Author Archives: Rick

3 For 2 Not Out…

  By Rick | June 4, 2009 - 12:41 am | Featured Post, Music, The Culch
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Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications “I met her in the museum of paleontology and I make no bones about it…” What is there not to like about Jarvis Cocker? Seriously. I do think he’s a very acquired taste though, like brie, certain red wines and French cinema of the 1960s so maybe this won’t be for you. The songs are moody in places, beautifully wordy in others, witty quite a lot of the time and with nothing that will obviously appeal to radio unlike that 15 seconds of fame Pulp had with Disco 2000 and Common People. Excellent. Will definitely burn it to my iTouch. Daniel Merriweather - Love & War The latest in one of the longest lines of product in recorded music - white guys who try to sound black. Problem is, it’s just that - product. It’s very well produced by Mark Ronson but that fails to cover … There’s more →

Some Giggidy…

  By Rick | June 2, 2009 - 2:52 pm | Gigs, Music, The Culch
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It’s been a couple of days since the last gig thing but things have been quiet all over… Gigs announced recently include: Halves Live @ Whelans June 19th Tickets are €11 on sale now John Mayall adds second date at the Academy, Dublin on July 23rd. Tickets for the extra date priced €30 including booking fee on sale now. Tickets for MUSE - at the O2 on Friday 6 November are priced €54.80 (Standing) and €59.80 (Seated) incl. booking fee and go on general sale this Friday 5 June at 9 am Beyoncé announces extra dates - LIVE AT THE O2, DUBLIN – 22nd NOVEMBER ’09 and LIVE AT THE ODYSSEY ARENA, BELFAST – 24th NOVEMBER ‘09 TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 5TH JUNE AT 9AM Steve Earle IRISH TOUR - NOVEMBER 2009 MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER Town Hall Theatre, Galway TUESDAY 10 NOVEMBER Town Hall Theatre, Galway WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER Opera House, Cork FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER … There’s more →

Standing With The Stars

  By Rick | June 1, 2009 - 5:32 pm | Gigs, Music, The Culch
1 Comment

I’ve never experienced anything like it. Genuinely. Went to Beyonce on Saturday night and we ended up standing in what they call the “Diva” area – essentially 50 people get to watch the show from 2 small areas on stage. I’ll readily admit to not being the most excited person before I went, but the nature of the huge stage show she puts on, talent of her band (backing singers, keyboard player, horn section), sheer scale of the gig (she flies over the crowd in a 100ft gold dress at one point) and getting to watch it in a way I’ve never gotten to watch a gig before was totally unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. Wow.

Seven Of Five…

  By Rick | May 26, 2009 - 11:34 pm | Featured Post, Music, The Culch
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The five sparkly little jewel(case)s that have taken my fancy this week are as diverse as they are….. different. Got to work on those metaphors if I’m going to be writing this every week or so… We start with: Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers Disclaimer first - I like a huge amount of what the Manics have done over the years, I thought the last album was brilliant and they’re one of the best interviews I ever did, back in April 2007. This is their new one though and slightly different. This is the legendary album. The one with all of the late Richie Edwards unused lyrics… It easily stands up with their stuff from the past. Alternately raw, with loads of big guitars and the occasional string section and soulful stripped down stuff. Can see myself listening to it a lot more. Facing Page: Top Left is … There’s more →

Culch Gigs…

  By Rick | May 26, 2009 - 3:09 pm | Gigs, The Culch
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More prosaic today… In terms of bandage, I have a biggie to start: Placebo have confirmed a concert at The Olympia Theatre, Dublin on 15th December, 2009. Tickets priced from 44.20 including booking fee will go on sale this Friday 29th May at 9.00am from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. Then there’s: THE CRIBS have confirmed two Irish dates in addition to their upcoming UK tour this September. The Jarman brothers along with Johnny Marr will hit Dublin’s Academy on Monday 21st and Mandela Hall in Belfast the following day on Tuesday 22 September. Tickets for Dublin’s Academy show are priced €22 and go on sale from this Friday 29th May. Also TÚCAN – ALBUM LAUNCH - Saturday June 20th, CrawDaddy, Harcourt St, Dublin 2. Doors – 8pm. Tickets €12/15. And This summer Fred will be hitting the festival circuit starting on June 15th with Midsummer Festival, Spiegeltent Cork. Catch FRED live … There’s more →

The Pogues At Newport…

  By Rick | May 25, 2009 - 1:29 pm | Music, The Culch
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I got this mailed to me today from someone pointing me to Philip Chevron needing some Pogues related help… Glad to BT (kind of like RT on Twitter….? Except not.) Just trying this one more time. If anybody has a copy to loan us - however rough sounding - of the infamous 1985 Pogues press conference at RTE, Dublin, please let me know. This was the event which was broadcast on BP Fallon’s radio show - the BP Fallon Orchestra - and was the Pogues’ introduction to the massed gents and ladies of the Irish media. This was the occasion the concertina player Noel Hill, in particular, called our music “unlovely” and “an abortion” and we were, in general, accused of the most base paddywhackery imaginable. Basically, had Yeats been there, he would almost certainly have thundered “you have disgraced yourselves again” at the assembled Irish journos and musos. Anyway, … There’s more →

Night At The Synechdoche…

  By Rick | May 22, 2009 - 10:23 am | Movies & TV, The Culch
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Movie day and for once I’ve seen a couple! We’ve already covered Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York last week. All I’ll add is that I came out of it having seen something totally unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and that’s always a good thing for me. Yes, it’s extremely leftfield, far more so than Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine, but it’s excellently played by all concerned and asks a hundred different questions about life, love and the nature of everything that you’ll be debating the following day and rolling around in your head for the following week. Just suspend your disbelief at the premise, let it wash over you and revel in something truly, genuinely unique. You may come away wondering what it is you’ve just seen but how often can you say that about an American movie? Sublime -> ridiculous. Night At The Museum 2 is also worth … There’s more →

Five New Albums For Your Listening Pleasure

  By Rick | May 20, 2009 - 11:52 pm | Music, The Culch
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One of the cool things about the job has always been that I get sent music. Lots of it. I try to listen to as much of it as I can, I always have. I’ve never really reviewed albums regularly, I suppose I never had the devotion for it that proper reviewers have.

However, this blog inspires me to be a better man. A bit like Helen Hunt in As Good As It Gets. Thus today I pulled 5 of the most recent ones to come into the postbox. Here’s what I make of them, professional reviewers would do this much better…

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No Giggidy…

  By Rick | May 19, 2009 - 4:19 pm | Gigs, In The News, The Culch
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Right so… The Heineken Green Spheres stage is new at Oxegen this year (does it just replace one of the old stages?). Got a release today telling me who’s going to be on it: The full Heineken Green Spheres stage line-up is: FRIDAY 10th July 2 MANY DJ’S REPUBLIC OF LOOSE MOGWAI FIGHT LIKE APES DREADZONE GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT SATURDAY 11TH JULY PET SHOP BOYS TV ON THE RADIO PETER DOHERTY REGINA SPEKTOR THE SATURDAYS DANIEL MERRIWEATHER GARY GO SUNDAY 12TH JULY MANIC STREET PREACHERS GLASVEGAS JASON MRAZ FOALS FRIENDLY FIRES NOISETTES IGLU & HARTLY Then, there’s one of the two impending signs of the apocalypse I have for you today. Impending sign of the apocalypse #1: Chris De Burgh has just confirmed 3 intimate fully seated performances at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin - 31st August, 1st & 2nd September 2009. Tickets from €54.80 including booking fee … There’s more →

The Gig Thing (Still Accepting Titles)

  By Rick | May 15, 2009 - 4:29 pm | Gigs, In The News, The Culch
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Latest I have are: Ben Taylor Live @ Whelans June 23rd - Tickets are €15 on sale now Go: Audio play another All Ages Dublin date on their upcoming UK tour when they will play The Academy, Dublin on October 1st 2009. Tickets priced €17.50 A limited number of production/ corporate ‘best seats’ are to be released for sale on Tuesday 19th May 2009 at 9am sharp for Take That with special guests The Script and Gary Go at Dublin’s Croke Park on Saturday 13 June 2009. Tickets limited to 8 per person go on sale next Tuesday morning. They don’t say how much they cost… Dan Deacon & Ensemble play an extra date at Andrew’s Lane Theatre, Thurs June 4th. Tickets €17.50 plus booking fee. Thin Lizzy play The Olympia Theatre on November 9th. Tickets from €30 including booking fee on sale 23rd May 2009. and SIMON AMSTELL “DO NOTHING” Live @ … There’s more →

The As Yet Unnamed Gig Listings Thing

  By Rick | May 13, 2009 - 1:28 pm | Gigs, The Culch
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Gigs are something we don’t cover often enough on Culch. That and I need something to write frequently so I feel worthwhile here… Thus, every couple of days I’ll cobble together a post on gigs/events that have been announced recently just in case you missed them and fancy going. In the last day or so I got: KnockanStockan Independent Music Festival - July 24th, 25th, 26th - Blessington Lakes, Co Wicklow. 4 stages , over 125 acts & free camping await. 65euro ticket price includes 3 nights camping. Manchester Orchestra - Academy 2 - Wednesday 15 July. Tickets €15 on sale today. Cyprus Avenue presents: LAURA IZIBOR - Saturday 30th May. Tickets: €16 Andrews Lane Theatre presents THE RIVER VALLEY BAND, THE HOT SPROCKETS & FLOYD SOUL AND THE WOLF, Saturday 23rd May. Admission: €10 The Chapters have announced a headline show at Whelan’s on 18 June to launch their debut album Perfect Stranger. Tickets are €13.50 … There’s more →

My Kind Of People

  By Rick | May 5, 2009 - 2:05 pm | In The News, Performance Art, Random Whimsy
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Mark McGowan is a performance artist. I had him on the old radio show 3 or 4 times. He once went around New York on his hands and knees dressed as George W Bush allowing people to kick him in the arse. Then he ate a cooked corgi dog live on a radio show (not mine I hasten to add), once pushed a peanut for 7 miles with his nose…. And attempted to pull 300kg of potatoes from Ballymun to Drumcondra dressed as Bertie Ahern. http://rickoshea.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/potato-party-poopers/ His latest project is *slightly* more controversial… He’s recreating Jade Goody’s deathbed.