detritus, anglegrinders and chamber music

It's taking a real effort to get comfortable for my first night in in ages. There's stuff everywhere to be relocated, machines full of the wet and dirty detritus of everyday living, dog hair and wrappings, half-finished food and jobs weighing on my mind. Need to have the place clear before I head west for the WCCM festival.

If you're interested in a little appetite-whetting, you'll find my own review of last year's right here .

How's your Midsummer Festival been going? Braakland and Super Stan were unlikely bedfellows for my Friday night but it somehow flew and could probably only have worked so well in the the company of a Desmond, whose fancy dress put my lack of to shame. Rockin stuff.
Faust were everything promised and more, damn near blew my head off and even when I awoke with my ears ringing the next day, I still knew it was worth it. Wondered on my only trip to Germany where Beethoven and Bach's legacy laid given the drivel served up in bars and beyond there, but I was looking in the wrong places (btw, chain saws and angle grinders music not just publicity stunt). Please bring em back!

Corcadorca's The Hairy Ape was superb last night in the preview, if it hasn't sold out yet (it has a a mercifully long run at least) do yourself a favour. And I really enjoyed You've got to Love Dancing Dancing to Stick with It but that's over, though you can catch it again in Kinsale or Bray next month.

Outside of Midsummer fest I fell for Joan as Policewoman Sunday, she somehow transcended the horrific hired keyboard, playing to a shamefully small but devoted and pin-drop quiet crowd.

No tips this week, I won't be here so I can't be bothered. Going to watch Flight of the Conchords instead.

You have received this week's mailing in a new fashion, direct from my blog. All the cutting and pasting was becoming a drag, I was forever letting the mailing list be copied to everyone and, most important of all, I wanted to give ye the chance to opt out. I'll try not to be offended, I know there's a few people reading it so it won't put me off I'm sure! There'll be some opt-in/opt-out clause thing when you get this.

Give me a shout if you plan to come to Bantry. A simple tip - One of the late night and one of the big Bach Brandenburg coffee concerts would be an interesting alternative to (and only a couple of quid more than) a single main concert. So you could go out after work in the evening, eat in Bantry, stay a night, hear a concert and be back by, well maybe 3 the next day if you had to. Oh jaysus the carbon though...


CRAP! Nearly forgot. Right when I get back I'm putting on a gig - it's Saturday 12th July in Cyprus Avenue and if you can come I'd love to see ya and catch up a bit. Nothing too demanding, nice entertaining music and people, good vibes, some people you haven't heard or met before... read about it here

A marathon of music this week

Hey there,

I gave myself a bit of a break from this last week, unplanned, sorry - life got in the way! Strangely enough not in the way of listening to music though, hmh funny that, though I'm a bit vague on some details. (Was I really at the Crane Lane on Sunday? Several witnesses insist...) The Irish Chamber Orchestra on Saturday night were pure pleasure (nice to finally meet you there Vinny!) in the last concert of this season - I can't understand why they don't always sell out - if we can't fill a 400-odd seat theatre every time those guys come to town, well, maybe we don't deserve em.

Sorry I think the sudden cloud and drizzle has me a little down this week. Hang on while I ratchet up the enthusiasm for the tips bit.


Wednesday 28th

7.30pm Cyprus Avenue Peter von Poehl's pretty electro pop will reward drifting into if you're around, just a fiver... http://www.myspace.com/petervonpoehl

9pm Counihans' (next to the Crane Lane) Arundo are a band combining Andean and Irish music who seem to have been playing here a while. Gas idea I'm not convinced but maybe because all I could track down on the net was a phone video with desperate sound - it's a free gig so see what you think yourself.

Thursday 29th

6.15 Glucksman Gallery Singer and violinist Lucia Comnes will surely draw a huge crowd out to see her, especially fans of the wonderful Polskadots, a band she was a founding member of before she returned to her native US. She's now touring with bassist Sean Stillinger and percussionist Aharon Wheels Bolsta. Definitely free gig of the week!

8pm St. Anne's church (the bells one) Shandon The Mount's Bay Singers might be rather good, they describe themselves as "An accomplished and enthusiastic choir" who do a range of stuff - when you consider they say they include 8-part a cappella pieces, well that would suggest they're pretty capable.
Incidentally if YOU or someone you know is interested in joining a choir the Cork Chamber Choir is looking for 1 soprano, 2 tenors and 1 bass. You can contact us through our myspace or drop me a mail and I'll put you in touch with Ann Marie http://www.myspace.com/corkchamberchoir

9pm Roundy Room Brazilian trumpeter Tonynho dos Santos and his new band the Fireangels will have the place feeling very summery.

10pm Nancy Spains Pianinst Emiliano Petronilli (of Swing Street) and drummer Davide Sotgiu are hosting a weekly blues jam session - people are welcome to join in, sounds nice.

Friday 30th

7pm Sirius Arts Centre
right through to Monday

Put a trip to Cobh into you plans this weekend and enjoy some of the Cobh Maritime Song Festival in surely the most perfect venue in the country for such a thing. Check out the whole programme at www.cobhmaritimesongfestival.com and look look amn't I good to you........This is the Cork-Cobh timetable http://www.irishrail.ie/your_journey/printed_timetable_pdfs/2008/Mallow%20Cobh%2008.pdf

Saturday 31st

1.15pm, Cork School of Music A lovely opportunity to hear some great trad from fiddle-player Edel Sullivan and guitarist Eileen Healy AND support a Kenyan orphanage with your €10 entrance - talk about fair trade.

Sunday 1st

10pm Charlie's Eoin (Reggie) O'Regan's band is a very safe bet.


Monday 2nd

9am-3pm Cork City I've had a great time lhelping to line up musicians who will be busking along the length of the Cork City Marathon circuit courtesy of Cork City Council. Trad players, jazzers, rockers, gypsy musicians, old-time and world music groups will be out to try and lift the runners spirits and keep onlookers entertained please come and enjot the atmosphere. My map of the action is here if you want to try and catch something specific - http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=109036976011531848577.00044de7144fe1d8907c9&t=k&z=13 - how about the brilliant Lazik outside Hardwood Café? maybe the Critters at Bishop Lucey Park? Trad on Horgan's Quay or by the Lough? Or jazz at County Hall? We've 20 groups in all...

9pm The Whisky Saxophonist/clarinettist Clinio Cocuzza is hosting a regular session on Mondays now. http://www.myspace.com/cliniococuzza

Thursday 5th

9pm The Roundy The Polskadots have old friend Lucia Comnes as guest, a very special occasion and definitely one for the diary lads

9pm Triskel Jazz harmonica player Ray Preston is clearly a master and well respected by the looks of one enthusiastic expert (http://www.jazzeddie.f2s.com/jazz_harmonica.htm)

this gig with his quaret should be meaty - hear him here http://harmonica.co.uk/music/Ray_Preston_Making_Whoopee.wma

Saturday 7th

8pm Cork Opera House I'm well ticked off I'll be away for Rufus Wainwright, though he might be sold out already... www.rufuswainwright.com

Have a great one...

x N

Music music music

WIRELESS BROADBAND IS NOW CONNECTED
Signal strength: Excellent
So now I can type from the leaba which, I'm ashamed to admit, I have resorted to following a fairly hectic six nights of fabulous Cork music.

Matthew Shipp at the Triskel - stellar.
John Williams at the school - sublime.
Ladyfest opening night - rockin. (esp. Lazik)
Saturday Ladyfest - brilliant (esp. Bela Emerson and Ixi)
Mikel Rouse at dOpera House - go next time, I loved it.
Trad in Charlie's, the Pav and Sin E - mighty
Ladyfest all-girl trad session - smashing
Gary, Breandain, Tomas and bass at Crane Lane - irrestibly danceable


A night in - priceless!


So what's in store this week? Of course the big news is the Choral Festival with one of their best-ever programmes - far too many events to list fully so look at the EVENT GUIDE or click HERE to sign up for their newsletter.


Wednesday 30th

7.30pm City Hall The opening concert of the Choral Festival will introduce Touché, a highly entertaining a cappella jazz ensemble from Denmark.

9.30 The Quad, Tuckey Street. Holy crap if the Quad are going to be offering free gigs every week with my favourite progishrockish Kerrymen (and I'm certain if I knew em all, past present and future, these'd still be my favourite) Ten Past Seven and and Colm's excellent Charlie Don't Surf I'll soon get over my prejudice against the place.

9pm Cyprus Avenue a weirdly cheap €3 ticket for one of Cork's hippest current exports Hooray for Humans.


Thursday 1st

1.10pm Crawford Gallery I got given a flyer today by someone who knows their stuff for a pianist who is playing in the Crawford Gallery and he said I'd enjoy it (and he knows what I like. Though we discovered today that we disagreeon Avishai Cohen's pianists). The flyer has miraculously wriggled free of my back pocket (God it must have been uncomfortable in there) - I remember there'll be some Beethoven but the rest will have to be a surprise.

8pm City Hall I think my hottest tip for the Choral Festival has to be Musica Intima from Canada who often their make their own arrangements of some fantastic music - Arvo Part (Eoin will be pleased), Tallis, there's even an Inuit hunting song in there...

9pm The Roundy Having checked out their first gig together a fortnight ago I can wholeheartedly recommend Colin Mclean's new latino band with himself and Mick Cummins on guitars and my double bass teacher Dave Whitla providing the low frequencies.


Friday 2nd

7.30 St Fin Barre's The National Chamber Choir have a gorgeous programme on offer at the invitation of the Choral Fest under Danish conductor Bo Holden, who composed one of the pieces they'll sing. Particularly exciting to see they're singing the glorious (I use that word because it is the only one to come close the the work) Totus Tuum by Gorecki which we rather unforgiveably screwed up royally in college in the Honan chapel many moons ago.

9pm The Whisky, Union Quay I've a notion I saw ska band the Naildrivers sometime and they were rockin but I'm not definite.

10.30 North Cathedral Pretty magic to have a choir of the calibre of Amacord from Germany perform in Shandon's North Catherdral, their programme will transport us back centuries in a highly atmospheric concert.


Saturday 3rd

3pm and 8pm City Hall There's nothing amateur about the fifteen choirs from 9 countries that compete for the Fleishmann Trophy which is genuinely coveted internationally, and the competition buzz makes the whole thing doubly exciting.


Sunday 4th

Your local church may well be hosting one of the brilliant visiting choirs to the city - check HERE to find out.

10pm Charlie's The Lynch Mob haven't played Charlie's in a while have they? Should be great craic.


Monday 4th

9.30 Charlie's Hank 'n' Ray will be there to play ya few stories and chase bank holiday Monday evening blues out the door.



Wednesday 6th

9pm Cyprus Ave Guitar trainspotters will likely be checking out youtube star (13million views earns that title, no?) Andy McKee and his extraordinary technical approach, he's touring with Don Ross - you can find their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/andymckee2 (the description of them on it as 'progressive' is perhaps a touch misleading).

9pm Triskel The Carroll and Rigby Quartet features Justin Carroll (who I've been nursing a blushworthy crush on for some time) on Hammond and New York saxophonist Jason Rigby (http://www.myspace.com/jasonrigbyquartet) don't bother trying to get any sense out of me coming out of the gig I'd say!




That's it from me for this week...