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Should’ve brought my bag!

Take 2 Day 2, Technically its day 3 at this stage its 6.40am

I’m back in this familiar place, I’m actually back in the very same bed as when I was here in May.

I knew there was a possibility that if anything happened me the ‘powers that be’ would bring me back into hospital. I just didn’t think it would actually happen.

I went for my routine INR bloodcheck on Thursday to the Warfarin clinic. My leg has been sore over the past week so I asked to speak to the nurse about my concerns. She told me I had to go straight to A&E 🙁

I decided that I would go home and get my bag with jammies, toiletries and books and be ready to stay.

I was back in A&E about four and began the long process of waiting to see a doctor.

The triage nurse saw me and sent me back to the waiting room. Two hours later I was called in for reassessment and sent back to the waiting room. Another while passed and I was reassessed again. I eventually got to see a doctor at 1am.

He told me what I already knew, I needed to get a Doppler scan to see if the DVT had got bigger. So he checked me over and asked why I had come to A&E. Er cos the nurse told me to..

He then told me I could sleep ‘in my own bed’ tonight but come back in the morning for the scan.

So yesterday I went for the scan and there seems to be two DVTs in my leg. That’s a problem, there was only one. So either a piece broke off and moved down my leg or its a new one. Oh the joy!

I was admitted last evening and I’m actually in the very same bed as I was the last time I was here. I had left my packed bag at home. It seems like everytime I leave it at home they bring me in. Should’ve brought my bag!

August 15, 2009
James O’Connor Out On A Limb Review

I did this for www.musicreviewunsigned.com

Direct Link here.

I think country is making a comeback… maybe its the recession and images of crying into beer.

‘Out on a limb’ is the new single from Laois’ James O’Connor and features Audrey Trainor on violin.

The production on this track definitely gives it a country feel but the introduction of the violin certainly nods at the folk/trad field.

Track 2 features what has now become the unusual decision to put an instrumental version in there… Hmm! Haven’t seen that in a while!

Overall the song is not entirely my cup of tea, I would have liked to see more troughs and hills in the verse/chorus/verse production. I feel though that the one thing that may stop the track getting a decent amount of airplay in the length. I’d do a radio edit, at 4 minutes 30 seconds, I think its a little long.

It’s a good start but I need to hear more before making a solid judgement.

www.myspace.com/jamesoconnormusic

4 out of 6

Photo borrowed from www.myspace.com

August 12, 2009
Valentine Black Review

I did this for www.musicreviewunsigned.com
Direct Link HERE.

Fresh from a slot opening for the Waterboys recently, Valentine Black delivers a CD sampler of tracks from the forthcoming album due for release later this year.

Valentine Black is the alter-ego and brainchild of Bright Light Fiasco singer and guitarist, Peco McLoughlin.

The sampler fits nicely into the Acoustica/Alt-Country vein and opens with ‘September’s Friend’. It’s a song that hints at leaving the past where it should be left. It’s also nice to see a production where each instrument is given their own room to breathe. Subtle harmonies in the chorus lift the song without having it explode. Nice.

‘Return of the Lotus Eaters’ starts with just Valentine Black, a guitar, his vocals and a shaker. All we’re missing is a scorching day to accompany it. This song has a more memorable hook than the first with some nice guitar work.

‘Retrospect’ slowly builds up but is worth the wait. What strikes me is how the songs are allowed have their own lives and are not overproduced as so often happens. By this track its obvious Valentine Black has developed his own sound and style.

The final track ‘The Curragh Calling’ is being pushed for radio and is currently available for download from www.downloadmusic.ie It’s an uptempo number definitely tipping its hat to the more country end of the genre. This could be a great live track. I dare you not to start tapping your foot!

www.myspace.com/valentineback

4.5 out of 6

August 12, 2009
La Haine // Film vs. Reality

Paris, as most people know, is one of my favourite places. I go there whenever I can. I love the art, the vibe of the city.

The film La Haine (Hate) was made in 1995 by Matthieu Kassovitz, starring Vincent Cassell, a story of youths living in apartment blocks, no jobs, fighting with the police. The sad thing is, although made some 14 years ago it could have been made this week.

An 18 year old man was killed on Sunday night, seemingly he didn’t stop at a travel control point and was pursued by a cop car in Bagnolet in the North of Paris.

The man came off his motorcycle. The police say that its not their fault, they didn’t hit the guy. Locals say otherwise.

Most people know what some of this area looks like, heck, you’ve passed it on the train going to the city from Charles de Gaulle airport. It’s not exactly pretty. Tower blocks and vacant wastelands as far as the eye can see.

There is a history of violence and tensions with the police in suburbs in Paris. Riots in 2005 almost brought the entire country to a standstill with imposed curfews and were reported around the world. Riots are the last thing the area needs right now.

The rates of unemployment in these areas are high and there are religious cultural and sometimes radical divides.

It seems to me, an outsider, it seems a lot of the problems here stem back maybe thirty years or more. Immigrants from the French empire travelled to The capital in search of a better life. Unskilled workers seem to have gotten into a cycle which they passed on to their children.

Its sad and its sadder, though everywhere is experiencing financial difficulty, the under 24s are in the highest group of unemployed agewise.

Nicholas Sarkozy has brought in some new measures into effect to get the younger people into apprenticeships.

Hopefully this will help the situation, nobody wants riots, nobody wants another, real life, La Haine.

August 11, 2009