Northern Exposure

A tour of some of the most happening venues, bands and individuals on the Northern cultural scene.

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

The most consistently innovative, stimulating and progressive arts venue in Belfast has to be the Old Museum Arts Centre. Since its inception in 1990, OMAC has hosted over one thousand diverse and distinctive events. The centre is committed to a policy of celebrating and nurturing a local voice that strives to be both radical and relevant. It supports the artistic community in making possible the creation of new work and seeks to increase access to all the arts for everyone.

Situated in a beautiful Georgian building in the heart of the city centre, OMAC comprises a theatre, two galleries, meeting room, coffee bar, is home to two theatre companies and, for a large part, relies on friendly volunteers to look after its relaxed and young(ish!) audiences.

Una McCarthy, centre director, feels that the Old Museum has a very important part to play in the city’s cultural life. “I think it has been a bit of an oasis in a desolate desert. Our position right in the city centre is critical. We have started to bring people back to this area in the evenings, whereas before it was pretty dead.

“For too long people in Northern Ireland were content to accept their beleaguered role as something to be looked at and not engaged with. Now I think there is a mushrooming of groups and individuals who want to be part of what is going on – to fasten on to the broader movements, both physical and intellectual, that are happening throughout Europe and further afield, and be active participants in any exchange of thoughts and ideas. At OMAC, we have been trying to engage Europe as a radical partner since 1992 when we hosted a European Arts Festival. In ‘93, we were involved in an exciting exchange with Romania and for next year we have projects planned involving Catalonia and Belgium.

“I think we’re in the position to raise people’s expectations of what they can demand from the arts in this city. I would like people to have the opportunity to experience, and react to, as wide a range of influences as possible. I feel that within the next four years we are going to see a radical revolution in the art created in this city. I want the Old Museum to be at the centre of that.”

The Old Museum Arts Centre is committed to a programme of new and innovative work by local and visiting practitioners. For further information, contact Ian Wilson on Belfast 235053.

CLUB CULTURE

“The North has always spearheaded the dance scene in Ireland.” So says Stephen Anderson of Belfast’s Underground records, and he’s got a theory (albeit, controversial) as to why.

“Back in the ‘70s, when Belfast city centre was more or less dead, kids used to hang out at clubs in East Belfast and Bangor (such as The Trident, immortalised in SLF’s ‘Alternative Ulster’), where occasionally squaddies, stationed in nearby barracks, would DJ, initiating local kids into their love of soul, funk and R’n’B. Tales of the Wigan Casino, and legendary Northern Soul all-nighters, were passed around, and out of that developed a real appetite for club culture.”

“That love of black, urban, funk and soul has survived and thrived down the years, and is finding a real expression now in the explosion of clubs and raves in the ’90s.”

Sure enough, names such as David Holmes, SugarSweet, Choice, Underground, Tricore, Cliff McKay and Jay Wyatt have all played a part in giving Belfast’s dance scene a reputation that has spread Europe-wide.

Stephen Anderson believes that in the next three years, there will be an incredible burst of creativity in dance here, fuelled by access to cheap technology, and the tremendously positive self-confidence of the kids coming up through the clubs, honing their imaginations and DJ skills.

This week sees the opening of a new Belfast club. The Network, with state-of-the-art lighting and decor and a hi-tech sound system that’s guaranteed to blow yer head off. There will be space for up to 500 party-goers, and the promoters promise an atmosphere that will be second to none.

It is this constant appetite for development that should see Belfast remaining, as it always has been, ahead of the field.

THE BANDS OF HOOLEY JOY

If there’s one man, who over the years has come to epitomise the spirit of Belfast rock’n’roll, through good times and bad, then it has to be Terri Hooley. He’s been in the midst of it all since Belfast’s first band explosion in the ’60s, right up to the present, when he’s busier than ever, with a revitalised Good Vibes label, new record shop, TV series and about a million other schemes and scams to keep on “doing what I do best – enjoying myself.”

It’s been a long time since Terri’s finest hour – releasing the ‘Tones ‘Teenage Kicks’ upon an unsuspecting but eternally grateful world – meantime he’s gone bankrupt, seen his label turn into a kind of vanity publishing outlet and watched many great Northern bands cruelly ignored as the A&R hordes descended on Dublin in their desperate feeding frenzy, hoping for the next U2.

But things have started to turn around – both for Terri and the North in general. 1990 saw the first Belfast Rocks Again Festival. Three days of the best Northern Ireland had to offer – launching Therapy? and the Divine Comedy onto careers that have re-established the North as a credible base for R’n’R success.

The concept was such a winner that successive events grew to become the sprawling unmanageable monster that was Belfast Rocks III. Terri expresses dissatisfaction at the lack of focus of the last festival. “It was a bit out of control. We had to use split venues which created problems. The bands were great, but you couldn’t get to see them all.”

The next festival, planned for early 1995, will, he promises, be on a more intimate scale, perhaps even surfacing in a completely new format – but that’s all under wraps for the moment.

Still, Terri’s got enough to be going on with – a “best of” compilation featuring the cream Belfast punk on his Good Vibrations label – “Yeah, it was strange listening to all those old songs again, we put out some damn good records”; a TV series – Rock ‘n’ the North tracing the history of the North’s music scene from the R’n’B clubs of the ‘60s to Therapy? in the ‘90s – “I have a lot of respect for Therapy? – They’ve done a great job of promoting their home town.”; a forthcoming album 24 Inch World from the Junkmasters on Good Vibes – “I discovered them by accident. The label was more or less dead, then I stumbled on them playing in a bar and they just blew me away . . . I’m not gonna release anything by anyone anymore if it doesn’t have that effect on me. I’m not doing it for anything but the love of it”; There are also plans to release an album of his poetry on Warners in the USA. “They gave me all this money to make an album, and they keep phoning up asking ‘Where’s the album, Terri?’ So far it’s still all in my head – but I don’t suppose that’s what they give you the money for – it’s great though!” – and then there’s his new shop The Vintage Record Store dedicated to that disappearing treasure – the vinyl LP.

“It’s our protest against the monopoly capitalist record companies who think they can rip people off for more money with CDs,” he says. “Record companies around the world are dumping their back catalogues, so we’re buying it up cheap and selling it cheap – ‘Cos WE LOVE VINYL! I set the shop up with money I borrowed from friends and I’ve managed to pay them all back. We’ve had people coming over from London finding albums they’d been looking for for 20 years and paying about £1.50!”

That Terri still retains the thrill and excitement of a teenager/madman for pop music when he’s way past being old enough to know better is testament to the fact that he is one of the few people left who still believe in the thrill for the sake of it and bugger the business side. He’s turned down more lucrative jobs abroad than you dare to think about and has chosen to remain in Belfast as “the people are brilliant – the salt of the earth, and the quality of life is still better here. Everyone I know in London or wherever all want to come home – and this is before any ceasefire had been announced.”

As for the future (whether the ceasefire continues or not) Terri would love to see musical activity returning to the levels of the ‘60s when here were 80 clubs in and around Belfast and bands could play three gigs a weekend no problem. “People want entertainment, bands have got to learn that, that’s why dance is so big – it entertains. My band The Rocking Humdingers entertain, and we don’t care what people think – if they think we’re fools it doesn’t matter, we’re not gonna leave them without making them laugh – at us or with us, it doesn’t matter . . .”

ROCKIN’ THE NORTH

It gets to the point when you’ve heard so much trash on the radio from London, Dublin, New York, wherever, the next big bloody thing and you think – I’m not excited anymore, listening to this is a chore, I don’t like music anymore, I’m gonna go and listen to Radio 4, and then you step outside your own backdoor and this little band of oiks from Ennisbloodykillen get up on stage and tear yer little rib cage, throw it about a bit, give it a kiss, give it a kick and then stuff it back in yer chest where it belongs, twice the heart it was before, all in the name of rock’n’roll and sheer bloody entertainment and they’re called the Skinflints and if you ignore them ’cos they don’t have any money and they’re from the arse-end of nowhere and you can’t be bothered shaking yourself out of your cosy wee expectations and cynicism to see them then you don’t deserve the thrill or the joy of punk rock, pop songs, or whatever the bloody hell it’s called. (Is that enough “bloodys”?)

This ain’t no idle hype – most music is shit, I can’t listen to it anymore, too many careers, too many plans – The Skinflints are a perfect noise – they may not be for long, they may not out-last their first single, it is, after all, only ‘Ten Seconds Of Joy’, but they are, for now, the best band in the world.

And another thing – living in Belfast or Derry or Enniskillen – which for the purpose of the music business is nowhere-on-the-outskirts-of-somewhere-else-no-one’s-heard-of – bands don’t make music for their friendly neighbourhood A&R man, don’t adjust their sound to glide into the slip stream of fashion – they make it for themselves, the sheer bloody (OK – it wasn’t quite enough!) pleasure of the sounds in their head. And that’s why the North is brimming with more and better bands than ever before.

All this is not to say that the little attention we’re receiving here now isn’t very welcome, but just to note that it’s been demanded and earned through the absolute class of the bands that have made the transference to the “real world” of record companies and shiny CDs.

Johnny Hero, who has presented the only radio show in the North (on Downtown Radio) to really support, provoke and nurture the local scene, for almost five years now, has seen an enormous change in the attitudes and quality of northern bands.

“Five years ago it was a big step for a band to go and make a demo – now people have the self-confidence and self-esteem to say we don’t need to prostitute ourselves around the English labels, looking for crumbs off the table, we can make and release our own records on our own labels and have total control. If someone picks up on it later, then fine but we’re not gonna worry ourselves about it.

“The next step we need to make, is to get a pressing plant based in Belfast. With that in place bands will be able to get more organised. Instead of having to wait for things being turned around in England, which can take forever – they can get a small scale release back in a week and have it in the shops. There’s nothing worse than sitting around waiting for something to kill your momentum. Hopefully, if this ceasefire becomes a real peace, then we can use all the money that’ll be pouring in from the US and Europe to build a base from which we can become self-sufficient.”

Stephen Anderson of dance music specialists Underground Records has recognised this potential and is in the process of setting up a subsidiary label – Savage Snow – picking up on exciting young bands for one-off 7” releases.

“We are the only real record label in Northern Ireland. Our intention is to release well-recorded, well-packaged and internationally distributed records, with nationwide press and radio promotion. We’re not restricting ourselves solely to Belfast bands, but I would dearly love to release a series of top quality singles by local bands. We’re listening to demos all the time, but I’d like to hear a lot more. The dance side of Underground is very successful, with records charting right across Europe, and I feel sure we can achieve the same level of success with Savage Snow.”

If you’ve got a demo that might interest Stephen, send it to him at 64 Donegal Street, Belfast.

Meanwhile . . .

There are just too many bands deserving of coverage to possibly fit them all in here, but hey! I’ll give it a go!!!

Watercress, a kind of They Might Be Giants/A House, quirky sorta outfit, but with songwriting gifts that far exceed their surface appeal – Ash and the Catchers you know, teen-pop genius in excelsis; Monkhouse, who sold out their debut 7” and were picked up by Damaged Goods to release a fabulous punk rock album Cokey Pig October 24; The Golden Mile debut 7” Apples And Oranges coming any day now – spunky! – The Holsteins – £300 to record an album of the finest pop music this side of the Appalachians ( and on funky coloured vinyl too!!) – Emily Ryder, whose debut album cucumbercupidwounduplove is like one of those compilation tapes yer best mate makes you – every song you’ve never heard but wanted to; LMS, Backwater, Toenail, Bedhangers, Sunday Club, Cuckoo . . . I’m out of breath now!

These are all bands with attitude, though rarely the one you’d suspect. Add to this the plethora of fanzines springing up like daisies in the lawn (full marks to Jonathan from Weedbus for his long-standing effort and ebullience on behalf of local bands) and the enthusiasm, energy and general in-yer-face spunkiness of the scene is infectious.

So, there you have it – embrace us or ignore us – we’ll still be making the finest music up North whatever the world decides.

COMMUNITY ARTS FORUM

Over the last four or five years, there has been a massive ground swell of activity in the arts in Northern Ireland. Theatre groups, galleries, arts centres, community projects, rehearsal rooms and training facilities have been springing up in the unlikeliest of places. Of these, a substantial proportion have been initiated, and run, by the people who most wanted them – and fought to have them realised.

Now a new umbrella organisation – the Community Arts Forum – has been set up with the intention of providing a support structure for these groups. There are around 40 affiliated groups in and around Belfast and membership is slowly spreading across the province. The activities involved cover all bases from theatre to photography to circus skills and dance.

CAF recently opened an office in Belfast’s Academy Street, and are currently employing 3 or 4 part-time workers. As Belfast-based playwright Martin Lynch explains, as well as providing training, networking and database resources to its members, CAF hopes to initiate community arts work in areas of the city previously devoid of such activities, through discussion and debate within the locality. The aim is to have four professional arts workers active in areas across the whole city within 6 months.

CAF will also be fighting to improve the funding available to community arts. Martin Lynch again – “Whilst I wouldn’t deny that the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s policy on community arts is progressive, in that they actually allocate us a budget – the imbalance between what the professional arts receive (which are, in general, by and for a minority) and what the community groups receive is something that needs to be addressed. I’d say we were definitely in the business of changing peoples’ attitudes. In Belfast there is more theatre taking place at a community level than in all the establishment theatre put together.

“There has been such an explosion in community-based art, starting back in the ’80s, and it’s an incredibly important movement. It allows ordinary people access to the arts, it engages them in a way that’s not intimidating and can develop enormous self-confidence and self-esteem. You can see the results at both an individual and community level, and, with proper funding, I believe it can become part of the healing process for both communities here. Next year we have groups from the Short Strand and Ballybeen working together on a community play. That’s incredibly positive.”

CAF will be launching a magazine, which they hope will be a forum for ideas and discussion on the future of community arts in Northern Ireland, on the 20th of October.

Anyone interested in finding out more can contact Martin Lynch on 0232-242910.

THE RINK THING

The Dundonald Ice Bowl has been open since 1986 and in that time has seen six million visitors come through its doors. And it’s not just an ice-rink (the largest one in Ireland to boot) – the centre also houses a 30-lane 10-pin bowling alley, Mega Zone laser quest arena and a children’s soft play area “Indianaland”. They also have full catering and conference facilities.

An important part of the Ice Bowl’s activities is training up and coming youngsters in skating and ice hockey. Current British Men’s Junior Champion Neil Wilson (16) and 4 local girls are on the British Jnr. Olympic squad – an immense achievement for one rink.

There are also a number of bowling leagues at the centre, ranging from the juniors to senior citizens, and the alley has been a venue for matches in the European League.

The IFA annual Soccer Sixes are also held here. Specially insulated carpet is laid to facilitate this, and other events, such as rock gigs (Bob Dylan, Everly Brothers, East 17, Van Morrison and Willie Nelson) and “Celestial” a special concert by the Ulster Orchestra involving a spectacular laser show and dancers.

There are plans afoot for more special events next year, but meantime the Ice Bowl is the perfect setting for a family day out, with enough to amuse even the most hard-to-please children, teenagers, parents, grandparents . . .

BELFAST FESTIVAL AT QUEEN’S

After the tragic October events that preceded 1993’s Belfast Festival, it is with a renewed spirit of optimism that the festival’s organisers have announced their biggest and most diverse programme yet. The 32nd Belfast Festival at Queen’s runs from the 7th to 27th November.

In the past, the Festival has had the reputation of being somewhat esoteric, concerned mainly with the classical and, let’s face it, rather worthy-but-dull end of the arts. This is slightly unfair, as even back in the early days, when it was still very much a campus-based event, Jimi Hendrix strutted his decidedly decadent stuff in the Whitla Hall.

Public perception of the festival may be lagging some way behind the actual content of the programme. Considering that many of the comedy stars of the past decade or so have appeared at the Festival early in their careers – Victoria Wood, Jeremy Hardy, Rowan Atkinson, Billy Connolly – and the Doug Anthony All Stars, who attracted the headline FESTIVAL PROMOTES SATANISM (bit of a giggle that one!) – and that this year’s comedy line-up is a virtual ‘who’s who’ of funny people on the planet – Jo Brand, Mark Thomas, Donna McPhail, Frank Skinner, Jimeoin, Greg Proops, Fascinating Aida and the fabulous Anorak of Fire – you might very well come to the conclusion that this is the most enticing festival in Ireland. And you’d be right. It’s also the biggest, second only to Edinburgh in the UK, with over 375 performances in three hectic weeks.

The core of the programme is still a solid mix of the best classical music and theatre (The Royal Shakespeare Company, Odessa Philharmonic, Royal Flanders Ballet) but has widened in its scope to encompass the many “fringe”-type events that give the Festival its unique flavour and atmosphere – what has been described as “the friendliest festival in the world”.

When the Festival began in 1962 there was very little else happening in the arts in Belfast. Throughout the ’70s the Festival was almost the only large scale cultural event to survive and consequently built a large and loyal audience. That is has succeeded in some style – bringing the cream of local, national and international talent together in one exhilarating and popular programme of events – is a huge credit to the small team (only three full-time staff) who put the Festival together. For the first time in 22 years the Festival has a new director, Robert Agnew, and it seems certain that the programme will continue to develop dramatically over the next few years.

Festival programmes, containing details of all the theatre, comedy, rock, jazz, blues, folk, classical, dance, film, children’s events and everything else featured this year, can be obtained from Festival House, 25 College Gardens, Belfast BT9 6BS, or NITB, 16 Nassau Street, Dublin 2.

THE NERVE CENTRE

Derry’s Nerve Centre is a model example of what you can achieve if you have the vision and determination to realise your dreams.

Started from nowt but a desire to create something in the Maiden city worthy of all the untapped young talent with no outlet for their inventiveness, it now provides a link between young people, the arts and new technology.

The Nerve Centre is designed and run by young people themselves to cater directly for their cultural needs and interests. The centre includes a musicians’ collective which has been a catalyst for the development of the local music scene in the North-West since 1988. They can provide training, rehearsal and recording studios, DTP and design facilities and advice about the music industry.

Wildsound is their really rather cool fanzine, chatty, detailed and irreverent, taking the piss out of, as well as celebrating local talent. Bands to look out for include Schtum, Cuckoo – kind of Pavement meets the Jesus Lizard and The Deadly Engines, who’ve had the very fine Entrance LP out on Setanta.

They also organise regular gigs for local and touring bands. But that’s not all the Nerve Centre has to offer – it’s also home to Foyle Film projects, who, as well as providing all manner of training for the aspirant young film-maker, also manage to fit in running the Foyle Film Festival. This year’s FFF has the theme “The Other Europe” and runs from the 11th to 18th November. Special guest will be acclaimed director Ken Loach (Cathy Come Home, Riff Raff, Hidden Agenda) with his new picture Ladybird, Ladybird. The festival will have a special feature on his work and Ken will discuss his controversial career before introducing his new film.

As they say themselves in their information leaflets “In a world in which the division between work and leisure is rapidly disappearing, the ability of young people, faced with an uncertain future of unemployment or emigration, to transform their natural creativity into real and meaningful lifestyles will make a crucial difference to their lives.” More power to them.

•BELFAST GIG COLLECTIVE•

1989 saw a dissenter from the ranks of the Warzone collective in Belfast, in the form of Julia Bleakney, who, tired of the constant clarification of policy within the group and the general lack of organisation, took off on her own, to form the Belfast Gig Collective. “I needed to do things separately. I needed a more professional approach. A lot of people who were genuinely interested in organising gigs on a regular basis were totally alienated by the Warzone mentality.”

Bleakney sees the Collective as a way to offer an alternative to the usual mainstream concerts; to the usual mainstream promotion and the usual mainstream ticket prices. For a standard door-price of £3.50 you get “professional service in a DIY way; all our bands are well looked after, the audience gets to see three good bands for a fair price.”

The Collective specialises in a certain type of band, “most of our acts are on independent labels. Many share a particular attitude or message. In the past, we’ve put on bands like Nomeansno, Fugazi, Victims Family, DOA. There will always be an Irish support. One of our objectives is to promote the local scene, give new bands a chance to play somewhere.”

Just as it is important for the Gig Collective to support its local scene, it is equally important for the scene to support the Collective. “We rely on money taken at the door for the survival of the Collective; we only have about a £200 float, which is used to pay in advance for the next gig. Our ‘workers’ do so on a voluntary basis. In fact,” Bleakney adds with a grin, “it’s only recently we stopped asking our workers to pay in.”

Belfast Gig Collective October dates as follows: Friday 7, Mutiny with James Brook (folk/punks from Australia); Friday 14, Unwound (from Washington) with Fabric (new English hardcore); Wednesday 26, Jawbreaker (from California) with Golden Mile (Belfast) and Groundswell (Dublin). All concerts take place at the Centre, Donegal Lane.

•ARTIFICIAL JOY•

Indisputably the best band around at the moment, Artificial Joy have everything going for them; they’re young (average age: eighteen), talented (James gets drum tips from Fyfe Ewing, of Therapy? fame), educated (they’re all taking A-levels at a Downpatrick school).

They write classic songs; memorable melodies, good guitar ‘riffs’, Girls Against Boys mixed with Helmet. And most importantly, girls, they’re CUTE.

Having been together merely a few months, the boys have received much record company interest, mainly thanks to a certain Mark, from Ash, who lugged their demo tapes around London for them. MTV want to make a film about them and the music press lies at their feet.

The boys themselves seem unfazed by such things. They remain approachable, excitable; they’re in it for the love of the music: “It would be nice if something came of it, but we’re not gonna die if it doesn’t happen.”

For the time being, their attention is focused on study, football, girls and the Belfast music scene. “We’d quite like Winona Ryder to be in our video, though,” they later admit.

Wouldn’t we all?

Fourteen-year-olds that have already supported Nirvana. In fact, Tim, the singer, has been asked to replace Kurt after his untimely death. Rumours that Mark (the bassist) and Courtney are ‘getting it on’ have been vehemently denied, but I wouldn’t be surprised; everyone wants a bit of Ash nowadays.

See them soon on their whirlwind tour of Ireland this autumn, supported no doubt by other young hopefuls, Therapy?

SISTER

Deep joy, a completely new band on the scene; loud, bitchy and with big hair. They sound like a cross between Truman’s Water and Lydia Lunch. Fresh from their highly successful European ‘tour’, the band tell me, “there were semi-naked girls all over the place. The guys in Paris were unbelievable; existentialist jazz musicians, whispering sweet nothings in our ears. Quite different from Belfast!”

The band caused much upset whilst they were there: “Our demo tapes were stolen and we had to pursue the thief to the Côte D’Azur. On the way, we were caught in the crossfire of a gangland shoot-out at Dijon. Unfortunately we lost our bassist. May she rest in peace.”

Some weeks later, the girls turned up in Nice: “the place was hiving with cops, all looking for us. Luckily, Laura’s uncle Monty was able to fly us out of trouble and back to Belfast, great suntans and duty-free beer in hand.”

Sister; a precociously mendacious talent appearing at a strip joint near you.

•Monkhouse•

Everybody loves Monkhouse. Everybody wants to hang out with them. Every band wants to be them. It’s that single-minded do-it-for-the-hell-of-it, take-no-shit and be-friends-with-everyone attitude. It’s the fact that seeing them live is always a real treat; the kids love it. It’s the driven, abused, almost depraved quality of their songs: classic punk rock “old wave”, as they call it; and the fact that they carry their ‘equipment’ in Wellworth’s bags. I can’t resist them.

Monkhouse fondly recall the Seventies: “Solvent abuse was a great time. You’d go to a hardware store . . . ‘Erm, a piece of string and a tin of Evo-stick, please’ . . . You had to sniff glue. Fix-O-Fix was the best. Damp Start (‘spray and go’). Your mum’s deodorant – I used to think my teeth were falling out.

“The Good Vibes thing was okay, but bands now are brilliant. Each new band is better than the previous.”

They describe their music as “the UK Subs meets Iron Maiden,” and with a 7” just released on Damaged Goods and a mini-album on the American Flatline label planned for autumn release, you’ll be able to judge for yourselves.

Play loud; punk is not dead.

•BUZZKILL•

Buzzkill say they take their name from South Carolina. Whatever that means. They are based “laterally in New York; literally in Belfast.” They are: Laura Totten (drums), Craig Corbett (guitar, vocals), William Sharpe (bass) and Margaret F. Grundy (guitar, vocals).

These people wish they had been in the following bands: Dinosaur Jr., Butterfly Child, Cow Palace, Sister, Exploited, Test Department, Shellac, The Jam, The Smiths, etc. They offer some comments that other people have allegedly uttered about their music: “controlled noise abuse” (Paul Currie from Tart); “quite good” (Martin Hewson from The Golden Mile); and “would make a dog laugh” (Andy Cairns from Therapy?).

“We have gigged extensively throughout Ireland (including the Gweedore, Derry!” say Buzzkill. “You name it, we’ve done it (almost).”

They recorded their ‘Tell Your Parents’ demo in 1993, “somewhere in Belfast.” ‘T.Y.P.’ commanded a very good reaction: “Lots of kids liked it and two members of the band left because of its controversial nature.”

Last year Buzzkill released a split single with Tart. They claim it was Michael Stipe’s single of the year and that the following comments were made about it by Mike D of The Beastie Boys: “This makes Therapy? look like En Vogue”; “I’d rather eat my own shit than listen to this record again.”

Asked what separates them from the plethora of other Irish bands they reply: “The ratio of female to male in the band; attitude/politics and a look that is not forced.”

They want you to know that “sexiness is the frivolity of the bourgeoisie” and that the source of your problems “is the Tory government.”

Ask them to justify their continued existence and they fire off another ideological communiqué.

“The main reason for Buzzkill existing is musical, but another good use for the band is to inform and hopefully deprogram,” they claim, before promising that they will, “shake you up, challenge your ideas and make you think.” (Sean Pemberton).

•Carnivore 7•

There was a rumour in Belfast that Carnivore 7 were shit. It was just a rumour.

Carnivore 7 are back in town with a new drummer (Rory), new guitar (Kieron’s black Charvelle), high hopes and, of course, the best-looking singer in Ireland (John Bakewell, need I say more?). Whilst Carnivore 7 have played ‘extensively’ around Ireland and are one of the most talked-about bands on the planet, they have released no demos as such. “We kept drinking the money,” they explain.

“We’re always striving for perfection, that’s our problem. We’d practise, write new songs, then by the time we’d get round to recording, we’d be bored. So the process starts again.” Admitting to a “constantly changing” style, the boys see this as an asset, rather than a hindrance.

“We write songs separately, then bring them together to work on, so we can’t really pinpoint a sound – it’s like four different bands.” I suggest they must listen to Metallica, Sonic Youth (doesn’t everyone?).

They disagree. “Our only influence is ourselves two years ago; if it sounds like somebody else, don’t do it . . . Never do covers. Beat up all cover bands.”

Genuinely committed to Carnivore 7, the boys rent a house together in Portstewart, where they have a rehearsal room. They eat, sleep and breathe Carnivore 7. The money they do have is spent on offensive poster campaigns (remember the ones from their mother’s medical journal – disfigured old people?) and tasteless t-shirts (“the rat-with-huge-growth one was going a bit too far,” they agree).

“We’ll keep going as long as we think we’re offering something,” John assures. “I was screwed up before I joined the band,” he adds, “but now I feel great.”

•TART•

I first met Tart about a year ago. They were recording a demo in my living room. They were drunk and ranting. I thought they were pretty cool.

The demo, Marshall Sucks, was okay; three classic punk songs, including the ultimate theme tune ‘Tart’ and the Dead Kennedy-esque ‘Get Off The Interstate’. It wasn’t until I saw Tart live that I realised the power and potential of the band and now I have reached the conclusion that the band are, in fact, far more important and intrinsically better than any of their contemporaries; better than Therapy?, better than Ash, hell, even better than Buzzkill!

Tart came together about a year ago. Paul Currie (guitar/shouting) was writing songs and needed people to play them. “I wanted to start a cool fucking band,” he recalls. “I knew Paul (Duggan – bass) from college and we got on; Dave (Stewart – drums) came later, he was into The Who and Mudhoney and that was good enough for us.”

They share views with those for whom music, politics and lifestyle are all-important; people like Henry Rollins and Ian Mackaye of Fugazi, who recently dropped the boys a line, congratulating them on their first vinyl release (with Buzzkill) and expressing an interest in playing with Tart on their return to Ireland, later this year.

You can hear the boys before that, by purchasing their latest demo Lick Me, available from all good record stores. Don’t think about it, do it.

Here we put our finger on the pulse of the North’s cultural heart, from community arts festivals and exhibitions to the new crop of magazines on offer.

ALMOST THE FRINGE

“Almost The Fringe is a dry run for what in 1995 we hope will be a full-scale fringe festival, to coincide with Queen’s 15th anniversary,” states Brian Heading, Queen’s Student 150 Officer.

“It will be a platform for student drama and art with the loose theme of Cultural Diversity, and will run for eleven days during the official festival. All the events will take place in the Students’ Union and will include exhibitions, seminars and all kinds of entertainment. We hope what we’re doing will complement the programme of the main festival.”

Some of the events already planned include Different Drum – a group of lambeg and bodhran players with a repertoire of traditional Irish music, an exhibition of photographs from Belfast Exposed, and another of political cartoons, seminars on such subjects as “Women and the Peace Process”, “Irish Writers”, “The Peace Dividend” and the Hot Press/IMRO seminar on the music industry, and a host of other entertainments.

For more information on “Almost The Fringe” contact Brian Heading on Belfast 236900.

BIG ELECTRIC CEILI BAND

“A cross between REM and the Horslips” is just one description of six-piece Derry folk rock group The Big Electric Ceili Band. They are taking an interesting route to success having just agreed a year-long sponsorship deal with Tennents Live. They toured extensively following the release of their debut album Best Kept Secret and it was at one of these gigs that Julian Robertson and Peter Rush from Tennents spotted them.

“We were very impressed at the crowd’s reaction to their original material. We weren’t looking for anyone to sponsor, but the boys really persuaded us not only with their music, but also with their very business-like attitude. It’s all on a very ‘suck it and see’ basis, they don’t have too many commitments to us, aside from a little logoing – if they’re successful it can only reflect well on the brand.”

The band’s next move is to release a new EP Holly and Ivy Jones, financed by Tennents, and head off for more gigs all over Ireland, Scotland and England. Catch ’em while the drink is cheap!

SATELLITE

Satellite are a band that know how to put on a show! Fronted by Lisa and Kim on sax and keyboards, they provide a high energy, up-to-date, dance floor-filling performance. They’ve been around for about 5 years but this current line-up has been on the road for just 12 months. In that time they’ve played up and down Ireland – anywhere in fact that has a dance floor to fill!

They are currently rehearsing an all-new show, and promise a few surprises, but they aren’t letting anything slip yet. They will be unveiling all soon so keep your eyes peeled.

• For booking contact John Hilton at 080 574274 569.

DIG DIS

Ranked second in Britain, in the top fourteen in the world, ex-BMX racer Will Smith continues his obsession for the so-called ‘sport of the nineties’, in his new magazine Dig.

A ’zine for the true BMX fan (although it does have a small section on skateboarding and the occasional interview with the Beastie Boys) Dig captures the sights, the sounds, the smells and the scars of the sport. “It’s not about competing any more, it’s just about riding,” Smith explains.

Although the sales of BMX has increased over the past few years, it is debatable whether it will ever reach the ‘craze’ level of the early eighties, “in those days, kids had a choice of three things to do; nowadays they have a choice of thirty-three.” However, reports from friends across the Atlantic are more optimistic, apparently it’s gone Hollywood over there. BMX have worked hard to shake off the ‘for kids’ image, have tried to make it cool, part of a new alternative lifestyle,” he says.

With little competition from the rest of the UK, Smith is all set to corner what could be an expanding and highly lucrative market, but he’s not prepared to compromise to get it. “I’m not catering for content dependent on advertisers, who want you to portray the sport in a certain way. I’m not kissing ass. At the moment I’m happy to publish DIG as a non-profit-making venture; let’s just call it an expensive hobby.”

ART FOR ART’S SAKE

Catalyst Arts evolved as “a response to a need which exists in Belfast, for a neutral environment which can provide studio and exhibition space for young contemporary artists, both national and international.”

What sets this gallery apart is the fact that it is artist run and managed; the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. What this means for artists is increased access to an audience: what this means for the public is increased access to contemporary art.

The first show for Catalyst, in March of this year, was “Without Prejudice”, meaning exactly that. “We are undertaking, in as far as we are able, to practice non-censorship, while encouraging a high standard of art practice and presentation,” Siofra Campbell, one of the present three directors of Catalyst tells me. “We are pursuing the dynamic, the experimental, the contentious and the unconventional.” The show will be remembered for the quality and diversity of the work, which included pieces from forty-one artists, an overwhelming amount of which was site-specific.

The “Marseille Exchange” contained work from five French artists and five Irish artists and saw the first of many art exchanges between Ireland and the rest of Europe, the latest of which is B&B, an exchange involving Belfast-based artists, Karen Vaughan and Toby Dennett and three Budapest artists, Agnes Szabics, Tibor Zielinski and Endre Koronczi.

The next major event for Catalyst is the forthcoming ‘interactive art expedition’, travelling to Cushendall, Derry, White Park Bay and Belfast and incorporating workshops, seminars, lectures, picnics, performance and debate. “In And Beyond” runs from the 27th to 31st October 1994 and tickets are £40 to non-members. The price includes accommodation, coach and breakfast. For more information, phone or fax Catalyst at 0232 313303.

DV8 Magazine, Belfast, is to be launched in Dublin this month in an historic attempt to bridge the communication gap between North and South. Publisher Peter Johnston is optimistic about the whole affair. “We’re actively seeking to restructure things. We;d like to make a difference, to be an alternative vehicle, to give everybody the information and resources that are desperately needed in the whole of Ireland,” he days.

The magazine, which combines music, comedy, lifestyle, fashion and art, is notorious in the North for its thought-provoking and often controversial nature. Johnston has a natural talent for manipulating the media machine; the DV8 logo can be found on 1,500 different paving stones across the province, there is a series of poster campaigns in major cities, ranging from the billboard-sized Please Make A Film About DV8 currently pasted on the side of the UTV building, near the Ormeau Road in Belfast to the much-debated UNITED COLOURS OF DV8 posters, which depict a green, white and orange Union Jack flag.

70,000 copies of DV8 Magazine student edition (out October 10, 1994) will be given away free at university campuses throughout Ireland; rush down to your nearest union building and pick up your copy now.

THE CENTRE in Donegal Lane, Belfast, is a collective of unemployed and working people who got together in 1986 to provide a much-needed support, resource and information centre. Initially a musicians’ collective, the Centre expanded in knowledge and space, to incorporate other areas of the creative arts. It currently holds a practice room, recording studio, venue, exhibition space, screen-printing facilities, darkroom, library, crèche and vegetarian cafe.

Peter Burns who set up the Centre with Julie Bleakney and Roy Wallace, did so with his own money: “I thought it was important for the community. We provide facilities for everyone and at reasonable prices, too; where else in Belfast could you get a meal for 80p or use of a fully-equipped practice room for just £2 an hour?”

Although helped with a yearly grant from the Arts Council, the Centre still relies on most of its income from the general public; through people actually using the facilities. So far they have been lucky; the building is always a hive of activity; a variety of community and campaign groups use the Centre (including Hunt Sabs and Womens groups) which only adds to the diversity and colour of the place. One can browse around the cafe and library, pick up leaflets on local events or Libertarian Anarchist demonstrations and generally come and go as you please.

“It’s also a place to meet people from both sides of the community, who perhaps have similar interests to you. We’re here for you, so the best advice is to make the most of it,” says Pete.

KAREN VAUGHAN is a woman who knows her mind and is not afraid to speak it. Having graduated from the Glasgow College of Art in 1991, Vaughan came to Belfast out of curiosity.

“The artists over here haven’t really been exposed to very much outside influence. There’s a definite ‘look’ here, quite different from the rest of the UK. They’ve developed a different mentality, a new style, it’s an interesting environment for an artist to work in,” she explains.

Vaughan was one of the original founders of the Catalyst Arts group, who sought to give a platform to local raw talent, as well as having somewhere to exhibit their own work. At the moment, Vaughan is using her fine art training to experiment with photography and fabric. She uses primarily embroidery, but also works with metal and wool, “I’ve been knitting hats,” she laughs, “I put one into an exhibition in Glasgow . . . with interesting responses.”

Karen Vaughan’s work can be seen as part of the B&B exhibition now on at Catalyst.

“CINEMA IN Ireland seems to be locked in this 1950’s timewarp. If we believe what we see on screen, then Ireland is a safe, secure, religiously-stable fortress; a lot of drunk farmers with no grasp on technological advances and no visions of a futuristic Ireland. Jesus, we’re on the verge of the 21st century, with nothing but 19th century scripts.”

Brian Henry Martin looks genuinely concerned as he takes me on a whirlwind tour through Irish cinema; a videotaped history at his fingertips. A graduate in communication studies, journalist, scriptwriter, director, broadcaster and thespian to boot, Martin has finally put his money where his mouth is and set up Moo Moo International Film Company, with a view to releasing high quality, new Irish film talent, as well as his own. “I see a real void here. There’s a great sense of under-achievement, of mistrust; if young directors do tackle the troubles, they’re seen to be exploiting the situation, but if they don’t , they’re ignoring it.”

A sensitive and articulate young man, Martins’ distrust of the established film industry, stems from a desire to create and be understood on his own terms, rather than bowing to the pressure of perpetuating the pre-conceived ideas of what the content of a Northern Ireland drama should be. He is also sceptical about the industry in Ireland in general. “It’s good that a lot more films are being made over here, but don’t foot yourself into believing that just because Mel Gibson’s over here, that we’ve got a thriving film industry,” he asserts.

Martin has made three films to date; Donaghadee revolves around the loneliness and humour of an old woman who lives in the seaside town. It is a moving portrait of Martin’s auntie. “She’s an incredible character. When I made the film I wasn’t really looking for any great depth to it, but on viewing, it has a lot more poignancy and importance,” he explains.

Bangor Oh Bangor documents the life of Cecil, the owner of an intriguing and bizarre junk shop, that is filled with, apparently, nothing. “He’s the last of a dying breed,” Martin comments. “This shop has been his life for the past sixty years.”

His latest venture, Cavan Cows, is still in production, a “montage of something” that Martin hopes to finish before the end of ’94. He has recently teamed up with Michael Burns, another young director from Belfast, who began his career making music videos for local bands, such as Therapy? Together they have written Cemetery Poetry which has been short-listed for the Northern Lights Competition, a quest to find the best three scripts from young Irish writers. Fingers are crossed; if Martin and Burns win, we get to see their results on the big screen early next year. Martin, again, is sceptical: “It’s encouraging, but I don’t know, does Ireland want to look into the mirror and see a new image?”

For our own sakes, let’s hope so.

THE WRITING and drawing pool in Northern Ireland may not be as extensive compared with the rest of the UK, but it is not without its success stories.

Will Simpson is currently working for DC Comics, drawing a mini-series about an all-girl motorcycle vampire gang, provocatively titled ‘Vamps’. We all remember Garth Ennis, who took off for New York a couple of years ago to work on Judge Dredd and hasn’t been seen since and now Malachy Coney is set to join the many recognised independent comic-book writers, having just been commissioned by Fantagraphics (who brought you Love and Rockets) to provide a follow-up to the much-acclaimed Holy Cross comic.

“The comic is set in a fictional district in Belfast; it’s a kind of soap opera, each comic tells a story about one of the characters in the district, each story shows a different side of life, of human emotion.”

Coney is well-known in Belfast for his comic Major Power And Spunky. “We had to send out flyers with that one, saying ‘Don’t Be Afraid Of This Comic’.” This is presumably because of the ‘delicate’ nature of subject matter.

“It’s about two superheroes who meet and fall in love. It’s about two superheroes who happen to be gay, rather than two gay superheroes. Their sexuality is secondary to their love,” he explains.

The road to success has not been easy for Coney, “there’s so many preconceived ideas about Irish writers; so many walls to break down even before the distributors will see your work. I don’t want to write about the troubles. I just want to write something that’s lasting, with characters that everyone can relate to.”

Nevertheless, Coney remains confident that his time will come, “all the comic industry in Northern Ireland needs, is some smart entrepreneurial drive, to bring it into the mainstream.” Any offers?

THE HOT SPOTS

The Warehouse, Pilot St.

Belfast’s newest music venue. Built close by the much-loved, and now defunct, Rotterdam Bar in the docks area, The Warehouse is rapidly becoming the city’s premier venue.

Music policy is broad, stretching from folk, blues and world through to rock and pop. Recently played host to Toyah and Hue & Cry.

The Limelight, Ormeau Ave.

The city centre nightclub has lost some of its shine of late, at least so far as live music is concerned. Thursday night is the traditional gig night and bands tend to fall into the indie bracket; this is not a hard and fast rule, and other styles do get a look in.

The Limelight also hosts many big name visiting acts.

The Errigle, Ormeau Rd.

Belfast’s oldest gig. The Errigle has never been particularly fashionable, and hence has never gone out of fashion. Weekends attract a strong rock crowd in the main bar, though experiments with mid-week indie gigs have had a mixed response. A smaller second bar is also used as a live venue.

Planet Rock, (The Rosetta), Rosetta Rd.

The home of heavy metal in Belfast has recently received a futuristic make over, though crowds have been reduced by short-lived metal venues that spring up sporadically. Currently dabbling with indie nights, and planning to bring in more visiting acts.

Duke Of York, Commercial Court, Donegal St.

Compact performance area secreted amidst a busy bar and lounge complex. Currently a popular spot to view mainly local pop rock bands. Acts who do not come up to scratch can get very lonely as crowds desert to upstairs disco.

The Warehouse, Pilot St.

The Warehouse is stage one of the redevelopment of the Rotterdam Bar. The Rott has therefore temporarily re-located in the abandoned dockside warehouse in Pilot Street/Clarendon Dock as the first stage of its metamorphosis.

Originally home to the Belfast Sessions of the early ’80s, the Rott slowly developed to a nerve centre for a wide variety of artistes ranging from dance, poetry and world music on a par with any international venue. Its policy has always been to strive towards the cutting edge of barrier-breaking performances, hence the pedigree of classic debuts there, by now international acts, such as Tamalin, Loyko and would you believe the dancing priest.