Monthly Archives: August 2011

Events: The Plastic House Exhibition

  By Sinead Keogh | August 31, 2011 - 12:30 pm | Events, The Arts
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If you’re into architecture (even in an amateurish way like I am … I once considered joining the Irish Georgian Society out of a love for sash windows and the possibility of meeting someone who owned some…) then The Plastic House Exhibition happening this weekend might be your cup of tea. Architecture Republic is opening its AAI* award-winning project The Plastic House as an exhibition space from 2nd to 4th September 2010. The theme - ‘the act of making domestic space’ - or looking at how we house the modern family, in layman’s terms, is really interesting. The style of houses we lived in thousands of years ago and hundreds of years ago is not what it is today, and will only continue to evolve. Maybe it’s my fetish for homewares talking, but I wouldn’t mind having a look at their vision for the future. The exhibition explores refurbishments, extensions, … There’s more →

Watch: The Pit - A Film About Crowdsurfing

  By Ronan | August 30, 2011 - 12:16 pm | Music
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There’s some things I’m too old for. Staying in hostels. sleeping on armchairs, late nights, and everything else I did a decade ago (even less actually). I love going to concerts, and that will never change. However, being up the front is something I only like if there’s a barrier behind me and plenty of security. I’m fine with standing at the back and having to squint to see Shane Filan Jay-Z on stage. However, sometimes don’t you just miss the pure adrenaline from being in the middle of it all? I felt a bit like that at Therapy? last year, and the newest Relentless Energy Drink Short Stories film showed exactly what I’ve been missing. It almost makes me want to go to a rock concert tonight and get heavily involved in the moshing, crowd-surfing, and all round chaos of the pit. (Watch the short film after the jump)

Event: What The Folk ? Final and Launch Party

  By Peter | August 30, 2011 - 9:56 am | Events, Festivals, Gigs, Music
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What: WTF ? Final and Spirit of Folk Launch When: Monday, September 12 Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm Where: The Workmans Club, dublin Cost: Free in [w00OOO0oop ! ] The grand finale of the What the Folk Competition is going to be EPIC!!! We’re going to rock the folk out of the Workmans and promise to bring you a night full of fun, frolics and more, oh and it’s our offical launch PAARTY!! We’ll have amazing cocktails offers (nom nom we’ve tested and they are delicious!!), some video promos for the festival and special guest appearance from the amazing Saint John the Gambler…. Free in, live music and plenty of craic… also selling tickets and generally getting up to no good for a Monday night What is What The Folk ? So overwhelmed with requests to play the first annual Spirit of Folk festival, they decided the only fair way to chose … There’s more →

Events: Dublin City FM Autumn Schedule Launch

  By Peter | August 29, 2011 - 3:57 pm | Events, Music, Radio
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Celebrating a host of new shows being broadcast across the airwaves of 103.2 and the 6th birthday of Live Drive, Dublin City fm has lined up two of the best live acts in the city with music acts Codes and TKO. where: The Grand Social Dublin when: Friday 16th September tickets: €12.50 via entertainment.ie Always seeking to engage as broad an audience as possible Dublin City fm offers a wide range of programming which includes some specific groups who are largely ignored by commercial radio stations, for whom we can provide a meaningful and relevant service. These include Niche Music Enthusiasts, Community and Ethnic Groups, Students and Schoolchildren, Historians and Hobbyists, Women’s Groups, Dublin Sport Enthusiasts and Senior Listeners. Dublin City fm is the home of Little Stevens Underground Garage (every Saturday, 10pm - Midnight) hosted by Bruce Springsteen guitarist and Sopranos actor Steven Van Zandt - it is also … There’s more →

X Blather 2011: Fawnfest

  By Ronan | August 29, 2011 - 2:33 pm | TV
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While the opening week of X Factor 2011 was all about the new judges, and showcased little or no talent, this week’s was…exactly the same. But rather than repeatedly highlight Gary Barlow’s scowl, they highlighted the fact that every man in the world loves Kelly Rowland. Yes, that came as news to me too! Sure she has great teeth, but what US celeb doesn’t? Her post-Destiny’s Child career kind of shows why she was chosen as a replacement for Dannii Minogue on this year’s X Factor. Forever in the shadow of a sister figure, who is more talented and more fancied (not by me, but in general). Kelly is Dannii Mk 2.0 if you will. It would be difficult for the show’s producers to highlight her musical talent as a reason for being on the panel. Go on, name one Kelly Rowland song without a featured artist. I’ll wait while … There’s more →

Monday Morning Popped Culture: I Hate Maniac 2000.

  By Lisa McInerney | August 29, 2011 - 11:15 am | The Culch
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Because it’s Monday, and because it’s Back To School Day for the majority of Ireland’s smallies, and because we haven’t had a single glob of daycent sunshine since Easter, I thought we might all have a little chat about hate, and hatred, and revelling in the fact that you hate something, and growing stronger from said hatred. Oh, come on. There has to be something you don’t feel bad about hating. Hitler, for example. You couldn’t possibly be made feel ashamed for stating, “Y’know, I hate Hitler” to the world at large. Some people hate certain foodstuffs, and since foodstuffs are inanimate objects (some only since the exact moment of consumption, in fairness), we shouldn’t feel bad about hating them. I hate milk. I don’t think I’m hurting anyone’s feelings by saying I hate milk. The cows? No, the cows are more than likely delighted that I hate milk. The … There’s more →

The Podcast Sessions #2: Sunday News by Topgold

  By Peter | August 29, 2011 - 9:00 am | Podcasts
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Podcast name: Sunday News Review [disclaimer: has no one official name] Description: A review of Ireland’s Sunday newspapers, less all of the bits I don’t really want to hear - i.e. celeb gossip/ glee club et al, taken from the perspective of an American living in Ireland. Host: Bernie ‘Topgold’ Goldbach Culch.ie Says: If you don’t buy a newspaper - but you have a brain and dislike Glee club then this one is for you. If you don’t know Bernie Goldbach, there are I should tell you in advance, one or two things about his weekly news podcast that will happen every week, [First] Bernie loves his nokia and [two] the ex-US Air Force pilot loves telling you all of the ways in which and where you can find him online. Make no mistake about it, you will hear both mentioned. That said….. from a podcasters perspective, there is maybe … There’s more →

Comedy Review: Laughalot Improv @ The Duke Pub

  By Amanda | August 27, 2011 - 9:11 am | Comedy
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I have been to my fair share of comedy gigs in my time but have never had the pleasure of going to an improv show before. I’m not really sure why that is. However, tonight that changed. I went to see Laughalot Improv at the Duke Pub. The Duke is situated off Grafton street and the improv takes place upstairs in a very cosy room! I can honestly say I was not sure what to expect, having never even seen the likes of “Whose line is it anyway?” I was a total newbie. What I will say is I was not expecting what I got. Laughalot Improv is a comedy improv group made up of 7 members: Neil Curran, Brian Quinn, Declan Ryan, Shane Robinson, Maria Dillion, Ruari De Burca and Patrick O’Callaghan. (Pictured below) They are a subsidary group of NoDrama Theatre Group. They perform totally unscripted material based … There’s more →

Festival Preview: Dublin Burlesque Festival

  By Kitty Catastrophe | August 26, 2011 - 3:00 pm | Events, Movies & TV, Performance Art, Vintage
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Wednesday night saw the launch of Ireland’s first burlesque festival get underway in Harry’s on the Green, which had been transformed into a sparkly, decadent speakeasy for the occasion. Bartenders decked out in trilby hats, braces and bow ties were slinging cocktails named after the Dublin burlesque scene’s brightest stars while scarlet corset clad usherettes welcomed guests at the door. On the night, we were treated to a taste of what the upcoming festival has in store, compered by Dominique DiVine and kicked off with a fan dance by the radiant Epiphany deMeanour, wriggling out of her slinky white dress to a gorgeous version of the Mad Men theme tune. The diva stylings of Kristin Kapelli followed, where she belted out When You’re Good To Mama and Big Spender with aplomb, whilst rocking the most formidable pair of false eyelashes I’ve ever seen. Cheesecake cutie Truly DiVine was up next, … There’s more →

Competition: Three Ireland jersey trade in scheme

  By Anto | August 26, 2011 - 2:05 pm | Competitions, Sports, The Culch
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It’s not every day you get to visit the Aviva Stadium to speak with an Irish soccer international but that’s just what we did last Wednesday when Sean St. Ledger flew in to launch the the Three Trade in Scheme. Three is asking Irish fans to Go Green With Pride (#3gogreenwithpride) and trade in their old Ireland football jerseys in any Champion Sports store and get €20 off the new home jersey. The old jerseys will be collected and donated to Friends in Ireland, a charity that cares for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa which was founded by RTE’s Marian Finucane, with Sean St. Ledger as an ambassador. The Three Trade-In scheme will run in Champion Sports stores nationwide until 30th September 2011. You’re also encouraged to log on to the Three Football Facebook page and upload your “Go green with pride” images. This could … There’s more →

X Blather 2011: Weak Ones

  By Ronan | August 26, 2011 - 11:58 am | TV
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There was a delay getting this week’s X Factor review up, as my mind was blown from all the fantastic acts we saw in week one. Yeah right. If you read any of the papers on Monday morning you would have seen that all the talk was about the new judges (only Louis is left from the original gang). That wasn’t because the new judges were so amazing, it’s just that Gary Barlow’s faux-Cowell performance, Kelly Rowland’s massive smile, and Tulisa Contostavlos’s urban inside knowledge were marginally more interesting than the acts. That novelty of new judges will wear off though, and next week, there better be actual decent talent.

Game Review: Old World Blues (Fallout: New Vegas)

  By Lisa McInerney | August 26, 2011 - 9:00 am | Games, The Culch
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People are strange when you’re a gamer. They presume that video games are inherently strange, and that the people who play them have skewed priorities and half-shot receptors and retarded attention spans and bad skin. I generally - loudly - rail against this notion. Video games are no stranger than novels or movies, their aficionados no more eccentric than any other kind of hobbyist. But just as the literary world has Chuck Palahniuk and the film world has Gaspar Noé, so do video games have their little oddities. I have quite a few of them. Killer 7. Katamari Damacy. Mr. Moskeeto. Psychonauts. Silent Hill. I’m not strange, yet I am not a stranger to the strange. And even so, I think the strangest thing I’ve ever done, as a collection of pixels, is stand breathing dramatically for an electronically-orgasming floating brain with a teddy bear fetish. How the hell do … There’s more →

Theatre Preview: The Year of Magical Wanking @ Absolut Fringe

  By Sinead Keogh | August 25, 2011 - 5:19 pm | Events, Performance Art, The Arts, Theatre
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Yeah that’s right, you heard us: WANKING. Now try writing this post on the sly in your REALLY CONSERVATIVE WORKPLACE like I’m doing and you’ll get an idea of how much we want you to know about this show. Kicking off on September 9th and running until the 17th as part of the Absolut Fringe Festival, The Year of Magical Wanking is a THISISPOPBABY production which is written by and stars former Alternative Miss Ireland Neil Watkins. Described as ‘brave and heartbreaking’ the one-man show is a personal journey that takes us ‘from Catholic Ireland to the cruising bars of the world’. Grand says you, but what’s it actually about in plot terms and none of your fancy adjectives? It’s about porn addiction, destructive sexual behaviour and a dollop of Catholic guilt as well. Watkins has been described as a ‘writer to be taken seriously’ by the gang over at … There’s more →

Do Over: Gauntlet.

  By Lisa McInerney | August 25, 2011 - 12:00 pm | Do Over, Games, The Culch
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When I were a lass, there used to be one of those multi-choice consoles in the local Supermacs (yes, Supermacs. I’m a proper culchie Culch.ie), to which you could theoretically feed your pocket-money in return for a cheerful selection of the games of the time. I say theoretically because, as one of the games was Super Mario 3, chances of the player exercising their right to choose were slimmer than a hipster Luigi. You’d slot your 50p in, tease a level of Mario out of it, get cocky, fall down a hole, add another 50p, and before you knew it, puberty had taken hold and you’d missed the entire summer season of Knight Rider. But I was never one for respecting theory. I didn’t even turn up for my Leaving Cert chemistry exam. So, while I played far, far more than my fair share of Super Mario 3, I frequently … There’s more →