A year of listening with spotify - 2024

 

Ham Sandwich - Carry the mick - Live - Whelans - 2024

 

Stage

As joyous as ever

Link to the live album

Joan as a policewoman - Whelan's - 4 Oct 2024

Oh Joan

Franz Ferdinand - Collins Barrack - August 2023

 

Franz ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand owning Collins Barrack

So I went back to see Franz Ferdinand and they were fantastic like the last time I saw them almost 10 years ago back in Limerick.

You can see photography here.

[UPDATE] Franz Ferdinand setlit on the night

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/franz-ferdinand/2023/collins-barracks-dublin-ireland-7ba5724c.html
   

 The supporting act Pillow Queen  was good 

Pillow Queen

 

last waltz live olympia

Living nostalgia's culture to the full

last waltz live gig in the Olympia,👌🥳🙂👍

My 5 best gigs

Coming back from the point after the legend that is Robert Plant

1. Franz Ferdinand in Dolans

magical
 

2. In Rainbows - Radiohead - Marlay Park
Opening double rainbow greeting

3. Robert Plant The point 2018
incredible, giving in to the public/exchange

Plus few months later Robert Plant SavingGrace

4. Ham Sandwich in Dolans
high energy, vocal

5. Tryo -
feel good

Special mention:
- Girl Band in Bourkes, une baffe
- Swimming Pool convert in Grenoble

Desert Island discs

From time to time, I catch myself listening to that more than 70 year old  BBC program : Desert Island Disc. In this weekly show the celebrity castaway is asked to choose eight pieces of music, a book and a luxury item that they would take if they were to be cast away on a desert island, whilst discussing their lives and the reasons for their choices.

My 8 songs / albums would be, many songs from the 90's early 2000, my youth in college where I discovered thanks to my friends much of the music which now populate my music library.

• Since I left you - the Avalanches 

• Hail to the thief - Radiohead 

•  Serge Gainsbourg - Melody Nelson 

• Transformer - Lou reed 

• Jethro Tull - Burtsing Out 

• Tostaky - noir desir

• Genesis - Foxtrot 

• Bjork - Debut 

Two shy from my top ten album which would also include:

• P.j Harvey - Stories from the city, stories from the sea. 

• Janis Joplin - I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!

More difficult would be to pick just one book, I guess it would have to be:  Plume - Henri Michaux 


But my heart could also go to :

• The man in the high castle - Philip K.Dick
• "La vie mode d'emploi" by Georges Perec.
• Prevert - Poemes
• Perceval le conte du graal - Chretien de Troyes
• Jules vernes - Le tour du monde en 80 jours

As for the luxury items (I guess a computer is out of order), so it would be: a guitar so I can find the time to learn how to ply it (finally).

Thanks for the memories

Last weekend, i was walking in Pery Square and my heart sunk when i discover that door...
fully repainted in black - how suiting, with a number nailed on it. 

The place is being reconverted into offices, peering though some window i could see the demolition work in progress. Sad day, the closing and reconversion happened months ago, but being away at that time, i did not notice it happening.
This place used to be "The Wicked Chicken", an iconic place of the limerick nightlife for many of us, and also for me a place of many fond memories, where i met many of my past and current friends.
Gone is the red door...

With the sign on the left side...

The little sign ...

The graffitis in the smoking area have been painted over... 

I still remember the first time i step into the place, the atmosphere was hypnotic, the music had my heart stopping, and the crowd looks genuinely friendly and happy, it was a mix of open minded different nationalities.

At one stage the place was the required meeting point for the start of any good night out. 

 
I remember going there on sunday night and monday night for a quiet chat, the barman preparing our drinks before we even ask, and looking surprised every-time we would change from our habitual drink of choice.

I remember the first time i saw people in that place, that i now consider my friends, the 3 sisters at the end of the bar, the ever wearing cap barman, the man from castlegregory ... etc ...

Maybe I should have taken more pictures of the place, as I am searching through my files, and being annoyed not to find a photo of this or this particular feature, like the headless chicken or the pictures on the wall, some picture of friends - some deceased. 

Like this Giger painting, which funnily i also had in my student bedroom, years ago back in France.
I shall not forget the DJ in that place, which made it came alive, when on a friday or saturday night all the bodies would come pouring in the tiny place around 11, for a good old bop.

In the basement

There was also a downstairs, were some gigs were held, from punk-rock, to hip-hop new-york singer. I saw DJ Andy Smith down there, for some of the nothern soul mix i've heard in a club, along with some amazing boppers.

Sadly everything must comes to an end, people moved on, to other countries, to having babies... and slowly there was less and less people. At one stage the place closed down - in 2011 I think, I am happy i was there for the party on that day, it was impressive to see some many of the old figures coming back to say goodbye to a place of so many memories.

Article from the limerick post ... when it closed initially

And after that there was an attempt to reopen it, I spend a memorable new year day in 2012 there, with the barman pouring Jaggermaster at midnight on the customer... on a personal point of view... that night in the wicked chicken, certainly kickstarted the journey i am now embarked upon till this day.


It is all gone in a blur...

And so now number 14 on the 99 reasons to visit Limerick is gone ( http://flipittv.tumblr.com/post/22412708706/99-reasons-to-visit-limerick ).
Anyway thanks for the memories to all the DJ, the barmen, the barmaid, the owner, and all the people who made that place what it was.

The flame is not dead, other venues in Limerick have been taking over, go checkout Bourkes, The Blind Pig, Dr John ... and make your own music memories.

R.S.A.G in Dolans for the Freeze Sessions

I got some free ticket for the Jägermeister Freezer Session organized by Hot Press, the program was interesting least to say:

• Leading Armies
• R.S.A.G
• We cut corners
• Toby Kaar

Welcoming giant bottle of....

Another brilliant performance from this very talented man:

R.S.A.G

R.S.A.G

R.S.A.G

R.S.A.G

R.S.A.G

More on him:

• http://www.rarelyseenaboveground.com/
• http://www.myspace.com/rarelyseenaboveground

Venezuela in UCH - Limerick

So this sunday, I went to the University Concert Hall to attend a wonderful performance from the Venezuelan Percussion Ensemble

 

You can see more of there stuff here: https://www.youtube.com/user/ensamblepercuve?feature=watch

Fantastic concert, funny, live, fully entertaining and giving you terrible envy to shake your body.

The ensemble is a product of "El Systema" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Sistema ), which is a wonderful idea to promote education through Music.

The idea expressed by the founder José Antonio Abreu:
"Music has to be recognised as an agent of social development, in the highest sense because it transmits the highest values - solidarity, harmony, mutual compassion. And it has the ability to unite an entire community, and to express sublime feelings."

The concert was organised by the Irish Chamber Orchestra ( http://www.irishchamberorchestra.com/ ) which is responsible for a wonderful project as part of the regeneration project in Limerick: Sing Out With String.

Note: I recommend that post about some of the concert: http://magicbulletin.me/2012/05/sing-out-with-strings-this-wednesday/

Ham Sandwich in Dolans

After missing them at the SeaSession and apparently 3 times at the Electric Picnic ( all this year ), I manage to see the band Ham Sandwich live... in the Dolans warehouse.
Brilliant and full of energy, your man was on drunken fire to the delight of the crowd....

x

Instagram capture

x

guitar + bass 

I feel loved ...

Ham Sanwich

:D

Everybody all right ?

guitar hero ?

x

balloons and confettis

xxx

xxx

xxx

Playing with balloon

You can follow them here : http://hamsandwichmusic.com/





UPDATE:

• Another photographer of the nigght, picture can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/darraghcorrigan/sets/72157631552267605/with/7993441701/
• Gig Review from Paul O'Sullivan:
  http://www.thesoundout.com/2012/09/attending-ham-sandwichs-show-in.html

Toby Kaar in Bourkes

Class gig last thursday ( 14 September 2012 )  in Bourkes, with a Toby Kaar in great form...

Mirror view

Toby Kaar ...

You can listen to his sound there : http://breakingtunes.com/tobykaar
and on soundcloud : http://soundcloud.com/tobykaar

Electric Picnic 2012 - Day 3

On the final day, I spent a lot more time in the Body & soul area, enjoying the sun, starting with a concert from Eleventy-four - which I had previously seen in Bourkes. An amazing choir entertained us in the afternoon, before I catch up with some Tipperary friends.

Marking the end of 3 beautiful days 

Eleventy-four on Body and Soul main stage.

ELBOW (main stage)

Main Stage .. pack on sunday

Bat for lashes

the killers

The Killers

Artists Seen:

• The Killers
• Bat for lashes
• Elbow
• Dublin Gospel Choir
• The Bambit
• Eleventy four