2007: In Music

Here's the round-up piece I wrote for the Tribune on Sunday. Of course, if you read this blog, you know all of this shizz already, but some people still read newspapers wot they sell in shops wot iz on reel paperz. WTF? etc.


“Hi, I’m Beth.” Beth Ditto from The Gossip introducing herself to me backstage at the Oxegen festival in Punchestown was one of my musical highlights this passed twelve months, in a year when Ireland went nuts for live music, and even superstars like Ditto were easily accessible. More gigs and festivals were staged than ever before in the country. Basically every band and artist of note played in Ireland, and many on multiple occasions (CSS surely live here now, right?). It was a year where I tried to get to every gig possible, which meant trading time abroad for festivals at home, and going out around 80% of the nights this year in an attempt to reap the benefits of a country which, in my opinion, is almost unrivalled in its options for live music. London and New York are still better, but for such a small nation, our economy has allowed promoters to create a great live scene when it comes to international visiting artists.

There were dozens of stand out gigs and moments for me. Watching Klaxons in the Ambassador with a bemused French techno DJ – The Hacker (“where iz ze ‘rave’ in zis ‘new-rave’?”); spending five very fun and very tiring days with Delorentos as they criss-crossed the country gigging and promoting their excellent debut record ‘In Love With Detail’; standing beside Jarvis Cocker at the side of the stage where Beastie Boys were rocking Electric Picnic; The Gossip at Oxegen while the rain belted down and the punters belted out ‘Standing In The Way Of Control’; watching a riot unfold in Eamonn Dorans as Kill City Defectors took to the stage; trying to dissuade MayKay from Fight Like Apes from setting the bass player Tom’s shoe on fire during a (very) late night drinking session in Dingle after the filming of ‘Other Voices’; witnessing Scream Club get naked for their encore at one of the most under-rated venues around, The Boom Boom Room above Conway’s on Parnell Street in Dublin; trying to coax Kele from Bloc Party out of his dressing room for an interview (he refused because of the rain); sun bathing in a beer garden with various band members at Cois Fharraige; witnessing a half naked acid-crazed lunatic break into the very sedate boutique camping village at Electric Picnic, with hilarious consequences; enjoying the collective spirituality that Arcade Fire emits at their gigs (twice); and the same for the Pet Shop Boys (twice). One of the most memorable excursions was the ‘3-gigs-in-one-day’ challenge, where myself and music photographer Lili Forberg managed to see four bands and Delorentos at an all-ages gig in Radio City in Dublin, before getting the DART to Malahide Castle to watch Pink perform and then hot foot it to Whelan’s on Wexford Street to see one of the best gigs this year, Ham Sandwich’s headliner. God bless Red Bull.

The local underground indie scene was healthier than ever too. Club nights and collectives that made an impact on 2007 include dubstep ensemble Kaboogie that saw some of the wildest gigs (Drop The Lime and MRK1 were highlights for me) in Dublin held in the unlikely coolest venue in town, the basement of Kennedy’s pub near Trinity College. Also in Kennedy’s, Maximum Joy has added some welcome diversity to the indie scene. Chip tuners Crystal Castles packed the joint the night of the Trinity Ball, with neon clad kids making a bit of a contrast to the surrounding drunken students in tuxes. Local heroes Super Extra Bonus Party consistently rocked the place too. We’re witnessing an amazing fragmentation of genres at a local level. Anything goes, be it the dancey speed metal of Adebisi Shank, the electro-emo of Betamax Format, minimal hip hop of You’re Only Massive, or the genius of guitarless punk that is Fight Like Apes (widely regarded as the most exciting Irish band this century), the scene – against all odds – couldn’t be healthier. And there was a reminder on Hallowe’en of probably the greatest champion of Irish contemporary music, when Phantom 105.2fm threw open the doors of Whelan’s and celebrated it’s first legit year on air.

There were some changes; the Temple Bar Music Centre perhaps unwisely got a facelift and became the Button Factory. Previously home to some of the best techno nights hosted by the Remedy crew (highlights this year included an amazing DJ Koze gig, which ended up with this journalist beating him at a late night session of Sing Star on the Playstation) the Button Factory is now too posh for such events, and the atmosphere there will be sorely missed. But on the plus side, the revamp at the Music Centre has seen an increase in gigs at the Tivoli on Francis Street, with Modeselektor staging one of the gigs of the year there last month. Whelan’s got a revamp too, but wisely, they kept it simple, making it in one word ‘bigger’ – which is just as well because gigs like the sweaty brilliance of Young Blood Brass Band need the space.

In 2008, things will probably get crazier. Oxegen has increased to a three-day festival, and there’s another ‘boutique’ festival on the way to rival Electric Picnic. The success of Hard Working Class Heroes has ensured that local bands can now pack venues with as much enthusiasm as visiting acts, and that trend will continue as confidence in Irish indie grows. Spy on South William Street in Dublin will host some of the most exciting gigs of the year. The Choice Music Prize will be in its third year, awarding accolades to home-grown albums that are increasing in quality. And the Sunday Tribune will continue to bring you the best of all of this and more. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.


Una’s albums of the year
10 Britney Spears – ‘Black Out’
9 Justin Timberlake – ‘FutureSex/LoveSounds’
8 Arcade Fire – ‘Neon Bible’
7 Arctic Monkeys – ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’
6 Holy Fuck – ‘Holy Fuck’
5 Modeselektor – ‘Happy Birthday’
4 Kings of Leon – ‘Because of the Times’
3 PJ Harvey – ‘White Chalk’
2 Burial – ‘Untrue’
1 M.I.A. – ‘Kala’


Una’s best of 2008
Gig of the year – Arcade Fire, the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, 6th March
Song of the year – ‘Umbrella’ by Rihanna (for the endless cover versions alone.)
Band of the year – Fight Like Apes. Superstars in the making.
Villain of the year – The Man. Seriously, how much more do we have to pay for concert tickets?
Hero of the year – The organisers of the Hard Working Class Heroes Festival.
Comeback of the year – Britney Spears. Everyone thought she was ready for some kind of institution, instead, she dropped her best ever album.
Hope for 2008 – Super Extra Bonus Party. As eclectic and fun as you’re likely to find, and brilliant tunes too.
ENDS

Neilsies one is here