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  • David Lyttle: Interlude Album Review

    David Lyttle: Interlude Album Review

    Sometimes you get surprises, sometimes they’re not good, sometimes, out of nowhere, like David Lyttle’s album ‘Interlude’, they’re great. David Lyttle is a producer and instrumentalist from Northern Ireland and in his album beautifully melds the genres of jazz and hip-hop.

    The album opens with ‘Take Me to the Moon’ with vocals by UK rapper Homecut. Take the good bits from Blackstreet’s No Diggity and add a dash of Pharrell’s Justin Timberlake influence and you’re in the right arena. Homecut’s words roll out beautifully and the balance between the vocals and instrumentation is spot on. Catchy and memorable.

    Lyttle has been really clever when matching up vocalists with tracks, here, they just seem to have always meant to be this way. The laid back jazz with urban style vocals is just a breath of fresh air and is as good as any music in the genre. MOBO winner Soweto Kinch features in ‘Uncertain Steps’ alongside Pino Palladino, such is the talent on this album, it’s jaw dropping. Lyttle also keeps it in the family with his Mum, Anne contributing vocals to ‘Seek’ and sister, Rhea, appearing also, notably on ‘Questions’ as well as the title track.

    This album is funky, soulful, jazzy and very very sexy. Lyttle has crossed into new territory with this album but still it still retains his jazz origins. The problem for your scribe is not be too gushing, too over the top in praise of this album. This is a joyous Irish record and stands up easily beside its international counterparts. David Lyttle. Remember where you first heard the name.

  • Street Performance World Championship: Calling All Buskers

    Street Performance World Championship: Calling All Buskers

    The Laya Healthcare Street Performance World Championship is just around the corner and this year takes place July 14th and 15th in Fitzgerald Park, Cork City and on July 19th – 22nd in Merrion Square, Dublin 2 and remember, it’s a free family friendly festival.

    As usual the SPWC has lots of events happening. The tattooed Lizardman will make his irish debut, Cirque du Soleil acrobat Reuben Dotdotdot will be in town as will The Human Cannonball :O The reigning World Champion sword swallower The Space Cowboy will be this year’s special guest (I’m getting a sore throat just thinking about it).

    spwcThis year the festival is looking for approximately 25 up-and-coming Irish talents to perform at the Buskers Stage on Saturday July 21st and Sunday July 22nd in Dublin’s Merrion Square. The Laya Healthcare Street Performance World Championship want to hear from musicians, dancers, comedians, circus and the ‘so out-there that nobody’s put a word on it yet’ acts! To enter, solo or group acts are asked to email promotional material including a video of their performance to info@spwc.ie before June 29th. The winning acts will be chosen by Festival Directors and 2012 winner The Space Cowboy.

    Here’s a full list of performance artists:

    2 ON 1
    USA

    www.rabbitrhythms.com and www.snapboogie.com

    Ladies, prepare to swoon… men, prepare to take notes. This highly skilled duo are in a league of their own. Hip-Hoppin’ straight out of the US of A with a trail of accolades to their names, this is 2on1’s first trip to Ireland.

    Putting the beat into Beatrix Potter, Peter Rabbit’s one-man percussion orchestra teams up with ever-cool and ultimately-smooth b-boy Snap Boogie who’s as quick on his feet as he is quick witted.This show isn’t just good…it’s freakin’ awesome!

    AJ JAMES
    U.K

    From London’s Covent Garden, the birthplace of street performance. AJ James has emerged as a truly hardcore street entertainer. Unbelievably high skills and deadly stunts are tightly woven into a show with as much comic tension as a family of whales on a bungee crowd. A master of movement, professor of comic timing and guru of all things acrobtic, AJ’s show is perfect for all the family.

    CHARLIE CAPER
    SWEDEN

    www.catchmagic.com

    Magic does not get any more surreal than this. If you ever looked at a magician and thought that all magic is just an illusion, think again because real magic does exist and Charlie is going to prove it.

    Commonly regarded as one of the best street magicians alive on the planet Charlie will leave you jaw hanging and mind boogling for his full show.Having won Sweden’s Got Talent, Charlie’s show is not just original, its mind altering. Watch and be truly flabbergasted at what just one guy can do.

    CIRQUE NO PROBLEM
    HUNGARY

    www.cirquenoproblem.com

    All the family will fall head over heels in love with acrobatic duo! With characters and ambience inspired by the travelling circuses of the 1920’s and 1930’s, Cirque No Problem take the classical, infuse with the spectacle, add comedy and shake (not stir) it to create their own magical blend of AWESOME.

    Experts in clowning, acrobatics, juggling and balancing, sometimes all at once! That might sound complicated but as Noa and Uri Weiss say themselves ‘It’s No Problem’!

    DEADLY SERIOUS
    AUSTRALIA

    www.deadlyentertainment.com

    Introducing the ‘Godfather’ of Street Performance. This kilt-wearing hero of the street really is a legend in the world of street entertainment.

    Slack rope, fire and knife juggling, unicycling and pretty much any dangerous skill that you can think of, Deadly Serious is a sure-fire crowd pleaser. Deadly shows, Deadly Stunts, Deadly humour, Deadly Funny. This guy is not just going to blow your socks off…he might even blow your whole kit off (which would be a pretty funny show in itself).

    HAKUNA MATATA ACROBATS
    IRELAND

    www.hakunamatata.ie

    Get ready to limbo, leap and laugh through this family show. High energy acrobatics at its absolute best. If you have ever seen a street show and thought that you could give that a go think again… because you can’t do this.

    Crazy agility, skill and absurdly funny the Hakuna Matata Acrobats have toured the world and are now going to show Dublin and their home town of Cork what is means to be… well… more agile then every other person you know. A fantastic family show.

    JONATHAN BURNS
    USA

    www.flexiblecomedy.com

    This human pretzel will have you in knots of laughter!Jonathan Burns presents a high energy show that will have you reeling with laughter and twisting in your seat.

    His incredible career has been anything but normal from when he first proudly announced to his parents that he was going to make a living from squeezing himself through a toilet seat.His knot-like contortions, geeky comedy and silly stunts will make you laugh so hard, you’ll get abs.

    KAMIKAZE FIREFLIES
    USA

    www.kamikazefireflies.com

    Vivid imagination that will have you roaring with laughter! Straight from Hollywood, the Kamikaze Fireflies are a kooky fire breathing, cube spinning, whip cracking, and stilt walking duo that blend vaudeville with sketch comedy, and circus skills with stand up.

    Embrace the absurd and join them as they try to catch lightening in a bottle and fulfil their mission to ‘Bring peace to the world at an affordable price’.

    LISA LOTTIE
    THE NETHERLANDS

    www.lisalottie.com

    The festival’s very own ‘Bend it like Barbie’ Crazily agile, beautifully charming and unbelievably flexible, this pint-sized former National hide-and-go-seek winner will have you on the edge of your seat as she contorts her body and performs some of the most impressive hula hoop maneuvers you have ever seen!

    To top it all off, she will attempt the most dangerous hula hoop trick in the world, seven foot in the air!This is one show that you will watch again and again and again.

    MARIO QUEEN OF THE CIRCUS
    USA

    www.marioqueenofthecircus.com

    This latin lothario’s show absolutely should not be missed! Mario needs to share his love with you. His love of Queen and the late, great Freddie Mercury is so strong he’s built a whole show around it.

    Juggling, duelling and unicycling all in the name of this amazing band, Mario entertains and enthrals his audience with his passion and skill.Mario’s universal sex appeal can only find release in the arena-rocking anthems of his favourite supergroup and with one of the most exciting finales in the world today, Mario’s show should most certainly not be missed.

    PIANO JUGGLER
    USA

    www.pianojuggler.com

    Prepare to be wowed by the world’s only ‘Bounce Piano’. No matter if your musical ability stops short of playing the triangle or if you can conduct Beethoven’s 9th in your sleep, you will not want to miss the world famous Piano Juggler. Dan Menendez makes his triumphant return to the Street Performance and is ready to blow your musical mind!

    King of the keyboard, jester of juggling this man has single-handedly pioneered a zany approach to entertainment that has turned music on its head. You have to see it to believe it; you really, really don’t want to miss this one.

    REUBEN DOT DOT DOT
    AUSTRALIA

    www.reubendotdotdot.com

    Keep your eyes peeled for his infamous chinese pole skills… a spectacle not to be missed!Reuben DotDotDot defies gravity and dodges death with his insane acrobatic stunts.

    Traveling the long way round from down under, Reuben will woo you with his implausible acrobatic manoeuvres, wow you with incredible feats of balance and tickle you pink with one of the hottest bods of the street. Do you know what a revolving one handed hand stand 20 feet in the air looks like? Come see this unmissable show and find out!

    SCOTT JACKSON
    CANADA

    www.scottjacksonbeatbox.com

    One man, one mouth will have you breakin’ it down

    Scott Jackson lives in a world built by sounds. A door hinge’s squeaky creek, a snare drum’s darting snap, a helicopter’s chopping blades; these are the intricacies he’s made his craft.

    Internationally renowned as a master of sound and ceremony, Scott Jackson is a beatboxer birthed by hip hop but who stretches the art form’s appeal at every turn. Having represented Canada internationally and reaching the final of Canada’s Got Talent this year, this beat boxin’ beaut will blow you away!

    THE LIZARDMAN
    USA

    www.thelizardman.com

    Out of the murk and mystery, from the depths of natures no-man’s land comes world famous performer ‘The Lizardman’.

    Having sent over 700 hours getting tattooed with the estimated value close to $250,000, he has his tongue split to mimic that of a reptile’s, subdermal implants above his eyes to form horned ridges and four of his teeth have been filed into sharp fangs.Delve into mystery as you witness firsthand the side show antics of this self proclaimed ‘professional freak’. Has mankind challenged powers behind the cosmic barrier? You decide.

    THE HUMAN CANNONBALL
    U.K

    www.humancannon.co.uk

    Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO… it’s the Human Cannonball!

    Street performance superhero, magician Gary ‘Cannonball’ Stocker proudly debuts his brand spanking new show which quite literally defies physics.With only a deck of jumbo playing cards and his trusty cannon, be one of the first in the world to spy this crazy daredevil as he takes flight into unchartered territory! Be warned, nothing is what it seems. The world’s most dangerouscard trick? Indeed!

    THE SPACE COWBOY
    AUSTRALIA

    www.thespacecowboy.com.au

    The Space Cowboy is on the ultimate Street Performer diet. He ingests glass neon tubes powered by 2000 volts of electricity for starters, hammers 6 inch nails directly into this face for his main course and washes it all down with his chainsaw juggling finale. Exercise is key, regularly breaking out a sweat by dragging hefty weights with nothing but fish hooks in his eye sockets. To finish the day, this Australian world record breaker swears by a good night sleep…on a bed of nails that is.

  • Raglans: Long Live EP Review

    Raglans: Long Live EP Review

    Raglans - Long LiveRaglans‘ Long Live EP is the first release on the new label from legendary Dublin music tavern, Whelan’s. Many good words have been bestowed upon the Dublin based four piece and for a first release for a prestigious name like Whelan’s, the pressure is on.

    The EP opens with The Libertines tinged ‘The Man from Glasgow’ and immediately the quartet show themselves capable of writing a catchy tune that will have you singing along. The songwriting is clever and although original displays a familiarity that from the first listen, puts you at ease with their music.

    ‘Long Live’ is a great introduction to the band, many on their debut depend on the lead track with the rest of the EP, filling up the gaps. ‘Digging Holes’ shows the Raglans are not a one trick pony combining their indie pop tones with a trad injection via the mandolin.

    Midway through the EP is a good place to try something a little different. ‘Sand In My Pockets’ still features the Raglans’ catchy hooks but with throwback production values that transport you the late fifties/early sixties. Nice approach and the stripped back production complete with double bass and old skool harmonies emphasize the band’s songwriting talents.

    The Raglans were on to a good thing with this EP to start, it was partly recorded with Boz Boorer, who has previously worked with Morrissey, in his gaff in Portugal. When you have someone like that on board and it’s the band themselves who are credited as the EP’s producer, it’s either someone who is extremely cocky or like here a band confident of where they are and what they want to sound like. It’s paid off. Raglans are definitely a band to watch, they’ve written and produced five decent tracks for the EP. Pressure is on now to double that for an album.

  • iLL Manors: Movie Review

    iLL Manors: Movie Review

    iLL Manors is the debut directorial feature length from Ben Drew, better known to the masses as Plan B. The film tells the story of an East London area where drug use and the criminal underworld live hand in hand.

    As it stands, the film features some great editing and cinematography and for a first time director, Ben Drew does an amazing job. He, of course, uses his musical background in the soundtrack. The in your face title track ‘iLL Manors’ doesn’t make it til the end credits but the rest of the musical accompaniment isn’t there for the sake of it. It cleverly acts as ‘The Narrator’ moving the story along.

    There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this film. It’s just there needs to be a bit more punch to it. If you’re looking at this genre, the banlieu films of France like La Haine and even Noel Clarke’s Kidulthood and Adulthood or Totsi, based in South Africa, have excelled already, leaving iLL Manors open to comparisons.

    With these films, the viewer gains an empathy for the characters, even if we don’t particularly like them. With iLL Manors, the film meanders through several events which depict the surburb brilliantly, showing us the outside characters’ back stories. Drew tips an area here that many other film makers haven’t touched but the downside of all this is that we don’t connect with those who end up as our main characters. It’s not until later when Aaron (Riz Ahmed) shows some redeeming features that we connect with the character.

    Saying that though, iLL Manors is a fine debut and is well worth a watch. Within the photography and editing, Drew has come up with some really clever ideas. Now that he has his first feature out of the way, your scribe is looking forward to the next visual adventure from Plan B.