Pre-loved clothes sale

Okay, so it's not strictly in Dublin, and being the last stop on the DART line has an ominous ring to it. But venturing out into the wilds of Greystones seems just about possible for this gorgeous sounding 'pre-loved' clothes sale. There will be vintage, designer and high street clothes, jewellery, bags and shoes to rummage through. We're promised no junk, only treasures. The stallholders are made up of stylists, models and fashionable sorts who are clearing out their overflowing wardrobes, with proceeds going to charity.

There will be tea and cake and rock and roll music. Sounding like some sort of impossible Ab-Fab/Darling Buds of May hybrid, I'm hoping for doddery old dears in knitted hats dispensing tea to languid fashion types, clutching those McQueen shoes snatched up for only a fiver. It's pretty much unmissable.

With all that frenzied rooting for that perfect bargain, you'll likely have worked up an appetite. For a town of its size, Greystones has a phenomenal number of cafes and restaurants. The Happy Pear is the star organic/healthy attraction of the town, and Italian restaurant Vino Pasta has started a rather good cafe near the DART station. Mrs Robinson is a bizarrely decorated bar opposite The Happy Pear serving interesting beer and varying degrees of fun.

To do, tonight: Black Letters and Ballads folk club

This is the real thing. A folk club like you hear tell of from the sixties, where rapt listeners sit silent as musician poets sing tales of sea-faring and loss and wandering strangers. Musicians and singers sing real old folk songs, not the schmaltzy sentimental faux-folk or Dylan tributes that too often define the genre in this country. In the sparse living-room like surroundings of The Joinery you could be in Greenwich Village in 1962, channelling your inner Kerouac. The last time I went to Black Letters and Ballads everyone who performed got up for a song together at the end. Autoharps, dulcimers, double bass, mandolins and a cacophony of harmonising voices made a riotous and joyful end to a very lovely night of song. After some months wandering in a far off land, the club makes a welcome return. The loosely interpreted theme for this session is rather aptly, rambling and roving. It starts at 7.30 in The Joinery, Stoneybatter.

https://www.facebook.com/events/246387748785444/

An alternative St Patrick's Day

Image via http://glasseyalley.com/

Ah, St. Patricks Day. National day of vomiting and bloodshed...I mean, joyous celebration of our national identity. If you'd like to venture into Dublin this Saturday but want to avoid the carousing, marauding multitudes, stop by coffee-shop extraordinaire Third Floor Espresso who are holding a coffee brewing course. They make the best coffee in town so their 'Brewing Coffee at Home' course is very popular. It's €25 and as well as teaching you how to get the most out of your coffee beans, it includes lunch, a treat (delicious) and a bag of coffee to take home. It's in their Grand Canal Dock shop, so the city centre can be deftly avoided.

Click here for more info and to book.

A little bit of creative vandalism

 

Some sterling work here from some enterprising sorts. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young are now resident on Wicklow Street, and Canal Road is no longer, we give you: Anal Toad.

Bob Dylan live in dublin 1966

The man himself in the Adelphi Theatre, Dublin in May 1966. Amazing to think of him playing here at his peak. One of my favourite songs too.

The (other) Horse Show

It’s easy to be romantic about horses. To be poetic and sentimental, to extoll their nobility, their grace, their courage. For that, see Warhorse (in cinemas now). For a refreshing and realistic view of the relationship between humans, horses, and art, go to current RHA exhibition The Horse Show. 

 At some point, it seems that most artists will be drawn to depicting a horse in some way - the sinews, the muscles, the bones - it's like life drawing, on steroids. The most striking thing about the work is the inescapable feeling of the sheer power of the animal, the muscular bulk filling the space. It reminds us of the constantly remarkable fact that they allow us to treat them like pets, though they can fell us with the flick of a hind leg. 

I was wary of this exhibition, because I am a life-long lover of horses and of 'classical' paintings of them. This, I feared, would involve a lot of post-whatever disassembling and dissecting and uglifying of something that is only ever beautiful. But it doesn't. It's a collection of work that seems always honest in its portrayal of the horse and indicative of each artist's relationship, whether deep or fleeting, with the animal.

The Horse Show at RHA Galleries II & III until March 25th.

 

First published here.

We are one year old...

Oh my god are we REALLY that old?

...And we can't quite believe it. We've managed to keep posting and kept all of you interested for a whole year. So here's to another year of celebrating the weird and wonderful and cool and not so cool and THANK YOU! from us, and keep reading!

We, The Alpaca Jamboree, also erstwhile Buzzcat blogging duo, are singing songs of sixpence tonight in Crawdaddy in the company of some fine bands. If you're in Dublin, stumbling past Harcourt Street Luas stop, you could do worse than to fall down the stairs and into this venue. It'll soothe jangling nerve endings.

Crawdaddy, Harcourt St - €5 - 8pm.

GET A REAL JEEP!

There are a worrying number of these appearing on the streets of Dublin. The Range Rover Evoque: a new low in the vulgarity of the monied. It's like pumped up version of a Mini, an idiotic looking 'SUV' for people who wear these.

Kings of Folk

Andy and Paul back in the old days.

If you thought people were worked up over the Planxty reunion gigs in 2004, it’s nothing compared to the rapturous reception these two towering folk musicians will receive at their highly anticipated gigs this weekend. Having gone their seperate ways for the best part of 35 years they are finally reuniting to play songs from their seminal, genre defining 1976 album Andy Irvine and Paul Brady. The choice of songs and the pared back beauty of their arrangment made the album a classic almost as soon as it was released. Irvine and Brady’s interpretations of the songs, many relatively unknown as folk songs go, have become the definitive versions and the album has been endlessly inspiring to musicians through the years. For fans of the album and of real folk music it will be something very special to see and hear these performed at last. They're playing in Vicar Street tomorrow and Saturday night.

Old films, old music, and old fashioned glamour

Film Fatale is back with a screening of Double Indemnity on Saturday night. Expect a night of 1940s Hollywood glamour with guests encouraged to dress in the style of the classic film noir.  Following the film, Mizz Dietrichson will sing 'sultry soulful songs of the forties' and The Andrews Sisters’ Brothers play noir-esque 40's music. It's in the Sugar Club (where else) and tickets are €15. See here for more. Their next screening is Singin' in the Rain in December. Apparently it'll be followed by a roaring twenties party, everyone's favourite kind of party. After our Hallowe'en efforts as The Beautiful and the Damned (part Zelda and Scott, part Pam and Eric from True Blood) we will definitely be among the champagne quaffing many.

KC Peaches for comfort food deliciousness

Meaning to write about KC Peaches for ages, when it came up on the Le Cool list last week I finally did it. I had even taken a photo of their lovelylovely coffee machine. Beginning life as a whole foods caterer, KC Peaches canteen-style restaurant popped up in pastel blue and mint green on Nassau Street early this summer. Occupying what used to be Fred Hanna's bookshop (note the lovely original mosaic on the threshold) it has rapidly gathered a devoted and apparently ravenous following. The idea is simple: queue up, pick a size, and cram your plate or take-away box with as much deliciousness as it can handle. The reasonably priced and generously sized portions bring to mind that slightly disturbing childhood adage "your eyes are bigger than your belly." The food is comforting, healthy, and very filling. This, and a prime location opposite Trinity's Nassau Street gate, makes for a noisy and bustling atmosphere, cafeteria-like and somehow American. Also, coffee obsessives will be pleased to know that the coffee is good, and their coffee machine is nothing short of beautiful. Our good friend OhGaz works there, if you see him say Hi!

Originally published here.

Patrick Wolf in the Academy.

I saw Patrick Wolf about four years ago supporting The Arcade Fire. He was a little known troubadour with a penchant for Bowie-like garb and literary lyrics. Two distinct memories of his performance were the look of shock on the faces of the bouncers when he walked onstage and his falling off the same stage onto his head and without missing a beat ad-libbing the incident into song. The crowd was won over. Since then he has defied record company norms with a fan-funded album, signed to a new label, modeled for Burberry and can count Lady Gaga among his biggest fans. New album Lupercalia is his most accessible to date and has seen his popularity soar, with single The City receiving rotational airplay. With mainstream popularity beckoning, catch him and his onstage antics at this intimate gig in the Academy on Monday.

Originally published here

Something to do today: Whelan's record fair

I went to the first Whelan's record fair way back in August. It was raining, freezing, it was supposed to be summer. The records I was flicking through didn't interest me and I was ready to condemn the venture and go off in search of warming drinks. Then I found a gem of a record, not one I had ever heard of but one I knew I had to have. Suddenly everything was better and braving the wind and rain and the walk from the dart station seemed worth it. That's the beauty of a good record find, its like discovering buried treasure. That day the record sellers said they'd be back if it was a success. It's good to know that it was. In fact, it went so well that they moved it downstairs to the main venue. A city can never have too many decent second hand record sellers, or second hand book sellers (book fair anyone?). Hone your flicking skills as there are stacks of vinyl to get through, but it's worth it for that one unbeatable album.

The record I found, for €4

Whelan's record fair, Whelan's, Wexford St - today - 1pm - 5pm

First published here

Urban Outfitters unlikely alliance REVEALED!

Urban Outfitters clock decoration

Spotted these clocks decorating a wall in Urban Outfitters in Dundrum during the week. They're the usual retro style you'd expect from such a self consciously kooky store, and the kind of thing you might expect to find for sale in the miscellaneous stuff section for about €55. But you won't, because they're from Tesco. I know, because I bought one for my kitchen a few weeks ago for a bargain €3. (The Tesco website is now selling them for £13, ha!)

My €3 Tesco clock

I don't know who's winning here, Tesco or Urban Outfitters. Whatever, it's an excellent clock.

Covers that are better than the orignals: Part II

I heard the Dublin Gospel Choir's version of Mumford and Sons 'The Cave' for the first time today. It's a perfect example of a cover that's better than the original (see previous post). Mumford and Sons embody everything that is wrong with the 'nu-folk' movement with their stupid clothes and their stupid excessive use of the banjo and faux-folkness. But, they've written some good songs. I just can't listen to them because the band themselves are so annoying. This version makes it possible. So for anyone else out there who finds themselves strangely drawn to the song but can't bear to listen to it's creators sing it, here's an excellent alternative. What harmonising!

How to foil an iPhone thief

There have been a spate of iPhone thefts around Dublin lately. Mostly, women are being targeted by young fellas on foot or on bikes who effectively stalk them for some time to determine whether the phone is really an iPhone. Apparently they have a high resale value, despite the assumption that once they're stolen and shut down by your network they all but self destruct.

A few months ago some little runt came running up behind me as I was walking up Eustace Street in Temple Bar. I was writing an email on my phone so had been walking along slowly for some time. Having heard of these thefts I was clutching my phone more tightly than normal, and that's probably why I still have it. But I like to think it's because of what happened next.

He ran at me from the side, grabbing hold of the phone as he passed and pulled at it with two hands. I ROARED at him with all the rage and fire of adrenalin, called him many unprintable names and possibly flailed at him with my legs. He finally gave up and ran off onto Dame Street hopefully feeling extremely sheepish for not being able to rob a phone from a girl. My phone bears the scar of a scratched screen cover and I grip it with all my might walking around town.

So, if you hear the patter of juvenile delinquent feet as you walk through town, iPhone aloft here's what to do:

1. Grip phone with iron fist

2. Terrify the little bastard with a roar so great you vibrate

3. Run after him and knock him to the ground and sit on him until the police show up (you may be there some time), if you're in heels all the better - pin him down with the point.

4. (Optional) Become a vigilante foiler of iPhone thefts.

I walked around town for the next couple of hours positively bristling with rage, ready to attack any brat who remotely resembled the attempted thief. When I went back to work later that day, word had spread and of course, someone grabbed me from behind and shouted "GIMMIE YOUR PHONE!" I nearly punched him.

Handsome Furs - tonight - Whelans

Canadian husband and wife duo Handsome Furs (Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry) return to Dublin tonight with a new album, Sound Kapital in tow. Months of touring has driven the pair to almost entirely abandon their guitar driven electro-rock for a more up-tempo, synthtastic sound. Their travels in Eastern Europe and the Far East have inspired a cacophany of sound that reflects the hot, bright, noisy metropolises of those regions. See them at Whelan’s tonight for a turbulent, beat driven, sweaty gig, like some sort of 21st century version of a riotous underground gig in 1980s East Berlin. Listen to Repatriated and Cheap Music to get into the album, but here’s hoping they play some of the excellent tunes from their first album Plague Park as well.

 

First published here.

A Dublin Saturday

(via we heart it)

I'm back! Well, I haven't exactly been away. Just lazy. I mean, seriously working hard on various variousnesses. So thank you to Sam for sort of holding the virtual fort in my absence. Tomorrow we Buzzcats get to spend a Saturday in Dublin, something we haven't done all summer and we're very excited. We plan to visit the inaugral record fair in Whelans - it starts at 2pm, has cheap booze and hopefully LOADS of classic tunes for not so much money. I'm in the market for some Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan and maybe even some Doc Watson if they have it, thanks very much. After that, or maybe before, we're going to venture to excellent sounding new vintage store Shotsy Vintage, on Temple Lane South, for their Norwegian cardigans and €5 men's plaid shirts. After that, who knows... though I hear worrying rumours among friends of a karaoke expedition.

New things people might like or be interested in.

Just a few things to check out if you are bored or hungry or anything in between.

Wild Abandon the new novel Joe Dunthorn, his second novel since his highly successful debut Submarine.

Watch The Throne rap giants Jay-Z and Kanye West's collaborative album. The name and artwork remind us of the combined ego that was involved in this venture.

Julie Bertuccelli's new film starring Charlotte Gainsbourg is showing now in the IFI. Beautiful looking film.

Passed this new place today on South Anne St. Looked interesting. If you are stuck for somewhere to eat give it a whirl and let us know how you find it.