘Suicide Rock and Roll’. By the second, the punky and to the point ‘Bastard!’, from their new album Beat Me, we were doing the backing vocals...

David joins the band...

Then the darker ‘I Can Hear the Sex Noise’ and more, until it was time for the singer to start shouting "Heavy Metal fol eva!" and there was mayhem on the dance floor, at least on our side…

The band are really great and they’re putting up a hell of a performance too on stage, all the heavy metal symbolism is revived with humour and often overstated, brought to funny extremes...

The devil sign... the fist sign... the banging-the-guitar-onto-your-head sign, a sign of madness...

Then Biting the guitar... and havin’ a mad drummer is part of the deal too...

Electric Eel Shock, are not just a bunch of clowns thou, they're good, powerful players and their sound is really tight live (Well, they’ve been touring almost without rest for the last two years or more) with good, at times even catchy songs.

Power Bass... Banging drummer (With two sticks in each hand and his stick in a sock)

We were really enjoying the gig, I liked their new hard stuff like ‘Beat Me’ or even better the more elaborated melodies on ‘Killer Killer’, their rendition of ‘Iron Man’ was great as well, and at times funny, speeded up to a punkish, and therefore irreverent, parody.

Rock and Roll!!!

The sound was powerful; the songs were great and Kid-O, was really in his element, and he had another urge: first he said he wass gonna jump on stage naked. Then he lingered for a while and we ended up with this...

Cyprus Uncovered...

The gig was coming to an end, and we sobered up from the cascade of sound that had just hit us. The Electric Eel Shock, had shocked us once again with a victorious performance. I had to get their cd and the ‘Double Peace’ T-shirt... A classic!

Veni, Vidi, Sushi...

But Sushi for 2 no Veni...

Outside it was Thursday night no more, there was work to do in the morning so we parted with Sheena (Who took most of the pictures - Thank you! - including the one below) and David and went home, listening to Rock, doing all sorts of silly signs and bangin’ our heads... As you do!

EES drum kit seen from New York...

Big Wednesday (Snow Patrol and Belle and Sebastian Dj Set)

2005-04-13T09:41:00.000Z

News of pre-sale tickets being sold out already made me worry I would be left out, but an Euro Trash Kid like me is hard to stop when his mind is set on having a night out! At 9pm me, Kid-O and the Knacker headed down to the Quad to be first at the door and secure our entrance to what promised to be a great night. As we stepped in the pub the Champions League match was still being shown on a maxi screen. The crowd we found in there did indeed exceede our expectations, with a great number of Culturettes sipping away at their cocktails and pints... the Knacker was delighted!

Bren and Conner...

As we ordered our first drinks, Bren & Conner were getting on stage in the Quad, and entertained us to a double acoustic guitar set. The songs somehow reminded me of David Gray, but with a more rebellious edge, less boring topics and a more upbit rithm to it. Quite a good set I must admit. With the first band's set coming to an end, me and the Knacker headed upstairs for a 'smoke'. In the roofless room we met Tessa, who the Knacker knew from before. Tessa is an Art student at the Crawford. Our conversation revolved around her year project, then shifting to a more general discussion on how the Crawford works, how the students procede in shaping their projects with great freedom through the three or four years courses. I must admit I was fashinated and we talked for ages.

Tessa: "I Study Art" - The Knacker: "I study the Art of Love...

...It's a life long project you know!"

We all moved back downstairs together to head into the second room this time. Here we found ourselves completely magnetised by the excellent jazzy-bluesy session provided by Valdman, Smith and Baus. The technical skills on stage were really at a high level, with a guitar, a piano and a sax that seemed to sing at each other rather than just play together, we stayed for the full set and we hardly spoke to eachother, except to say things like 'They're good!' and 'Great tune' etc..

Valdman, Smith and Baus... Pure class...

More drinks were drunk and the craving for nicotine pushed us upstairs and outside again. As we came back into the dancefloor area, the dj set was about to start. Me and the Knacker could not resist and stayed upstairs, despite the excellent Nellboy (Which feature our own Kid-O on persussions) were due to play shortly downstairs. We got more drinks and stepped onto the dancefloor to start shakin' our hips in a careless fashion, as we didn't even notice the overwhelming majority of Culturettes crowding the floor.

Quite a beautiful example of Culturette

Although we looked unconcerned, we kept on watching around trying to solve the impossible question: "Which one shall we approach?". And every and each time we thought we could finally set our minds on two girls over here, some other girls over there would catch our attention, starting again the meticoulous comparison process during which me and the Knacker would exchange opinions but would never come to a definitive conclusion... Too much stress, another smoke was needed and off we went...

Knacker, their watching us...

^ Mistery Girl of the week... I guess

As we went outside, we were joined by the Nervous, his new Spanish 'friend'...

...Then Ben and Silvio from Sangre Latino...

The converstation got going and involved Kid-O and Niwell of Sumu...

While Tessa and her friend were hiding from the crowd...

Then Tessa took over the camera...

And did a great job with it...

A confused chit chat on some topic I can't even remember went on for a while, but eventually we were able to step back inside and dance to Tom 'Snow Patrol' Simpson's excellent set. The amount of electro thrown in there was just ridicolous and the eclectic mix even included Joy Division and Madchester classics like 'Blue Monday'. I really thought his set was outstanding, and so did the others, considering how much effort everyone was putting into the dancing. The atmosphere was growing as drinks and drugs effects got hold of the punters.

Students studying during the month off, staying in the 'library' 'til late...

Tom on the deks...

I stayed dancing until the very end, when the white lights awoke me back to reality. I couldn't help myself and had to walk up to Tom and tell him how good the set had been ("Langers? Who... me? Absolutely... not!") before re-joining the Napoli Boys down stairs, where in the Quad Sangre Latino were closing another of their insane sets.

"Jesus!" - "No it's only Silvio singing his lungs out..."

And the people were still dancing the night away...

We eventually gathered outside the venue, looking for that special party...
We were lucky to be invited to a secret location for some after hour drinking that went on, in the shades of a musicless and poorly lighted room, until 5am. Here we convened, after a long but lively debate, that Steve (Who's from England) was the only one in the room speaking English.

Steve speaking English to an international audience...

That was a great night (Sushi team, where were you?) and a good occasion to 'get in shape' for the temporary return of the French Langer...

Sumu Land

2005-04-09T15:17:00.000Z

After the successful experiment with the Rebirth gig, live music is back in the Woodford under the 'Meltin’ Pot' banner, which well reflect what has happened, and is still happening, in Cork in the last few years. The coming together of many people from different countries, even continents, in this growing crossroad (still under construction of course!) of different cultures. Of this side of Cork, perhaps not represented enough in the celebrations for the Cultural Capital year, Sumu are a beautiful example. Sirguy was leaving the next morning so a Napoli Boys get together was due. The transnational crowd would well get Sirguy ready for his International flight plus Sumu, which we enjoyed many Thursdays in the Tikki, haven't played Cork since Christmas or so.

Me, Sirguy and Kid-O made our way to the Woodford, and there we met with the Nervous and the Knacker. We were surprised to see Jennifer there (the Knacker’s dream girl from '99 to ’01, when she sort of disappeared from Cork). That was a you-look-at-me-I-look-at-you-but-we’ll-never-even-talk sort of platonic love story. We just couldn’t stop laughin’ at the time, as we’ve never seen the Knacker so paralyzed by a girl before!

He wasn't paralyzed this time but still didn’t attempt to chat her up… In the meantime me and the Nervous could be spotted at the bar while drinking Jack and Coke after Jack and Coke, to the extreemely pleasant soundtrack provided by the brilliant Dj Fiasco and his eclectic and clever mix of jazz, hip hop and afro-latinisms. At the same time Kid-O, the Knacker and Sirguy were scanning the the female audience in the house... as you do!

...And there was Tikki...

The Woodford got quite full in the meantime, and as the crowd took place around the stage, Sumu members were happily mixing with the crowd, greeting and chatting with friends and fans alike. Then it was time to get on stage.

Niwell sporting a white outfit and a pearly head...

We heard a few new songs which were warmly welcomed by the crowd, but it was the classics like ‘Where is the love’, ‘Alright’, ‘Sunady Sun’ that really got the crowd going, jumping and dancing about in total freedom (Especially the girl who danced in bare feet).

The percussions that got us going tribal...

After many quite a few drinks and enough tribalism we moved outside to get some fresh air and smoke a hundred cigarettes, with help for me the extended Italian community present at the gig...

The Knacker explainin' how much he likes to smoke... A happy smoker...

We left early, after all it’s been quite a busy stay for Sirguy... (Even though I have a feeling we might see him soon back in Swinging... Ahem... Staggering Cork) ...Considering the state we were in, it was the right choice to make...

EA(s)TER Weekend

2005-03-28T08:39:00.000Z

The Easter weekend started early for the Napoli Boys, as we kissed Annelise good bye (She’s going to Peru for a few months!!!) in the Tikki Lounge. But this was only after me and Sirguy spent good part of the afternoon in the Bodega, sippin’ on several pints of Murphy’s, delighted to be able to sit outside, and enjoying the mild temperature brought about by the Gulf Stream. As we found ourselves half pissed and starving we strolled down Oliver Plunket St. to have dinner in Milano’s. We treated ourselves to a nice Parmiggiana di Melenzane and a crispy, fresh Nastro Azzurro beer. With our stomachs full of grub we knew we needed something to help the digestion process, so we headed into the Mutton Lane for a Jameson with ice. At nineish we eventually got into the Tikki, were Annelise and others from the office were already hitting the bar. We stayed until closing time, joined by the Gipsy, havin’ a good time, thanks to the live band delivering some nice, danceable latin tunes, which the public was appreciating enough to dance, cheer and shout at the several solos performed now and then. We stopped outside the Tikki, where we met some really nice girls, for a smoke, but it was getting late, I had to work too early in the morning, so off we went to bed…

Friday at work was a drag, the hangover was getting bigger as work was getting busier, and I left the office with the biggest headache over half an hour later than I was supposed to… I hate working late, specially on a Friday, left alone when I’m hangover, so you can imagine the mood I was in! Sirguy and the Nervous were waiting for me in town, and we got ready for a quite nite in. We had a nice dinner and we watched ‘The Motorcicle Diaries’. We were supposed to go to a party, but we just couldn’t get off the couch, so we just fell asleep there.

Saturday then was such a beautiful day we just couldn’t stay in. Me and Sirguy hit the town and made all sorts of efforts to always walk on the sunny side of the street. Town was lively enough, and on Patrick St we met this virtuoso drummer who entertained us with some amazing solos.

Drumming Topless on Pana... Sirguy can't believe it's sunny

We had our Aperitivo in the Franciscan Well, where an Ester beer festival was taking place, and where we met more Italian friends. This gorgeous girl, who seemed to be Brazilian, dominated the scene and, needless to say, she immediately became the center of our attention and the main topic of our conversation. At around five we moved to Miguel’s place for dinner. As the Aperitivo had a devastating effect on our will to cook, dinner came in the form of a Four Star pizza. The pizza was bad enough, so we washed our taste buds with some nice white Verdicchio wine, as Miguel, just back from Brazil, told us about his three weeks holiday in Rio for the Carnival. Once the wine was gone, Miguel decided it was time to open a bottle of Champagne, which has been lying in his wine cellar for way too long. Miguel was staying in, so Sirguy and me left him to hit he city centre. We were sparkingly drunk, bubbly happy and stopped in the first available Pub, which coming from Summer Hill North, just happened to be one of our favourites also: Bru. We met Ho Chi Feen there, had a few words with him, downed a pint like it was way too easy and off we went across the River Lee and onto what is the local Manhattan Island. We tryied to get a drink in the Mutton, but it was way too busy for us to even get in the place, left alone get a drink. The next attempt to find a bar all for ourselves was rendered vain by the huge queue outside the Bodega. It was by now past eleven so we looked at each other and said ‘Fuck it… let’s go to Fast Eddies’. It was barely half eleven and we were the first customers in, and we got what we wanted, a full bar and three bar persons all for us! A few Jack and Coke later we were joined by the Nervous, half the Carrigaline Posse, Joyce and Avril. Although the tunes were ‘alright’ we did have a major laugh in there, possibly because of the Champagne we drunk earlier. After the club we went looking for a party, but all we found was a Tea party, so we had a cup of tea, a smoke, and off we went to bed.

"I strongly suggest you go to Rio for the Carnival next year", said Miguel, with a glimpse in his eyes... We could only agree!

On Easter Sunday then, we got up quite late, and when we discovered we had to put the clock an hour forward, it got very late. We had to rush up to Montenotte to attend an Easter Barbeque at Edward’s. A good chunk of the Italo-Corkonian community was there, including the Gipsy, the Salesman and many others, plus two brave irish and our good friend Mrs Sushi (Who takes care of sister blog Sushi for 2 with Ed). Slowly but steadily we went through Pork Ribs, Burgers, Chicken legs, Italian Salami, Olives, Bruschette, several cases of beer, even more bottles of wine (Mainly Chianti) and a few Easter eggs. With so many musicians in one place, the afternoon could only end up with a mega session. We had the Gipsy and Gazzella on acoustic guitar, Edward on the electric guitar, Caz singing, Sirguy at the drums (which were a set composed of several plates, pots, glasses, empty cans and bottles on which Sirguy would bang away with two forks) and me at the Pastaracas (Ie homemade maracas with pasta inside plastic cups)…

The Gipsy, Gazzella, Sirguy and Edward... a well fed SuperGroup

And the Gipsy goes mad, soloeing like there's no tomorrow!

We left Edward’s at around ten, Sirguy went on to meet the Nervous at the Half Moon, were our own Kid-O and his Green Monitor would play live, along with Wiggle. An early start on Monday forced me to go to bed instead...

Fear and Loathing on St Patrick's

2005-03-19T13:35:00.000Z

The Napoli Boys celebrations for St Patrick started about a week ago really, when we kicked off a week of partying at the Savoy last Friday. While we sipped away at our eccentric mix of all sorts, we were entertained by NellBoy, Cartoon and The Method.

NellBoy, featuring our own Kid-O on percussions, warm-welcomed us to a still empty Savoy. I enjoyed the slow rise in bpms that eventually got us all onto the dance floor. It was then time for Cartoon to celebrate their headlining slot with their followers, which are growing at every gig... I decided to go upstairs though, to check out Strict's outfit The Method in the foyer, were they rocked an appreciative crowd. The good thing about tonight certainly was that, although Cork's music scene is diversifying, which is good, it is growing strong with talent, and is doing so united. Pity we can't say so about the support the wider local art scene gets.

We called it an early night, knowing we needed all the energies for the coming Paddy's day.

The following night, Saturday, we were in Fast Eddies paying due respect to Greg and Shane, who played an amazing set. The crowd went crazy (Read the people's reaction on the PROC Forum) and refused to leave without stomping their feet to one more tune... Greg and Shane Could not fail them, as the floor started bouncing again with full lights on reflecting off the sweat on everybody's faces. A prologue to the madness that would take place at Groove Armada.

Lights on, arms up... Let's Go Deep!

The night is young and we moved on to a house party behind the Bus Station. The buzz was great, there were decks and we meet up with loads of friends but the Garda showed up, so the decks stopped turning, the people stopped dancing, and everyone exousted ended up leaving the house, craving for their, or someone else's, beds. We retired to the Knacker and the Nervous' gaff to chill out...

A few days of rest and relaxation were well deserved, but we were at it again Wednesday night, for Groove Armada in the Savoy. We met up for an energetic dinner at the Nervous', were we had a traditional Italian aperitive with our beloved Pinot Grigio wine, drinking a bottle before dinner is a nice start to a night out.

Nearly ready lads... And the effect of the Pinot on the Knacker...

We headed into town early enough and went straight into the Savoy, where we chilled out in the foyer, having a few drinks, waiting for the crowd to build up to the venue's full capacity.

Having a cigarette...

We brought along Sirguy's new Mix, Katap - My Trip (SUD Mix), so we hanged around the stage, on the empty dance floor waiting for Andy and Tom of Groove Armada to come out. As they approached the side of the decks stand, we got Andy's attention, to whom Sirguy gave the vinyl, asking them to fill in the feed back form... targeted marketing style!

Andy this is Cork, Cork this is Groove Armada...

The set was great I thought, a really bouncy, feel good, happy out mix of tunes to which the crowd responded by bouncing about the dance floor unconcerned. There was a good athmosphere on the floor and everybody seemed like they were having a good time, exactly what this was all about.

As the night heated up, the Knacker got down to business, as you do...

With Sirguy helping him out...

At the end of the gig, when at two sharp Tom and Andy were told to cut it and we got rudely awaken by a full white floodlight, the crowd erupted in a long 'One More Tune' chant that must have gone on for a good quarter of an hour and more. They must have been afraid of security issues if they allowed Groove Armada to launch the last tune, and what a tune, Superstylin'! Mayham on the dance floor!

Before Tom and Andy left the stage, Sirguy hook up with them again. Tom left him his phone number and asked to be contacted if there was any party... and of course there was a party, in a secret location, in a secret part of town, behind a secret door...

Tom and Sirguy, best of buddies...

So we partyed all night with Groove Armada. They're really nice people, down to earth, with no pretence except that of delivering a good set and a great night, trying to enjoying what they do at the same time.

After a long night and a few hours sleep, we joined the nation on St Patrick celebrations and walked right back into town and down the Mutton Lane for a 'cure'. The Mutton is great, every time I'm out there and look at the cool murales I discover a new curious detail. With the Knacker that went off to work (showing up at work only two hours late...) and Sirguy returning straight where he came from (To bed) after only half an hour, there was only me, the Nervous and Kid-O left, so we left. Into the Bodega then for one, before heading down to the Agora, on MacCurtain Street, for more Electro!

Kid-O and The Nervous... enjoying the darkness...

The afternoon kicked off for us with a great set by The Optimist, a breaked up, slow but over-danceable electro selection. Then it was time for NellBoy to control the growing crowd with his laptop generated beam of tunes...

Edward couldn't get enough of it...

We danced all afternoon with a truly mixed crowd of Corkonians, Italians, Spaniards (Mad into their dance!), French and god only knows what else... Strict from The Method was there and we had a good chat with him. We were also chatting to Dan. UCC DJ Society was there and members of Bass, I am sorry I don't remember the name of all the lads spinning tunes, giving us a good time, and the electro we've been waiting for. They even played Dead or Alive! The line up was great, fair play to the lads that put this together, this has been the best party in a pub since Lebowskis (Read the people's reaction on the PROC Forum).

Outside the Agora, just before the Garda payed us a visit...

Having a laugh... unlawful behaviour...

Look who we hang out with... Paddy himself...And the indigenous population!

The Garda closed the fun house down, so we had to move on. Kid-O left us for a lap-dancing club with a bunce of Barbarians, left over from the parade, as you do, while Edward (Of Sushi for 2) went for the comforting options of a bag of chips. Me and the Nervous looked at each other and we decided we didn't have enough and three steps later we were dancing next door in Bru. Probably our new favourite pub... The kiwi crowd was having a great party and the addittion of decks and a few Agora veterans improved the vibe, recreating the oh so missed clubinapub feel. By midnight we were knackered, litterarly. That was Paddy's day done and dusted...

Here's the eveidence that ST Patrick's alive and kickin' and he's well into Electro, just as ourselves...
(Click on the pic to launch the video, you need Quicktime)

The Rebirth of Soul

2005-03-15T12:52:00.000Z

The Woodford is a nice surprise tonight! Having never entered the pub at night, for it always was a Ben Sherman-wearing-crowd hot spot, I was impressed for how good this place looks. And it got enough space to work as a new, cool venue in the city center. The crowd as well was pretty cool, with people from Where's me Culture, Stevie G and some interstingly dressed up Culture Kids and Culturettes being spotted there, besides the usual Napoli Boys: The nervous, The Knacker, Sirguy and Kid-O (Napoli Boy Ad Honorem).

The night opened with DJ Arveene and Ashley Beedle spinning obscure soul and rare hip hop tunes to put us in the right mood for The Rebirth. Beers were flowing and the band got on stage, inviting us to have a good time together. It took a short while until the audience (as the lovely singer put it) 'graduated from wallpapers to dancers'!

The Rebirth immediately come across as very talented musicians and lovely geezers. They definitely impressed me when they crossed (Quite often and in an effortless fashion, I must say) the boundaries of traditional Soul into Hip-Hop, Jazz and Funk, but that's just because I prefer that side of Soul these days. When they funk, they do it right, as testified by the dancing audience. Almost no one could stand still when the sound went funkadelic! It is amazing how a US Soul band is immediately recognizable when they play, the passion that goes into the singing, the rhythm session, the keyboards... like the suffering is nourishing the sound to make a live gig almost like a spiritual experience.

Unfortunately I had to leave early, so I missed the after-show get together that went on in the tour bus. I also was disappointed to know that despite the Napoli Boys where there in full force, the two blond cuties from Latvia that delighted the male crowd, ended up following Arvo instead!

P.S.: Unfortunately the battery of my euro trash Nokia phone were gone so no euro trash pictures are available this time, sorry!

The Chalets Night Rockers!!!

2005-03-03T20:26:00.000Z

The expectations for The Chalets gig were pretty high. Me and Sirguy had planned and co-ordinated our daily tasks so that we could have a quick early dinner, in order to be in the Brog by nine max, which basically meant that my brother started cooking before I got home from work (As you can guess, not that much co-ordination was needed... but we made an effort all the same!) With the help of Kid-O, who drove us into town, we were in the pub way ahead of schedule and we hit the bar at 8:30 sharp.

When we got in, we were pleased to find Lola there, so we joined in with her group of spanish girlfriends (as you do!). Also partying with us were Maria and edward of Sushi for 2, good ole Dan and Cork rockers Alan and Graham of Silvya Saint. Once the alcohol from the first pint hit my head, I found myself puzzled by the Crisps and Chocolate dispenser resting to one side of the stage... I mean how trash is that?!?

Taytos, Kit Kat, Mars... the lot ------>

Lola is shy... Graham's not...
While Kid-O checks out the ladies...

The Brog was basically still empty, but the band was there drinking, sitting at a table by the stage, with the tour people (the gorgeous sound technician, Valerie) and joined then by some of their Corkonian friends. Pints were flowing nicely for both the band members and the Culture Kids that started filling the Brog, as we were entertained by an unidentified comedian with tunes.

The empty stage...
...Valerie and Dilbot "Are you havin' a pint?" ..."Sure why not!"
... Valerie and Enda "Are you havin' a pint?"...
..."Look I have one right here"...

As the support act was doing his best to come across as 'interesting', first Pony and Pee Pee, then the lads, went on to slip into their stage mise. The girls took ages of course, but re-emerged in sexy tiger-print dresses, very '80s. The lads came back in a few minutes, looking stylish all the same. Enda was wearing a belt similar to mine (Of course mine looks way cooler)

The Chalets, who recently won as Best New Coming Band at the Meteor Awards 2005, "hit the stage" - as they say in their (Biographical?) '2 Chord Song' (Check out irishmusiccentral for more samples) while the DJ was still spinning tunes and...

...he kept on spinning tunes... so Enda started strumming along with his guitar to whatever was on until the girls claimed their right to play some live music...

( ( ( (( WE'RE HERE... The DJ gave up then...

They start with the slow 'David Boring', then in rapid succession 'Sexy Mistake' (On their first single) and their sound is really tight, 'Fight your Kids' (Cool title!), 'Michael Kelly', and the infectious 'Go, Go, Don't Go' with the catchy chorus (The possible new single, due in April?) and the very danceable beat. I, along with many in the audience, just couldn't stay still and had to dance along (I didn't dare to sing along, I can't sing for me life!). Next was 'Gay Holiday', which Pee Pee and Pony explain is about finding out, on holiday of course, that your boyfriend is gay!

Interchangeable...

Pony made it clear that: "Of course none of us had a boyfriend who turned gay on holiday", to which Chris replied: "Enda did!". General laughter in the public, and The Chalets have demonstrated that, not only they are a brilliant band, but they can even outdo any comedy act supporting them... super cool! Then it was time for 'Nightrocker' (From their latest release Nightrock EP), as they shouted : "It took me all night to get you but I got you, It took me all night to get you but I got you..." (It took them half an hour to impress me and many others), after which Enda and Chris swapped their instruments, and their stage positions...

Enda... ...and Chris...

'2 chord song' (On a split Road Relish single) was cheered by many and 'Theme' (From the first single) was recognized immediately by the audience. Chris and Enda swapped once more places just before the super cool erm... 'C'est Super Cool' and the punchy erm... 'Love Punch' with which the set ended. The Chalets have by now inevitably conquered Cork.

After the gig, they went on and conquered the dance floor, and everybody's heart...

They're so nice and approachable they deserve all my respect.

Mad in the head... But Oh so approachable... ; )

Hang on a minute, where's my brother?

Oh, here you are...

What about Kid-o?

Here's were I found him the next morning...

Lemon Jelly... Lager Belly!

2005-02-28T09:56:00.000Z

Indeed, Lemon Jelly's concert will be forever remembered by me for having a belly full of lager. Not that I was particularly drunk, but they had us move and dance so little, all the beer I drunk was having trouble being digested, absorbed into the system and expelled again with the usual speed.

A concert that saw our two jellies getting on stage being visibly nervous. They well remebered their first gig EVER a couple of years ago in the very same venue as last saturday, The Savoy. They must have remebered how that gig was 'boring', to say the least, if they felt like pointing out in an interview with the Echo's Downtown, how then they were nervous, unsecure and unprepared to deliver a memorable live experience.

Well what happened two years later? Nearly the same. The gig started but the audience took some time to get going, and some verbal stimulation from the jelly lads, to the point that they asked the crowd: "Are you alive?". The crowd was well alive and after the first two tracks things got moving a bit. The beats got more dancey and the crowd started tapping their feet and swinging their hips, even fully dancing at times, for those two or three tunes that bore more rhythm in them. Specially a couple of tunes out of their quite good '64 - '05 album (The album is entirely based upon unlikely samples swiped from their vast record collections - the title signifies the span in years of the various samples), like the rock guitar engulfed 'Come Down on Me', featuring a great gutar sample from now defunct metallers Masters of Reality, or the beatifuly titled 'The Shouty Track'.

What didn't really work live, as you could expect, were older track from their ideal-dinner-party-soundtrack that was 'Lost Horizons'. 'Return to patagonia' was probably the best out of that lot. Quite disappointing I found was the quasi-euro-progressive-techno rendition of 'Nice Weather for Ducks', which was greeted by the Culture Kids and Culturettes with a great deal of shouting and whistles (A famous song!!! - The power of MTV) and which only confirmed that Lemon Jelly's live set again risked to be a disappointment. Although they have made a respectable effort in trying to make the whole experience more entertaining than the last time they were around, and they partlty succeded in doing so, still their earlier tunes are difficoult to render live, to make them interesting and appealing to a crowd hungry for dance tunes.

So was it worth 17,5 yoyos? In the end I must say that, although the music was "like chips with no salt" - as Sirguy effectively described the concert just after the show -, the visual show this lads have prepared and put up during the gig was, in my modest opinion, outstanding. A sequence of beatifull graphic intuitions which made the gig somehow a real nice visual exposition with a 'nice soundtrack'.

The visual experience...

I wish I had a real camera, instead of a Nokia phone...

The Kid-O, aka Gashlove of local Dubaholic favourite Green Monitor, who was with me and Sirguy at the gig, agreed with our impression of the show, while leading us to the Brog, looking for some late action, after the Dj playing the upstairs bar in the Savoy blew it BIG TIME! He plaied what were probably the 3 best tunes he had in his bag, in a row, at the start of his set! We just had to leave when predictable, old R&B tunes succeded one another in a tired fashion. Not even that gorgeously fit-but-oh-my-gosh-don't-you-just-know-it girl in see-through white top, miniskirt and ponytail could keep us there!

DJ Deep - I go deep, I go deep, I go deep...

2005-02-23T11:35:00.000Z

So last Saturday nite it was time for me to reunite with Cork's house nation, as I decided to go Go Deep in Fast Eddie's. Notoriously Cork is a House Music city, just like Napoli was years ago, before I left. The heritage left by over ten years of Sweat in Henrys is still strong and in fact it is undeniable that Corkonians still love Greg and Shane and the deep, jazzy house beat they have been succesfully divulgating in the Rebel Capital for over a decade. This weekend the danceable material was provided by Simo, aka DJ Deep, from France. Simo started Djing about 12 years ago and was launched by Laurent Garnier, who gave him a chance to DJ at clubs Boy and Le Palace (Paris), while he soon got his own show on Radio FG, called 'A Deep Groove...'.

A name, a program, shall we say? And a deep grove night it was all right, growing around me and wrapping me up into the oh so familiar, pleasant tingle that only a deep groove can give you. Henrys classics alternated with more obscure but equally lifting quasi-tech-house tunes, delighting the drug fuelled crowd. The dance floor as a result was constantly jammed, whith an unidentified couple of old, as in senile, punters who lingered at the back of the room, freaking out some much younger Vodka+RedBull drinkers, who probably started alucinating, thinking their grannies accompained them to the club! (As testified by shocked PROCsters)

No sign of Greg around, Shane could be seen dancing on the dancefloor while DJ Deep raped the mighty sound system. I spent most of the night munchin' in front of the speakers as I couldn't get enough of the bass reverberating in my bowels... Ahaa!

Of course I had with me other members of the Napoli Boys (The Nervous, The Knacker and my brother Sirguy) who were all very busy chasing skirts around the club, with not much success I must say. The Nervous as usual got his bit of sniggin with quite a nice young lade in a Missoni-like stripy dress, while The Knacker confirmed he is going through what looks like an 'Artist Block' as he couldn't get his hands on any hot asses. Sirguy instead hooked up with long-lost friend and one-month-long-one-off partner Annie but blew it all away when he told her He has been in love with her for the last five years. Of course he never rang her/wrote her an e-mail in the five years that passed since their passionate last encounter, so his credibility was lower than the freezing temperature that was awaiting us outside. And outside I was approached by Annie who was quite worried, and asked me to 'talk to my brother'...
Of course I did talk to my brother, and when I asked him: "What have you learnt from tonight?" - his reply was: "Not to lie!"
As the buzz winded down, The Nervous was catched by his current not-my-girlfriend-but-we-see-eachother-quite-often Aishling, and we moved back to The Nervous' place for a smoke or two and a few drunken picture-phone portraits.

The Nervous and Aishling

The Knacker and Sirguy still dancing

The Knacker posing

Euro Trash Kid and Sirguy.

The High heel shoe featured is Aishling's... enough said.

Will we do it all over again this Saturday? We'll see, in the mean time Lemon Jelly will entertain us on Friday night. Reports state that they were 'boring' the last time around, let's hope they have been doing their homework and come up with a somewhat more exciting gig.

Edward's House Warming

2005-02-12T20:28:00.000Z

Last week we inaugurated Edward's new residence up in posh Montenotte, with a well nice Sushi for 2 event. The rendevouz was at Hency's of St. Lukes. The place has always fascinated me for it is the gateway to posh Montenotte, and yet home to post hippies and neo goths. It even hosted the few squats I remember from back in the days, when many house parties were held after Henry's up at the top of Wellington Rd. I even lived up there myself, in two different houses.

As we left Hency's, where the Italo-Spanish crew that would animate the party gathered and got the drinks going, the Knacker joined us whit his new scooter. As any Neapolitan would have done, me, my brother Sirguy and the Knacker, drove on the scooter up to Edward's, no helmets of course! Sirguy's jeans must have got too close to the exhaust as it was burning away when we got to Edward's.

Sergio's jeans missing a good bit!

Well the party went on anyway, and as more people arrived and the rooms got smokey...

The Knacker skinning up, as usual...

The drinks kept on flowing and people started laughing at stupid things, like our newest friend Ugo, who couldn't stop laughing when wearing Sirguy's fedora hat!

Ugo! Vien aqui!

More smokes and more drinks later, the Knacker started behaving unexpectedly, showing all his love for his drink, by kissing his Stella's bottle cap!

Knacker Loves Stella

The soundtrack in the mean time switched from Edward's iBook to Maria's iPod, it's all Apple technology and indie music, and were loving it. The drinks prove to be enough and in the other rooms there are people eating, washing-machine soccer games going on, and neo gitans playing away on an acoustic guitar. Amidst all this partying Edwards received a phone call that shocked him. A girl was calling! She was crying for help, as she and her Austrian friends couldn't find the party! Edward left the place and rushed down the road to meet them, only to come back half an hour later, empty handed, sweat pouring off his foured and a purple face...

While the Gitan's mujer did get quite drunk, eventually!

...and the Knacker fell asleep...

More girls arrived towards the end of the bottles... pardon, the night. One extreemely drunk fell asleep, another one was so excited to see the Knacker, who woke up when he heard more girl voices, that he had to kiss her just before leaving.

Well we were drunk as f**k, and off we went again, the three of us, me, Sirguy and the Knacker, on the Knacker's scooter, speeding around town, rushing to get home, to another smoke and a well deserved night - day, more likely - sleep.

Dimitri from Paris & The Napoli Boys all over the shop

2005-02-01T21:16:00.000Z

So Dimitri from Paris came all the way to Cork (Via Japan ---> see his site) to party with the Culture Kids, as the local young population is now known across Europe, and the Culture Kids responded with a great party on the floor... The Savoy rarely looked this beatiful, for the amount of people, and the amount of nice ladies, the good fellas (Yes WE were there), and the wide spread party-all-night feeling on the dance floor. As Dimitri started a sleazy, sexy, classy set, which the Nervous thought was "Slow", the bars were still overcrowded, but as the rithm picked up, the floor crowded up, the french went camera(digital, of course)-crazy, the party started, and it kept on going until the very last second of the very last song Dimitri, who came from Paris, played...

Dimitri @ Work

Dimitri entertained the Culture Kids in such a way that the wistleling and the shouting towards the end of his set were reminful of Henrys. Many Culturettes, the young ladies on the Cork party scene, all demanded and obtained Dimitri's autograph on their breasts... Dimitri looked delighted...

Dimitri... Dimitri delighted!

One Culture Kid left wandering where is his Culturette gone to...

After the lovely lad from Paris had left us wandering outside the Savoy wanting more, looking for that special party, I don't remember how and why whe ended up in this pub which kept on serrving until 6 am, in company of a lovely bunch of friendly chaps and lovely ladies. We drunk, we... 'relaxed' out the back, and we drunk more until dawn. The dances went on all night of course, between a drink and a chat with a new best friend (...another) or the most beatiful girl ( ...yeah, yeah...) until it was time me, the Nervous, the Knacker and Kid-O moved on...

It was only six and the night was young so the Nervous (drank?-) drove us to a friend's house where the Carrigaline Posse was willing to entertain us until much later...

The Nervous having a light breakfast, early Sunday morning...

Great Weekend!

Mylo @ The Half Moon Theater

2005-01-25T13:38:00.000Z

The invitation for the gig sponsored by Heineken wasn't easy to get, you had to give up your e-mail address to their marketing department and join their database (And here I would put We Want your Soul by Adam Freeland as soundtrack). Lukily enough Migs (From the People's Republic of Cork Langer's Forum - Thanks Migs! : ) kindly gave me her invitation, as she headed for India. As me and my trash friends went in we grabbed the free green bottels (Rigorously one each, 1 e-mail= 1 bottle) and headed straight down the front to check out The Chalets. 3 boys and 2 girls playing electro-punk-rock tunes that deserved, and got, all our attention. As the feet started tapping and the hips swinging, I was checking out the band's stage presence and I must say they did impress me. A spot on theme of pink and black, the electricly charged twitching of the girls' bodies, and the old punk rock sweat and tears of the lads, specially the drummer... quite trash I must say! Well they did impress, and they lefts us with a date (At the Brog on the 2nd of March... wait or was it the 3rd? I do remember it was the 3rd bottle (Sorely empty!) I was holding in my hand by then.

Mylo came up, paying a sarcastic homage to the sponsor and then launched into his new album Destroy Rock & Roll... and we started to dance, all of us. Muscle car, In My arms, Destroy Rock & Roll, Need you tonight and the predictable (but still unresistable to dance to) Drop The Presure, which closed the night. At that stage, enough pressure has been laid on us, so we quietly dispersed, knowing that we just attended a great gig.
Guess where we went the following night? To Waterford, in Ten, where Mylo delivered a great dj set, in a brilliant club, to an excited, and exciting, crowd. And yes, he did play Adam Freeland's We Want your Soul there!

Mylo destroys rock&roll...

And again...

Then gets romantic with the beautiful 'In My Ars'...

***ets by etk***