Wow what an amazing 9 days of music I had during the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, perhaps my best ever. I kind of decided against giving tips for it this year since I was madly busy and I'm not aware of this blog having ever convinced anyone to go - but this year I met more friendly faces who've never been before than ever which was great. I did some target marketing instead, dragging Niwel and James down for Lera Auerbach's extraordinary late-night performance on the Friday night which we were all blown away by in our own ways. What an astounding talent and mind - composer, pianist, poet, definitely the most powerful impression on me of the festival.
Highlights of the week are too numerous to mention but I wanted to say instead how much more I appreciate this year the significance of this festival internationally to the performers and composers. They say there's very few other opportunities for them to meet and work together over so many days and that the relaxed and friendly atmosphere is pretty much unique. It's always interesting to see performers who have never been before - at first they can seem a bit aloof because I guess that's how things usually work and then after a few days they 'get' the whole thing and start to relax and open up and enjoy themselves.
Actually, I will mention one piece I enjoyed alot just because it came out of last year's festival and that's John Kinsella's new work 'On hearing Purcell and Shostakovich at Bantry House' which was premiered on the first night by the Vanbrugh Quartet. Oh, and wow what a discovery, the epic 24 Preludes and Fugues by Shostakovich which Alexander Melnikov played across two evenings... am hugely delighted to have found and downloaded Keith Jarrett's recording of same - highly highly recommended, I downloaded it here .
So, anyway, I have a few tips for you.
Thurs 16th - Sat 18th July
8pm Cork Opera House Opera lives on in Cork (despite Opera 2005's loss of funding and Ellen Kent's ending of touring productions) with Berstein's Candide. Directed by the amazing John O'Brien I have no doubt that he will bring out the very best from Opera 2005's Chorus and the orchestra (he's a great conductor and chorus master), particulary since I know John is mad about Bernstein he'll see to it that it's done great justice. And the story sounds great craic altogether. Did I mention that the wonderful Mary Hegarty is starring alongside Nyle Wolfe? No one better to do risqué I'd say, which is what Candide is all about... Oh, and it's in English and was composed that way so we can all relax and enjoy it, no stress!
I've booked seat L16 for the Saturday night show but I'm all on my own and would love some company! Tickets are just €21-€26 which for opera is simply unheard of. It's a brave undertaking for the producers who really don't want to let opera die - please come along and enjoy the show with me?
Monday 20th July
8pm Cork School of Music I've said it before but this Chucho Valdés concert is going to be superb and it's a fundraiser for a worthy cause in Cuba .... In support of the fabulous Irish-led Unacorda project (which is establishing a training programme for a new generation of Cuban piano-tuners and technicians) the legendary Chucho Valdés - definitely not one to miss: “[He] put Cuban jazz on the world map long before the Buena Vistas” John Fordham, The Guardian "Valdés's command of the keyboard is so technically staggering as to be stupefying” All Music Guide Tickets are €28 and available from Pro-Musica and Ticketmaster.
Thursday 23rd July
9pm The Roundy Somehow sultry and airy all at the same time, singer-songwriter Francesca Baines will be unveiling some new songs and new instruments with guest musicians .. €9
12 Midnight, Crane Lane I didn't think I could do that crazy high energy punk dancing I've seen - born too late and a little too gentle I just didn't think it was in me. Then I went and saw 'PostKrautBillyPunk' Los Langeros play again at the LV some time ago, always great craic but wow, this time before I knew it my bones were hoppin all over the shop FREE
Monday July 27th
12 Midnight, Crane Lane Swing Jazz outfit The Darktown Strutters are king of Cork swing Gary Baus on Sax & one of the best guitarists around Breandain Ó Ruaidh, with David Duffy on Bass & Dave Ryan on drums. Fresh from a masterclass with Lee Konitz in Cologne (yes, you read that right!) this should be a great night and it's free free FREE.
Wednesday July 29th
8pm The Pavilion I really like this Eliza Gilkyson, never heard of her myself but she's very well established, Americana/Folk kind of stuff with brains. Nice live performance from the Philadelphia Folk Fest here €12
8pm Cork School of Music Rodrigo and Gabriela need no introduction... tickets are available from Fred Zeppelins, Plug'd and tickets.ie costin €24.25
9.30-Late-Night, Crane Lane Boy, do I appreciate it when I'm invited to Dance Yo' Ass Off and I sure hope to do just that for this night hosted by the legendary Jerome Rimson... he'll be djing classic soul from 9.30 and from midnight his Inner City Blues Band will take to the stage where you can expect to hear some of the city's best musicians - you don't make this band if you don't got soul. Definitely a night to get on down and it's FREE too.
Friday 29th July
9.30 The Pavilion It's the Doubletime! 6th Anniversary special with the wonderful Gary Baus in the driving seat for what will be a seriously hot night of swing - and for the celebration he's treating us to the 17-piece swing band Tuxedo Junction. A snip at €15 this'll be fun, fun, fun....
G'wan away with yis
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
2 tips that might have got lost in the madness
I hadn't intended on sending out a tips blog since there is so much stuff to choose from with the midsummer festival and all, but I've been asked to draw attention to two truly excellent fundraising gigs....
First though I'd just like to take this opportunity to offer all readers a special 2-for1 deal on this Sunday's Midsummer night's gig in the Spiegeltent when Niwel's new band Song of the Nations will play. Just quote the top-secret code 'CSE2007' at the box office in Triskel (or by phone on 4273944) to avail of this generous offer! Hope to meet you there....
Friday 19th June
8pm Aula Maxima, UCC A truly stellar classical concert in aid of the Vanbrugh Quartet Scholarship Fund which allows the masterclasses at West Cork Chamber Music festival to take place. The RTÉ VANBRUGH QUARTET with special guests: HUGH TINNEY, piano; KIRSTEN CAP, piano; CIAN O’DUILL, viola; BRIAN O’KANE, cello; CARA O’SULLIVAN, soprano; DAVID WHITLA, double-bass and THE CAIRDE QUARTET. Tickets €35 and worth every cent!!
Monday 20th July
8pm Cork School of Music In support of the fabulous Irish-led Unacorda project (which is establishing a training programme for a new generation of Cuban piano-tuners and technicians) the legendary Chucho Valdés - definitely not one to miss: “[He] put Cuban jazz on the world map long before the Buena Vistas” John Fordham, The Guardian "Valdés's command of the keyboard is so technically staggering as to be stupefying” All Music Guide Tickets are €28 and available from Pro-Musica and Ticketmaster.
I'll be off west for the West Cork Chamber Music festival from 27 June - 5th July... see you sometime soon I'm sure
First though I'd just like to take this opportunity to offer all readers a special 2-for1 deal on this Sunday's Midsummer night's gig in the Spiegeltent when Niwel's new band Song of the Nations will play. Just quote the top-secret code 'CSE2007' at the box office in Triskel (or by phone on 4273944) to avail of this generous offer! Hope to meet you there....
Friday 19th June
8pm Aula Maxima, UCC A truly stellar classical concert in aid of the Vanbrugh Quartet Scholarship Fund which allows the masterclasses at West Cork Chamber Music festival to take place. The RTÉ VANBRUGH QUARTET with special guests: HUGH TINNEY, piano; KIRSTEN CAP, piano; CIAN O’DUILL, viola; BRIAN O’KANE, cello; CARA O’SULLIVAN, soprano; DAVID WHITLA, double-bass and THE CAIRDE QUARTET. Tickets €35 and worth every cent!!
Monday 20th July
8pm Cork School of Music In support of the fabulous Irish-led Unacorda project (which is establishing a training programme for a new generation of Cuban piano-tuners and technicians) the legendary Chucho Valdés - definitely not one to miss: “[He] put Cuban jazz on the world map long before the Buena Vistas” John Fordham, The Guardian "Valdés's command of the keyboard is so technically staggering as to be stupefying” All Music Guide Tickets are €28 and available from Pro-Musica and Ticketmaster.
I'll be off west for the West Cork Chamber Music festival from 27 June - 5th July... see you sometime soon I'm sure
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Experimental throat-singing and afro-centric cabaret, it's all here...
Hope you caught some of the Choral fest - congratulations to the team for a great festival I had an absolute blast - was sorry not to get to all the concerts I'd wanted to but it was a real honour to be involved in two great performances. There was great atmosphere in the Clarion atrium on Sunday too where there were great choirs performing for free all day long doing their very best to soothe my viscious hangover.
I'm off now for the guts of two weeks to do the first part of a really exciting training programme - an EU Diploma in Cultural Project Management.
So I thought I'd have a quick sconce over what's coming up during this week and while I'm away.
Mostly I wanted to let you know about Mairtín O'Connor's gig tomorrow in the Pav which'll be rockin with the fantastic Cathal Hayden (of Four Men and a Dog) and Seamie O'Dowd. My first ever production was in Galway putting Mairtín and Cathal and Garry O Briain on with ConTempo String Quartet in the Town Hall Theatre and it was a rip-roaring sell-out success. I've tried to get Cathal down to Cork before with FMaD but they're out of my league so it is fantastic to see Pat getting these a-listers in, it'll be fantastic.
Weds 6 May
9pm The Pavilion The Máirtín O Connor Band are simply in the top league of irish traditional music and have just finished a new album. This is the first time they've played here since I moved back to Cork in 2004 these gigs don't come everyday - they don't even come every month or year so if you're free do yourself a favour...
9pm The Roundy It's rare that songwriting gets experimental round here if you ask me but Bennys Head is, I gather, the exception. I never heard of them til now but it's a project going since '85 according to the spiel. The team is Cormac O'Connor and Frank West and they're joined by George Hanover out of Snatch Comedy and skaheads Gary Cotter and Ian Walsh outta the Naildrivers the perfect alternative to Mairtín O'Connor's gig at the Pav I'd imagine! and FREE
Monday 11th May
8.30pm Everyman Palace Bar - The KC Sessions 10 singer songwristers, free gig, this seems to have been a great series so far fair dues to them. FREE
9pm The Roundy just when i thought STeT Lab couldn't get much more experimental they invite NZ throatsinger/vocalist Johnny Marks (who has worked with Damo Suzuki who nearly made my ears bleed at Triskel some years back) to join Sax player Bruce Coates who's back in town and some of the regular STeT Lab gang. More on the website
Thursday 14th May
9pm The Roundy Colin McLean's Latin Trio are excellent, really nice acoustic sound, excellent musicians. FREE
Sunday 17th May
8pm An Crúibín Annette Buckley and Band are sure to give a good performance at the old Lobby where she would have made her mark first. An emotional singer-songwriter with talent and style... like the kind we listened to back when I was growing up ;-)
Fri 22nd May - Sunday 24th
Féile Africa's Africa Day celebrations - Festival of Africa
There will be a HEAP of good music going down this weekend, the full schedule will be up soon here looks to me like the gig at the Pavilion on the Friday will be a real cracker sorry i won't be around for it, I'll definitely make it for the celebrations on the Saturday and Sunday though.
There doesn't seem much more out of the usual going down, the Crane Lane have a good line-up all month of late-night free music for anyone around after midnight any night really....
Enjoy the sun,
N
I'm off now for the guts of two weeks to do the first part of a really exciting training programme - an EU Diploma in Cultural Project Management.
So I thought I'd have a quick sconce over what's coming up during this week and while I'm away.
Mostly I wanted to let you know about Mairtín O'Connor's gig tomorrow in the Pav which'll be rockin with the fantastic Cathal Hayden (of Four Men and a Dog) and Seamie O'Dowd. My first ever production was in Galway putting Mairtín and Cathal and Garry O Briain on with ConTempo String Quartet in the Town Hall Theatre and it was a rip-roaring sell-out success. I've tried to get Cathal down to Cork before with FMaD but they're out of my league so it is fantastic to see Pat getting these a-listers in, it'll be fantastic.
Weds 6 May
9pm The Pavilion The Máirtín O Connor Band are simply in the top league of irish traditional music and have just finished a new album. This is the first time they've played here since I moved back to Cork in 2004 these gigs don't come everyday - they don't even come every month or year so if you're free do yourself a favour...
9pm The Roundy It's rare that songwriting gets experimental round here if you ask me but Bennys Head is, I gather, the exception. I never heard of them til now but it's a project going since '85 according to the spiel. The team is Cormac O'Connor and Frank West and they're joined by George Hanover out of Snatch Comedy and skaheads Gary Cotter and Ian Walsh outta the Naildrivers the perfect alternative to Mairtín O'Connor's gig at the Pav I'd imagine! and FREE
Monday 11th May
8.30pm Everyman Palace Bar - The KC Sessions 10 singer songwristers, free gig, this seems to have been a great series so far fair dues to them. FREE
9pm The Roundy just when i thought STeT Lab couldn't get much more experimental they invite NZ throatsinger/vocalist Johnny Marks (who has worked with Damo Suzuki who nearly made my ears bleed at Triskel some years back) to join Sax player Bruce Coates who's back in town and some of the regular STeT Lab gang. More on the website
Thursday 14th May
9pm The Roundy Colin McLean's Latin Trio are excellent, really nice acoustic sound, excellent musicians. FREE
Sunday 17th May
8pm An Crúibín Annette Buckley and Band are sure to give a good performance at the old Lobby where she would have made her mark first. An emotional singer-songwriter with talent and style... like the kind we listened to back when I was growing up ;-)
Fri 22nd May - Sunday 24th
Féile Africa's Africa Day celebrations - Festival of Africa
There will be a HEAP of good music going down this weekend, the full schedule will be up soon here looks to me like the gig at the Pavilion on the Friday will be a real cracker sorry i won't be around for it, I'll definitely make it for the celebrations on the Saturday and Sunday though.
There doesn't seem much more out of the usual going down, the Crane Lane have a good line-up all month of late-night free music for anyone around after midnight any night really....
Enjoy the sun,
N
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
It's that time of year again...
The pleasures of spring are available to everyone and cost nothing wrote George Orwell according to my desk calendar today. I found the line in a 1946 article which begins with a rather wonderful description of the habits of the post-hibernation sex-starved toad - ... All he knows, at least if he is a male toad, is that he wants to get his arms round something, and if you offer him a stick, or even your finger, he will cling to it with surprising strength and take a long time to discover that it is not a female toad. Frequently one comes upon shapeless masses of ten or twenty toads rolling over and over in the water, one clinging to another without distinction of sex.
...Is it wicked to take a pleasure in spring and other seasonal changes? To put it more precisely, is it politically reprehensible, while we are all groaning, or at any rate ought to be groaning, under the shackles of the capitalist system, to point out that life is frequently more worth living because of a blackbird's song, a yellow elm tree in October, or some other natural phenomenon which does not cost money and does not have what the editors of left-wing newspapers call a class angle?
6pm Glucksman Gallery Nidaros Cathedral Girls Choir from Norway have also been tipped to me. FREE
...Is it wicked to take a pleasure in spring and other seasonal changes? To put it more precisely, is it politically reprehensible, while we are all groaning, or at any rate ought to be groaning, under the shackles of the capitalist system, to point out that life is frequently more worth living because of a blackbird's song, a yellow elm tree in October, or some other natural phenomenon which does not cost money and does not have what the editors of left-wing newspapers call a class angle?
... At any rate, spring is here, even in London N. 1, and they can't stop you enjoying it. This is a satisfying reflection. How many a time have I stood watching the toads mating, or a pair of hares having a boxing match in the young corn, and thought of all the important persons who would stop me enjoying this if they could. But luckily they can't. So long as you are not actually ill, hungry, frightened or immured in a prison or a holiday camp, spring is still spring. The atom bombs are piling up in the factories, the police are prowling through the cities, the lies are streaming from the loudspeakers, but the earth is still going round the sun, and neither the dictators nor the bureaucrats, deeply as they disapprove of the process, are able to prevent it.
Well when spring comes to Cork it brings with it not just the lovely song of the blackbirds, or indeed the slap of puddle on fresh-laundered trousers as you wait to cross the road, but also the glorious sound of the human voices piled high together in love of music. Yes, thanks to the Cork International Choral Festival, while I may not have even one golden-eyed toad to roll in the mud with I do have four and a half thousand other voices alongside who I can express my happiness at the lengthening days and burgeoning nature.
Here's my pick of the festival... and a few side orders...
Tuesday 29th
8.00 pm The Pavilion I wish there was more Eastern music on offer in Cork, and now when there is I'm bloody rehearsing. Tina Sani got a great preview in last week's Irish Times (see preview online here http://www.irishtimes.com/
Wednesday 29th April
8pm City Hall For spectacular bombast and excitement check out the opening concert Sadly the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir had to cancel their trip to Cork to perform alongside the Harlow Chorus with Cork Symphony Orchestra for the opening concert of this year's Choral Festival. Unfazed, conductor of the orchestra (and member of the Internationally-acclaimed RTE Vanbrugh String Quartet) Keith Pascoe set about putting together an impressive choir. As a proud member of this 'emergency' chorus I can report that we are in fine fettle and ready for the big gig tomorrow - hope you can make it. Despite having a fair amount of choral experience I can safely say I have never sung more exciting words than Walt Whitman's - powerful images of thundering steamers, billowing sails, busy ports, storms and vast expanses of ocean ... and Ralph Vaughan Williams' hugely expressive music really brings it alive.
Thursday 30th
11am City Library Brigham Young University Singers from the USA are a hot tip and FREE
6pm Glucksman Gallery Nidaros Cathedral Girls Choir from Norway have also been tipped to me. FREE
8pm City Hall For some 'easy'-listening of the highest quality Finland's Club for Five are the should be very entertaining using a range of hip vocal techniques to cover popular styles of music.
Friday 1st May
2pm Tory Top Library, Ballyphehane (Which my mate Paul says is a lovely library altogether and he means it) are hosting Slovenia's Ptuj Male Voice Choir who should be really good. FREE
5.40am Shandon Bells (Yes, that's precisely the crack of dawn folks) Last year's dawn chorus in the iconic St Anne's in Shandon was a huge success - this year Cathal O'Baoill and the Gothenburg Youth Choir will perform for the Shandon Sunrise from the bell tower to reward early risers with a very special moment. Gather at 5.40am outside the church! FREE
7.30pm St Fin Barre's Cathedral Our own National Chamber Choir under the direction of world-famous Paul Hillier have put together a tantalising programme entitled From the Sublime to the Ridiculous. Great choir and will be lovely.
8pm Firkin Crane, Shandon The Farmer's Daughter is a rockabilly musical and should be quite a hoot. It's written by the oh-so-cleverly named choir (now I think about it!) Mná Mná. The blurb says "Bailenagee is getting ready for the 'Farmer of the Year' competition... but is Bailenagee ready for the farmer's daughter? Love knows no boundries in this tongue-in-cheek musical about a girl dressing up as a man and winning the cash-prize... and the girl!" Directed by the lovely Evelyn Quinlan.
8pm Triskel Pierre Bensusan is a sublimely good guitarist with a large and dedicated following. Almost too beautiful. http://www.pierrebensusan.com/
10.30pm North Cathedral The first tickets I booked this year were for Germany's Singer Pur. No doubt they will, like Amacord last year in the same slot, astound with a programme of early and contemporary music and some of the finest chamber singing on the planet.
Saturday May 2nd
3pm & 8pm City Hall The centrepiece of the festival, the Fleischmann International Trophy Competition is highly competitive and very exciting, fans of the nail-biting excitement of TV talent shows can get a real live fix at City Hall! And, more importantly see a big number of really good choirs.
6pm Honan Chapel UCC We've been working hard all year and now Cork Chamber Choir are really looking forward to putting on our biggest concert yet. We've some of the best musicians around to accompany us for Vivaldi's much-loved Gloria RV. 589, and we will also sing a capella, performing Dvorak's luscious 4 Folk Songs. We did the concert in Rosscarbery on Saturday where it went down very well and are excited that we have a great little concert in store for you this week. We made a bit of a balls up by scheduling the concert during an effing Munster match, therefore cutting our potential audience by about 75% it seems so if you're not a rugby fan PLEASE come and support us and make all those hungover Sunday morning rehearsals worthwhile. Tickets are €10/€7
Tuesday May 5th
5pm Honan Chapel,UCC Italy's I Madrigalisti di Perugia who will perform a selection of Italian madrigals I suspect they will be very good indeed. FREE
That's the lot for now...
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
letter to Niwel
Dear Niwel,
Thanks for restringing the house guitar - I can hear Joya playing it downstairs now though I suspect she doesn't realise, it sounds lovely.
I really can't believe I'm missing your big cork gig this weekend. I'm shocked and kind of ashamed - can it really be I take your music so much for granted that I didn't put it in my diary? And it's going to be such a special one I know.
It's looking like you won't be in cork so much longer and i know i'll feel bitter at myself for having spent sunday april 21st 2009 in paris when i should have been in the pavilion in Cork... ask me in ten years i would probably swap 100 nights in paris for a night in cork listening to song of the nations showing the world the new sounds and lost scales.
Hell maybe I'll live in paris then anyway.
Maybe we all will :-)
Pepele, emo....
Thanks for restringing the house guitar - I can hear Joya playing it downstairs now though I suspect she doesn't realise, it sounds lovely.
I really can't believe I'm missing your big cork gig this weekend. I'm shocked and kind of ashamed - can it really be I take your music so much for granted that I didn't put it in my diary? And it's going to be such a special one I know.
It's looking like you won't be in cork so much longer and i know i'll feel bitter at myself for having spent sunday april 21st 2009 in paris when i should have been in the pavilion in Cork... ask me in ten years i would probably swap 100 nights in paris for a night in cork listening to song of the nations showing the world the new sounds and lost scales.
Hell maybe I'll live in paris then anyway.
Maybe we all will :-)
Pepele, emo....
Some nice tips for you
No chattering at all today want to go home to the garden.
But don't miss:
Weds 15th
8pm Triskel Arts Centre - David Torn and his new project Prezens are a big new thing in the electro/jazz world... I'm in Paris this weekend where tickets to see him set one back €24 yet Triskel will let you be one of the chosen few for just €18 ( un petit peu de perspectif, non?) ... and a chance to jump right to the cutting edge right here in cork myspace.com/prezens
8.30pm Crane Lane The last Boutique Burlesque for a while so make a special effort and it will be rewarded in spades http://www.myspace.com/boutiqueburlesque
Thurs 18th
9pm The Roundy Catch Tonynho and Raj's new project Bangsambra for some seriously good vibes - very positive, playful music check out http://www.myspace.com/bangsambra (including my review here ) and it's free free free
Fri 19th
9pm Club ISObar at the Mardyke (which I assume is the old Isobar which became the new Tikki Lounge before presumably being sucked back into the Mardyke complaex and getting it's old name back?) Putting the FUN back in fundraiser, this Gig for Gaza will feature the brilliant Don for Chickens (confirmed after my finally seeing a gig), punkabilly darlings Los Langeros and a heap of talent I don't know namely Dirty Fix and Circus Cat while Dr Fiasco will give ye a phew tunes to dance to and all. Just a tenner and all of it will go to Caoimhe Butterly's humanitarian aid out there. Will be lots of fun and full of good heads.
Sat 20th
7.30pm Crane Lane - Shock horror - nice music on a Saturday that has nothing to do with dancing so far as I know - weird! Probably because I'm away, she probably knew. But cellist Vyvienne Long can expect a decent crowd to see her new project I think I think because she's been getting loads of press and is supposed to be great live. http://www.myspace.com/vyvlong
Sun 21st
8pm The Quad Casiotone for the Painfully Lonely is a solo act, electro with heartI guess, feted by Observer and Mojo but is for some reason playing the Quad in a free gig! Ah, yes here comes summer when we get weird and wonderful drop-ins on European tour, yippee... www.myspace.com/cftpa
But don't miss:
Weds 15th
8pm Triskel Arts Centre - David Torn and his new project Prezens are a big new thing in the electro/jazz world... I'm in Paris this weekend where tickets to see him set one back €24 yet Triskel will let you be one of the chosen few for just €18 ( un petit peu de perspectif, non?) ... and a chance to jump right to the cutting edge right here in cork myspace.com/prezens
8.30pm Crane Lane The last Boutique Burlesque for a while so make a special effort and it will be rewarded in spades http://www.myspace.com/boutiqueburlesque
Thurs 18th
9pm The Roundy Catch Tonynho and Raj's new project Bangsambra for some seriously good vibes - very positive, playful music check out http://www.myspace.com/bangsambra (including my review here ) and it's free free free
Fri 19th
9pm Club ISObar at the Mardyke (which I assume is the old Isobar which became the new Tikki Lounge before presumably being sucked back into the Mardyke complaex and getting it's old name back?) Putting the FUN back in fundraiser, this Gig for Gaza will feature the brilliant Don for Chickens (confirmed after my finally seeing a gig), punkabilly darlings Los Langeros and a heap of talent I don't know namely Dirty Fix and Circus Cat while Dr Fiasco will give ye a phew tunes to dance to and all. Just a tenner and all of it will go to Caoimhe Butterly's humanitarian aid out there. Will be lots of fun and full of good heads.
Sat 20th
7.30pm Crane Lane - Shock horror - nice music on a Saturday that has nothing to do with dancing so far as I know - weird! Probably because I'm away, she probably knew. But cellist Vyvienne Long can expect a decent crowd to see her new project I think I think because she's been getting loads of press and is supposed to be great live. http://www.myspace.com/vyvlong
Sun 21st
8pm The Quad Casiotone for the Painfully Lonely is a solo act, electro with heartI guess, feted by Observer and Mojo but is for some reason playing the Quad in a free gig! Ah, yes here comes summer when we get weird and wonderful drop-ins on European tour, yippee... www.myspace.com/cftpa
Thursday, March 26, 2009
"doin it to yuh in da eaya"
Er, happy 40th birthday to me, can't believe I've done this 40 times (blog that is).
Anyway, Joya's off at her Boutique BaROQUE extravaganza at the Crane Lane; niwel, andremud, mel and the gang will be tuning into gamelan in a half hour at UCC; and Christian and who knows how many young singer songwriters are at the KC sessions in the new Gateway bar in Barrack St.
And I never got to tell ye about any of it.
Me I'll miss it all too, I'm home with the bass beside me waiting for one of my very last practise opportunities before the concert this sunday afternoon. We'll rehearse as an orchestra on saturday first, but there's so much I can't reliably play at speed it's a bit nervewracking.
I nearly skipped off to all them lovely gigs instead but funny, when I got home I listened to a new Captain Hotknives tune Safety is Important off the cd he gave us on saturday and had a big belly laugh, then stopped that (don't want to eat the whole box of squidgy black chocolates in one go eh) threw on P Funk's Mothership and got funked up, boppin away in the sitting room and singin me head off. All energised I said I write a blog so ye know what's coming up and then get down to the nitty gritty with Elgar. I'll do what I can, eh.
Saturday 28th
1pm Stack Theatre, Cork School of Music Don't miss seeing my brilliant double bass teacher and mate Dave Whitla play his first solo recital since I've known him. A really interesting choice of music and I'm excited about the Vasks piece cause I was fundamentally changed in a tiny but lovely way by that concerto he did with the Irish Chamber Orchestra I think it was called Distant Light?) and plus Vasks's a bass player itself and I've had some preview snippets during my lessons...
8pm Blackrock Castle Don't be late or you'll miss EARTH HOUR at 8.30 when the lights in the whole area go out and the big-news Italics play a sweet acoustic reggae set by lamplight. We'll be looking at stars through telescopes if HAARP will just blast a hole in the clouds. When the power kicks in again VJ Present will inspire while Green Monitor dub things up. Last up Brian Deady will funk yis all up with some soul action. Cork Food Web are co-presenting, last night's large gathering in the Franciscan Well would suggest there'll be a big turnout. And it's only a fiver in!!
Sunday 29th
3pm City Hall The CSO Symphony Orchestra perform their big concert of the year, my first full length one with them. Brian O'Kane will play a cello concerto type yoke by Taverner, a pretty amazing yoke actually when the orchestra is divided into a massive number of layers, really textural and also Elgar's expansive, romantic and great fun Enigma Variations. Meet you for a pint in Charlie's after you can be sure!!
There's loads more but sorry I just haven't time :-)
happy listening
Anyway, Joya's off at her Boutique BaROQUE extravaganza at the Crane Lane; niwel, andremud, mel and the gang will be tuning into gamelan in a half hour at UCC; and Christian and who knows how many young singer songwriters are at the KC sessions in the new Gateway bar in Barrack St.
And I never got to tell ye about any of it.
Me I'll miss it all too, I'm home with the bass beside me waiting for one of my very last practise opportunities before the concert this sunday afternoon. We'll rehearse as an orchestra on saturday first, but there's so much I can't reliably play at speed it's a bit nervewracking.
I nearly skipped off to all them lovely gigs instead but funny, when I got home I listened to a new Captain Hotknives tune Safety is Important off the cd he gave us on saturday and had a big belly laugh, then stopped that (don't want to eat the whole box of squidgy black chocolates in one go eh) threw on P Funk's Mothership and got funked up, boppin away in the sitting room and singin me head off. All energised I said I write a blog so ye know what's coming up and then get down to the nitty gritty with Elgar. I'll do what I can, eh.
Saturday 28th
1pm Stack Theatre, Cork School of Music Don't miss seeing my brilliant double bass teacher and mate Dave Whitla play his first solo recital since I've known him. A really interesting choice of music and I'm excited about the Vasks piece cause I was fundamentally changed in a tiny but lovely way by that concerto he did with the Irish Chamber Orchestra I think it was called Distant Light?) and plus Vasks's a bass player itself and I've had some preview snippets during my lessons...
8pm Blackrock Castle Don't be late or you'll miss EARTH HOUR at 8.30 when the lights in the whole area go out and the big-news Italics play a sweet acoustic reggae set by lamplight. We'll be looking at stars through telescopes if HAARP will just blast a hole in the clouds. When the power kicks in again VJ Present will inspire while Green Monitor dub things up. Last up Brian Deady will funk yis all up with some soul action. Cork Food Web are co-presenting, last night's large gathering in the Franciscan Well would suggest there'll be a big turnout. And it's only a fiver in!!
Sunday 29th
3pm City Hall The CSO Symphony Orchestra perform their big concert of the year, my first full length one with them. Brian O'Kane will play a cello concerto type yoke by Taverner, a pretty amazing yoke actually when the orchestra is divided into a massive number of layers, really textural and also Elgar's expansive, romantic and great fun Enigma Variations. Meet you for a pint in Charlie's after you can be sure!!
There's loads more but sorry I just haven't time :-)
happy listening
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