FNT is a comedy show! Friday 21st of October at the Black Box, Belfast! NOT TO BE MISSED!
This month is a Halloween Spooktacular with guest host BBC One’s Diarmuid Corr and stand up by Adam Laughlin! The FNT crew will be delivering some fangtastic halloween sketches on stage and on the big screen!
Consisting of both pre-recorded and live sketches mixed with stand ups and a live band, FNT is a new format to Northern Ireland. The ethos behind the show is all about giving new talent a place to showcase their work and to give new comedy a chance on stage. The team consists of emerging performers, stand ups, writers, directors and producers looking to find an audience. Taking its cue from the legendary Saturday Night Live, the project aims to become the number one venue for new comedy in Northern Ireland and a hub for creative talent within the province.
Friday Night therapy is a workshop for new NI comedy talent a live show, in-front of an audience in Belfast. FNT tries out new sketches and comedy, while unearthing new writers, producers and performers as well as featuring up and coming bands.
Previous guest hosts have included BBC NI’s Diarmuid Corr, RTE’s Bernard O’Shea and Joe Rooney of Father Ted fame.
FNT Live is produced in association with Green Inc Film and Television, creators of BBC One’s ‘Ask Rhod Gilbert’ and BBC NI’s ‘Sketchy‘
The Facebook EVENT Page.
Watch the clip below, I actually laughed so hard! KICK THE BALLS OUT THE DOOR GEORGE! Brilliant! SKETCHY series 2 begins Wednesday 5th of October @ 10:35 and stars some of out new fav comedians at FNT!
SKETCHY with Diarmuid Corr, the stand-up and comedy sketch show created and filmed in Northern Ireland, returns for a second series on BBC One Northern Ireland on Wednesday 5th October at 10.35pm.
The comedian and actor from County Tyrone shares more of his unique observations of modern local life in brand new stand-up material. The series is full of funny everyday situations viewers will recognise, with a modern, mischievous and outward-looking point of view.
Sketchy Facebook
Sketchy on the BBC
I’ve decided to set up a wee page for all things CLAW related. CLAW is our new night in Laverys, Belfast. It’s basically a rock rave! Lots of band music, dancing, drinking and having a good time. CLAW had it’s first ever night on September 8th and was packed out. It was such a good vibe with loads of very cool people. We’re back again this Thursday 15th with more tunes to get you dancing!
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Frank Skinner has been named as the third host of the popular BBC show ‘Room 101′ Original host Nick Hancock fronted the format until 1997, before Paul Merton took over a retooled version in 1999.
A return date for Room 101 has yet to be confirmed, though the programme is tipped to air later this year or early in 2012.
Skinner appeared as a guest on the show back in 1995, when he successfully managed to banish Action Man toys, unidentified tubes in meat and William Shakespeare to Room 101.
The concept of ‘Room 101′, a place where the horrors of the world are stored, was created by author George Orwell for his literary classic Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Check out the video below from when Frank had his own Room 101 with host Nick Hancock.
We all know there’s a new Dragon on Dragons’ Den. Hello Hilary Devey!
Hilary Devey gained her wealth of experience in the distribution sector, having worked at Littlewood’s, followed by Tibbett and Britten, and Scorpio (part of the United Carrier network). She then spent seven years in the retail distribution sector at TNT before leaving to set up her own business. Read more about Hilary on her website HERE
To see Hilary in action check out the Den on BBC iPlayer now! Click Picture below!
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
