This fortnight’s Hot Press is on the stands now  so here’s a reprint of the previous issue’s NI bands column!

News

Words: Edwin McFee

This fortnight Two Door Cinema Club escape from the studio for a bit to play a very special home coming show indeed. The Mandela Hall in Belfast is the venue of choice, the date for your diaries is Nov 17 and the bash is curated by the folks at BBC Introducing. Two Door are keeping the Northern end up on the bill which also features Scotland’s Twin Atlantic, Wales’ Save Your Breath and England’s Pulled Apart By Horses and the show should be a belter. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s even better news if you’re financially challenged in the run up to Crimbo-it’s free in, so you’ve got no excuses.

Southern fried retro rockers (who also boast an impressive array of hats) Jackson Cage cross the border into parts unknown on Nov 24. Well, when we say “parts unknown” we actually mean Dublin and the venue they’re playing in is Whelan’s, but let’s not let the facts get in the way of a dramatic introduction. Aided and abetted by Ten Gallon Hat, Jackson Cage are highly recommended to those who are a bit partial to the likes of Crazy Horse and early Springsteen and you can listen to some new live tracks on their MySpace now-www.myspace.com/jacksoncageband.

Keeping it country for a second, Louisiana Joyride are offering free whiskey for everyone at the moment. What’s the catch, we hear you ask? Well, ‘Whiskey’ is actually the name of a song and not that sweet, sweet alcoholic nectar but hey, free songs are free songs. You can download the track by visiting www.nichart.com/downloads and as if that wasn’t enough, the band also celebrate the release of their debut EP ‘The Journey Through’ on Nov 13 with a gig at McHugh’s in Belfast. Captain Cameron are also on the bill and at the time of going to press admission is TBC.

They’ve been bubbling just under the radar since their inception in 2005 and now it seems that the mosh-tastic Exit Wound are ready to step things up over the next few months. On Nov 20 they play a gig at the Rugby Club in Limavady and are set to head into the studio before Christmas. The boys are also keen for Hot Press to let you know that they are well up for any gig offers, so if you prefer things a little on the heavy side (and we’re not talking about all you closet chubby chasers) then give them a shout on their MySpace-www.myspace.com/exitwoundni.

The final festival I was at this summer was the much talked about Glasgowbury in County Derry. According to the ramblings of some internet user names, this bash is the best thing to happen since Fonzie stuck his boot up the jukebox in Arnolds’ hole and while I appreciate the spirit of the event, I wasn’t quite as spell bound as others.

Still, a fun day was had and here’s the reprint of my review that ran in Hot Press.

Glasgowbury

Eagles Rock, Co. Derry

Nestled in between some mountains, Glasgowbury might be a bit scarce on bogs and burger vans, but it more than makes up for the lack of facilities with the amount of talent on offer. Featuring a veritable truck-load of NI acts plus one Free State interloper the Mighty Stef (more on them later) the festival is more of a statement than anything else-telling the major labels and mainstream bands to get screwed, in the nicest possible way of course. With literally dozens of performers filling up four tents, it’s impossible to see everyone, so here’s a brief taster of the cream of the crop.

New kids on the block We Are Resistance put in an encouraging performance during the afternoon as did Furlo, who packed their tent out, but things really kicked off once the Black Bear Saloon arrive onstage a little bit later on. Despite a shaky start (and by “shaky” we don’t mean they played a cover of ‘Green Door’) the four-piece find their groove three songs in with the phenomenal ‘Face The Future.’ Frontman Aaron is clearly relishing the chance to perform outside of Belfast for a change, promising free blowjobs for all and bigging up guitarist Peter’s, er, unique skills. By the end of their hook-laden, groove-fuelled set the tent fills up just in time for the singer to successfully encourage everyone to push themselves against the barrier so he can “have a Joe Dolan moment and touch everyone’s hands” during ‘First Against the Wall.’ Classic stuff.  Hopefully this show will mark the rise in the ranks of the Black Bear Saloon, as frankly they’re getting far too good to be ignored for much longer.

Dutch Schultz put on a tight as hell performance too with Willy clearly in his element, shaking a bottle of Buckfast at the crowd, bemoaning the fact that they don’t make good porn anymore and generally blowing the heads off the front row with ‘LA Cumfucker.’ Sadly the usually impressive Mojo Fury don’t quite click today though. We’re not sure whether it’s the newer material or their lack of life onstage that’s hampering the set, but by the time we see frontman Mike in his other incarnation as singer of the weird and wonderful Clown Parlour, he seems much more at home playing odd, vaudeville-inspired songs than with his day job so maybe he just needs a break.

The Beat Poets on the other hand just seem to get better with every show. New song ‘One By One’ gives us an excellent teaser for the long awaited new album, ‘Ghosts’ has a nasty bassline and a filthy chorus and final song ‘Bloodline’ is now a bona fide fist in the air anthem. The great acts just keep coming too, with The Mighty Stef’s brand of booze-inspired shanties making a believer out of this writer, Here Comes the Landed Gentry charming everyone with their mash-up of blues and rockabilly and sounding like Satan’s house band (they even play an encore) and LaFaro bludgeon the crowd with their utter sonic violence.

 Local indie pin-ups General Fiasco also put on a hell of a show with the normally soft-spoken Owen maturing into the consummate frontman. There are definitely a few songs you could describe as filler in their set (‘First Impressions’) but the sheer pop suss of ‘Rebel Get By’ and ‘Ever So Shy’ mark the boys out to be next year’s potential headliners. Finally it’s left up to And So I Watch You From Afar to close things in style. Their take on instrumental punk rock has made them one of the most exciting Irish bands on the scene right now and ‘Clench Fists, Grit Teeth, Go!’ and ‘Set Guitars To Kill’ are fast becoming as essential as oxygen. In a perfect world ‘A Little Solidarity Goes A Long Way’ would be the NI national anthem, but for now, we’ll settle for it being the unofficial soundtrack to Glasgowbury ’09. See you all next year.

Edwin McFee

More photos from Glasgowbury can be viewed here-http://www.hotpress.com/photos/photo_st.php?id=5718749

This fortnight’s Hot Press is on the stands now (more details here http://www.hotpress.com/2893481.html) so here’s a reprint of the previous issue’s NI bands column!

News

Words: Edwin McFee

This fortnight this writer has been playing the new album from NI’s finest punk rock band the Lobotomies in almost constant rotation. Entitled Big Bang Hangover it features 17tracks in around 30minutes and it’s pretty much one of my favourite records of the year. Why am I telling you this, you ask? Well the four-piece launch their album on October 23 with a gig in the Pavilion, Belfast and you should all be there as it’s only £5 in. There are plenty of highlights on the release, but the smashmouth sounds of ‘Freedom,’ and the savage ‘Bloodsports With Lapdogs’ get our recommendation and if you can’t get to the gig don’t fret, as Big Bang Hangover is released vie EHC Records. Visit www.myspace.com/thelobotomies for more details.

Congratulations to the Panama Kings who not only ruled the school at their first ever Mandela Hall headline gig a few weeks ago, but they’ve also bagged the hugely coveted support slot on Ash’s up-coming UK and Irish tour. The boys will hit the road with the band from mars (see what we did there? No? Alright, please yourselves…) throughout the months of October and November and these include dates at the Button Factory, Dublin on Nov 25 and the Spring and Airbrake, Belfast on Nov 26 so check Ticketmaster and the usual suspects for ticket details.

Sludge worshipping heavy hitters Slomatics have released their latest slab of wax this fortnight and it’s a split CD with the mighty Selaah. The band contribute three songs to the record (while Selaah recorded a 17minute long improve piece. Jazzy!) and it’s strictly limited to 200copies, so get ‘em while you can. At £4 it’d be rude not to. More details are available at the link http://slomatics.bigcartel.com/.

Delirium Tremens (who are currently beavering away in the studio like, er…beavers) have posted up two demos for their forth-coming debut release on their MySpace page (www.myspace.com/deliriumtremensrock). ‘Shuffle Off This Mortal Coil’ and ‘Requiem’ are currently available for streaming and even in this rough format, it’s pretty clear that the record will be nothing short of monstrous once it sees the light of day in the New Year. The boys are also in the process of booking a tour south of the border and although some shows are to be confirmed, the trek runs from Nov 27-Dev 7. As if that wasn’t enough, they also support American post rock types Junius in Belfast on Nov 27 and once we have the final dates, Hot Press will of course keep you up to date.

This week marks my six year anniversery contributing for the Belfast Telegraph. I’ve interviewed a lot of interesting people (and sadly some not so interesting ones too) during my time there and I’m proud to say that I was one of the first journo’s to write for the 24/7 supplement. Over the last year or so I’ve decided to step back a wee bit from the papers though. Bascially as I received more work from Hot Press and NME I scaled back a little bit on the local stuff (there’s only so many hours in an eight day week, right?) but I still do bits and pieces and last week 24/7 ran my interview with Biffy Clyro. The album is up for streaming now on MySpace so here’s a reprint to tie in with it.

Biffy Clyro

In an era of one hit wonders and plastic, perma-tanned pop stars, it’s somewhat reassuring to see Scottish tunesmiths Biffy Clyro continue to produce the goods. With each new release the trio seem to climb another rung up the ladder to rock royalty and the quality of their records only improves as they mature in years. However, while ‘07’s gold certified Puzzle may have been their most successful slab of wax in their 14year history, it was also their most painful to make as it documented the death of singer/guitarist Simon Neil’s mother and saw the affable lads from Ayrshire butting heads with the legendary producer Garth Richardson (whose credits include working with Rage Against the Machine among others). Fast forward two years later though and their follow up Only Revolutions couldn’t be any more upbeat and positive and as we catch up with bassist James Johnston during his press junket, we have to ask him-where did it all go right?

“We all know what Puzzle was about, it was a very difficult record and time in our lives, but I guess these days we’re much happier,” reflects the 29year old. “An album will always be informed by what’s around you and severe tragedy never leaves you. Simon got married last year and that was something to be happy about and we’re looking forward to the future now instead of being sad about the past. I guess the music is a little more hopeful too. The brass on [current single] The Captain is triumphant and there are a few points on the record like that. We’re in a really great place at the moment. It’s mad though-I feel like I’m from LA talking about emotions. We’re three blokes from Scotland and we don’t do that stuff for God’s sake.”

What separates Biffy Clyro apart from other alternative rock bands is their connection with their fans and refusal to become yet another rock ‘n’ roll cliche. They may be five records into their career (that includes ‘02’s Blackened Sky, ‘03’s The Vertigo Of Bliss, ‘04’s Infinity Land, the aforementioned Puzzle and their soon to be released Only Revolutions for those keeping score) but they’re far from jaded about their achievements.

 “It’s not an easy life and it’s not easy working on records, but it’s an absolutely great life too,” smiles the bassist. “We’re very blessed to do this and I wouldn’t sit and tell you it’s all difficult. Your reader’s lives are difficult, you know? Success hasn’t changed us. Without sounding like we’re full of ourselves-we kinda deserve it though. We’ve worked hard and we’re over the moon more people are getting to hear us.”

Sounding like a band at the height of their powers, Only Revolutions also features guitar-work by Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme [on the track Bubbles] and the Scot confesses that they learned a lot from the ginger giant.

“Working with Josh was great fun. We really respect him because he’s always one step ahead of the rest. We toured with the Queens in the States and in Europe and we got to know them fairly well. I wouldn’t say we’re best buddies but we got on well. We learned a lot from them and when Josh heard we were going to be recording in LA he said gimme a shout and I’ll come play. I don’t think he expected us to take him up on it [laughs]. I think he thought ‘Oh, sh*t it’s Biffy on the phone.’ Anyway, legend has it that he put his daughter to bed at 10 o’clock and came down to us for 11pm. He came in, listened to the track once and went ‘Right, I’ve got a solo for it.’ He went next door and just started wailing on his guitar. It was all the things you dreamed of if you were a Josh Homme fan. He’s just awesome.”

And it wasn’t just Josh Homme who was “awesome” this time around. Their producer Garth Richardson also did a sterling work on the new record too.

“It was fairly well documented in the past that we struggled a little bit working with Garth on Puzzle and that was certainly true in the first few weeks because we just worked in different ways. He wasn’t used to dealing with such determined people. He was more accustomed to having young bands come in and do things his way, but we were very much like-no, we’d like to do it that way instead, so we butted heads a little. We’ve now become really, really great friends with Garth though and he’s a brilliant ally. It was a pleasure working with him this time. He spurs us on. Sometimes he p*sses us off, but I think that’s the beauty of a creative relationship.”

When Only Revolutions hits record shop shelves on November 9, chances are it’s going to change their lives forever. Already featuring the top five hit single Mountains, the top ten denting That Golden Rule and the soon to be released The Captain, the opus sounds utterly monstrous and will no doubt see the childhood friends notch up a plethora of awards in 2010 and become festival headliners next year. As a band with a close connection with their fans we ask them if they worry about alienating their most loyal followers.

“We do worry about it,” confesses James. “We wouldn’t be anywhere without the hardcore fans who would’ve seen us play smaller venues in Belfast for years and now that we’re doing bigger places like St George’s Market I’m sure we’re going to put some noses out of joint, but what do you do? If you try to second guess what people want to hear then that’s when you’re screwed. When those kids will inevitably say Biffy have gone weak I don’t know what to say to them. I just keep trying to put on the best show I can. Besides, I’d rather have things the way they are now than when we were scrambling to get support slots from terrible bands like OPM and Limp Bizkit!”

 As James prepares to get bundled off into a taxi to tape an appearance on Later With Jools Holland, we ask him about his hopes for their fifth (and possibly best) album to date.

“Our ambition is to surprise a lot of people with this record,” he concludes. “We’ve always seen ourselves as awkward young men and we haven’t changed in that respect, but we try to do things that are unexpected too. I think that’s a good thing to do in music. We also put ourselves under a lot of pressure. We’re a band that really cares a lot about what we do and we don’t like to waste time. The record company are turning the screw a little bit-but they aren’t saying we need to write a certain type of song. It’s more like-this needs to be absolutely mega and hopefully everyone will think that once it’s released.”

Biffy Clyro play St George’s Market in Belfast on Oct 28. Support is from Manchester Orchestra and Pulled Apart By Horses. Tickets cost £21 and are available from all Ticketmaster outlets. Doors open at 7pm.

Edwin McFee

Late last summer I was sent down to Malmaison to meet up with Dizzee Rascal. He was an interesting dude and the kind of bloke who seemed like he might be a good laugh if he got over himself a little bit. We also had a playback of his new record ‘Tongue ‘N’ Cheek’ (which his tour manager insisted on playing at the loudest volume possible) and I looked after the lead review for Hot Press as well as the interview. It’s a fun record and as one of his tracks came on the radio there now, I thought I’d post up the original transcript…

Dizzee Rascal

Tongue ‘N’ Cheek (Dirtee Stank)

Three and a half out of five

For far too long, Dizzee Rascal’s name and reputation has overshadowed his music. At this stage we all know he’s a “respected UK rapper” and Lily Allen loves him so much she called her song ‘LDN’ in tribute to his lyrics, but beyond that, most people knew him as that bloke who had the creepy puppets in his video for the Captain Sensible sampling single ‘Dream,’ and that was pretty much it. But this year all that changed-specifically with his Calvin Harris produced track ‘Dance Wiv Me.’ Dizzee finally crafted a tune that lived up to his reputation and what a song it was. Full of inventive hooks and some truly impressive mic skills, it quite rightly put the MC at the top of the heap, and that was just the first single.

Shortly after that he released ‘Bonkers’ and ‘Holiday’ in close succession and they too were just as catchy, just as imaginative and just as good, if not better, than their predecessor. So, now that we have the album to listen to you’d be forgiven for thinking that the only thing of worth are the three singles. We say you’d be forgiven, but you’d also be wrong. You see Tongue ‘N’ Cheek is a tour de force in future sounds. Over the course of 11 tracks Dizzee stitches together dancehall, reggae, 90s techno, hip hop and pop Frankenstein-style and nine times out of ten it works really well.

Opening the album with ‘Bonkers’ Tongue ‘N’ Cheek starts off strong, with some fast-paced rhyming and excellent production by Armand Van Helden. Second song ‘Road Rage’ has a Bollywood vibe and is sure to be another hit single. Speaking of hits, the aforementioned ‘Dance Wiv Me’ is track three and if you haven’t heard it yet then we truly feel sorry for you. Next up is one of the most controversial yet catchy songs on the slab of wax ‘Freaky Freaky.’ Featuring the classic line “She’s always up for a bonking,” Dizzee’s word-play is phenomenal, even if his rampant sexism leaves a little to be desired. ‘Can’t Tek Me No More’ might continue the theme of atrocious spelling and grammar, but stylistically it goes somewhere else entirely-employing a dancehall beat courtesy of longtime collaborator Shy FX. ‘Chillin’ Wiv Da Man Dem’ is one of the few turkeys to be found on Tongue ‘N’ Cheek with its slow pace feeling a little too restrained after what’s come before.

By the second half of the record, it’s all change again though and ‘Dirtee Cash’ harks back to the era of the Shamen, KLF and people on E blowing whistles for no apparent reason. Sampling the Adventures of Stevie V’s classic cut ‘Money Talks (Dirty Cash)’ the song gives ‘Dance Wiv Me’ a run for its money. Both ‘Money Money Money’ and ‘Leisure’ let the side down a little though and they don’t shine quite as brightly as other tracks, (the boasting on ‘Money Money Money’ in particular gets a little tiresome and we’re left thinking of images of the rapper swimming around in a giant pool of cash just like Scrooge McDuck-which is as bizarre as it sounds) but ‘Holiday’ and the techno-influenced album closer ‘Bad Behaviour’ make you forget all that quickly enough.

At its best, Tongue ‘N’ Cheek is the album that Dizzee Rascal was born to make. It’s upbeat, uplifting and one of the best produced pop albums of the year. At its worst, the blatant sexism and copious references to his prowess at “baby making” are as big and clever as a dwarf who was held back a few years at school. Still, for all its faults, Tongue ‘N’ Cheek is a pretty special record and should be filed under “G” for guilty pleasure.

Key Track: ‘Dirtee Cash’

Edwin McFee

Here’s a reprint of my NI news column from Hot Press Vol 33 Issue 19. Enjoy.

News

Words: Edwin McFee

They may have taken their sweet time making it, but this fortnight we’re pleased to announce that one of NI’s best live bands Pocket Billiards will unleash their debut album onto the unsuspecting public. Formed in 2002, the Billiards have went through more line-up changes than Guns ‘N’ Roses, but they’ve still remained one of the most high octane unsigned bands the country has to offer and this writer is pleased to report that their self titled album is one of the best records of the year. The ska-loving nine-piece launch their master-piece by playing a gig in the Black Box in Belfast on Oct 10 with support from Team Fresh, Axis Of and Aggressors BC and admission is a mere £5, so make sure you check out what is sure to be a great night. For more information on how you can pick up a copy of their seminal slab of wax then click on www.myspace.com/pocketbilliards.

Speaking of new albums, by the time you read this you’ll be able to get your mitts on the debut offering (Sticks And Stones) from the Vals too. Released on Oct 5, the opus can be bought via mail order giants such as Play.com, Amazon and all the rest and while we have yet to hear a copy, we’re expecting good things. The band have also made a rather swish looking video for their track ‘Too Many People’ and you can watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPNEeprzxBU.

Up and comers the Vires are the latest local act to sign with the Audio-Ill label. After beating off stiff competition (make your own jokes there folks, that one’s too easy) in a Battle of the Bands, they scooped a two year contract and three year publishing deal. Hot Press will of course keep you up to date on the band’s activities when we get them but for now have a listen to their songs by visiting this website-www.myspace.com/thevires.

Finally the none more mighty Yakuza have made an ace clip for their track ‘West Of The Best’ courtesy of Red Cap Productions. Taken from their forthcoming album, the video features our heroes playing inside cardboard boxes that are adorned in fairy lights, signing along the dotted line for some be-suited business moguls (the horror!) and generally indulging in some of the best acting we’ve seen since Leprechaun In The Hood went straight to DVD. It’s definitely worth a look, so check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhqEeQn7j0c&feature=player_embedded.

Here’s a reprint of my NI news column from Hot Press Vol 33 Issue 18. Enjoy.

News

Words: Edwin McFee

The Ulster Hall bound General Fiasco (the date’s Oct 31 in case you haven’t heard) continue to get bigger and better as the months roll by and on Oct 12 they release the hook-laden single ‘We Are The Foolish’ into the wild via Infectious Records. The accompanying video is pretty special too, but don’t take our word for it, have a look for yourself by clicking here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcQBB6ntDgM. The GF lads have also asked us to implore you to vote for them on Steve Lamaq’s BBC 6 Music Rebel playlist by visiting www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/steve_lamacq/rebel_playlist.shtml so if you haven’t done so already, you know what to do.

As if they didn’t have enough members to contend with, the Innishowen Gospel Choir are looking to add even more bodies to their ranks before the year is out. The critically acclaimed singers are keen to get some fresh faces for their upcoming performance at the Belfast Festival at Queen’s and if you think you’ve got what it takes then pay close attention to these instructions the guys emailed us-“If you are over 17, consider yourself a singer and would like the opportunity to be a part of the Inishowen Gospel Choir come along to the auditions which will take place on Friday 18th September at 6:30 pm at the Carnival Offices, Bridgetown Business Park, Moville Rd. (behind Jaybee’s).” For more details you can email on inishowengospelchoir@gmail.com. Good luck!

If you ever needed proof that NI has a plethora of great new bands sprouting up on a monthly basis then check out the gorgeous sounds of Gironans. The electronica loving three-piece have been gestating in secret for a couple of years but now they’re ready to take things up a notch by playing some gigs. Have a listen to the haunting ‘Corduroy’ on their MySpace page (www.myspace.com/gironans) and then befriend them. Go on, you know you wanna.

Finally, the Varionis release their latest EP ‘Whatever It Takes’ by playing a gig in Auntie Annie’s in Belfast on Nov 10. Formed in ’07, the five-piece have been busy beavering away on the live circuit, refining their sound and kicking ass and this latest slab of wax is their best recorded material to date. Support on the night comes from the Good Fight and you can listen to some of their songs on their MySpace page (www.myspace.com/thevarionis). Make sure you sample ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’ in particular as it’s ace.

The second festival I covered this year was about a month after Download and it was the much talked about Oxegen. This year’s bill was the best ever-specky indie kids could get their kicks from the likes of Blur and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, goths had Nick Cave and Nine Inch Nails, pop kids had Katy Perry and Lady GaGa, rockers had Therapy? and Eagles of Death Metal and dance heads had their own tent. We camped out as usual this year BECAUSE I AM HARDCORE (not in the “I’m hardcore/I’m a Straight Edge wanker” way-in a comedy way of course) and the weather was probably the worst I’ve ever experienced. Still, the music was great and thanks to the Hot Press people being so understanding, I didn’t have to review Kings of Leon so I could watch Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds instead. Result!

Day one consisted of travelling down, getting drenched, interviewing Duke Special on camera then meeting Brody Dalle, catching up with the Therapy? boys, drinking some beer and spotting Udo from Accept (http://www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk/biography/diary/read.php?diaryid=272). What he was doing there I’ll never know, but he seemed to get my phone number outta somewhere. Hmmmm…

Day two was a total washout. After Yeah Yeah Yeahs I thought I was a goner (probably should’ve followed Carrie’s lead by getting hammered on wine) but it cleared up nicely for old Nick who put on the show of his life. Day three saw us leave after Katy Perry (who was amazing) but not before torrrential rain soaked us so badly my phone drowned in my pocket. Still, the GaGa and Katy more than made up for it.

Anyway, I covered day two for Hot Press, and here’s the reprint that I lovingly typed up while caked in mud.

(Pic by Carrie-www.carriedavenport.com)

Oxegen Day Two (July 11)

Kicking things off bright and early, New Jersey blue collar punks the Gaslight Anthem arrive onstage 20minutes late and grinning like seven year olds who just won a year’s supply of sweets. Currently the subject of many a bro-mance (ahem) singer Brian Fallon is a charming devil and his band play cuts culled from their second record The ’59 Sound. It’s safe to say that the boys are on a total Tom Petty/Bruce Springsteen trip (in fact they even cover ‘American Girl’ as a homage) but their honesty and warmth make songs like ‘Great Expectations,’ ‘Old White Lincoln’ and the title track sound enormous.

The same can be said for Aussie outfit Howling Bells too, who play our very own Hot Press Tent. They might have been beset by a bucket-load of mishaps (their guitarist’s luggage was sent to Istanbul, they missed their ferry, they had to drive for 30 hours straight and according to singer Juanita Stein they stayed in a whore-house in Amsterdam) but they’re clearly loving being onstage and their set is a dreamy, ethereal clutch of tunes that sound like Florence and the Machine only, you know, good.

 Sadly we couldn’t actually fit into the Green Spheres tent for the Saturdays (boo) but we did manage to catch them play ‘Work’ and let’s face it, considering it’s the only song they have we didn’t miss too much. Eagles of Death Metal are another of today’s disappointments. Much like their mates in Spinnerette they spend far too much effort trying to be cool when they should let their music do the talking. Jesse ‘Boots Electric’ Hughes may have the tidiest ‘tache of the weekend, but the witty onstage patter just isn’t enough anymore.

Passion Pit in the Hot Press Tent on the other-hand are the exact opposite. They let their futurist funky white boy rhythms say it all and have the whole crowd unintentionally dancing like Bruno. Yeah Yeah Yeahs over on the main stage give us a powerhouse performance despite the torrential rain and a guitar amp which seems hellbent on electrocuting Nick Zinner. Karen O’s lime green leggings might make her look a little bit like a demented mutant frog, but she’s the perfect frontwoman this evening. Their set is a mix of old and new material and ‘Rockers To Swallow,’ ‘Cheated Hearts’ and ‘Date With The Night’ are definite standouts in a Herculean performance.

We spend the next few hours not knowing who to check out catching Pete Doherty, the Mars Volta, Doves and Bloc Party but coming away from the performances feeling a little unsatisfied. We’re mostly ticked off by the former Libertines man, largely because he’s still singing songs like ‘Fuck Forever’ as if they were anthems of a generation even though his most hardcore acolytes are finally starting to realize he’s a dried up old pantomime dame.

But, with the sound of the Pet Shop Boys plastic performance still ringing in our ears (‘It’s A Sin’ was great) we make our way over to the O2 Stage to catch Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Oxegen debut. Playing a festival pleasing set, old Nick has the crowd in the palms of his hands wasting no time bashing out ‘Deanna,’ ‘Henry Lee’ and ‘Dig, Lazarus Dig.’ The ominous night sky and mud covered ground only seem to add to the performance with the singer virtually begging for some thunder and lightning during the stomping rain-dance that is ‘Tupelo.’ As per usual, Nick plays his customary role of the possessed preacher man with aplomb stabbing into the night air with his fingers and flailing his arms around like a madman. Highlight has to be the gorgeous ‘Ship Song’ which pleases the lovers and the loveless in equal measure but ‘The Weeping Song’ and a tamer version of ‘The Mercy Seat’ are runners up. The Bad Seeds bring their show stealing set to a close with ‘Stagger Lee’ which is as brooding and menacing as this writer had hoped. Sadly we only get one song for the encore as Nick calls out Shane McGowan, who in fairness looks like he’s had one too many light ales. Even the singer seems bemused by the Pogues’ frontman’s state and embraces him, laughs good naturedly and closes the performance with a bow. What a legend.

Edwin McFee

We’d like to thank all of you who came at the Music Show 2009 at the RDS last week end, we’ve had great fun and we hope you’ve enjoyed testing all the  guitars, keyboards, drum kits and all the rest.

Here are some pictures from the show taken By Hot Press.

Stay tuned for more…

As promised in a previous blog, here’s the NI news column from the previous issue of Hot Press, Vol 33 Issue 17

News from the North

Words:  Edwin McFee

This October sees the return of the Hard Working Class Heroes festival in Dublin and featuring in the line up once again are a whole host of NI’s finest. Taking place from Oct 16-18 in Temple Bar, the acts that are keeping the Northern end up are A Plastic Rose (who are seemingly everywhere these days), Cutaways, Escape Act, Here Comes the Landed Gentry (who are sure to be the highlight of the whole weekend), Kowalski, Not Squares, Pocket Promise, the Vals and Yes Cadets. Despite some noticeable exceptions, it’s a pretty great bill and we’ll be filling you in on more details over the coming weeks. For now keep checking www.hwch.net for more info.

The mighty fine Oppenheimer are busy in the studio at the moment, working on album number three and they’ve come up with a rather unusual request via their website (www.oppenheimer.co.uk in case you didn’t know). The duo (who sometimes aren’t a duo, but never mind all that) want you, Joe Public, to help write two of their new songs, as Rocky from the band explains: “There will be two songs on the next album that we will write about anything you want. Anything at all.  If you want us to write a song about the time your friend fell asleep in a taxi cab on the way to watch a boxing match, and then you slapped them in the face so many times they lost feeling in their cheek for month, we’ll do it! If you want us to write a song about the tall ships visiting Belfast once every nineteen years, we’ll do it! We’ll give you a shout out on the album, a free album, free Oppenheimer gig entries and other goodies as and when we make them.” So there you have it. Personally we’re hoping they write about a handsome young Hot Press columnist from Newry and if you’d like to hear that too, then email rocky@oppenheimermusic.co.uk pronto.

Finally this fortnight, the Thrones of Roll are releasing a new EP called ‘Video Store’ by putting on a gig on Oct 23 at the Black Box in Belfast. The chaps have also made a video for the title track and it was directed by Sean Duncan and you can have a butcher’s by clicking on the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vTI5aJ3hoQ. It features the band dressed up as iconic film characters and it’s well worth a click or two.

About a  year and a half ago I jumped aboard the good ship Hot Press. Initially I was asked to write a fortnightly column about NI bands for the Hit the North section and it kinda all grew from there to being one of the main publications I work for. I’ve decided to reprint the column here once a new issue of the magazine hits the stands, so although some of the news might be a little out of date, hopefully it’ll shed some light on acts from my neck of the woods.

Below is the column from our Electric Picnic issue (Vol 33 Issue 16).

News

Words: Edwin McFee

We start this fortnight’s NI news with a great story about the criminally underrated Delirium Tremens. The Belfast-based four-piece have just signed a deal with Audio Ill and will be recording their debut album over the next couple of months. The DT’s have been on the rise of late thanks to their ear-gasm inducing single ‘Barabus’ (which you can hear for free by clicking on www.myspace.com/deliriumtremensrock) and if we get a few more like that then the band will be unstoppable in 2010. Congratulations boys!

Surf punk duo Girls Names will be unleashing two cassette tapes of material through Caff/Lick Records this month. The label has released material by the likes of Lucky Dragons and High Places and Girls Names are an impressive addition to their roster. Both tapes (named ‘C-10 1’ and ‘C-10 2’ respectively) will be strictly limited to 25 copies each and you can buy them from the band at the Black Market at the Black Box in Belfast or from the band via their MySpace www.myspace.com/girlsnames. Fans of Lovvers should adore what they’ve got to offer.

Derry’s Japanese Popstars are set to release a live album this September. The much loved dance act have put the finishing touches to We Just Are: Live and there will also be three brand new tracks on the slab of wax. Sep 21 is the date for your diaries and for more details keep checking www.myspace.com/thejapanesepopstars.

Seven-piece folky types Captain Kennedy have given their website a bit of a makeover recently. The Americana aficionados have spruced up their blog and you can find out all of their latest developments by clicking here www.captainkennedy.co.uk.

Fresh from playing their first ever gig, Belfast’s Uber Glitterati have decided to celebrate this latest milestone in their career by posting up a “100 per cent unofficial” remix of the Lily Allen single ’22,’ which for our money sounds better than the original. But don’t take our word for it. Go have a listen for yourself www.myspace.com/uberglitterati.

Finally, if you’re in the North West this weekend (particularly on Aug 29) then check out Smalltown America’s mini festival This Ain’t No Picnic which takes place at St. Columb’s Hall, Derry. The all day event initially started out life in London but has since relocated to Smalltown chief Andrew Ferris’ hometown and features Future of the Left, Lafaro, Panama Kings, the Beat Poets, the Dangerfields, Spectator, Black Bear Saloon, Stereo War Favourites and Mr Ferris himself. Doors are at 3pm and it’s £8 in. 

PS-The new issue (feautring my Kasabian and Dizzee Rascal interviews) is out tomorrow, so keep an eye out. www.hotpress.com.

Remember that Julian Plenti blog post where I said I didn’t mind subs chopping up my copy? Well it appears I spoke/typed too soon as in this week’s Hot Press, I was surprised to see a line inserted into my Royksopp feature calling them “Swedes,” when in fact they are Norwegian (I even mentioned they were from Norway in the previous line).

It’s my own fault for calling down the thunder of the god of subs, isn’t it?

Below is a review I wrote for Hot Press that I thought might be interesting to stick up. It’s of the Julian Plenti record and the version below is the original-before the subs got it. A lot of writers can get precious when subs change/edit their copy but it honestly never bothers me too much if it’s tweaked. If they feel that I’m sometimes a little too cheeky then it’s their call to take the rougher edges off it (and truth be told one extra line was inserted and that was it anyway). I generally find that if you can’t be honest and up front then what’s the point? Anyway-here it is, warts and all, the way Elvis intended.

Julian Plenti

Julian Plenti Is…Skyscraper (Matador)

Four out of five

Ok, just so we’re all agreed-side projects are a load of old wank, aren’t they? Nine times out of ten the songs are just self-indulgent slop that isn’t good enough to make it onto the new album and they stink like PePe Le Pew’s private parts after one too many light ales. Mercifully though, there is a light at the end of the poop encrusted tunnel. After enduring god knows how many albums from the likes of celebrity nudist Tommy Lee or that odd looking bass player from Korn, it looks like finally, we’ve got a side project that’s not only worth buying, but it may even have eclipsed the output of anything they’ve done before. Step forward Julian Plenti and his debut record Julian Plenti…Is Skyscraper.

If you’ve never heard of him, don’t fret, he’s not some tambourine player in an unheard of Scandinavian cock rock band, it’s actually the moniker of Paul Banks, the singer from those tortured tunesmiths Interpol. According to legend, some of the songs on the record have been kicking around in acoustic form for well over a decade. You wouldn’t think it however, as now that they’re fleshed out and fully realized you’d be forgiven for thinking they were always intended to be heard this way. There are 11 tracks on offer and while the songs still drip with the same paranoia that has made Mr Banks famous, they’re somewhat softer than the robotic suicide rock of Interpol.

 Opening track ‘Only If You Run’ gives you a good guide to where Banks’ is going with things. Less Joy Division and more Pixies (particularly ‘Where Is My Mind?’) the song is a rousing way to start a record. Better yet is second track ‘Fun That We Have’ which sees the singer get his rock on yet peppering the more pedestrian segments with strange bleeps and tech-y textures. Third track ‘Skyscraper’ is the first proper tune that hints at its former incarnation and a gorgeous tinkling piano and weird loops help lift the acoustic based number out of mere self indulgence. There are plenty (pardon the pun) of surprises on offer too. ‘Games For Days’ has a muted Gaslight Anthem-like guitar tone, thumping drums and a skeletal riff that’ll stick in your head for days, ‘Unwind’ is full of Imperial Teen-inspired moog-y woogie and album closer ‘H’ has a Bangra feel to it, which quite surprisingly works really well and doesn’t make us feel like bursting our own ear-drums at all.

As with any release there are a few let downs though. The distorted female vocals on ‘Madrid Song’ let the tune down a bagful and ‘No Chance Survival’ doesn’t really progress further than a nice finger picked arpeggio. Still, Banks’ powerful baritone makes up for the short-comings providing the perfect vocal accompaniment to his melancholic threnodies.  If you found yourself let down by Interpol’s somewhat underwhelming effort that was Our Love To Admire, then take solace in the fact that Julian Plenti…Skyscraper scales new heights for the musician and outdoes most of the current material from his day job. Maybe putting up with the likes of Fieldy’s Dreams was worth it after all.

Key Track: ‘Unwind

Edwin McFee

The Edge en esta gira de U2

La revista irlandesa de música Hot Press (la más importante del país) entrevistó recientemente a The Edge. El guitarrista de U2 hace un repaso a los primeros conciertos de la gira 360º Tour (llevaban 4 en ese momento) y da algunos detalles sobre los planes de futuro de la banda. En la web U2 Miracle han traducido la entrevista y como nos parece interesante lo que cuenta aquí os la pegamos:

Olaf Tyaransen: ¿Desde dónde estás hablando Edge?

EDGE: Estoy en Niza. Ya hicimos dos noches en Milán, así que viajamos para acá luego de los shows. Tenemos cuatro conciertos realizados en este momento, así que estamos empezando a volver al ritmo, por así decirlo.

¿Y cómo se siente?

Se siente increíble. Hay algo muy familiar en esto, pero hay algo muy nuevo por la producción. Es realmente una manera nueva de actuar y de presentar a la banda, y es lanzar todo tipo de grandes desafíos y oportunidades, y no es como un show que hallamos hecho antes, ya que tratamos de hacer de estos enormes estadios tan íntimos como sea posible, con esta particular escenografía, que fue diseñada para realmente “estar en el medio” del público. En particular, en Milán por el tamaño del campo, sentimos que estábamos increíblemente cerca de todos en el estadio [San Siro]. No había asiento en el que sintieras a la gente demasiado lejos. Fue realmente íntimo.

Noté en Barcelona que el escenario es tan enorme que a menudo están físicamente muy alejados uno de otro. ¿Es esto una dificultad?

Puede ser. A veces realmente debemos tener un punto de referencia para hacer contacto visual porque muchos de los momentos de improvisación y de entradas es donde llevamos a la canción en otra dirección y pierdes esos momentos si no tienes conexión visual con los otros. ¡Y hemos tenido algunos batacazos por esto! [risas] Simplemente no estamos acostumbrados a esa distancia. Pero estamos trabajando en esos problemas. Tenemos la tecnología ya que con los auriculares de monitoreo puedo escuchar a Larry, a Adam y a Bono tan bien tanto si estoy a 15-20 metros alejado como si estuviera al lado de ellos. Así que no es realmente el caso de escuchar al otro, es la conexión visual que tienes que lograr para asegurarte que no la pierdas. Pero esa es siempre la manera. Te giras si estás a 3 metros alejado siendo lo mismo si estas a 15 metros.

¿Es eso lo que sucedió con “One” en Barcelona? Tuvieron que reiniciar la canción…

Sí, Bono más o menos decidió reiniciar el tema y podría decir que no todos lo escuchamos, fue una especie de suspiro – “haremos esto otra vez” – y fue literalmente un caso de que no todos retomamos, así que tuvimos que reiniciar y entonces estuvo bien. Pero exactamente por esa razón, la escala que tiene el escenario, y también probablemente, el hecho de que fue la noche de apertura y la gente no esperaba que Bono rompiera su guión, por así decirlo. Pero estamos luchando por asegurarnos que este show no sea demasiado pulido. Podremos tener la más sofisticada producción en la historia del rock & roll, pero queremos mantener la banda tan suelta como sea posible. Así que, errores y descarrilamientos, son parte de esto. Esta es la manera en la que queremos mantenerlo, fluido y visceral. Porque no somos, y nunca quisiéramos ser, tan profesionales y logrados que nos volvamos automáticos. Eso no es de dónde venimos, y no tenemos interés en ir hacia allí.

¿No hay un elemento de espontaneidad perdido con una producción de este tamaño?

Hay una o dos canciones que son bastante rutinarias, al punto de que están las visuales establecidas, pero en realidad la mayoría de los sets son lo opuesto, son muy fluidos y abiertos. No queremos estar en un tren de canciones. Solo cuando haya algo bien definido tratamos de crear una combinación de visuales y de música que mantengan la misma idea.

Hay un peligro en eso, con tanto sucediendo visualmente, ¿puede casi eclipsarse a la música?

Esto es un balance, pero nos gusta el desafío. Si ésta fuera una banda como Pink Floyd, estaría completamente felices de ser el audio de lo visual, pero esto no es lo que somos. Nuestra ambición es que el show nos ayude a poner la música a través de una forma más poderosa. Y si aun hubiera una situación donde sintiéramos que estamos eclipsando a la música, volveríamos hacia atrás. Así, en última instancia tenemos el control de esto. Y no hay duda en nuestras mentes de qué es lo más importante. No has visto el show desde la noche de apertura y ya las cosas han cambiado radicalmente, ya hemos probado varias cosas, no hemos estado felices con eso, y lo cambiamos. Esta cosa esta constantemente evolucionando. Cada noche hay cosas que son diferentes. Algunas cosas brillan, otras cosas no. Esta es la naturaleza de esto, queremos tener el plan para la noche y entonces poder incluso deshacernos del este a mitad del show. Tiene que haber ese sentimiento de peligro, en el sentido de que está sucediendo en el momento.

Abrieron el show de Barcelona con cuatro canciones de “No Line On The Horizon”, comenzando con “Breathe”, lo cual creo que es valiente.

Fue lo que queríamos tocar primero, y pensamos que fue una gran apertura. Solo lo sentimos correcto. Una vez que decidimos que “Breathe” fuera la canción de apertura, el resto de los temas cayeron en su lugar. No estoy diciendo que será igual a lo largo de toda la gira, pero es sentir como una verdadera declaración de intenciones de dónde estamos en este momento como banda. Se siente fresco, se siente real. Y por cierto, podemos terminar la apertura con viejas canciones en diferentes momentos. Es muy en vivo.

¿Cuán importante es el lugar donde tocan en el armado de un setlist? ¿Estarían más inclinados a tocar más material de “Achtung Baby” en Berlín?

Lo afecta, definitivamente. A veces en forma sutil, a veces de manera muy profunda. En Italia, nos tropezamos con el G8, que comenzaba hoy creo (jueves, 9 de julio de 2009). Y el hecho que Berlusconi haya básicamente incumplido, o fallado con el seguimiento, de las promesas hechas en términos de ayuda italiana al desarrollo, inevitablemente termina siendo referenciado en el show, algo que no sucederá en ningún otro lugar. Así que esas cosas llevan al show en una diferente dirección.

Hubo referencias a Michael Jackson en Barcelona.

Es muy actual, es muy del momento: las referencias a Michael Jackson, que fueron espontáneas en el primer show, nadie más que Bono sabía que iba a hacer eso, y lo ha hecho un par de veces más desde entonces en diferentes canciones. Lo hicimos anoche. A último momento dijimos que haríamos “Stuck In A Moment…” como una canción acústica, y literalmente, fue a mitad del primer verso que me di cuenta que estaba conectado de alguna manera inconciente – hay algunas referencias de Michael Jackson en “Desire” que había sido la canción anterior, otra canción acústica, y de pronto la secuencia de canciones se tornó en una especie de sección de Michael Jackson. No estoy seguro que Bono se diera cuenta cuando hicimos el setlist. Esto es como que surgió y simplemente corrimos con eso.

¿Qué piensas sobre la muerte de Michael Jackson?

Es terriblemente triste. Quiero decir, es triste por muchas razones. No hay duda de su increíble talento, y espero que la gente finalmente lo recuerde solo por la grandiosa música que hizo. No quiero juzgar al tipo, no se demasiado sobre su situación, pero parece, como un casual observador, que ha tenido grandes problemas y su propia vida personal fue un poco desordenada, y eso es realmente una pena.

Escribieron en el programa de la gira que básicamente te entregas a la música, y no tienes pensamientos en tu cabeza mientras estás tocando, te conviertes en música.

Idealmente. Desafortunadamente, a principio de una gira como esta a menudo luchas con problemas técnicos y cosas que te sacan de la música, pero sí, definitivamente aspiro a eso, y en una buena noche es solo la música y uno mismo y los fans de U2. Y así es en cierto modo cuando realmente sucede.

Bono se comunicó con la Estación Espacial Internacional desde el escenario de Barcelona; esto obviamente no irá a suceder cada noche, ¿no es cierto?

No, no. Estamos esperando volver a hacerlo en algún momento. Estos tipos están en órbita sincronizada la mayor parte del tiempo sobre diferentes partes del mundo, por lo que se vuelve imposible de hacerlo siempre. Lo haremos cuando podamos. Y ellos están tanto en esto como nosotros, lo que es genial.

Impresionante y todo, pero realmente no funcionó para mí. Aletargó al show.

Sí, pienso que fue un poco largo para mí. Pero, tú sabes, esto es el tipo de cosas acerca de nuestros shows: a veces estás yendo por algo y te sales del camino ligeramente. Recuerdo las conexiones en vivo desde Sarajevo que hicimos durante el ZooTV Tour. Algunas noches era la cosa más increíblemente poderosa, y algunas noches era solo… era como, “¡Suficiente, ya! ¡Arranquemos!” hay siempre una chance en esas cosas que no engrane con el resto de la noche, pero eso esa es la realidad de estar en vivo.

¿De quién fue la idea de ir al espacio?

¡De Bono! En realidad nuestro buen amigo Guy Liberté, el hombre detrás de Cirque de Soleil, esta yendo al espacio él mismo, y estamos esperando para quizá hacer contacto en vivo con Guy. Si esto sucede sería increíble. Pienso escuchando eso que esta yendo al espacio por su inspiración, pero a otro nivel, hay algo bastante profundo sobre ver al globo, ver a la Tierra, desde esa perspectiva. Escuchamos esta historia cuando estábamos grabando “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”; no recuerdo cuál de los astronautas fue, pero estaba viajando en uno de los lanzamientos a la Luna mirando hacia fuera por una pequeña ventana, y vio a la Tierra… y se dio cuenta que podría cubrirla con su pulgar, mientras ponía su pulgar sobre la ventana. Y fue justo aquella imagen de todo, absolutamente todo siendo esa pequeña bolita azul que podrías cubrirla con tu pulgar, que solo pareció una idea tan grande, como pequeña era la imagen. Algo sobre esta experiencia es como la última perspectiva sobre el todo, así que nos hemos sostenido en esto.

Una compañía llamada carbonfootprint.com ha atacado a U2, básicamente diciendo que la banda podría viajar hasta Marte con toda la energía que la gira va a consumir.

Bien no hay duda que esto es substancial, y somos los primeros en admitirlo. Estamos buscando las maneras de mitigarlo. Pero no se escapa del hecho que, desde el punto de vista energético, es una cosa costosa. Ciertas cosas no pueden, en definitiva, ser neutralmente energéticas. Es solo que no funciona así. Así que debes preguntarte, “¿no lo haces en absoluto?” Supongo que pensamos que esta gira es algo que alcanza a mucha gente y en definitiva vale mucho la pena, y si miras las cosas para tratar y atacar hay cosas mucho mejores a que apuntar, que giras de rock & roll, aunque éstas puedan ser un blanco fácil. Quiero decir la mayor parte de las emanaciones de carbón producidas por esta gira es en realidad gente que esta yendo a los shows, y entonces entras en todo tipo de cuestionamientos; cada pieza simple del entretenimiento o de la cultura crea emanaciones porque la gente tiene que viajar a verlas, entonces ¿dónde trazás la línea?

En términos del show, ¿por qué eligieron destacar la situación de Aung San Suu Kyi?

Es muy actual. Ella esta yendo a juicio en cualquier momento. Hemos tratado de atraer la atención a ella desde hace varios años – desde que éramos co-receptores de ‘Freedom Of Dublin City”. Y ella es alguien que necesita del apoyo de cada individuo y de cada gobierno alrededor del mundo. Ella es la líder democráticamente elegida de Myanmar-Burma, pero no está al tope de las listas de prioridades de la mayoría de los gobiernos para tratar de hacer frente a esa situación.

Para aquellos que no estén familiarizados con la situación, ¿podrías explicar el contexto?

La junta militar, básicamente, se ha apoderado del poder y aun ejerce todo el control. Pero es realmente trágico que ella este todavía bajo arresto domiciliario después de tantos años y que el pueblo de su país este negado de sus derechos de autodeterminación y gobierno democrático. Estamos prohibidos en Myanmar por nuestro apoyo a Aung San Suu Kyi – pero por su juicio parece ser este el momento de estar detrás de la campaña, primero que todo para sacarla de la cárcel, pero también, en definitiva para devolverle su legítima posición como primera ministra de aquel país.

¿Ella está en conocimiento de lo que están haciendo?

En realidad no lo se. Amnistía Internacional está muy al tanto de lo que estamos haciendo, así que hay una fuerte chance de que ella lo sepa.

La gente en las afueras “twetteaba” las canciones ensayadas durante las pruebas de sonido en Barcelona. Estuvieron intentando con “Drowning Man” (de War). ¿La han tocado?

No, no lo hemos hecho. Hemos estado buscando algunas canciones viejas que no hemos tocado en varias de las últimas giras. “The Unforgettable Fire” no la hemos tocado por bastante tiempo.

En el escenario en Barcelona, Bono dije que hacía 20 años.

Debe estar en lo correcto. Y nunca habíamos tocado “Electrical Storm” que la hicimos en la segunda noche en Barcelona, y en Milán. Es una especie de deferencia para los fans de U2 que se consideran asimismo los reales superfans, que vienen a toda la gira. Ellos adoran nuestras canciones más conocidas, pero realmente se excitan si tocamos algo totalmente inesperado. Y nosotros también, es divertido. Tanto como conseguimos un puntapié tocando “Where The Streets Have No Name”, es también muy divertido tocar algo más oscuro. Es un lindo desafío, particularmente en el caso que dije, “Electrical Storm”, donde en realidad reescribimos la canción en algún grado. Bono esta viniendo con nuevas ideas melódicas para “The Unforgettable Fire” y así tienes la chance de revisar un tema que no has estado tocando por mucho tiempo y actualizarlo.

¿Cuál es tu opinión sobre el “blogging”?

Creo que puede ser grandioso pero la mayoría es completamente basura, y esto es un problema ya que de hecho cualquiera puede publicar sus pensamientos, ideas, sentimientos. Sinceramente, ¡la mayoría de la gente no debería molestarse! Podría decir que hay algunas gemas, hay grandes cosas ahí afuera, ¡pero es difícil de encontrarlas! Ese el real problema [risas].

¿Estás online todos los días? ¿Chequeas los titulares noticiosos desde tu casa en forma online?

En realidad varía. A veces tengo la chance de hurgar, y en este momento incluso mantenerme al tanto de los e-mails es casi imposible, así que varía enormemente dependiendo de lo que estoy haciendo. En realidad no tenemos una rutina. Hay varios tipos de rutinas diferentes entre las que vagamos, así que ahora estamos en la rutina de gira, lo que es andar desenfrenado a una velocidad que rompe el cuello, y esperando no arruinarlo demasiado.

¿Qué sucedería si Larry se rompe un brazo o algo como eso?

¡Eh, Olaf!, no nos gusta pensar en cosas como esas [risas]. Somos demasiados indispensables. Probablemente encontraríamos la manera de arreglárnoslas, pero no sería lo mismo, de seguro. En realidad ninguno tiene un suplente directo. No es como en una producción teatral donde alguien puede tomar tu lugar si es que te enfermas, así que probablemente pospondríamos los shows.

¿Que es lo más molesto de la gira?

¡Las entrevistas! [risas] ¡Perdón! ¡Es una broma! Supongo que el terrible sentimiento de estar siendo arrancado de tu vida, donde terminas fugándote con el circo. Y entonces la otra cosa es reingresar a tu vida nuevamente, donde has estado alejado durante un tiempo y es como que nada tiene sentido ya y te toma un rato mientras te reajustas cuando llegas a casa. Así que esas dos experiencias, quiero decir, una vez que estas dentro y en la ruta, claramente no es grandioso estar en hoteles todo el tiempo, el viaje en si mismo comienza a transformarse un poco aburrido, pero los shows actuales nunca se convertirán en algo más que en una emoción.

Luego de entrevistar a la banda en febrero, un número de fans de U2 se pusieron en contacto conmigo pidiéndome que les pasara varios mensajes locos. ¿Cuál fue el requerimiento más extraño que hayas tenido, o la cosa más loca que hayas enviado?

Puede ser un poco loco. Como anoche, que había una nota de una chica justo en frente mío que decía, “¡Es mi cumpleaños, por favor adóptame!” [risas]. Probablemente escrito en broma, pero sí, consigues la rareza realmente más loca. Pero creo que por cada desequilibrado, hay 10 o 100 fans genuinos a los que solo les gusta la música. Soy parcial, pero pienso que tenemos los mejores fans en la música.

¿Cómo eligen sus grupos soportes?

Tratamos de imaginar el contexto. Tratamos de imaginar cómo una banda dada encaja en ese contexto, y entonces también, qué nos gusta musicalmente. Hemos tenido algunas increíbles actuaciones durante los años. Kings Of Leon hizo una de nuestras más recientes giras. Velvet Underground, dio uno de sus últimos shows, si es que no fue el último que dieron como banda con U2; Public Enemy; Stereo MCs, tuvimos una gama completa, y tratamos de comprender qué está funcionando y yendo bien.

Con King Of Leon, los primeros shows que hicieron con nosotros fueron un poco insoportables, el tamaño del show y sea lo que sea, pero crecieron rápidamente y lo entendieron, y ahora son una de las bandas más excitantes en vivo.

¡Y ahora les están pisando los talones!

¡Absolutamente! Sí, son realmente grandes. Amo eso. Aprendieron un montón. Les preguntaron en una entrevista, “¿Qué aprendieron de U2?” y uno de ellos dijo, “¡Cómo viajar!” ¡Genial!

¡Cómo viajar bien!

Si. Cómo viajar bien. Pero, tú sabes, Snow Patrol es una banda con grandes temas, y la cuestión sobre un evento al aire libre es que, sí, necesitas energía, necesitas compromiso de los artistas, pero también necesitas canciones porque no lo obtienes solo con energía. Si no tienes las canciones para llenar el estadio entonces te caerás, y ellos lo están haciendo increíblemente bien.

¿Hay tensión entre la banda antes de los shows?

En realidad no, para ser honesto. Todos los argumentos están reservados para las pruebas de sonido y los ensayos. Al momento de ir al show, sabemos qué es lo que estamos tratando de hacer y está perfectamente alineado con nuestras intenciones y agendas, solo queremos un gran show.

Una vez le pegaste a Bono en el escenario, ¿no fue así?

¿Lo hice alguna vez?

Una vez, creo.

¡Ja, ja! Fue solo para salvar el pellejo de Larry, pero no en realidad, no. El único pecado capital sería si alguien en realidad parara dando un “fuck”, tú sabes. Pero eso nunca sucedió. Íntimamente sabemos que el único modo en que podemos hacerlo es dando todo. Muy ocasionalmente alguien sólo puede estar muy cansado, y es como no tener combustible en el tanque, pero eso es diferente. Sabemos cuánta suerte tenemos de estar en esta banda, sabemos que es algo único y nuestra conexión con nuestros fans es muy especial.

Está habiendo un poco de crítica en la prensa irlandesa sobre Croke Park y la especulación de que “La Garra” no estará disponible en efecto 360º; ¿cuáles son tus pensamientos sobre Croke Park como estadio y del sonido que habrá?

Bien, el sistema de sonido que hemos puesto en esta gira es el mejor que hayamos tenido, y tengo confianza que el sonido en Croke Park será el mejor que hayamos alguna vez producido. Con esto no digo que pueda responder por cada ubicación y decir que será perfecto. Eso es imposible. Pero será el mejor, estoy convencido de eso. Con respecto a la producción de estadio, puedo asumir que será como fue en Barcelona, a menos que me esté olvidando de algo. No entiendo por qué Croke Park debería presentar algún problema en particular. Esto está diseñado para estadios como Croke Park.

¿Piensas que U2 tuvo un irrazonable mal momento en Irlanda?

Pienso que, a veces, tuvimos malos momentos pero no estoy seguro si diría que es irrazonable. Pienso que a veces es, probablemente, perfectamente justo, y diría que es, probablemente, mayormente una cuestión de escala. Somos una muy, muy exitosa banda y vivimos en un equitativo país pequeño. Así que, la gente probablemente nos presta demasiada atención, esto es probablemente la verdad. A veces me molesto con los artículos, pero a la mayoría no los tomo seriamente; es solo la opinión de una persona un día dado. ¿Quién sabe lo que estaba pasando esa semana en el diario, o en sus propias vidas? Creo que el año pasado la gente ha estado muy malhumorada en Irlanda, particularmente en los medios, pero ha habido un montón de malas noticias, así que realmente no necesitas ser un genio para comprender el por qué.

Se habló sobre la posibilidad de sacar un disco nuevo de U2 antes de fin de año. ¿Está eso en agenda?

Aun está en agenda, pero en realidad no tenemos planes que podamos alistar a la distancia. Nos encantaría la idea de un próximo disco más pronto que tarde. Ciertamente tenemos el material para eso, pero es sobre si tenemos tiempos para finalizarlo. Eso depende de cómo progrese la gira. Y está el musical Spiderman que comenzará en New York a principios del próximo año, por lo que Bono y yo estaremos un tiempo trabajando en eso.
Será lo primero para nosotros. Estamos muy estimulados al respecto, pero es una larga curva de aprendizaje…

Brian Cowen ha anunciado al 2 de octubre como la fecha para el segundo referéndum de Lisboa; ¿Qué piensas de eso?

Bueno, soy pro-Europa. Creo que a Irlanda le ha hecho muy bien lo de Europa. Me encanta la idea que los instintos nacionales y las aspiraciones puedan ser diluidos dentro de la idea de Europa. Creo que es altamente beneficioso para Irlanda del Norte. Pienso que es enormemente ventajoso para Irlanda estando a la vanguardia de Europa, y pienso que es altamente negativo para nosotros este tipo de retiradas y regreso hacia atrás, así que espero que pase.

Una pregunta final sobre los shows en Irlanda: ¿Pueden los fans esperar algo radicalmente diferente?

Sí. Es como una cosa fluida que realmente no tenemos idea ahora de lo que vamos a estar haciendo en Dublín, pero estoy seguro que tendremos montones de ideas para que podamos hacer algo especial. No puedo esperar por los shows en Dublín, creo que será un increíble espectáculo. Y lo que adoro de los shows irlandeses es, si preguntas a algún fan americano, si preguntas a algún fan europeo, a algún fan australiano, si les preguntas donde quieren ver a la banda, todos ellos querrán venir y vernos en Dublín. Entonces, así como tenemos el público local, es también una muestra de los mayores fans internacionales de U2, entonces es siempre muy encendido y conocedor de U2 el público de Dublín. Y sabemos que debemos estar al tope de nuestras posibilidades para esto, y seguramente sacaremos los mejor para intentar hacer una grandiosa serie de shows.

Well I’m back from Oxegen and despite getting utterly drenched and my phone drowning from all the rain, it was great fun. Highlights were Lady Gaga, Nick Cave, Therapy?, Katy Perry and the Gaslight Anthem and the reviews are in this week’s Hot Press.

Anywho, yesterday I dug out my copy of the new Rumble Strips album so I though I’d reprint the review up here to get back into the swing of things.

The Rumble Strips

Welcome To The Walk Alone (Island)

Four out of five

Welcome To The Walk Alone is the Rumble Strips second stab at fame and the cinematic slab of wax is almost certainly a step in the right direction. Produced by Mark Ronson (yes, he actually produces music when he’s not falling out of clubs with Daisy Lowe) songs such as ‘London’ and ‘Daniel’ have his finger-prints all over them. In many ways, Welcome To The Walk Alone is a bit like an old Brit flick from the 60s. The melodies are swooping, the lyrics drip with toothless melodrama and the staccato rhythms sound like they are right out of a Dusty Springfield single.

To say that the Rumble Strips owe a debt to Dexy’s Midnight Runners is like saying Marilyn Manson is partial to a little bit of make up every now and again. Literally every song from ‘Sweet Heart Hooligan’ to ‘Dem Girls’ oozes Kevin Rowland-isms, but since the former frontman prefers to sully his good name by cross-dressing and acting like a mentalist these days, we’re happy to have Rumble Strips’ Charlie Walker take his place. Welcome To The Walk Alone succeeds when it’s at its most pure. ‘Running On Empty’ is almost like a Shadows record (only, y’know, good) and the retro riffage is tastefully done too. All in all, it seems like the second time is the charm for the Rumble Strips.

 Key Track: ‘Running On Empty’

Edwin McFee

Last month I reviewed the new Gallows album for Hot Press. I wasn’t a huge fan of the band’s first record, but I adore the second one. It’s my favourite album of the year so far (hence the 5star review) so here’s a reprint for y’all to enjoy.

Gallows

Grey Britain (Warners)

Five out of five

“And I wanna be/Anyone in the world but me/Trapped in the body of a man defeated/ I am the shape of mistakes repeated” sings Gallows frontman Frank Carter on the biting ‘I Dread The Night.’ It’s a lyric that sums up their sophomore effort Grey Britain perfectly and best of all, the band have now learned how to write a tune so you can sing along with the tattooed tunesmith too (misery loves company, after all). Grey Britain is an extremely brave effort by all accounts. Hell-for all intents and purposes it’s a concept record (the worse two words in any self respecting punk’s vocabulary) and its theme of a dying society flows through all 13 tracks like the River Thames itself.

Largely recorded in Abbey Road studios, Grey Britain stretches the boundaries of the genre and creates something entirely new. Samples of pigs being slaughtered and orchestras under-scoring the still venomous music fits perfectly with Frank’s twisted vision and tracks like ‘Leeches,’ ‘London Is The Reason’ and ‘Death Voices’ pay tribute to their heroes the Misfits and the Murder City Devils while still retaining their own identity. As well as the aforementioned ‘I Dread The Night,’ album highlight has to be ‘The Vulture Act I’ which features Frank actually singing backed only by a battered acoustic guitar. The frontman’s voice sounds naked and raw, yet all the more passionate now that he’s dropped the hardman routine for two minutes.

There isn’t a single note that’s wasted on Grey Britain. It’s hardcore enough for their rabid fanbase, tuneful enough for those who are a little faint of heart and the lyrics would make even the most right wing bigot sit back and admit that Frank has a point. Never mind the bollocks, Grey Britain is the most important punk record in a decade.

Key Track: ‘I Dread The Night’

Edwin McFee

The Daily Herald, a Chicago Suburban Newspaper, has written an article about Coups Mobile – http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=298470 . If you have access to a printed version, its on the front page of the Business Section.

After only one week of being live in the App Store, Coups Mobile is already getting noticed!

We are going to keep getting new businesses signed up every day and grow, grow, grow – and always give consumers what they want… a Great Deal!

If you are a business, and would like to put coupons onto Coups Mobile at no cost, visit: http://www.coupsmobile.com

If you are an iPhone or iPod touch user – download “Coups” from the App Store!

Too many exclamation marks, methinks.  I must start rationing those…

Anyways, howdy folks – how is everybody keeping ?

I’ve been around the country for the last few days playing some gigs, trying out some stuff.  One place I’d never been before was Derry.  Having learned so much in school and read so much about it in various books written from differing viewpoints, it was incredible to see some of the places and sights of the city.

Had difficulty finding the venue (Masons).  Downside, 40 minutes spent driving around a bit clueless, upside, I got to see more of the city than I would have, and I’m really glad I drove through the Bogside and past some of the murals, twice or three times.  Made being lost not such of a waste !

Photo credit: Zubro Copyright 2003

I hope you’re all well and surviving handy.  Here’s one or two bits of news for your delectation.

1. New snazzy music page – music.bcoleman.com
2. Hot Press ‘Best of Cork‘ CD
3. T-shirts !

Firstly, we’ve been tinkering with the website of late.  Particularly snazzy (I think) is the music page.  You can download all sorts of digital forms of Bill Coleman songs, and there’s a little bit of commentary going on with each one, lyrics and whatnot thrown into the mix there as well.

The first thing you’ll notice is some new recordings, an advance taster of what the new album will be about if you will.  For some kind of limited period these will be available to download for free, although if you feel like tipping for them you can through the music page  .

There are two brand new tracks up, False North (a demo version), and Your Hands Were Made for Working (taken from the album recording sessions).

The observant among you will notice that there’s a tool to share these on your social networking sites, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and what have you, so by all means please spread the word people, that’s what they’re there for.

Secondly, denizens of the Peoples Republic, check out the current issue of Hot Press , it comes equipped with a CD featuring yours truly along with other southern luminaries such as Fred, The Frank and Walters, Ian Whitty and the Exchange and many more quality acts.

As far as I’m aware the physical CD is only available in Cork, but that’s why I figured I ought to stick it up on the music page.  The track is Your Hands Were Made for Working.  It’s also up for streaming on Hotpress.com.

Thirdly, it was a close run thing on the t-shirts, but the letters design won through by just a single solitary vote.  I’m currently sorting out getting these made, and when I have that sorted I’ll fire on a message with the winner of the competition and all that good stuff.  Tough decision !

That’s about all for now folks.  Take it nice and handy there now 

B

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Last week I was faced with a dilema. Either take my Ma to see superstar medium/modern day Merlin Derek Acorah in the Waterfront, or go and cover the Eagles of Death Metal in the Mandela Hall. It was a simple enough choice (my Ma is hard as nails) but thanks to a dodgy bass amp, I ended up seeing both shows. Below is a review of the gig from this week’s Hot Press.

Eagles of Death Metal at the Mandela Hall, Belfast

To my right hand side there is a gaggle of guys walking around wearing fake moustaches and aviator shades. To my left there are a group of people clad in AC/DC t-shirts who are frankly old enough to know better and in front of me is one of the best good time rock ‘n’ roll bands on the planet-the Eagles of Death Metal. Tonight is their first ever visit to Belfast, and despite a few technical hiccups, Jesse “Boots Electric” Hughes and his team of misfits are bringing out the big guns with ‘I Only Want You,’ which prompts the ‘tache-wearing tunesmith to tell us “If rock crowds were canons then you just blew England outta the water baby!”

Jesse has every reason to boast a shit eating grin at the moment. Not only has his inaugural Belfast gig been upgraded to the much more roomier Mandela Hall, there are kids swinging from the rafters, sweat is literally dripping from the walls and the females in the crowd are all over him like Vanessa Feltz on a Mars Bar. As the band blaze through a set cherry picking the best of all three records (Peace, Love, Death Metal, Death By Sexy and new one Heart On) we get the feeling that if Jesse stopped slabbering inbetween every song then this would be the show of the year.

Still, ‘Bad Dream Momma,’ ‘Don’t Speak (I Came To Make A Bang)’ and ‘I Gotta Feeling (Just Nineteen)’ are pretty much perfect rock ‘n’ roll songs so we’ll forgive his over excitement. At one point during the night, Jesse’s almost smothered by a random pair of tights thrown by an amorous fan and as he holds up the hosiery along with more than a few bras he quips “I wanna thank y’all for the undergarments. I didn’t know they’d be in my size as well.”

You’d have to be a particularly picky punter not to raise a smile at an Eagles of Death Metal gig. Not only have they got the tunes (‘Cherry Cola’ and ‘I Want You So Hard’ nearly raise the roof off of the venue) but Boots Electric himself is as a fun as a week at the funfair. Next time though, we’d like to hear more of the songs and less of the chat.

Edwin McFee

The new issue of Hot Press is out now, so go check it out.

Fundamental Coaching are generating great press within Lancashire, there programme is growing from strength to strength view this news link very impressive -

http://www.uclan.ac.uk/management/ssto/fund_coach_win_bus_of_month.php

In this job I get to do all sorts. Because I don’t work for any one publication I can find myself interviewing everyone from the Pussycat Dolls to Cliff Richard to Blaze Bayley to more general lifestyle features. I have to say I prefer it that way. Man cannot live by punk rock alone afterall. Where am I going with this? Well, last month I found myself covering Akon and Coolio for Hot Press. It was….interesting.

Akon and Coolio at the Odyssey, Belfast

Picture the scene, if you will. The Odyssey is two thirds full, this writer is sitting in an area which reeks of Clearasil, B.O. and Tayto crisps and Celebrity Big Brother reject Coolio is shouting about “bitches” and “ho’s” for no apparent reason. It’s all well and good telling the crowd “this is how the gangsters do it,” but in Belfast it takes on another meaning entirely.

            For the next half an hour Coolio proves to us all without a shadow of a doubt that ‘Gangsters Paradise’ (which tonight sounds about as dangerous as an episode of Heartbeat ) will forever mark him down in history as a one hit wonder. His vocals on ‘I’ll See You When You Get There’ is about as tuneful as karaoke night at Helen Keller’s house and at one point when we see a member of Coolio’s “homies” literally struggle for five minutes trying to take his vest off, we realise that this could possibly be the worst gig in the world.

            Still, there’s always Akon to look forward to, but before the diminutive Senegalese-born song-writer comes onstage we get a short set from his transvestite DJ pal Benny D (OK, so he was wearing a kilt…). Quite frankly, Benny’s beats are wasted on the crowd, but when the headline act finally does meet his public it’s to a thunderous reception. It’s clear that Belfast loves Akon and during ‘Locked Up’ one formerly hard as nails bloke is reduced to screaming “I love you” every five minutes. It’s a sight to behold alright, but it’s quite sweet in a way. Unfortunately the same can’t be said when the rapper urged “All my Catholics in the crowd, get your x’s up” as you could hear a pin drop from the back of the venue.

            Sadly, while this writer considers himself a fan of Akon (particularly his work with Gwen Stefani and more recently Lady GaGa) tonight’s set is criminally bad. For some reason he decides to perform shortened versions of songs such as ‘I Wanna Love You’ and ‘Right Now (Na Na Na)’ and the production is, shall we say, somewhat lacking. For such a large arena, it’s a shame to see the star performing in total darkness, but that was probably a conscious decision to spare the star’s blushes at a criminally under-populated venue

            Even the ace ‘Put The Blame On Me’ sounds flat tonight and if Akon wants to become a true modern day legend he really needs to work on his live show. Still, what do I know? The knackers beside me loved every minute, but considering they also look like they love their own sisters too, we’ll take that verdict with a pinch of salt.

Edwin McFee

The new issue of Hot Press is out now by the way homies. It has an interview with Morrissey. http://www.hotpress.com/news/5319968.html

Shot this gig for Hot Press tonight so look out for it in the next issue.

Franz Ferdinand

Well it’s Friday afternoon and after finishing up my Kaiser Chiefs interview and Teenage Kicks column, I’m nearly done for the day. But before I go, I thought I’d post up my interview with ASIWYFA that ran in the Belfast Telegraph the week before A Little Solidarity. The main reason I’m digging out this one from the archives is due to a lovely blog written by Naomi McArdle talking about my good self  on Hot Press.com and as we’re both huge fans of the lads I figured why not? http://wordpress.hotpress.com/offherrocker/2009/02/13/blog-edwin-mcfee/

Right, I’m off to lie in a crimpled heap

And So I Watch You From Afar

I’ll always remember the first time I saw North Coast four-piece And So I Watch You From Afar play live. It was a couple of years ago and their brand of post-apocalyptic instrumental noise was going down a storm as part of the now sadly departed local music festival belFEST. Fast forward a couple of years and the boys have only gotten better receiving rave reviews from the NME, Kerrang, Hot Press, Rock Sound and many, many more as well as getting some praise from Gary Lightbody onstage a few weeks ago whenever Snow Patrol played in the Empire. Yes folks, pound for pound ASIWYFA are probably the most exciting band to come from these shores in a long time and as the months fly by they’re only going to get better. But not everyone “got” their hernia-inducing sound in those early days, as guitarist Tony Wright explains.

            “Our early shows were very different to how they are now,” says Tony. “Over the course of half our shows we’d be playing three or four tracks, real long crescendo-based nonsense. We were outsiders really and didn’t know too many people in Belfast, but we would always got a random poet or singer who would say ‘you need a vocalist and I’m f*ckin’ great.’ We still get those people now, but we always politely decline their offer.”

            “I think if we could do it all a little differently, we’d maybe have held off launching the band until we knew exactly what we wanted to be playing, which we’re a lot closer to now,” offers guitarist Rory Friers. “We’ve never said ‘right, no singer,’ but we don’t need one now. I think we’re all dead excited about were its going.”

            And so they should be, because after a year of hard slog on the road putting on incendiary gig after incendiary gig, ASIWYFA have made both the UK and Ireland sit up and take notice. At the moment the band (completed bassist Johnny Adgar and tub thumper Chris Wee) are working on their first full length album but in the mean-time they have the thunderous slab of wax that is the This is our Machine and Nothing Can Stop It mini album out in the shops to keep the faithful happy.

            “We’re flattered people think that we’re one of the most driven bands in the country,” says Rory. “We work so hard for this, but it’s a pretty natural thing for us too.  Coming from the sticks you had to really do it yourself to get anything done. We kinda have a rule to accept as much help that’s offered, but to depend on none of it.”

            “Yeah we’re definitely driven because this is all we have ever wanted to do,” continues Tony. “I think the same drive is apparent everywhere you look though. You only have to go to a local rehearsal space and hear the amount of bands working really hard and that keeps us going too.”

            Of course Tony is being typically modest with this statement as how many other bands do you know of that get run over and hospitalised then play a show straight after?

            “Yeah, that story is true,” he laughs. “It happened last year and I was drunk, got hit by a cab, woke up in hospital with a drip hanging out my arm and then sneaked out the next morning. The guys met me at the gates and we high-tailed it to Derry for Fighting With Wire’s album launch where we played a killer show. I had a bad headache afterwards though. That aside, my personal favourite show was our first EP launch [Tonight the City Burns] in Auntie Annie’s. We were expecting 20 people and ended up selling the place out. I think for us it signified the fact that we could take the band a lot further than we first thought. That was a year and a half ago and here we are about to play the Mandela Hall and I’m bricking it.”

            Ever since the band formed three years ago in “the middle of nowhere” (according to Tony and Rory) they’ve been ticking achievement boxes in double quick time and this weekend marks possibly their biggest venture to date-their own music festival. Taking place in the Mandela Hall, Speakeasy and Bunatee in Queens Student’s Union, the bash is called A Little Solidarity (named after their song and current career highlight A Little Bit of Solidarity Goes a Long Way which featured on this year’s Oh Yeah album) and boasts a shed-load of Ulster’s greatest bands all playing together. The line-up includes the mighty Fighting With Wire, the hotly tipped General Fiasco and the sublime Two Door Cinema Club among many others and it’s an event which is close to ASIWYFA’s hearts.

            “As with most things in And So I Watch You From Afar-land, the idea for the festival came about after Tony and I spent one of our usual nights sitting up smoking too many fags and discussing our grand schemes. I remember saying to Johnny Black [vocalist/singer in LaFaro] outside the Limelight that ‘we’re gonna do a show in the Mandela next year’ and he was like ‘lets do it then.’ That was that really.”

            “It’s an extension of the show we did last year called Tonight the City Burns, which was all about collaboration and the strength of the scene,” adds Tony. “We wanted to take it up a notch and get as many heads involved. The scene here is amazingly strong and there’s too much great music that we don’t want to go unnoticed.”

            Once the idea for the festival was put forward, it didn’t take long for the boys to put a bill together and in a show of scene spirit it ended up a matter of trying to fit everyone in rather than struggling to find willing participants.

            “Putting A Little Solidarity together wasn’t hard to do at all,” insists Rory. “These bands are down with the cause, everyone has each other’s back, it’s not ASIWYFA’s show plus support-it’s everyone’s gig. There’s no messing about with this lot. The hardest bit was havin to somehow select who was playing. We could have done two weeks straight.”

            For the first time in many years, the NI music scene seems refreshingly free of sniping and back-biting and, while ASIWYFA will hate to hear it said, much of this is down to their positive outlook and efforts to unite everyone. They feel that it’s hard enough for a local band to get the breaks they deserve so why make things harder by engaging in endless feuds. Still, that doesn’t mean they’re not going to play their gig tomorrow as if their lives depended on it. They’re still got a point to prove.

            “We’ve actually got a decibel contest between ASIWYFA and LaFaro,” jokes Tony. “That’s why we opted for the Mandela Hall-they’ve a bigger PA. For any of you gamblers out there, the smart money’s on us.”

As well as bands playing for your aural pleasure, there will also be exhibitions, a speed networking panel for local musos to get some face to face time with industry types and competitions for studio time too. Basically if you’ve ever had any interest in music whatsoever, A Little Solidarity should be your only port of call this weekend.

“We’ve tried to make the festival as pro new music as possible, so we have loads of opportunities for some younger bands to meet people and get their music out there,” says Rory. “We have a speed networking session with some great industry people from NI and the UK, we have demo drops, free studio time, choice slots for new bands, reviews and airplay up for grabs, gigs on offer and generally just a lot of people who are there to support who’s gonna be killing it next year and beyond.

“As for our own ambitions over the next five years, all we want to do is write, record, tour, write, record, tour,” he concludes. “We always said that if we could pay rent and eat from playing music then we’d need nothing else, so I’d say if we could be doing that in five years and getting to see some cool places we’d be laughing.”

A Little Solidarity takes place tonight and tomorrow. Tonight’s show features LaFaro, Desert Hearts, Pocket Billiards and Axis Of and kicks off at 7pm in the Speakeasy. Tomorrow afternoon from 1pm-6pm in the Speakeasy is Two Door Cinema Club, Mojo Fury, Team Fresh and Yes Cadets. Later that night in the Mandela Hall We Are Knives, Panama Kings, General Fiasco, And So I Watch You From Afar and Fighting With Wire all play and doors are at 7pm. Tonight’s gig and tomorrow’s matinee show are £5 in, the main event in the Mandela Hall is £9 and limited two day tickets are available for £12. For more info click on www.myspace.com/andsoiwatchyoufromafar

Edwin McFee

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/news/band-thatrsquos-helping-to-unite-the-world-14063971.html

PS-Thanks to Naomi for the nice words.