MUSIC
Friday, 7th September
Fun Lovin’ Criminals, The Blizzards, Roisin Murphy and Majella Murphy.
Doors 6.00pm
 
Saturday, 8th September
Paddy Casey, Ocean Colour Scene, Republic of Loose, The Enemy, 28 Costumes and The Kinetiks.
Doors 4.00pm
 
Sunday, 9th September
Badly Drawn Boy, Kila, Tom Baxter, Buffalo Souljah and Delorentos, Newton Faulkner
Doors 3.00pm
  

SURF

For surf lovers and first time surf spectators, Spanish Point Beach will be the place to catch all the surfing action.  A two-day professional surfing competition will be held on Saturday, 8th September and Sunday, 9th September in association with Sony Ericsson, West Coast Surf Club and Sony Ireland who are providing €10,000 euro worth of prizes including Sony Ericsson handsets, a Sony Bravia 42” LCD TV, Blue Ray player, a home cinema system and a Sony VAIO laptop.

Saturday, 8th September between 9am – 3pm:
Competitive surf heats will commence for all registered surfers at 9am and will continue up until 2pm.
 
Sunday, 9th September between 9am – 2pm:
Finalists will compete from 9am and go head to head in the final round at 2pm.
 
All advised surf heat timings are subject to change pending weather conditions on each day.
 
Cois Fharraige ticket holders are strongly advised to dress appropriately for rain and shine so don’t forget to come prepared and bring your picnic supplies!
  

THE TRANSPORT
The Surf Shuttle – Ketts Lounge Kilkee - The Armada Hotel Spanish Point and return.
A surf shuttle bus will be in operation for Cois Fharraige ticket holders only to provide transportation from Kilkee to Spanish Point to view the surfing event.  The surf shuttle service will be independently operated by Noel O’Shea coach hire.  Bus Tickets will cost €3 return.
 
The Surf Shuttle Timetable:
 
From Ketts Lounge in Kilkee to Burke’s Armada Hotel in Spanish Point
Departure Time: From 9am every half hour on a continuous loop until 1pm

From Burke’s Armada Hotel, Spanish Point to Ketts Lounge, Kilkee
Departure Time: From 10am every hour on a continuous loop until 4pm

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One of the small and infrequent joys of this summer was the gorgeous aerial footage of the 2007 Tour De France that aired on TG4. Sweeping shots of brightly dressed cyclists racing through amazingly picturesque, sunlit scenary only confirmed for us that, doping or not, France is still the real star of the Tour De France. This reality was brought home when I watched RTE's aerial footage of the closing minutes of Stage 4 of the Tour of Ireland. As pro cyclists whipped through Salthill on their way to the finish line I couldn't help but notice how this whole section of Galway from Knocknacarra onwards looks like one giant, ugly, concrete, outdoor jacks. You can criticise the French all you like about how they do or do not tackle drugs in sport but you can never accuse them of deliberately ruining their own countryside and heritage unlike the assembled forces here in Ireland who are determined to destroy, among other priceless treasures, the Hill of Tara.

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In the 1990s the actor Kevin Kline appeared in a light comedy film entitled 'In & Out' about a small town teacher who is inadvertently outed by a former student during an Oscar night acceptance speech. In the film, the big giveaway about Kline's sexual identity  is his passion for the music of Barbara Streisand; a narrative shorthand for all things fey, flowery, effeminate and, well, gay. So far, so cliched, so what. Except that when it comes to being treated, how shall we say this, not at a level with the prices charged, your average Babs fan is more Spartan warrior than shrinking violet. Rock fans, on the other hand, who are in the main teenage, rebellious and given to wearing black t-shirts saying things like 'Unleash Hell' are more reminiscent of The Gimp in 'Pulp Fiction' than the brave little punks that Jack Black leads to glory in 'School of Rock'. Hey, you can play 'Standing In The Way of Control' all you like but if you roll over on your back everytime you are taken for a ride you have no right to talk about how rock can change the world.

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What do The Rolling Stones today and a lion taming act in a circus have in common ? Quite alot actually. Let me explain. When you see the lion taming you have to understand that, great act though it is, the lions and their tamer are pure artifice. The lion is portrayed as the king of the jungle, a fearsome man eating beast. The tamer is portrayed as brave hero, gallantly holding back the lion with nothing more than a whip and a chair, making this terrifying creature submit to his or her will and encouraging the deadly big cat to perform a series of dainty tricks. The problem is; both the lions and their tamers are in on the act. The lion is usually a hand reared pet who in the golden age of the circus often slept in the tamer's caravan. The tamer on the other hand knows that if the lion was really wild and ferocious a whip and a chair would be as much use as a feather duster. So what you have is a show, primarily for children, where real danger and pure emotion have been replaced with amused guffaws and theatrical flourish.

Nowadays, The Rolling Stones are alot like those circus lions, as far removed from the dark mystique of Altamont as our tame lions are from their forebears in the Coliseum; where they happily munched on Christians for the amusement of the Emperor Nero and his blood thirsty Roman subjects. For example, when Keith Richards stumbled on stage solo in the middle of the concert at Slane to mumble winningly, the audience happily remarked to each other, "Ooh, there's Johnny Depp's dad from Pirates of the Carribean 3'. See what I mean?

The band that played Slane last weekend wasn't THE ROLLING STONES, of myth and legend, it was a bunch of canny old men with one eye on the clock and the other on the money. A savvy bunch of pensioners who long ago realised that nostalgia and a well tended brand name can keep you going long after passion and sincerity have disappeared along with your natural hair colour. I admire them in much the same way as I admire those toothless lions and their beloved tamers, I even applaud them and when they have gone the way of the traditional circus I'm sure that the world will be a less colourful place but, do I feel anything inside when I watch them play ? Nope.

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Kevin Spacey as Christopher Walken as Harrison Ford as Han Solo.

The Theme from Star Wars as performed by Lego Figurines.

 Star Wars on a banjo

 Disco Dancing Storm Trooper in Tokyo

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Its fair to say that any band which takes their name from a memorable quote spoken in the movie 'Amadeus'  by the Emperor Joseph II about the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart probably doesn't intend to ply their trade with three chord tricks but Tu Meni Notes went far beyond any concept of what a reasonable level of musical proficency is within a band enviroment in their pursuit of a new golden age of instrumental guitar rock.

Formed in Galway by a group of classically trained musicians who were sick and tired of being in a series of bands with slackers who were more interested in the jazz woodbines than the jazz solos, Tu Meni Notes set out to bring back the kind of virtuoso rock that led to, among other things, Deep Purple Live At The Royal Albert Hall, Joe Satriani and Pat Metheny. 

The game plan they came up with is worthy of a standing ovation alone. Briefly, once they had formed they went off and rehearsed for two solid years without ever playing a single gig. Two years of 8 hour sessions with a 10 minute tea break grudgingly thrown in. Thats not counting the endless hours of solo rehearsal time the individual members put in to ensure they didn't get shown up at official band rehearsals; a sort of arms race of virtuosity if you will. Not content with that, they drew up a set list of almost impossible to play numbers, the kind of tunes that make your hands cramp or fingers bleed halfway through, and to top it off, when they finally felt they were ready to perform in public they booked themselves into Galway's scruffy mecca of hard rock, Sally Longs, for 8 gigs on consecutive weeks knowing full well that they would be playing to a crowd that knew their guitar rock inside out and would be very vocal in their dismay if the band didn't cut the mustard.

And you know what? Tu Meni Notes rocked the roof off the house. Then, after eight triumphant concerts, they split, the band having imploded under the insane, self generated pressure to deliver razor sharp, note perfect performances night after night. Here is the band at the height of their short but white hot career, tackling the Rach 9 of fusion, Al Di Meola's "Race With The Devil On Spanish Highway".
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Seth Lakeman: "Lady of the Sea"

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Will Ferrell Advertises i-Pod

Will Ferrell Does Phantom of the Opera

Will Ferrell Sings to Lance Armstrong

Will Ferrell & Jack Black sing @ The Oscars

Will Ferrell Does Air Supply

Will Ferrell Does Elton John

Will Ferrell Does Neil Diamond

 More Cowbell (thanks to Shane H)

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