Album Review: Wanted, by Moo.

We found ourselves tucked into a corner of The Crane Lane Theatre a few weeks back, during the decades festival in Cork, surrounded by girls in full skirts and pop socks, and boys wearing braces and snazzy hats. The decade celebrated was the 1950s, the jinks were high and the music was pure shoulder-shimmying compulsion, and it occurred to me, somewhere between my seventh bourbon and the floor, that music isn’t something that has to keep swelling towards the future to be fresh and fun. The sound was smokey, rockabilly and Americana, and my compadres were thrilled as canaries. MOAR ROCK N’ ROLL, they bellowed, as the doors were closing. And just in time, Moo rode into town. Moo are three lads with impressive musical pedigrees and no fear of hard work; as well as touring regularly, they have residencies in The Village on Wexford St, The Globe on Georges … There’s more

Charity Event: Abseil 1000 at the Aviva Stadium

This is definitely one of the more unusual charity events that we’ve posted on Culch. Abseil 1000 is an event organised to raise funds for Chernobyl Children International in the year of the 25th anniversary of the Meltdown of Reactor 4. The aim is to facilitate the development of “Homes of Hope” for the children still affected generations later. The event is a 130ft abseil from the roof of the Aviva Stadium on the 1st & 2nd of October 2011. 100% of all funds raised are going to the charity with the event being organised by a group of enthusiastic volunteers under the guidance of Mike O’ Shea of Work at Height Training. Mike says, “I am so proud that in this special 25th Anniversary year, that I can put my skills and expertise to good use for the children of Chernobyl. Despite the economic downturn, we can all do … There’s more

Movie Review: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

So a spy movie eh? And adapted from a highly successful series of novels no less? So far, so very familiar. Expect action, car chases, hand-to-hand, life-or-death combat and a very fetching femme fatale. Except don’t, because this is no ordinary spy movie, and it’s adapted from no ordinary spy novel. This is a British thespian spy movie, and it’s from the pen of the most celebrated of spy authors, John Le Carré. For those unfamiliar with his oeuvre you would do well to check his novels out, or, for a more casual glance at the difference between his work and the rest of the pack, recent film adaptations have included the Geoffrey Rush/Pierce Brosnan romp The Tailor of Panama (a less-than faithful but enjoyable reworking) and the Ralph Fiennes/Rachel Weisz Oscar-winner The Constant Gardener (which is both faithful and brilliant). There is no room in Le Carré’s world for … There’s more