No longer will I wake up on a Saturday morning/afternoon hungover only to proceed to waste the entire day. Yes it will probably fail at some point soon enough but after last Saturday I want to attempt it at least.
You see on Saturday I got up at 9.30am, having gone to bed at 12am and it felt great. A short while later I went to St. Georges Market.
The market which dates back to 1890-1896, is always full of life on a Friday for the fish market and Saturday for general market; such variety of stalls; food, drink, art and a great atmosphere - this is what everyone else does at the weekend.
Thankfully I dont have any allergies - that I know of yet - and will not understand how it is to have to carefully disect everything I ear to ensure there are no ingredients that would cause me harm....
Meet-ups and festivals and fund raising; helping each other out - people coming together to support the music.
The mentality will soon move away from that of “Oh us in Northern Ireland, rejected by all those around us *cries again*” as we begin to realise that we need to just start spreading the word about the great music being created here. Nobody is one day going to decide to look at N.I. separately from anywhere else out of sympathy.
If you are not in a band, why not check out some of the music being made - maybe start with my list from a few weeks ago, take a listen to tracks tagged “Northern Ireland” on LastFM, blog about it, go to gigs, buy merch. Repeat.
If you are even further interested in local music then there are a variety of events to attend: two...
Taken in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in 2006 while visiting with my parents, this is the inside of a shop filled with old antiques and other trinkets of the past.
This reminds me, I have to visit the museum again. The ‘Folk Museum‘, hasn’t always been my favourite, yet still a great visit with the old school, church, farmhouses, manor, mills, gorge, cottages and town shops and houses. The ‘Transport Museum‘ I have always loved the most; filled with old trains, buses, cars, bikes and many other forms of transport....
In Celebrating their 50th issue this month NI-based music magazine AU compiled a list of their favourite songs of Northern Irish bands since the first issue (June 2003), and so I have decided to do the same, on a smaller scale.
Here are my current top 20 songs of NI bands:
1. Boathouse - Tinderbox West
2. Tom McShane - Lullaby
3. Robyn G Shiels - I’d Go To Funerals
4. Kitty & the Can Openers - On The Fringes
5. Oppenheimer - Sraight Out Of Comp’in’
6. Duke Special - Salvation Tambourine
7. Jane Bradfords - Hide From the Cold
8. The Benjamins - Burn Me Up Buttercup
9. The Delawares - Learning to Love
10. Snow Patrol - You Could Be Happy
11. Cat Malojian - Life Rolls On
12. The Elliots - Torch Song
13. Fast Emperors - Tapdance Junkies
14. Kharma45 - Ecstasy
15. Ruby...
Duke Special is to release his latest album “I Never Thought This Day Would Come” throughout Ireland on 17th October, and the rest of the UK on 20th October.
Here’s the track list:
Mockingbird wish me luck
Sweet sweet kisses
Those proverbs we made in the winter must end
Diggin’ an early grave
I never thought this day would come
Why does anybody love?
Flesh and blood dance
If I don’t feel is anymore
Let me go (please please please)
By the skin of my teeth
Nothing comes easy
Nothin’ you could do
The band have also released a video for the new single “Sweet Sweet Kisses”. I can’t wait to hear the album and see him on the forthcoming tour....
After months of anticipation a beautiful Apple Store opened this morning in Victoria Square, Belfast.
Although I’ve only been a mac-geek for 5 months, I tend to not do anything by halves, and so I was there bright and early to queue for my t-shirt, along with those who had been there for hours before me. 10 minutes before the doors opened, all the staff ran out cheering and high-fiving those waiting in line. This only helped build the excitement further. The cheers didn’t stop for long before the doors were opened and the first of those who had been waiting overnight ran towards the noising and very enthusiastic staff. Collect t-shirt and high-five as many as possible along the “tunnel of joy”.
Immediately those first in headed straight upstairs, past the array...
This weekend many private and public buildings throughout Northern Ireland normally closed to the public, will be open for viewing and tours as part of the European Heritage Open Days.
On Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th September European Heritage Open Day will come to you in Northern Ireland. During this weekend, you will be given the opportunity to explore venues and grounds that are normally closed to the public.
I remember seeing this advertised on billboards a few weeks back but I’d forgotten all about it, thankfully Alan reminded me.
The full programme available here [pdf]. There are also extracts covering Belfast, Co Antrim, Co Down, Co Armagh, Co Fermanagh, Co L’derry and Co Tyrone.
Below is a list of those that I am interested in visiting:
Stormont Castle and...
Kitty and the Can Openers on BalconyTV
You can download their full E.P. on the band’s website.
Not long left to vote for the band on SlicethePie...
Every so often a ‘Battle of the Bands’ pops up on the radar, each one to be better than any before it. Last Standing with its emphasis on war rather than battle, may prove itself to be stronger than its predecessors of the genre of musician competitiveness.
Last-standing.com Is a social networking site for Northern Irish bands; trying to build networks between bands in NI to strengthen our collective position in the music industry. Also runs a Battle of the Bands which is open to entrants right now, heats are on around NI to to determine the finalists, the finalists will then battle for a chance to win £2000’s worth of prizes, including:
- cash prize
- demo recording at Shabby Road studio
- 100 copies of the demo
- expert advice from those in the music and promotion...
12:03am. Ash are 3/4 through their set, and are in good form. It’s been a great day, the weather was good and so many musicians in the one place enjoying the lively atmosphere ad great music.
Back to 3/4 through Ash’s set and Paddy Glasgow has noticed a disabled man by the fence left of the stage. He goes to him and, after failing to get him through the doubled up barrier, meets him at the backstage entrance and tells him to sit at the front barrier, spitting distance from Tim Wheeler.
This is how Paddy does things - Small but Massive.
A festival with a human side. A great vibe from everyone and the best of Northern Irish music (with the odd band from South of the border). The crowd is happy. The bands are happy, and things just run smoothly.
It is a festival to be proud of....
Sun, sand, sea… and mountains!
Of course I would love to get away to a country far far away for a few weeks over the Summer. To enjoy a a different culture, the sights, the photos opportunities, cheaper goods and so on. This year, unlike the last I will not be jetting off to the US of A or any place of such distance and value for money - not necessarily to live up to my consciousness of the environment’s poor health; foot prints, carbon, warming on a global scale and so forth; I may go farther next year - but due to the smaller, closer-to-home holiday plans I have been scheming, 264 miles could be the farthest this year distance traveled this year. With weather such as this, who needs to venture too far (I keep telling myself).
I have many daytrips, weekend-trips and general...
Still racing of adrenaline from her solo performance at the 20/20 photographic exhibition, Amy McGarrigle will join her band-mates at the Empire Music Hall, Belfast, for the launch of their E.P. ‘What I Remember’.
The band, Boathouse, were formed in 2006 and through progressively gigging, their music as gotten better and fanbase, bigger. The EP contains 5 tracks of the highest quality music, my favourite track changes with each time I see them play.
1. Tinderbox West
2. It Was A River
3. The Johnnny & Ruth Story
4. Don’t Knock
5. What I Remember
I asked drummer Keir Hurley how it feels to finally release this long awaited CD.
“Finally having the recordings completed is great. I think after ‘Trail of Ghosts’ [the first E.P. recorded in 2006], a lot...
It was a great weekend. Mostly spent chilling out, listening to music, watching Pushing Daisies, which I really don’t like and must stop watching immediately, watching terrible movies including this one along with a very moderate amount of alcohol.
Saturday afternoon though, was the Belfast Flickr Meetup at the Continental Market at the City Hall, with a total of 9 people, we wanted around getting photographs of all the same things and people from slightly different angles. I tried to get some portraits of some of the sellers. The first, Leo, was so keen he gave me his email address to send him the photograph.
My next victim was a seller of olives. Maybe he could sense that I don’t actually like olives and just wanted to take a photograph of him, which no intention of making...
‘LETS GO TO WORK!’
Directed by Lindsay Charrington
Produced by Adrian Cooke
Tonight is the opening of Reservoir Cats, the latest play by the Theatre Knights, a subsidiary of the Knights of the Round Table arts collective. A spin-off of the Quentin Tarantino film Reservoir Dogs, ‘Cats’ sports an all-female cast in this very unique, Northern Irish take.
The Knights of the Round Table was founded in 2005 by Thomas L Muinzer to “encourage the individual development of of all artistic genres, but also to encourage the idea of bringing separate genres together.”
In my mind this is a great version of the original film, the cast play the parts brilliantly, interacting with the audience and the auditorium as well as making the audience think about the male and...
As I approached the Ormeau Bridge this morning a very eggy smell made its way up my nostrils. Looking down, the bands of the were as low as I remember ever seeing them; muddy, dark and devoid of life, with a traffic cone or two and I’m sure a shopping trolley somewhere could be found somewhere down as the river meandered through the city.
As I walked across the bridge on my way to work I thought about the Lagan Weir and how it was designed to “keep the river at an artificially constant level” through “a series of massive steel barriers which are raised as the tide retreats.” Maybe they took the bank holiday off too.
The water quality of the river was poor due to several factors:
There was a large amount of “domestic” pollution entering the...
Elections to the 11 new councils won't take place until 2011.
NIO minister Shaun Woodward has announced that the local government elections due to take place in Northern Ireland in 2009 have been put back to 2011 at the request of executive ministers.
Effectively the councillors who were elected for 4 year terms in 2005 are getting the length of their contracts extended by 50%. The official reason is something to do with the local government reform that will see the reshaping of the council boundaries and the reduction in the number of councils from 26 to 11.
What I want to know is which executive ministers, and why? I have my suspicions about certain currently dominant parties being worried about losing vote share with voters quickly realising that this wonderful new dispensation...
It’s been a while since I went to a club and drank many alcoholic beverages into the early hours of the morning. Having had a taste of just that the other night, not so much in the alcohol consumption but in the atmosphere and drink consumed by the free spirits all around me - including the occasional fantastically attractive female.
Those nights are always nice. It’s fun to go a bit crazy every now and then, though right now it seems I’m not able to do it, or in the mood quite often. It feels great to be busy, sometimes it feels great to be tired, because it’s tiredness from doing what I love.
It’s the weekend. Go nuts!...
Everyone’s favourite unelected legislator has had an idea.
I can't drive. I've just never bothered to learn. So lets say I get my licence next month and I drive to my girlfriend's parents in south Down. Alastair Ross will be very upset if I leave for Belfast much after 8pm. Who is he to have an opinion on what time I drive home at? What right does the state have to extend the fairly reasonable restrictions on driving to such an extent? He also wants to ban me from driving my girlfriends sister anywhere for the first year. Total ban on alcohol, perhaps, but the reason zero tolerance on this doesn't work, is that small amounts of blood alcohol are (as far as I remember) naturally occurring!
Lisburn man/Larne MLA Alastair Ross really has let it go to his head. If he wants a...
I was recently required to do an analysis of an academic research paper. A colleague I was working with chose this one, which I hadn't read before. There are some fascinating things in the responses.
Page 6 of the PDF shows the huge swing in support for the agreement before finally resting where it started. I'm a bit dubious about the unexplained sharp rises towards the end of the campaign, but maybe I'm just forgetting something. Page 8 highlights the fact that the republic had a vote one third larger than in the north, but 10 times more spoilt ballots.
On page 11 we get into the really interesting stuff. Only half of Protestant no voters objected to power sharing. Two thirds of them supported the establishment of an assembly. 86% of catholic nationalists supported NI remaining...
That was no mob! A pitiful performance! You should be ashamed of yourselves - those who didn’t make the effort. Its a team effort people!
In this photo are a few of the mobsters.
Here is all the space available for potential mobsters
Those who were there were awesome! A small group, who gathered afterwards, including Duke Special who was just getting a Costa Coffee (seen below just leaving).
Next time will be better....
TODAY Flash Mob gathering in Belfast
Victoria Square ground floor
1pm
Like this, only more people - hopefully.
It may not be quite so populated as London’s Flash Mob on Friday 11th April, but we can try....
It was like putting on a pair of glasses for the first time. I don’t wear glasses, so it was like putting on a pair of glasses when my eyesight is 20:20 and seeing everything totally distorted - only in reverse. In a good way.
A new lens. I got a nice pretty new lens. The weather has been amazing the last few days. Here are a few photographs from my first trip with pretty new lens....
OK, so Peter Robinson is going to be confirmed as the new leader of the DUP on Thursday after being selected by the party's MLAs yesterday. Nothing unexpected there. I've been waiting for the day when Paisley would finally step down and I suppose what happens next should, in theory, be interesting. So why am I so bored by it?
Peter Robinson impressed me (a little) at Finance and I've always thought he came across as much more pragmatic and sensible than his former sensei. He has a reputation as a good strategist, and it's his brains that many credit with the DUP's surpassing of the Ulster Unionists as the most popular party among unionist voters (that and keeping Paisley out of the way anyway).
He's also spoken a lot about cutting down on waste and absenteeism and sickness in the civil...
So much to blog and so little time. It's like being off work and coming back to an inbox overflowing with emails. Let's start with this kerfuffle over flags in Kilrea.
Long story short, some folk erect tricolour on Protestant church. Some other folk decide to repay the favour, erecting Union Jack on Roman Catholic church. As Turgon highlighted, more interesting than the incident itself is a local MLA's reaction (and the apparent double-standards therein). Compare and contrast his description of what happened to the Protestant church with what happened to the Catholic one.
"The congregation of the Church of Ireland have my deepest regret that their church was used to fly a Tricolour on Easter Sunday.
Likewise, as a member of the Catholic community, I deeply regret that the Marian Hall,...
Colm Bradley has outlined some ways he thinks the GAA can remove the barriers to Unionists joining. Just over a year ago I outlined that the GAA has a de facto ban in Unionists joining. Unfortunately Google hasn't cached it, so some of the substantive points are below the fold. The main contention I have though, is that the GAA is excplicitly a political orginisation, and should not be treated as a sporting orginisation unless and until it sheds the vestiges of a political pressure group.
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SNAP! Screening a series of short documentaries from FourDocs and 3 Minute Wonder.
Thursday 27th March 2008
The Drawing Office, Titanic Quarter, 2 Queen’s Road, Queens Island, Belfast [MAP]
Doors open 7pm, screening at 8pm
Free admission
Part One
3MW: Mouthing Off: Scoring (Ken Wardrop)
3MW: Lee Kern’s A-Z of London: Love (Lee Kern)
4Docs: Kebab (Khaldoon Ahmed)
4Docs: Rose Thieves (Jane Cheadle)
3MW: Little Worlds: Maria’s Story (Sally Hewitt)
4Docs: Flora and Thieves (Xanthe Hamilton)
4Docs: I Remember Lebanon (Zenia Aboul Hosn)
Part Two
3MW: People in Order: Age 1-100 (James Price & Lenka Clayton)
3MW: WarTorn Stories of separation: Anna & Rissell (David Modell)
4Docs: Twenty Lenghts (Katie Barlow)
3MW: Beside the Seaside: Ice-cream (Julie Moggan)
4Docs:...
Yes, people. The peace dividend has arrived.450 public sector jobs to go in the Housing Executive. That's nearly five hundred people sacked from only one state agency.How many do you think will be sacked overall, once this wave of 'rationalisation' is complete?See, what people never realised was that there was in reality a civil war dividend in Northern Ireland.The stipend from the UK to the province was estimated conservatively at £6 billion. It didn't all go on security. It also went on the most bloated civil service in the Western world.That's coming to an end. For sure, in order to bribe everyone to stay inside Stormont, there will be a few hand-outs from London, Dublin, even from America and the EU.But in the long run, this is the future. The over-reliance on state and semi-state...
Recently I’ve been working with local promotion company Moving On Music, who specialise in classical, traditional, world, rock and jazz music.
MOM are putting on a mini-festival in the Black Box from today, 26th March, to Sunday 30th March, encompassing many great musicians, as well as film screenings before each show.
In the Café, however, a selection of my photographs, taken at Moving On Music events, are on display throughout the festival.
If you are in Belfast it would be great if you could stop by and have a look, maybe even get a bite to eat - they do a good lunch.
For full details on the festival programme click here...
It seems to be a constant theme that when people are surveyed about the news they complain there's not enough positive news reported, so here goes.
Belfast is one of the top 10 safest cities in the United Kingdom (also in the Tele) in which to live according to a survey from Endsleigh insurance. It landed in at number 7th safest for household accident claims and 10th safest from claims arising from theft.
That list in full (courtesy of the Daily Record):
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A random photo from the archives.
This photograph was taken on this day in 2006...