Author Archives: Peter

About Peter

Horticulturist. Yapper. Gardener. Human. Landscaper. Loves coffee. Dublin. Makes gardens. Radio Podcasts The Sodshow. Lives in a tree in Dublin @DoneganGardens

Saint John The Gambler – Five Miles to Vaudeville

  By Peter | May 21, 2013 - 4:50 pm | Featured Post, Music
Leave a comment
st john the gambler

I first heard of St John The Gambler around 2 years odd years ago now at year 1 of The Spirit of Folk festival. Before I go any further, it is at this point that I may now add their name to a small list that also contains The Pixies, The White Stripes and Nirvana. Bands I could have gone to see, had tickets to or was there [in SJTG's case] and never made it to the gig. Further, they are gigs I missed and now deserve a good flogging for, in the village sqaure of some random hypothetical french 17th century town whilst the locals lash rotten fruit at me and call for my head. Hindsight, you bastard. Saint John the Gambler is an exciting original Gypsy-Swing band with a dance-inducing spirit. This Dublin-based band have melded sounds from by-gone eras and distant lands with modern songwriting taking in … There’s more →

Gardiner Street Gospel Choir @ The O’Reilly Theatre, Dublin 1

  By Peter | May 13, 2013 - 11:40 am | Featured Post, Gigs
1 Comment
The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir 2013

May 10th 2013, The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir launched their 2nd album Lift Your Voice. Word on the grapevine is it’s an absolute corker, but fair being fair, I’ll review that just as soon as I give it a full and proper listen to.  In the meantime, Friday May 24th sees them officially launch album no. 2 as they play The O’Reilly Theatre Dublin 1. Tickets for the gig are priced just €15 and a fine evenings entertainment mildly resting to one side, the bi-product of a cracking night out is that proceeds raised will be split between two fantabulous charities namely Headway and Temple Street Children’s Hospital. Can’t catch ‘em May 24th ? Not to fret, as the choir will be opening The Soul Picnic at The Dublin City Soul Festival on the May 26th @ 12pm. Never heard The GSGC before and maybe wondering if they are any … There’s more →

The Harleys @ The Slaughtered Lamb

  By Peter | May 5, 2013 - 6:46 pm | Featured Post, Gigs
2 Comments
The Harleys

Without question, The Harleys have to be one of the finest outfits I have ever seen. And it was last night just pure adrenalin spine tingling old school hard rock that you just cannot help but wanna drink a bottle of Jack Daniels to and throw a telly out of some random hotel window. Or something like that…. that I loved every second of. listen to ‘The Harley’s @ The Slaughtered Lamb’ on Audioboo Even the brutal bit of audio I recorded makes me wanna close my eyes and bounce some imaginary random object off a wall; and in that context it sounds genius; though its only brutal by the default fact that the place was jammers as grown men and women rolled the clock back and literally let it all out of their system. I saw them play The Slaughtered Lamb in Swords who, credit where it is due … There’s more →

New Irish Music Video: Kodaline – High Hopes

  By Peter | January 23, 2013 - 6:29 pm | Featured Post, Music
Leave a comment
kodaline, high hopes

This via Broadsheet, who note: And then you might like a nice cup of tea.The genuinely gripping High Hopes by Kodaline.Mike Donnelly writes: A New Kodaline video by the same writer/director as All I Want. Starring Liam Cunningham & Niamh Large. Directed by Stevie Russell; Edited by Tony Kearns; Cinematography by Piers McGrail; Produced by Michael Donnelly It was just too great a video not to reblog….  Like that ? Try this one: All I want.  

New Irish Music: Superstar Tradesmen

  By Peter | January 15, 2013 - 9:56 am | Featured Post, Music, The Culch
1 Comment
superstar tradesmen

Superstar Trademen are a Dublin based rock/ indie band made up of Connor Quinn, Brian Donnelly and Paul Moran. With gigs already under their belt in venues such as Whelans, the Academy, The Tara Rocks Festival and support to none other than Damian Dempsey, they are I think its fair to say [quite obviously] making fine tracks in the Irish music scene. Keep Writing by Superstar Tradesmen  That said, new Irish music is the title and that pretty much leaves the next bit over to you. In the go forth and listen department and highly recommended is the bands soundcloud page where you’ll find the likes of my favourite track Keep Writing and others like One Night Stand. More than that, the big Q has always been would I spend my hard earned dollars on their first album [?]: you’re damn right I would. Wanna find out more: Superstar Tradesmen … There’s more →

New Irish Music: Wicker Bones – The Employee

  By Peter | January 10, 2013 - 12:45 pm | Music
Leave a comment

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the very lovely people that are Wicker Bones here at Culch Towers. And with all this talk of The Gathering and being Irish and having just watched The Quiet Man over Christmas and me tura lura laaaaaaay and that Specsavers advert were he shears his sheep dog…. well, I was feeling a wee bit melancholy. Fair enough, just the first sentence is true. But I do have a grá for new, real Irish music and it did make me smile when I got this email in through my letter box. Hi Peter, Just sending you a quick mail about a video we shot with Mark Doyle of The Ceol Train. In it we are playing “The Employee” which will be featured on our upcoming debut album due to be recorded early 2013. It was recorded live upstairs in The Pint on Eden Quay.   … There’s more →

Meeting Windows 8

  By Peter | December 18, 2012 - 6:18 pm | Gadgets, Podcasts, The Culch
Leave a comment

Meet Patrick Ward, Windows Business Group Lead for Microsoft Ireland. listen to ‘Patrick Ward, Windows8 lead, Microsoft Ireland’ on Audioboo Disclaimer of the blog world and etc’s come first and on that note my meet last week did not come via Culch.ie. Also Windows/ PCWorld gifted me a brand spanking new fandango Samsung All-in-one PC. And yes it is very lovely. Also very highly recommended. That aside and out of the way, if you wanna know about Windows8 – what better man to talk to than this fellow. Maybe of interest, I first trialed Windows8 well before its launch, with a demo first from Patrick and I was then left to my own devices on a Samsung Slate for a period of about 4 days. The Slate is pictured above top. Not much more required to type. Apart from a big thank you to PC World Jervis Street for the … There’s more →

My Time At A Festival: Spirit of Folk 2012

  By Peter | November 6, 2012 - 11:55 am | Festivals
Comments Off

I’m gonna have to start my look back on Spirit of Folk 2012 with this piece of audio that was a #soff12 Sodshow special. Textually, it really does save about 4 gizillion paragraphs of what if’s and Aimsir Modh Coinníollach‘s that we who were there in year one wondered about….. pre us getting there. Scroll to 5 mins 52 seconds: listen to ‘A Spirit of Folk Festival 2012 Special ’ on Audioboo Of the gig, the festival, my time there it’s tough to pick highlights. There were gigs and bands and people I heard talk; things I saw and people I met and by the time I realised that I should have recorded that in audio or in picture, that moment was gone and passed. It was that good and so very easy to simply get lost in time. Class example: Bunoscionn doing Trad Side of the Moon – yup, … There’s more →

New Irish Music EP: Wicker Bones – Concatenation

  By Peter | September 14, 2012 - 12:54 am | The Culch
1 Comment

Last year when The Martry Sessions EP came through my door, I did kind of have a ‘what the fook’ moment. Eh… actually it was a bit more than that. Warranted it was and I wasn’t alone. You’ll have to read that review to understand what I mean… A few weeks either side of a year later and the most rugged talented bunch of Irish Jimi Hendrix [what's the plural of Hendrix ?] musical relations come knocking. Guess what ? The nice guys of Irish music are on EP number frickin two – 6 tracks, in each, fresh out of Electric Picnic and now headed to The Spirit of Folk Festival 2012. How many can say that in the one swift breath of tradtional Irish air ? So what of The Wicker Bones latest beau ? Here’s a bit of what they have to say…. …It represents our strongest expression … There’s more →

Theatre: Singlehood @ The Absolut Fringe

  By Peter | September 6, 2012 - 6:18 am | Events, Featured Post, The Arts
Comments Off
FeaturedAbsolutFringe002

I have to admit I’m not really one for theatre stuff. I am. But I am-ish, not. It’s a bit like, The Strokes are playing The O2. Yeah ? I’ll think about it. As versus Led Zep are playing. Yeah ? Mee meep. Roadrunner. I’m already there. Theatre, does that to me. Sometimes however you get a wee little kick in the wotsits. A good kick. A metaphorical one, so to speak and you think could this be the next example of hindsight I may use in a pub quiz ? Like the time The White stripes came to Ireland just after I saw them on Jools Holland and I never went and regretted it ever since ? What kind of play makes me say that ? One with comedian and actor legend Eric Lalor in it. Well, that’s how I cocked an eye and then watched this video below … There’s more →

Competition: Win 2 Weekend Passes To The Spirit of Folk Festival 2012

  By Peter | August 28, 2012 - 4:54 pm | Competitions, Festivals
28 Comments

**** Competition closed  **** Yup you read it correctly, you could get your mawlers on 2 fantabulous weekend passes to Ireland’s loveliest Festival, The Spirit of Folk 2012  – And all ye gotta do is leave a comment saying why you want ‘em. Below, in the comment box. Funkiest comment wins. If ye dunno what funkiest means, I hear Lady Gaga is playing somewhere soon. Or you could watch the best of the Glee box set. Or spend your pocket money on some David and Victoria perfume. Back to to it, Frankie says relax, go fort, leave a comment. Win yourself something happy. Be a folker.   More info on The Spirit of folk Festival ? website: spiritoffolk.com facebook: spirit of folk festival  Spirit of Folk in iTunes twitter: @spirit_of_folk

Spirit of Folk Festival 2012 Returns

  By Peter | August 15, 2012 - 7:24 pm | Festivals, The Culch
Comments Off

The Spirit of Folk festival is without question the lovliest festival I have ever been to in my life. Just about to hit 2 years of age, I was there last year, loved every second of it and proud to say it, I’m headed back for year 2. To describe it, is tough. Q the brains behind the scenes, Natasha and Caroline and a little of Lisa O’Neill from 2011. listen to ‘ Natasha and Caroline @ The Spirit of Folk Festival 2012 Launch’ on Audioboo Spirit of Folk runs from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd September. Weekend camping tickets start at €85. Day tickets cost €45, and children under 14 can go free. More information on the festival, including the full line-up and range of activities can be found at www.spiritoffolk.com Back to the wonderful fairytale that is the grounds of Dunderry Park, Co. Meath #SoF12 returns from September … There’s more →

Music Festival: Spirit of Folk 2012 – The Line Up

  By Peter | May 24, 2012 - 11:37 am | Festivals
Comments Off

  Spirit of Folk Festival Unveils Line-up and Announces Extra Night   Taking place in the idyllic surroundings of Dunderry Park, Co Meath [and they are very idyllic...] from September 21st to 23rd, Spirit of Folk 2012 Ireland’s friendliest festival, as nominted by me returns again with another whopper of a line up and all things razzz-a-mataz. Wasn’t that a tv show way back when ? More to the point, I was there for year one with Messrs McGuinness and Greene. I will be back for year 2. Back to it… This year’s Spirit of Folk festival line up features some new great additions like John Spillane, The Lost Brothers, Lisa O’Neill, David Gray; I Draw Slow, Spook of the Thirteenth Lock. Other acts of note see The Hot Sprockets return; Mossy Nolan and Brian Greene’s latest favourite The Henry Girls. To accompany this feast of musical acts, there will be an … There’s more →

Ag Cáint as Gaeilge, #LnaG12 agus Lá Fheile Phadraig

  By Peter | March 17, 2012 - 10:11 am | Events
Comments Off

Le cúpla lá ar an twitter, ar an bhlog agus nur a bhím ag cáint dheanaimíd iarracht as gaeilge a labhairt. I mo thuraim agus nur a duairt mé ar an audio tá sé an tabhacht ar fad ach is maith liom é. Nílim go hiontach, ach bá mahith liom é.  No maith leat dhaoine ag cáint nó ceoil as gaeilge a éist. Is maith liom an stáisiún Radio na Gaeltachta 92 -94 fm. Cé atá Lá na Gaeilge ?  Feach ar an bhlog lnag.org Lá 5 ceoil agus Amhráin na Bhfiann listen to ‘Real Irish music: Lá Fheile Phadraig ar an @fingalfolkclub #lnag12’ on Audioboo 

Events: Street Performance World Championship 2012

  By Peter | March 3, 2012 - 9:03 am | Events, The Culch
1 Comment

If you like cockalikee soup, darjeeling a [phonetically spelt] cuwassant flavoured bagel with your afternoon nap then this gig is not for you. If however you like to be be entertained [and I mean really entertained] by some of the odd, wierd, wonderful and hilarious that may not simply be the cup of feng shui for the Pat Kenny Christmas jumper fanatic, then this one is for you. The one thing I love about the #SPWC and #SPWC12 will be no different….. you like Donny Osmond she likes Cliff Richard. You like Bronski Beat she likes Hendrix…. ok I’m straying off the point…. erm… you know those Domino’s Pizza’s that you can put her toppings on one side, yours on the other [much better....] like that, but now imagine each topping is the worlds best ever busker and with with so many different acts you can simply take a nibble … There’s more →