I don't think it was just the free pints of Smithwicks and Guinness, but there was a real feelgood atmosphere down in the Cellar Bar in the brewery last week.
No talk of FAS, TDs junkets, or NAMA, just good music and conversation among a big crowd of people, none of whom (I think ) had ever seen the inside of the tent at the Galway races or claimed a €1 donation to UNICEF as an expense.
It was the launch of the 21st Rockfall Festival, a major (and now more important than ever ) fundraiser for The O'Neill Centre. The amount of charity fundraising going on at the moment is phenomenal and with the Government having squandered our money on limos, €28,000 dinner parties, and five star hotels during the good times, the onus is back on organisations to raise their own funds.
Eamon Cleere, (the brother ) outlined the history of the festival, from its modest beginnings with just five venues in 1988 to the current programme that features music and, now with Devious Theatre involved, theatre all over the city. There's no better man to persuade bands and musicians to give a helping hand, but in this case everybody, from veterans of the local scene to the new kids on the block, is more than willing to get involved.
Blues Ark and guests, including Mayor Malcolm on harmonica, provided the entertainment on the night, with a 21st anniversary CD of Rockfall also unveiled. The 21 tracks are a great sampler of the range of music produced in Kilkenny over the years, and at €10 it's well worth keeping in mind for the Christmas present list. You might even be able to claim it as an expense, just ask John O'Donoghue how it's done.
The festival runs from October 22 - 26 and, whatever your musical taste, there's something there for every member of the audience.
Richmond Fontaine
Who's your favourite band/singer/writer? An often asked question, to which I usually reply “I don't know, it all depends on the time and the mood.”
Richmond Fontaine, led by Willy Vlautin, from Portland Oregon usually come to mind as they can cover all three categories: band, singer and writer. They've been touring Europe for a few years now and this is their first appearance in Kilkenny since two shows at the 2007 Rhythm and Roots Festival. They were heading out on a long tour across Europe after Kilkenny and Willy told he me preferred to tour constantly for a few months, then get back home for a long spell to write new material and the odd novel.
Yes, as well as the music Willy has two acclaimed novels under his belt, 'The Motel Life' and 'Northline'. Oscar-nominated screenwriter and award-winning director Courtney Hunt (Frozen River ) is currently adapting and directing the movie version of 'Northline'.
I've got to know Willy, Dan, Sean, Dave and Paul over the years. Theirs is not the glamorous life of the rock star. Touring the highways and byways of America and Europe is followed by long periods of less glamorous jobs. The first time I met Willy he had just finished a period of sanding floors to pay the bills.
After the 2007 tour they headed back to Oregon to start the whole writing process again. There he was thrown off a horse and ended up with a badly broken arm. After recuperating he took a year out to write and emerged with a new novel, 'Lean On Pete' and material for the new album, 'We Used To Think The River Sounded Like A River,' with more songs about love, heartache and loss.
It mightn't sound like the most upbeat of night's out in these hard times, but a Richmond Fontaine show can be an uplifting experience, especially in the intimate surroundings of a venue the size of Cleeres.
The band take the stage at Cleeres on Sunday October 18, with the wonderful Lost Brothers as support. “Could be the gig of the year,” was one comment made to me last week. I think you're right, Willy.
Back in training
Who are the fittest workers in the country? I think it must be our much maligned bankers. Every week, 52 weeks of the year, the sign appears on the door, “Closed For Staff Training.”
It seems to happen mainly on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and, as I waited for the doors to open last week I tried to imagine what was going on inside. Are they all on the floor doing press-ups, using bags of coins as weights or are they doing laps of the office, including vaulting over the counter?
All I know is that I'm not taking any chances with the overdraft or letting the mortgage get into arrears. I don't fancy a late night knock on the door from this super fit bunch of workers. Maybe they're getting into training in preparation for NAMA. They'll need all their strength to tackle that bunch.
