IrishMJ

If I'm being honest, I don't remember much about the 90's or early 00's. Weekends were spent partying, probably a bit too hard, but it was the Celtic Tiger era and we thought we were invincible and the party would last forever. I spent those weekendss drinking and dancing (badly) in a local club called Bauhaus. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it, at the time it was great, the next morning though...    Champagne,  drank by the neck, was the drink of choice and yes, it was as obnoxious as it sounds.  Late 2002, the party came to an end for me, I just stopped and I haven't touched a drop since. Whilst I've always been a rocker at heart, I can't help myself when I hear a good dance tune. After all, a good tune is a good tune, regardless of genre! Most of the acts performing today were from that era of my life, a time when Music TV still existed and an appearance on TOTP could make you a star. So, with that in mind, I headed out to the Biggest Disc

Newbridge... It's Naas's own Shelbyville! There's always been a bit of rivalry between the two towns. Regardless, I was over there on Saturday night to catch Pete Kavanagh and band perform in the Riverbank Arts Centre as part of June Fest and what a great night it was. I've seen Pete perform a good few times over the years, most recently back in May at the  Gig for Ukraine , so I normally know what to expect.  Tonight though, was a bit different.  Pete was backed by a full band and that made one hell of a difference. Obviously buzzing off the energy from the full house, Pete bounced around the stage treating us to songs from his debut album ' Join Up The Dots ' with some Bob Dylan and Echo and the Bunneymen added for luck! On the night, we were also treated to set from Mairead O'Carroll and  Unorthodox Behaviour , both worth checking out! Anyway, that's about it, a great night filled with local talent in a beautiful theatre.  What more could you ask

Poetry...  It's a long time since I had any real involvement in poetry, but I was asked if I'd take some photos at a poetry night over in St. Mary's Church, Maynooth, so off I headed. I have to say, it was an absolutely wonderful night.  I really enjoyed the various different poets and their different styles, it really was something beautiful to behold. There's not a lot more to be said really apart from would I go again?  I most certainly would! Now for some photos: Tobi Omoteso Róisín Ní Neachtain Darren Donohue Sophie L. Clarke Dr. Tapasya Narang  Max Zanga

I like ice-cream... I mean, I really like ice-cream, but you know what makes it better?  Something with a bit of a crunch, something of a different, a harder texture, something like a wafer or a biscuit! If you made it this far, you're probably wondering what the hell I am on about, well, let me explain. I'm a big fan of  Sive  and  Emma Langford , I love their music and really enjoy the live shows. It's always a wonderful, relaxing night of music when you go see them play.  Tonight, as part of Live at the Local: Naas, they are joined by  FeliSpeaks , a powerful, spoken word / poet, the crunch to the ice-cream, if you will... Was the gig any good?  It most certainly was.  Each artist performed their own work and that was always going to be great.  But what raised the bar was when they all performed together, whether that be Sive and Emma adding beautiful harmonies for FeliSpeaks as she recited her poetry, or when FeliSpeaks added her prose to Sive and Emma's songs to cr

Earlier this week, Wyvern Lingo surprised everyone by posting on their socials that they were, like Elvis, taking a break...  Ok, an obscure reference, this clip will explain it. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered a Tweet I'd been sent about the Carlow Arts Festival and that Wyvern Lingo were playing.  A quick Google proved that, for once, my memory was correct and I booked a ticket for the show. So, after work on Friday, I collected my camera and headed for Visual Carlow for a night of music!  What a night it was.  Wyvern Lingo were on top form and sounded incredible.  If you've never heard their harmonies, you really are missing out.  They sound great on their albums, but live is something special.   If you get a chance to catch them live before they take their break, I'd recommend you do.  Who knows how long the break might last! On a side not, the venue for the festival is wonderful.  Plenty of parking, lots of different food types available, 3 different