It’s kind of strange living a private life publicly at times. I was never one for putting my picture on things and always refer to things I’m involved in as a collective we even if that numbers just me.
It’s also kind of strange that after gong to gigs for over 30 years I end up standing on my own at many offerings. And i’m happy with that, happy to talk or not. I guess I’m used to my own company even though as a family man with a great partner and three wonderful kids that solitary existence is rare, bar when I go to gigs.
It’s getting greater now as I become more age conscious as years go by. The youthful exuberance has given way to self doubt and contemplation. And so I can get lost when m(h)aol play. They don’t care what I think or anyone else by the sound of it on stage. It is a chaotic cathartic noise and is deadly. We can get lost together in a brashness that reminds me of bikini kill with a sound less rooted in melody but more annoyance.
Rats on rafts, like me say nothing between songs. I guess they don’t have to. Their sound brings them everywhere with a psycadehlic pop beginning to a hardcore no age ending. This was a great noise to get your toe tapping. Of course I would like some between song banter but the band are from Rotterdam, maybe their English isn’t so good. Maybe the music does the talking, I couldn’t understand a work being sung but it was some noise alright
The Nessun Dorma gig the following month had just as poor a turnout. Both bands had travelled over in a bus, not the fancy tour bus kind that many bands travel in but a bit like a school bus (they’re the journeys the retired buses go on in Ireland).Like Andrew with Decadence Within, Emmet from Cork organised for Nessun Dorma to come over to Ireland and asked us to accomodate them in Dublin. Charlie’s was now closed to afternoon gigs so we had to try and find a venue open to allowing “underage people” in to a gig.
The Attic weren’t too keen as, even though the floor had been reinforced, they didn’t want to go through the “hassle” of doing it again. Peter Quigley had been looking after the booking of the Grattan and the Fox since Not Our World started playing and he agreed to try an afternoon gig if it was a Sunday. Saturday is a traditionally busy shopping day and bars were uncomfortable compromising local businesses by allowing loud rock music and encouraging large congregations outside their establishments while their neighbours tried to get shoppers in. This suited Nessun Dorma so we tried for the Grattan.
Sundays in Ireland generally have a lethargic feel to them. For many it’s a lazy day. When very few people showed up for the gig we were very disappointed. This gig in the Grattan must have been the hardest gig all 3 bands have ever played and no doubt the 2 touring bands were very eager to get back into their bus for a rest. The bus was amazing. It was a renovated old bus that the band could use for living in if need be. The atmosphere inside the Grattan was almost churchlike, very sombre. The crowd was poor and most people there were not happy to stay.
Hugo asked me to join a band with him, Kill Devil Hill. He also did a fanzine. While putting it together, Hugo came across John Robb, editor of another ‘zine called “The Rox”. John was also lead singer in The Membranes. Hugo asked John why they hadn’t played Ireland and he said that nobody had asked him and it grew from there. Simple as that. My assistance to Hugo for that tour entailed mixing flour and water and using it as a paste to stick posters up around buildings in Dublin city. There were no official poster sites at that stage and whilst it was technically illegal to put up posters there were never any repercussions if you weren’t caught in the act. Unlike currently, where one can be fined if caught postering illegally.
Ringing contact numbers for venues listed in the Hot Press Yearbook, Hugo asked if they were interested in a British band playing? He got a good response from people in Drogheda and Limerick; they were willing to give The Membranes money to play and also to allow Kill Devil Hill to do the gigs Hugo then booked a Dublin venue, the Belvedere Hotel, and asked a mixture of bands that crossed musical genres to play. All readily agreed and, with over 200 people there, the gig was a huge success The Membranes were delighted to be able to tour another country and to see places they’d never been to before. The fact that they got paid was a bonus. We travelled around Ireland with the band and got to experience their enthusiasm. That enthusiasm infected me.
In what seems like his annual trip to this country but in reality it has been 4, Henry Rollins is returning to vicar street this week. Rollins has forged his own distinct career path, with the intensity of his punk rock roots with Black Flag and Rollins Band matched by the uncompromising attitude that has permeated through his spoken word performances and journalism and down to his acting, radio hosting and TV presenting.
In describing Henry Rollins, the tendency is to try to squeeze as many labels as possible into a single sentence. “Rollins is many things,” says the Washington Post, “diatribist, confessor, provocateur, humourist, even motivational speaker…his is an enthusiastic and engaging chatter.” Entertainment Weekly’s list includes “Punk Rock icon. Spoken word poet. Actor. Author. DJ. Is there anything this guy can’t do?” TV Guide has more concisely called him a “Renaissance Man” but if Henry Rollins could be
reduced to a single word, that word would undoubtedly be “workaholic”. When he’s not travelling, Rollins prefers a to keep a relentless schedule full of work, with gigs as an actor, author, DJ, voice-over artist and TV show host to name a few of the roles that keep his schedule full.
Henry currently hosts a weekly radio show on L.A.’s renowned NPR affiliate KCRW, in addition to writing weekly columns for the LA Weekly and Rolling Stone Australia. In 2013, after previously anchoring shows for IFC and National Geographic, Henry joined the History Channel’s H2 network as host of the TV show 10 Things You Don’t Know About. In 2014, Henry received the prestigious Ray Bradbury Creativity Award in recognition for his lifelong contribution to the arts, his passion for social
activism, as well as his intense passion for the importance of maintaining books and libraries.
Gigs this week
Jan 15 – Sea Pinks + Ginnels + Me and My Dog – Sea Pinks LP Launch, Bello Bar
Jan 15 – Wolfgang Flur (ex Kraftwerk), Voodoo Lounge
Jan 15 – Therion + ImperialAge + EgoFall + LuciferianLight Orchestra, Academy
Jan 17 – Henry Rollins, Vicar Street
Jan 19 – The Dubtones + TheMigraines + The Kluster-Fux + The Black Pitts + The Divils
+ Doppelskangers + The Nilz -7 bands 7 euro, Fibber Magees
Jan 20 – Black Dahlia Murder + Benighted + Warpat, Voodoo Lounge
Jan 21 – Night beats + Twinkranes + September Girls, Grand Social
Jan 22 – Punk for Shan = Blood or Whiskey, the Lee Harveys, Blackpitts, Orrka, The
Craic, Fibbers
Jan 23 – Right 2 Water Demonstrations, Nationwide
Jan 23 – Stronghold + Hollow Truth + No biggie, Tentehooks, Newmarket Square
Instigators were a UK hardcore band who played Ireland in 1988. I remember being blown away by their onstage antics as singer Andy Turner used the wooden stage as a springboard. he moved trampoline like from amp to amp, corner to corner. Their first album was re-issued on Skuld last year, with the Second Now available for pre order from Boss Tuneage
Also available to preorder on Boss Tuneage is Retard Picnic by the Stupids.
It’s not just UK bands that are getting re-issues – US legendary hardcore band The Dicks have had some of their records re-issed by Alternative tentacles including Kill from the heart . There is a movie about the band being screened around the States over the next while.
On the way
Many of us old punks remember Stiff Little Fingers as having some classic punk songs. Infalmmable material was the album that took us away from our 4 bedroom walls and inspired many to make their own noise. Henry Cluney and Jim Reilly from the band are back playing as XSLF. They are returning to Dublin on September 19 to play in Fibber Magees. Also on the bill are Dublin Street Punk band, Hooligan, Dundalk punkers The GAKK and Clash Jam Wallop. All for €10, bargain
There’s plenty of excitment for Fuzz coming to Dublin this week. They are bringing their riff laden sound to Whelans on Wednesday. As U:mack put it “The mood is not light. The songs project a state of perpetual paranoia and eroding mental health.
And as it should be, you know? It’s a record for the burners.”
Dublin Songs and Stories was an event organised by the people behind Come here to me blog. It was a night exactly as described and raised over €2,000 for Pieta Housse. The second colume is on this week and is a benefit for Rape Crisis centre. BP Fallon, Steve Averill and ADW will be telliong some tales, Mick Pyro and John Flynn will be singing some songs and there will be loads more in between. Sounds like a great night ahead .
Forthcoming Gigs
Fuzz – Whelans – September 2
Dublin Songs and Stories – Sugar Club -September 3
Workmans Club 5th Birthday Celebrations – Sept 8th – 12th
Al Porter – Sept 8th
The Hot Sprockets – Sept 9th
Little Green Cars w/ guests Other Creatures – Sept 10th
Little Green Cars w/ guests Bleeding Heart Pigeons – Sept 11th
Eternal Summers w/ guests Pleasure Beach – Sept 12th
Tickets to all shows just €5
Musings on music, books and life 