There is inescapable evidence that British security forces colluded in the murder of defence lawyer, Pat Finucane. But now Michael Finucane wants to know just how high the responsibilty for the crime really goes.
Bird watching, real ale and having Jim Davidson taken out by a professional assassin are all on the agenda as British Sea Power swap salty tales with Ed Power.
British Sea Power have revealed that they’re writing a new soundtrack for Man Of Aran, Robert J. Flaherty’s 1934 ‘docufiction’ on life in the Aran Islands.
The evidence of two British soldiers about the shooting of unarmed civilians, heard in public for the first time, but largely overlooked in coverage of the Saville inquiry, is a direct challenge to the “official” line on bloody sunday which has held for more than 30 years.
Allegations of racist literature and links to the British National Party have once more brought the activities of the immigration Control Platform into focus. Peter Murphy reports
Former British soldier BERNARD O MAHONEY served in Northern Ireland during the H-Block Hunger Strike. Now, he has written a book about the reality of army life for a typical squaddie a reality where ideas of decency, fairness and the rule of law were often left behind. Words: NIALL STANAGE. Pictures: PETER MATTHEWS
Welsh actor Rhys Ifans is best known for his role as the easy-going slacker Spike in Notting Hill, but in reality he's a driven actor who's more concerned about imminent war than the state of the British film industry. But he still enjoys a pint, and yes, he did sing with the Super Furry Animals
They've tangled with the legends of Krautrock, extended the hand of friendship to Eastern Europe and campaigned against light pollution. But what you really need to know about British Sea Power is that they're being hailed as this year's answer to Arcade Fire.
The front page of the Observer carried a very interesting lead story last Sunday. Apparently Britain's intelligence services are seeking powers to seize all records of telephone calls, emails and internet connections made by every person living in the UK. Already a confidential document has been sent to the Home Office, in which the argument in favour of wide-ranging new powers of data control is made, on behalf of MI5, MI6 and the British police.
Having well and truly stuffed Whelan’s earlier in the year, British Sea Power play their biggest Irish shows to date in Dublin and Belfast next September.
Even a comatose gnat would be able to guess what the result of Justin Hawkins (soloing as British Whale) covering the kitsch duo, Sparks, would sound like – assuming the gnat was around in the '80s – and it doesn’t deviate one iota from that. His shrill, English voice is as prominent as ever and as Led Zep once said, the song remains the same.
With State Of Play and Shameless, Paul Abbott has taken more risks than any other writer of TV drama – with spectacularly successful results. Now, Channel 4 have asked the BAFTA award winner to write a pantomime, that’s destined to be one of the highlights of the festive season.
Any resurrection of Dusty Springfield's career should be applauded. It's almost unanimously accepted that she was the foremost British Sixties diva. Only the undeservedly spurned Julie Driscoll was capable of competing with her. But sadly, A Very Fine Love plays far too safe, submerging and almost drowning her in its mainstream marketing strategy.
Any resurrection of Dusty Springfield's career should be applauded. It's almost unanimously accepted that she was the foremost British Sixties diva. Only the undeservedly spurned Julie Driscoll was capable of competing with her. But sadly, A Very Fine Love plays far too safe, submerging and almost drowning her in its mainstream marketing strategy.
From Belfast, NIALL STANAGE reports on the still-growing controversy surrounding Brian Nelson, British Intelligence and the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane.
Belfast human rights lawyer PAT FINUCANE was shot dead in his home by the UFF ten years ago. There has long been a suspicion that the security forces colluded in his assassination. Recent developments do nothing to alter that belief. By NIALL STANAGE.
Having survived their initial mauling at the hands of the British music press, Asia-obsessed psychedelists KULA SHAKER have returned for a second innings. Frontman CRISPIAN MILLS lays off the poppadoms for long enough to chat to JACKIE HAYDEN about his band's new album, Strangefolk.
Important questions of the Stevens inquiry team were left unasked by the recent Panorama investigation into collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and the security forces, and the murder of Pat Finucane
A new book attempts to shed light on the life and violent death of
ROBERT NAIRAC, one of the northern conflict s most mysterious victims. But, as NIALL STANAGE reports, it is unlikely that the whole story will ever emerge.
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
There may be growing opposition to the impending war in Iraq, but the British and American governments seem unwilling to learn from their predecessors’ mistakes.
WELL, IT'S obvious, isn't it? The authorities helping the IRA out with their target practice, that is. Doubtless part funded by bodies with a vested interest in at least partially recreating an olde worlde war-time atmosphere. If the message to the IRA is Coo-ee! Over here!, what, then, I wonder is the message to the British public?
Public Enemies is an extraordinary and controversial book of photographs of British neo-Nazis, taken by Hot Press’ London photographer Leo Regan. “You’re never going to combat racism unless you know where it’s coming from”, he says. Report: Stuart Clark.
She claims to wander about in the nude in her spare time. But British model-turned-TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss is fully clothed and respectable when Hot Press pays her a visit.
Why do people read magazines? An interesting poser in view of the last decade: the era that brought us multimedia and the Internet, the cultural idea of “dumbing down”, and that saw “content” production in the media – what we read, what we listen to, what we even hear about – fall conclusively into the hands of the profit-or-die multinationals. The question is in the news pages this month following reports that landmark American music and youth culture magazine Rolling Stone is breaking with its 35-year tradition of intelligent cultural and political journalism to move into the racy male-lifestyle-mag arena, under the stewardship of British editor Ed Needham, famous for giving the world “lad” magazine FHM. …
GREG BAKER on the rise of neo-fascism and the disturbing - and violent - implications of the election of a British National Party councillor in the East End of London.
When The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Ken Loach’s dramatisation of the Irish War of Independence, won the Palme D’Or at Cannes last month, it triggered a vociferously hostile response from right wing British pundits, who branded the director as a terrorist-sympathising Commie. Few of them, however, had actually seen the film.
The adventures of a curry-obsessed lager-lout, a stoical android, a bitter hologram and a promiscuous feline/human hybrid – intergalactic sitcom Red Dwarf remains an unlikely classic of British TV comedy.
24-year-old reggae star Natty takes time off from touring Dublin in a horse-drawn carriage to discuss Bob Marley's legacy, and the 'institutionalised racism' inherent in British society.
A top American psychologist claims she has unearthed disturbing evidence of CIA involvement with British Intelligence in Northern Ireland.
Olaf Tyaransen reports.
There is nothing more odious, to paraphrase a famous quip, than the British press in one of its fits of moral outrage. And it’s true. Nothing can compare. And I’m not just referring to the tabloids . . .
He might be quite the cove but Leslie Phillips is also an enduring presence in British cinema. Here he talks about co-staring with Peter O'Toole in Venus and explains why he had to leave his working class background behind to get a foothold in acting.
At a time when the British hip-hop scene is again witnessing extreme violence, COLM WALSH meets MC HARVEY of SO SOLID CREW and discovers how the problem is affecting the UK garage scene
Joe Jackson talks to Christopher Adlington, star of Enlightenment, the new play from Shelagh Stephenson which examines British attitudes towards the Middle East.
placebo have probably garnered more column inches in the British press for frontman
brian molko s effeminate appearance than for their music.
colm o hare meets the men who want to be a band that parents hate .
When she learned that she had a fatal illness, the British feminist writer Jill Tweedie was much comforted by her friend Jon Snow, the Channel Four television news presenter.
'Sectarian conflict, bigotry and racism, coming soon to a city near you'
In a column published two days before the unspeakable massacres at New York and Washington, THE HOG mourns the dawning of the most 'violent and polarised' era for the Middle East since WWII, and suggests, with tragic prescience, that the greater world would soon feel the reverberations
Ex-IRA man Gerry Kelly talks to Jason O'Toole about his run-ins with the British Army, his near death experiences, the part he played in inflicting civilian casualties and his time on hunger strike.
John Walshe talks to Doves Andy Williams about their past life as Sub Sub, their debut album Lost Souls, and what it s like being heralded as the saviours of British rock music.
From Have I Got News For You to his own sketch show series, from his soap ads to any television awards ceremony you care to mention, Paul Merton is undoubtedly the biggest and busiest star in British comedy. As he hits Dublin for a series of shows, he talks to Liam Fay about the price of fame, his close brush with nervous breakdown and, most importantly, his love affair with Bishop Eamon Casey.
With her stinging one-liners and droll, deadpan delivery, JO BRAND has established herself as the Queen of British comedy. In the run up to her Dublin appearance, she talks about men, booze, cakes and Gary Bushell to LIAM FAY, and explains why she would eventually like to become an MP.
Amir Khan is one of the hottest young British boxers in a generation. What makes his story especially interesting is that the Bolton Olympic silver medallist is an English Muslim child of Pakistani parents. He is due in Belfast shortly for his seventh professional encounter and, make no mistake, fight fans are in for a treat.
INTASTELLA ARE ON A ONE-BAND CRUSADE TO BRING GLAMOUR BACK TO BRITISH POP BUT WHERE DO SHAUN RYDER AND THE MAN WHO DISCOVERED THE SEX PISTOLS ENTER INTO THE EQUATION? STUART CLARK JOURNEYS TO MANCHESTER TO FIND OUT.
When Martin Scorsese made Leaving Las Vegas director Mike Figgis an offer he couldn’t refuse, the result was the British component of an unprecedented film history of the blues.
John Noonan, who played a pivotal role in the IRA’s military campaign against the British occupation of Northern Ireland, gives a revealing interview to Jason O'Toole.
He survived the IRA London bus bomb of February 1996 only to find himself wrongly accused of involvement in terrorism by the British press. His name having been duly cleared young Dubliner BRENDAN WOOLHEAD should have been able to put the worst behind him. Instead, he succumbed to heroin addiction and died in a London hospital having just undergone a costly and controversial detoxification treatment that is now being advertised in Ireland. In the week of the inquest into his death, OLAF TYARANSEN reports on the disturbing implications of a tragic case.
They’re the hottest thing in British rock, four working class kids done good from the wrong side of the Glasgow tracks. At the start of what is shaping up to be a whirlwind year GLASVEGAS talk fame, football and fisticuffs.
Patrick Freyne interviews Julian Clary about his new autobiographical show, his status as a camp icon and his roots in the anti-Thatcher British comedy of the ‘80s.
In the wake of the IRA’s complete cessation of violence, the Unionist community must engage in a process of re-defintion – because while they have been clinging to the last vestiges of the British Empire, the world around them has been transformed. By Bill Graham.
The Streets’ new album, A Grand Don’t Come For Free, looks set to skyrocket Mike Skinner’s status as the voice of hedonistic British youth. Hot Press meets up with Skinner backstage in Derry to discuss the creation of his latest masterwork, the perils of fame, superstar collaborations, hanging out in Ibiza and the art and artifice of his onstage persona.
British director Bernard Rose hit paydirt over decade ago with Candyman, but his uncompromising single-mindedness has made him a virtual Hollywood pariah. However, Snuff Movie looks like putting him back in the game.
Thirty nine years ago a British soccer team won the European Cup for the first time: Glasgow Celtic veterans Billy McNeill and Tommy Gemmell look back at their triumph in Lisbon.
As Secretary Of State in Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam [pic left by Mick Quinn] played a crucial role in formulation and implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. It helped that she is no conventional politician but rather a warm, down-to-earth and decent individual with a genuine commitment to positive action. in both the UK and Ireland, she became by far the most popular British figure in the history of Northern politics - which may explain why, in the end, she was shafted.
BREASTS. To have or not to have, and if so, to what extent? This particular, shall we say, philosophical debate has been raging - and I use the term advisedly - across all areas of the British media, from glossie to broadsheet.
You know that your pop star interviewee is confident about the quality of his splendid new album, when he's happy to talk about everyone else under the sun. So it is with Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant as he gives the thumbs up or down to Eminem, Liza Minelli, Kylie Minogue, So Solid Crew, Boy George and Westlife. Keeping score: Stuart Clark
Formula One's plucky outsider Eddie Jordan talks about motor sport's party-hard reputation, jamming with Bryan Adams and winning to the British national anthem.
It's been ten years that's shaken a fair bit of the world and now, suddenly, OASIS are back. what better time for a reflective, confessional, candid and scandalous one-on-one with a man who always gives great quote, NOEL GALLAGHER. Interview: STUART CLARK
Their debut album Hopes And Fears launched a host of hit singles, going on to become one of the most successful British records of the past five years. But, their indie background notwithstanding, Keane have still been dismissed by some self-styled aficionados as just too nice to be considered real rock'n'rollers. "If only people knew," says lead singer Tom Chaplin.
THE FINAL YEARS OF peter cook
The father of modern British comedy, peter cook s death in 1995 brought the strangest chapter of his life to a close. Ravaged by alcoholism, he dedicated his final years to sloth, drink, drugs, porn, daytime television and late-night radio phone-ins. But even in his darkest hours, the black humour and brilliant wit that marked him out as the towering comedy talent of his generation just kept on breaking through. liam fay reports.
THE FINAL YEARS OF peter cook
The father of modern British comedy, peter cook s death in 1995 brought the strangest chapter of his life to a close. Ravaged by alcoholism, he dedicated his final years to sloth, drink, drugs, porn, daytime television and late-night radio phone-ins. But even in his darkest hours, the black humour and brilliant wit that marked him out as the towering comedy talent of his generation just kept on breaking through. liam fay reports.
Back in the saddle witha politically charged new album, Burning TimesChristy Moore and co-collaborator Declan Sinnott are putting the agit-prop back into folk. In a rare interview, Moore speaks frankly abot Hattie Carroll and Rachel Corrie, Richard Thompson anoraks, interpreting Morrissey and recently being detained by British authorities under anti-terrorism laws.
John Walshe talks to Jamiroquai mainman, Jay Kay, about the funk soul brother’s latest album, A Funk Odyssey, his testy relationship with British tabloids and why President George W. Bush is a “bad fucker”
Once director John Carney has picked up yet another gong at the British Film Awards, while Armagh cinematographer Seamus McGarvey was honoured for his work on Atonement.
In international terms Ireland’s musical profile was probably never higher than in ’88, with Chris De Burgh, U2 and Enya playing musical chairs for the British No. 1 slot, and Sinead O’Connor and Hothouse Flowers making inroads in the US (despite the squabbling at home).
Quite how this British Sea Power/Electric Soft Parade side-project became such a lauded concern is a bit of a mystery, yet Brakes have found themselves quite the name to drop of late. ‘Hold Me In The River’ is more of the same and absolutely the better for it, a twisted power pop anthem that has echoes of the Pixies at their most gloriously perverse. All in under two minutes too. Fantastic.
The kind of British band who have benefited wholeheartedly from the resurgence of the country’s rock scene, Breed 77 take a bit of Alice In Chains, some Pearl Jam and mix it up with the heavier end of the spectrum.
The title track is a dubby hip-hop skank that’s hard to care about. ‘Vocal Chords’ is bog-standard British hip-hop. This EP is worth a look only for Dizraeli’s bizarre Antony (of ‘and the Johnsons’)-esque falsetto and his expressive, original rap.
Currently holding the British and Irish charts hostage with the irrepressible ‘Umbrella’, the Bahamian’s ‘Shut Up And Drive’, while less appealing, is unlikely to halt her chart domination. The song is rockier than previous offerings, and although her voice starts to grate, you have to give the girl credit for the sheer range of car-themed sexual innuendoes she manages to pack in.
What good would summer be, if it weren’t accompanied by a soundtrack of optimistic four-pieces from British university towns going all retro on our ass with their jangly guitar pop?
It wouldn’t be good at all, is the answer. It might be filled with some more meaningful music that wasn’t uninhibitedly derivative.
But, who can dance like an idiot in the park to The Mars Volta? This is why it’s okay for The Dodgems to exist, but for the summer only.
We live in an age of musical recycling and the Dead 60s have decided that it’s high time for British ska to be brought back. Like The Ordinary Boys, they’ve taken their inspiration from 2 Tone masters like The Specials and The Selecter and come up with a hugely enjoyable hit in ‘Riot Radio’. With its rankin’ guitars and quick tempo, this is the kind of anthem to inspire a new generation of rude boys and girls.
Shatner “acts out” Cocker’s depiction of a slumming rich kid, devaluing the song in the process. It’s similar to the way American versions of British sitcoms drain the lifeblood out of the original. Horrible stuff.
If you’re going to tell a lie, make it a big one. Likewise, if you’re going to have influences, you may as well make them obvious. The Irish/British hybrid that is Sister makes no bones as to what kind of music inspires them (their name stems from the Stones/Marianne Faithful ‘Sister Morphine’). So if any or all of the following float your boat – Mazzy Star, Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth – then you’re going to just love Sister, and with good reason. They might not be reinventing the wheel but this is mightily impressive stuff.
The latest four-piece from the Big Apple to spark a record company feeding frenzy, The Stills (like their mates Interpol) owe a sizeable debt to early ‘80s British pop acts.
“The new Coldplay” screams the British music press, as they salivate over Reading based outfit, Morning Runner. If writing a piano tune like ‘Hold Your Breath’ draws comparisons with one of Britain’s premier acts, then there’s hope for us all. Drawing Shapes is hugely derivative.
The feisty tyke is back with a song whose video was the first by a British artist to reach No. 1 on the US’s Total Request Live. While on this side of the Atlantic, the climate’s changed considerably since she left (Amy Winehouse has become wiser, people have forgotten about chavs, Lily Allen’s stolen her schtick but wears pink dresses), her grime rapping is an anti-establishment, bold statement that puts her firmly on the musical map again. To quote the young lady, “I ain’t got the biggest breastesis/But I write all the bestest hits”.
With a roster featuring such luminaries as The White Stripes, Electric Six, Dizzee Rascal and The Avalanches, the XL label is right now occupying a position in the British music industry roughly equivalent to that of Real Madrid in the Champions League.
This Bournemouth five-piece released their first single less than a year ago, and have already been hailed as the next big thing by the British music media.
Clearly subscribers to the “strike while the iron is hot” school of album promotion, no sooner has the Patrol’s breakthrough hit ‘Run’ exited the British top ten than the Northern rockers are rush-releasing the follow-up single.
Nature Creates Freaks is full of frenzied angst, with gut-wrenching vocals and the kind of thrash guitar that make you fear for the band's body parts. Cay look to the Sonic Youth-led tradition of American, and particularly New York, underground rock, so it's a suprise to discover that they're actually British.
Despite a body of work that marks him as one of the outstanding figures of British music over the past 30 years and high profile patronage from the likes of REM (who covered his song 'Wall of Death'), Richard Thompson continues to bathe in relative obscurity.
Original Pirate Material is the best album by a British artist since OK Computer. He is a rapper, producer, songwriter and bedroom boffin extraordinaire that has set a new benchmark for just how thrilling, insightful, innovative and brilliant music can get
The British police have admitted to adopting a shoot to kill policy in their pursuit of Islamic terrorists. But already, with the brutal slaying of Jean Charles de Manezes, they have claimed the life of one innocent victim. So who will be held accoutable?
With the release of Maverick A Strike three years ago, Finley Quaye emerged as one of the most interesting and original new British artists around. A string of brilliant singles combined with an unusual and undoubtedly seductive voice made Quaye's own brand of pop reggae an instant hit.
AT long last, it seems that the wretched grip in which the Tories have held British society is about to be undone. For 18 years they have ruled. And for 18 years the poor, the underprivileged and the unemployed in Britain have suffered as a direct consequence. During that period, the Tory party have waged a relentless campaign against the underclass. In a time of plenty, poverty has intensified, and with it the sense of hopelessness and despair which takes root among the disadvantaged on the margins of an affluent society.
There must be some mistake, surely? A new British band that don’t stick needles in their arm, live in an East London squat or sound like a really, really bad Franz Ferdinand demo. Not that Kaiser Chiefs are going to win any prizes for originality. Named after one of South Africa’s most famous footie teams, the Leeds quintet have a big thing for The Jam, XTC, Blur and any other band to whom the term “quintessentially English” applies.
In 1972, the British government “swept clean” the Chagos Islands and handed the biggest – a tropical paradise called Diego Garcia – over to the US. 30 years later no one seems to care what happened to the natives who were uprooted and exiled. words Eamonn McCann
With all the ballyhoo surrounding the recent fortunes of UK guitar bands, there has been a tendency for the continuing rise of British black music to get forgotten, a real shame as the scene is developing a style and character which – if not totally removed from US influences – is certainly developing its own voice. Terri Walker is the latest name to glide effortlessly from the world of specialist media and clubs to the mainstream by virtue of her Mercury nominated debut. All of which has upped the pressure on the follow up not to alienate those who have lately come to appreciate her undoubted talent.
SOME people s spirits may have been lifted by the news that a British general election is likely to take place on May 1st, but not mine. Is there no way that anyone can engineer the termination of John Major s appalling government sooner than that?
So it must be summer when the British Foreign Legion, fuelled by lager and libido, embark on their annual pilgrimage to the Clubber's Mecca and spiritual home of pills n' thrills and bellyaches that is Ibiza.
The good news is that Holes In The Wall doesn't sound like the product of teen angst, instead coming on like it has been well-drilled in classic British rock, from The Beatles through to Oasis
AFTER THE IRA ended its war, I watched the Last Night Of The Proms, that great musical celebration of all things British past and present. Well, more past than present, since the Empire is gone.
Hailing from the leafy environs of St. Albans in the British Home Counties, Cat, aka Catherine Lawless and friends, concoct a generic, hard-rock sound rooted in the spandex-wearing eighties metal revival.
It seems that supergroups just aren’t what they used to be. These days the term can apparently be used, albeit prefaced by the ‘indie’ clarification, for a band featuring two members of The Electric Soft Parade, someone from The Tenderfoot and Eamon Hamilton, the Canadian percussionist with British Sea Power and head honcho for the project. Blind Faith it ain’t.
As competent as it's wholly unmemorable, as a movie, The Importance of Being Earnest is best categorised as a solid, bogstandard British period/costume yarn, with occasional gems of wit to enliven the affair
Minneapolis trio Semisonic were one of the bands who suffered due to the British chart cock-up a couple of weeks ago when the returns from Virgin Megastores and the Our Price chain weren't logged, with the result that 'Secret Smile' failed to dent the Top 20. A decent enough song, it's one of the few real highlights on an album which rarely rises above College Rock competence.
Blessed with one of the most powerful and distinctive voices in British dance/pop Heather Small was always a likely candidate for a solo career once M People ran out of steam.
No Angel, the debut album from British singer Dido (a sister of Faithless’ Rollo Armstrong), was actually released Stateside over a year ago, but it has taken until now to make an impact commercially.
This is Beyonce without the booty, Pink without the attitude, Kelis without the lollipop, but it’s a solid album that showcases Knight’s talent and might just earn her the standing of a British Anastacia
Based on the true-life story of British mountaineer Joe Simpson, who went merrily climbing in the Peruvian Andes in 1985 with his mate Simon Yates, Touching The Void is another profoundly hair-raising documentary from the accomplished Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin MacDonald (One Day In September).
Already tagged this year’s KT Tunstall, the Glaswegian 19-year-old is fast becoming a festival favourite on the British circuit with a slew of appearances lined up.
The ultimate heist movie, The Italian Job was everything the British wanted to be in the late sixties: full of street-savvy wit and push-your-luck cheek; astoundingly sharp-dressed in an era of longhaired hippie unwashedness; nation-conqueringly sexy; composed and smirking with hubris in the face of sure disaster.
Shouldn't those who hailed the appointment of Willie Walsh as British Airways boss be cringing with embarrassment after the airline's part in the recent Heathrow Terminal 5 debacle?
It seems unimaginable today, given how obsessed bands and their corporate paymasters are with exerting complete control over even the tiniest scrap bearing a marketable trademark, but back when British rock bands were dominating the globe
The future of online retailer CDWow is in doubt after it has been ordered to pay the British and Irish pop industry a record €61 million in damages (£41 million stg).
Armed with a hood-load of forceful character and a (Ben Sherman) pocket full of poesies, Mike Skinner has single-handedly altered the British urban/garage landscape
With influences by The Jam, The Clash and the Smiths, shirts by Fred Perry and haircuts grade one, The Ordinary Boys couldn’t be any more British if they embarked on a Bank Holiday tour of sleepy seaside venues with amps draped in Union Jacks.
Despite the reputation reunion tours have, you couldn’t really say that The House of Love were cashing in by reforming. Once darlings of the music industry, Guy Chadwick and Terry Bickers have long been the forgotten men of British music, never amassing the kind of following that might make a reunion financially attractive.
Ten years ago, Paul Weller’s influence permeated the atmosphere of British rock like a bad smell, but The Rifles by-pass the tortured retro-rock of his Wild Wood incarnation and go straight back to Weller’s most popular and palatable era as The Jam's frontman.
A tetchy-as-ever John Lydon deigns to speak to us mere mortals on the occasion of the announcement of a London live date in June - wherein The Sex Pistols will be reminding people, he says, "what being British is really about"
Having enjoyed a new lease of life on the back of his appearances on The Podge & Rodge Show, Freddie Starr talks to Paul Nolan about his trips to Ballydung Manor, the current state of British TV and why he most definitely did not eat that hamster.
There’s no stairway to heaven for major chords on Belasco’s debut album Simplicity. There are no major chords at all, in fact.
Opener ‘Mask’ and second track ‘Car’ are models of the British trio’s miserablist form. Fantastically gloomy intros stroll across the aural landscape before heightening into unexpected loveliness – albeit of a minor chord kind.
Currently flavour of the season in the UK, where they are being hailed as the new saviours of British pop music (ie this year’s Coldplay), Keane are the victims of that most despised of four-letter words, hype.
British ambient maestros Zero 7 were one of a plethora of groups to seize on the fresh stylistic blueprint provided by Air’s Moon Safari, and use it to further explore the new realm of dreamy soundscapes so brilliantly realised by Messrs Dunckel & Godin.
The sub-title says it all. You really couldn't sum up Alan McGee's arrogant revisionism of British music in the last fifteen or so years in a better and more overblown phrase. Despite the illusions of grandeur, there is no denying Creation's mighty influence.
Gallows pretty much have the monopoly on quality British punk and you can see why – the songs are generally great, the energy is overwhelming and you're not gonna see this kind of conviction anywhere else or from anyone else..
The absolute refusal of The Young Knives to push themselves beyond a rigid musical four-four-two (unlike their near-contemporaries British Sea Power who you’ll often find with three up-front), would suggest that they’re destined never to prove themselves on the world stage.
25 YEARS ago this month, on January 30th, 1972, Bloody Sunday, British soldiers stormed up the street where I was born and shot 13 people dead. I watched some of it happen.
A superior slice of Agatha Christie inspired whimsy featuring a veritable who's who of British acting, Gosford Park is a considerably more conventional murder-mystery/comedy of manners than one might have expected from an habitual genre-bender like Robert Altman
Creep is a lo-fi, subterranean British horror with a nasty shock at the centre. Could it be the film’s monster, a flesh-craving abomination stalking late night tube commuters?
While the provisional IRA might not have a British licence to murder, they might be allowed a certain leeway when it comes to tackling dissident Republicans.
Yeah, it’s got posthumous vocals from Kirsty MacColl, post-retirement ones from Sinéad O’Connor, and a Malawian rap artist jamming with a British soul singer on a track remixed by Rupert Christie.
A very eminent British QC was passing through town recently so we finished up in the Dungloe Bar listening to the Jim Armstrong Band singeing the ceiling with John Lee Hooker, Eddie Boyd and Eric Clapton (eh?) numbers, and getting drunk. Us that is, not the band, necessarily.
NEIL JORDAN's twelfth movie to date, and in many respects his bleakest, The End Of The Affair is British period drama at its most harsh and unforgiving.
Is it credible that the man who commanded the British Army in Iraq never voiced his misgivings about the war to the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair?
As the war in Afghanistan grinds mercilessly on, it has become increasingly clear: the rules have long been forgotten, as much by the Americans and the British as by their Northern Alliance allies.
Ireland's position in all of this is, frankly, shameful
Because the Fun Lovin’ Criminals never meant Bo Diddley in their home country, the band have always been at the whims of the British and Irish record-buying public, notoriously more fickle than America, where the sheer size of the land mass and populace means it takes longer to make a man as well as break one.
The death has occurred of Joe Strummer, one of the most important British musicians of the punk era. As lead singer and chief lyricist and ideologist with The Clash, he was central to making some of the finest music of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
FOR A band capable of composing such cockle-warming ballads as 'The Universal' and 'To The End', there's always been something innately stand-offish about Blur. At worst, this quality manifested itself in the smug observations of British Lotto culture that made up the bulk of 1995's The Great Escape, a work largely flawed by champagne-fatigue and a lack of compassion for its subjects.
IT is all highly entertaining. In men s athletics, the traditional dominance of white athletes was overturned a long time ago. At first it was the Kenyans and the Ethiopians displaying a prowess in long-distance running that required the wholesale rewriting of the record books. Then black American, British, Canadian and Jamaican athletes began to come through in the sprints. Then gradually a bunch of middle-distance runners followed on, to fill in the gaps.
Though the tendency of western governments towards corruption and warmongering can induce despair in even the most optimistic of people, it is important to remember that change can be achieved – albeit incrementally.
REGINALD MAUDLING, during his stint as colonial overseer of Northern Ireland, had a particularly trying couple of days there once and on his way home on the British government plane he ordered a large Scotch, pronto.
Let us call them the Birmingham Four. It is a collective description with many overtones of the Irish abroad, battling with the British system.
The Birmingham Four are, of course, Paul McGrath, Steve Staunton, Ray Houghton, and now Andy Townsend, who has joined in solidarity with his Republic of Ireland colleagues at Aston villa.
Rosa Luxemburg once wrote that anyone who steps needlessly on a worm on the road to revolution has committed a crime. But even she might be dismayed by how daft the British media sometimes go about animals.
You may love them or loathe them but we'll bet you never thought THE CORRS played "British regional music". Peter Murphy observes The Observer getting its nationalities in a twist
At the time of writing, we are in a state of suspended animation. The new, so-called Blueprint for the North which has been hammered together over the past fortnight by the Irish and British governments is finished.
I had a very interesting conversation today with a man called Adam Crosier, who is author of a new report from the British Health Education Authority called Life On The Scene . It s a survey of sexual practices among gay men on the scene, interviewed in bars and clubs over ten years from 1986 1996. It s emphatically not a survey of gay men in general.
Why Derry city fans can no longer stand up to be counted; why the rich are so disgusting; and why we haven’t heard much about the British-Al Qaida plot to kill Gadafi.
A note dropped through the letter-box last week from the British Home Secretary Michael Howard, telling me that I’m not welcome at his place any more, which was a surprise and a sore disappointment, since not only has there been a cease-fire in the meantime but I was welcomed in by kind strangers the last time I called.
"...a powerful collection of passionate, anthemic rockers that will no doubt please their hardcore following whilst winning new converts to the cause."
The first arrests have taken place in Britain as a
result of a new form of direct action against genetically
engineered plants. ADRIENNE MURPHY, herself an active opponent of GE, reports.
A Soldier’s Song With A Difference
Although the Northern Irish conflict has been the subject of countless books, many authors have become bogged down in an attempt to explain the major issues, and have thus neglected the individual testimonies which are often more revealing.
Being evicted by Take That and hanging out with notorious Hollywood hellraisers like Matthew McConaughey are all in a day's work for keg-party rockers Iglu & Hartly.
Oscar-winning film The Cider House Rules was given a 12 rating in Britain. In this country, only those 18 and over will be permitted to see it. Is its focus on abortion the reason? Report: NIALL STANAGE
Having spent decades trying to cast off the legacy of colonialism are we now in danger of being sucked into the anglosphere at the cost of our European identity?
East Timor is a small island close to Indonesia. Invaded in 1975 by its much larger neighbour, in the intervening years almost one third of its population has been wiped out in an ongoing campaign of international terrorism and genocide. The arms being used to terrorise this small island are being supplied by Britain. Report: LIAM FAY
Historian and broadcaster ROBERT KEE is best known for his acclaimed series Ireland – A Television History. He talks to LIAM FAY about the Northern conflict and the role of censorship in prolonging it.
Playing Live at the Marquee on Thursday 28 June: Having caused something of a sensation on the back of their smash hit single ‘Everytime We Touch’, the German-based Cascada are now bringing their infectious brand of dance-pop to Cork.
His admirers have included Kurt Cobain, Beck and Jack White. But Billy Childish is far from your average cult musician. He’s dabbled in conceptual art, is equally influenced by The Kinks and Joe Strummer and doesn’t listen to music – especially if it has anything to do with Leonard Cohen.
In an exclusive interview, DeLorean executive Brian Beharrell talks about the $24 million cocaine bust that hastened the demise of the sports car manufacturer's Belfast base.
There are those who argue that the best that Northern Ireland can hope for is dreariness. They’ll have been disappointed this year, so. It’s been grim instead, and right from the off.
A white man inducted into aboriginal culture, 29-year old Australian singer-songwriter Xavier Rudd eschews western-obsessed pop for more indigenous spirits.
Peering through a letter box, fielding flying knickers and knocking out a strong contender for album of the year - it's all happening for Cooper Temple Clause
Top 20 singles, festival gigs – Boy Kill Boy have come a long way from the East End. But they know where they really want to end up – lovely Mullingar.
The current treaty debate says a lot about the make-up of modern Ireland. But we have to look beyond that and recognise the extraordinary achievements of a united Europe
Veteran actor Tom Courtenay remains hugely enthusiastic about Brian Friel’s work, as he tells Joe Jackson ahead of his starring role in the Gate’s version of the playwright’s 19th century-set play, The Home Place.
ADRIENNE MURPHY reports on the sacking of scientist DR ARPAD PUSZTAI following a recent World In Action TV special on genetic engineering and talks to The Guardian’s environment editor, John Vidal, about his sometimes vexed encounters with the Monsanto group.
For once, and don’t hold your breath for the future, we had a really brilliant summer. Couldn’t have been better. What would ya be going to Spain for, sure isn’t this even better? It was just mighty.
After a long hiatus in the studio, London-based psychedelists saint etienne are back with an acclaimed new album, Good Humour. adrienne murphy finds out what they've been doing in their spare time.
William St Leger, A freelance graphic designer from Clonmel now living in London, locked himself to the roof of an American military base during a recent high profile Greenpeace action in England. Here is his account of the day, as told to Adrienne Murphy
Defeat to New Zealand Maori has plunged the Lions into crisis. With the crunch first test against the All Blacks looming, can Brian O'Driscoll and his troops recover in time? Written by Niall Breslin from The Blizzards (and formerly a pro with Leinster).
As well as forcing Ireland to reassess its attitude towards Europe, the second Lisbon referendum was a reminder of just how nasty British euroskeptics such as UKIP really are
She started as a model, carving out a successful career and living the celebrity lifestyle in the full glare of the cameras. With a well publicised stint on reality TV in LA behind her, she is now one of the hottest properties in British television.
She was toiling in obscurity until she caught the ear of British TV host Jools Holland. Now Dublin rockabilly siren Imelda May is on the fast-track to the big time.
After an undoubtedly slack 2003, 2004 was the year in which TV comedy once again came into its own. In addition to to further series from Monkey Dust, Peep Show, Little Britain, 15 Storeys High and Curb Your Enthusiasm, there were also excellent new shows in the shape of The Smoking Room, The Mighty Boosh, Nighty Night and Catterick. In particular, the forum for alternative humour provided by BBC3 and BBC4 continued to provide an invaluable creative outlet for the oddballs, misfits and mavericks of British comedy.
After 12 months which saw the group go from the indie B-division to rock’s premier league, Snow Patrol have had a more dramatic 2004 than most. In an in-depth interview, Gary Lightbody discusses a life-changing year, the Irish and British music scenes, friendships, relationships and where the band go to next.
They may not fit neatly alongside the sensations currently pouring out of London, but fresh-faced English rockers Thirteen Senses are nonetheless still brewing up a storm on the UK indie scene.
Why do people read magazines? An interesting poser in view of the last decade: the era that brought us multimedia and the Internet, the cultural idea of “dumbing down”, and that saw “content” production in the media – what we read, what we listen to, what we even hear about – fall conclusively into the hands of the profit-or-die multinationals. The question is in the news pages this month following reports that landmark American music and youth culture magazine Rolling Stone is breaking with its 35-year tradition of intelligent cultural and political journalism to move into the racy male-lifestyle-mag arena, under the stewardship of British editor Ed Needham, famous for giving the world “lad” magazine FHM.
John Walshe talks to the most exciting British band of the year, the decidedly Latin-monikered Gomez about their meteoric rise to fame and how shaggy-haired studenty types are suddenly going for the boy band look.
Top British stand-up DONNA McPHAIL takes time out from doing the dishes to discuss sexism in comedy, being pissed and England's World Cup prospects.
Token man: BARRY GLENDENNING.
As Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, MO MOWLAM M.P. has one of the toughest, most thankless jobs in British and Irish politics. The task facing her is an unenviable one: to bring together the two extremes of both traditions, however briefly, for the purposes of all-party talks. In this exclusive interview, she talks about the difficult journey to date, and the immense challenges which lie ahead of her. Our man who went to Mo:
JOE JACKSON.
Pix: COLM HENRY.
At the time of writing indications are that Tori Amos’ ‘Cornflake Girls’ single will hit the No.1 spot in the British charts this week. Celebrations may indeed be in order – but for Tori right now there are far more burning issues to be talked through and dealt with. In an extraordinarily intimate, open and at times devastatingly honest interview, she talks about the horrific knife-point rape documented in ‘Me And A Gun’, the lingering wounds inflicted on her by the experience and the difficult healing process she has begun – including, she says, accepting the ‘prostitute’ in herself. Along the way she challenges a wide range of assumptions on love, sex, violence, religion, masturbation, feminishm, lesbianism and the main
man himself, Jesus Christ. By Joe Jackson.
PIGEON-HOLE THEM AS BELFAST HARDCORE MERCHANTS AT YOUR PERIL - IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS THERAPY? HAVE RELEASED TWO CLASSIC PUNK-POP EP'S THAT SHOOK THE BRITISH CHARTS, AND EVEN GOT THEM INTO THE PAGES OF TEEN-BIBLE SMASH HITS. AS THEY BEGIN RECORDING THEIR NEW LP, THEY TAKE TIME OUT TO GET NERVOUS ABOUT FEILE, GET ANGRY ABOUT THE BEATLES, AND EXPLAIN WHY THE DAYS OF THE NINE-MINUTE INSTRUMENTAL EPIC ARE OVER. INTERVIEW: LORRAINE FREENEY
Pigeon-hole them as Belfast hardcore merchants at your peril in the past few months Therapy? have released two classic punk-pop EPs that shook the British charts, and even got them into the pages of teen-bible Smash Hits. As they begin recording their new LP, they take time out to get nervous about Fiile, get angry about the Beatles, and explain why the days of the nine-minute instrumental epic are over. Interview: Lorraine Freeney.
There is a serial killer on the loose in London, who has targeted the male gay community. But because of the spanner ruling, which has made a criminal offence of consenting SM sex practices, those who are most at risk are finding it impossible to talk to the police. And inevitably, the sensational distortions of the british media are only making matters worse. This year's Gay Pride March took place against that disturbing backdrop. Fay Wolftree reports. Pix: Leo Regan
They’ve sold millions of records but don’t expect to find Beautiful South frontman Paul Heaton breaking out in a grin. Unless England have been stuffed at football.
The most brilliantly outspoken mind in rock’n’roll, or just a mouthy Sheffielder who says mean things about Johnny Borrell? As the second REVEREND AND THE MAKERS album hits the shelves, Celina Murphy chases down the ever-intriguing Jon McClure.
As part of a scam to exaggerate the weight of the cannabis they sell, ruthless Irish criminals are lacing their wares with pieces of glass – thereby putting the health of consumers at serious risk.
Guitarist richArd hawley explains why legal wrangles and a lack of media exposure have not affected the meteoric rise of Sheffield s longpigs. Askin t questions: peter murphy.
Sunshine, killer skunk, low riders and being cool in the barbershop – even allowing for all the “shooting people and shit”, it’s easy to see why Tricky is happy with life in Los Angeles. And he’s also just made his best album since Maxinquaye.
He’s best known as an experimental UK comedian. But Matt Berry is no slouch as a musician either. Now, he’s combining his love of comedy and music in a ‘rock opera’ about the birth of Christ.
With heroin use spreading beyond Dublin, the country faces a new outbreak of drug addiction. But does the government have the will to tackle the crisis before it spins out of control?
Rioting in Dublin raises many questions about our society. Not all are easily answered. Of one thing there can be no doubt, however: Glasgow Celtic 'supporters' who participated in the mayhem peddle a uniquely Irish fascism.
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine have lived up to their name. When all and sundry thought they were dead and buried, the English agit-poppers have returned Lazarus-like with a brand new batch of songs. Interview: john walshe.
We see the reports on television and hear the voices on the radio but the brutal adrenaline-charged reality of the rioting in North Belfast can only be fully understood if you're in the thick of it. Gerry Ryan Show reporter Brenda O' Donoghue briefly was.
May 10 saw a crowd of several thousand take part in a pro-cannabis rally outside the Dáil. However, political expediency and media scaremongering mean that misinformation about the drug continues to be rife.
Roots music may help build bridges between past and present and us and them, but the media stance is still often isolationist. So says simon emerson of the afro celt sound system. siobhan long takes notes.
Roots music may help build bridges between past and present and us and them, but the media stance is still often isolationist. So says simon emerson of the afro celt sound system. siobhan long takes notes.
PETER TAYLOR is one of the most experienced journalists to have covered the Troubles. Midway through the screening of his most recent TV documentary, Loyalists, he spoke to NIALL STANAGE about the North s pivotal personalities, his hopes for a peaceful future, and why Provos was keenly watched by Loyalist paramilitaries.
She was once voted "Britain's sexiest blonde". But Jennifer Ellison is more interested in furthering her acting reputation than becoming a lad-mag pin-up.
Daniel Lapaine and Alice Evans are the stars of The Abduction Club, a restoration romantic comedy set in Ireland. "It's like Jane Austen after having a good shag," insists Daniel
The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, has drawn up proposals for electronic tagging, which he plans to discuss at cabinet level before Easter. But with critics of the scheme insisting that it would only punish those unlikely to re-offend, does the planned legislation amount to a further erosion of our civil liberties?
New research suggests cannabis is five times more damaging than cigarettes and can increase the risk of psychotic illness. But not everyone’s convinced.
She may have met her prince in a bar in Santa Fe but their marriage has introduced her to a sacred oriental art that she is bringing to the west for the first time. Princess Marianne of Bali describes how ‘tantra’ turned her life around.
The murder of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson sent shockwaves throughout Ireland and beyond. As was the case with the murder of Pat Finucane almost exactly ten years before, there are suspicions of security force collusion, and a feeling that anyone who speaks out for the beleaguered nationalist community is putting their own life in Danger. Report: Niall Stanage.
Could the legal status of E soon change? In the third part of Hot Press continuing investigation into drugs, STUART CLARK reports on the clubbers pill of choice.
He may just be the best-kept secret in Irish comedy, a veteran export who has won critical acclaim in Britain and the respect of luminaries such as Frank Skinner, Bill Bailey and Simon Munnery. Paul Nolan talks to Ian MacPherson in advance of his homecoming.
In a 25th anniversary rose-tinted special, Hot Press' dance correspondents select their 25 most influential floor fillers. The editor's decision is final and all that
It is both a strength and a weakness that print journalism is so governed by the deadline. There is no ambiguity, as the courier sweeps away with the final proofs, or film or discs. Anything else is for the next issue, for tomorrow, for next year.
As fiscal Armageddon looms, the Irish Government is faced with tough choices. In considering its options, it would do well to remember the lessons to be learned from past experience – in particular the fact that the Poll Tax marked the beginning of the end for Margaret Thatcher
John McCarthy’s experiences as a hostage of Islamic fundamentalists in the late ’80s form the basis of a powerful new film, Blind Flight. McCarthy here reflects on his period in captivity and discusses his ongoing growth as a writer with Craig Fitzsimons.
ANYONE HOPING to learn about the Irish troubles from the cinema would probably conclude that Sinn Fein and the IRA had better declare a cease-fire quickly, before they do themselves some serious damage.
You may think of her as a much-loved veteran of sit-com television, but with a role in Roman Polanski’s powerful new holocaust movie to her credit, Maureen Lipman offers passionate and often controversial views on history, the hounding of Matthew Kelly and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Law enforcement agencies are worried it could be the new ecstasy. In the fourth part of Hot Press investigation into drugs STUART CLARK reports on the new breed of super-amphetamines
Roll out the Union Jack and strike up the first verse of Rule Britannia. Al Murray is bringing his pub landlord character back to Dublin. Looking forward to the gig, Murray talks about stripping to his boxers in front of Dita Von Teese and hanging out with Phil Collins and Alex James (while remaining fully clothed).
Journalist Susan McKay's new book, Bear In Mind These Dead, revisits the families of victims, for many of whom the emotional scars have been slow to heal.
The opportunities to move forward are presenting themselves to all sides in the North. Now all we need is for everyone to do what the Irish do best - Talk!
Tinchy Stryder is the fast-talking Star In The Hood who’s pretty much dominated the charts in 2009 with a nagging brand of infectious hip hop. Hot Press caught up with the Prince Of Grime to see if we can figure out his formula for Number Ones.
GAY AND LESBIAN FILM FESTIVALThe hot new Dublin-born, New-York-based director Jimmy Smallhorn, Desert Hearts and ER director Donna Deitch, and zany NY comedienne Reno will all be on hand to introduce their films at the 6th Dublin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, which runs at the IFC in Dubin from July 30th to August 3rd.
Over the past decade in ‘The Hot Press Political Interview’ the subject of Northern Ireland has, not surprisingly, surfaced time and time again. What follows is but a small selection of these quotes, specifically those that look to the future rather than to the past.
Righting political wrongs is all very well and fine, but what Mark Thomas enjoys most is
fucking people right off. except Paul Nolan that is who talks to him about his new stand-up show, A Minor Celebrity Discusses War Crimes
DOMINO RECORDS has released some of the most essential music of the 90 s by the likes of Sebadoh, Palace Brothers, and Elliott Smith. NICK KELLY talks to lynchpin Laurence Bell and one member of the label s current roster, Stephen Pastel of The Pastels.
More people than ever may be smoking it but Ireland s marijuana laws remain among the most draconian in Europe. In the second part of our series on drugs in Ireland, STUART CLARK presents the dope on dope.
Dublin is a shithole basically! that's the opinion of Kevin Shields, one of the two Irish members of My Bloody Valentine, who quit the fair city six years ago because of what they saw as the stifling atmosphere of the place. Since then they've lived and gigged all over Europe and their 1988 album Isn't Anything has put them on top of the critical approval lists and independent charts. Here, taking a break from their US tour, the band reflect on their art, their careers and what they see as the general awfulness of the Irish music scene. Interview: Helena Mulkearns
They used to be a bit of a joke but, with the release of their fantastic new record, The Horrors are suddenly a band to watch. Faris Badwan talks about stepping out with Peaches Geldof, ditching the freak-show hair and recalls his traumatic childhood experiences on Palestine’s West Bank
Driven out of India while filming her latest film. Water, Deepa Mehta talks about protests, effigies and the controversy that follows her wherever she goes.
Having established himself with a number of juicy supporting roles – most of them opposite Russell Crowe – the very naturally blonde Paul Bettany is moving to centre court for Wimbledon.
Young, hungry, professional film crews and equally young, beautiful and professional actors. What’s the Irish film industry come to? Just ask Speed Dating stars Nora Jane Noone and Hugh O’Conor.
Seven years ago, CATHERINE ZETA-JONES was so down on her luck that she was having to open supermarkets to pay the rent. Then came a move to Hollywood and the patronage of, first, Steven Spielberg and, then, Michael Douglas who was so taken with the Welsh actress' charms that he married her. In London last week for her new film, Traffic, she talked to CRAIG FITZSIMONS about life among the Hollywood A-list
Gardai and other authorities are giving greater attention than ever these days to the issue of ‘drug driving’. But the culprits may not always be who you think…
The last scintilla of doubt just rode out of town – groundbreaking news spoof The Day Today is back on the agenda courtesy of a brand new DVD, and the show’s gleeful send-up of current affairs broadcasting is now more relevant than ever.
Colin Carberry looks back at twelve months in which Bill Drummond’s Soup Line tour of Ulster was one of the Northern arts scene’s undoubted highlights.
As Gerry Adams and friends bask in the glory of another public relations triumph, EAMONN McCANN analyses the historical context of the current ceasefire, and assesses the scepticism surrounding the IRA s motives in calling it.
The daughter of a famed cinematographer and an accomplished actress, Zooey Deschanel had an easier entrée into Hollywood than most. But with an array of cred-heavy indie hits to her credit, and a stellar turn in The Hitchiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, she’s proven a good deal smarter than your average LA starlet. Interview by Tara Brady.
They may have toured with the likes of Paddy Casey, Ann Scott and Hothouse Flowers, but far from dealing in laidback acoustica, Birr group Wallmark are in fact a hard-rockin’ Led Zep/Who influenced outfit with an appetite for sonic destruction.
Comedian and promoter MALCOLM HARDEE discusses his hopes for the Laughter Lounge, Dublin s spanking new 400-seater venue dedicated exclusively to stand-up comedy, and tells BARRY GLENDENNING the epic tale of the night he stole Freddie Mercury s birthday cake.
Until recently, Scottish jazz/folk legend john martyn was almost as renowned for his hard-living consumption of booze as he was for his marvellous records. But, he tells colm o hare, these days he s on the wagon, and operating on full horsepower for the first time in years.
RAYTHEON, the armament-technology firm which manufactured Patriot and Sidewinder missiles, is establishing a plant in Derry and the local politicians couldn t be happier. EAMONN McCANN reports.
Norman Jay may have been accused of pandering to the establishment when he accepted an MBE – but he’s still fired by a love of the underground, and a desire to change things.
From Chet Baker through Joe Cocker to The Cranberries, the world of music owes the late Denny Cordell an enormous debt. Bill Graham pays tribute to an inspirational craftsman who made Ireland his final home and resting place.
Watching racist bullying on Celebrity Big Brother was horrific, argues Hot Press’ very own Shilpa, but that shouldn’t mean we need to become PC fascists.
The recent burst of good weather may have misled us all as to where we are on the great wheel of life. We're in September. Schools are back. Apples are ripening. Night comes earlier. Often the most settled time of year, and certainly very pleasant now.
After an initial botched attempt at cracking the London indie scene, Ciaran McFeely, aka Simple Kid, re-emerged as a dynamic singer/songwriter with an inventive musical approach and a flair for darkly humourous lyrics.
LIAM FAY investigates the strange phenomenon of the RAINBOW PARTY, a pseudo-democratic movement dedicated to the abolition of politics and politicians , and meets its leader, the enigmatic RAINBOW GEORGE.
Craig Fitzsimons talks to oscar-winning director Kevin McDonald about his gripping new docu-drama touching the void, chosen to open this year’s stranger than fiction festival at the IFI.
The siege of Derry was a pivotal moment in Irish history. But contrary to popular opinion, it was fundamentally about land and not religion, says Carlo Gebler. Photography by Cathal Dawson.
The Irish government plan to implement the fingerprinting of asylum seekers from the age of 14. Meanwhile, Amnesty International, the Irish Refugee Council and the African Refugee Network have all reported a rise in race-hate attacks on blacks and non-nationals in recent months. Report: Peter Murphy. Pictures: DEREK SPIERS/REPORT
Western spin depicts it as a blow for democracy, but for Raied Al-Wazzan, an Iraqi doctor based here for 15 years, the occupation of his country is illegal and must be resisted.
Writer-director Christopher Smith has already curried a great deal of favour with such clever Brit horrors as Severance and Creep. Triangle, a smart and nifty psychological chiller, suggests that Mr. Smith has only been clearing his throat.
Between recording the theme music for The Saint and fending off accusations of satanism, Orbital mainman PHILIP HARTNOLL barely has time to do the washing up. STUART CLARK stands by with the tea-towel.
They got knocked down, but they got up again – Dublin rockers 66E have weathered their setbacks and are now attracting serious attention for their epic soundscapes, which critics have likened to the work of Mercury Rev, Doves and Radiohead.
Liam Fay talks to the three men behind the first “unmissable” movie smash of '95 SHALLOW GRAVE and hears why comparisons with the American death-and-glory tradition are a misnomer.
BERNADETTE SANDS-McKEVITT, sister of Bobby Sands, is vice chairperson of the 32-County Sovereignty Committee, a body which has taken the lead in offering public opposition to Sinn Féin's peace strategy. Over the course of an historic weekend in Ireland north and south, NIALL STANAGE spoke to her about life as a Republican dissident.
Amid rumours and press reports that his career could be at an end, Larry Mullen reveals the truth about the extent of an injury to his hand that is becoming a common problem for rock drummers. Interview: Niall Stokes
On the eve of the Childline benefit gig at which she is one of the hosts, EMMA LEDDEN talks to Stephen Robinson about the rock'n'roll lifestyle, why she'll never model nude, and"loafing" Gary Barlow.
Jim Sturgess has attracted plenty of attention for his pin-up good looks and ability to master accents. He’s now further proved his diversity by adopting a Northern Irish brogue for high octane Belfast thriller 50 Dead Men Walking
They may profess disdain for the CD:UK world of glamour and hype, but with a recent appearance on the show and a support slot with The Darkness to their credit, it looks like nine-piece rock sensation Do Me Bad Things are going to have to get used to being in the limelight.
Well it’s one for the money Two for the show
US3 GET READY . . .
. . . Now go cats go! When a critic talks about awarding his favourite gig, album and band of the year accolades to the same outfit then we gotta be talking about something special. In this case it’s transatlantic Jazz Rappers US3. And the, er, critic in question: MR. STUART CLARK
Well, a trio of humans, to be precise. Confronted with the flesh and blood reality of Phil, Susanne and Joanne munching sandwiches right in front of his eyes, Nicholas G. Kelly accepts that we must come to terms with the fact that The Human League have indeed risen from the grave. But not, repeat not, the ’80s.
Imaginative variations on the theme *The Pure Thrill of Living* were the focus of attention at the 9th Smirnoff Young Designer Awards which took place in Trinity College, Dublin recently.
Intrigued by the ridicule and bad press being generated by London s Millennium Dome, BARRY GLENDENNING pays a visit to Greenwich and discovers why Tony Blair is having trouble sustaining his massive erection.
Being sued for rape didn’t stop Snoop Dogg giving Phil Udell the benefit of his views on NWA, record labels, going solo and how the Bible encourages him to party. Photos by Liam Sweeney.
SUSAN McKAY has just published a startling book about Northern Protestants. Here, NIALL STANAGE meets the Dublin-based journalist and, below, relates his own experiences of life as a Belfast-born Prod. Portraits: Cathal Dawson
Ghost Of Mae Nak is a love story with a difference. For one thing, it’s set largely in the afterlife. It’s also the latest piece of Thai cinema to catch the attention of international audiences, says English-born, Bangkok-based director Mark Duffield.
The Murphy's Cat Laughs Comedy Festival returns to Kilkenny from May 30th-June 3rd. This year's line-up includes the cream of Irish and International stand-up talent and a plethora of extra attractions
Martin McGuinness was one of the key figures in the troubles in Northern Ireland . Many unionists believe that the one-time IRA man was at the heart of much that was wrong and divisive in Irish life. But ultimately the quiet Derryman has taken on the role of peacemaker – and he is now the Deputy First Minister in the new power-sharing administration at Stormont.
When he’s not playing the evil criminal mastermind in Hollywood blockbusters, Eddie Izzard can be found wandering the corridors of the European Parliament with Tony Blair. Tara Brady gets a yes, no and maybe from the nail polish-loving English comedian.
When the IRA ceasefire began in the early minutes of September 1st last, nationalists in Belfast and Derry rejoiced in the streets. In the South Armagh village of Crossmaglen, however, there was barely a murmur. Over the past 25 years, the sniper’s bullet and the mortar bomb have claimed the lives of more soldiers and RUC personnel in this small area than anywhere else in Northern Ireland. Anne Connolly visits what has become the most militarised zone in western Europe and takes the post-ceasefire pulse of a stubbornly resilient little town. Pics: Jason Clarke.
‘When A Man Loves A Woman’ used to be a pretty good song before it became a fairly awful movie. Now it will be impossible to listen to Percy Sledge’s tremblingly emotive cry from the heart without thinking of Andy Garcia giving moist-eyed Meg Ryan that puppy dog on prozac look.
She came to our attention with a disturbingly convincing turn as a bondage queen. Now Emma De Caunes joins an ensemble cast for a whimsical deconstruction of the Hollywood musical.
Belfast musician Colin Reid likes to surprise his audiences, something he’s sure to accomplsh with an instrumental suite inspired by Flann O’Brien’s The Third Policeman
Over the past twenty-five years, attitudes and experiences in the North’s two biggest cities, Belfast and Derry, have been markedly and vitally different. To understand why may help us to define both the opportunities for and the obstacles to peaceful change. Report: BILL GRAHAM
Former Friends star David Schwimmer talks about his dark days of waiting tables and why his lawyer parents were perturbed by his determination to make it as an actor.
Top international journalist and acclaimed stand-up comedian BARRY GLENDENNING pens this self-aggrandising subhead before continuing his countdown to the third Murphy s Cat Laughs Comedy Festival
After close to a decade of neglect, Pinter’s classic play The Birthday Party is currently enjoying a long-overdue renaissance thanks to directorial debutant, Michael Donegan
As the dust settles in the wake of the Stormont Settlement, eamonn Mccann assesses the situation and wonders just how much of their ideology Republicans are in the process of jettisoning.
Joe Jackson talks to Arthur Riordan, author of Improbable Frequency, the hit musical comedy which examines Ireland’s neutrality during the Second World War in humorous and insightful fashion.
Joe Jackson talks to Arthur Riordan, author of Improbable Frequency, the hit musical comedy which examines Ireland’s neutrality during the Second World War in humorous and insightful fashion.
Few Irish albums have been as eagerly awaited as THERAPY?’s Troublegum and while the jury has yet to deliver its final verdict, early indications suggest that the band from Larne may be about to fulfil their own prophecy and become multifuckingnationally huge. But does taking on the world mean having to compromise the hardcore principles they’ve fought so hard to protect?
ANDY CAIRNS and MICHAEL McKEEGAN tell Hot Press trouble-shooter GERRY McGOVERN that displaying your gums doesn’t mean having to sacrifice your teeth. Pix.: MICHAEL QUINN.
After a hiatus and reshuffle, Tindersticks have returned to former glories with their album The Hungry Saw. Singer Stuart Staples talks about the band's rejuvenation.
With the new publication in book form of a collection of his newspaper columns, the Sinn Féin president addresses matters both personal and political. Here he offers further thoughts on Omagh, death threats and the peace process as well as on music, his late mother, his own family and his vision of a private life beyond politics.
Until now, that is! DAVID PUTTNAM is one of Britain s most successful film directors of the past 20 years. But, as the turn of the century approaches, he believes that the control exerted by Hollywood over the film, entertainment and information industries globally may yet inspire a violent reaction. Interview: CATHY DILLON
Since 1914, the PRS has administered the rights accruing to Irish songwriters, composers and publishers from the use of their music in public places throughout the world. However, the campaign to establish Ireland as a separate territory, with its own independent music rights organisation, has been gathering momentum. Now in a controversial move the PRS have declared that this change can only take place with the approval of two-thirds of the Society’s members in Ireland. Niall Stokes – himself a member of the PRS – examines the issues and concludes that subsidiary status is no longer enough for IMRO.
Christmas is the time of the year when thousands of Irish emigrants return home to link up again with families and friends. All over the country, for a brief interlude, towns and villages will come alive with stories, songs, drink and craic. And then all will be quiet again. Gerry McGovern examines the impact of emigration on Irish society – and the sense of alienation which many emigrants feel about their treatment by the authorities here.
Girls Aloud’s Nadine Coyle talks about her Derry childhood, drug use in the pop industry and explains why she gets irritated when the band are called “British”.
Primal Scream bandmate Kevin Shields may be complaining about the neighbours, but Mani hasn’t thrown the towel in yet. He tells us why things are looking up for the Scream.
With Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea all in Champions League action last week, Tony Cascarino takes a look at how English clubs might fare in Europe this season.
Irish fiction continues to grow in both popularity and hipness. In this special feature we talk to three of its most prominent young exponents: John Connolly, Conal Creedon and Julie Parsons.
Irish fiction continues to grow in both popularity and hipness. In this special feature we talk to three of its most prominent young exponents: John Connolly, Conal Creedon and Julie Parsons.
They were Ireland’s original of the punk species, and thirty years on from their debut, Paranoid visions are still fizzling with anti-establishment fury. The difference, they say, is that nowadays they are more likely to channel their rage through music rather than chuck a bottle through a shop window
While they may disagree about context and certain details, the two new television documentaries about Bloody Sunday, far from being the "bloody fantasy" alleged by critics, offer accurate and powerful recreations of the events of that tragic and pivotal day. EAMONN McCANN, an eye-witness on Bloody Sunday, reports
On the occasion of the first Irish screening of Nagisa Oshima’s Ai No Corrida (In The Realm Of The senses), banned for 18 years because of its explicit sex scenes involving lead actor Tatsuya Fujii’s hardcore hard-on’s, Neil McCormick takes a ride through the history of the ’members’ of the film world’s penis colony and while he’s ‘at it’, talks to film sexpert David Sullivan about the ever narrowing gap between the porn film industry and mainstream cinema.
Striking nurses need to convince the public that their demands for extra pay and shorter hours will lead to a better health service. So far, they haven’t done so.
When the Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain appointed two members of the Orange Order to the Parades Commission, he set himself up for a political bruising. But worse than that, he may have fatally undermined the ability of the organisation to function.
He's the David Beckham of world rugby – but what does All Black star Dan Carter think of Ireland's historic Grand Slam and Leinster's dramatic Heineken Cup victory?
Coldplay, White Stripes, Strokes, Queens, Garbage, Oasis, JJ72, Franz... With a whole slew of major albums in the pipeline, it looks like ‘05 will be the wrong year to kick that addiction to noise.
Dom Joly hasn’t heard them but says they’re his favourite band. Noel Gallagher hasn’t heard them but thinks they’re probably shite. And what has country troubadour Crawford Bell got to do with all this? The Embers explain all to Colin Carberry
When not locking themselves away in 18th-century farmhouses and getting freaked out by UFOs, Mani-endorsed English rockers Kasabian are setting ablaze the UK indie scene and claiming, “If you cut our skins, we bleed rock’n’roll.” Danielle Brigham talks to the group’s consummately charming frontman, Tom Meighan
There are those who believe that the Downing St. Declaration offers the best hope of peace in Northern Ireland for twenty-five years. But as Sinn Féin’s consideration of the fine print drags on, Bill Graham accuses them of theological nitpicking and argues that their negotiating position makes impossible demands on reality.
Like many of his brethren in the world of comedy, David Baddiel has turned his hand to fiction in recent years. Although his previous efforts met with a lukewarm critical response, his new novel, The Secret Purposes – a skilfully rendered tale which draws heavily on Baddiel's grandparents' experience in wartime England – looks set to reverse that trend. Interview by Peter Murphy. Photography by Liam Sweeney
Polar explorer Marc Cornellisen tells hotpress how his campaign to raise awareness of the potentially catastrophic impact of climate change led him to strike up a partnership with ice-cream multinational Ben & Jerry’s.
It's been a year of momentous upheaval throughout the planet. Wars have flared up, governments have fallen and the hole in the ozone layer has continued to grow. Inside the global y-fronts, however, was where the real cut and thrust of 1994 was going on. A cross-legged Liam Fay reports on twelve months which have seen a huge increase in the rate of worldwide castration and which prove beyond any doubt that the penis is not mightier than the sword.
In an extremely frank interview with EAMON SWEENEY, MIKE HEAD of SHACK talks about his time as a heroin addict, the band s progress and their ambivalent attitude to media attention.
ENYA: THE LATEST SCORE
From the Gweedore family that gave the world Clannad, another success story in the making. Enya,whose new album featuring music for the forthcoming TV series The Celts , is already making waves months before the programme itself goes on air, is joined by producer Nicky Ryan for a three-way conversation with Bill Graham. Pix:Colm Henry.
Reformed baa-aaa-aad boys pet lamb are back with a new album that's going to make Roadrunner sorry they ever dropped them. Getting the wool pulled over her eyes: Adrienne Murphy.
DANIEL DAY Lewis, John Malkovich and Gerard Depardieu were all considered for the role of the vampire Lestat, in Neil Jordan's forthcoming film version of Anne Rice's complex, erotic horror story Interview With The Vampire.
All told, the last ten action-packed years have seen Mary Black release nine solo albums - from her eponymous debut Mary Black through to the recent chart topper The Holy Ground. Here Chris Donovan takes a retrospective look at what's on offer - and concludes that herein lies the true meaning of the words Black Magic.
Irish guitarist bernie torme no relation to Mel has played with Ian Gillan, Atomic Rooster and Ozzy Osbourne, and lived to tell the tale. Interview: colm o hare.
They're flagbearers for the 'new eccentric' scene and the toast of the fashion set. So what are These New Puritans doing writing songs about Michael Barrymore?
Despite the continued absence of Phil 'The Power' Taylor, the Embassy World Darts Championship at Frimley Green made for essential viewing. BARRY GLENDENNING reports.
Still on a high after his hobnob in the last issue with the Greatest Living Film Director, NEIL McCORMICK nears apoplexy as he gets to extract the closely-guarded secrets of being the Finest Actor in the World Today from DANIEL DAY-LEWIS.
Art with a capital ‘F’ or the real, raw thing? In London, Phil Udell strolls among – and at one point nearly falls over – an exhibition of controversial, cutting edge, headline-grabbing work from Hirst, Emin et al. But is it, like, y’know, any good?
Since opening its doors five years ago, Galway's Róisín dubh has established itself as a superb live music venue that's a firm favourite with performers and punters alike. colm o'hare reports.
The man formerly known as Dennis Pennis, Paul Kaye, has made a return to form as hedonistic DJ Frankie Wilde in the new Ibiza-set comedy, It’s All Gone Pete Tong. A rollicking mockumentary following the fortunes of its errant lead character, it aims to do for the dance scene what This Is Spinal Tap did for heavy metal.
WEEK AFTER week I try to remain the right side of well-mannered when some myopic PR person or director phones and says "There's a play coming up in the blah-blah-blah theatre and it's got great music that'll really appeal to your readers."
Liverpool's musical exports have included The Beatles, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Teardrop Explodes, Pete Burns, the KLF, the Lightning Seeds, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and many more. Mercury nominees The Coral are the latest scallywags to capture the attention of the music press who have picked up on their blend of classic rock influences and irreverent energy
The Ministry of Defence will have to come out of its hiding place declared Eilis MacDermott QC for the family of Bloody Sunday victim Patrick Doherty, at the Saville Inquiry. Here we reproduce the bulk of her powerful and hard-hitting opening address
Scenesters have been hip to widescreen New Jersey-ites THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM for several years. Now the rest of the world is starting to pay attention, too.
The Cranberries and They Do It With Mirrors
Kevin Barry looks at a dilemma which has baffled many Irish bands – and reports on how two of Limerick’s finest have responded
The Cranberries and They Do It With Mirrors
Kevin Barry looks at a dilemma which has baffled many Irish bands – and reports on how two of Limerick’s finest have responded.
Tanya Sweeney catches up with Ireland’s hardest partying rockers Snow Patrol to discuss on-the-road hi-jinks, the band’s hallowed status in the Scottish and Irish music scenes, and also bears witness to that long-awaited footie showdown with Thomastown under 15s.
As the new leader of the SDLP and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland, MARK DURKAN will have plenty to occupy his mind in 2002. Here he talks about the early death of his father, politics and paramilitaries in the North, the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, his opposition to Sellafield and membership of Greenpeace – and what Mo Mowlam might have piped into the Good Friday talks!
Words: JOE JACKSON
Irish film-maker LEO REGAN recently won a BAFTA for a documentary about right-wing skinheads and barely a week later saw his latest project, a raw portrait of a friend’s drug addiction, screened by Channel 4. LIAM MACKEY reports
The Flood Tribunal’s interim report has shaken the confidence of many voters in the government but as the Nice Treaty referendum approaches we need to keep a clear head
While some white label mixes are illegal, Belgian outfit Soulwax have gone through an arduous process in order to licence the music featured on their 'legal bootleg' album 2 many DJs, as Eamon Sweeney reports
He s so vain, but brian molko is also one of the most astute men in rock n roll. Having put his hedonistic days behind him honest! the placebo mainman talks to stuart clark about martyrdom, maturity and Marilyn Manson.
He's the godfather of English whimsy, the spiritual successor to Syd Barrett. So why the hell is Robyn Hitchcock sharing a pokey tour bus with three fifths of REM?
This year's Olympics were one of the most fascinating ever. We sought the opinions of leading musicians and sports commentators on a memorable two weeks' action.
Anna Nolan first shot to fame as one of the stars of the original Big Brother. A lesbian, guitar-playing ex-nun, she has gone on to make an impact as a TV presenter in the UK. Now, she's about to make her Irish debut
on the eve of the arrival of a brand new Smiths release hitting the record shops, Hot Press talks to the band's chief architect Johnny Marr about the music that inspired a generation.
Fresh from a starring role in the Readers Poll, Josh Ritter has even more reasons to be cheerful – like touring with Joan Baez and getting to know Damien Rice.
Though her hippyish sensibilities are a throwback to the flower-power era, Florence Welch - aka Florence And The Machine - is one of the year's most hyped new artists. She talks about domestic violence, Andy Warhol and why sometimes hangovers can be good for you.
Civil liberties in Ireland are being gradually eroded. But, then, it’s just part of an international trend. If we’re not careful, we will we soon be living in a Big Brother nation.
Their sombre, melancholy music has seen The National tagged as arch-moochers. Face to face though, frontman Matt Berninger turns out to be a stand-up fellow.
. . . she was reet petite! That's not true, actually. Instead, the maverick motorbike-riding DUP councillor and former Lord Mayor of Belfast talks about loyalist paramilitary violence, the assassination of prison officers, the indifference of London, his hostility to Mary Robinson, his scorn for the Official Unionist Party - and his own willingness to take up arms in the cause of keeping the six counties out of a united Ireland. Interview: JOE JACKSON. Pix: CATHAL DAWSON
It’s a long time since they graced the stadium circuit, but Simple Minds are still thinking big. Jim Kerr takes time out from sunning himself in Sicily to tell Ed Power their plans.
Twenty-four-year-old ANDY VOTEL is the man behind Badly Drawn Boy s Twisted Nerve label, and he s just released a self-penned new album. COLIN CARBERRY gets jealous RICKY ADAMS gets pics
Alryte! Liam Fay gets on the blower to Phil Redmond, the scouser who launched a thousand Brookside storylines, who chin wags about lesbianism, wife-beating, Emmerdale and, er, those Farm t-shirts!
Pre-Christmas unrest in the Balkans brought unpleasant memories of late '90s ethnic cleansing back to the soldier turned singer-songwriter James Blunt.
Russian born, New York reared, Regina Spektor writes songs that seem to inhabit their own dark little world. No wonder she’s been compared to both Tori Amos and the anti-folk movement.
Funnymen David Mitchell and Robert Webb crown their rise to the comedy top-table with Magicians, a uproarious tale of two entertainers seeking to keep alive the spirit of Paul Daniels.
Hot Press crime correspondent STUART CLARK
preaches zero tolerance to MASSIVE ATTACK and in return gets the
lowdown on their new album, Bruce n Tarby-style hobnobbing with Radiohead, and why Bristol City piss all over Bristol Rovers
He may have done time in Long Kesh for possession of explosives but Progressive Unionist leader DAVID ERVINE has left behind his terrorist past and embraced a future based on shared social democracy which, he says, the peace process can bring about. Interview: JOE JACKSON.
The pen behind "My Beautiful Launderette" and "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid", HANIF KUREISHI has been treated as an outsider in his home, Britain, and as a traitor by some elements within his own race. But, he maintains, it's the job of the writer to "stir the shit" - and now he's got the fundamentalists in his sights. Interview: OLAF TYARANSEN
The son of a certain well-known ’70s rock star, DUNCAN JONES is clearly something of a chip off the old block: his new movie is a sweet, low budget space oddity that harks back to the golden age of sci-fi. He talks about growing up in the Bowie household and escaping his father’s shadow.
Disused Mexican banks, Little Britain, Pete Doherty and drunken Sky TV appearances are all on the agenda as Paul Nolan and his temperamental tape machine meet Carl and Didz from Dirty Pretty Things.
Now that he’s officially “too big for the perrier award”, Dara O’Briain is turning his attention to
conquering TV land. Here, he gives the lowdown on his new RTE series, The Panel, and attempts to rescue Angus Deayton from his titty bar hell.
The legacy of a punk great is scrutinised in a new documentary Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten. Filmmaker Julien Temple explains what motivated him to make a movie about his old friend.
Shot to fame by The White Stripes, the aptly-named Holly Golightly has confirmed her status as the new ace face du jour with a sparkling female take on old male music.
If you’re going to follow up a hit like East Is East, best to do it in style – by turning to Blackpool, darts and morris dancing. Damien O’Donnell tells Craig Fitzsimons about his “uncool” new movie
After half a century as the adventurous tripper s drug of choice, LSD is being given a designer makeover. In our continuing series on drugs, STUART CLARK checks out the hallucinogens.
In the final installment of his analysis of the likely ramifications of ASBOs, The Whole Hog concludes that the measures are likely to chiefly penalise the most vulnerable members of society.
Being described as "the new Keane" might bother some people, but not Grant Nichols who's content in the knowledge that his band have made the first great rock'n'roll record of 2005.l
Comedian JACK DEE, the supremo of sarcasm, the sultan of sardonicism, is back on the road and he s headed for this green and pleasant land, for a string of dates in April. Interview: Andrew Darlington
Prior to their recent Dublin gig, THE BLUETONES talked to NADINE O REGAN about the fickleness of fame, artistic integrity, America and the dangers of sausage sponsorship!
Six years ago, when a group of Belfast artists invited Bill Drummond to play host at a gathering at College Green House on Botanic Avenue, something like a seed seems to have been planted.
As Northern Ireland begins to cash in on its recent history, NIALL STANAGE takes a West Belfast taxi tour around the area s landmarks. Pics: PETER MATTHEWS
STUART BAILIE recalls some of the social and political movements that have occupied U2's hearts and minds down through the years... not least, the Springfield Garbage Dump campaign
