Havent really put anything here in a while so heres the main body of a project i was working on about plastic surgery. I wanted to interview a plastic surgeon but none of the people i spoke to got back to me. Maybe il do it better during the summer. It was pretty rushed, but it has the bones and research for a good feature article.
My hypothesis is that the presentation and attention given to cosmetic surgery reflects a society that is obsessed with image. Furthermore I believe that the representation of cosmetic surgery on “reality television” programmes encourage people who ordinarily wouldn’t, to have surgery performed on themselves. The media both reflects and generates social activity and both aspects must be explored in order to understand the processes at work. I also believe that the mainstream media is manipulating their consumers by exploiting their insecurities and promoting a destructive message that equates wealth with happiness. The shows which I will be examining are The Swan, Extreme Makeover, and I Want A Famous Face. The Swan is a competitive show in which all the contestants undergo full body plastic surgery and then must compete against each other for a cash prize. On Extreme Makeover each show focuses on one particapant who has full body plastic surgery and examines the processes involved. On I Want A Famous Face a particant will undergo facial reconstruction with the aim that afterwards they will look like their preferred celebrity. While each of these shows have specific nuances, the basic premise is the same, therefore unless I make particular reference to a show I will be discussing them as a whole.
To begin with I would like to tackle the claim of these shows to represent “reality”. The label of “reality television” has always been a troublesome one. Some people believe that the name is an inaccurate description for several styles of program included in this genre. The viewer of these shows cannot see what is being edited. The process involved in a cosmetic makeover is a lengthy one that cannot be justifiably presented in a twenty or thirty minutes. The shows lack much variety and generally follow the same pattern- this leads the analyst to ask if the creators deliberately set up the show in such a way that leads to a favourable result time and time again.
An interesting theorist to look at with regard to these shows is the postmodernist Jean Baudrillard who made some significant contributions to the Semiotics and the study of signs. He believed that reality disappears underneath the interchangeability of signs, and this can be seen clearly on television shows about cosmetic surgery, especially when looking at how exactly the products of surgery is consumed and how beauty is a sign for success and those with the power to alter their appearance have greater symbolic power in society. Baudrillard thought that all purchases, because they always signify something socially, have their fetishistic side. The human obsession with perfection has reached a fetish-like scale, and the image of a flawless body has come to symbolise the object of attraction. His ideas about hyperreality could also be important in analysing reality television shows. Hyperreality is a means to characterise the way consciousness defines what is actually "real" in a world where a multitude of media can radically shape and filter the original event or experience being depicted. The media has become so complex and sophisticated that determining what is real can often be difficult.
Plastic surgery has existed in various guises for many years and reflects mans natural desire for self improvement. There is nothing good or bad about wanting to be better- it is a natural impulse, but when this desire is exploited for higher TV ratings or direct consumption we should be offended. When plastic surgery is highly necessary- in the case where an accident left someone disfigured or where not having plastic surgery poses a health risk, no-one can make a moral judgement. However there are those who believe that the “unnecessary” use of plastic surgery is negative influence in society. Their argument is the that widespread practice of plastic surgery creates or adds to a widespread obsession with image which is deemed as “fake” and dehumanising. Such people would argue that everyone is beautiful and that there is no need to “fix” anything and individuals should be judged not on their appearance but by their inner beauty. The opposing side to this argument would be that it is everyone’s free choice to alter their appearance and if you are unhappy with a certain aspect of your body you should be free to change it. It is this side that the media tends to side with and it is no coincidence that it is also this side that reflects the ideals of the free market economy.
It is interesting when applying Toderov’s equilibrium theory to these shows. His theory identifies and labels a changing state of affairs occurring throughout the narrative. These shows are also definite narratives as a discernable story can be seen to take place. For Toderov the five points of changing are equilibrium, disruption, recognition, attempt and return to a new equilibrium or the restoration of a new equilibrium. But in the case of these makeover shows the first stage or status quo is not present. The patient or contestant’s starting point is disruption. Their life is disrupted because they are unhappy with their body or feel that their body restricts them from participating in life to its fullest. The recognition takes place when the doctors and presenters help the patient to realise that s/he needs surgery to alleviate the problem. The surgery becomes a metaphor for the next stage- attempt, as the doctors “attempt” to fix him/her. The return or restoration is again problematic because there was no beginning equilibrium. Something different takes place- perhaps this is meant to signify the beginning of something new for the patient; being born for the first time. But what are the implications for the lack of equilibrium at the beginning of the show? Perhaps it sends the message that balance is unthinkable if you have an undesirable physical appearance. There simply isn’t a way to be happy with yourself. The possibility of coming to terms mentally with our physical insecurities is not explored at all. Surgery is seen as the only option available. And if the surgery does not result in the long term satisfaction of the patient the road for repeat procedures is left wide open.
Results from a study conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that plastic surgery reality TV shows influence patients to have surgery. According to the study, published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, first time patients seeking cosmetic surgery are directly influenced to have a procedure by the shows they watch. The study examined 42 cosmetic surgery patients. Fifty seven percent of patients were considered high-intensity viewers of plastic surgery shows, regularly watching at least one ongoing programme. Patients in the high-intensity category reported a greater influence from television and the media to pursue cosmetic plastic surgery, felt more knowledgeable about plastic surgery in general and believed plastic surgery reality television shows were more similar to real-life than low-intensity viewers did. In addition four out of five people reported television directly influenced them to pursue a cosmetic surgery procedure, with nearly one-third very much or moderately influenced. Shows considered in this study included Extreme Makeover, The Swan, I Want A Famous Face, Plastic Surgery: Before and After, Dr. 90210 and Miami Slice. “It is unfortunate that patients are turning toward the entertainment industry for educational information- we had hoped for different results” said Dr. John Persing, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study co-author. “These shows may create unrealistic expectations about what plastic surgery can do for you.” According to ASPS statistics nearly 11 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2006 up 7 percent from 2005.
Fashion magazines advertising plastic reconstruction, reality television shows about cosmetic surgeries and TV shows like Nip/Tuck exist because there is a demand for them. These shows and media products focus on people who want to improve their appearance and are consumed by people who want to improve their appearance. Therefore media is reflecting society, but also influencing it as people tend to imitate and draw inspiration from what they see on a screen or in a glossy magazine. However there is a lot of resistance to these shows. A simple google search will reveal a multitude of critics slamming the culture of perfection worship and accusing the producers of these show of damaging and exploiting people. Therefore, these shows are definitely not representative of these peoples views. So the media simultaneously reflects some peoples views and forgets others.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
NOBODY LISTENS TO TECHNO?
In a video I watched on the internet recently, punk hero Henry Rollins, in a skit about techno music, asks “What came first: the shitty music or the shitty drugs?” before launching into an ignorant rant attacking techno music. The way he tells it all electronic music is made by mindless monkeys and the whole scene is superficial. That would be like me reducing all punk music to Blink 182 or saying all hip-hop sounds like 50 Cent. I found it surprising that a musician would blindly dismiss what I regard to be as one of the most innovative forms of expression and portray it as boring repetitive music that requires chemicals to be enjoyed. But the belief that dance music is dominated by a drug culture and that it doesn’t require talent is, while false, a widespread assumption. This could not be farther from the truth. So I’d like to take a moment to highlight the intricate processes of techno and show my appreciation for this often misjudged genre.
Most people have the wrong idea about techno music and its surrounding culture. Given its diversity there is no end all definition of techno but Jeff Mills comes close when he says “It’s the process of trying to describe something in the future musically”. Futuristic ideas and a forward thinking perspective is central to understanding techno music. Techno originated in Detroit during the early 80’s and was influenced a number of elements including science fiction literature, industrial architecture and Funk music. Similar to experimental musicians such as Pink Floyd, early innovators sought to use new technology to create futuristic sounds and music. These artists found that they could bring mechanical instruments to life; in effect passing their spirit from the body into a machine, and produce new music; infecting disco with electronics. Ralf Hutter, member of seminal German techno group Kraftwerk said that the ‘soul’ of the machines has always been part of his music. While this idea might seem rather esoteric and “out there”, in the early days of techno there were no drugs to be seen. Producers were interested only in experimenting with sounds and all their money was invested in drum machines and synthesisers.
As techno spread, developed and mutated, the spirit of innovation remained. Artists producing techno tracks are constantly attempting to push the limits of their musical equipment and many modify or build their own hardware. The techno community is more often made up of nerdish enthusiasts slaving over their compositions rather than pill popping rock stars. This is a highly democratic genre, that for better or worse, anyone can become involved in. Whether what you produce is good relies on your patience, intuition and talent. In the same way that it takes skill and finesse to play a guitar well so too does it take skill and finesse to use a drum machine or a sequencer correctly and make all the elements combine to create a likeable track. In the same way that it takes vision and intelligence to put a band together so too are these qualities essential for an electronic music producer. For most DJs and producers drugs don’t feature in their schedule of musical experimentation, practice, performance and promotion. While there does exist the clichéd image of the superstar DJ living a hedonistic lifestyle of sex, drugs and pounding bass lines, such artists are rarely that good, and they shouldn’t be taken as representative of the culture or genre as a whole.
One area of Rollins attack is the character of those involved in techno, and he questions whether they should be called musicians. He claims that they are super self important and “music thieves”. I find this accusation stunning as I have found the techno community nationally and internationally to be unpretentious and tolerant. Iv seen DJs engage with crowds in a way Iv never seen other types of musicians, and performers are often eager to involve the audience. Electronic producers are generally the first to admit that they don’t know everything, and that a lot of the production experience is about discovery and learning. There is always new equipment to be tested and played with. Usually electronic artists are prepared to listen to and encourage others. There are dozens of internet forums, such as www.idmforums.com, dedicated to helpful advice on how to buy and use equipment and production tips. These are lessons and tricks not documented elsewhere and the community wants to pass on these skills to others. A “do it yourself” attitude is central to techno, but there are always others you can learn from.
With techno music everyone is trying to bring something new to the table. Creating your own personal touch is important and because of the wide range of techniques involved this is possible. In this way it is less limited than other music genres that might rely on more organic sounds in that there is no strict formula or set of instruments the producer is confined to. Often the studio itself becomes its own instrument and the musician may experiment with where different devices are located and connected. It is true that some artists make generic and cheesy songs; but as a genre becomes more popular and commercial people will appear who are interested in making a quick buck with a rubbish song. To write off an entire genre because of a few bad eggs is short-sighted. For every awful Euro trash anthem there are thousands of undiscovered techno tracks.
Another complaint people have with techno and dance music is that artists take samples from other songs and that this in some way “lessens” the originality of the new song. Of course if artists over-rely on a sample to be the main body of a song this can be true. However, when a producer uses an old sample his aim is to make that sample “new” by placing it into the track in an inventive and appropriate fashion that wasn’t thought of before, but that works. The process involves recycling and manipulation and is much more sophisticated that just “stealing” a sample and plagiarising someone else’s song to make your own sound better.
One major problem people have with techno culture is that it is regarded as drug-centric and that drugs are essential for appreciation of the music. I first got into electronic music at a very early age. I just about remember recording mixes off Atlantic 252 and dancing around my sitting room. While I had no understanding of how these sounds were produced I was hooked by their energy and power. Since then I have explored most other musical avenues but it is always dance music which I come back to and it stems from that original love of a hypnotic beat. Me and many other I know share this appreciation which has nothing to do with drugs. I was a techno fan years before I knew what a drug was. However there is an undeniable connection between recreational drugs and dance music. But drugs are a part of many music and party scenes, not just the dance scene. Drugs have been a part of the world of popular music since the dawn of time. They are a part of the culture of youth. It is not appropriate to think of techno music as being unique for its connections with illegal drugs. Enthusiasts are often of the opinion that drugs like ecstasy are a nuisance which ruin the reputation of techno culture. Among the ideas that resonate around the techno culture are the messages of respect and responsibility. The tragedies that have occurred in connection with ecstasy have been a source of regret and meditation for the techno community. Increased drug use, the proliferation of adulterated ecstasy tablets and involvement in criminal activity have forced many event organisers and music producers to re-evaluate the direction of techno. Thankfully those attending raves and concerts have recently been exercising more caution recently and fans attention has been diverted away from drug use and towards the music itself and its appreciation.
By the end of Rollins diatribe I felt sorry for him. Sorry that for him, and many others, their impression of this strange and beautiful music is so completely inaccurate. Few experiences in my life can compare with when I saw The Chemical Brothers or Daft Punk live, or the first time I listened to Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works or the first time I went to a rave. Rollins will probably never see a DJ play a 7 hour set building up and breaking down movements like a maestro. He will never be mesmerised by the intuitive subtleness of minimal techno or dance wildly to dirty French electro. He will continue to spread his misplaced anger and animosity. Which is sad, because techno has an everlasting amount of potential and positive energy.
Most people have the wrong idea about techno music and its surrounding culture. Given its diversity there is no end all definition of techno but Jeff Mills comes close when he says “It’s the process of trying to describe something in the future musically”. Futuristic ideas and a forward thinking perspective is central to understanding techno music. Techno originated in Detroit during the early 80’s and was influenced a number of elements including science fiction literature, industrial architecture and Funk music. Similar to experimental musicians such as Pink Floyd, early innovators sought to use new technology to create futuristic sounds and music. These artists found that they could bring mechanical instruments to life; in effect passing their spirit from the body into a machine, and produce new music; infecting disco with electronics. Ralf Hutter, member of seminal German techno group Kraftwerk said that the ‘soul’ of the machines has always been part of his music. While this idea might seem rather esoteric and “out there”, in the early days of techno there were no drugs to be seen. Producers were interested only in experimenting with sounds and all their money was invested in drum machines and synthesisers.
As techno spread, developed and mutated, the spirit of innovation remained. Artists producing techno tracks are constantly attempting to push the limits of their musical equipment and many modify or build their own hardware. The techno community is more often made up of nerdish enthusiasts slaving over their compositions rather than pill popping rock stars. This is a highly democratic genre, that for better or worse, anyone can become involved in. Whether what you produce is good relies on your patience, intuition and talent. In the same way that it takes skill and finesse to play a guitar well so too does it take skill and finesse to use a drum machine or a sequencer correctly and make all the elements combine to create a likeable track. In the same way that it takes vision and intelligence to put a band together so too are these qualities essential for an electronic music producer. For most DJs and producers drugs don’t feature in their schedule of musical experimentation, practice, performance and promotion. While there does exist the clichéd image of the superstar DJ living a hedonistic lifestyle of sex, drugs and pounding bass lines, such artists are rarely that good, and they shouldn’t be taken as representative of the culture or genre as a whole.
One area of Rollins attack is the character of those involved in techno, and he questions whether they should be called musicians. He claims that they are super self important and “music thieves”. I find this accusation stunning as I have found the techno community nationally and internationally to be unpretentious and tolerant. Iv seen DJs engage with crowds in a way Iv never seen other types of musicians, and performers are often eager to involve the audience. Electronic producers are generally the first to admit that they don’t know everything, and that a lot of the production experience is about discovery and learning. There is always new equipment to be tested and played with. Usually electronic artists are prepared to listen to and encourage others. There are dozens of internet forums, such as www.idmforums.com, dedicated to helpful advice on how to buy and use equipment and production tips. These are lessons and tricks not documented elsewhere and the community wants to pass on these skills to others. A “do it yourself” attitude is central to techno, but there are always others you can learn from.
With techno music everyone is trying to bring something new to the table. Creating your own personal touch is important and because of the wide range of techniques involved this is possible. In this way it is less limited than other music genres that might rely on more organic sounds in that there is no strict formula or set of instruments the producer is confined to. Often the studio itself becomes its own instrument and the musician may experiment with where different devices are located and connected. It is true that some artists make generic and cheesy songs; but as a genre becomes more popular and commercial people will appear who are interested in making a quick buck with a rubbish song. To write off an entire genre because of a few bad eggs is short-sighted. For every awful Euro trash anthem there are thousands of undiscovered techno tracks.
Another complaint people have with techno and dance music is that artists take samples from other songs and that this in some way “lessens” the originality of the new song. Of course if artists over-rely on a sample to be the main body of a song this can be true. However, when a producer uses an old sample his aim is to make that sample “new” by placing it into the track in an inventive and appropriate fashion that wasn’t thought of before, but that works. The process involves recycling and manipulation and is much more sophisticated that just “stealing” a sample and plagiarising someone else’s song to make your own sound better.
One major problem people have with techno culture is that it is regarded as drug-centric and that drugs are essential for appreciation of the music. I first got into electronic music at a very early age. I just about remember recording mixes off Atlantic 252 and dancing around my sitting room. While I had no understanding of how these sounds were produced I was hooked by their energy and power. Since then I have explored most other musical avenues but it is always dance music which I come back to and it stems from that original love of a hypnotic beat. Me and many other I know share this appreciation which has nothing to do with drugs. I was a techno fan years before I knew what a drug was. However there is an undeniable connection between recreational drugs and dance music. But drugs are a part of many music and party scenes, not just the dance scene. Drugs have been a part of the world of popular music since the dawn of time. They are a part of the culture of youth. It is not appropriate to think of techno music as being unique for its connections with illegal drugs. Enthusiasts are often of the opinion that drugs like ecstasy are a nuisance which ruin the reputation of techno culture. Among the ideas that resonate around the techno culture are the messages of respect and responsibility. The tragedies that have occurred in connection with ecstasy have been a source of regret and meditation for the techno community. Increased drug use, the proliferation of adulterated ecstasy tablets and involvement in criminal activity have forced many event organisers and music producers to re-evaluate the direction of techno. Thankfully those attending raves and concerts have recently been exercising more caution recently and fans attention has been diverted away from drug use and towards the music itself and its appreciation.
By the end of Rollins diatribe I felt sorry for him. Sorry that for him, and many others, their impression of this strange and beautiful music is so completely inaccurate. Few experiences in my life can compare with when I saw The Chemical Brothers or Daft Punk live, or the first time I listened to Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works or the first time I went to a rave. Rollins will probably never see a DJ play a 7 hour set building up and breaking down movements like a maestro. He will never be mesmerised by the intuitive subtleness of minimal techno or dance wildly to dirty French electro. He will continue to spread his misplaced anger and animosity. Which is sad, because techno has an everlasting amount of potential and positive energy.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Apathy
Every day on TV news broadcasts we listen to political leaders speak about the threat terrorists and far away nations pose to democracy and freedom. But I believe the greatest treat to democracy comes not from war or opposing ideologies but from the citizens of democracies themselves. A democracy is defined as “rule by the people”. This means that each citizen has an equal say in deciding how a government is run. We have the right to choose who to put into positions of power, and those elected have a responsibility to represent the electorate and their desires. Everyday issues such as how much we earn, how many hours we work, how our families are protected and the state of our roads, schools and hospitals are affected by politicians, who are given power by us. So who we choose to put into power is an important decision that everyone should consider carefully. Everyone should jump at the opportunity to make a difference and be heard. The government affects everyone and therefore everyone should have an interest in it. Not necessarily in parties and candidates, but in simple things like taxes and social issues that everyone is sure to have an opinion on, since it affects them. However a culture of political apathy is undermining the democratic process and nowhere is this more evident than among young people in this country.
But where does this apathy and disinterest come from? Why don’t young people care? Is Ireland so perfect that young people do not seek change? I don’t think so. Young people as a whole in Ireland have a resounding lack of belief in themselves and there are few factors to motivate or inspire them. Many young people chose not to become involved in politics because the choice was never given to them. How can you expect a group of people to pay attention if attention was never paid to them? The government are responsible for making the political process accessible to all. But the problem still remains that, even if all the information is available, there is a high possibility it will not be absorbed.
In 2004 a poll conducted by the National Youth Foundation in Ireland highlighted the widespread political apathy among Irish teenagers. 90% of respondents to the poll could not name a single MEP in their area and only half could name one of their local TDs. I spoke to Mary McGuiness, a journalism teacher at Galway Technical Institute who has extensive experience dealing with young people and she agrees that there is a high level of political apathy among young people in Ireland. I asked her what she thinks contributes to this: “There are a couple of things. For a start teenagers don’t ever actually have to watch the news, they live in a bubble, they listen to their iPods, they play console games, they don’t actually hear the news on the radio or see it on TV, they rarely discuss anything with their parents. A lot of them have absolutely no knowledge of what’s going on at all.” From this perspective it is easy to see how young people have become detached from the reality of politics- they live in a world dominated by entertainment and there is no room for examining government policies. Discussions on the current fashion trends take precedence over discussions on the current political climate. But according to Mary McGuiness, things weren’t always this way: “I am surprised because when I was in my 20’s Irish young people were the most politically aware people in Europe. Now it’s all gone and maybe when things are going well nobody is interested in politics. If we hit another slump maybe interest will pick up. If we don’t need change there is no reason to be interested.” It is an old cliché that affluence makes the youth complacent; but is it that simple? What do young people think of politicians themselves? The same NYF poll reports that three-quarters of respondents said they felt politicians did little to improve the lives of young people, while a majority also agreed with the phrase that "politicians are only in it for themselves". Mary McGuiness agrees with this. “Young people just say “Oh, they’re all the same, they’re all corrupt. What difference does it make? Politics makes no difference in life.” It is primarily this viewpoint and the lack of participation which is damaging democracy.
However, in a 2002 press release the National Youth Council of Ireland announced that they believed that apathy is not the full reason why young people don’t vote. The NYCI called for the government to “put in place a comprehensive, targeted action plan to increase voter turnout”. Voter turn out could be improved be such strategies as automatically registering citizens to vote on their 18th birthday and sending them a letter informing them that they are elegible to vote and holding elections at times when most people would be home. They attribute alienation as the reason for non participation, rather than apathy. The NYCI also “calls on all parties to make a concerted effort to include policies relevant to young people in their election manifestos in the following areas: First time buyers, private rented accommodation, educational funding, health care, motor insurance, drug policy, anti-racism policies.” It is true that politicians’ manifestos often include many issues that are too obscure and irrelevant to the lives of young people. The National Youth Council recognised that 37% of young people did not vote due to a lack of interest, disillusionment or a feeling that their vote would make no difference- this presents a challenge to those dealing with young people and also to the government. However they suggest that the government has a role to play in making politics accessible to young people: “It is a citizen’s duty to vote, but it is a government’s duty to make sure that they can do so as easily as possible.”
One group of young people, who you would expect to be politically aware but are in fact failing to display such awareness, are university students. At the moment the Union of Students in Ireland is facing a dilemma. All across the country students are failing to participate in student elections and the integrity of local Student Unions is being undermined. The problem is that the general student completes his or her course without once coming into contact with a member of the Students’ Union. The average student would probably find it difficult to describe what exactly the Students Union even does. This years NUIG Student Union Presidential election exhibited the lack of political activity at NUIG. While there were three names on the ballot sheet for President, only one of these was a serious candidate while the other two were jokes running a satirical campaign. Worse still only 10% of the student population turned out to vote. This trend is reflected all over the country and seriously discredits the idea that student leaders speak for all students. Many students ask themselves why they should bother voting. The is that every full time student is automatically a member of the Students’ Union. The Union gets part of the registration fee. By voting you are getting to decide how that money is spent by voting for someone whose manifesto you agree and by giving no preference to the person whose policies you disagree. Just like in governmental elections.
Stephen Conlon, an active member of the USI, wrote in the Irish Times that: “in modern Ireland the vast majority of students express little interest in [politics]. Students are much more interested in fast-tracking their education and entering the real world as quickly as possible. Students are increasingly apathetic, pacified by free education, a minimum wage and their first Opel Astra. Changes will only be brought about by individuals who are politically motivated- students are simply not interested.” Who are we to rely on so if the most educated young people in Ireland are unwilling to be involved in politics?
So what does the future hold for young voters? How will the current democratic deficit be solved? Have Irish young people become too isolated from the political arena in a post Celtic Tiger era? What can jolt them from distraction into action? Do we have to wait until conditions become bad before our youth population take an interest in shaping their future? Wouldn’t it be easier to take charge now and use our recent success to build a stable and sustainable nation which listens to everyone’s voice? Perhaps it’s true that the current political structures in place make it difficult for young people to become involved. The Government definitely has a role to play in opening up politics to the younger generation but groups can show how to vote and where and when, but what young people really need is a reason why. The reality is that young people lack inspiration and motivation, but they’re not stupid and usually more aware than statistics give them credit for. The reality of youth apathy is that young people have plenty of political opinions and concerns, although they might not look at them that way. If only they could turn off their iPods or pull themselves away from screens long enough to express themselves. The failure of young people to organise themselves and make demands means there is no need for politicians to include their demands in manifestos. What is needed is an organisation that brings the debate to young people and shows them, in a non-patronising way, that their voices matter and that democracy only works when everyone is involved.
But where does this apathy and disinterest come from? Why don’t young people care? Is Ireland so perfect that young people do not seek change? I don’t think so. Young people as a whole in Ireland have a resounding lack of belief in themselves and there are few factors to motivate or inspire them. Many young people chose not to become involved in politics because the choice was never given to them. How can you expect a group of people to pay attention if attention was never paid to them? The government are responsible for making the political process accessible to all. But the problem still remains that, even if all the information is available, there is a high possibility it will not be absorbed.
In 2004 a poll conducted by the National Youth Foundation in Ireland highlighted the widespread political apathy among Irish teenagers. 90% of respondents to the poll could not name a single MEP in their area and only half could name one of their local TDs. I spoke to Mary McGuiness, a journalism teacher at Galway Technical Institute who has extensive experience dealing with young people and she agrees that there is a high level of political apathy among young people in Ireland. I asked her what she thinks contributes to this: “There are a couple of things. For a start teenagers don’t ever actually have to watch the news, they live in a bubble, they listen to their iPods, they play console games, they don’t actually hear the news on the radio or see it on TV, they rarely discuss anything with their parents. A lot of them have absolutely no knowledge of what’s going on at all.” From this perspective it is easy to see how young people have become detached from the reality of politics- they live in a world dominated by entertainment and there is no room for examining government policies. Discussions on the current fashion trends take precedence over discussions on the current political climate. But according to Mary McGuiness, things weren’t always this way: “I am surprised because when I was in my 20’s Irish young people were the most politically aware people in Europe. Now it’s all gone and maybe when things are going well nobody is interested in politics. If we hit another slump maybe interest will pick up. If we don’t need change there is no reason to be interested.” It is an old cliché that affluence makes the youth complacent; but is it that simple? What do young people think of politicians themselves? The same NYF poll reports that three-quarters of respondents said they felt politicians did little to improve the lives of young people, while a majority also agreed with the phrase that "politicians are only in it for themselves". Mary McGuiness agrees with this. “Young people just say “Oh, they’re all the same, they’re all corrupt. What difference does it make? Politics makes no difference in life.” It is primarily this viewpoint and the lack of participation which is damaging democracy.
However, in a 2002 press release the National Youth Council of Ireland announced that they believed that apathy is not the full reason why young people don’t vote. The NYCI called for the government to “put in place a comprehensive, targeted action plan to increase voter turnout”. Voter turn out could be improved be such strategies as automatically registering citizens to vote on their 18th birthday and sending them a letter informing them that they are elegible to vote and holding elections at times when most people would be home. They attribute alienation as the reason for non participation, rather than apathy. The NYCI also “calls on all parties to make a concerted effort to include policies relevant to young people in their election manifestos in the following areas: First time buyers, private rented accommodation, educational funding, health care, motor insurance, drug policy, anti-racism policies.” It is true that politicians’ manifestos often include many issues that are too obscure and irrelevant to the lives of young people. The National Youth Council recognised that 37% of young people did not vote due to a lack of interest, disillusionment or a feeling that their vote would make no difference- this presents a challenge to those dealing with young people and also to the government. However they suggest that the government has a role to play in making politics accessible to young people: “It is a citizen’s duty to vote, but it is a government’s duty to make sure that they can do so as easily as possible.”
One group of young people, who you would expect to be politically aware but are in fact failing to display such awareness, are university students. At the moment the Union of Students in Ireland is facing a dilemma. All across the country students are failing to participate in student elections and the integrity of local Student Unions is being undermined. The problem is that the general student completes his or her course without once coming into contact with a member of the Students’ Union. The average student would probably find it difficult to describe what exactly the Students Union even does. This years NUIG Student Union Presidential election exhibited the lack of political activity at NUIG. While there were three names on the ballot sheet for President, only one of these was a serious candidate while the other two were jokes running a satirical campaign. Worse still only 10% of the student population turned out to vote. This trend is reflected all over the country and seriously discredits the idea that student leaders speak for all students. Many students ask themselves why they should bother voting. The is that every full time student is automatically a member of the Students’ Union. The Union gets part of the registration fee. By voting you are getting to decide how that money is spent by voting for someone whose manifesto you agree and by giving no preference to the person whose policies you disagree. Just like in governmental elections.
Stephen Conlon, an active member of the USI, wrote in the Irish Times that: “in modern Ireland the vast majority of students express little interest in [politics]. Students are much more interested in fast-tracking their education and entering the real world as quickly as possible. Students are increasingly apathetic, pacified by free education, a minimum wage and their first Opel Astra. Changes will only be brought about by individuals who are politically motivated- students are simply not interested.” Who are we to rely on so if the most educated young people in Ireland are unwilling to be involved in politics?
So what does the future hold for young voters? How will the current democratic deficit be solved? Have Irish young people become too isolated from the political arena in a post Celtic Tiger era? What can jolt them from distraction into action? Do we have to wait until conditions become bad before our youth population take an interest in shaping their future? Wouldn’t it be easier to take charge now and use our recent success to build a stable and sustainable nation which listens to everyone’s voice? Perhaps it’s true that the current political structures in place make it difficult for young people to become involved. The Government definitely has a role to play in opening up politics to the younger generation but groups can show how to vote and where and when, but what young people really need is a reason why. The reality is that young people lack inspiration and motivation, but they’re not stupid and usually more aware than statistics give them credit for. The reality of youth apathy is that young people have plenty of political opinions and concerns, although they might not look at them that way. If only they could turn off their iPods or pull themselves away from screens long enough to express themselves. The failure of young people to organise themselves and make demands means there is no need for politicians to include their demands in manifestos. What is needed is an organisation that brings the debate to young people and shows them, in a non-patronising way, that their voices matter and that democracy only works when everyone is involved.
Friday, March 7, 2008
NUIG Student Elections 2008
Yesterday marked the commencement of the annual NUIG student elections for the positions of President, Welfare Officer and Education Officer. While many members of the Literary and Debating society will be excited, generally these times of year are of little interest to most students. The general student completes his or her course without once coming into contact with a member of the Students Union. The average student would probably find it difficult to tell you what the Students Union even do. That being said the elections are important and it is crucial who represents the college and who makes decisions about student welfare and education. Students should be interested, but are not- whether it is due to apathy and indifference or a lack of knowledge about the students union. Perhaps if students knew that the Students Union of Ireland are continuously defending free fees for Irish students from government policy makers who are trying to put limits and conditions on our free fees scheme they might reconsider their lack of concern. Perhaps student leaders have a responsibility to articulate more effectively to the student community the goings on of the unions. Whatever the reason for disinterest in student politics the turn out yesterday was at a usual low.
One possibility for students not voting might have been that the result for the most important position, that of Student President, was already decided. There were three candidates running for the position of president but two of them were “joke” candidates, who ran questionably funny satirical campaigns. Both portrayed themselves as budding fascist dictators who were prepared to take dramatic action should they win. “I wish to liberate the students from their naïve attachments to concepts like democracy and freedom, and embrace la Vida Buena an evil tyrant can offer them” ran a line from Sean Butlers’ manifesto. A second year Arts student who has ran as a joke in a previous student election, Butler says he would combat student apathy “with incentives like guns and tasers. You’d be surprised how much people start caring when they’re staring down the barrel of an Uzi, facing a life sentence in the acid mines.
Juxtaposed beside posters of friendly faces all spouting the same old rhetoric about improving conditions for students in every way imaginable, these farcical characters brought much needed humour and humanity to the election. Butler, in his military uniform complete with sword and sunglasses made the serious candidates appear amateur. The other “joke” contender for Student President was Mike Spring, a man whom I have had the pleasure of speaking to from time to time. Hailing from Kildare this History and Sociology student is definitely capable of running a serious campaign, but this is his second satirical crusade. When asked by SIN newspaper why he was running for president and why students should vote for him he replied “because I feel that the student body has languished under poor guidance for too long. The student body is an awesome prospective force whose potential is constantly sapped by weak management from those above. I have sat through three different presidencies in my time here and haven’t seen one decent student riot… I hope to change all that… I believe in death, destruction, chaos filth and greed. I am the embodiment of the morals and ethics that dictate our time. I stand strongly in favour of arbitrary violence, discrimination, reckless abandon, haphazard governance and casual prejudice. People have traditionally demonstrated a propensity for these traits in their leaders, so I think I’m the guy for the job.” Wow, Mike. Read Nietzsche or listen to punk much?
The only serious candidate for the presidency was Muireann O’Dwyer, a Final Arts student who is studying English and Philosophy and currently the Societies chairperson and former auditor of the Human Rights society. Her manifesto included the usual speel about re-establishing the Union presence on campus and forwarding the student agenda but to give her credit she didn’t let the fact that there were no other real competitors affect how her campaign was run. Talking to people who know a lot more than me about this, (and I would trust their opinions more than campaign posters) I gathered that she is a very adept person who has already done a lot of positive work for NUIG and the college will benefit from her presidency. Her website is here if you are interested. What I found interesting is her stand on student apathy- “Students are more uninformed than apathetic, to be fair. As for combating it, first find out what students want. This can be done through a survey… Second, give the students what they want.” Parking spaces for SUVs maybe? Cheap beer? In any matter I’m sure she’ll be a good president. Here are the results: 1578 people voted (less than 10% of the amount of students attending NUIG), 234 voted for Butler. 274 voted for Spring, 88 voted to reopen nominations and 936 voted for the new president, M O’Dwyer. When I saw those results this morning I was surprised to see the joke candidates got so many votes since everyone voting for them knew (hopefully) that it was a wasted vote.
Looking at the posters and manifestos of the candidates involved in the other positions- Welfare and Education, it is difficult to see many differences between them. And that is what Hustings is for- the Hustings debate last Wednesday is designed to give students a proper sense of the candidates and how effective they’ll be as union members. This gives people a view of the policies behind the candidates, and perhaps just as important- the candidates behind the policies. Everyone has similar ideas and there are only so many ways you can phrase them. Hustings tells a lot about who’s prepared and who has plans to implement their ideas and not just manifesto pipe dreams. Regan and Fahy won Welfare and Education respectively. Personally if I had a vote I would only have voted for a Welfare candidate who saw that the kayak clubhouse needs to be re-opened for parties and Aisling Fahy seemed like a good bet for Education?
Last year there were four serious candidates for SU president. The fact that there was only one this year should be shocking, but it isn’t really. It’s embarrassing and depressing that out of such a huge college only one person thinks that they would be able to represent and make decisions for the college. Is this evidence that it doesn’t matter who is president? Last years President James Hope, who I met once or twice always seemed busy. The job is not an easy one, or a well paid one, but it is rewarding and it does make a difference. Many students ask themselves why they should bother voting. The main reason would be that every full time student is a member of the Students’ Union during their time in college. The union gets part of your registration fee; therefore you are paying a registration fee. By voting you are getting to decide how that money will be spent by voting for someone whose manifesto you agree with and by giving no preference to the person whose policies you disagree with. That’s why, at the bare minimum, a student should vote. There are of course a multitude of other reasons. Maybe, like Sean Butler suggests, people won’t care until they are suffering, or maybe the students are just uninformed. Either way the state of student politics in Galway has a long way to go.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
One More Reason Not To Go To Mass
Today while I should’ve been at college I was listening to Joe Duffy’s morning show on RTE Radio One; something I’ve never actually done before, despite the shows popularity. Today’s show centred on Limerick priest Terry O’Connell who has openly opposed a Jesuit schools talent show which includes a magic show to raise funds for a trip to Lourdes. His grievance was that it was wrong for a magic show to be performed in a Christian/Catholic setting because “magic is considered an abhorrence in the Old Testament and it's appalling to think that it's being used to support a church trip”. I gathered that his argument was that only God or a prophet could perform miracles and that performing or believing in magic is some form of worshipping false gods or involvement in in some form of occultist practices. It could be argued that even giving the impression of doing something impossible- which is what magic and illusionary tricks do, can be seen as disrespectful to God, Jesus or the Bible, but you’d have to be one hell of a zealot to criticise a harmless magic show.
Throughout the show I thought the man was of questionable sanity. His on-air candour was one of smug holier-than-thou preaching and self assured shock. His opposition at the offending show was in theory understandable, but only from an extremely fundamental perspective. It is written in the bible that followers should not be involved in any forms of sorcery or magic for the reason that the followers should have no other “other worldly” beliefs or views other than what the bible tells them. Absolute faith is needed I order for a religion to succeed. Sadly some people remain so tied to the letter of the religious laws that they are incapable of forming their own ideas or thoughts. To Terry O’Connell the matter was as simple as “the Bible says it’s wrong to perform magic, so it’s wrong and if you are involved in this then you have no right to call yourself a Christian”. He also made no allowances for what was considered “magic”. To him magic encompassed everything from casting spells and devil worship to making a rabbit appear out of a hat or changing the colour of a handkerchief. It raised the question of how appropriate or wise is it to live your life and make your decisions according to the rules written in the Bible. The idea that the teachings of the Bible were open for interpretation was unacceptable for O’Connell. These are, after all, the words of God.
Many people rang in trying to make sense of his argument, which wasn’t available for compromise. Callers included people who performed magic tricks (who O’Connell referred to as “sorcerers”) who expressed how harmless their hobbies were, the distressed parents of the children involved and ordinary people giving their opinions on the priests statements. The most interesting responses came from fellow priests who were trying to get through to the priest that the magic show was an inoffensive entertaining act that the children had worked hard at to amuse their peers at a fund-raising event and that nothing “bad” or misleading was involved. One priest spoke on how he himself performed a few magic tricks and that it had never crossed his mind that there would be anything disrespectful to God involved. Terry O’Connell’s response was that any priest who performed anything like that should question their priesthood and they should be ashamed of themselves.
One “sorcerer” who had been performing for years to audiences of all ages and walks of life and very often as part of charity work was angered that the priest should question his Catholic authenticity. Joe Duffy also pointed out that it was a serious and wide teaching allegation to say that anyone who performed magic wasn’t a Catholic. One caller spelled out the word “context” to try and enlighten him. The point suggested at being that the nature of what the word “magic” means has changed over the course of the pat millennia. One priest, who knew Terry, appealed to him to see that he had made a misreading of a certain part of the Bible, that he had made a mistake which isn’t unusual for people to do. But through all this O’Connell remained unfazed in his beliefs.
Some of the callers did support his stand, but most of them sounded extreme, anti-modern and irrational. One man spoke about how the church’s power had suffered from including “gimmicks” like magic tricks in mass (although this wasn’t mentioned at all) and he even considered that music was unnecessary to the mass experience.
As the show progressed O’Connell included other practices that he considered “anti-Christian”. Those included yoga, reflexology and Harry Potter. His argument was that they taught doctrines which ran counter to the churches teaching and broke the “Thou shall not worship false gods” commandment. While I am no major Potter fan I cannot see how reading the books encourages an anti-Christian viewpoint or would make someone less Christian. To denounce therapeutic activities such as yoga and reflexology is irrational and unhelpful. These are pursuits which enrich and improve peoples lives and have no impact on their religious beliefs. The priest’s rants and blind adherence to the Bible became progressively more and more bizarre and despite the amount of people who tried to explain that what was happening in the school was innocent and inoffensive he wouldn’t relent. Perhaps he saw it as a test of his faith. Even when invited to the event he indignantly replied that he could not as a Christian watch the show and that it was an offence to God.
Finally towards the end of the show a senior member of the Church made a statement and announced the Church’s standing on the issue. Basically he said that he hoped that the event would be a success and that all the students involved would enjoy themselves, as this was the point of the whole event and also that he apologised for the “misunderstanding”. What exactly the “misunderstanding” was wasn’t clarified but this listener presumes it means “the ignorance of an over-zealous priest”. Of course a senior member of the Church cannot explicitly contradict the Bible. The show ended without Terry O’Connell withdrawing his opposition, and I didn’t expect him to.
In my humble opinion it’s because of people like Terry O’Connell that the Catholic Church is unpopular in Ireland. I think that people believe that backward priests who live in some kind of mental dark age are the norm, when in fact most priests (well, the ones I’ve met) are open-minded progressive men who are more than willing to listen to all peoples point of view. It’s only because crazy voices are always louder than sane and because the media will always focus on an interesting story that the impression of Catholicism does not reflect the reality. Most priests are very positive contributors to the community. Most priests will not shove doctrine down your throat or attack your beliefs. Most priests achieve their aim of making society a better place but sadly too much attention is given to the negative side of the Church. In a world that is becoming more materialistic and unfriendly I think religion has a lot to offer us, but our impressions of the Church is that it is oppressive and outdated. Which is sad because now there is a whole class of students who are going to take from this experience a skewed, mad vision of what religion means and offers.
Throughout the show I thought the man was of questionable sanity. His on-air candour was one of smug holier-than-thou preaching and self assured shock. His opposition at the offending show was in theory understandable, but only from an extremely fundamental perspective. It is written in the bible that followers should not be involved in any forms of sorcery or magic for the reason that the followers should have no other “other worldly” beliefs or views other than what the bible tells them. Absolute faith is needed I order for a religion to succeed. Sadly some people remain so tied to the letter of the religious laws that they are incapable of forming their own ideas or thoughts. To Terry O’Connell the matter was as simple as “the Bible says it’s wrong to perform magic, so it’s wrong and if you are involved in this then you have no right to call yourself a Christian”. He also made no allowances for what was considered “magic”. To him magic encompassed everything from casting spells and devil worship to making a rabbit appear out of a hat or changing the colour of a handkerchief. It raised the question of how appropriate or wise is it to live your life and make your decisions according to the rules written in the Bible. The idea that the teachings of the Bible were open for interpretation was unacceptable for O’Connell. These are, after all, the words of God.
Many people rang in trying to make sense of his argument, which wasn’t available for compromise. Callers included people who performed magic tricks (who O’Connell referred to as “sorcerers”) who expressed how harmless their hobbies were, the distressed parents of the children involved and ordinary people giving their opinions on the priests statements. The most interesting responses came from fellow priests who were trying to get through to the priest that the magic show was an inoffensive entertaining act that the children had worked hard at to amuse their peers at a fund-raising event and that nothing “bad” or misleading was involved. One priest spoke on how he himself performed a few magic tricks and that it had never crossed his mind that there would be anything disrespectful to God involved. Terry O’Connell’s response was that any priest who performed anything like that should question their priesthood and they should be ashamed of themselves.
One “sorcerer” who had been performing for years to audiences of all ages and walks of life and very often as part of charity work was angered that the priest should question his Catholic authenticity. Joe Duffy also pointed out that it was a serious and wide teaching allegation to say that anyone who performed magic wasn’t a Catholic. One caller spelled out the word “context” to try and enlighten him. The point suggested at being that the nature of what the word “magic” means has changed over the course of the pat millennia. One priest, who knew Terry, appealed to him to see that he had made a misreading of a certain part of the Bible, that he had made a mistake which isn’t unusual for people to do. But through all this O’Connell remained unfazed in his beliefs.
Some of the callers did support his stand, but most of them sounded extreme, anti-modern and irrational. One man spoke about how the church’s power had suffered from including “gimmicks” like magic tricks in mass (although this wasn’t mentioned at all) and he even considered that music was unnecessary to the mass experience.
As the show progressed O’Connell included other practices that he considered “anti-Christian”. Those included yoga, reflexology and Harry Potter. His argument was that they taught doctrines which ran counter to the churches teaching and broke the “Thou shall not worship false gods” commandment. While I am no major Potter fan I cannot see how reading the books encourages an anti-Christian viewpoint or would make someone less Christian. To denounce therapeutic activities such as yoga and reflexology is irrational and unhelpful. These are pursuits which enrich and improve peoples lives and have no impact on their religious beliefs. The priest’s rants and blind adherence to the Bible became progressively more and more bizarre and despite the amount of people who tried to explain that what was happening in the school was innocent and inoffensive he wouldn’t relent. Perhaps he saw it as a test of his faith. Even when invited to the event he indignantly replied that he could not as a Christian watch the show and that it was an offence to God.
Finally towards the end of the show a senior member of the Church made a statement and announced the Church’s standing on the issue. Basically he said that he hoped that the event would be a success and that all the students involved would enjoy themselves, as this was the point of the whole event and also that he apologised for the “misunderstanding”. What exactly the “misunderstanding” was wasn’t clarified but this listener presumes it means “the ignorance of an over-zealous priest”. Of course a senior member of the Church cannot explicitly contradict the Bible. The show ended without Terry O’Connell withdrawing his opposition, and I didn’t expect him to.
In my humble opinion it’s because of people like Terry O’Connell that the Catholic Church is unpopular in Ireland. I think that people believe that backward priests who live in some kind of mental dark age are the norm, when in fact most priests (well, the ones I’ve met) are open-minded progressive men who are more than willing to listen to all peoples point of view. It’s only because crazy voices are always louder than sane and because the media will always focus on an interesting story that the impression of Catholicism does not reflect the reality. Most priests are very positive contributors to the community. Most priests will not shove doctrine down your throat or attack your beliefs. Most priests achieve their aim of making society a better place but sadly too much attention is given to the negative side of the Church. In a world that is becoming more materialistic and unfriendly I think religion has a lot to offer us, but our impressions of the Church is that it is oppressive and outdated. Which is sad because now there is a whole class of students who are going to take from this experience a skewed, mad vision of what religion means and offers.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
NINE INCH NAILS: GHOSTS VOL 1-4
Yesterday Nine Inch Nails sole member Trent Reznor shocked fans by announcing the immediate online-only release of his new album “Ghosts Volumes 1-4” which no-one seemed to be in anyway aware of. Ghosts consists of 36 new instrumental tracks composed and recorded over an intense ten week period last autumn. In the words of Mr Reznor himself: "I've been considering and wanting to make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn't have made sense until this point. This collection of music is the result of working from a very visual perspective - dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack for daydreams. I'm very pleased with the result and the ability to present it directly to you without interference." By interference he is referring to the fact that the album can be purchased cheaply and downloaded straight from the bands website in various formats and pricing schemes how that he has no contract with anyone. What a hero.
Working with a team of regular NIN contributors including Atticus Ross, Alan Moulder and Alessandro Cortini, Trent has created an album of soundscapes and electronica songs which clearly focuses on improvisation and experimentation. While instrumental tracks have appeared on most NIN albums, lyrics and clear concepts have always been a central force at work behind Reznors work. Indeed certain lyrics have often been responsible for the alienation of many a NIN fan. But how does a Nine Inch Nails album rate without words? (Since I have thus far only been listening to the first two volumes, tracks 1 to 18, I can only review what I’ve heard and maybe I’ll write about the rest later.)
The opening track is one of the strongest on the album and reminds me of a depressed Philip Glass experimenting with synths- melancholic piano notes play and eerie synths rise up and a choir-ish sound in the background. The elements, while few, work together well and prepare the listener for an album which will be fairly minimal and progressive. The next track is similarly eerie and atmospheric with a spooky keys playing over a wall of distorted sound. Reznor returns to more familiar rocky territory as the album progresses, but electronic computer-driven elements remain central throughout. The angsty guitar riffs and eastern sounds are recognisably “nailsy” and remind me of songs from the Fragile era and production techniques used on more recent albums. Track four, with its gentle yet articulate organic guitars and drums sounds a bit like a Radiohead song. That is until a harsh guitar rips through the heart of the track. Some of the tracks which are particularly paired down to basic sounds and loops sound uninspiring and boring, although expecting an instrumental ambient album to be something more from what is essentially a rock band might be too much to hope for. The mixture of heavy and gentle songs can sometimes be disconcerting- just as you were enjoying a slower piece, a heavy track cuts in without warning. And I just can seem to get used to whatever harsh distortion is being used on the guitars. The piano pieces are what appeal to me most, especially the tracks nine, twelve and thirteen. Nine has a nice dubby feel to it with gentle beats, twelve recalls some of his sadder songs and breaks into an energetic pace. Thirteen is a relaxed mature piece with various different instruments weaving in and out.
Many of the louder songs contain elements of early industrial metal; bands like Ministry and Skinny Puppy are audible throughout. But the songs are far from being loaded with sound- in most cases they are minimal stripped down compositions. However most songs are too short to take full advantage of minimalism, the listener is too conscious of the different elements at work; the subtly just isn’t there. And sometimes the instruments don’t seem to be working together at all; whether this chaos is intentional isn’t clear. Another problem is that many of the songs are predictable- the song beings with the main riff, beat and loop and other instruments enter at regular intervals, and after 3 minutes the song is over without ever really deviating from the beginning.
As an album it is unconvincing. It doesn’t seem as though a lot of time was spent of the album (it was recorded over a ten week period) and many of the tracks feel underdeveloped. I’m not sure what Trent is trying to make. Is this his attempt at an electronic/ambient album? It comes off too much like IDM for beginners mixed with lessons learned from listening to copious amounts of Brian Eno. Ultimately I think what fails it is the inability of Trent to separate himself from a “rock songwriter” sensibility or perspective. Or maybe he’s made exactly what he set out to make- a sort of creepy electronic rock soundtrack. Whatever it is, I’m glad he’s not expecting normal people to pay for it.
You can download Ghosts at www.nin.com for money or maybe it's availible on a torrent site somewhere?
Go here for an alternative "Ghosts" review.
Monday, March 3, 2008
A Mix of Oil and Blood
Last night as I was stumbling around a crowded room at the Omniplex I was blessing my foresight of pre-booking tickets for There Will Be Blood. Being able to sell-out the largest screen in Galway isn’t a big deal for most disposable Hollywood blockbusters but I was surprised that so many people were as eager as I was to watch this almost three hour long story about a greedy businessman and the development of the US oil industry in the early part of last century. The recent Oscar hype must have had some effect. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love) and starring an Oscar winning performance from Daniel Day Lewis, this mesmerising movie is about as perfect as a movie can be. All the elements one expects from a top class movie are here- beautiful cinematography, an immersive story-line, complex characters who are strange and wholly believable, chillingly good acting and a haunting score.
The film is anchored by Daniel Day-Lewis’s powerful performance as Daniel Plainview, an oilman whose dangerous competitive nature consumes everything around him. Day-Lewis' acting is a thing of beauty. Equal parts larger-than-life and nuanced, his Daniel Plainview perfectly embodies the spirit of a salesman while putting across the multiple layers required for the portrayal of a man with an all-too-human desire for power. Where another actor might have turned Plainview into a monster, Day-Lewis brings out a troubled and multi-dimensional character. His eyes stare through the other characters, focused on his future plans to drill and drink up the land.
Joining Day-Lewis is Paul Dano as Eli (and Paul) Sunday. Last seen in the charming Little Miss Sunday, where he gave a brilliantly angsty performance for which I thought he would be type-cast, Dano plays an intriguing young pastor who balances out Plainviews’ character appropriately. Sunday has a calm and silent demeanour, which is occasionally shattered by his violent and religious outbursts. His character remains an enigma and was one of my favourite elements to this movie. The fact that Dano was originally cast in the minor role of his brother Paul and only given the part of Eli less than a week before shooting began is a testament to his talent.
Providing an aural equivalent to the breathtaking shots and scenes of boiling intensity is Jonny Greenwoods’ haunting score, which permeates throughout the film. The barren desert landscape really comes to life when the background imagery and background sound come together.
There Will Be Blood has been compared to such landmark movies as Citizen Kane and deservedly so. This movie is a great achievement in cinema and wonderful in so many aspects. I firmly believe this will be remembered and regarded as an important work of art. While its might not be the easiest of films to watch at times, it is captivating and the performances really invite the viewer into the harsh world Anderson has created. As I staggered back out of the dark room and into the safety of reality I knew that what I had just witnessed was an immense movie experience that would stay with me for some time.
The film is anchored by Daniel Day-Lewis’s powerful performance as Daniel Plainview, an oilman whose dangerous competitive nature consumes everything around him. Day-Lewis' acting is a thing of beauty. Equal parts larger-than-life and nuanced, his Daniel Plainview perfectly embodies the spirit of a salesman while putting across the multiple layers required for the portrayal of a man with an all-too-human desire for power. Where another actor might have turned Plainview into a monster, Day-Lewis brings out a troubled and multi-dimensional character. His eyes stare through the other characters, focused on his future plans to drill and drink up the land.
Joining Day-Lewis is Paul Dano as Eli (and Paul) Sunday. Last seen in the charming Little Miss Sunday, where he gave a brilliantly angsty performance for which I thought he would be type-cast, Dano plays an intriguing young pastor who balances out Plainviews’ character appropriately. Sunday has a calm and silent demeanour, which is occasionally shattered by his violent and religious outbursts. His character remains an enigma and was one of my favourite elements to this movie. The fact that Dano was originally cast in the minor role of his brother Paul and only given the part of Eli less than a week before shooting began is a testament to his talent.
Providing an aural equivalent to the breathtaking shots and scenes of boiling intensity is Jonny Greenwoods’ haunting score, which permeates throughout the film. The barren desert landscape really comes to life when the background imagery and background sound come together.
There Will Be Blood has been compared to such landmark movies as Citizen Kane and deservedly so. This movie is a great achievement in cinema and wonderful in so many aspects. I firmly believe this will be remembered and regarded as an important work of art. While its might not be the easiest of films to watch at times, it is captivating and the performances really invite the viewer into the harsh world Anderson has created. As I staggered back out of the dark room and into the safety of reality I knew that what I had just witnessed was an immense movie experience that would stay with me for some time.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Crime Alley
Quote from Connacht Sentinel:
THE filthiest laneway in the city — where human excrement is visible on the ground — is due to be cleaned up within days. The lane, linking Merchants Road with the Dock Road and adjacent to the Hynes Yard multi storey car-park, is being used as a toilet by homeless people. The laneway is full of litter and cigarette butts but the biggest offender is human excrement and urine.
Councillor Michael Crowe told the Sentinel he had been contacted in the past week by people complaining about the state of the laneway. He visited the laneway and others in the past week and on one occasion saw one man urinating. He said the condition of the public laneway was unsanitary and unhygenic. “It’s a health hazard the way it is and not only that but the public cannot use it because of the filth, the smell and they feel intimidated by the group of people who congregate at either entrance.
Aw. I always found that laneway had a certain grimy charm to it. Years ago, when car-parks used to be used by teenagers to drink (now theyv gone inside to places like Fibber Magees and Sally Longs) we aimiably nicknamed this area "Crime Alley", as a sort of reference to the Batman comics. It's been this horrible for years, I guess now that there is a radical new development of the entire area nearby it has come to the attention of the "political big-wigs". Still.. i have fond memories of it..
I’ve always been jealous of people who could paint and express themselves visually. There’s something so elegant and clever about being able to draw objects and bodies and faces. It feels like a club I’ll never be allowed into. Maybe I should try and teach myself and stop complaining. I think everyone should paint and draw, and this aim should be supported by the government by creating more opportunities for artistic activities in schools. I know there’s a lot going on at the moment in schools and communities, but not enough. Sadly, it might not be the most economically translatable skill to have, but it’s so important; regardless of what the status-quo judge “important” to be. It’s not too radical to believe that there would less social problems if more people were involved in creative and artistic activities. And I don’t think ability really matters, once you’re comfortable with what your doing and feel as if you’re improving. At the very least being able being able to paint gives you another way to articulate yourself, which is always a good thing when you live in a world that’s clogged with noise and misinformation. Self-expression is stifled by the messages we are exposed to everyday in our work places, on our streets, in our home.
But that’s neither here nor there, I don’t want to go on a anti-capitalist, anti-marketing rant.
I was really impressed last weekend when I visited my friends’ house for the first time. She always told me about a cabin she had in her back garden, but I had never seen it. It was totally different to how I had imagined it. There were a few easels standing around and paintings her family and she had painted were covering the walls. It felt like such a pleasant escape from the world, a private bubble. And everyone should have one of those I think. Not enough attention (in my opinion) is given to these forms of pursuits. Turn off your TV and pick up a paintbrush or a pencil.
But that’s neither here nor there, I don’t want to go on a anti-capitalist, anti-marketing rant.
I was really impressed last weekend when I visited my friends’ house for the first time. She always told me about a cabin she had in her back garden, but I had never seen it. It was totally different to how I had imagined it. There were a few easels standing around and paintings her family and she had painted were covering the walls. It felt like such a pleasant escape from the world, a private bubble. And everyone should have one of those I think. Not enough attention (in my opinion) is given to these forms of pursuits. Turn off your TV and pick up a paintbrush or a pencil.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
i am sooo wasted BEWARE OF RANTINGS
According to www.galwaynews.ie Galway Gardai have said they have drafted in extra patrols to the city in response to incidents connected with RAG week. Traditionally RAG week was a week of activities organised by university students to raise money for charity (Raise A Grand), but over the past few years the focus has shifted to excessive drinking and anti-social behaviour. Members of the public have complained about the state of Eyre Square this morning after a night of revelling. Residents in Newcastle (where I live) say students have been running riot since yesterday afternoon. (I think that must be an exaggeration) Student leaders in both third level colleges have said they don’t condone irresponsible drinking or law breaking. Galway Gardai have now issued a strong warning about drinking sensibly. Garda Noelle Kilduff of Mill Street station is urging members of the public having problems with students to contact them.
Funnily enough not many people complain when Galway gets destroyed by people coming in from the country during race-week. And much more destruction takes place during race week. Oh wait… it’s okay to be an irresponsible ignorant fool if your overflowing with money but when you’re a broke student spending whatever money you have on cheap alcohol you’re a criminal. Not that I wouldn’t be disgusted by most of the childish drunken activities that students get up to this week. It looks really stupid falling out of the GPO on a Monday afternoon covered in foam wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I blame the night-clubs that open in the middle of the day and advertise/ glorify irresponsible and totally stupid behaviour and the kids who have more money than sense and buy alcohol until they’re unconscious.
I never really understood RAG week and why it was worth getting excited about being able to drink at anytime of the day. You can do that already. I guess drinking at odd times of the day for prolonged periods of time wasn’t a novelty to me, and I hate crowds, so it really wasn’t that appealing to me. I remember when I was in first year and on the first day of RAG week I found out that Hunter S Thompson was dead. That was a bit of a shock to me since I had just recently finished a few of his books and I considered him a great and inspiring journalistic writer with a witty tongue. He was the last person I’d expect to commit suicide. I always expected him to be on the sidelines spitting literate insults at the corporate and political thieves and liars of the day. So I got hammered drunk on whiskey in his honour. I remember falling up the stairs in Cuba night-club with my friend at some point in the evening after a bouncer had forcibly removed the bottle of whiskey from my clutches, promising me I could have it back at the end of the night. Needless to say I cannot recall much of what happened inside Cuba that night, but I’m sure it wasn’t too exciting. The usual combination of queing for clockrooms/toilets/drinks, shuffle-dancing because there’s too many people, looking at girls whose make up has turned into a Dali painting in half fascination/half horror and looking at the carnivorous men following the girls around.
The bouncer never gave me back that bottle of whiskey.
The best RAG week I had was the following year when a few friends and I spent a week in Italy. We visited Pisa, Bologna and Venice, and had a great time. Debauchery always feels a little healthier when you’re surrounded by unfamiliar sights and sounds. I probably spent less than a lot of people who stayed in Galway and got drunk everyday in over-priced establishments, and I got to see some amazing sights I might never get to see again, and I still had enough money to eat and drink. It was a great week. Italy is such a beautiful country with so much to do and see; I don’t think I would ever get tired of it.
I can’t remember what I did last year. Since it was my Final Year I probably did a minimal amount of studying and a lot of procrastinating. I don’t think partying was on the menu though.
This year I’ll be avoiding town and keeping to myself. The idea of RAG week annoys me and so does the “oh-my-god-they-are-drinking-in-the-middle-of-the-day” reaction to it. Maybe once it was a week when the students did positive things for those of us who are more unfortunate but it has been irreversibly hijacked by night clubs promoting their rubbish events which are always “get as many of them in and take all their money and then kick them out, hose down the rooms and repeat every few hours”. The students are left staggering home blind drunk while the pub owners are running to bank. What the colleges should do is disassociate themselves completely from the week, ban drinking on college. A lot of students around college are getting angry because other students who are drinking in the middle of the day are disrupting classes and the like. I've no problem with getting drunk at any hour of the day, just don’t be a problem for someone else. Why should someone else have to pay the price for someone elses’ inability to be responsible? Students, one would have thought should be aware and informed, but clearly not when the lack of control is visible. But it’s the attitude that the week is about nothing but drinking that creates this atmosphere. And while there are individuals who are going around trying to collect money I think it’s a lost cause. There are events planned which have been planned that don’t involve alcohol, but “if you don’t drink you’re a dry-shite”. The prevailant idea that alcohol=fun needs to addressed and if it's not addressed by the most educated people in our country then who is going to? In fact it's being made worse by them.
Generally students make Galway a less comfortable place to be in and this is noticeable by the more chilled out atmosphere during summer. Sure there are people drinking irresponsibly, but not so many people doing it and doing it so well. RAG week sums up the cultural contribution students bring to Galway and undermines all the good things like Muscuilt which don’t get the attention they deserve. It’s sad really. And now they're bringing in extra police to keep the drunk students under control. How embarassing.
Funnily enough not many people complain when Galway gets destroyed by people coming in from the country during race-week. And much more destruction takes place during race week. Oh wait… it’s okay to be an irresponsible ignorant fool if your overflowing with money but when you’re a broke student spending whatever money you have on cheap alcohol you’re a criminal. Not that I wouldn’t be disgusted by most of the childish drunken activities that students get up to this week. It looks really stupid falling out of the GPO on a Monday afternoon covered in foam wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I blame the night-clubs that open in the middle of the day and advertise/ glorify irresponsible and totally stupid behaviour and the kids who have more money than sense and buy alcohol until they’re unconscious.
I never really understood RAG week and why it was worth getting excited about being able to drink at anytime of the day. You can do that already. I guess drinking at odd times of the day for prolonged periods of time wasn’t a novelty to me, and I hate crowds, so it really wasn’t that appealing to me. I remember when I was in first year and on the first day of RAG week I found out that Hunter S Thompson was dead. That was a bit of a shock to me since I had just recently finished a few of his books and I considered him a great and inspiring journalistic writer with a witty tongue. He was the last person I’d expect to commit suicide. I always expected him to be on the sidelines spitting literate insults at the corporate and political thieves and liars of the day. So I got hammered drunk on whiskey in his honour. I remember falling up the stairs in Cuba night-club with my friend at some point in the evening after a bouncer had forcibly removed the bottle of whiskey from my clutches, promising me I could have it back at the end of the night. Needless to say I cannot recall much of what happened inside Cuba that night, but I’m sure it wasn’t too exciting. The usual combination of queing for clockrooms/toilets/drinks, shuffle-dancing because there’s too many people, looking at girls whose make up has turned into a Dali painting in half fascination/half horror and looking at the carnivorous men following the girls around.
The bouncer never gave me back that bottle of whiskey.
The best RAG week I had was the following year when a few friends and I spent a week in Italy. We visited Pisa, Bologna and Venice, and had a great time. Debauchery always feels a little healthier when you’re surrounded by unfamiliar sights and sounds. I probably spent less than a lot of people who stayed in Galway and got drunk everyday in over-priced establishments, and I got to see some amazing sights I might never get to see again, and I still had enough money to eat and drink. It was a great week. Italy is such a beautiful country with so much to do and see; I don’t think I would ever get tired of it.
I can’t remember what I did last year. Since it was my Final Year I probably did a minimal amount of studying and a lot of procrastinating. I don’t think partying was on the menu though.
This year I’ll be avoiding town and keeping to myself. The idea of RAG week annoys me and so does the “oh-my-god-they-are-drinking-in-the-middle-of-the-day” reaction to it. Maybe once it was a week when the students did positive things for those of us who are more unfortunate but it has been irreversibly hijacked by night clubs promoting their rubbish events which are always “get as many of them in and take all their money and then kick them out, hose down the rooms and repeat every few hours”. The students are left staggering home blind drunk while the pub owners are running to bank. What the colleges should do is disassociate themselves completely from the week, ban drinking on college. A lot of students around college are getting angry because other students who are drinking in the middle of the day are disrupting classes and the like. I've no problem with getting drunk at any hour of the day, just don’t be a problem for someone else. Why should someone else have to pay the price for someone elses’ inability to be responsible? Students, one would have thought should be aware and informed, but clearly not when the lack of control is visible. But it’s the attitude that the week is about nothing but drinking that creates this atmosphere. And while there are individuals who are going around trying to collect money I think it’s a lost cause. There are events planned which have been planned that don’t involve alcohol, but “if you don’t drink you’re a dry-shite”. The prevailant idea that alcohol=fun needs to addressed and if it's not addressed by the most educated people in our country then who is going to? In fact it's being made worse by them.
Generally students make Galway a less comfortable place to be in and this is noticeable by the more chilled out atmosphere during summer. Sure there are people drinking irresponsibly, but not so many people doing it and doing it so well. RAG week sums up the cultural contribution students bring to Galway and undermines all the good things like Muscuilt which don’t get the attention they deserve. It’s sad really. And now they're bringing in extra police to keep the drunk students under control. How embarassing.
earth to mars
The first time I saw Veronica Mars I was on my lunch break from college. It took me a little by surprise; I was wondering why RTE1 were presenting a show about rich American kids smuggling drugs over the Mexican boarder at one in the day. Not that I was complaining. It was enchanting. A group of silly affluent teenage boys had gotten into trouble with the law involving a stolen car and steroids and they needed the help of a cute blonde girl to save the day. It was like an edgy OC with a Mystery twist. It even had a good soundtrack. Why hadn’t I heard of this before? Then again I really should’ve had better things to be doing during August of 2006…
Veronica Mars filled that void that the OC had created and that One Tree Hill never fully managed to choke. It was like what would happen if Nancy Drew grew up in a modern Southern Californian town, warts and all. The show pivots around the titular hero, played by Kristen Bell, a sassy high school student who fancies herself as a bit of a detective and her attempts to discover the truth behind her best friends’ murder. Although there is a clear narrative running through the show, most episodes have a stand alone mystery- allowing the devoted fan to remain absorbed without alienating the casual watcher. What really surprised me was the willingness of the show to be (in some ways) subversive. Here was a noir teenage drama with a female lead who didn’t portray any sexual stereotypes, but was at the same time flawed and human. Also the themes that the show dealt with were surprisingly adult and complex- class conflict, morality and ethics, social order, inclusion, conformity. And these issues are rarely dealt with in a condescending manner that one would expect from a show aimed primarily at adolescents. Here was a show that mixed the typical emotional driven teenage trials of love, loss and betrayal with the gritty realism of a late night cop show. A rare show indeed.
Given that the viewing time wasn’t the most convenient I didn’t get a chance to fully immerse myself into Veronica Mars. I saw a few episodes from season one and season two before RTE took it off the air, much to my anger and disappointment. I had enough to develop a taste but I was in no way satisfied. Day after day I checked the TV listings hoping to find the name Veronica Mars somewhere. The only place it appeared was on the Living Channel- the channel for stay-at-home-wives who, judging by most of the programming bounce between the highs of Prozac and the lows of gin. And I, being without the evils of digital, was denied access to this station. So, after a while I gave up and eventually forgot about Veronica Mars.
Until I recently discovered that a friend of mine was a big fan. She even had t-shirts. And more importantly she had all the episodes on her computer. (I had no idea there were three seasons, oh joy!) So, I acquired the first season last week and watched it in pretty much one long viewing. Last night. And I loved it. I love how the characters don’t conform to the types of characters one would expect in a show starring mostly teenagers. Logan is a good example of this. His role is the rich bad boy who is a little crazy, but not enough to be very threatening. While he never does anything too out of character, he remains sufficiently unpredictable. His actions are often surprising, but never ridiculous. Similarly Veronica’s character is convincing because of her imperfections which make her human. While she might do something that goes against her conscience, her motives are understandable, as are her feelings which are generally well projected. She is a character with strong convictions and an inability to tolerate disrespect. Many of the actions she carries out throughout the series are motivated by revenge and the moral implications of being consumed by a need for vengeance are often explored. As an outsider she has little value for being well liked, and expects other characters to dislike her before they even get to know her. Time and again Veronica encounters people who try to dissipate her negative view of humanity and teach her that she can have friends should she choose to open herself up. Loyal best friend and constant side-kick Wallace unfairly plays Veronica’s second fiddle and unquestioningly helps her. While his portrayal in this season is problematic, I can see his character developing in the second series. One of the most charming elements of the show is the relationship between Veronica and her private eye father Keith Mars, brilliantly played by Enrico Colantoni. Dialogue between them is always full of dry wit and their closeness is expertly portrayed, the viewer can easily see both the tenderness and strength they share.
While watching Veronica Mars progress I began to realise that it owed a lot less to the teen dramas and Mystery shows I gave it credit for and a lot more to the highly influential 90’s TV drama Twin Peaks. The similarities are striking. Both shows begin with the mysterious murder of a beautiful and promising young women, who is “full of secrets” and continue to be consumed by the solving of the murder. Both shows are about a community bitterly divided into the decadently rich and the poor who work for them. Both shows (and most of Lynchs’ work) are about the dark secrets that hide beneath the pleasant exterior of modern America. Both shows have very strong female characters. The supernatural even enters into Veronica Mars at some points. Where these shows diverge is in the presentation and style. And maybe that’s a good thing; the world only needs one show as brilliantly surreal and twisted as Twin Peaks.
But all that is not to say this show is perfect. There are some shamelessly gaping holes and blatant inaccuracies in some of the stories, particularly when dealing with technology and in detailing the solving of some crimes. Also, it is easy to see how this show could become boring and formulaic- a minor mystery is solved every show while at the same time some progress is made into the main story arc, frequently leaving a cliff-hanger at the end of an episode. A lot is required of the writing if this is expected to work, but from what I’ve seen so far I’d be confident. One major criticism that I’ve noticed from spectators is that the show isn’t “gritty” or “real” enough and that the show was hyped up too much and never lived up to its’ expectations. Well, I never heard anything about Veronica Mars before I accidentally came upon it one summer lunch-time, so this only applies to people who believe the hype. More fool you, I say. Obviously it isn’t The Wire or The Sopranos, but it doesn’t try to be. It’s the perfect antidote to recent teen dramas, full of humour, suspense and convincing story telling.
Veronica Mars filled that void that the OC had created and that One Tree Hill never fully managed to choke. It was like what would happen if Nancy Drew grew up in a modern Southern Californian town, warts and all. The show pivots around the titular hero, played by Kristen Bell, a sassy high school student who fancies herself as a bit of a detective and her attempts to discover the truth behind her best friends’ murder. Although there is a clear narrative running through the show, most episodes have a stand alone mystery- allowing the devoted fan to remain absorbed without alienating the casual watcher. What really surprised me was the willingness of the show to be (in some ways) subversive. Here was a noir teenage drama with a female lead who didn’t portray any sexual stereotypes, but was at the same time flawed and human. Also the themes that the show dealt with were surprisingly adult and complex- class conflict, morality and ethics, social order, inclusion, conformity. And these issues are rarely dealt with in a condescending manner that one would expect from a show aimed primarily at adolescents. Here was a show that mixed the typical emotional driven teenage trials of love, loss and betrayal with the gritty realism of a late night cop show. A rare show indeed.
Given that the viewing time wasn’t the most convenient I didn’t get a chance to fully immerse myself into Veronica Mars. I saw a few episodes from season one and season two before RTE took it off the air, much to my anger and disappointment. I had enough to develop a taste but I was in no way satisfied. Day after day I checked the TV listings hoping to find the name Veronica Mars somewhere. The only place it appeared was on the Living Channel- the channel for stay-at-home-wives who, judging by most of the programming bounce between the highs of Prozac and the lows of gin. And I, being without the evils of digital, was denied access to this station. So, after a while I gave up and eventually forgot about Veronica Mars.
Until I recently discovered that a friend of mine was a big fan. She even had t-shirts. And more importantly she had all the episodes on her computer. (I had no idea there were three seasons, oh joy!) So, I acquired the first season last week and watched it in pretty much one long viewing. Last night. And I loved it. I love how the characters don’t conform to the types of characters one would expect in a show starring mostly teenagers. Logan is a good example of this. His role is the rich bad boy who is a little crazy, but not enough to be very threatening. While he never does anything too out of character, he remains sufficiently unpredictable. His actions are often surprising, but never ridiculous. Similarly Veronica’s character is convincing because of her imperfections which make her human. While she might do something that goes against her conscience, her motives are understandable, as are her feelings which are generally well projected. She is a character with strong convictions and an inability to tolerate disrespect. Many of the actions she carries out throughout the series are motivated by revenge and the moral implications of being consumed by a need for vengeance are often explored. As an outsider she has little value for being well liked, and expects other characters to dislike her before they even get to know her. Time and again Veronica encounters people who try to dissipate her negative view of humanity and teach her that she can have friends should she choose to open herself up. Loyal best friend and constant side-kick Wallace unfairly plays Veronica’s second fiddle and unquestioningly helps her. While his portrayal in this season is problematic, I can see his character developing in the second series. One of the most charming elements of the show is the relationship between Veronica and her private eye father Keith Mars, brilliantly played by Enrico Colantoni. Dialogue between them is always full of dry wit and their closeness is expertly portrayed, the viewer can easily see both the tenderness and strength they share.
While watching Veronica Mars progress I began to realise that it owed a lot less to the teen dramas and Mystery shows I gave it credit for and a lot more to the highly influential 90’s TV drama Twin Peaks. The similarities are striking. Both shows begin with the mysterious murder of a beautiful and promising young women, who is “full of secrets” and continue to be consumed by the solving of the murder. Both shows are about a community bitterly divided into the decadently rich and the poor who work for them. Both shows (and most of Lynchs’ work) are about the dark secrets that hide beneath the pleasant exterior of modern America. Both shows have very strong female characters. The supernatural even enters into Veronica Mars at some points. Where these shows diverge is in the presentation and style. And maybe that’s a good thing; the world only needs one show as brilliantly surreal and twisted as Twin Peaks.
But all that is not to say this show is perfect. There are some shamelessly gaping holes and blatant inaccuracies in some of the stories, particularly when dealing with technology and in detailing the solving of some crimes. Also, it is easy to see how this show could become boring and formulaic- a minor mystery is solved every show while at the same time some progress is made into the main story arc, frequently leaving a cliff-hanger at the end of an episode. A lot is required of the writing if this is expected to work, but from what I’ve seen so far I’d be confident. One major criticism that I’ve noticed from spectators is that the show isn’t “gritty” or “real” enough and that the show was hyped up too much and never lived up to its’ expectations. Well, I never heard anything about Veronica Mars before I accidentally came upon it one summer lunch-time, so this only applies to people who believe the hype. More fool you, I say. Obviously it isn’t The Wire or The Sopranos, but it doesn’t try to be. It’s the perfect antidote to recent teen dramas, full of humour, suspense and convincing story telling.
Of course it's cancelled now, so it might be difficult to find this show now...
Veronica: You prank-called Mandy?
Veronica: You prank-called Mandy?
Lenny: What if I did?
Veronica: Well, I want to congratulate you. Shake your hand. Congratulations! You've been named the world's biggest cockroach. This award is given in recognition in your unparalleled lack of decency and humanity. Bravo. You're going to die friendless and alone.
Lenny: Hey, everyone knows you're the biggest...
Veronica: Shut up! If I want you to speak, I'll wave a Snausage in front of your nose. You use Mandy again to convince yourself you're not a loser, I will ruin your life. Got it?
Monday, February 18, 2008
It’s been some time since Stephen King brought out a proper horror novel, but fans of Kings’ macabre fiction will be pleased with the latest offering from the maestro of horror. Duma Key tells the story of Edger Freemantle, a happily married, successful businessman whose life is changed when he is seriously injured in a construction accident. The difficulties caused following the accident leave Edgar a broken and bitter man and adding insult to injury his wife eventually leaves him. In his damaged state Edger is forced to pursue more practical activities and under advice from his doctor he turns his hand to painting, a hobby he once enjoyed. He relocates to Florida, and rents a house on the tranquil island of Duma Key with the desire to become an artist. This picturesque area is perfect for a man who wants to leave his previous life behind and recreate himself anew. He begins to paint and starts to heal.
Life begins to take on a new positive shape for Edgar as he makes new friends, reconnects with his daughter and strangely his paintings start to attract attention. But, as one would expect from a Stephen King novel, things begin to take a sinister turn as his new found gift becomes a curse. Bad things start to happen, from haunting dreams and visions to actual evil physical presences.
This isn’t the first time King has written about a character who uses his craft to help rehabilitate after a devastating accident. In his brilliant 1987 novel Misery the hero was a writer who is involved in a near fatal car crash at the beginning. This time round the theme of a recovering artist has more intensity, which must certainly be drawn from Kings own experiences when he himself suffered from catastrophic injuries several years ago. Now the main sources of fear come from the psychological horror surrounding the breakdown of health and sanity.
The book is an interesting look at how the creative process works and how location influences an artist. The descriptions of the island are striking; the reader is invited to a stunningly beautiful, eerily remote stretch of the Florida coast. King captures these images as well as his fictional artist depicts the alluring sunsets. Duma Key is ultimately a chilling tale about the desperation of illness, the cost of artistic ability and the darkness that can hide behind the most beautiful of places.
Life begins to take on a new positive shape for Edgar as he makes new friends, reconnects with his daughter and strangely his paintings start to attract attention. But, as one would expect from a Stephen King novel, things begin to take a sinister turn as his new found gift becomes a curse. Bad things start to happen, from haunting dreams and visions to actual evil physical presences.
This isn’t the first time King has written about a character who uses his craft to help rehabilitate after a devastating accident. In his brilliant 1987 novel Misery the hero was a writer who is involved in a near fatal car crash at the beginning. This time round the theme of a recovering artist has more intensity, which must certainly be drawn from Kings own experiences when he himself suffered from catastrophic injuries several years ago. Now the main sources of fear come from the psychological horror surrounding the breakdown of health and sanity.
The book is an interesting look at how the creative process works and how location influences an artist. The descriptions of the island are striking; the reader is invited to a stunningly beautiful, eerily remote stretch of the Florida coast. King captures these images as well as his fictional artist depicts the alluring sunsets. Duma Key is ultimately a chilling tale about the desperation of illness, the cost of artistic ability and the darkness that can hide behind the most beautiful of places.
things to see in galway this week..
Super Bonus Extra Party
Roisin Dubh Saturday February 23
Roisin Dubh Saturday February 23
Join the party with Ireland’s most energetic indie-electro outfit Super Extra Bonus Party who are bringing their unique brand of mixtape madness to Galway city this weekend. The four-piece Dublin based band are currently touring Ireland in support of their recently released EP Everything Flows which features remixes by Jape, Cadence Weapon and Nouveaux Noise. Formed about 3 years ago Super Extra Bonus Party is more than just your average indie band. Their sound has been described as a "joyful mix of bouncy electronics blending twisty melody lines, rubbery beat shenanigans and live bass, with the added power of a Brazilian MC when playing live". Having just been nominated for a Choice Music Award big things are clearly in store for this four-piece band whose debut album was released last April to huge public and critical acclaim.
Their self titled debut album is one of the most diverse and eclectic Irish albums of recent history mixing various styles and genres but remaining completely original and fresh. The album is a collection of big beat sounds and high octane electronic harmonies with lots of reggae effects thrown in for good measure... as the band name suggests it is perfect up-tempo party music. Since releasing the album, they have played at the Electric Picnic, Mantua and Life festivals, and have supported The Go! Team, Cadence Weapon, Bonde Do Role, Subtle, Aliens and Delorentos. Onstage their live performances have become legendary events and Super Extra Bonus Party are well able to whip a crowd into a frenzy. For anyone who is a fan of bands who push musical boundaries this gig is a must. The show begins at 9 and since it’s free no-one has an excuse to be left out of the party.
Syndromes and a Century
Town Hall Theatre Film Club Sunday,
February 24.
This film explores the hopes and dreams of a number of characters connected in a hospital and takes as its starting point a tale of tangled human relationships, in this case the faltering love life of a demure young female doctor at a remote upcountry Thai hospital. Funded by the city of Vienna as part of the celebration marking the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, Syndromes and a Century by Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul is a visionary masterpiece that blurs the boundaries of past and present and explores the subjectivity of memory. It is an abstract but a very warm and often very funny film about the director's recollections of his parents, both doctors, before they fell in love. According to Apichatpong, however, it is not about biography but about emotion. "It's a film about heart", he says, "about feelings that have been forever etched in the heart." The film is an impressionistic and disorienting series of scenes centring around several different hospitals, and focused on couples, romance, job interviews, and patients.
Town Hall Theatre Film Club Sunday,
February 24.
This film explores the hopes and dreams of a number of characters connected in a hospital and takes as its starting point a tale of tangled human relationships, in this case the faltering love life of a demure young female doctor at a remote upcountry Thai hospital. Funded by the city of Vienna as part of the celebration marking the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, Syndromes and a Century by Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul is a visionary masterpiece that blurs the boundaries of past and present and explores the subjectivity of memory. It is an abstract but a very warm and often very funny film about the director's recollections of his parents, both doctors, before they fell in love. According to Apichatpong, however, it is not about biography but about emotion. "It's a film about heart", he says, "about feelings that have been forever etched in the heart." The film is an impressionistic and disorienting series of scenes centring around several different hospitals, and focused on couples, romance, job interviews, and patients.
Like the fragmented recollection of a dream, the film is composed of snippets of memory that start suddenly then end abruptly without resolution. A dentist wants to become a singer and takes an interest in one of his patients, a Buddhist monk whose dream is to become a disc jockey. The monk tells the doctor of some bad dreams he has been having about chickens. A young patient with carbon monoxide poisoning fires tennis balls down a long hospital corridor. Syndromes and a Century does not yield to immediate deciphering as it moves swiftly from the real to the surreal and back again. Overall, while the film requires a measure of commitment and attention it is worth the effort and will transport the viewer to another world.
Admission is €8/6. Visit www.townhalltheatregalway.com for details.
Admission is €8/6. Visit www.townhalltheatregalway.com for details.
things to book in galway
First Love by Samuel Beckett
Town Hall Theatre, Monday March 18
Samuel Beckett wrote this semi-autobiographical story in French in 1946, but it remained unpublished until 1970 and unperformed until now. First Love focuses on a first love affair, and the primary loves that influenced Beckett’s life and writing- his dead father, his delight in language, and his profound need for isolation. The 39 year old narrator looks back to when he was 25 and talks about the eviction from his childhood home, his life as a vagrant in Dublin and his meeting with his first love ‘Lulu’. He tells of their romance by the canal, of the room offered by Lulu and of the tragic events that follow.
Town Hall Theatre, Monday March 18
Samuel Beckett wrote this semi-autobiographical story in French in 1946, but it remained unpublished until 1970 and unperformed until now. First Love focuses on a first love affair, and the primary loves that influenced Beckett’s life and writing- his dead father, his delight in language, and his profound need for isolation. The 39 year old narrator looks back to when he was 25 and talks about the eviction from his childhood home, his life as a vagrant in Dublin and his meeting with his first love ‘Lulu’. He tells of their romance by the canal, of the room offered by Lulu and of the tragic events that follow.
This production, by the Gare St Lazare Players of Ireland is directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett and performed by the acclaimed Beckett actor Coner Lovett. Last on tour with The Good Thief by Conor McPherson, Gare St Lazare return to the Molloyesque world of Beckett’s early prose with this novella. The Gare St Lazare Players have toured internationally with their unique presentations of Beckett’s prose works. Actor Conor Lovett has performed 16 Beckett roles in over 23 productions, one of Ireland’s most respected actors he is due to begin work with theatre legend Peter Brook in October 2008. Director Judy Hegarty Lovett has 15 Beckett titles in her repertory, spanning prose, theatre and radio drama.
In this production, the narrator, expelled from the family home upon the death of his father, takes refuge on a bench by a canal but is later saved by Lulu. It is a dark and reflexive play, exploring the themes of love and loss and follows the story of a tragic man. First Love is a masterpiece of Beckettian perversity and emotion, a deceitfully simple love story of a curious kind, excellently delivered by Coner Lovett.
Tickets are €18/€15 available from the Town Hall Theatre
Tickets are €18/€15 available from the Town Hall Theatre
RTE National Symphony Orchestra
Leisureland, Tuesday 11 March, 8pm
The RTE National Symphony Orchestra returns to Galway next month with performances of pieces by Wagner and Beethoven. Together with these classical heavyweights will be Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor. Bruch wrote of composing his first violin concerto: 'It is a damned difficult thing to do; between 1864 and 1868 I rewrote my concerto at least half a dozen times, and conferred with many many violinists before it took the final form in which it is universally famous and played everywhere.'
Leisureland, Tuesday 11 March, 8pm
The RTE National Symphony Orchestra returns to Galway next month with performances of pieces by Wagner and Beethoven. Together with these classical heavyweights will be Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor. Bruch wrote of composing his first violin concerto: 'It is a damned difficult thing to do; between 1864 and 1868 I rewrote my concerto at least half a dozen times, and conferred with many many violinists before it took the final form in which it is universally famous and played everywhere.'
Brilliant prize-winning young violinist Alina Pogostkina plays one of the most popular concertos of them all in her début with the RTE orchestra. Pogostkina has competed with success in several international violin competitions. She won the 1997 Louis Spohr Competition and in 2005 she won first prize at the Ninth International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in Helsinki, as well as a special prize for the best interpretation of the Sibelius Violin Concerto. The programme also features Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Symphony and Wagner's Tannhäuser overture.
The Pastoral Symphony was composed simultaneously with Beethoven's more famous—and more fiery—Fifth Symphony. It was premiered along with the Fifth in a long and somewhat under-rehearsed concert in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, on December 22, 1808. Although the Sixth Symphony contains some of Beethoven's most beautiful writing, the crowds had been wanting another bold and adventurous work, and the relatively calm and introspective composition was not wholly to their liking.
Since this inauspicious beginning, however, the work has become one of the central works of the symphonic repertoire. It is a favorite of many listeners and is frequently performed and recorded today. Gerhard Markson, who has appeared at such prestigious festivals as the Berlin Festival Weeks, Colorado Music Festival and the Hong Kong Festival, will be conducting on the night. Tickets are €20 for general admission, €16 for members and €10 for students.
Crucial reforms of student grants is a welcome relief
A major reform in third-level maintenance grant rules will allow students qualify for State financial support to pay their way through college on the basis of their own, rather than their parents’, income. Published this week by Minister for Education Mary Hanafin, the Student Support Bill will permit students under 23 and living away from home to be independently assessed for the purposes of a grant. Currently parental income is used to as the measure to decide whether a student is entitled to a grant. This has come under criticism for not taking into account that some people are financially before they are 23.
It is hoped the changes will help broaden access to college and encourage students from less well-off families to pursue third-level studies. The bill will provide a single statutory basis for all student grants, replacing four different schemes currently operated by local authorities and VECs. The vocational educational committee network will be the single administrative agency.
Speaking this week Minister Hanafin said "The development of a unified system of student support will greatly assist those embarking on higher and further education who need financial support and the publication of this Bill marks an important milestone in the process".
There is also a provision to allow for fraudulent claims to be pursued, resulting in heavy fines.
Over 56,000 students benefit from the third-level maintenance grants, and the maximum rate of ordinary grant is €3,420, with up to €6,690 for the 12,500 most financially hard-pressed cases.
This Bill has been welcomed by many individuals including NUIG Student President James Hope: "We welcome any measure which simplifies the awarding of grants. Over 50,000 students depend on these grant payments and it puts extreme financial pressure on students when grants come in late, as is too often the case. The ideal solution would be to centralise the grants... but in the short term, the student support bill is a positive step in the right direction."
It is hoped the changes will help broaden access to college and encourage students from less well-off families to pursue third-level studies. The bill will provide a single statutory basis for all student grants, replacing four different schemes currently operated by local authorities and VECs. The vocational educational committee network will be the single administrative agency.
Speaking this week Minister Hanafin said "The development of a unified system of student support will greatly assist those embarking on higher and further education who need financial support and the publication of this Bill marks an important milestone in the process".
There is also a provision to allow for fraudulent claims to be pursued, resulting in heavy fines.
Over 56,000 students benefit from the third-level maintenance grants, and the maximum rate of ordinary grant is €3,420, with up to €6,690 for the 12,500 most financially hard-pressed cases.
This Bill has been welcomed by many individuals including NUIG Student President James Hope: "We welcome any measure which simplifies the awarding of grants. Over 50,000 students depend on these grant payments and it puts extreme financial pressure on students when grants come in late, as is too often the case. The ideal solution would be to centralise the grants... but in the short term, the student support bill is a positive step in the right direction."
The adventurous "Oz Bus" was given a Galway goodbye last Friday as it was launched from Eyre Square, in its ambitious voyage to Sydney, Australia. The bus will travel across 22 countries and 3 continents over the space of 13 weeks. Ozbus, the world’s first overland "bus" service, are an adventure based travel company unlike any other. They operate on the principle that how you get to your destination is as important as the destination itself. Due to an overwhelming response from Irish travelers, Ozbus choose Galway as their departure point. The travel company was set up two years ago and it was initially proposed that the bus would depart from London only, but because it was inundated with Irish bookings Ozbus decided to add services departing from the West of Ireland and chose Galway as an ideal departure point.
At 11:00 am on Friday Ozbus departed from Eyre Square direct to Sydney via Dublin and 22 other countries. Before heading to London the bus stopped at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.
The Ozbus passengers that are making the long journey from Galway to Sydney are made up of mainly Irish people in their late-twenties who are looking for an unusual adventure to coincide with a career break. The group is also joined by an American who made a special effort to travel to Galway for the unique event.
At 11:00 am on Friday Ozbus departed from Eyre Square direct to Sydney via Dublin and 22 other countries. Before heading to London the bus stopped at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.
The Ozbus passengers that are making the long journey from Galway to Sydney are made up of mainly Irish people in their late-twenties who are looking for an unusual adventure to coincide with a career break. The group is also joined by an American who made a special effort to travel to Galway for the unique event.
New Posts in Biomedial Engineering at NUI Galway
It was announced last week that NUI Galway was successful in securing two of the new Science Foundation Ireland Engineering Professorship and Lectureship posts announced recently by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, T.D. The College of Engineering and Informatics will appoint the new lecturers later this year. Both posts are involved in the biomedical engineering discipline. An interesting feature of this Science Foundation Ireland scheme is the signifigant involvement of the private sector which is providing 20% co-funding.
Professor Padraic O’ Donoghue, Dean of the College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway, is thrilled with the University’s achievement in this highly competitive proposal call, "Both positions will greatly assist NUI Galway in its goal of generating highly trained and qualified graduates, and in generating world class research, in biomedical engineering in a manner that will be directly relevant to industry. The new lecturers will be appointed following an extensive international search to attract and identify the best available candidates."
The positions are concerned with the areas of functional biomaterials and biomechanics and are strongly supported by the medical technologies sector. The SFI Professorship and Lectureship programme will run for a further three years and it is planned to create a total of 35 posts over the lifetime of the scheme.
Professor Padraic O’ Donoghue, Dean of the College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway, is thrilled with the University’s achievement in this highly competitive proposal call, "Both positions will greatly assist NUI Galway in its goal of generating highly trained and qualified graduates, and in generating world class research, in biomedical engineering in a manner that will be directly relevant to industry. The new lecturers will be appointed following an extensive international search to attract and identify the best available candidates."
The positions are concerned with the areas of functional biomaterials and biomechanics and are strongly supported by the medical technologies sector. The SFI Professorship and Lectureship programme will run for a further three years and it is planned to create a total of 35 posts over the lifetime of the scheme.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Named after an imaginary friend and boasting a hefty repertoire of catchy poppy rock songs, Mugger Dave are one of the most exciting bands emerging from the fertile Galway music scene. Punk-ish guitar riffs blended with strong beats and imaginative vocal typify a Mugger Dave song. Mugger Dave are Simon Noble (Guitars and Vocals), Sean Herriott(Bass and Vocals) and Niall Curran(Drums). Their debut EP “Girly No.1”, released in November of last year contains 5 highly original and musically articulate songs. While rarely going over three minutes, each song creates it's own distinctive sound and manages to go in many directions without sounding forced. Songs like “My Life in Circles” and “Uncle Sam” with their high-octane guitaring and well delivered lyrics sum up the energy of Mugger Dave. EP closer “Bubble” demonstrates how well the guitars, bass and drums work together in a simple yet effective rock song. The groups collective experience shows in the tightness of these songs. I spoke to Simon about his experiences with Mugger Dave so far.
SIN: Describe the sound of Mugger Dave. What can people expect from the Girly Number 1 EP?
SIMON: At the time of recording the E.P, we had had only been together as a band for 8 weeks. We wanted to capture the feeling which is an energetic full-on pop punk rock thumping that is Mugger Dave! It’s the kind of catchy music that gets stuck in your head, but you don’t mind it being there!
SIN: Where does the band find their influences?
SIMON: Each of us listen to different kinds of music so we all bring something interesting to the band varying from the arrangements of E.L.O and Queen to the straight forward simplicity of The Beatles and The Kinks. While at the same time injecting a hefty amount of loud distortion and melodic harmonies to the mix.
SIN: You’ve been together for a year now. What have been the highlights of the past year?
SIMON: One of the key highlights for us was recording our E.P. It was an exciting and fulfilling experience. Touring around the country with the support of great bands like The Rye and Noise Machine has made the past year so enjoyable. Also, appearing on T.V and recording shows for the radio has been surreal.
SIN: How do you approach your live performances? Are you ever nervous playing live?
SIMON: You are only as good as your last show and we always try to make each gig the best we’ve ever had. We are all confident in our abilities as well as playing together. There is always a small amount of nerves before the show but they disappear the second we start playing.
SIN: What do you think of the current Galway music scene?
SIMON: Galway is a city full of DJ’s and cover bands so it’s very encouraging to see so many new Galway bands emerging over the last few years. We are lucky to have a very supportive Galway fan-base, which makes our gigs here that little bit more special.
SIN: Have you any plans to do a national tour?
SIMON: We are currently planning our national tour, which begins in Cork on February 28th in Cypress Avenue. The tour will include gigs in Dublin, Limerick, Belfast and Galway. We are also headlining a pre-tour charity gig in aid of the Irish Cancer Society in the NUIG College Bar.
SIN: Where are you going from here? What have Mugger Dave planned for 2008?
SIMON: We’re looking forward to a busy 2008, between Song writing, touring and recording a new album while at the same time developing our musical style.
Mugger Dave will be playing The College Bar this Friday 15 February.
by Liam Griffin for SIN (Student Independant Newspaper)
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Interview with We Should Be Dead from the Galway Voice
It’s been a busy few months for Limerick four piece We Should Be Dead. Their first single "Forget Romance, Let’s Dance", released in November, became a radio regular and earned them live slots on Phantom FM, 2FM and Today FM and landed their single at number 3 on the download charts. We Should Be Dead’s unique brand of energetic indie pop has gained them many fans and a Meteor Award nomination. With the release of their debut LP on the first of February they are embarching on a nationwide album launch tour which sees them playing at the Roisin Dubh tonight at 9. Made up of two girls, Anna (vocals and guitar) and Tara (Vocals and Synths) and two guys, Stephen (Drums) and Gary (Bass) they have been hailed by critics as "Fun-loving danceable Indie-pop bubblegum rock!"
While they are often compared to artists as diverse as Blondie, Abba, The Beach Boys and CSS; Anna explains their influences don’t match. "We listen to a lot of different things between all of us. We can see where all of the above comparisons come from but we're not huge Blondie or Ramones fans. If Debbie Harry was fronting the Ramones it probably would sound something like us but we draw our influences from elsewhere!"
In late 2006 WSBD began work on their 1st album with Richard Dowling (who has previously worked with The Foo Fighters, Stiff Little Fingers and Kylie Minogue) in their native Ireland. The 13 track debut "Forget Romance, Let's Dance!" is now fully recorded, mixed, and mastered. "We are happy with the debut album but now that we've discovered our sound we're eager to move on with album number two." Anna tells me. Like all bands starting up and trying to make a name for themselves We Should Be Dead have been touring extensively around Ireland over the past year or so. I asked Anna what this experience has been like: "Touring has been great, we've met lots of cool people and seen lots of places that we otherwise wouldn't have. The only thing I will say is that this country could do with less potholes and more signposts!"
WSBD have had a lot of national radio attention recently, with guest slots of a number of shows and 'Forget Romance Let's Dance!' making a huge impact upon its release last year. It was named 'song of the week' on the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show on Today FM. "The airplay has been extremely helpful in raising our profile. We are far more nervous doing radio interviews and sessions than we are playing live gigs. To be honest we are very surprised that Irish radio stations have picked up on our sound. It can be hit and miss with airplay for Irish artists here." Anna says. We Should Be Dead are wasting no time releasing their second single "I Fell in Love with You" on Valentine’s day. I ask Anna if she considers We Should Be Dead to be a very romantic band? Anna laughs: "No. Not romantic but very cheesy!"
Many new bands have gained a lot of fans through the use of websites such as MySpace and Bebo and WSBD are no different. "They're great for networking and gaining fans abroad as well. It’s good to be able to keep everybody up to date on what you’re doing and to see what everyone else is doing."GV: Are you excited about being nominated for a Meteor Award? What does this mean to you? Anna: Shocked is the word! It’s not something we expected or even thought about. Its good timing with the album coming out and great exposure.
While they are often compared to artists as diverse as Blondie, Abba, The Beach Boys and CSS; Anna explains their influences don’t match. "We listen to a lot of different things between all of us. We can see where all of the above comparisons come from but we're not huge Blondie or Ramones fans. If Debbie Harry was fronting the Ramones it probably would sound something like us but we draw our influences from elsewhere!"
In late 2006 WSBD began work on their 1st album with Richard Dowling (who has previously worked with The Foo Fighters, Stiff Little Fingers and Kylie Minogue) in their native Ireland. The 13 track debut "Forget Romance, Let's Dance!" is now fully recorded, mixed, and mastered. "We are happy with the debut album but now that we've discovered our sound we're eager to move on with album number two." Anna tells me. Like all bands starting up and trying to make a name for themselves We Should Be Dead have been touring extensively around Ireland over the past year or so. I asked Anna what this experience has been like: "Touring has been great, we've met lots of cool people and seen lots of places that we otherwise wouldn't have. The only thing I will say is that this country could do with less potholes and more signposts!"
WSBD have had a lot of national radio attention recently, with guest slots of a number of shows and 'Forget Romance Let's Dance!' making a huge impact upon its release last year. It was named 'song of the week' on the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show on Today FM. "The airplay has been extremely helpful in raising our profile. We are far more nervous doing radio interviews and sessions than we are playing live gigs. To be honest we are very surprised that Irish radio stations have picked up on our sound. It can be hit and miss with airplay for Irish artists here." Anna says. We Should Be Dead are wasting no time releasing their second single "I Fell in Love with You" on Valentine’s day. I ask Anna if she considers We Should Be Dead to be a very romantic band? Anna laughs: "No. Not romantic but very cheesy!"
Many new bands have gained a lot of fans through the use of websites such as MySpace and Bebo and WSBD are no different. "They're great for networking and gaining fans abroad as well. It’s good to be able to keep everybody up to date on what you’re doing and to see what everyone else is doing."GV: Are you excited about being nominated for a Meteor Award? What does this mean to you? Anna: Shocked is the word! It’s not something we expected or even thought about. Its good timing with the album coming out and great exposure.
One of the contributors to this years Muscailt, a student based art exhibition is 3rd year Arts student Dave Rock who is presenting a photographic exhibition entitled Pushing The Light 2. Rock’s photographs ask us to slow down and to look deeper into what is in front of us. He is developing themes from last years exhibition with a kaleidoscope of vivid images that are larger and more colorful than ever. "The ideas behind how I’m taking pictures at the moment is that I’m trying to illustrate the page turning frame of mind we have when we read magazines and its exactly parallel to how we channel hop on T.V. and what this leads to if we’re not careful is a mish mash of images. One second you could be watching genocide then two seconds later you could be watching The Simpsons, and so you can become apathetic very easily. I think what happens when we read magazines is I could be reading about women in Afghanistan being afraid to go to work and I turn the page and there’s an advertisement for pizza and suddenly I’m hungry and I’m not thinking about Afghanistan anymore. It’s a juxtaposition of the tragic and the ridiculous. What I aim to do is to show both sides of the same page using lights. I used a big bunch of magazines and said "Right, I’m going to get all my pictures from these" and I got 20 A3 pictures of various things."
What does Dave Rock think of Muscailt? "Muscailt is great. It gives students a chance to get themselves out there, whatever they want to perform or display. A lot of people wouldn’t be able to do these things if Muscailt wasn’t on. It provides funding and a platform."Writers’ Soc are also organizing a number of events starting with a Poetry Slam competition where cash prizes are up for grabs. "We are offering €150 for the best seasoned performer and €150 for the best newcomer" Anyone who can write and read poems can come along to try and wow the crowd, and the poetry will be judged on presentation as well as content. "We’re also bringing a bunch of kids from Secondary schools around Galway as part of a Slam for Secondary Schools program and they will also be performing. The special guest is Brendan Murphy, the Ireland Slam Champion, who’ll be doing a twenty minute set."
Another event not to be missed is the Literary Evening which will have an emphasis on performance and fun. "People can get up and read stories, poems, jokes, songs, anything at all. We’ll have a violinist and a pianist there too! We will be encouraging people from the audience to get up and take control, we’re offering free drinks to everyone who performs."
Is there a vibrant literary scene in NUIG? "There’s a lot going on in NUIG and Galway as regards writing and performance- for poetry slamming we’re considered to be the best place in Ireland. It’s becoming a really big thing. It’s a very important medium that lets people get up and express themselves. Writing can be a very lonely thing and to get up and performing can be important, it’s definitely helped me as a writer."
Is there a vibrant literary scene in NUIG? "There’s a lot going on in NUIG and Galway as regards writing and performance- for poetry slamming we’re considered to be the best place in Ireland. It’s becoming a really big thing. It’s a very important medium that lets people get up and express themselves. Writing can be a very lonely thing and to get up and performing can be important, it’s definitely helped me as a writer."
In keeping with performance on Monday 4th February, the Literary and Debating Society and the Law Society are joining together to stage a re-creation of the first Trial of Oscar Wilde. This production is closely based on the transcripts of the trial, and features a fascinating show down between one of the greatest legal minds, and one of the greatest literary minds of the 1890’s. In its day, the trial was an unmissable event and today the recreation is as well. Elsewhere in drama there are a series of original one act plays taking place every lunchtime in the Bank of Ireland Theatre, with an omnibus edition of all plays on Friday 8th at 5pm. Nine playwrights will be competing for The Jerome Hynes Memorial Trophy.
On a lighter note the Annual GUMS Musical is back with the fresh and colourful "Back to the Eighties". Derek Calahan told me a bit about the show: "It’s a comedy love story and the audience can expect plenty of laughs. It’s set in a high school and narrated by one of the characters some years later. Corey is looking back on his High School days in the Eighties, so you can imagine something like Saved by the Bell. We had so many laughs just rehearsing it, I’m sure when we get it onto the stage the audience will enjoy it too."
"It was released in Broadway a few years ago. This is its west of Ireland premiere. We think that a show like this would really suit a university campus; we’ve had a lot of great feedback so far from students."The eighties has become something of a theme for this year’s Muscailt, other societies have been inspired by the eighties
"It was released in Broadway a few years ago. This is its west of Ireland premiere. We think that a show like this would really suit a university campus; we’ve had a lot of great feedback so far from students."The eighties has become something of a theme for this year’s Muscailt, other societies have been inspired by the eighties
For music lovers there’s plenty to keep students happy this year. Amongst other events the final of the Witless Battle of the Bands takes place on Tuesday night at 8pm in the college bar. I asked Vincent, one of the judges and member of Music Soc, what the music scene in NUIG was like: "It’s diverse, some good, some great. There are a high percentage of metal bands. Up to this the heats have been really exciting. The choices have been very hard to make and it’s going to be a great final, a highlight of Muscailt for a lot of people."
If you’re looking for something a little more relaxing there is a classical recital taking place in the Aula Maxima on Tuesday at 7:30pm. The Orchestra Society, under the baton of ace conductor Hugh Kelly, will perform a range of stirring pieces, including Schubert’s unfinished symphony and Mozart’s violin concerto in D major.
To wrap up this week long celebration of the Arts in NUIG the college bar goes wild with an old style country barn dance complete with fancy dress and bales of hay. For one night only Galway favorites No Banjo light up the stage with their catchy music and will get the crowd dancing the night away.
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