The Meaning of the Ritual

Wow, music is amazing. For the past year or so I’ve been trying to get my hands on an album by an Irish band called The Immediate. I shot one of their gigs about two years ago and it was amazing. Never got around to getting the cd, but it was continually popping into my head for the past while.

Unfortunately The Immediate split up, however one of the guys (Conor J. O’Brien) from the band has gotten a new EP out under the name of Villagers. The EP called Hollow Kind, is a limited run so not sure if it’s available in shops. But the band are on tour at the moment so go see them and pick one up if you can.

 

Conor is the main man in the band but he acts more of a focus point for the band rather than a lead singer/song writer.

Conor wrote all the songs and recorded them at Tommy McLoughlins Attica studios in Donegal. When Conor started gigging Tommy joined him on other-guitar/noodly lead bits. Tommy used to play with rockers Berkeley who always point on a good live show. As a result of this he doesn’t restrain himself live. Snapping a guitar strap clean off at the end of one song.

The rest of the band are equally talented and this leads to a really strong collective sound. Ideas seem to bouncing back and forth across the stage before the audiences eyes as opposed everyone doing what the singer says to do. This could go very badly and end up in free jazz territory but the guys really gel and it works.

Conor has a scruffy head on him, offset (or possibly explained by) by the glass of wine he brings on stage with him.

The highlight for me was Down, Under The Sea. What sounded as quiet a mellow track on the radio comes across as very strong and powerful live. The drummer using mallets able to smash the kit without overpowering everything else and adding a beat that you can feel deep inside.

Conor was left on his own for two songs which had a nice relaxed atmosphere.

There’s lots of reviews that talk about how it was an experience almost religious in its intensity. I’m not really into that shit, unless your on something mind altering, but this gig was good*. Everybody was there to see and hear new music and enjoy themselves. Well I saw all but I mean almost all, there was one particularly drunk moron who started pogoing on his own in the middle of the floor twice and ended the gig by shouting abuse at the band. Way to go Patrick.

Like I said the guys are on tour now so catch them if you can.

This is one of my first attempts at trying to write up a gig, I’m aware I didn’t so a particularly excellent job, there’s a lot more I want to say but can’t get out properly. The words seem clumsy and clichéd to me. Any feedback would be appreciated.

*I reserve the right to talk about other gigs as if they changed my life completely and you wouldn’t understand unless you were there man…

Out and about again

Finally got out to a gig for the first time in ages recently. I’ve just had too much else going on for the past while. Being predictable I went to see one of my favourite bands as opposed to a new one. I love hearing new music and I’m consistently checking various sites and blogs to see what I can get for free. But actually going in to town and paying to see a random band is a bit too much sometimes. I used to be all for that, but that was before I had to do the shopping and pay rent and drive to Clare to take photos every weekend.

It was a pretty awesomegig, but what do you expect from Jape. Matty the other guitarist and keys guy borrowed a plec from me and even remembered to give it back after the show.

Such a good show though. Crazy techno dancing included. Richie’s the only guy who could get a room full of rockers dancing like that I reckon.

 

Nice one.

The kids are alright

This week I have been mostly listening to …. Old Songs.

I love listening back on music I grew up with.
Obviously not all of it, take a bow and get out Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit.

But for the most part myself and my friends grew up listening to some pretty good music. I was just listening to a Placebo mix on the way in this morning and they flippin’ rock. They are so so good.
Also Weezer’s Green Album is awsome, so catchy and sing-along-able.

Maybe it’s because we were playing music ourselves that we listened to good stuff, I dunno.
We used have the funniest conversations about who got who into this band or that band.
Ah good times.

Here’s one of Dryad’s Saddle, a.k.a my good mates Garry Carroll and Alan Fitzgerald.

Kids are back, summer at last.

It’s good to be able to rely on somethings weather wise.
It seems to be a given that it will be sunny on the first school day of September.
Rain is forecast, but I’m wearing shorts and slaps anyway.

Photography wise the weekend pretty much sucked.
Went to see a friends band play on Friday night, was a sick gig but I didn’t bring my camera.
My reason was that I was planning on going for a dawnie and wouldn’t have time to download the photos from the memory card. And anyway, I thought the lighting at the venue was appaling. Turns out they’ve got new lights in and the boys were throwing shapes all night that would have made for sick shots.
AND
The swell sucked the next day and I didn’t get any shots at all.
But I did get my car stuck in half a foot of mud (it was dark).
Big thanks to the boys for pushing me back out.
Although Lance is a bit on the muddy side.

I did end up getting some shots at Dougie later in the evening. It was pretty sweet actually. I arrived just as 8-10 other top quality guys were jumping in the water so it was fun to watch.

Got up super early again on Sunday morning. Again drove around and found nothing but I did get to see a pretty cool sunrise.

Photos to come during the week.
In the mean time, here’s a stitch of some guy doing a tre flip at the Limerick park.

Smells, games and tummy trouble

Hello again, sorry about the past few days. Family stuff got in the way.

I would like to say normal service is being resumed but I seem to have misplaced the memory stick that I had my blog photos saved on, so it’s a picture free post today.

Firstly, I had always assumed that Febreeze was a complete scam, how could it possibly free the odours, I thought it was just a glorified deodorant. But I used it on my jumper this morning and it seems to have stopped it smelling. It didn’t simply mask the old smell. Strange, but true. I’m a convert.

However I am an anti-convert (if there is such a thing) of Subway. Twicer in the past two weeks I have had a funny tummy after having one of their footlongs. I ain’t goin’ back.

Finally, can’t flippin’ wait for Spore. It’s basically a Creative Designer game. As much as that goes against my atheistic leanings I think it’s an amazing idea for a game.

It’s out September 5th.

Oh yeah, currently listening to Fujiya Miyagi’s album Transparent Things, which is awsome, they’re doing an Irish tour at the start of September, check them out.

Fun and corrections

Fun Things To Do:

Play a song while reading the tab off a website with loads of people crowded around the laptop trying to read the lyrics.

Psycho Killer, Qu’est que c’est?

Also my lovely lady friend has informed that it’s called research because you are going back over what everybody else has done before. So you are researching what everyone else has done before to try and find a new method or theory.

Thank you Bean.

No Photo as I’m out foreign (Clare) away from my computer.

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.

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.

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.

My mate Jape

 

This is Richie Egan a.k.a. Jape a Dublin lad with some kick ass tunes.

Definitely one of my favourite bands/dudes at the moment. He’s got a new album out called Ritual. You should definitely check it out. Also if he’s playing somewhere near you go to the gig, the band is amazing live. Haven’t seen them since October/November and when they played the support was a guy going by the name of Rarely Seen Above Ground, this guy is awesome. He plays drums live but he has pre recorded, guitar, bass and other stuff, and he plays this along with some visuals which are brilliant.

 

I’ve a funny habit of calling anyone I’ve ever met a mate, which my lady friend slags me about consistently. Usually it’s when I’m talking about going to see a gig, “yeah, going to see a mate of mine play tonight” funny that.

You’re all my mates.