yay

Clermont Auvergne

25 - 19

Munster

new toy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

for reference this was my old toy:

 

DJs

Boyz Noise in ALT on wednesday was ok. too many kids at it though, only kids basically, maximum 20, all in fluorescent t shirts, or hip colourful sneakers. but so drunk it was a bit pathetic. i don't think they'll remember the Boyz Noise set... too bad they paid 25 euros for it.

Erol Alkan in ALT on friday brought an older crowd. his set was better i think. i also enjoyed it more because i have a new lighting desk. i had fun pushing all my buttons and faders :-) and he really liked the atmosphere and the venue. he'll be back in ALT he told us.

jobs and away

i might work in monaco in may

i might work in festivals in france this summer

and i might go on tour in ireland at the end of february for a few weeks

 

all that thanks to my lovely colleagues, derek sound engineer and musician, chris sound engineer and frenchie like me, alan stage manager and maybe soon production manager.

this is what i have

i was diagnosed with a problem on my knees (the left knee more than the right one) when i was around 12. i did 4 or 5 years of reeducation so it is fine now (or almost i can't really jump or dance like a lunatic, last time i did that -the justice dj set- i couldnt walk or lift things for a week, i could still climb though)

i did some research today, in case of an emergency i would have to be able to explain what i have to the irish doctors.

 

in english (some pictures are a bit disgusting as it shows an operation)

Patello femoral dysplasia

http://www.avonpatella.com/index3/ap_pag_scientific-redir...

 

en francais

Dysplasie femoro patellaire

http://www.docteurperraudin.com/rotuleinstabilite.htm

today

Seafood Chowder

Serves 4

 

300g mixed shellfish

40g butter

40g flour

1 white onion, diced 1cm

2 sticks celery, diced 1cm

1 leek, diced 1cm

1 bulb fennel, diced 1cm

3 rashers of bacon, diced

2 potatoes, peeled and diced 1cm

2 pints of fish or chicken stock

½ pint milk

½ pint whipping cream

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ x 5ml spoon (½ teaspoon) dried

1 ½ x 15ml spoon (1 ½ tablespoons) flat leaf parsley, chopped (for garnish)

 

Method

 

1. Place butter, onion, celery, leek and fennel in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook 5-6 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaf and flour and cook for 2 minutes.

2. Add potatoes, stock and season with salt and pepper. (don’t season using stock cubes)

3. Gently cook soup until potatoes are soft. Add milk, cream and seafood, bring to the boil. Check seasoning and consistency. Serve in warm soup bowls, topped with chopped parsley.

 

 

 

Potage au fruits de mer a l'irlandaise:

300 gr de fruits de mer (mix de moules, coques, bouts de saumon frais-pas fume-, bouts de cabillaud, crevettes)
40g beurre
40g farine
1 oignon blanc
2 batons de celeri
1 poireau
1 bulbe de fenouil
2 pommes de terre (assez grosses)
2 pintes (=1 litre) de bouillon de poisson
250ml de lait
250ml de creme fraiche
1 feuille de laurier
du thym (2 branches fraiches ou une cuillere a cafe de thym seche)
du persil plat (3 cuilleres a cafe ou 3 branches fraiches)

recette:
- mettre beurre, oignon, celeri., poireau, fenouil dans une large casserole a cuisson moyenne pendant 5-6mn. ajouter le thym, laurier, et la farine et cuire pendant 2 mn.
-ajouter les pommes de terre epluchees et coupees en morceau, avec le bouillon et sel et poivre.
-faire mijoter la soupe jusqu'a ce que les pommes de terre soient cuites. ajouter lait, creme fraiche, le mix de fruits de mer. faire cuire jusqu'a ebullition.
-servir dans des bols et decorer de persil.

you like MGMT?

you like remixes?

 

well check that out:

http://spin.com/blog/spincoms-top-25-mgmt-remixes

 

Sleep Thieves

it was a nice gig last night, their first gig but totally fine for the audience, the sound was good, the musicians too, their experimental electronica sounds goes really well with Sorcha's quiet female voice. the only negative point will be that they didn't interact with each other or with the crowd because they were really nervous.

i'm sure they will get better and better.

 

www.myspace.com/wearesleepthieves

fun in a plane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUpEUON4oFk

 

cinema

quantum of solace: too easy, not enough entangled or complicated misteries, good action though

zack and miri make a porno: still undecided whether it is really funny or not at all

pride and glory: brilliant actors, good story so good movie, though not a lot of action

role models: great duo, entertaining and funny

my best friend's girl: a romantic comedy a bit too dull for me

 

(i haven't been to the cinema for all these movies, i've seen some of them on the internet)

Christmas time

i'm going home for Christmas

leaving on the 24th early morning, back on the 26th in the afternoon

 

and i put up the Christmas decorations in the flat on sunday. it looks cool and not too tacky. i love autumn, and i like winter as well. i think i smell snow... we'll see tomorrow. i'd love to see Dublin covered with a white blanket one day.

production week

Charles Dickens'
THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP
in a new version by Alan Stanford

Matinees at 3pm on the following dates:
Sat 6th Dec • Wed 10th Dec • Sat 13th Dec
Wed 17th Dec • Sat 20th Dec • Tues 23rd Dec
Sat 27th Dec • Wed 31st Dec • Sat 3rd Jan
Tues 6th Jan • Sat 10th Jan


Charles Dickens’s much loved classic has been brought to life in a wonderful new version by Alan Stanford. Nell Trent lives with her doting grandfather in his London shop, a magical place filled with dust-laden treasures. What is the secret of Grandfather’s mysterious night wandering? Why does he borrow so much from the evil money lender Quilp? As they run from the clutches of Quilp, the pair fall in with a number of colourful characters, some villainous, some affectionate. Quilp, however, is not a man to be trifled with, something they are all about to find out the hard way.

Nigel Anthony · Barbara Brennan · Stephen Brennan · Barry Cassin · Richard Clements · Donna Dent · Maude Fahy · Michael James Ford · Mark Long · Conor MacNeill · Dermot Magennis · Barry McGovern · Jill Murphy · Mark O’Regan Stephen Swift · Billie Traynor · Mal Whyte · Michael Winder

Director Alan Stanford
Set Designer Eileen Diss
Costume Designer Leonore McDonagh
Lighting Designer Paul Keogan

where am i?

i'm very busy hence the lack of posting

 

the gig last wednesday was amazing: Russian Circles and These Arms Are Snakes. lovely guys, Russian Circles set was incredibly intense and i was really into it. no lighting show, just a lot of smoke and one single light. only instrumental. TAAS are good, energic and they have that something more that makes them special. Bats, the first band on stage, are from Dublin and i was surprised because i hardly heard of them but they were really good.

i worked 18 hours on saturday: in the Gate for the get in of The Old Curiosity Shop, then in ALT for a very experimental jazz gig with The Thing and Otomo Yoshihide, then a charity club with old school djs from The Kitchen and Shaft.

 

beginning of the week is production week in The Gate.

and in ALT:

tuesday: club Trashed

wednesday: Tim Westwood

thursday: Klezmer music festival

friday: Dalek

saturday: HMV party

 

on friday, i'll be at the restaurant for Anabela's birthday, then helping Sleep Thieves http://www.myspace.com/wearesleepthieves setting up in Dorans and trying to do something lighting wise for them, then back to party for A's birthday.

learning and gigging

last night was a lot of fun, especially when i saw Les and Fergal, my two former teachers, on stage, rocking out covers of artists like Rihanna, Nelly Furtado or Robbie Williams.

and it was Laura's 21st, she is now entirely responsible for her acts ;-)

 

today i'm going to an audio visual seminar in the RDS, then gigging with Seattle punk-grunge These Arms Are Snakes, support by Russian Circles.

 

http://www.myspace.com/thesearmsaresnakes

 

hilarious

this is the facebook page of God

http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1764710

 

the come back

i'm having a bit of an argument with one of my favourite bloggers about the come back of Noir Desir here:

http://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Blogs/French_Letter/tabi...

 

here is what i think about the new songs:

the cover of Le Temps Des Cerises is rather surprising because for me it is a really sad and nostalgic song and here it sounds like a happy and optimistic song due to the quick rhythm.

On Gagnants/Perdants, we hear Cantat raucous voice again, his poetry, him playing with words and never saying the real words but always asking his listeners to find the true hidden meaning. a true Noir Desir song but we are missing the rage that Bertrand surely has to keep silent until he is totally free from the justice.

they are working on songs at the moment, the studio work should go on next year. in other words some unconfirmed source said Noir Desir was booked for the Garden Nef Party (the festival i want to go to this year in Angouleme because the line up is so good every year) in 2010. i don't know if it is true but it is certainly a good rumour.

well no...

not going to Ballinasloe, my poor friend can't sell his car, or tv, just learnt that his boat to go to france on wednesday is cancelled and postponed on friday but will have nowhere to live since then as he gave notice for his flat... etc

so i'm gonna let him take care of all that.

 

 

going to

Ballinasloe for the night (near Galway) to see a friend

 

Don Caballero last friday, i enjoyed the music, i didn't enjoy my lighting show (the fact i wasn't allowed to use the hazer make it hard to do lights, especially if it is experimental music. one day the musicians will have to do understand that, we are not using haze to create an atmosphere, hide the musicians and intoxicate them - we are using haze now, not toxic smoke machines-, but simply to show the beam of our lights. there's no point doing lights without haze, it looks absolutely crap.)

 

These Arms Are Snake and Russian Circles are playing on wednesday.

 

before that, on tuesday, it's Laura's 21st and big night in the Button Factory for aware, with some of my former teachers playing on stage!

Donegal-pictures

Bunbeg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glenveagh national park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Killibegs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bunglass cliffs/ Slieve League

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silver Strand near Malin Beg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we loved it!

 

back to work

2 new songs

they are back.

and i am delighted

http://noirdez.com/telechargements/gagnantsperdants.htm

 

sexy back

a french band: rock n roll, fashion and youth

have a listen

http://www.myspace.com/secondsex

 

weekend away

I went to Donegal this weekend ( i know, i didn't tell you i was going but i totally forgot to post something about it on saturday)

we drove from Dublin on sunday at noon up to Letterkenny where we stopped for coffee and pie.

then to Bunbeg where we had a nice meal with mussels and haddock. then we went to the really nice B&B where we stayed for the night.

on Monday we went to Glenveagh national park to visit the castle, its gardens and the national park, unfortunately we had to stop the visit as it started to rain heavily and we couldn't take proper pictures or even look up. we stopped in Letterkenny again to eat a really nice seafood chowder with soda bread and butter... yummm

we drove to Killibegs where our B&B was, right in front of the port. such a lovely village with fishermen boats everywhere, i kinda fell in love with the place because i heard my favourite sound in the world, the sound of cables hitting boat masts with the wind; and also just because it is so small but has such a big port and huge boats. we went to the pub for guinness and hot whiskey.

on Tuesday in the morning i had a nice full irish (scrambled eggs, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans +tea) for breakfast. then we went to Bunglass cliffs/ Slieve League but didn't make it to the top as it was too windy. we went to a wonderful beach called Silver Strand near Malin Beg where we were alone and acting crazy, amazed by the waves and the scenery.

we drove back to Dublin on tuesday afternoon passing by Lower Lough Erne and the forests with their wonderful autumnal colours between Ballyshannon and Enniskillen.

 

characteristic of Donegal (compared with Dublin):

people take time to be nice and take care of you

food is served in bigger quantities (when we ordered haddock we got two full fishes each) but it is not more expensive.

 

15 miles

15 miles

© 2008 Microsoft Corporation © 2008 NAVTEQ © 2007 Intermap

© 2008 Microsoft Corporation © 2008 NAVTEQ © 2007 Intermap

2D

3D

Road

Aerial

Bird's eye

Labels

See this location in bird's eye view

Virtual Earth 3D has finished updating

 

pictures to come.

next gigs in ALT

Friday:

Oppenheimer, Le Galaxie & Hitman Lord

phantom first friday: http://www.myspace.com/phantomfirstfriday 

 

Saturday:

gig: Hermano

http://www.myspace.com/hermanorocks

club:  Milanese (Live) & iTAL tEK (Live)

http://www.myspace.com/stasisireland

 

Sunday:

club The Italian Factory 5pm to 1am.

http://www.italianfactory.eu/

YES. WE. CAN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOU did it.

yes we can

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY

 

 

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --

Yes. We. Can.

 

 

i''m with you Jen: http://www.feastoflove.blogspot.com/

 

 

new issue

of NIFW

scary costumes, roadies, poetry and election 08.

http://noisforwimps.blogspot.com/

 

it was good

the soundcheck/ the lads/ the concert/ the crowd/ the after drinks

everything was great on saturday night for the WHY? gig.

 

if you don't know this band, i can't recommend you enough to have a listen here:

http://www.myspace.com/whyanticon

 

why?

amazing.

so sad this day is over.

 

good night

not happy today

i'm gonna try to breath and not shout at people. not easy when you're angry.

but if i see a new PA there today, i might not control myself...

 

sorry you might not understand a word of this but for personal-official-bullshit reasons i can't say more.