Author Archives: Nick Kelly


Wallis Bird – Pretty Lies

“It’s been a long-ass year.”

Berlin-based Irish songsmith Wallis Bird (top) reflects on the lockdown in her new video shot in Germany by Joe Wright.

Wallis writes:

“It documents the silence and the beauty of hearing the birds for miles and miles at the beginning of lockdown when there was no traffic and nobody was leaving their house. It moves from that into when things began reopening a little more.

“This quiet, uneasy safety at the start develops into a spiral of unending possibilities. The end of this song expresses all of the possibilities of where we’re going to go from here.”

Wallis releases her new album Hands on May 27.

Nick says: Bird song.

Wallis Bird

Gulp.

Truckers and ‘smokey bears’!

Meanwhile….

A poll says that, should a meaningful number of truckers show up near Washington, D.C. in the coming days to protest two years of COVID restrictions, they will have the support of the majority of Republicans and independents in the country.

The poll, conducted by Trafalgar Group, indicates that 50.3 percent of adult Americans are “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to support the U.S. demonstration of truckers, a few of whom departed last week from various parts of the country for an expected 11-day trek to the nation’s capital.

People’s Convoy Is Gathering Support as It Heads Toward Washington: Poll (Newsweek)

Getty

Russian conductor Valery Gergiev (right) with Russian president Vladimir Putin

Um.

This morning.

Meanwhile…

…Via EuroNews:

Gergiev’s closeness to Putin, whom he has known since 1992, and his loyalty to the Russian president on the annexation of Crimea, as well as his participation in concerts in bombarded South Ossetia and in Palmyra alongside the Syrian army, have been the subject of much controversy over the past decade. But only now are they conducting the direction of his professional life.

That’ll learn him.

Russian conductor Valery Gergiev sacked from yet another role as Munich’s mayor waves baton (EuroNews)

This morning.

Emma Fagen writes:

‘Following rave reviews, standing ovations and an IFTA nomination for Best Documentary Break Out Pictures are delighted to announce the on-demand release of Ross Killeen’s debut film Love Yourself Today.

‘The film will be released on March 14th to stream or download-to-own on various platforms including Google Play, Virgin Media, IFI @Home, Volta, Amazon Prime, Apple TV/iTunes, Microsoft Films & TV and Vimeo.

‘Love Yourself Today centres around the music of Irish singer songwriter Damien Dempsey but also turns the lens onto his fans. Every Christmas in Dublin, the crowds gather for Damo’s Christmas gig at Vicar Street. Through the prism of the concert, we meet Dempsey and three members of the audience. We hear their stories, unravel their grief and find the light in the darkness through communal art. For them,these shows have become a cathartic ritual, a safe space where emotions can be laid bare.’

Previously: For Your Consideration

Yesterday.

Dublin 1.

Via Dublin Civic Trust:

Dramatic additions to Beresford Place: a phalanx of apparently Leyland Cypresses has been parachuted by Dublin City Council (parks biodiversity) into the crescent that encircles the Custom House, lending a Roman formality to its 1780s south front. Such confident investment is rare, startling and welcome.

Meanwhile…

Now yew tell us.

Last night/this morning.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reponds to a Wellington court decision on Friday to overturn police and defence vaccine mandates

Govt faces legal ultimatum: End mandates and vaccine passes, now (Newsroom,co.nz)

Meanwhile…

Ah.