In a rare interview, Simpsons writer Mike Scully talks about the show’s A-list musical guests, his love for Ned Flanders and upsetting the entire population of Brazil. He also tells us what to expect from The Simpsons Movie, which blockbusters its way onto the big screen in the summer.
We may be one bounced cheque short of joining Iceland in the Bankrupt Small Countries Club, but there’s good reason to celebrate our Irishness on March 17 when The Simpsons’ Paddy’s Day special premieres in Ireland on Sky1.
Nick Kelly talks to the king of camp, Dublin-bound comedian and actor, Harvey Fierstein, about homosexuality, Woody Allen, The Simpsons and life in general.
Sex, drugs, rock ’n’ roll, George Bush, religion, torture, hangovers and, of course, the smelliest member of the band. The readers leave no stone unturned as they seek the truth
from Kirk Hammett. Your host Olaf Tyaransen
Like The Simpsons, Ali G and the PDs, Bo Selecta is a joke which has long since past its sell-by-date. I’ll take the Pepsi Challenge with this and Mel & Kim’s ‘Rockin’ Around The Xmas Tree’ any old day of the week. To be blunt, unlikely to find its way into many stockings this Yuletide.
Moby Comes Out To Play
IT S NOT often a Grammy nominee saunters into the Hot Press offices in the midst of the controlled explosion that is production weekend. But then, Moby s one of those freaks of nature a pop star who seems interested in what goes on around him rather than employing people to block it out.
In his heyday, Larry Hagman was the biggest television star in the world, portraying the manipulative and ruthless oil baron JR Ewing in the kitschy Dallas soap.
With the launch of a commemorative series of Irish postage stamps celebrating four of the nation's most important rock legends, we revisit some of the seminal moments in the careers of Phil Lynott, Rory Gallagher, Van Morrison and - first - U2
When writer and documentary film-maker Jon Ronson set out to discover the truth about the secret group which conspiracy theorists believe rules the world, he expected an interesting trip. What he didn’t anticipate was a brain-rattling, five year-long odyssey, by turns wacky and scary, that would bring him into contact with neo-nazis, religious fundamentalists, twelve-foot lizards, Mr burns from The Simpsons, David icke, peter mandelson and, ahem, Ian Paisley. Olaf Tyaransen hears the story that’s coming to a bookshelf and television screen near you. undercover pictorIal evidence: Cathal Dawson
By now, with any luck, the contents of that spinally intact copy of A Brief History Of Time languishing on your shelf have, through the magic of osmosis, passed into your brain. If however, you thought that really was Larry Flint on The Simpsons, then the modestly titled What The Bleep Do We Know? promises to provide cheat notes on quantum theory.
American comic Rich Hall explains why he prefers the Irish to 'whiny' Brits and talks about working with Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David back in the day.
Having spent Easter Sunday contemplating what complete bastards the British are, we thought you might like to peruse the range of IRA action figures that are available at www.canfodmins.com/gallery.htm
He is best known as a musician and a songwriter, but Nick Kelly has a parallel career as a very successful advertising ‘creative’. So much so, that he was recently asked to be a judge at one of the advertising industry’s big international events, the annual Shark Awards.
As frontman of Galway’s Toasted Heretic Julian Gough was an enfant terrible of Irish rock. Then he jacked in music to become a best-selling writer. With his old band preparing to reform, Gough reveals his loathing of television and explains why his home town is the cosmopolitan capital of Ireland.
From child actress to Emmy and Oscar-winning veteran, Helen Hunt exhibits Streep-like intelligence and versatility. She's now about to make her directorial debut with Then She Found Me.
They've earned a reputation as catfighting divas. But in person Sugababes turn out to be absolute sweethearts. New 'bab' Amelle Berraba talks about fame and dodging the papparazi.
Claudia Carroll is a busy actress and author, but she still allows our Jackie Hayden the time of day, gives him a hot scoop and introduces him to her haunted room.
We love ’em and we hate ’em but ads have a bigger impact on our lives than we might ever care to admit. Billy Scanlan hears a defence of the mart sell from award-winning ad creator Des Creedon.
Sexually outrageous on stage, potty-mouthed Canuck Peaches turns out to be rather a sweet-heart in person. And for the record: no, she’d rather you didn’t stick your hand up her crotch.
A former drug dealer, he’s been shot at nine times and lived to tell the tale, emerging as one of the most controversial and uncompromising figures in rap. But there's more to 50 Cent than the popular legend suggests. For a start, there’s a new commercial edge to the music, as his US and Irish number one album The Massacre demonstrates. Plus, as one of the new faces of Reebok’s ‘I Am What I Am’ campaign, he’s taken to the role of cultural icon with considerable zest. Oh, and besides, he’s a bit of a wow with the ladies.
Sex? Yep. Drugs? Uh-huh. Rock 'n' Roll? Yesireebob! Aerosmith were no strangers to the unholy trinity of debauchery during the '70's and early '80's but find that having cleaned up ten years ago they're now cleaning up with the punters. Not that they're beyond having fun, fun and, er, more fun as our resident boogiemeister Stuart Clark finds out.
U2 manager Paul McGuinness is among the most powerful players in the music industry. To coincide with the DVD release of U2’s classic ZOO TV Live From Sydney, he talks candidly about his relationship with the band and their controversial decision to move part of their business empire to the Netherlands in order to lower their tax burden.
Evan Dando of Lemonheads is one of rock's new wave of sex gods. But for a man of such apparently heavenly looks, he is rather short on statements of, er, philosophical gravitas. Bearing witness: TARA McCARTHY
Kim Porcelli investigates Speakers’ Corner, the “forum for public discourse” currently running in Temple Bar each Sunday. The brainchild of Kila’s Rossa O’Snodaigh, the event promises all manner of political and social debate. But are the people of the Republic actually all that bothered? Photography Cathal Dawson
Belfast, then Glasgow and NEXT STOP – the cover of the Radio Times?
Stuart Clark joins fast-rising Snow Patrol on Scottish manoeuvres. PICS: IAN McMURRAY
He's the Hollywood enfant terrible who refuses to mellow with age. In a rare interview, John Waters talks about the aesthetics of trash, and looks back on his career.
Backstage at Creamfields, JOHN WALSHE talks to FATBOY SLIM about the joys of fatherhood, being one half of the posh and becks of the chemical generation; sharing a hot-tub with Baz Luhrman and how he got Christopher Walken to tap-dance
It s the morning after the night before and BRET EASTON ELLIS feels like he s got Marilyn Manson playing inside his head. A dinner date with fellow penslinger Irvine Welsh has gone seriously pear-shaped and like his most famous literary creation, the Californian is fit to kill. STUART CLARK offers tea and solpadeine, and in return gets the lowdown on American Psycho, trans-Atlantic stalkers and why both Air Supply and the Teletubbies are evil. Pix: Cathal Dawson.
One of the greatest penslingers in rockdom, he’s championed U2, Joy Division and Kylie and taken a critical scalpel to Oasis, The Strokes and their “miserably narrow mates”. he’s also locked horns with Germaine Greer, helped Frankie to relax and let The Frames slip through his fingers.
It’s been ten years since his last novel, but Neil Jordan has now reprised his role as one of Ireland’s finest contemporary prose writers with the dark gothic drama, Shade. In a wide-ranging interview with Olaf Tyaransen the Oscar-winning writer/director discusses the challenges of literary craftsmanship, swimming with sharks in Hollywood, working with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, his disinterest in celebrity and why Ireland continues to be his preferred place of residence.
Full profiles on Faithless, Antony & The Johnsons, Slayer, The Who, Bell X1, Status Quo, The Flaming Lips, 50 Cent, Madness, Christy Moore, Elton John and Lionel Richie.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the dissection of the rock ‘n’ roll year that is the Hot Press Summit. Gathering round the table are the good and great of Irish music, but who let Podge & Rodge in?
On the eve of the release of Snow Patrol's epic fifth album A Hundred Million Suns, Hot Press finds out how singer Gary Lightbody gets inspiration for his songs.
brian hayes is a 28-year-old Fine Gael TD who represents the constituency of Dublin South West. At the last general election, he virtually tripled Fine Gael s vote in the Tallaght area. He opposes the legalisation of cannabis, claims that feminists need to have a fundamental re-think on their current position, feels guilty about not attending Mass regularly, and reckons that You need order in society . . . you need people who know what they re about . Is this the face of young, politically aware Ireland? Interview: liam fay.
Pics: colm henry.
How to make a campus comedy by Steve Pink. Must have a crusty old Dean. Must also have snooty boys who do the bidding of said crusty old Dean. Now we need a cheeky young pup (step forward Mr Long, you’ll do nicely) fighting the system in some way. He will head up the rowdy party house, or in this case a fictitious rival college. They are the good guys.
Greg Haver has joined the list of major industry names appearing at The Music Show. The event takes place at the RDS in Dublin on October 4 and 5 and boasts a line-up that is packed with industry heavyweights.
Talladega Nights – The Legend Of Ricky Bobby starts as it means to go on – with a quote dubiously attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt – “America is all about speed. Hot, nasty badass speed.”
The animation empire’s apparent inability to produce a shit movie really is getting a bit sinister. Their uncanny run of form continues with The Incredibles.
Those of you who watch Sky News on a regular basis may have seen the story of an American man who was given a new hand in a pioneering transplant operation last week.
The man, who lost his original hand in a childhood accident, was quoted afterwards as saying that he wanted to let my two kids see their daddy with a proper right hand .
The operation was performed at a Jewish hospital the Kleinert, Kutz and Associates Hand Care Center plc and a special website was set up shortly afterwards to chronicle this slice of medical history in the making.
Images from the operation itself, in all their gory glory, can be viewed on the site, as well as patient-condition updates, and transcripts from the press conferences held before and after.
http://www.handtransplant.org/ #
As ever with this maverick talent, Gemstones is predictable only in its sheer unpredictability. Whilst his musical style remains at least moderately categorizable (those ragged folk rhythms are still present and correct), lyrically, his approach is more laissez faire than the economic policies of Reagan and Thatcher combined.
Don’t let your need to feel hip get in the way. Blink 182 came to The Point and proved that they have it in spades. On the spot for hotpress.com: teenage rock aficionado, Rolo Black
The way they’re building apartments nowadays, the walls really do have ears. And that means that your wilder sexual cavortings can be heard by all and sundry – as our intrepid reporter discovers when her brother and his girlfriend move in.
The Simpsons crash our cover along with Bruce Springsteen, REM, Arcade Fire and The Smiths. Plus, the HP celebrates our 30th birthday with Shane MacGowan, Sinead O'Connor, Tommy Tiernan, Damien Dempsey, Christy Moore, and a lovely big cake.
Trent Duval, 28, is a stand-up comedian who has been playing the Irish comedy circuit for almost three years. He is currently working on a sitcom set in the Maldives, a play, two period dramas and a novel. In August, he takes his one-man show, Pre-Millennium Tension, to the Edinburgh Festival. He shares a house in Northside Dublin with his friends, Jack, an accountant, and Midgy (not his real name), a leisure centre manager.
The first day of The Music Show saw some hot debates, great music and Glen Hansard in stirring form.
Reporting: Peter Murphy, Celina Murphy, Niall Stokes, Stuart Clark and additional Hot Press reporters
Think you've got them all right? Or maybe you fancy a sneaky peak (you're only cheating yourself you know!). Either way, you've got the questions – we've got the answers....
