Hard Working Class Heroes 2010

Hard Working Class Heroes 2010. Another great weekend for young Irish bands to promote themselves. I couldn’t help but feel that this year was missing a headliner or a secret gem like last years Adebisi Shank. Maybe it was down to the switch between days, this year finishing on the Saturday instead of the Sunday. It just never felt like it got properly off the ground. Or maybe the crowd were just too knackered from various other gigs that had happened in the run up to the weekend.

The bands were mostly excellent. Some obvious repeats from last year but I guess we’re a small enough nation when it comes to making up the 100 band quota for the festival.

Now, I may be bias, but I do feel like I’m entitled to an opinion when speaking about music photography. Firstly, I didn’t enter this years HWCH Photo competition as it clashed with my own photo expo. So I’m not jealous or bitter.

For a festival to advertise as having a “Music Photography Exhibition” in pretty bold letters everywhere, they should give that photo exhibition all the dedicated space they need to kick ass. The exhibition hung upstairs in The Workman’s Club. It’s a very dark space with no hanging system or dedicated spot lights to show off the work. The images were lost up on those walls. I really feel for the exhibiting photographers, I know I would be disappointed with the lack of curation and tiny space.

The actual images were fabulous. The talent glared through and really showed how incredible Irish Music Photography can be. Some really great work all round particularly by Enda Casey & Carrie Davenport. Again though, I would have loved to have seen more of their work as only one image each was shown at really tiny sizes.

The HWCH Music Photography exhibition should just be ditched instead of been giving a dark pub corner in which to dwell unnoticed. Music Photographers are artists and we need to be treated with a little bit more respect than this empty gesture.

x

 

Choice Music Prize

I probably don’t have to tell you much about the Choice Awards that you don’t already know so I’ll just tell you a few things that I personally have found out through my Choice years.

It’s one of the greatest nights of the year if you work in this little Irish music industry. People are lovely. They are just lovely. The conversation will never ever run dry in the bar (although the bar itself might).  Scandal and gossip occurs but nobody will talk about it after because People Are Lovely! Doing shots it way more fun with the music legends you adore, even whilst silencing your inner fan. The bar doesn’t really close when they say it does.

I missed Adrian Crowley’s performance… I was at the bar with Daragh being a bold “professional” photographer.

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.