Wednesday, November 23, 2005

P45 In My Pocket And I'm Goin For A Ride

So it's come to this, my final 24 hours in Dublin, the last visit to the Internet Cafe, an expense I'll defintly remember to factor in next time I move abroad. How I've come to love these places, oh how many times I downloaded Firefox, changed peoples messages and profiles when they've left their MSN signed on, or deleted everything from the desktop apart from, again, Firefox. There must be a fair few Internet Cafe computers out there tailoed to my liking, a comforting thought and one that could one day draw me back to Dublin. Perhaps..

Last night was my leaving party in the excellent Bruxelles and the equally excellent Whelans, which had it's even more excellent dance floor open and once again a DJ promised to play Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now and didn't (The Bruxelles jukebox did). Finally got some photos of the more impressive than I initially though statue of the late great Phil Lynott.

Today, I should be ice skating, buy organization is poor so my hopes ain't high, and if it fails, ont far from The Brazen Head, which is a great pub anyway. Initially planning to to the RDS 7 up Christmas on Ice, but it seems to be fully booked do aiming for Smithfield, which is closer, cheaper and in aid of BUPA (Not sure if that is an improvement or not).

Finally, tonight, planning on going to Wagamama for some quality noodles and much needed nutrition. No doubt it'll be followed by a drink or two, and then, it's goodbye to Ireland and a short flight back to The Homeland, where no doubt I'll spend the day asleep.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Tourin' Tourin', It's Never Borin'



Yesterday I went on a rail tour, now being unemployed I feel its time to become a tourist and see the places I've been meaning to for the last six months. I wanted to see the West coast, as each year I try travel further in a particular direction than I have done previously, and I also wanted to see the ocean, as I've never seen one before, so I went for the Cliffs of Mohor / Galway Tour.

Bloody early start and fuckin', cold, but I don't mind, I'm hardcore, I just soent ever spare moment on the trip asleep, even missing one of the stop of. We stopped at Bunratty Castle on the way, I had no idea why, but oh my joy when I discovered it was the last produced of Mead! They where selling those stone jars of it, but waiting to get paid today before buying the masses of booze I need to take back to the UK with me.

The Cliffs of Mohor where next, bloody amazing view, a nice introduction to seeing the Ocean. These things are 800ft tall, a bit cloudy out, very windy, but still clear enough to be impressive. Sat right on the edge in order to get a decent photo, just as I risked my life for my art, the camera battery dies.



Went on to see The Burren, where Cromwell once declared "Not enough pete to bury a man, not a tree to hang a man and no water to drown him", which makes clear what his intentions for the place where. I really wished my camera was working here, the place has fantastic atmosphere and I recommend a stop to all visitors.

The West Coast of Ireland reminds me of the Yorkshire Moors, the predominant differences being that Ireland still bears the scars of the Great Potato Famine. From ruined houses, famine graveyards to the pointless walls landlords forced people to make in order to receive food, the reminders remain, especially on the already dark and desolate Burren.

Final stop was Galway, and all I can say for here is that the town square is a half constructed shambles and the kebab shop I eventually found was alright (Not great, but better than the Irish plauge that is Abrakebabra).

Roll on the next tourist adventure!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

A Cowboys Life...

Yesterday I took upon my first grave homage, visiting the late, great Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy, out in Sutton, a short DART ride from Dublin city centre.

I wasn't quite sure what one was to do on such visits, I took a photo of course (This one isn't mine, although I do have a new digital camera), and I felt it appropriate to listen to my favourite Thin Lizzy tune, "Cowboy Song". What a great concept, a half caste Irish man writing about the loneliness of living out in the Wild West. Thing is, he nails it, it's one of the great rock tunes of all time, right up there with Overkill and Killing In The Name Of.

There where a fair few moments left about the place, necklesses, sunglasses, standard rocker stuff, but fashion bands to? I left a tragus ring, a purple titanium one, so don't go nicking it. It was all I had handy .


For anybody making the homage, you take the DART to Sutton, take the left out the station, and just keep on going till you see a cemetery on your right, it's a fair walk but a nice view of Dublin Bay on the way. The plot is the last one on the right, and the grave is in the far left of said plot, Row I if I remember correctly, and it's easy enough to spot as it has a lot of flowers.

Paying homage at the new stature of Phil is next on the list, even if it does look rather more like Jimi Hendrix than Mr. Lynott.

While looking up the directions to the grave I was really disappointed to find a white power group, Stormfrtont White Nationlists complaining about the statue and talking of desecrating it. Reading their posting, their ignorance overwhelms me. First of, them spell Lynott wrong, it's one N and two T's, and who on earth calls themselves "Racialists"? Dubbing yourself with a word made up by Chris Morris, in either Brass Eye or The Day Today, I forget which, is a sure fire way to look ridiculous.

Saturday, November 12, 2005

I'n Moving On

The leaving of Dublin is well underway. I'm giving my notice at work tonight:

This job isnt the job the job was when I started the job so I'm leaving the job for a different job
elsewhere

It's been grand.


Last job, I wrote my notice on a beer mat, yet here I am now going to hte effort of typing, spell checking and printing a proper leaving note. Must be keen for a refference.


Of the see The Dirty Three now, which means that in the last months I've seen four of my favourite five bands, inclrty Three uding seeing one of them twice. And the one not seen in the last month, Einstuzende Neubauten, I saw in April anyway so it's all class!

Friday, November 11, 2005

The Continuing Story of Budget Hostel Bill

Back in Little Poland, Lower Gardener Street, just had two nights in Browns Hostel, returning to City Manor for two nights, then spending my remaining time in Dublin back in Browns, or perhaps the lovely Jacob's Inn.

For a budget hostel Browns in pretty good, a weird building that falls somewhere between The Cavern and Castle Wolfenstein, a bit chilly to, and no lockers (Something standard in the budgets it seems).

It also seems to lack decent reception. When I got back from work last night at the lovely hour of 5 I found my room card to be disabled, meaning two hours sleeping in the cellar like surroundings of the TV area. My complaints went ignored.

Two weeks left in these places I reckon, then back to England.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Motorhead still Rock

Saw Motorhead again tonight, in the Hometown of Liverpool.

Just to stress again, they really rock. See them twice in one week, playing the same set, and they'll still blow you away. Even in as little time as three days the volume sounds a little louder and Lemmy's trousers that little bit tighter.

Tonight brought two Motorhead epiphanys. First, that they are so damn cool that you can see them with your Mum and still have a deadly good time. Second, I noticed how Overkill, the traditional final song, which you think would make everybody go mental, makes people stand in awe. Now it might just be the strobes, maybe the crippling bass, but I think it's just the greatest show on Earth.

I wonder if Lemmy has ever stopped to wonder what it's like to be in the crowd during Overkill?

I got some quality bootleg material after the gig, a Motorhead XXXth Anniversary mug, and for £2! Man, I'd paid a fiver. I wish I had a camera to capture an image of this mighty drinkingvessele.

Motorhead rock, my ears ring, roll on next Christmas tour and this Saturday, when I see the amazing Dirty Three.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

They Are Motorhead

I'm back in England for the annual seeing of the Motorhead, something I've done for the last five years now. Even with my favourite bands, such as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, I find that each time I see them they loose a little impact. It was terrible to think that this could be happening to Motorhead, I mean, they had half the amount of speakers they usually do, and Lemmy must be slowing down a bit as his drinks have started to have ice cubes in them. Mr. Kilminster is even wearing different clothes to any other time I've seen him playing, are they starting to loose it? Short answer, no. Long answer, they played with speed and precision, throwing in new songs amongst the classics, the sound was incredibly well balanced and got louder as the show went on. They might be starting to look thier age a bit, but they've compromised nothing.

As I said, they manage a great balance of old and new, two songs of Another Perfect Day, two favorites of mine, "Going To Brazil" and "R.A.M.O.N.E.S" or the criminally under-rated 1916 and no less than three songs of thier last album, Inferno, including an acoustic encore of "Whorehouse Blues". And what would be seeing Motorhead without the mandatory second encore of "Ace of Spades" and "Overkill"?

It was also good to see Lemmy in the news again as of late. A member of the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff decided to ask him to speak out against the dangers of heroin after hearing him voice his opinions against the drug in the documentary "Live Fast Die Old" (I swear to God I make a brief appearance in it). The theory was that younger people would listen to the informed opinion of a living Rock legend, and what does he go and do? He goes and calls for it to be legalized. What a great move on his part, a well thought out and practical idea it is to. Hamburg is really liberal on heroin, and it makes use far less dangerous. Dublin on the other hand is pretty conservative and the heroin abuse and the damage it cause is far more extensive. Right on Lemmy!

Seeing them again on Tuesday, in Liverpool, and I'm taking my mum. Rock 'N' Roll!!

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Burritos for my tacos!

I finally found a decent Mexican food place in Dublin, and in addition to it being cheap, it also has great music. It could only be Burritos 'N' Blues of Ranelagh, and man, their food is good. Well marinade, proper ingedients, spicy enough to taste, prepared with speed and a solid blues soundtrack. There's nothing to dislike about the place, apart perhaps from the fact that I've only just discovered it when I have a month left over here, and its quite a walk away.

I had the chicken quesedia, which was damn fine, and I think sweet prok will be hte next choice.

Mind, they're after people to start a franchise...

What do you call that show??

Man, saw The Aristocracts last night, and man, I didn't think I could ever hear such words in the cinema. It's basically a role call of famous comics and Billy Connolly telling the same joke:

A man walks into a producers office and tells the man "I've got the greatest act you'll ever see". So the producers asks to hear what the act is and the man says "Well, I walk on stage..."

The middle section is filled with as many references to wives, children, babies, shit, dogs, cum, rimming, erections, blood, vomit, scatology and.. Well, you get the picture.

After describing the most horrific stage show possible, the producer asks "My God, what do you call an act like that!?" To which our main man replies, "The Aristocrats!".

Genius.

Gilbert Gottfried steals the show, telling the joke at Hugh Heffners Friars Roast in New York just three weeks after 11/9. This is of course he voiced concern to his flight having a route planned via The Empire State Building, a joke prompting a call of "Too soon!" from the audience.

I saw this a bit late, but found out at the end of the credits (You always have to wait till the end of the credits when seeing a movie at the cinema, you never know what you might miss) that there was a compition to get your own rendition of the joke included on the DVD release. Alas, closing date was September 30th, my comedy break thru has been prosponed.

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