Author Archives: Nick Kelly

Gulp..

Hope you brought your PPE.

Meanwhile...

Keith Duffy (left) and Brian McFadden of Boyzlife

 

Proper order.

Hang on.

Where’s Shane, anyone?

JyellowL – Doesn’t Feel Like

‘Love is priceless and so it doesn’t come cheaply here We don’t provide the other cheek because one cheek we share On chic we care the sheepskin the sheepish wear…’

Don’t go chasing waterfalls…

Dublin-based rapper JyellowL (top) returns with a new single tackling racism from his forthcoming album 2020 D/Vision, due in December.

Nick says: Dancing queen.

JyellowL

owl

Good times.

Rory O’Connor

Kevin O’Higgins

For your consideration.

10 Tunes 10 Instruments, 1 Musician.

A tune-stuffed short film featuring multi-talented musician Peter O’Toole (top).

Peter writes:

‘I have played with Hothouse Flowers since 1985…Although all our shows were cancelled from 12 March I got busy at home..We had trips to Serbia..Glastonbury..London Belfast Larne Newry and even a holiday on Lake Como cancelled…

During Lockdown I was very creative with my time and now I am presenting my short movie and my new CD called Leaving White Cedar.

I applied for and was awarded the Covid Grant from The Arts Council Of Ireland which helped put this project together.

The single “Far Off Beautiful World” is now available.

The movie captures me performing 10 new tunes that I wrote on 10 different instruments all played by myself and filmed at home here in Tipperary.

“The CD is the recordings of the tunes from the movie plus 4 extra songs.

“It is different..it’s unique and it’s a feel-good story from a difficult time.

It’s recorded on 1 studio microphone and filmed on my Android phone so it is very earthy and home-made but has a fantastic genuine warm feeling.

Best wishes and stay safe and healthy.’

Nick, says: A petal for his mettle.

Peter O’Toole

Testing 1, 2, 3.

*taps mic*

Free Saturday?

Songs from an Empty Room.

A live music broadcast presented by Epic: The Irish Emigrant Museum with artists across Ireland honouring the unsung backstage crew.

Buzz O’Neill Maxwell writes:

EPIC are delighted to announce Songs from An Empty Room,

This is a celebration of our event crew, staff and companies and is an opportunity for the public to support two great live events industry initiatives:

Minding Creative Minds and the Association of Irish Stage Technicians Hardship Fund for the benefit of any crew that work in the live events industry,

All donations will be split equally between both organisations and will help to sustain our live events community at this incredibly challenging time when we cannot work.

Songs From An Empty Room

Don’t buy ready-made in Dublin.

Transform a dilapidated gaff.

Photos of Dublin writes:

Anyone on Instagram that’s interested in buying, investing or even just looking at old houses for sale in Dublin that have great potential then check out this new Insta account linked below…

Houses to Restore Dublin (Instagram)

Dublin Old School Nightclubs by Maxi

The votes are in.

Last Monday, with a beautiful A2 print of Dublin nightclubs of old by Maxi – available at Jam Art Prints – to giveaway, we asked you to recall (if possible) your most memorable evening at any of the establishments featured in Maxi’s print

Thank you for the many hilarious entries.

Sadly, there can be only one winner (selected By Mark at Jam Art).

Third Place:

MacGafraidh writes:

‘All my memories in Pod were crazy, honestly, it was an amazing place. I used to work for a really large mobile phone company, let’s call them Fodavone, no wait too easy, Doblafone.. We had a corporate gig there hosted by one of the brands we sold, let’s call them Nokio.. and they brought in ‘Example’.. At a time when I thought his music was ‘deadly’.

Gig was great. Afterwards we’re at the bar having drinks and who is off to the side of the bar only Mr. Example himself talking to two women.

After a minute or two of gentle persuasion and an unavoidable double dare from my mates, I strolled over.. Drink in hand, eyes locked on Mr. Example, and as I approached his little circle I got this surge of confidence with my mates about 10 feet back behind me.

Me: “Example, sorry to interrupt but it’s not often you get to meet….”
Example: “can’t you see I’m talking to these girls for fuck’s sake.. Some people have no sense..”

Example walks away with the girls. Can’t believe I got to meet my hero.. And at Pod.. So I deserve the prize here. On an alternative note, David DeValera used to play at Pod and he had the place absolutely heaving.. Crazy night out guaranteed every week. Loved it.’

Runner-Up:

Bri Nylon writes:

‘I was in the Pod one Saturday night. This woman came over and said she loved my hair, and that I had a lovely face with beautiful skin. We got married two years later. Still together!’

Winner:

Liam Deliverance writes:

‘Many fuzzy memories from these magical places of dance, I was never let in to the POD for some reason and 2 visits to System marked the end of the era for me personally. I do distinctly remember one gig in the Ormonde though

It was 1996 and just before Christmas week. Myself and 2 buds got dropped in to Dame Street by my Mam, she would not have known that we were heading to Ormonde Quay later, as I thanked my Mam and got out she forced a £20 into my hand as well as a bag of Mars Funsize.

I stuffed them into my jacket pocket and got busy with a few pints. During the obligatory search from the “very” hands-on bouncers at the Ormonde they found the bag and looked at me funny, I shrugged my shoulders, ripped open the bag and offered one each to the three bouncers, they smiled and accepted, shrugged their shoulders and sent me inside.

Again I forgot about the Mars bars after putting them back in my jacket, I was more than a little embarrassed by them too. The night was a good one, couldn’t tell you who was playing, busy as with Christmas looming the next gigs would be a couple of weeks away.

Sometime in the early hours, still in the Ormonde, that bag resurfaced, and never has a small piece of chocolate, caramel and nougat tasted so very good.

I shared them around and made at least 10 new friends that night, of course I never saw any of them again but hopefully they remember fondly that night with yer man and his bag of little Mars bars!’

Thanks all.

Monday: Dublin In The Rave Old Times

Jam Art Prints