Totally Dublin

An Evening of Reading, Music & Conversation with Nick Cave - By far the best company to spend the evening in tonight is grumpy Uncle Nick’s. To coincide with the release of his novel ‘The Death of Bunny Munro’ (which we haven’t read yet, but are informed by an English grad friend that it’s McCarthyesque) the first man of Australian rock noir is spending the night in Vicar Street, flouting the smoking ban and knocking back whiskeys. The problem? It’s long sold out. However, as the below video of skeletal Nick taking fellow antipodean Zane Lowe down ten notches should be enough to have you on the hunt for a nearby tout-on-crutches shouting “buyin’ or sellin’ tickets dere folks?”
Details here. 

Keith Farnan - Touted as a Dylan-Moran-In-The-Making (we’re not sure whether he shares the same penchant for swigging from bottles of wine), Keith Farnan’s stand-up takes the piss out of the death penalty tonight at the Project.

Details here.

Tales of Ballycumber - Despite having received something of a panning (the Guardian wrote that ‘ It is beautiful but strangely inert’), Sebastian Barry’s Wicklow mountainside-set Tales of Ballycumber is still the biggest theatre pull in town with noted performances from Stephen Rea and Aaron Monaghan.

Details here.

They said it was going to happen and it did. The heavens opened yesterday afternoon inducing mud-drenched mayhem throughout the Oxegen site. There was no sign of the ‘extra provisions’ that MCD had purportedly put in place to ensure things ran smoothly should the inevitable happen and, needless to say, the masses descended upon the largest tent, the Heineken Green Spheres. Never fear though, your trusty concert promoters were on hand to put the kybosh on those who had the audacity to seek shelter and proceeded to block off all entrances to the tent. Safety reasons, perhaps, but it wasn’t exactly bulging at the seams. Thankfully, some kind soul inside pulled up the side of the tent and about a dozen drenched souls made a break for it behind the turned backs of the security guards, myself included. Ahh… getting one up on the security guards – nothing like it. The repercussions of my need for shelter were threefold. On the downside, my illusion of one of my favourite musicians of recent years was well and truly shattered. Ok, so Pete Doherty has never been a reliable performer but when he’s on form he commands a room like no other and his stage presence can be enough to give you shivers. Not so the drunken (or other) mess who stumbled onstage with a guitar last night and proceeded to half-sing songs from his fantastic new album, ‘Grace/Wastelands’ before forgetting the words and launching into Libertines songs for his blindly adoring fans who must have been as out of it as he was to deem him worthy of their applause. His lack of effort to even feign sobriety was insulting, especially when you compare this to the effort that some of yesterday’s other acts went to for their slots. Afterwards a fan stumbled on my shoulder, wide eyed and ecstatic, declaring “Fucking hell, did you see that? Acoustic Pete Doherty – Class! Brilliant!” proving that no matter what he does he’ll still have an army of disciples that will tolerate the most shambolic of performances.

On the upside, I was torn between Elbow on the Main Stage and TV on the Radio in the Green Spheres when the hurricane that was forming in the distance outside made up my mind for me. TV on the Radio were unbelievable. Wonderfully flamboyant and fantastically fluorescent, Tunde Adebimpe was the perfect frontman to lift the spirits left so dampened by a combination of the rain and the aforementioned shambling baby. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are obviously big fans as they legged it over quicksmart after their set to dry off and watch TV on the Radio from side stage.
Leaving Bloc Party and the Kings of Leon to the masses, I stuck around to watch the Pet Shop Boys perform the songs I loved as a seven-year-old bopping around in my mother’s legwarmers and, my God am I glad I did. I’d heard great things about their stage set-ups and choreography but, having never seen them before, I didn’t know what to expect. The set up was mind-blowing, awesome, indescribable. I nearly cried at one point, seriously. Think neon, tumbling cubes, dancing skyscrapers, robots and umpteen costume changes. Incredible. Whether you’re a fan or not, you have to put Pet Shop Boys on your ‘to see before I die’ list. It’s imperative that you do that.

Flitting past the Kings of Leon as they blasted out generic stadium rock from their new album (although I did catch a bit of ‘Charmer’ which was incredible, as all their stuff from the first three albums is), I arrived at the O2 Stage just in time to see the main Bad Seed himself arrive on stage with the deliciously sinister air that seems to envelop him. Unsurprisingly, the crowd consisted of die-hard fans and Nick Cave didn’t disappoint. Cave was joined on stage by Shane McGowan for his encore.

Today’s line up is poptastic with the likes of Katy Perry, The Ting Tings and Lady Gaga all on the bill. Rumour has it that a pink Vespa has been thrown into Gaga’s props room and her runners have been dispatched to find “suitable underwear to ease chaffing from whips and chains”… not sure how Betty from Naas Ladies Fashion Boutique will react to that particular request but it’s gonna make for one helluva show. I’m going to be firmly planted in the pit waiting for The Specials to top their awesome Glastonbury show and put a little ska-induced spring back into my weary, unshowered step. Check in tomorrow for a full update and keep an eye out for tweets throughout the day.

Sheena