Observation 3

Why is it called RE-search if you’re doing it for the first time and not Re-doing it?
Surely it should just be called search?

Back in the water

Well I got back in the water without a camera for the first time since May I think. Headed down to a fun little beachy in Cork with some mates. Got some fun little ones at the start, was nice and punchy, even hollow sometimes, in my head I was doing this

I more than likely wasn’t though, Hugo is a master barrel rider.
Ended bodysurfing for the last hour and got loads of barrels and a lot of sand and in water in every place possible. My back is still tender from one particularly nasty shore dump.

Also Happy Birthday to my good friend Marie, it’s not until tomorrow but I will be sans ordinateur.

Ronseal

There’s a program on TV3 called “Can Fat Teens Hunt to Survive” Best name for a show ever.
I didn’t watch it.

Here’s Damo Conway pulling into a neat little one.

A bit of punk for lunch

This is Steveamanakick.
Giveamanakick are definitely one of my favourite Irish bands, and the absolutely rock live.
Go see them if you get a chance.

This was taken at the Limerock gig of the 2fm tour last year.
Can’t remember if that’s my flash or a light on stage.
Rock on.

Welcome back Ollie

Ollie O’Flaherty just arrived back from a month or so in Aus. So to welcome him here’s a shots of him smacking the crap out of a Dougie shore dump.
Boom.

As an aside, what the hell is with this rain?
At least it was nice at the weekend.

How do you like them apples?

Simple Kid at Dolans a while back. He’s cool I like him. He even sang a duet with Kermit during this show using video projected behind him. I like when bands put a lot of work into their live shows, using visuals etc. really adds to the experience.

Saw Batman last night, flipping awesome movie. I had been doubtful of Ledgers performance, I kinda thought it was being extra hyped because of his death, but it is an amazing piece of work. The whole movie is really good and it’s such a pity that he is gone, I could happily watch him and Bale play off one another for years to come.
Also saw Wall-E last week, another brilliant film, one of the most beautiful pieces of cinema I have ever seen, which is crazy when you think that it’s a CG movie about robots. Pixar have managed to create a world that seems more real than this one and a hell of a lot prettier too. This is the future of movies.

We apologise for the inconvenience

Sorry for the break in transmission, I was otherwise engaged.

Hard to get these shots in Ireland. I blame the cold water that obviously changes the refractive index
I like that you can see into the lip.

Anticipation

I love the rush. Just paddling pver the first wave of the set, hoping that your not too far inside, quick look over your shoulder nobody inside you swing your board around, strong and steady, feel the tail rise, paddle a bit harder, ok enough speed, up.

 

And down, lock that rail in,

pull under that pitching lip.

keep your line high.

 

Out you pop,

a French guy paddles past

“nice wave”

You just smile and nod.

 

More please.

 

Shot is Fergal, seriously backdooring.

No ma’am we’re musicians

Yeah I used to be in a band, who didn’t?

Well a lot of people actually and my band was different we were good.

I’d say I was playing for about 4 years, from 15 to 19. Definitely the best years to be in a band. We jammed, we gigged, we drank, we scored. Well technically I only scored once, but six and half years later we’re still together so that has to count for something.

The band was called Jet-Sol and we rocked. We even almost managed to record and release something, the master tapes are still sitting around somewhere. But then we got older and things changed, some people didn’t want them to but that’s the way it happens, you stay the same you get stagnant. Change is good even if you don’t want it at first, it forces you to learn to adapt.

Anyway I had some of the best times of my life while playing.

There were two brothers Gary (drums) and Dwayne (vox and guitar) and another friend Shane (bass). We used to practice in the garage of Gary and Dwaynes granny’s house. She wasn’t there that often so the noise wasn’t really a problem, well until it got to 8 o’clock when we had to stop becuase of the neighbours giving out. Either that or put matresses and quilts up to cover the windows and doors. We had some crazy nights staying over in Abbeylawn.

I had kind of forgotten how good it was until the other day Gary and Dwayne invited me to call up. As soon as I went inside it all hit me. The smell of the place brought everything back in a startingly clear way. Funny how smell can do that. All of us chilling out in the sitting room, watching crazy old videos, wrestling, getting pizza and chips delivered and sometimes actually playing some music as well. How it didn’t seem weird that the four of us slept in two beds. Fuck it, it’s rock ‘n roll. That was our phrase if we ever doubted anything.

But when the music happened, it really happened. The best times I’ve had were going into a kind of daze and jamming for twenty minutes, no plan, no idea where we were going. But it worked. We had gotten so close that it didn’t matter what was happening or when somebody changed it would always flow naturally. The buzz we got from those sessions was better than any artificial highs, we were the music. Sigur Ros’ new album says it perfectly. “With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly”

But like I said things change, the band slowly fell apart. i sold most of gear to get camera equipment. I had decided that I prefered being in front of the stage capturing rather than being on it. Although I still regret selling my Surf Green fender Jazzmaster for less than half of what I paid for it originally. But it happened and I have some nice lenses now.

It is weird though I moved out of home last October and I don’t even have a guitar in my new place, something I have to rectify soon. I still like picking one up when I find one and strumming away, and I often think “jeez I should learn how to play that song”.

So all this having gone through my mind it was great to go back to Abbeylawn to document a session with the guys. I hope the shots convey something of what it’s like to hang out and jam.

Have a look here and tell me what you think.

 

Oh and the boys are still playing they are now Gargotha Sun. They’re playing tonight in Limerick. Check their myspace for other dates.

Kudos to anyone who can spot the movie in the title. Comments on a postcard please.

Observation 2

Apparently Shakespeare, Mary Shelly and numerous other well known authors have written some cult classics.

Well according to Zaavi they have.

I just thought it was rather stupid to put ridiculously well known books and authors into a cult classic section.