• Black Is The Colour Of My True Love’s… Amp? Or How Not To Tour Ireland

    “C’mere, where’s my amp?” “What amp?” Eric replies. “My black amp.” I continue. “How the fuck should I know where your “black amp” is? And aren’t most amps black?” “You had it last. After that gig we did with HAWK in the Róisín, you, me and Burke were loading the gear into your car on Munster Avenue. That’s the last I saw it.” “That was like 2 or 3 years ago. Even if I had it then, which I doubt, fuck knows where it is now?” “Hmm… fair enough.” “Are you sure it was after the gig with HAWK?” “Honestly…

  • The Problem With The Problem of Ramones T-Shirts

    A year or two back I was at a family get together and sparked up a conversation with a teenage cousin of mine. I had initially decided to go over and talk to him for two reasons. First, and foremost, was to get out of the banal conversations I had been having with the other ‘adults’ about topics such as the Oscar Pistorius case, the Pope’s resignation and an aunt’s warbling about some motorway that was or wasn’t being built near her home. The second reason, the reason I selected said cousin to talk with, was because I heard his…

  • “You’re Tearing Me Apart Lisa!?!”: How Not To Make A Music Video

    Citóg Records is a relatively new indie label based out of Galway City. Being involved with Citóg Records is something I hold and respect dearly. Unlike other traditional labels, Citóg Records is a collective of West of Ireland musicians who have come together under an imprint to share their knowledge, experience and ideas with one another. In my opinion, they have become a type of resource that every artist in this country could do with being a part of, regardless of one’s artistic discipline or strength in the industry. It is something I wish I was more a part of…