Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Planxty’

Mos Def to Sean O Riada, Belfield to Brooklyn

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

That time of the year again, when the Irish Film Institute roll out their annual Stranger Than Fiction festival. “Four days of documentaries that promise to entertain, inform and inspire” You can check out the complete line up over on the official IFI website, here.

Among the latest in the IFI Archive screenings, I am very, very excited about The Irish or the Memory of a People. Commissioned by French broadcaster ORFT3 in the early 1970s, this one was filmed at the height of the folk and trad revival in this country. It features performances from the likes of The Dubliners, Tony MacMahon, Willie Clancy and even Planxty. The Planxty footage was recorded at UCD Belfield campus, so bad jumpers and beards can be expected from the student folkies. The documentary features footage from inside Dublin trad and folk haunts like the Pipers Club, but indeed is much broader in scope than just the capital city.

The film will be shown on the 18th April (a Sunday) at 12.15

I’m also really excited by this one, which is getting its International Premiere in Dublin. I’m sure it will appeal to our own jaycarax and other fans of subcultures like it. From the time I heard ESG and Talking Heads in the trailer to when I read that Debbie Harry of Blondie fame is narrating the documentary, I’ve been on a google quest over this one.

“In the late 1970s New York City was teetering on the edge of total chaos. A failed economy, crime and en masse housing corruption gave way to a city in crisis. Yet, as is often the case, out of the economic and social strife that held the city hostage, a family of homegrown cultures that would forever change the world began to emerge and thrive”

This one will be shown on Friday the 16th April, with a 18.45 start. The producer, Michael Holman, will be on hand for a Q&A session afterwards.

Two very different documentaries.
Two very different cultures.

Read Full Post »

Mise an Fear Ceoil

Posted in Dublin History, Music, tagged , on January 30, 2010| 5 Comments »

Seamus Ennis

Seamus Ennis (1919-1982) from the Naul, North Dublin.

Just a short post, I’ll let the music talk.

I’ve been returning to Leagues O’ Toole’s fantastic book The Humours Of Planxty, which has opened me up completely to the music of Seamus Ennis. Ennis essentially served as a mentor to Liam Óg O’ Flynn of the legendary band, and also collected countless songs and sheets of music all over Ireland and indeed the UK.

Seamus spent his last years in a mobile home in the Naul, close to the land on which he was raised and where the sound of his fathers pipes would shape his life. Those very pipes, antique pieces in themselves, were to be played by Willie Clancy and Liam Óg later on in Seamus’ company.

He died in that small mobile home.

Those days will be remembered
Beyond out in the Naul
Listening to the master’s notes
As gently they did fall

Christy Moore, Easter Snow.

The Rainy Day/The Merry Blacksmith/The Silver Spear

Read Full Post »

Andy Irvine, Jape, Glen Hansard and others do their bit for Haiti.

Posted in Music, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on January 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I’m a big fan of Foggy Notions. I picked up a pretty old copy a few days back and thought to myself: This has to be the only magazine in Ireland with the Junior Boys, Joanna Newsom, !Kaboogie and Planxty within its pages. Leagues O’ Tooles book Planxty too blew me away, and is probably the best “wasn’t expecting that” Christmas pressie of the last 5 years.

They’ve organised two fantastic short-notice fundraisers for Haiti, with another on the way from Whelans in the form of Glen Hansard (ticket information at bottom of post)

Andy Irvine has long been one of my favourites. Literally, across the room from me, are copies of Timedance, The Woman I Loved So Well, the self titled album and other Planxty odds and ends. Planxy excite me in a way I don’t think many other Irish bands ever have.

I’ve seen Andy now in Downeys pub of Ballyfermot and even at the National Concert Hall. A good Wobbly, and a master of the Buzuki, I’ve always found Andy as capable of taking on a song of revolution as one of romance, or of a song of medievil times as opposed to one of getting sloshed in O’ Donoghues. As far as variety go, Andy is unmatched in this country.

—

Jape are a little newer to my MP3 player. In the student-bar, I believe they would be reffered to as “so hot right now”. Well, Richie does have a Choice Music Award on the mantlepiece now. I got into The Redneck Manifesto a little later than my peers. Still, much as I loved both Oppenheimer and Lisa Hannigans offerings, it was nice to see a lad from Crumlin take the big prize last year.

“When I hit puberty I just listened to American hardcore punk: The Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, Black Flag and all the SST bands, so there’s a real mix in my musical background.”

-Richie Egan, Irish Times March 6th 2009

Word.

I’ve only noticed today Whelans have added a third concert, featuring Oscar-winner Glen Hansard. I won’t pretend to know a thing about his music, all I know is he once used the Cupla Focal at the Oscars and I once said hello to him in Tower Records and he seemed a nice bloke. Sin é.

Sunday 24th January 8pm Glen Hansard (solo)

Sunday February 14th 8pm Andy Irvine (Planxty), The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock, Mumblin Deaf Ro, The Hounds & Big Monster Love

Wednesday February 17th 8pm David Kitt, Jape (solo electronic), Legion of Two, Patrick Kelleher & Goodtime John.

I’ll be the nerd with Leagues O’ Tooles book on Planxty under my arm waiting to ambush Andy Irvine on the 14th, I look forward to seeing you there.

http://www.tickets.ie//WAV box office at 1890 200 078

—-

With regards Haiti, there are no words. All I can say is I’m immensely proud to be a Dubliner when I walk into any local shop, pub, club or even just walk down the street and I see somebody take the time to raise money for people suffering in a manner we will never even be able to comprehend.

Read Full Post »

%d bloggers like this: