Right, in a moment of madness, Mr. Rick and I have been set a challenge to give up alcohol for the month of July. He is a bit too cocky for his own good, but I am quietly confident too. Well, not so quietly: Who would have thought this would be my first webcam video?? Follow our progress on Twitter - @darrenbyrne, @rickoshea and hashtag #drinkorpink
It’s some kind of Wimbledon effect, I guess. It happens with British male tennis players, primarily during Wimbledon. It may just be me. But I always become overwhelmed by the urge to shout “Twat” at the screen. It certainly happened with Tim Henman and I know it happened with Greg Rusedski, the faux British Canadian. It is however reaching new heights with Andy Murray. I think it’s a combination of the clenched fist, grimacing and gurning when put in close proximity to fawning commentary and slow motion shots of toothless grannies clutching Union Jacks. It’s a potent mixture that is calculated to enrage – me, in particular. I suppose it’s the instant assumption of sanctity that arises, once they get past the third round. He’s the anointed one, he’s the greatest player in the world, he’s struggling really badly in the fourth round. Em, against some guy we’ve never heard … There’s more
PIXIES ANNOUNCE “DOOLITTLE TOUR” Los Angeles, CA - June 29, 2009 — To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of their 1989 album, Doolittle, Pixies - Black Francis, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering - will embark on a very special tour this autumn - the Doolittle Tour - which will kick off with two nights at the Olympia in Dublin, Ireland on October 1 and 2. Tickets for the Olympia Theatre are priced €44.20 (Upper Circle Seated) and €54.80 (Standing and Circle Seated) are available from this Friday, July 3 at 9 am
Dublin is clearly the place to be at the moment for the craic. With the Carlsberg Comedy Carnival kicking off in July and a host of comedians in preparation for The Edinburgh Comedy Festival, there is a lot of comics pandering their wares for a very reasonable rate. This evening we’re popping down to the International Bar on Wicklow Street at 6.30 to catch the first preview of Shane Langan’s Edinburgh Show. Shane is the genius behind Not Also But Only and is part of the comedy troupe Diet of Worms. Shane’s gig is completely free and will also run on Wednesday July 1st and Saturday July 4th at 6.30 for just under an hour. Later this evening, at 9.30, we’ll be catching Dermot Whelan at the Comedy Improv gig (Whose Line is it Anyway style) in the International. The gig is a measly few euro and should be fun. … There’s more
From the opening credits you know this is something different. Johnny Cash’s gravelly version of God’s Gonna Cut You Down sets the tone from the off for new major four-part drama Father and Son, co-produced by RTE and ITV. Written by the Emmy award winning Frank Deasy and directed by Brian Kirk, the drama features a celebrated international cast which includes Dougray Scott, Sophie Okonedo, Stephen Rea and Flora Montgomery, and focuses on the gun culture of inner-city life. Set in Manchester and Dublin, Father and Son tells the story of Michael O’Connor (Dougray Scott), an ex- gangland criminal now living in Ireland, who returns to England when his estranged son is charged with murder. Admittedly, when I was first given a copy of Father and Son for review, I was rather dubious. Despite the high calibre cast, it crossed my mind that this was just another mini-series designed to … There’s more
acdc played ireland june 28th 2009. Everything that could go wrong on ‘the organisers’ part did. The question is… was it worth it? Firstly, I dont want to take away from the band themselves and the music… most important to me….. but when one pays €153 just to get there. I also bought a car park ticket that I didn’t use. Instead I got the bus. Another €40 for me and John. Throw in some food and a few drinks and you have a pretty expensive day. I work darned hard for my extra spondulas. No matter what….. I did get to see ACDC. They are legends. And for that it was worth it but… similar to the saga that existed when Oasis played I guess it simply left a bad taste in my mouth. The question will always be ‘so how was the ACDC gig’? And I suppose the … There’s more
The name Abu Ghraib conjures up a lot of images, primarily of abuse, of shame for America, of some of the cruellest actions by a leading military power that has come to the world’s attention. The Wikipedia page is very grim reading: Beginning in 2004, accounts of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, including torture, rape, sodomy, and homicide of prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq came to public attention. These acts were committed by personnel of the 372nd Military Police Company of the United States Army together with additional US governmental agencies. Prisoners were subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse. The abuse included using dogs to scare and bite prisoners, death threats and sexual abuse. Joshua Casteel was a military interrogator in Abu Ghraib at the age of 24, shortly after this scandal broke. He was there from June 2004 to January 2005. He received an … There’s more
For several months I have looked at the notifications on Facebook for the next Dublin Flea Market and said to myself, YES I should go to this! There was something funky and interesting about it from what I had read on their blog. It being on just once a month though made it difficult and I only made it yesterday to the June market for the first time ever. I was barely in the door when I heard a powerful voice belting out a song round the corner and thought ‘I know that voice’ and off I headed, pushing through the crowds to discover the beautiful Nell Bryden singing at the top of her voice in the heat and humidity and buzz of the market. Cool! Having met her recently while filming Darragh’s interview with her, I said a quick hello to Nell before she was whisked off to be … There’s more
Title: Can’t Shake It Artist: Kate Miller-Heidke Label: Unsigned/Sony Music, Australia Release: Looking for UK/Irish label I execute the moonwalk like I stepped in… Its lines like that which make me love this song. You see poor Kate can’t shake her bootie (or booty, which is the right one) and this limiting factor is ruining her dancefloor time. You see, this is pure pop. But pop with humour. It sounds odd to say this but the ammount of bubblegum pop that takes itself seriously is, ironically, absurd. Or to put it another way, Sophie Ellis-Bextor (another hyphenated lady) or Lady GaGa writing a song as a pisstake would be pretty close to this. It sounds great, bouncy, but the po-faced delivery hides a wealth of comic timing. Of course all humour gets dull, but given her serious past, I think a bit of fun is allowed. Oddly, this works better … There’s more
