Green Day (O2 Dublin)

Do you have the time… to listen to me whine, about nothing and everythin all at once?…For you Billie Joe, I have all the time in the world.

Jack White

The Trinity Philosophical society seem to be giving out Honorary Patronage’s as if they were cheap Aldi sweets… (Pete Doherty I’m looking at you). But Jack White deserved one. An amazingly intelligent man, I can tell that from 20 mins in his presence. So sweet, charming, respectful and handsome.

Oh and Check out our darling BP Fallon’s intro to the new Dead Weather video!

Hard Working Class Hero’s 2009

Hard Working Class Hero’s is a 3 day music showcase for unsigned Irish bands. A bloody great idea but a bit disappointing this year. 

No big surprises. Adebisi Shank were by far the best band of the weekend. Followed by Funeral Suits, Villagers, We Cut Corners, Robotnik and Kill Krinkle Club. Honorable mentions to Kyon, Yes Cadets, Sweet Jane and Tiny Magentic Pets and Heritage Centre. 

I dunno, maybe im gettin jaded with Irish music, or just extra fussy as i’m exposed to so much of it first hand. Or maybe there really isn’t a lot of exciting tunes happening here right now… have they all emigrated?

All i can say is Thank Fuck for Adebisi Shank… if it wasn’t for them, the weekend would have been a wash.

oh and as for the Photography Exhibition…. best not mention the war.

Hard Working Class Hero

For those of you not bothered to take a wander into town to view this masterpiece… here’s the pix for your internetual viewing pleasure.

Tim Burgess (Charlatans)

Today in Whelans saw the launch of the JD Set. It’s a competition where unsigned Irish bands can win a rake loada prizes including a stay in Grouse Lodge! Tim Burgess is this years “JD Icon” so i had myself a wee shoot with him this afternoon. The man is an absolute doll… sweet and sound. I love it when the talent are nice, makes my job worthwhile.

He also turned me onto a great new band called Factory Floor…check em out here.

Robotnik

Ah, i love it when I find a musician who allows me to draw on them… introducing the wonderfully insane, charming and delightful Robotnik. Many of you, i’m sure, are already familiar with this lad’s electronic beats. But did you know he also has his own Radio Show on 2XM (it’s where all the Irish muzo seem to be hanging out these days) and it has fast become my fave listening post (sorry Phantom).

Check out his radio show here, every Tues (repeated Friday). Or just tune in randomly… tis great for working away to!

Also, Robotnik is playing HWCH’s this weekend… check out this mega insane video for more, eh, details?

Myspace tune to note: Puddlestarter

oh, and a big thanks to Ms. Lucy Jones for causing this painted mess, my studio will never be the same again! x

Hotpress Music Show (RDS)

ok… so if you work for Hotpress, there is no Christmas, no Birthdays, no nothing… as everything is geared towards that one weekend in October when the entire Hotpress camp is relocated to the RDS for the Music Show. And ya know, there is never an ill word spoken about Hotpress during these days, as it is obvious just how vital the magazine is to the Irish music community.

My job this weekend was to snap the feck out of the show. Mostly people photos, which was a welcome break from live photography. I also headed to the Music Show Afterdark session in the Academy where Speech Debelle and David Kitt tore it up…and May Kay (FLApes)and BP Fallon spun some insanely pleasurable tunes! (Tom Vek- yea ya would!)

Not 100 percent blog relevant… but still music and photography, so why not!

Much love to each and every wonderful new friend I met over the days… thanking you x

Gama Bomb (Earache Recs)

Gama Bomb are a big, horrible, scary, hairy, metal band….. Actually, no. They’re not. Not in the slightest. They are cute, wee, gents (sorry to ruin the charade lads).

I shot these lads in 2008 for promo shots and then again when they played live with eh… Bonded By Blood was it? (my extensive metal knowledge shinning through there)…or maybe it was Municipal Waste?… who know’s, sure I left after the G’Bomb went off!

Irish Thrash Metallers Gama Bomb have had lots of releases, lots of high profile supports, many festival slots and headline gigs. Ireland’s just too shit to notice and give them the kudos they deserve.

They’re signed to the UK/NYC based ( and highly reputable) metal label Earache… so at least there they get the recognition they deserve.

With songs like Hammer Slammer and Frightmare on Hell Street, the likes of Galway Girl can get fucked… I’m gettin Thrashed!

oh, and don’t ask me what they’re doing in the photos… I don’t know either!

CODES Academy (Album Launch)

yea yea yea… I’ll shut up about CODES… just after this post, I swear.

They just about sold out the Academy. The crowd sang along to every song. And I nearly cried.

CODES

ok my darlings, it’s time for my most exciting post yet…. The CODES post.

Coldplay-Elbow-White Lies (Phoenix Pk)

…. the bigger the gigs the suckier the restrictions. This job really tries me sometimes.

“You may only photograph Coldplay whilst standing on your head singing My Sharona in French. You must not photograph Coldplay unless they photograph you first”….

Tried me hardest, given the circumstances.

Elbow, on the other hand… the sweet respectful Princes of the music busyness. Full of joyful appreciation for music, for fans and for photographers. How I adore thee.

(Just as I post this, the beautiful Elbow come on the stereo and I fall more and more in love….*sigh*)

Fringe Festy Sunday Roast

With the usual crowd of Sunday Roast bandy’s … Red Kid, Sack, Amazing Few, Nell Bryden (she absolutely rocked btw)..and a very funky belly dancer from Apollonia Tribal Bellydancing called Roisin. Nice mix to the night i must admit… Although, I could have done without the skanger cabaret bits… (yes, you read that right).

It’s also worth a mention that all of this was held in the Spiegeltent… I had never been down to the tent before and i was expecting great magical, mystical, and highly unusually  entertaining things. Turns out the Spiegeltent is the fecking Magic Mirrors tent that hits every bloody festival going. Boo-urns ye false proclaimers.

sack

Roisin

I NEED YOU…always! x

email me direct, ruthmedjber@gmail.com

Electric Picnic 2009

wow… what can i say? It may just have been the greatest weekend of my life… definately of my career. The Flaming Lips were the greatest 3 songs of my career, without doubt.

Hotpress, you rock. Hotpress friends, you rock. My friends, you rock. Readers Wives, you rock. Random funny pillheads in the crowd, you rock. Musicians, you rock. Bouncers, you rock. Joe the taxi man, you rock. B&B mammy, you rock. Wayne Coyne, you definately rock. Guy who spilled a pint over my camera…well, sorry, you don’t rock…but i forgive you darlin

Bands worth a nod: Jape, Ebony Bones, Passion Pit, The Big Pink, Sugarhill Gang, Klaxons, Madness.

Bats, Adebisi Shank & Jogging (ALT)

Bats album launch…so technically the night belonged to Bats….  but dear god they were destroyed by Adebisi Shank, as were Jogging. I knew Adebisi were good, I’ve been reading the reviews. Even twitter is alive with constant “Adebisi Rock” statements from every Irish journo out there. I’ve even seen them live a few times, including a support slot for FNM (once u have Patton’s seal of approval you’re pretty much set). But god, I wasn’t prepared for the gig in ALT. Mind bendingly brilliant. Sweaty, energetic (no really, properly fucking energetic)..and tight as fuck.

Bats and Jogging were good, great even… just a pity that Adebisi ploughed throw any other memories I may have had from that night.

Thanks to AU for sending me.

Adebisi Shank:

Faith No More (Olympia Dublin 09)

wowza! A complete and utter mosh down memory lane. Incredibly tight preformance if not a bit short. A few bars of the Eastenders theme song too many..and a bit heavy on the Irish gags too (anyone actually know what a Shelaliegh is anyways?…and yes, i did google that spelling). Dressed in a full salmon coloured suit, Patton looked rather like an extra from Goodfellas, but has aged notably well. Proper showmanship and cracking tunes…good times all round.

Psychonavigation (sugarclub)

The Sugarclub was the venue for the 9th birthday party of PsychoNavigation records… This Irish label has put out recorded gems from R.S.A.G. and Electric Penguins (whom I just adore). Now the Sugarclub is shite for a gig, great for table quizzes, plays, screenings and what have ya… but there is nothing worse than completely tiered seating at a venue. It makes the audience and artist sickenly uneasy, especially during that quiet bit of a song when someone gets up to pee and has to shuffle through rows of bloody cinema seats. Anywho…enough of that rant, onto the music!

Tiny Magnetic Pets, The 202’s and Neosupervital took the stage (in that order) as well as a host of other DJ’s. Unfortunately for everybody the turn out was awful…and it got worse as the night went on. The live music was good… 202’s gave me a tiny tingle with their tune “Shoot You Down”. Special kudos to Neosupervital in particular who made that extra effort to rile the dwindling crowd. Running up and down those stairs with his wee wireless guitar … it was the most exciting bit of the evening *sigh*

You can read a full review of the gig written by Celina Murphy in this weeks Hotpress (picnic edition)

*been listening to Electric Penguins as i wrote this post…may i suggest you listen while you read… ah go on!*

TMP

N.A.S.A.

these guys were shit, plain and simple. Mediocre mixing of obvious tunes…. poor mans 2 many dj’s. bleh. One pic will do ya’s… god knows i wasnt arsed snapping any more.

Cat Mouse Cat & Laurel Collective (Barfly Cardiff)

Two very contrasting but equally fun bands playing support to the Blog fave’s Innercity Pirates (snaps to follow) … in the cosy Cardiff Barfly … coz its just nice to get outta Dublin and hear some accents singing…

The Laurel Collective are London based.. cheerful fun energetic n bop tastic. (note the tune ‘Fax of Death’ on myspace especially!)

Laurel Pix first…

Funeral Suits (Whelans)

ok ok ok… so i was in Whelans shooting Land Lovers… gig was over… so naturally i was pissed and in the smoking area when my ears pricked up. Hearing some great sounds coming from the Upstairs venue i went in and explored, finding The Funeral Suits. Whom i now adore. Amazing tunes that wish i was sober enough to fully enjoy them on the night… a repeat exploration shall be required! Head to myspace and feast on some impressively good quality trax.