FANS OF this column have complained that in my preview of the Dublin Theatre Festival, in the last issue of Hot Press I paid only lip service to the "most prestigious and biggest show on offer," the RSC's production of Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale (Gaiety Theatre).
Nobody actually shouted “hit the bitch” during the previous Dublin run of Oleanna – as happened on Broadway – but Irish audiences were sharply divided in terms of the male and female adversaries in David Mamet’s controversial play. Personally, I found the polemical exchanges at the heart of the production a little ham-fisted.
B*spoke’s Jane Brennan on Tom Murphy’s adaptation of The Drunkard – and the family connections which make this production all the more meaningful for her.
They've masterminded recordings by Lily Allen, Estelle and Kate Nash, to name a few. In this exclusive interview, Future Cut lift the veil on their whizz-bang production techniques.
The gate’s current production of Pygmalion reverses the chauvinistic aspects of both film adaptations. Actress Jeananne Crowley explains how george bernard shaw got his feminist groove back.
IN THE last issue of Hot Press we previewed the play which turned out to be the most universally-acclaimed production of the Dublin Theatre Festival: Marina Carr’s The Mai, which is still running at the Peacock Theatre.
Joe Jackson talks to Apres Match’s Risteard Cooper, currently starring in the Abbey’s production of Frank McGuinness’ acclaimed First World War play, Observe The Sons Of Ulster Marching Towards The Somme.
Long gone are the days when appearing in a play in the Gaiety rather than the Abbey or Gate was seen as “slumming it”. Or that's how Ronan Smith, who plays a priest in Groundwork’s latest production of John B. Keane’s Moll, which opens on March 9th and runs till April 9, sees it anyhow.
Joe Jackson talks to Elizabeth Moynihan, star of the Gate’s new production of Lady Windermere’s Fan, the classic Oscar Wilde play, which, in its new 1947 setting, explores the social mores of the upper classes in post-war London.
IT HAS been suggested that Graham Reid’s plays are pungent with “the thick and acrid air” of Belfast. Any actor performing one of these production in The Lyric Players Theatre in Belfast at this point in time would certainly know if that statement is true.
Rough Magic, one of Ireland’s outstanding theatre ensembles, returns with a production of Shakespeare that examines the battle of the sexes in Ireland.
Controversy is already swirling around the forthcoming Abbey Theatre production, Barbaric Comedies. JOE JACKSON finds out what it s all about and talks to one Irish actress who decided against appearing in the play
When punk-funk art rockers The Rapture emerged a couple of years ago, they failed to translate tragic hipness into big sales. Road psychosis aggravated the problem, but they weathered in-fighting to ditch the DFA production and strike out on their own.
Ex-Python turned film-maker Terry Gilliam watched his latest movie project the man who killed Don Quixote collapse after a succession of production disasters. Yet two young film-makers who accompanied the director on the shoot have released a documentary film about the making, and un-making, of Gilliam's epic
Coming off the suck of her dark leading role in Marina Corr’s Aerial, Ingrid Craigie is happy to get up to some mischief in the Gate’s production of The Misanthrope, as she tells Joe Jackson
PASSION MACHINE s new production aims to tell the story of seven Irish people all born in 1958. Writer PAUL MERCIER tells JOE JACKSON about the phenomena his generation have witnessed.
All over Ireland, at any time of the day or night, hundreds of musicians are at work in recording studios, getting their sounds down for your delectation. So which are the trailblazing facilities? COLM O HARE reports.
Elizabeth Hurley derided as a scab ; the film industry s stars getting militant; a total shutdown in production imminent. Strange times as Hollywood prepares for a major actors and screenwriters strike. By CRAIG FITZSIMONS and TARA BRADY
Brendan Kennelly s Book Of Judas is soon to hit the stage. Peter Murphy reports on a work which had Bono enthralled, and predicted many of the more unappealing features of contemporary Ireland
Steve Lillywhite, who produced U2's first three albums – and has featured on the production team of almost all of their records – looks back over the band's career and recalls the highs... and the lows
Niall Stokes: With this record you took on responsibilities as a group which were significantly greater than had been the case before, in terms of shaping the record, being involved in production. How did that affect the process?
Niall Stokes: As a band you took more responsibility with In Blue you have a greater level of input into the production and so on. Was that a strain when you were doing it?
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.
No, it's not the overworked Hot Press subs finally snapping beneath the strain of a hectic production schedule but a finely argued debate by our finest writers on the phenomenon of naff. What is naff? Are you naff and if so how do you go about rectifying matters? Read on and be saved . . .
The debut album you’ve been planning for ages is finally in the can. But what happens next? Colm O’Hare accompanied Derry band Scheer to Trend Studios to find out . . .
Although they’ve been knocking around Dublin for 18 months, the Ramparts are far from the finished article. Everything here is just short of the required standard; the songs, the production, the presentation. They need to up their game.
Tiga ‘updates’ Altern8’s ‘You Gonna Want Me’ with some help from production pal Jesper Dahlback. It’s cheesy as hell, but very effective. Two covers in a row – Oi! Tiga! Get some original ideas!
Made in Japan and inspired by old school techno, Somiya’s deep, bleepy bass jams nonetheless have high production values, as the subtle percussion and pulsing bass of ‘Red Chili’ shows.
Although relatively new to most of us, the Angels Of Mons are already exhibiting the kind of confidence that suggests failure is not an option. Luckily, their music almost matches their ambition, even if it is not hugely radical. 'Highs And Lows' is a good song with a great chorus, bolstered by nice harmonies and a big production.
Scandal Inc adopt a rough and raw approach to production . The reconstituted ghetto house beats, squelchy bass and sleazy female vocals on ‘Creep’ make the dirtier end of electro house sound tame.
Classic acoustic balladry of the sort that US radio loves but which might leave others a tad wanting from the German-based outfit fronted by Irishman Rea Garvey. They’re huge around Europe selling out wherever they go and it’s not difficult to see why. Without doubt the slickest production of this fortnight’s offerings
Studt has an agreeable voice and a burdgeoning songwriting talent but, as with Lavigne, the problem is that there are so many hands involved with the album’s writing and production that it’s hard to work out where the Studt ends and the corporate machine begins.
The common view is that making throwaway pop music is a piece of cake, which is probably right unless you’re looking to produce something that will stand the test of time beyond two and a half minutes. The Radio fall into that trap, clearly trying to come up with something both light and substantial but ‘One Of Two Ways’ is just too flimsy, not helped by a complete lack of bottom end to the production.
This co-production between Haris and Francis Harris is one of End Recordings’ finest releases in a while. The title track features trippy chords, a pulsating bassline, vocal samples and a haunting breakdown, while ‘Can’t Dance’ has a deeper, moodier sound that won’t disappoint tech-house fans.
The boy Hannon can always be relied on to cobble together a cracking radio-friendly tune, and this is gladly no exception. As ever, Hannon’s honeyed vocals, ambitious production and expressive, masterful song-writing combine to stunning effect, and the result is an enchanting, catchy number that should serve only to consolidate Neil’s national treasure status.
Heller is a constantly building slab of motorik, trancey house that comes up like a good rush: a rolling, buzzing bassline, scattering percussion and periodic reverbed FX washes. The distinctly UK production on this nine-minute romp will mean its appeal is limited to former prog heads, but it’s a good buzz nonetheless.
Stalwarts of the Cork scene and all that implies, Stanley Super 800 find their feet firmly on the first single from their Louder & Clearer album. This is indeed a step forward in terms of pure production, a chunky number topped off with a shiny trumpet and squiggly keyboard break. Throw in a fine song and everyone’s a winner baby.
Helped by guests of the calibre of Snoop Dogg, Nelly and Twista, with production assistance from The Neptunes and Kayne West the original pop diva returns with a strong collection of mainly R ‘n’ B based songs
Mantis work their magic again with this debut release from Ross Hillard. Punctuated by clipped breaks, jazzy keys, gospel style vocals and the polished production that every Mantis release boasts, not even two percussive, spacey mixes from Hillard and Mac and Waiwan are better than the original.
Any Irish band who list Half Man Half Biscuit as an influence on their MySpace site have to be worthy of a listen, although the sound of Birkenhead’s finest is hard to detect. This is fairly standard punk pop stuff to be honest, not helped by an average production job but showing signs of perhaps better to come. It’s no ‘Trumpton Riots’ though.
Part of the new wave of Irish major label signings, Director sound oddly lacklustre on their second single. The song itself is alright, even if the chorus seems to belong to a different track altogether, but the production is flat and nothing here suggests that Director having anything different to offer. Maybe the album will prove otherwise (and it would be great to see some home grown talent on the bigger stage). For now though, this is decidedly underwhelming.
The simplicity and clarity of sound on every Steve Bug production sets him apart from the pack. ‘Smackman’ is no exception. The title track’s murky drums and spiralling acid motifs create an irresistible intensity, while on ‘I-Thought’ every drum sound and hi-hat is ideally placed. Combined with a plunging bass, it’s impossible not to wiggle your hips to.
Forget those Keane comparisons; Thirteen Senses are sounding more like Starsailor as each day passes. Despite this affliction, this single is startlingly accomplished, and boasts the type of production that suggests their label is grooming them for success of Coldplay proportions.
Stop press! Song in rerecorded-version-better-than-original shocker! While the track from Through The Window Pane sounded like a Christmas bid for No. 1 – and we know how dire they are – they’ve beefed up the production whilst losing none of the track’s better qualities. The result is a pop song that’s as leftfield as you could get without tipping over the edge of the earth, and a fantastic choice of single.
No surprises then to discover that the fourth album from this long-time Dublin punk collective sounds exactly like you expect it to. Cue blood curdling vocals, fuzzy speeded-up guitars and car-crash drumming. But despite their “stuck in a time-warp” musical ambitions the production here is pretty impressive and they remain unrepentantly faithful to the genre
The Duran Duran sound and Suede-like lyrics in ‘She Waits For Me’ all lend themselves well to an excellent historical reconstruction of another musical era. A slick production, the big guitar sound has all the right festival twang and shriek to it. “We want to make pop music cool again,” goes their manifesto, so it’s up to you whether to take that as a gesture of optimism or a snide dig.
Caribou (AKA Dan Snaith, formerly known as Manitoba) makes music that is more compelling on paper than on record. ‘Melody Day’, for instance, features a mixture of surf guitar, bedroom laptronica and blissful psychedelia. Sounds exciting? Well, it’s not. The song is brusque and busy, and the production attempts to cram rather too much into a tight space. Frustrating, as there is a great track buried in here somewhere.
Alex Smoke gives production line minimalists an education with this informed selection, the common thread being the firm nod to early-to-mid-‘90s Detroit and dub techno.
Messiah J And The Expert’s wonderfully titled Now This I Have To Hear (insert clever “Now this you have to hear” comment here) put rap firmly on the Dublin ‘Can do’ list.
While you won’t be jumping around the place shouting about roofs going up in flames with ‘Place Your Bets’, you will be very impressed by the lyrics, and more than a little excited about the production. Next up: Messiah J retires and The Expert develops his own clothing line.
Released on Delsin, Europe’s main flag carrier for the melancholic end of the Motor City spectrum, this album rarely raises the tempo to dance floor level, but Ross compensates with shining, glimmering production that has echoes of Model 500 and Carl Craig.
Having previously threatened to break to prominence some years back, Cork band The Fallen return after a serious of line-up changes and what they describe as “bad luck”. The bad luck carries into the production of their debut EP with badly recorded and hollow sounding drums frustrating throughout. Nonetheless ‘Generationless’ is sharp and spiky enough to impress whilst the sublime ‘Waiting For The Dark’ indicates there’s more here then just cranking it up to eleven.
It’s hard to believe that ‘Mr No’ was made back in 1980, before UR were even in high school. A deep space electro track, its tight, metallic breaks, rich, haunting chords and grinding bassline wouldn’t sound out of place on a modern production. Joakim’s mix is respectful to the original, retaining its key components, just adding a shuffling, clubby beat.
Great manifesto (anti capitalism/sexism, pro-feminist/Berlin). Nice packaging (George Monbiot articles on a fold-out faux-Guardian). Excellent production (Christian Vogel takes them away from deadpan electroclash to somewhere between his ‘Rescate 137’ and Super_Collider projects crossed with guitars). But the simplistic and irritating Slits-inspired lyrics render this all but unlistenable to all but the most militant fan.
‘Pain’ has a slightly harder edge than anything from Jimmy Eat World’s eponymous breakthrough album, which could be as much down to the presence of Gil Norton (Foo Fighters, Pixies) behind the production desk as to any masterplan to outgrow the teeny-rocker tag they’ve been unfairly lumbered with on this side of the Atlantic.
In Dublin’s Nine IX Lives, we have that rarest of things – a convincing Irish rock band. Although they nail their colours firmly to the punk-pop mast, there’s a definite metal edge at work here, right from the opening riffs and their early Iron Maiden feel. It’s not perfect by any means (the production needs to be meatier and at six tracks they’re stretching their material a bit) but this is hugely encouraging stuff.
The Kildare alt-indie group unleash their debut single, and even though it sounds as if it was recorded in their bedroom with an Alba hi-fi, if you look past the production values (it was paid for by their hard-earned money, after all), there’s plenty going on. With ‘Messed Up’, you get the impression that they’re not interested in following any trend. That said, they’ve a rhythmic stance similar to Republic Of Loose in ‘Toe To Toe’, which is actually no bad thing.
A Belfast band on a Dublin label with their musical vision cast further afield, Panda Kopanda are keeping all their bases covered. Weighing in at a meaty five tracks, their second release suggests that they’re not short of confidence in their own material. A DIY approach leaves it all lacking a bit in the production department, although it suits their left field attitude to all things guitar-orientated. Fans of the US underground should definitely make their acquaintance.
The opening track on Bay Area goth/metal/punk outfit AFI’s new effort beckons us to join them in their macabre dance of thrash melodies and is the first indication of a simple hardcore album being fed to the sharks of over-production.
Like much of Haye’s second album, The Roads Don’t Love You, ‘Undercover’ is bland and distinctly average. The sense of intimacy, and indeed the delicate nature of Haye’s songwriting, which made Night On My Side so special is lost amid the bigger production. Often ‘Undercover’ sounds dead and lifeless; Hayes’ vocals, less subtle than before, lack honesty, with the previous sexiness to her phrasing now sounding forced. Dull.
Edwin James is electronic in sound but punk by nature. He set up his own label as a platform for his work and has brought his mixture of electro and techno to every bar, club and live venue in the country. Despite his DIY attitude, one gets the feeling that ‘Electronix’ is merely a warm up for the main event. James’s production is pristine throughout and he certainly has an ear for melody, but ‘Electronix’ displays too much reverence for the past. Once he steps out from the shadows of those he eulogises, we can expect to hear a masterpiece.
The Australian born pin-up boy has racked-up 5 US no 1’s and a heap of Grammy nominations over the past couple of years with his country-inflected pop/rock. This European introduction to his undoubted talents compiles his two previous albums Be Here and Golden Road. It’s all very impressive stuff with Urban’s appealing voice matched with catchy songs. The undoubted highlight is the big-production ballad ‘Raining On Sunday’.
Mary J. Blige has always commanded the respect of her peers, and as usual the album features an abundance of movers and shakers like Missy Elliot and Dr Dre on production.
Having snubbed his You’re A Star prize of a deal with Universal in exchange for same with rival label Sony, Mickey Harte has made it clear that singing other people’s half-botched pop rejects was only ever part of the plan. Still, you’ve got to give the guy props for even agreeing to this particular number at all: it sounds like three different songs glued together, badly at that, with cheese-o-rama production adding distinctly to the foul noise in my ears. Avoid where possible.
With a thriving scene developing in Cork, local three-piece rock outfit Eve of Mind have steadily attracted acclaim. Their latest release sees them treading similar angular terrain to Editors and Director, particularly on the EP's title track. Lyrically, however, Ger Buckley and company fail to impress. Minimalist production presents problems, too. A darker, more menacing tone creeps into b-side ‘Come On Down’, though again poetic naivety scuppers proceedings.
The New York based Lorson makes gorgeously
understated music which truly deserves to be heard. The combination of her
mellow, slightly ragged voice, her engaging melodies and low-key production
make this a must for Americana fans.
Follow-up to the superb Filth & Fire album sees the Louisiana-born singer-songwriter (pronounced go-shay- y’all) once gain explore the underbelly of life. With sparse production and atmospheric backing, her half sung, half spoken lyrics conjure up a world of sinners, losers and doomed lovers - Southern Gothic at its very best in other words.
Recorded in the French Black Box studios by Kittser/Mic Christopher production impresario Karl Odlum, Ann Scott’s ‘Madness’ is a warm, shimmering, uplifting number that offers an alternative take on the female singer songwriter vibe.
Their combined backgrounds, great songs, production by Jayhawk Gary Louris and stellar backing from a host of Americana notables makes this a sure-fire alt. country winner.
Waterford band The Heard have recently picked up some notable plaudits from the likes of Alison Curtis at Today FM, and at times it's easy to see why. Raw production lends a hint of punk energy to their otherwise straight melodic rock songs. 'Holiday Camp' brings to mind Modern Life Is Rubbish-era Blur whilst 'Shame' has the swagger and punch of The Undertones and the melodies of The Stunning. If there is a criticism, it's that the songs lack imagination. Decent enough nonetheless.
The Vampire’s Assistant could pass for a Bosco Halloween episode. This is, contrary to the crummy production design, meant to be an epic tale of good versus evil.
[open all night DVDJoe D’Urso is a Jersey Shore musician much loved by Springsteen fans and with a similar street-corner sound and approach. As the title states this is a concert video shot during a recent Italian tour. However, the low production values make this barely watchable and does him no favours at all.
Ten out of ten for presentation. It’s just a shame that they didn’t put as much time and effort into the production. Some of these 11 songs sound like they were recorded in a hayshed.
So here it finally is: the long-awaited return of The Thrills. In their absence, their legendary status has oddly increased. Unfortunately for them, they’ve also returned to a domestic scene where the bigger Irish bands are on the cusp of something amazing, and the smaller acts are creating a real air of excitement. In this context, more of the same just doesn’t cut it. It’s radio-friendly, sunny and memorable, thanks in part to Conor Deasy’s unique singing and Tony Hoffer’s spot-on production, but they certainly didn’t spend their three years working on a new direction. Here’s hoping that Teenager will prove that something – anything – changes around here.
Aspiring John Cassavetteses, Sam Mendeses and Martin Scorseses take note: Lights, Camera, Action - a seminar on video editing and production organised by Apple Computers - comes to the Music Centre on January 29
A refreshingly honest, soulful and intoxicating melting pot throughout, Cockahoop is essentially a pop album that sticks two fingers up to the sophisticated sheen and FX-laden production trickery of most of its contemporary cousins.
Its industrial swamp rock production is also largely unrepresentative of the rest of the album, but Mütter is full of meticulous attention to sonic detail.
Rough Magic is back with another barnstorming production, Don Carlos, a tale of deceit and corruption set in 16th century Spain. The play’s Rory Keenan explains why its gloomy message has a 21st century resonance.
A newer name on the domestic scene, this three-tracker is the northside Dubliners’ first attempt to stamp their sound on plastic. It suffers noticeably from poor production, but looking past that, they’re chock-full of ideas and they’re not afraid to use ‘em. Employing electronics liberally but still keeping plenty of organic sounds (‘The A Tune’s guitar in particular sounds good enough to eat), the four-piece come across like a cheery mix between Joy Division, The Futureheads and Boxer Rebellion. Like nothing you’ve ever heard before, basically, which is a good thing. A very good thing.
Mehdi’s the latest off Ed Banger’s increasingly suspect production line – but while the others gradually reveal themselves as empty vessels, the Parisian is the only one actually making a decent noise.
Allien is the boss of the slightly oddball electro/techno production line that is Berlin’s Bpitch Control – so no surprises on what to expect here. Thing is, it’s brilliant – a dark, intoxicating trip that says much even though she says little. It’s imbibed with a warmth and depth that’s strking.
Kirk De Giorgio’s used to release beautifully fragile dance floor music as As One, and the mid-’90s ‘Reflections’ and ‘Celestial Soul’ albums were responsible for getting me into techno music in the first place. Nowadays, As One favours a jazzier, more live sound, but each production on ‘Folklore 2’ exudes a warmth that sets it apart from wine bar jazz banality. ‘Blueshift’ is a tripped out electro funk that makes nods to Herbe Hancock’s back catalogue, while ‘It’s All Turning Blue’ and ‘Irradiant’ use airy Detroit strings’n’synths to guarantee DeGiorgio’s funk meanderings are magical rather than mundane.
With a growing media profile, a Basement Jaxx remix and a subject matter tuned into the cultural zeitgeist, you’d be hard pushed to see how Lady Sovereign’s ‘Hoodie’ could be anything but a rip-roaring success. Yet something’s not quite right. It certainly rattles along at an invigorating pace and is blessed with some choice one liners but maybe it’s the fact that the melody isn’t strong enough to compete with everything else that’s going on.
In comparison to Sov’s big production, C-Mone’s track sounds like it was recorded on a lap-top in her bedroom but is the more effective of the two. With a lyric that takes in the famine in Sudan, gun culture and old age pensioners struggling to pay council tax, C-Mone could have it in her to give M.I.A. a run for the Brit-hop crown.
With a growing media profile, a Basement Jaxx remix and a subject matter tuned into the cultural zeitgeist, you’d be hard pushed to see how Lady Sovereign’s ‘Hoodie’ could be anything but a rip-roaring success. Yet something’s not quite right. It certainly rattles along at an invigorating pace and is blessed with some choice one liners but maybe it’s the fact that the melody isn’t strong enough to compete with everything else that’s going on.
In comparison to Sov’s big production, C-Mone’s track sounds like it was recorded on a lap-top in her bedroom but is the more effective of the two. With a lyric that takes in the famine in Sudan, gun culture and old age pensioners struggling to pay council tax, C-Mone could have it in her to give M.I.A. a run for the Brit-hop crown.
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to describe UK garage genii Artful Dodger as the most exciting dance act to emerge since Orbital first got our jaws dropping back in the early 1990s. Welding state-of-the-art technology to a pure pop sensibility, the production duo of Mark Hill and Pete Devereux have racked up four blistering hit singles in a year.
The ante has been upped on every level – the playing, singing, presentation and production – and the songs sound less like the jumbled collection of ideas of yore and more like genuine contenders.
Specialising in bluesy rock ‘n roll, there’s a touch of the Kings Of Leon about Dubliners Porn Trauma. Their often raucous debut EP offers an interestiong sample of what the four piece are about. A live track, an alt-country ballad and a classic rock number are all included and, though marred by slight production, there’s plenty to get excited about. The title track in particular is a revelation.
The extremely swish and sonically streamlined production will put off those who like their electronic music a little more rough and ready, but those who prefer their grooves to be as smoothly atmospheric as possible cannot fail be impressed.
EXTREMELY COOL is right. Not every Charlie-come-lately touting his second album can boast an endorsement from Willie Dixon on the cover, credit executive production duties to Johnny Depp, and feature major contributions in the songwriting, production and vocal departments from none other than Tom Waits. Mr. Weiss is connected.
This batch of twelve new cuts finds Randy Travis mining a familiar vein – accessible songs and a sparkling production polished to US country radio perfection.
While there’s nothing on this newie to replace ‘Rio’ or ‘Girls On Film’, there’s a style and depth in both the production and performances to make it worth watching Top Of The Pops again.
And while the quality dips in places, thanks to a restrained and niftily back-referencing production job from Flood, it’s never anything less than an interesting listen.
Given her association with The Strokes (Gordon Raphael sits at the production helm) and history of touring with bands like the Kings Of Leon, one might reasonably approach Regina Spektor’s major label debut with certain expectations – drums, guitars, that sort of thing for a start. Should we be surprised, then, to find that this is a largely solo piano-and-voice kind of record?
While Busted fans may marvel at the ‘innovative’ rock sounds on the album, the more discerning listener may well see through the production gimmicks and feel slightly shortchanged after the experience.
Tthe heart of the band still lies very much in the hands of the Blake, Love and McGinley trio and their desire to craft simple yet effective guitar pop. Indeed, Man-Made puts the emphasis very much on the simple, opting for a back-to-basics approach to production that sadly leaves it a decidedly underwhelming listen.
While Marc Carroll is definitely possessed of a considerable talent, this solo outing unfortunately sees him spreading it too thinly over writing, playing and production duties
The formula employed on Try Everything 2wice is straightforward and wholly unoriginal, yet thoroughly enjoyable: monster riffs, beefy production and lyrics so cliché-ridden that Feeder would dismiss them for lacking depth.
Bell X1’s debut album displays a touching uncertainty. Apart from the robust vanguard of ‘Pinball Machine’ and the confident swish of ‘Man On Mir,’ Neither Am I has a preponderance of translucent ballads. Most of these, while genuinely lovely, are not as striking as they might be, due to the distant, dreamy production style.
Todd Terry is the hombre who put the "hard" into Hard House, a pump-out-the-jams freelancer with a mercenary bent and an unsentimental attitude towards the production of music. No surprise then, that Terry's latest opus is as tough as old Bootsy: the snare sounds alone are as toned as Madonna's midriff.
After seven albums the tried and tested Beautiful South formula of sophisticated melodies, transparent production and quirky lyrics is wearing a bit thin, if not actually verging on the irritable.
Most ‘garage’ bands with half a budget sound like an over-egged simulacrum of the rehearsal room, but Modern Apprentice is brilliantly realised in the production department, tapped direct from the players’ power sources. Bottom line: Ikara Colt make a splendid noise, it just belongs to someone else.
Liam Lawton is an off-duty priest who writes and sings, and is packaged here in an impressive widescreen production, blending elements of new age bombast with mildly interesting philosophising about the nature of time.
Overall, the ultra-smooth consistency of the homegrown production and Gartside’s sugar-coated vocals could make this album a monotonous experience for non-fans.
Despite its lofty language, this film appears to have been made on a TV production budget. But it still boasts an interesting plotline and a convincing heroine.
The Discovery Of A World Inside The Moone is not nearly as pretentious as the title would suggest. It is simply the third album of glorious guitar pop from US eccentrics, The Apples In Stereo, whose frontman, Rob Schneider’s CV includes production duties for The Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel, as well as guesting on Cornelius’ well-received Fantasma.
It’s a shame, really, given her overwhelming potential, that Milian has chosen to emulate Beyoncé so pointedly, not only in appearance, but in musical bent. Ultimately, It’s About Time suffers from uncreative, cheap-sounding production; a paradox, given its almost slavish dedication to the teachings of Pharrell Williams. A scantily-clad teen popstrel is a many splendoured thing; why they insist on putting out so many stunningly mediocre records remains a mystery.
Lou Barlow’s efforts with grunge-pioneers Dinosaur Jr generally took a back seat to frontman J Mascis, while his subsequent work with Sebadoh and Folk Implosion was often unhelpfully mired in no-fi under-production. So his first real solo album, much of it recorded at his home in LA (home-emoh, get it?) sees him crawl from under the noise to deliver a very personal selection of indie folk tracks that bear comparison with the introspection of more mainstream singer-songwriters like Neil Young or Jackson Browne.
Track after track comes out of the speakers, nipping at your ankles like some overexcited dog that you can’t shake off no matter how hard you try. The production from Bloc Party/Futureheads man Paul Epworth is sparkling and the songs wed pop and punk in perfect manner, all delivered in the deliciously broad Newcastle tones of singer Paul Smith. It reaches a crescendo with the glorious ‘Going Missing’, at which point it seems that Maximo Park can do no wrong. Unfortunately, from then in they start to struggle a tad.
A rethink in the production department (Steve Jordan's on the board) means some of the gunk has been scraped off the Explosion's bright pink fuck machine and the fenders have been given a good waxing. Some, I said, not much
An even more unfortunate entry into the thwarted-nuptials genre than any of its recent predecessors (The Runaway Bride, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Wedding Singer etc.) it is truly mind-boggling that The Wedding Planner was ever green-lighted for production, let alone how it managed to become a starring vehicle for pop-princess Lopez.
This is the second haunted-house flick in the last month, but where My Little Eye attempted to compensate for its budgetary constraints with lively inventiveness, Halloween: Resurrection tries to paper over its utterly unabashed lack of originality with glossy high production values
Producers to the stars, Deep Dish have won numerous awards (including two Grammys), supported Madonna, remixed The Stones, Michael and Janet, The Pet Shop Boys and many more, played Versace couture fashion shows, DJed in the world’s most famous clubs, have had plenty of top 20 hits and were voted the second best DJ/ production outfit in the world by Rolling Stone magazine.
Producers to the stars, Deep Dish have won numerous awards (including two Grammys), supported Madonna, remixed The Stones, Michael and Janet, The Pet Shop Boys and many more, played Versace couture fashion shows, DJed in the world’s most famous clubs, have had plenty of top 20 hits and were voted the second best DJ/ production outfit in the world by Rolling Stone magazine.
Here’s the deal. You can have the full bells-and-whistles Nick & the Bad Seeds production with all its attendant kinetics and dynamics, staged in a high-ceilinged cow palace or festival tent, or you can take your chances on the more roughshod and ragged-gloried variety up close and in your face in Vicar St, which isn’t nearly as slick but affords plenty of rarified moments.
His take on crunk (which is so generic it feels generous to even call it a “take”) feels flimsy and devoid of hooks, although the lightly Carribean production touches do show a smidgeon of promise.
This melting pot of sound is like Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes fronting a band made up of members of Arcade Fire and Elbow, with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke handling production duties.
It’s a classy production and no mistake. Beautifully crafted from Hideo Nakata’s spectacularly spooky J-horror, this Hollywood remake just screams quality.
When the news came through it was well after midnight. The Hot Press production crew were doing their usual crazy stint trying to pin the beast down, and put it to bed. In the middle of the mayhem and the pressure, it still came as a terrible shock.
On record, it is sometimes easy for the quality of Beck’s singing to be lost amid the bells and whistles of post-production. Here, a combination of pristine sound quality and the pared-back nature of the performance allows the richness and emotion of his voice to take centre stage
ANYONE familiar with the concept of a 'production weekend' will understand why Hot Pressers attending last Saturday's Support JIM Gig made a graceful exit at around midnight.
On paper this recipe should only work when disasters are the special of the day; take some down-your-throat production values, stir in guitars big enough to fill the most ravenous appetite, nourishing Led Zep drums, some unapologetic spice for the soul, hippy-dippy lyrics, bird song, Johnny Foreigners singing in strange tongues, lavish helpings of sitars and tablas, a telephone ringing, a bagpipe to taste, and, er, the kitchen sink.
Semi-officially, Modern Times is being touted as the third in a trilogy that began with 1997’s Time Out Of Mind and the follow up Love and Theft. Recorded with his current touring band and produced by Dylan himself, it treads very similar territory sonically with that raw, live feel and no-nonsense, almost 1950’s production that made his last two albums so compelling.
It is never a particularly auspicious sign when a film hangs around in post-production for over a year, and in The Thirteenth Warrior’s case, the process has been so protracted that director John McTiernan’s subsequent feature (the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair) has already beaten it to the big screen.
For all the state-of-the-art urban production, there’s something distinctly unsavoury about Blackout. And yet, the truly bizarre thing is, the music is top notch.
"We didn't want it to be the same type of production, Reckoning is less of a mood record, more of a song record". Thus R.E.M. guitarist, Peter Buck on the reasoning behind Reckoning. For once, the pre-sell of the press-release contains the truth.
While the arrangements, production and execution of ideas are as excellent as you’d expect the songwriting is surprisingly lightweight and indistinctive.
She has won rave notices – and more than a few awards – for her turns in Bloody Sunday and Hamlet. Now Kathy Kiera Clarke is to star in The Abbey’s new production of George Farquhar’s The Recruiting Officer.
She has won rave notices for her turns in Bloody Sunday and Hamlet. Now Kathy Kiera Clarke is to star in The Abbey’s new production of The Recruiting Officer.
It all went to hell when he started calling himself The King Of Pop. The backroom boys work their usual production juju, but Invincible has the air of everything Prince has done since Diamonds & Pearls: beautifully crafted tracks, top-notch performances, not a blemish in the merchandise (unless of course it was put there on purpose) but still light years from his best work.
Alice and Blood Money are Siamese twinsets written by Waits and his wife Kathleen Brennan for a stage production directed by Texan image alchemist Robert Wilson
In the 80s, every second person you met was setting up a video production company. I was reminded me of the late Peter Cook s response when he met an out-of-work actor at a party and on being told he was writing a novel, Cook retorted, What a coincidence, neither am I!
Today, instead of writing novels or setting up video production companies, setting up websites is the buzz phrase, especially for those associated with young bands.
Last week, I was surprised – and rather tickled, if the truth be known – to get a call from Larry Bass, CEO of Screentime ShinAwiL, the production company behind You’re A Star – the third series of which is set to take the headline slot on RTÉ every Sunday night for 17 weeks commencing in November.
The success of The Frames, Juliet Turner and Damien Rice – amongst others has inspired a new do it yourself attitude among Irish musicians and bands, who are no longer prepared to wait for the imprimatur of a major label to get their records made. Here Hot Press presents a step by step guide to becoming a DIY record magnate. Words: Tanya Sweeney. Additional reporting: Jackie Hayden
The success of The Frames, Juliet Turner and Damien Rice – amongst others has inspired a new do it yourself attitude among Irish musicians and bands, who are no longer prepared to wait for the imprimatur of a major label to get their records made. Here Hot Press presents a step by step guide to becoming a DIY record magnate. Words: Tanya Sweeney. Additional reporting: Jackie Hayden
Wilde's most famous play has been given a daring make-over. One of the stars, Tadhg Murphy, explains why Wilde would have appreciated an all-male version
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
The Dublin Theatre Festival is fast approaching its 50th anniversary, but the organisers haven’t let anticipation of next year distract them from the task in hand. There’s a rake of quality shows to check out over the coming weeks, from Ibsen to Leonard Cohen.
Modesty doesn't forbid us drawing your attention to a new book on Irish comedy, in which this here organ plays a small but, dare we say it (and yes we do),
significant role. By our special correspondent E. Gomaniac.
IT MAY be hard to explain, but we’ve all witnessed great acting – in our favourite movie, play or television programme (or simply when your lover claims that she, or he didn’t betray you, despite the fact that you caught them in the act).
The Dublin Theatre Festival celebrates its 45th birthday in 2002 with a quality combination of classic and more recent works in musical theatre, comedy and drama
The Dublin Theatre Festival celebrates its 45th birthday in 2002 with a quality combination of classic and more recent works in musical theatre, comedy and drama
STEPHEN ROBINSON talks to former CROWDED HOUSE bassist NICK SEYMOUR about the band s break-up, their rarieties collection and his nascent career as a producer.
Having previously worked with directors of the stature of Danny Boyle and Anthony Minghella, and with a role as the main villain in the next Batman movie in the offing, Cillian Murphy is one of the hottest young actors around. Joe Jackson caught up with murphy to discuss his central role in Garry Hynes’ version of Synge’s famous play, the Playboy of the Western World.
Nailed is a heist movie with a difference. It’s been written, produced and shot in Belfast. Director Adrian O’Connell believes it could revitalise the north’s film industry.
This year there is one striking feature of the Dublin Theatre Festival which would suggest that the Capital’s two key theatres are not making too much of an effort for the event.
with a higher profile internationally than at home, and the support of heavyweight friends, The Devlins have recorded an impressive third album. COLM O'HARE reports
DUBLIN'S OLYMPIA is one of the city's great venues for late night rock gigs that roll the music right back to its base on the streets, and among the community.
Joe Jackson talks to John Kilby, founding member of famed French theatre company Footsbarn, who are set to light up the George’s Dock Festival this June with Perchance To Dream, their lively and imaginative reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.
BEING OUT of the country on holidays means I have yet to see the latest interpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Gate Theatre) but one fellow journalist did describe it as "a menopausal sex fantasy".
Six Semesters could be the first independent Irish feature film with an entire cast and crew made up of students from an Irish university. Jackie Hayden goes behind the casting couch with director John McKeown.
With over twenty-one years experience in pro audio, Richard Dowling is the man responsible for making Interpol, Foo Fighters, The Undertones and countless others sound good!
Newly divorced from the Theatre Festival, this year’s Magnet Entertainment Dublin Fringe Festival is a more compact but also more diverse event than ever before.
It’s Sunday night, sometime past midnight. In the snooty setting of the DEAF VIP Bar, deep within the bowels of the Guinness Storehouse, hotpress meets with a jovial Paul St. Hilaire - all smiles and white, moussy moustache, busy lining up his complementary pints before closing time.
It’s Sunday night, sometime past midnight. In the snooty setting of the DEAF VIP Bar, deep within the bowels of the Guinness Storehouse, hotpress.com meets with a jovial Paul St. Hilaire - all smiles and white, moussy moustache, busy lining up his complementary pints before closing time.
This fortnight s postbag brings another serious dilemma from an unsigned Irish band. Last year they recorded a demo and it aroused some record company interest.
She made her name as one of Ireland’s leading stand-ups. Now Deirdre O'Kane is channelling her comic skills into a bittersweet study of a dissolving relationship.
DAVID HEFFERNAN pays tribute to the producer/director whose many and varied professional credits included some defining images of Irish and international music
Joe Jackson talks to Dawn Bradfield, star of Poor Beast In The Rain, the latest instalment in playwright Billy Roche’s widely acclaimed Wexford trilogy.
Watching an Oscar Wilde play in full flight is one thing, right? As in Alan Stanford s meticulously directed version of An Ideal Husband, now running at Dublin s Gate Theatre.
Declan Lynch's acclaimed account of an alcoholic coming to terms with his self-destructive past has been adapted for the stage and is proving to be a hit all over again.
Angeline Ball tells Joe Jackson why she s delighted to get away from her image as that bimbo from The Commitments , with her role in The Plough And The Stars.
He’s best known for his bout of fisticuffs with Jack White but nowadays it’s the dire situation of his native Detroit that is foremost on the mind of The Von Bondies’ Jason Stollsheimer.
Flora Montgomery is one of Ireland's brghtest stars of stage and screen. She may have achieved a career high as the curvaceous criminal lead in When Brendan Met Trudy. But, as Stephen Robinson discovered, you don’t want to ask her about her nude scenes
IT’S PROBABLY a little too blatant to run a line of comparison between the newer, younger breed of comedians, like Sean Hughes, and comic-actors like Eamon Morrissey. However, one distinct difference is that Sean has a TV series and Eamon hasn’t.
Fossil fuels are running out and few countries are so vulnerable to an oil shock as Ireland. With an unprecedented energy crisis on the horizon, a conference in Dublin will explore possible solutions. But is it too late?
Following up one of the biggest dance choons of 2008 couldn’t have been an easy task for cosmically-minded production duo SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO. Maestro primate number one Jas Shaw puts it down to a little bit of crafty collaborating and a lot of vintage *nsync records.
Killarney-based instrumental foursome HELIOPAUSE say they’re keen to keep rock ‘n’ roll alive in the Kingdom. We caught up with drummer Jamie O’Donoghue to talk mountains, his instrumental icons and supporting fellow sticks man R.S.A.G.Punk, Mark Morrison with Muse and Bob Marley with TLC, they show real production potential.
Techno duo Echospace have earned a devoted cult following – and caused quite a commotion on eBay – thanks to their imaginative reinvention of old-school production techniques.
He found fame in Queer As Folk and is currently to be seen in the acclaimed US crime drama The Wire. Now Aidan Gillen is burning up the Irish stage in an acclaimed new production of a David Mamet classic.
They’ve turned their back on breezy pop production and embraced a soulful, indie groove. Belle And Sebastian talk about the making of what might just be their finest record to date.
Hotpress hitch a ride on the Wilt tour bus for the band’s whistle-stop tour of Europe. For tales of on-stage abandon, backstage debauchery and bizarre drumming accidents, read on. Plus Cormac Battle’s tour diary
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. …
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.
For a man with 200 production credits to his various aliases, chris cowie is still relatively unknown. this is all set to change with the release of his best behaviour compilation. richard brophy meets the man of many monikers
GEORGE MARTIN was intrinsic to much of The Beatles brilliance. Now he s coming to Dublin for a series of special concerts. GEORGE BYRNE sets the scene.
Glasgow on the morning of the release of Deacon Blue's second album, "When The World Knows Your Name", is bathed in sunshine boasting a skyline view of the drive from the airport that is in sharp contrast to the image entrenched on the cover of the band's debut album "Raintown". Bright and sharp, the morning reflects the initial impressions of the new record, the bustle of the first rush-hour of the day reflecting the urgency of the opening tracks, "Queen Of The New Year'', "Wages Day" and "Real Gone Kid".
Having already triumphed at this year's National Student Music Awards, ambitious Waterford quartet Floyd Soul & The Wolf are determined to go on to even greater success.
Spiritualized are back with a new album which confirms Jason Pierce’s theory that “the best music is made by people who are out of control.” Loving the alien:
Government indignation and empty promises characterise China’s response to CD and DVD piracy, which flourishes in the country. Irish artists like U2, Westlife and Enya are bootleggers’ staple sellers. And Mary Black gets ripped off too. Mark Godfrey reports
With a major role in the new Ned Kelly biopic, dubliner Laurence Kinlan is being widely tipped as the next big thing. Just don’t mention ‘The Northsider Colin Farrell’, is all.
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.
Tanya Sweeney talks to Hot Hot Heat frontman Steve Bays about guitarist Dante DeCaro’s departure from the band, the creation of their long-awaited new album Elevator, trading Nirvana’s producer for Marilyn Manson’s, and why Ireland remains a favourite destination on the group’s itinerary.
The Subtonics first came to our attention when they attempted to sabotage last year's hotpress award's ceremony with a nearby rooftop gig. But what have they done for us lately? Stephen Robinson Sub-scribes
Swayzak continue to be refreshingly out of step with dancefloor norms. Richard Brophy hears about the duo’s latest offering – club grooves for your sitting room
Few things faze gary louris and marc perlman, the original members of the jayhawks. In fact, their only regret is that they don t have breasts. Interview: Peter Murphy.
THERE probably isn’t any other play quite as relevant to the changing political landscape in Ireland right now as A Night In November by Marie Jones. It’s currently running in Eamon Doran’s, on the site of the former Rock Garden, and focuses on the experience of a young Northern Protestant, who finds he must completely re-evaluate his life and attitudes after attending a qualifying match between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in Belfast’s Windsor Park and then following the Irish teak to New York.
Ireland’s energy policy seems remarkably generous to the exploration companies. Especially if, according to riggers, they have been playing a waiting game before they bring Ireland’s oil and gas to shore.
Theo, aka Terry Quigley, did time in One Half Monk, but now fronts Theo and the Red Beats. Jackie Hayden uncovers the background to their debut album Get What You Came For.
Low priced guitars and pianos manufactured in China are music to the ears of Western music fans: Mark Godfrey reports from the biggest music expo in Asia.
PAUL BRADY’s long association with US legend BONNIE RAITT has been one of his most successful, particularly in terms of enhancing his reputation as a world ranking songwriter
The Lovebox festival returns to Dublin with a stellar line-up including Maximo Park, N*E*R*D, Paolo Nutini and Gorillaz Soundsystem. We talk to organisers Groove Armada.
He’s just knocked Lady GaGa off the top of the UK charts with his banging new single ‘I’m Not Alone’. So why is CALVIN HARRIS so worried about sounding like an oldie chasing after his fading youth?
Kevin Rowland, whose Dexy's Midnight Runner's album Don't Stand Me Down has just been re-released in a radically new version tells Stephen Robinson "Never say never" when asked about a possible Dexy's reunion
Mothers disowned their kids. The kids fought each other. And the fathers… well, those who weren’t utterly inconsolable with grief did the only thing any grown man could do in such a situation – they phoned Joe Duffy and gave him an earful. For a few feverish, unhinged days in the build-up to World Cup 2002, the fallout from the Roy Keane/Mick McCarthy bust-up in Saipan divided the nation in a manner not seen since, well…
Spanish husband and wife writing/directing team, Dominic Harari and Teresa Pelegri, have learned to live as a two-headed monster, putting all the drama on screen.
The great news is that, owing largely to the familial, accessible and organic feel of the Irish music scene, the place is teeming with official bodies, advisory and educational organisations whose purpose is to put you and your label on the right track. Below is a list of some of the most immediately relevant
From obscure Australian character actor to fan-boy pin-up, it has been a long, strange trip for Hugo Weaving. His latest turn, as a masked anti-hero, could be his definitive role.
Although still in their teens, the career of English popsters the Sugababes has been more eventful than most bands twice their age. Co-founder Mutya Buena tells us how they pulled through the dark times and why she’s pleasantly shocked at the NME’s coverage of the band
Forget Rod, Emu and gottles of geer david strassman s ventriloquism is the missing link between rock n roll and Bill Hicks. barry glendenning meets the
puppet master. Pix: cathal dawson.
He may have just re-launched his stuttering acting career with a charming Ken Loach rom-com but that’s not to say Eric Cantona has lost any of his zen instructability.
Despite the beliefs of many misguided Americans, paula cole has no intention of giving up her singing career to look after a macho cowboy. colm o?hare feels neglected.
And our wombs. Under the cloak of so-called free trade agreements, and using genetic engineering as a weapon, a small number of corporations are not only seeking to control and exploit the global market they have also begun to establish a patent on life itself.
Report: Adrienne Murphy
"I've made another great movie, and the critics have already said it's a great summer hit," Arnold Schwarzenegger declared at Cannes recently, promoting his latest bid for world domination, "The Last Action Hero".
Two Icelandic natives who came together in London and have carved out a niche playing supremely melodic, melancholy pop music – boy-girl duo The Honeymoon look to be here for the long run.
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.
Is style important? We asked six musicians, and the answer was a resounding ‘you betcha’.
Step forward Maria Tecce, Jerry Fish, Gabriela, Ollie Cole, Nina Hynes and Bjorn Baillie
Violinist Zöe Conway has moved from classical violin toward a more traditional style, impressing such trad legends as Bill Whelan and Steve Cooney in the process
Dave Caplice is a man with a knack for being in the right place at the right time. So far, he’s recorded with Wizardz Of Oz, played at Washington’s White House and signed a five-album deal with Telstar, and he’s only just begun
Come Into The Garden
Colm O'Hare meets Fionnuala Sherry, the only Irish person to win the Eurovision for Norway and half of new age superstar group Secret Garden
When we catch up with Bell X1 frontman Paul Noonan on a fine August afternoon, he’s bracing himself for a grueller of an autumn schedule that will begin with a handful of festival appearances – including an Electric Picnic set – and culminate in full-on month-long European and US tours. Reading dispatches from the band’s recent blogs, it’s apparent that the landscape of modern touring is far from Beat Generation romance and way closer to a Ballardian landscape of endless petrol stations, motorways and ferry docks.
Once renowned as the doyen of new queer cinema, Far From Heaven director Todd Haynes has long since infiltrated the Hollywood mainstream. In a wide-ranging interview, he speaks about updating Douglas Sirk, seeing Pulp in Dublin and the parallels between American society today and in the 1950s.
Laughing in the face of a global music meltdown, Colin Devlin has temporarily exited The Devlins to release a solo album Democracy Of One and strike out on a world tour.
Caitlin Murphy's darkly comic new play imagines the relationship between Joyce's daughter and Beckett's wife, one which would have been fraught with tension and sexual jealousy
Joe Penhall's Blue/Orange depicts the battle for one man's soul being fought in the arena of a psychiatric institution. The play's star George Costigan tells all.
When it comes to selecting a condom for that steamy sexual encounter, the revolutionary Avanti leaves Mr Fred Brewster s Geronimo in the ha penny place. Report: adrienne murphy.
He’s just staggered off a tour-bus and could sleep for a week. But The Dears frontman Murray Lightburn digs deep and talks about the success of the band’s best-selling No Cities Left album
2003 was a year of reinvention for the Irish dance scene, as dance recession which had been the talk of UK dance mags in 2002 finally had some effect over here.
With titles like ‘Cum When You Cum’, ‘Cafe Necrofilia’ and ‘Wasted So Ferociously Stoned’, The Unsuspecting Public will probably not be playing at a folk mass anywhere near you in the forseeable future
Stepping out from under the shadow of Tricky – but refusing to leave her former amour entirely behind – Martina Topley Bird has staked her own claim with one of the albums of the year. Comparisons with Billie Holiday may be flattering but, as she tells Stuart Clark, she’s too “pig-headed” to be anyone other than herself
Joe Jackson talks to Paul Meade, director of Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing , the hugely successful examination of sexual politics which is currently enjoying an extended run at Andrew’s Lane Theatre.
He was supposed to be the new Tarantino. But Troy Duffy’s rampant ego destroyed his career before it ever really began. To make him feel even better, some friends caught his rise and fall (and fall..) on camera. The result is Overnight one of the most compelling documentaries in year.
Since their last outing as Tosca for the Delphi9 album, Richard Dorfmeister and Rupert Huber have both become fathers. Not that parenthood has in any way watered down their scintillating dance floor grooves, as Dorfmeister explains to Barry O’Donoghue
New York, London, Paris, Munich, everybody’s talking about Mylo’s music. The 25-year-old dancefloor maestro here sounds off to Steve Cummins about touring the globe, the challenges of following up his acclaimed debut album, and why maruading chavs won’t be enough to dissuade him from moving to Essex.
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.
KIERAN HALPIN's new live album, Glory Dayz, is the perfect vehicle for a man who hardly ever stops gigging. In a rare off-stage interlude, he talks to Colm O'hare.
This year’s Cannes Film Festival is set to be the most successful yet for the Irish film-making community, according to film board chief executive Mark Woods.
Currently reprising her role of Mrs. Johnstone in Willie Russell’s Blood Brothers, Rebecca Storm here enthuses about both the play and her own burgeoning musical career
COLM O HARE talks to MARY COUGHLAN about her upcoming show, LADY SINGS THE BLUES, a tribute to BILLIE HOLIDAY, and about the parallels between Holiday s life and her own.
THE WAR between the sexes certainly seems to be dominating Dublin stages these days. In The Mai at the Peacock, the male character is slowly marginalised, and in Refugees at the Eblana, the man exists only as an object of mockery, whose prick has been removed by his wife’s knife.
THE WAR between the sexes certainly seems to be dominating Dublin stages these days. In The Mai at the Peacock, the male character is slowly marginalised, and in Refugees at the Eblana, the man exists only as an object of mockery, whose prick has been removed by his wife’s knife.
KIM HOLLAND makes films, Collectors Only films. She is also a former Jehovah s Witness. PAUL O MAHONY reports from The Netherlands on a liberation struggle with a difference.
Musicologists often find it neater to trace the roots of soul, blues and rap back to their African origins. In the process, they can often avoid exploring the far untidier influence of the African-American entertainment tradition in which Cab Calloway was a pivotal player.
Former Prayer Boat frontman Emmet Tinley on the break-up of his old band, the challenges of forging his own solo career and the joys of artistic independence.
Plans for a film based on the life of Republican figurehead and Labour party founder James Connolly have received a boost with SIPTU agreeing to help finance the project.
With the demise of his former band, In Tua Nua, the future may not have looked too bright for Martin Clancy. Now, however, with the critically acclaimed Serious Women project under his belt, and a key role in the Advanced Technology College, the forecast is looking good. Interview: Colm O’Hare
The next generation of Stanley Kubricks cut their creative teeth on some of Ireland's finest bands: hotpress.com brings you video streaming of the completed works from the Tisch film school in New York
He’s best known as the voice of Soundgarden and Audioslave. But now grunge legend Chris Cornell has embarked on his most far-fetched adventure yet – a hook-up with uber-beatmaster Timbaland.
Enjoying parallels with works as diverse as Chekov’s Three Sisters and About Adam, Very Heaven looks set to be another success for dublin’s focus theatre. Joe Jackson talks to the show’s director, Bairbre Ni Chaoimh
Citing “irresolvable conflict”, grunge legend Chris Cornell has packed in his day job with Audioslave to pursue a solo career. Here, he explains why he’s decided to go it alone.
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.
Five years after the death of singer Michael Hutchence and with the release of the greatest hits compilation Definitive INXS, the biggest Australian rock outfit of the ’80s and ’90s are about to re-enter the live arena
They're Ireland's leading hip-hop duo but there's more to Messiah J & The Expert than gangsta stereotypes. Over brunch, they talk about their move towards using live instruments and their hotly-tipped new record.
With Franz Ferdinand sweeping all before them, Tanya Sweeney talks to Domino Records’ latest star in waiting – and favourite son of Ireland’s singer-songwriter community.
Sheffield native Tony Christie has come up with an intriguing album of cover versions that references Pulp, Human League and Arctic Monkeys among others.
Edwyn Collins, late of Orange Juice and whose third solo album was recently released, gets all acidic about the state of the music business. Interview: Patrick Brennan.
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.
We’ve been banging on for months about the utter fabulousness of CAT MALOJIAN - now, with the release of their latest album, the rest of the world is set to get a taste of their genius too.
Patrick Freyne talks to Ken McHugh of Autamata about his double life as artist and producer, his new album, Colours of Sound - and about moving to the country.
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.
That’s the routine for the incredibly busy Galway Bay Fm DJ Jon Richards, who also handles on the spot traffic reports from his spanking new Honda. And he’s up for a Meteor Award this year too!
The new musical based on Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane’s infamous bust-up in Saipan, I Keano, aims to bring closure to one of the most divisive conflicts in the nation's history. Colm O’Hare talks to the play’s writer Arthur Mathews and lead actor Risteárd Cooper.
By now one of the most esteemed events on the Irish cultural calendar, the Galway Arts Festival 2003 will once again bring you the best in contemporary theatre, literature, comedy and music
Sebastian Barry's new play Hinterland concerns the reflections of a former Taoiseach and his failed relationship with his family. Joe Jackson asks director Max Stafford-Clarke if the story is based on anyone in particular
That a bonefide Irish film industry actually exists is no small achievement, but with a new Minister For The Arts now in place, this is hardly the time for complacency. To ascertain how best the industry can be maintained and developed, Hot Press film critic, cathy dillon, canvassed the views of a number of key players.
Busy gigging comedian Karl Spain has left behind a comfortable suburban family home for a city centre apartment in his native Limerick. He talks to Stephen Errity about work, pleasure and how, in one way, he's a lot like Woody Allen.
Not all Irish emigrants spend their time crying into their green pints of Guinness in Biddy Mulligans. HELENA MULKERNS previews STATESIDE, an ambitious new TV series that chronicles the flesh and blood reality of life in the Big Apple for the so-called Greencard Generation.
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.
A screwball farce with a keenly observational core, Caught In The Net examines manners and mores in the 21st Century. The play’s author Ray Cooney talks about his journey from would-be matinee idol to subversive playwright.
SHOW ME a poster bearing the entwined silhouettes of two angular dancers accompanied by the words "Tango", "Sultry sensuous passion" and "Direct from Argentina" and the outcome is fairly inevitable.
Their reputation for seriousness precedes them. But in the flesh, Daniel Day-Lewis and Rebecca Miller could very nearly pass for an everyday couple. Photos by Graham Keogh.
Pete Tong has long been one of the most influential figures in contemporary dance. His latest project sees him joining Heineken in their search for new djs, via the Heineken Thirst Extravaganza.
How did a non sci-fi fan end up producing the most famous interplanetary blockbuster of all time? Red FM’s Victor Barry talks to Rick McCallum about his relationship with George Lucas, the logistics of shooting in 17 different countries – and the health of his liver.
No longer content to be an indie under-achiever, Joe Chester has produced a solo album that owes as much to Fleetwood Mac as it does My Bloody Valentine. Interview by Maurice O'Brien.
Rabbit Songs is the debut album by Hem, a slice of arcane americana that fuses
old-time sounds with modern musical sensibilities. Fiona Reid met (t)hem
MICHAEL D. Higgins obviously got under the hypersensitive skin of Sunday Independent journalists who have accelerated their systematic, and at points, paranoiac attack on the Minister since he proposed some relatively revolutionary ideas about the arts, in a recent issue of Hot Press.
Self-confessed musos and manic Hall & Oates devotees, The Feeling might be the most exciting band you’ve heard all year. Just don’t call them a ‘guilty pleasure’.
Berlin’s Get Physical label is the hottest thing in techno. Now founder DJ T has released a solo record. The album is, he says, a distillation of a 17-year career at the forefront of electronic music.
Cork singer-songwriter NICOLE MAGUIRE is rapidly making a name for herself with her full-on pop-rock songs, swoonful voice and dogged determination. On the release of her debut album Fight The Score she talks to Jackie Hayden.
The biggest obstacle to Belfast becoming the European City Of Culture may be the reluctance of its own people to accept that it deserves the title. Colin Carberry reports
No, the term “sexy tech” doesn’t refer to the HP design department; it’s Philadelphia producer King Britt‘s mission to put the hip-shake back into techno under The Nova Dream Sequence banner.
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
The hype parade doesn't interest Carlow's finest, 79 Cortinaz. Whether it's cold-calling record stores or hand delivering CDs, they'd rather take a grassroots journey to the top.
Unofficial curator of the New York club scene and head of a creative emporium many have described as a contemporary version of Warhol’s factory, LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy is rapidly emerging as one of the biggest players in the U.S. underground. He tells Barry O’Donoghue how it happened
German dance music may be characterised by the likes of Paul Van Dyk, Sven Vath and Hardfloor, but the country has always boasted an underground
alternative. Richard Brophy talks to one of its main proponents, Pole.
He may have his critics among the academic literati, but Belfast singer/songwriter Brian Kennedy insists that his move into the realm of fiction is a natural artistic progression.
After doing time in the greatest power trio of them all, the late Jimi Hendrix experience bassist Noel Redding spent the rest of his life coming to terms with being ripped off by the music industry.
With a hit Colin Farrell movie to his name, Martin McDonagh mulls over his early rejections at the hand of the Abbey, his "rivalry" with Conor McPherson and his run-in with Sean Connery.
ned o'hanlon and maurice linnane, the men behind media company dreamchaser productions, aren't given to false modesty. And why should they be, given that their recent list of clients includes Garth Brooks, U2 and the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame? siobhÁN LONG meets the men who once adopted Gary Oldman for an all-night bender in America.
No, The Strokes aren’t splitting up, insists guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. Still, he’s enjoying a rare taste of artistic freedom with his debut solo album.
Now in its second year, Cork Live At The Marquee is one of the highlights of the Irish music calendar. Here, Hot Press presents a complete preview of what's in store for music fans in the southern capital - and looks at the great legacy of Cork music.
Phil Udell talks to blink frontman Dermot Lambert about how he pulled through the dark times to re-establish his band as one of the leading lights of the Irish indie scene.
Galway company Hemp Ireland is pioneering the cultivation of alternative crop resources in Ireland. Director Terry Barman explains why there's more to hemp than tabloid headlines
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?
Having crammed more into their first four years than some acts do in a decade, Gomez took a much-needed break. But now they’re back with a new album in our gun. "We just got pissed, played a few tunes and started recording," they tell John Walshe
The revolutionary Venezuelan government of Hugo Chavez aims to cast off the shackles of what it describes as US cultural imperialism by educating its people. But can it continue the campaign without US intervention?
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."
Rik Mayall is back with a show that could be his rudest and most spectacular yet. Paul Nolan asks about the latest installment of bottom, and why he and Ade Eedmondson are the new Laurel & Hardy.
Rik Mayall is back with a show that could be his rudest and most spectacular yet. Paul Nolan asks about the latest installment of bottom, and why he and Ade Eedmondson are the new Laurel & Hardy.
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.
Live on your TV and your wireless, 2TV will be broadcasting all summer long. JACKIE HAYDEN goes behind the scenes on the show that shakes up Sunday mornings.
How Bubba Sparxxx went from being nose-down in a bowl of coke to becoming hip-hop's greatest white hope since Eminem. Peter Murphy hears how the southerner fell and rose
NIALL STANAGE talks to a six-months-pregnant DEIRDRE O NEILL of JUNKSTER, and hears all about the band s forthcoming album, sharing a studio with Axl Rose, and her reactions to journalistic brickbats.
MICHAEL STIPE RECKONS THEY'VE PRODUCED THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR, THEIR SINGER HAS BEEN HAILED AS THE ‘NEW BOB DYLAN’ AND THEY HAVE IMPECCABLE TASTE IN COATS. CAN ANYTHING HALT GRANT LEE BUFFALO'S MAD DASH TO STARDOM? LORRAINE FREENEY INVESTIGATES.
Bourne Supremacy director Paul Greengrass on making it big in Hollywood, usurping James Bond and why Hot Press’ Eamonn McCann is one of his heroes. words Tara Brady
Now that it has been seen by the whole world (and it's Uncle Bilbo) the truth can finally be revealed – Gimli was a most reluctant dwarf. John Rhys Davies explains how he overcame doubts about the book and an allergy to make-up and learned to love The Lord Of The Rings, voted movie of the year in the Hotpress Readers Poll
Now that it has been seen by the whole world (and its Uncle Bilbo) the truth can finally be revealed – Gimli was a most reluctant dwarf. JOHN RHYS DAVIES explains how he overcame doubts about the book and an allergy to make-up and learned to love The Lord Of The Rings, voted movie of the year in the Hot Press readers poll
Words: CRAIG FITZSIMONS
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?
Phuture are the creators of 'Acid Trax', and the people who introduced the Roland 303 'acid box' to the music world. They are arguably one of the most influential groups ever. So why are they still doing day jobs? Richard Brophy talks to original member Spanky and new addition Professor Trax, and reports on a travesty of justice in the dance world.
It took 277 attempts at cloning to create dolly the genetically engineered sheep that took the world by storm during 1997. Here adrienne murphy attempts to explain just what the hell is going on in the bizarre world of biotechnology, with a little help from dr. ian wilmut the man who made Dolly what she is today (out of another sheep s breast).
A thrilling collision in the Guinness Storehouse between the aural and visual worlds, Wonky2 - brainchild of Leagues O'Toole - proved that at some parties, you don't have to check your mind in at the door
By day he's Nick Cave's trusty lieutenant, but Conway Savage is also spreading his wings as a solo artist, tipping his hat to James Joyce along the way.
Neil Jordan's controversial new film Interview With The Vampire has angered both the gay community, who objected to the dilution of the movie's homoerotic content, and the author of the novel from which it is adapted, Anne Rice, who disagreed with the choice of Hollywood golden boy Tom Cruise in the starring role.
However, with Anne Rice conspicuously recanting and the critics in the U.S. responding rapturously, signs are that this is one Vampire which won't lay down and die. Report: Helena Mulkerns
Celebrating its 21st anniversary this summer, 1998's Galway Arts Festival promises to be the best ever. Hot Press' honorary Tribes-man, COLM O'HARE, previews the main attractions and offers a comprehensive guide
to the best places to eat, drink and make merry.
Underground heroes for the best part of a decade, French soft-rockers Phoenix look set to break-big with their latest album. They talk about drawing inspiration from the annals, and hanging out with Francis Ford Coppola
Hot Press visited BellX1 in their city-centre studio, where the group are working on the follow-up to Music In Mouth. “There’s been a lot less fuck-acting this time around,” they tell John Walshe. Photo: Liam Sweeney
Glaswegian indie outfit Sons And Daughters are set to make a big impact with their most pop-influenced album to date. They talk about surviving Bernard Butler bootcamp, touring with Morrissey and, er, covering Adamski.
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
Every loser wins on patrick kielty s new Channel 4 show, Last Chance Lottery , and for the 26-year-old comedian, presenter and former germ , things have never looked so good. Interview: barry glendenning.
Ex-Desert Hearts drummer Chris Heaney has taken the front seat in his new buzz-saw noise-pop trio Escape Act. Parenthood, he says makes you work at double-speed.
The producers of choice for everyone from Justin Timberlake to Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are also earning plaudits for their rock and hip-hop influenced side project, N*E*R*D
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.
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.
From 15-28 July 2002 Galway city hosts one of the most comprehensive of this year's arts festivals with esoteric offerings from the genres of visual art, music, theatre, comedy and lots, lots more
To the relief of countless Hot Press staff who bet that it would take less than six months, BARRY GLENDENNING completes his transformation from amiable Offaly muck savage into name-dropping London showbiz wanker in the nick of time. Read on . . .
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.
After studiously walking the line between rock and pop, Corkonian Jennifer Clarke explains why she now regards herself as a country act, and tells Jackie Hayden about her interest in serial killers.
Jackie Hayden looks back over the career of the legendary soul singer Wilson Pickett who died last month, and talks to Andrew Strong about the man’s impact on his own career.
Not content with her million selling success with Destiny's Child, Beyonce Knowles has just released a solo single 'Work It Out' from the Austin Powers - Goldmember soundtrack and is shortly to release a debut solo album
Tasmanian native Matt Lunson has overcome the challenges of establishing himself in a new country (not to mention his past in an Australian punk band called Hasselhoff!) to become one of the Irish music scene’s most accomplished solo artists.
He's resident DJ at Mr. C's End club, records for the End label, runs his own Plank stamp, and, with fellow co-Ender Layo makes some rather fine music as the Usual Suspects. He's Matthew B, and he's here to talk to Digital Beat. Interrogating the suspect: Richard Brophy.
The Von Bondies were finally vindicated when Jack White pleaded guilty to assaulting their lead singer last month. Oh, and they’ve just released one of the albums of the year.
NIALL STANAGE identifies the contenders in the race to put a new youth-oriented radio station on air in Dublin and speaks to FIONA McLOUGHLIN and DONAL SCANNELL, CEO and Head of Music respectively at FUSE FM, one of the applicants.
New York house DJ/producer Junior Sanchez has joined forces with Dutch techno prodigy Laidback Luke to create Riot Society’s impressive ‘Understand Me’.
Following the lukewarm reception accorded Jackie Brown six years ago, Quentin Tarantino reached a crossroads in his career. now, following a prolonged retreat from the media spotlight, a rumoured struggle with writer’s block and his break-up with Mira Sorvino, the most influential film-maker of the nineties has made a stunning return to form with the explosive samurai thriller, Kill Bill. Craig Fitzsimons travelled to london to meet the director and discuss the film he describes as “the movie of my geek boy dreams.”
At the tender age of 20, he s already the most successful Irish DJ ever. Mark Kavanagh chats to Fergie, the first Irish DJ tipped for Premier League superstardom.
