[box_dark]Here’s a wee set of pics from this year’s Sunflower Fest. There was way more bands than this that played, but you can’t be everywhere at once can you? No. [/box_dark]
[box_light]Email cwright2001@hotmail.com for permission to use any of these photos[/box_light]
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We all know there are plenty of gay films out there (Brokeback Mountain, My Own Private Idaho, Rocky
V) but it seems there are some that are still in the closet. I was watching Wall Street last night and I was quite disturbed to see a few homoerotic scenes between Bud Fox and Gordon Gecko and this got me wondering how many films have such unintentional(?) gay undertones.
After a (rather disturbing) bit of research here are the top five unintentionally homoerotic scenes in film in order of gayness: (more…)
Once again Festival season is upon us and the NI circuit is getting better. This weekend it was the turn of Killinchy, Co. Down which was hosting it’s relatively new Pigstock Festival. It is a Festival still in it’s infancy but to attend you would never know. A fantastic line up of the best in local music, Pigstock does a wonderful job giving the chance for unsigned acts to play to the people.
Like the now legendary Glasgowbury Festival, Pigstock is an amazing up and coming festival which is fast becoming a must attend. Headlined this year by ASIWYFA and LaFaro as well as showcasing a wealth of talent by some of the most hardworking and often ignored bands on the scene.
Now anyone interested in reading about Pigstock have no doubt read counless reviews about Mojo Fury, LaFaro and ASIWYFA mainly because all those Musos generally write about little else. Always looking to review the big names so they can look back from behind the McDonalds counter and think, ‘I wrote about them, once’. Even BBC Radio Ulster‘s Across The Line, who claim to bring us the ‘best new music from Northern Ireland’ have fallen into a similar trap.
And now for what’s really important – the music. I am going to take a look at, in my opinion, some of the best ‘NEW’ music from Northern Ireland at 2011 Pigstock Fest.
First on my list – Matt McGinn.
Matt McGinn is no stranger to the big stage. He has performed with the ever modest Joe Echo, supporting Sir. Paul McCartney in Hyde Park and has also appeared at Oxegen and Electric Picnic with his seamless blend of folk and soul. It’s late Saturday Night/Early Sunday morning music at it’s best with tunes to relax even the most tight shouldered rat racer.
Matt combines his sublime Guitar skills with a voice smoother than an ageing scotch and contemporary folk tunes sweet enough to give Paul Simon diabetes. A spectacularly accomplished musician/singer/songwriter, Matt McGinn is bursting with fresh talent and has the most awesome beard I think I have ever seen. This country boy is destined for the big time.
If you don’t believe me you can check him out for yourself:
Next up - Black Mambas.
http://www.myspace.com/black-mambas
Black Mambas hit the Main Stage early on in proceedings throwing everybody into the festival mood. The boys have created a beautiful sound combining Indie Rock with a hint of Funk. The epitome of catchy, their music is attractive and full of body causing many to gravitate towards the stage, Friday Night hangovers in tow.
No doubt a band that need some work, gig experience and a bit of an image tweek but with music like this it is only a matter of time.
The third and final act – Annapurna
http://www.myspace.com/annapurnamusic
Annapurna are an interesting 5 piece who specialise in Ambient Experimental Rock. With long, winding and largely instrumental tracks the band produce a sound with more ups and downs than a drunken camel. Fuelled by a rollercoaster of emotional soundings it borders on performance art as the band take the audience on a musical journey. It is hard to watch and not be mystified and engrossed in such a fresh and fascinating sound.
Now there is one more act that I feel I must mention but the immensity of my excitement has lead me to give them a whole Blog of their own. Click here to see my No 1 recommendation…
There you go, a couple of acts I think you should keep an eye on, not the acts to be seen to be keeping an eye on.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for Pigstock 2012.
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Chris Writes
Twitter: @Chris__Writes
Website: www.chriswrites.net
Last night local giants Mojo Fury took to the Spring and Airbrake to launch their debut album “Visiting Hours of a Travelling Circus”. The main support act for the evening was Leicester based band Maybeshewill who, in a case of role reversal, took second billing to Mojo Fury who are supporting them on their Irish tour.
Maybeshewill had a hardcore following on the night with a sizeable crowd, banging heads to their haunting melodies interrupted by sporadic bursts of hot metal. Musically it is a sound akin to the Lost Pr
ophets only with a greater emphasis on the use of samples to thicken out their sound and of course, no vocals apart from the odd clip of spoken word. The boys are indeed very talented musicians but to pull off songs without vocals is a risky manoever. ASIWYFA have found such a fantastic balance that they can pull this off and, to their credit, Maybeshewill did produce a very exciting sound. Although, while the tunes were amazing, I found that they were lacking a glowing core on which any given crowd can warm their hands although this will come with more tour miles on the clock.
After a quick breather and a drink IT WAS TIME…
The band cowered onstage to a monstrous reception from their fans before exploding into their popular debut single “The Mann”. Lead Singer Michael Mormecha’s crunchy vocals combined with a verocious mash of screeching guitar and thundering drums at a blistering volume was a virtual rabbit punch to the eardrums. Not for the faint of heart, it is the kind of tune that would get you moving quicker than a curry and a laxative.
While the majority of their repertoire on the night kept up this sort of heroic pace they also showed their softer side with songs like ‘What a Secret”. This track in particular has an anthemic quality about it, a much smoother tone and every now and again the heavy rock side of the band threatened to break out for a few seconds before going back in it’s box. A clever and captivating song with an eye on the commercial market.
The band continued to attack the venue with a bustling mix of hard rock and soft anthem to which the crowd responded in kind with screaming, bouncing and rapturous applause. A tremendous album launch that left most with a feeling of being punched in the face by a velvet covered fist.
Visiting Hours of a Travelling Circus is available now.
For upcoming Mojo Fury gigs check out www.myspace.com/mojofuryband
Words by Chris Writes
Photos by Ross Bloomfield
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Chris Writes
Twitter: @Chris__Writes
Website: www.chriswrites.net
Comply or Die are a Belfast/Bangor based Band who, since 2008, have brought us a fresh post-punk sound. Their latest sin
I have had the opportunity to listen to the new track and it is a doozy. It’s a hardrocking little number with a distinctly punk coating and a resonance that will shake the monkeys from the trees. Like ‘Stiff Little Fingers’ on acid, the boys have laid down some serious beats to surprise, mesmerize and sodomise the senses.
This band has certainly grabbed my attention and I for one will be looking forward to the release of ‘Depths’ in due course.
The single can be downloaded from www.complyordie.bandcamp.com from 30th
May 2011 so make sure and check it out.
More info on Comply or Die available at http://www.diecomply.com and you can
follow them on twitter @diecomply
For bookings, tours and further info contact the band directly at
info@diecomply.com
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Chris Writes
Twitter: @Chris__Writes
Website: www.chriswrites.net
I have never really been a comic person. As I kid I read Buster and the Beano. When a little older I tried X-Men and if 
I’m honest found it hard going. I got into Marvel in the late 80s through the now legendary cartoons. It started with Spider-man and his Amazing Friends. You know the one where Spider-man, Firestar and Ice-man lived together in an apartment that turned into some sort of command centre. I loved that, when all the furniture changed into all those 80s style computers when the big fire monster attacked the city. Also, Firestar was Hot (pardon the pun).
The 90s came and we finally got an X-Men series and a new Spider-man that was much more comprehensive and kept to comic cannon. These were my favourite Saturday morning cartoons. Then there was the live action TV series but the least said about that the better with it’s 60s Batman effects and cheesy porno music.
Years after these shows hit the screen I had heard that Spider-man had once graced the streets of Belfast. I was intrigued.
After some extensive research I found out that the Web of Spider-man comic series had indeed brought Spider-man to London and then Belfast where he fought the IRA. It lead to the Marvel office in New York being evacuated after National outrage and eventual Bomb threats.
I looked and looked for traces of the story but unfortunately these issues became increasingly difficult to find. Then, after many hours spent online, I tracked down a copy.
So here we go, for your pleasure I have scanned (and ripped a page FFS) a few of the more interesting pages to share this with all those who can’t or won’t believe this actually happened.
Peter Parker arrives at Heathrow during an attack by the IRA
‘Up The Rebels’ – I nearly pissed my pants laughing at that little gem
This is where the troubles are explained to Peter and it seems like Spain is getting the blame here. after this the action moves to the London sewers where the Provos are planting a bomb (is there anyone who doesn’t find this hilarious?).
‘You go around blowing up babies and you call me an “it”‘ – you tell ‘em Spidey.
After this victory Peter heads to Belfast. The next image is just awesome in its innaccuracy.
Now remember this came out in 1987 and Belfast looks more like Beirut.
This is another of my favourite parts. Peter’s Spider sense saves them from getting hit by a petrol bomb thrown by the IRA at an army patrol. It’s the stuff dreams are made of, it really is.
After several pages of bad Irish stereotypes and shockingly disjointed and innaccurate exposition we reach the final showdown in a Roxxon facility in Belfast where Spidey fights the bad guys.
Ok, this is where I gave up scanning and had a wee cry after tearing the corner off a page. Anyway, it finishes with a Provo turned ‘good’ killing another Provo with a wooly face before finding out it’s his brother. Then there is the involvement of 003, an MI5 agent involved in a plot to sell weapons and, of course, the AK-X Antipersonnel Particle Beam Cannon. *sigh
So there you go, proof that Spidey was in Belfast, fought the IRA and won.
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Chris Writes
Twitter: @Chris__Writes
Website: www.chriswrites.net
Title: THE WAY BACK 
Running time: 128 minutes
RRP (DVD): £19.99
RRP (Blu-ray): £24.99
Ratio: 2.35:1 (16×9)
Certificate: 12
Subtitles: English
Special features: ‘Making of’ featurette,Cast and crew interviews
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong.
Directed by Peter Weir
The story is told through the eyes of Polish prisoner Janusz (Sturgess) as he finds himself thrown into a Siberian Gulag on the testimony of his wife, obtained under torture by Stalin’s men. Sentenced to 20 years he is thrown into a world of turmoil and pain. A world where kindness can kill.
A small group of prisoners, out of desperation and necessity, band together to make their escape. Little do they know that Communism will be harder to escape than they think and that beyond the 1000 miles of Siberian wilderness is another 3000 miles to freedom.
As they battle through beautiful desolation they traverse the harshest terrain on the planet facing certain death with every step. It is only after they are joined by innocent waif Irena (Ronan) that the humanity lost in the harsh prison world is slowly reawakened.
The Way Back is a visually stunning film as Director of Photography Russell Boyd takes us from icy Siberian Wilderness through snowy forest, empty desert and eventually to the Himalayas. The scenery is as engaging as the story, reflecting the desperation in the characters with the sparsity of features. The conflicting colours of each terrain changes along with the character of each of the men as they fight for survival against the elements. The Siberian landscape is a dark and empty world for dark and empty hearts as the men retain the ethos of prison life Colours brighten as they slowly start to rely on each other when they have spent so long living with no-one to rely on but themselves.
The outstanding ensemble cast, led by the infallible Ed Harris, keep the story grounded with the emmense combined talent on show here. Harris is Mr Smith, the inevitable gruff loner who trusts no-one. 
As usual there is a heart there to be found, especially when they are joined by Irena, played by the fantastic Saoirse Ronan taking another step on her meteoric rise to fame. Ronan and Harris easily portray two lost souls who form an uneasy friendship in adversity. Mark Strong makes a short but memorable appearence as Khabarov, Janusz’s first friend in the Gulag. He (Strong) plays this with the usual menacing and untrustworthy undertone that always leaves you questioning his integrity. Unfortunately the weak link in the cast is Colin Farrell who plays career criminal Valka. His acting here harks back more to ‘Bullseye’ in Daredevil, a role any Farrell fan would surely wish to forget. This is only compounded further by a rather half hearted story arc that tries to soften his harsh exterior at times but to no real effect.
The stand out performance of the film is definately Sturgess. With the combination of innocence and a forced and de facto leadership role placed upon him by the group, he is able to show a great range of talent as the conflict inside is evident throughout. It is, through every beat, his story and he lives up to it with fantastic emotion often seen in a fleeting glance or moment of weakness. While Saoirse is a very talented actress it is Sturgess who comes out as the rising star of the film and is certainly a young man with a very bright future ahead of him.
Director Peter Weir does a great job combining the scale of the surroundings with a rather intimate story about perserverance and the determination of man. The only problem is that at times, in order to move the story on, it becomes a little flitting with quick cuts from explanation of a plan to the men after completing the plan without showing the actions that got them there. I understand that he has 4000 miles to cover in a little over two hours but it takes away some of the urgency of the characters plight.
The Way Back is a beautifully shot and thoroughly entertaining film that is definately worth a watch.
The Way Back is out on DVD and Blu-Ray on 9th May.
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Chris Writes
Twitter: @Chris__Writes
Website: www.chriswrites.net
