The shop window is full of old LPs of Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent and other fifties rockers. Inside there are a couple of motorbikes, a wall covered in army caps and helmets, and two tailor’s dummies dressed in full military uniforms. Is it a small museum or antique shop?
No, it is a barber’s shop, or peluqueria, in Malaga and the owner, for reasons I have not figured out, has filled the small shop with a mixture of military and rock’n’roll memorabilia.
It is my second time to call in here for a haircut and, like most barbers and taxi drivers, he has plenty to say, although with his poor English and my non existent Spanish, I am not sure what most of the conversation is about. You do not just walk in off the street and expect to get a haircut. Regardless of whether he is busy or not the pencil and notebook comes out and an appointment has to be made.
The conversation went along the usual lines: “You on holiday? and “Where you from.” Then the talk turned to the display in the shop. As far as I could make out, the army gear belonged to his father and the musical bits and pieces came from his love of music, and rockabilly in particular.
“You must come and meet my friend,” he said, “his shop near here.”
He finishes the haircut, brushes me down, locks the door, and off we go to Sleazy Records, a few streets away. The shop, according to their advertisement specialises in “CDs, Vinyls, DVDs, Books, T-shirts, hair greases and pomades, etc”
There is nothing sleazy about the shop, which is very well stocked and seems to do most of its business over the internet. I text Pius Meagher, drummer with TV Jones & The Tomahawks, and ask if there is any rockabilly record he is looking for. He tells me he has been looking for a record by a band called The Polecats for ages and my friend at Sleazy Records immediately locates it for me. The record, I discover when I get home, features Boz Boorer, a regular performer at early Rhythm and Roots festivals. It’s a small rockabilly world.
Kilkenny fest gets its grant
That was a headline in the Irish Times last Friday, referring to the Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival. “Great news to come home to,” I thought, “I wonder who’s giving us the grant and how much it is worth?”
I read on and found that it is not a grant from the Arts Council or some other state body. It is a clever headline and refers to John Grant, one of the acts booked for this year’s festival, due to take place in less than three months time. John Grant has been appearing in lots of “Best of 2010” lists and is a big coup for the festival. I might be able to use that headline myself later.
Come fly with me
Does anyone enjoy flying anymore? Crowded terminals, rude security staff, volcanic ash, frozen runways and strikes – they are all out to get you. We were prepared for problems and delays on the return flight, but if there was going to be disruption I was glad we were dealing with Aer Lingus and not Ryanair.
Our flight was on time, the only difference being that it was operated by the English airline, Monarch. The Scottish stewardess cheerfully informed us, as she dispensed free soft drinks and biscuits, that the dispute at Aer Lingus had got worse and that they were brought in to operate the flight instead. It would once have been considered strike breaking, but no one seemed too bothered, as long as they got home in time. I wonder were there any staunch trade unionists on board? If there were they were keeping their head down and not making any fuss.
What is the trade union view on dispute breaking planes? I must ask the Labour Party canvassers when they call to the door over the next few weeks.
More hassle for Ryanair
Three cheers for Spanish lawyer, Don Miro. He’s won a case in the Spanish courts against Ryanair. The court has ruled that Ryanair cannot make passengers print out their own boarding passes and then charge them €40 if they fail to do so. Mr Miro rightly argued that charging €40 for a photocopy was a bit much and the court agreed, calling the practice “abusive” and “unacceptable.” Mr O’Leary doesn’t agree, of course, and is appealing the decision and it will probably end up in the European High Court. My money is on Senor Don Miro in this case.
