The CLUAS Archive: 1998 - 2011

Entries for 'Steven O'Rourke'

10

Cois Fharraige, Ireland's number one music and water sports festival, returns to Kilkee, Co. Clare this September.  The 3 day event will take place between Friday September 11 and Sunday September 13.

Previous incarnations of the festival has seen performances from the likes of Seasick Steve, Supergrass, Travis and The Futureheads.  So far only a few acts for the 2009 edition have been announced but include the likes of Noah & The Whale, Doves, The Hold Steady and The Zutons.

Tickets went on sale this morning (Tuesday August 11) from the usual outlets and are available at an early bird price of 89euro (inc. booking fee) until September 1.  After that, the price becomes 99euro (also inc. booking fee).

Unlike other festivals, there is no on-site camping available but punters can check out the Discover Ireland website to see what accommodation is available in the surrounding areas. 

Doves: Kingdom of Rust


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06

An excerpt from the Kevin Smith movie, Dogma:

Bethany:  What exactly brought you to Illinois?
Jay:  Some fuck called John Hughes.
Bethany: 
Sixteen Candles John Hughes?
Jay: You know that guy, too? See, all these movies take place in a small town called Shermer, in Illinois, where all the honies are top-shelf, but all the dudes are whiny pussies - except for Judd Nelson, he was fuckin' harsh - but best of all, there was no one dealin', man; then, it hits me: we could live like phat rats if we were the blunt connection in Shermer, Illinois. So we collected some money we were owed, and we caught a bus. You know what the fuck we found out when we got there? There is no Shermer in Illinois. Movies are fuckin' bullshit.

Outside of my family and friends, there are few people whose death would stop me in my tracks and make me reflect upon their life and work.  John Hughes was one such person though.  It was with a mixture of shock and sadness that I heard of his passing this morning.  You see, as a child of the eighties, Key Notes grew up with movies like Breakfast Club, Weird Science and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  Of course, this blog was a bit too young to see them first time around but, as a teenager in the early '90's the movies seemed to fit perfectly with my own teenage angst.

Hughes was great at writing outsiders and showing, ultimately, that they're not so different from the rest of us.  There was a Ferris Bueller, Wyatt Donnelly or Samantha Baker in all of us during our teenage years.  It's not often as a teenager that you feel that someone 'gets' you, but when watching a Hughes movie you really felt like he did.  Such a pity then that he moved away from teen movies so as not to be considered a one trick pony. 

Pop songs always played a huge part in a John Hughes movie. Sixteen Candles had Paul Young's Love of the Common People and True by Spandau Ballet, Ferris Bueller had Twist & Shout and an instrumental cover of The Smiths' Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want and The Breakfast Club had, of course, Simple Minds' Don't You.

However, my own personal favourite was Tesla Girls by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark from Weird Science and that's the song I'm going to finish this blog off with today. 

Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it - Ferris Bueller.  I, for one, will be having a John Hughes marathon this weekend.


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03

This is supposed to be a series of blogs that look at the individuals who populate Irish indie gigs and yet, in this particular entry, Key Notes will be profiling the type of person who would never be seen alone.

Introduction:
scenesters are far too cool for capital letters.  The time you and I waste searching for the shift key (or, worse still, caps lock) is time they can spend getting their fringe just right.  Indeed, such is their dedication to this, they only purchase products beginning with lower case letters, such as iPhones, iPods and, well, you get the idea.  It is one of nature's great mysteries that scenesters are very self-aware and yet, almost always unaware of their status as scenesters.  As such, they are amongst the most deluded of the Irish indie gig goers.

How to spot one:
For a start, you won't spot just one as scenesters are the cattle of the Irish indie scene, roaming, as they do, in herds.  The male of the species tend to speak at a higher pitch than the average Irish male.  This may have something to do with the fact he appears to be wearing his 15 year old sister's jeans.  Beneath these ill-fitting jeans you're likely to find pointy shoes or white canvas trainers, depending on the scenesters mood before he left home.  The torso tends to be covered with an equally tight fitting t-shirt adorned with the logo of a band the scenester may never have actually listened to.   The very worst scenester ends up looking like a Jonas Brother!

The female of the species loves Urban Outfitters, indeed, in a survey carried out by this blog recently, 82% of female scenesters listed Urban Outfitters as their favourite shop.  The remaining 18% pretended I didn't exist.  The female scenester will, therefore, often be seen without a drink in hand, having spent 85 euro on leggings that look exactly like those her older sister threw away before the start of Italia '90.  Female scenesters often bald quicker than non-scenesters due, in part, to their penchant for wearing hats indoors.

Behavioural Characteristics:
scenesters will spend 90% of every gig talking amongst themselves, about themselves.  They will spend the remaining 10% attempting to cheer and 'whoop' louder than anyone else at the end of songs while shouting for the band to play the one song they know from that album the NME said was the best thing since last week's album of the week.

It should also be noted that almost every scenester appears to be in a band though, strangely, you won't have heard of them as they've never actually played a gig or recorded any material.  They do have a 'really cool' name though, probably beginning with 'the.'

What they are likely to say:
'What was that support band wearing; it should have been my band up there.'

What you are likely to say:
'Look love, they have a set-list that they're going to stick to, no matter how much you shout.'


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28

Having been nominated for 'Best European Festival' in the UK Festival Awards 2008; Castlepalooza is back and will take place over the course of the August Bank Holiday Weekend (Saturday August 1 & Sunday August 2) in the gorgeous surroundings of Charleville Castle, Tullamore.

The line up is as follows:

Were it not for a stupid knee injury picked up while training for the Marathon (Grade II MCL and Medial Meniscus tear, if you're asking) Key Notes would be going himself.  However, this blog would still recommend that those of you going do your very best to check out the following 5 bands; Dark Room Notes, Le Galaxie, Rarely Seen Above Ground, Angel Pier and The Ambience Affair.

Of course, as with all the best boutique festivals, there is much more than just music going on at Castlepalooza.  This year the festival will also include lots of other entertainment, from the live Rocky Horror Picture show to Crafternoon Tea and dance workshops to the infamous Party Bus.  Castlepalooza also has hot showers and flushing loos which differentiates it from most festivals Key Notes has ever attended.

A limited number of tickets are still available from the Castlepalooza website and from usual outlets.  Also, be sure to check out Anna Murray's reviews of Castlepalooza 2009 over the weekend.


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21

In this, the 10th edition of Key Note Speaker, Key Notes' speaks to Anna, Pearse, and Jamie of Charm Offensive, the Kildare based band who take their influences from many bands but who manage to sound distinctly unlike anyone else (including themselves).  Charm Offensive play Upstairs in Whelan's today (July 22) at 8pm.  Declaration of interest: The Anna involved is Anna Murray of CLUAS fame, proving what a multi-talented writing team we've assembled here!

Favourite Songs from the Past Year
Anna
Is it too late to count Portishead’s Threads? Also, Grand Pocket Orchestra’s Little Messy
Pearse 
Dog Days
by Florence and the Machine and 22 by Lily Allen
Jamie 
Call It A Ritual, Wolf Parade but I’m not actually sure it was in the last year

Favourite Song Ever
Anna 
No idea. I tend to remember albums not songs
Pearse
Glosoli by Sigur Ros is up there, with some Radiohead, maybe Reckoner, and a lot of Blondie
Jamie 
Everything In It’s Right Place - Radiohead, He Poos Clouds - Final Fantasy, I Want You [She’s So Heavy] - The Beatles but it’ll change by next week

Favourite Charm Offensive Song
Anna 
Sugar Rush
, it's very moody, and wild, but very controlled. It's top
Pearse
Futureproof.
We haven’t played it live yet, but it should be satisfyingly loud
Jamie 
July’s Child. The most complete thing I think we’ve done

Favourite New Band/Artist
Anna
Sounds of System Breakdown, The Stoney Brokes, Grand Pocket Orchestra
Pearse
I'm loving Florence right now. Are Nirvana new?
Jamie 
Wolf Parade but, again, not really new

Favourite Band/Artist Ever
Anna 
Tujiko Noriko or Final Fantasy
Pearse & Jamie
Radiohead

Favourite Gig This Year
Anna & Jamie 
Final Fantasy in Whelan's
Pearse
Lilly Allen at wherever it was

Favourite Gig Ever
Anna 
Final Fantasy in Whelan's, but two years ago
Pearse
Definitely Arcade Fire on Oct 23rd last year. Blew my socks off
Jamie 
Radiohead in wherever they played in Dublin in 2003

Favourite Charm Offensive Gig Ever
Anna 
Today's!
Pearse
Definitely today's! Best gig ever!
Jamie 
We had a very nice gig at Eamonn Doran's last year, it was the first time we'd played live for a while, so it was great to get back on stage

Favourite Venue
Anna 
I’d love to do a silent gig in Crawdaddy – everything through headphones
Pearse
Well it's always been my dream to play on the roof of the tennis club in Castlebar, maybe some day I can make that happen
Jamie 
Vicar Street

Favourite Piece of Musical/Recording Equipment
Anna 
Macbook, with Logic Pro, Cubase, Soundforge, Soundhack…
Pearse
My lovely pedal, a Boss GT8
Jamie 
A Korg, but only because I’ve never used one and can’t afford one

Download or CD/Cassette/Record
Anna, Pearse & Jamie 
CD

Favourite TV Show at the Moment
Anna 
Bones! And Green Wing
Pearse
Pushing Daises
Jamie 
Rome

Favourite Movie
Anna 
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Pearse
Pan's Labyrinth
Jamie 
Back To The Future I & II

Favourite Book
Anna & Jamie 
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Pearse 
The His Dark Materials trilogy
 

Most Listened to Radio Show
Anna, Pearse & Jamie 
Um....Radio?

What's in Store for Charm Offensive Next
Pearse 
Well we're playing Upstairs at Whelan's this Wednesday at 8pm, with the talented Defex
Anna
Some recording, which should be on our MySpace soon
Jamie 
Wembley, drug shame, triumphant comeback


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16

On April 8 2008, not only did I lose my father-in-law to cancer but I also lost one of my best friends.  Alan Smyth was in the prime of his life when he first got sick and during his illness often joked that he would be 'the healthiest man in the graveyard.'  The dignity with which he fought his cancer and the strength and sense of humour he showed even when he knew it was a fight he could not win shows just what type of person he was. 

During Alan's illness I saw first hand how tragically under funded cancer care is in Ireland.  The Irish Cancer Society is dedicated to changing this and so I swore when Alan died that I would do my bit to try and raise funds for them.  Therefore, on October 26 I will be running the Lifestyle Sports/Adidas Dublin City Marathon to raise funds for The Irish Cancer Society.  In the build up to the Marathon I will be running the Adidas Race Series, starting tomorrow (Saturday July 18) with the Irish Runner 5 Mile Challenge in The Phoenix Park.  This race series will also include The Frank Duffy 10 Mile Challenge (August 15) and The Dublin City Half Marathon (September 26).

Now, this is where you come in!  I have set up a charity page called Steve's Year of Running Dangerously.  Initially, I had hoped to raise 500 euro for the Irish Cancer Society but as I have already raised that amount I have raised my fundraising total to 750 euro.  Should I exceed that amount I will raise the amount to 1,000 euro and so on.  Ideally, I will raise as much money as possible.  Any donation, no matter how big or small, will be equally appreciated by me and, more importantly, by The Irish Cancer Society.  It will also be possible to sponsor me for up to one month after the Marathon is finished (for the cynical amongst you who don't believe I can complete it!) so, as Alan would say, let there be no panic.

I can't think of a better way to finish this blog than with a song that always reminds me of Alan and one that I will definitely be listening to as I make my way around The Phoenix Park tomorrow for the first of the Adidas Races Series.

Prefab Sprout: Cars & Girls


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15

The Good

Magnetic North
The type of Northern Irish music that usually makes headlines around the 12th of July is not the sort we would typically report on here at CLUAS.  However, over the course of last weekend's Oxegen festival there were four Northern acts that stood head and shoulders above most of their Southern peers.  While both Duke Special and Iain Archer reaffirmed their undoubted talent, General Fiasco and, especially, And So I Watch You From Afar blasted their way on to my musical radar.  Seeing General Fiasco was a happy accident but, after their performance at the launch of Hard Working Class Heroes, And So I Watch Your From Afar were a band I was never going to miss. Both were beyond brilliant and (with a little help from my Belfast born friend) I will be paying much more attention to the Northern Irish indie scene in future.

Stage Managed
I know from experience that musicians are not the most punctual of people.  Indeed, I can count on one hand the amount of times a band/musician has turned up for an interview on time.  However, over the course of Oxegen 2009 almost every single performance started on time. There were one or two notable exceptions (there always is) but kudos must go to the Stage Managers for harassing the bands into punctuality.  It certainly made my job as a reviewer much easier.

The Gig's The Thing
Say what you want about the quality of their music but there are certain bands that sound 100 times better in the live arena than they do on record.  In this case I'm thinking specifically of Republic of Loose.  I've never been convinced about their songs and yet, every time I see them live I find myself singing/dancing along.  They are the great showmen (and women) of the Irish indie scene and, indeed, only Roisin Murphy's stage show comes anywhere close to matching The Loose in terms of entertainment value.  I wish someone would upload their cover of Wanna Be Startin' Somthin' to YouTube soon though!

Ride On
I've reviewed Oxegen for CLUAS for the past two years and generally make use of the VIP parking that us 'media types' (snigger) get to avail of.  However, given the weather conditions on Saturday I decided to make use of the free 'Park 'n' Ride' facilities at Goff's on the Sunday of Oxegen 2009.  Should I get to review it again for CLUAS next year this is the only way I'll be travelling.  It's quick, it's free and it's much more convenient than trying to make your way out of a muddy field in the middle of Naas.  Why anyone would drive when this facility is available is beyond me.

The Bad

Rain, Rain, Go Away
Of course, there is nothing that MCD can do about the weather but it's such a shame that Oxegen always seems to take place in the rain.  It would be a much nicer festival if it took place during the summer!

Muddy Waters
Whilst MCD can't control the weather; they could certainly expect it and have planned slightly better for it.  The conditions on Sunday, in the IMRO tent especially, were little short of shocking.  This tent is located at the bottom of two slopes and so suffers more than most of the tents in bad weather.  However, it's nothing that some of the sawdust that was laid out on the entrances to the festival site could have fixed.  As funny as it was seeing people lose their wellies in mud, it felt as if it could be easily stopped.

This Must Be, Pop
As bizarre as it is that I've used an N'Sync lyric in the heading, it's even more unusual how, erm, popular, pop music was at this year's Oxegen.  Lady Gaga, The Blizzards, The Script, Katy Perry; all pop, all popular.  As Jim Carroll pointed out in his blog on Oxegen, perhaps this is the direction the festival is going.  It's certainly what the kids seem to want from their music festival experience.  While I can see the attraction for MCD in doing this, I wouldn't like to see Oxegen lose all its indie bands.

The Ugg Boots

(VIP) Very Important (I Get) Pissed
There is nothing more frustrating, when you're covered in mud and soaked through by rain, than wandering back to the media area to find people in the VIP bar looking spotlessly clean and bone dry, doing their best to be noticed by anyone with a media pass and a camera.  It's a music festival, get out and see some bands!  You probably didn't pay for your tickets so at least support the bands by standing out in the rain for a few minutes.


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13
Oxegen 2009 Day Three (live in Punchestown, Kildare)
Day Three of Oxegen 2009   Review Snapshot: While I didn't get to see as many bands as I would have liked to on Day Three of Oxegen 2009, those that I did see continued to impres...

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12
Day Two Oxegen 2009 (live in Punchestown, Co. Kildare)
Review of Day Two of Oxegen 2009 Review Snapshot: Day Two of Oxegen 2009 was all about rain, rock and roll.  Despite the weather, or maybe because of it, the majority of acts seemed to u...

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11

Day One of Oxegen 2009

Review Snapshot: There must have been something in the air in Punchestown as at least 3 bands invited members of the crowd on stage during the first day of Oxegen 2009. There might have been an overwhelming feeling that there were less people here than in previous years but that didn’t stop the bands from putting in some great performances.

The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10
 

Snow Patrol OxegenFull Review:
When you wake up on the first morning of a festival and hear nothing on the radio but people forecasting 6 day traffic jams and rain, the likes of which hasn't been seen since Noah worked for Harland and Wolff, you have to wonder if it is worth making the effort at all.  However, the first piece of good news was that the traffic was almost non-existent, perhaps helped by the fact that, being relatively local, I know some alternative routes into Punchestown.  Also, the rain, which began as I parked the car, was gone in little over an hour.  Maybe this would be a good weekend after all.

Jape (Red Bull Music Academy)
I’ve been very lucky with Oxegen as this is the second year in a row that the first band I’ve seen has put in a brilliant performance. Choice Music Prize winner and possibly the busiest man in Irish music, Richie Egan, operating as Jape this weekend, wowed a very mixed crowd with an energetic set showcasing his critically acclaimed Ritual.  During Streetwise, Egan became the first act of the weekend to invite a member of the audience on stage to sing the chorus. It didn’t work very well at first and the girl was booed off before being replaced by a much more competent audience member. Egan finished his set with a rousing rendition of I Was A Man.  

 

Fight like Apes (Heineken Green Spheres)
Despite their much hyped debut album and recent Glastonbury performance, when Fight Like Apes launched into Something Global, the tent can’t have been more than one third full. Despite this (and, in fairness, the place did fill as the gig went on) Fight like Apes tried very hard to impress their audience. When they concentrated on making music the band were a joy to behold, Two news songs they played sounded excellent, as did a brilliant version of Jake Summers. However, a Fight like Apes gig is never just about the music.  Try as they might to be 'random', you can't help but feel that their gimmicks are a bit, well, gimmicky. Climbing speaker towers and beating chairs against railings (professional wrestling style) felt more petulant and childish than daring an edgy. A great band when they remember that they are supposed to be making music.

Duke Special (The O2 Stage)
Having to walk from one side of the Oxegen campus to the other meant that I missed the start of Duke Special's performance.  When I arrived there again seemed to be far less people than I would expect for an artist of Peter Wilson's calibre.  Initially, The Duke's set seemed disjointed and meandering, not helped by the fact that Wilson and band took up less than 10% of The O2 Stage. However, things soon picked up and Wilson ended on a high with Our Love Goes Deeper Than This, Last Night I Nearly Died (But I Woke Up Just In Time) and the gorgeous Freewheel.  It's a pity more people weren't there to see/hear it.  It was beauty personified.

Iain Archer (Red Bull Music Academy)
At this stage I was starting to wonder if there was actually anyone at Oxegen.  This was Iain Archer, the bloke that used to be in Snow Patrol and, with Flood The Tanks, responsible for one of Northern Irish music's true masterpieces, and yet, here he was playing to a tent that was no more than 20% full.  Not everyone could have been watching The Script could they?  Archer seemed unperturbed by the small audience and produced a lively set consisting mostly of tracks from his new record, To The Pine Roots.  While I was disappointed not to hear Mirrorball Moon, my favourite Archer song, highlights of the set included Canal SongStreamer On A Kite and Archer finishing his set with his parents on backing vocals.  

Heathers (IMRO New Sound Stage)
I only managed to catch 5 songs as the IMRO Stage seemed to be running off schedule (same problem as last year) but I'm still not convinced by these two.  Sure they are young and can still go some way to prove me wrong, but I can't help but think that they could do with listening to a few more records before writing their own songs.  Having influences is fine, so is wearing them on your sleeve, but having such a small range of influences just makes you sound like a tribute band. 

Republic of Loose (Heineken Green Spheres)
After a wasted trip over to the Red Bull Music Academy to see Ladyhawke (still no explanation for her non appearance at time of going to print) I found myself worshiping at the alter of Republic of Loose. I wasn’t the only one either as the Green Spheres tent was packed. As I posted on Twitter, there was lots of dancing here, the likes of which was never seen in Billy Brennan’s barn. Shame, Comeback Girl, The Steady Song and a brilliant rendition of Michael Jackson’s Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ were the standout tracks in a set full of energy and audience interaction. There are few bands who entertain more than Republic of Loose.

Blur (Main Stage)
Initially, I was very excited about seeing Blur live for the first time. However, after the exuberance of Republic of Loose, this performance felt flat. Opening with the slow burning She’s so High was never going to be the best way to get the crowd enthused. Girls and Boys, the second song, would have been enough to spark the set into life had it not been so tuneless and followed by the awful Tracy Jacks. There’s no doubting that Damon Albarn is a consummate showman, but he’s not the world’s best singer.  Dedicating The Universal to the late Joe Dolan was a nice touch but, despite my initial excitement, I left Day One of Oxegen 2009 feeling quite cynical as to the reasons for Blur’s comeback and wishing I’d gone to see 2 Many DJ’s instead.

Steve O'Rourke

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Nuggets from our archive

2005Michael Jackson: demon or demonised? Or both?, written by Aidan Curran. Four years on this is still a great read, especially in the light of his recent death. Indeed the day after Michael Jackson died the CLUAS website saw an immediate surge of traffic as thousands visited CLUAS.com to read this very article.