It’s getting quite a lot of coverage since being released last weekend but I enjoyed it so much I think it’s worth another wee push. I was lucky enough to see a preview of it a few months back in the Lighthouse cinema in Smithfield which I think might be just the place to try see it yourself being more cosy and intimate.

His & Hers is a documentary that follows the life of an Irish woman in the midlands from toddler to pensioner but told through the eyes of over 70 different ladies. It’s a really interesting concept for a movie provoking all sorts of questions while being beautifully shot and edited. A film with so many different characters must have been a major challenge to piece together coherently but it is done so excellently and the film flows seamlessly as a complete narrative.

The movie has been receiving a fantastic reaction both nationally internationally, most notably picking up an award at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It’s funny, entertaining, moving and something that most Irish people will identify with – after all, between the lot of us we’ve all surely had a grandmother, a mother, a sister or a daughter at some stage of our lives.

It’s on nationwide release since last week. You can find out more about where to catch it here and meet the cast of 70 fun and fascinating ladies here. Thanks to Element Pictures for the chance to see it. Enjoy

So I’m going up to Vicar St later to hear Jack L belt out some tunes with the backing of a band and a gospel choir. It should be mega.

I also just realised this morning that it’s 10 years to the date since the first Jack L gig I went to.

Before you brand me a nut/stalker/psycho fan (well, not the bad sort) I remember by association with another event. It was for my best buddy’s 15th birthday celebration. Shame I haven’t a similar excuse for the 40-odd other times I went to hear him crooning after that

I’m reeling a little at the thought of it being so long since that occasion. It’s significant in so many strange ways, like the fact that it’s responsible for me getting into the business of designing and building websites (my first was a fan community website), made me fall in love with live music and allowed me to meet some brilliant people some of whom I still call friends today. He introduced me to the music of Jacques Brel, Sinatra, Jeff Buckley and made me feel a little less ridiculous about getting up and singing in public, something I got plenty of slagging for while still in school.

It’s been a good ten. Where does the time go?!

Yeah yeah, still a bit of a fangirl I'm afraid

1. David Parkes’ Christmas Hits on repeat (cassette version too for a nice old school crackle)
2. Fixing the Christmas tree lights
3. Myself and the sisters wearing Santa hats *all* the time
4. Drinks and chats at my Nana’s before midnight mass on Christmas eve
5. The annual Christmas day swim fundraiser for the RNLI after morning mass in New Quay

The first one on that list is particularly close to my heart. It was an RTE production of the classic Christmas songs along with a cracking ‘disco’ medley at either end. The cassette has been wheeled out and left in the stereo every Christmas for as far back as I can remember and has been the sound I associate with being at home in Clare for the festive season.

I had a look online last week to see if perchance it ever came out on CD or there was still some way of getting a copy of it as I’m sure the cassette is bound to wear through sooner rather than later. To my delight and surprise it’s available on iTunes for €8.99! You can even get the individual medleys on their own if that’s your pleasure. Can’t believe it was released in 1992 – where the heck do the years go? I was still writing letters to Santa then!

Happy disco dancing

Whatever it is, it’s one of my Sunday songs and I love it.

Mariah Carey on cassette

When I go home to Clare, I often find myself taking a trip down memory lane in some way.

Today I was poking around looking for something when I stumbled upon the first musical purchase I ever made. It’s Mariah Carey‘s album Daydream on cassette. A bit scratched and dusty but still playable. Released in 1995, I remember buying it just before Christmas and playing it to death on the giant stereo in the living room to the point where my sister wanted to unravel it.

The musical snob in me is disgusted and disappointed that it’s not something awesome and hip but after listening back to it, I forgive myself – it’s seriously catchy stuff and it is so typical of the era. I’m slightly shocked that I remember nearly all the words and every Mariahesque lilt but then again I’ve always had a weirdly accurate memory for musical things.

Here’s my favourite song from the album (for shame!). I challenge you not to start chair-dancing to it with me. If you’d rather the roller-blade, crop top, 90s-fest video, here you go.

So come on, spill, what was your first album/single you bought? Could it be any more cheesey or embarassing than Mariah Carey?

One Saturday night while walking towards the taxi rank on O’Connell St, we were singing our way through the U2 catalogue (as you do) and when we tried to start ‘Mysterious Ways’ we got in a pickle over what the first line was. So we decided to ask the highly approachable pair of young Gardai outside the GPO to see if they could help. It went something like this…

Jen: “I’m sorry but we were wondering if you could help us? We’re trying to remember the first line of a U2 song.”

Gardai: “Oh right.”

Jen: “Yeah, ‘Mysterious Ways’ – we can’t remember the first line.”

Gardai: “Oh geez that’s a tough one now. Tell you what if you hang on there for a minute Johnny will be able to answer that one, he’s mad into U2. He’s just gone to the shop for sweets & will be back over in a minute.”

And sure enough, Johnny did arrive back from the shop & did supply us with the line “Johnny, take a walk with your sister the moon”. So we thanked him & continued on our way singing & dancing to the taxi rank & thinking “only in Ireland”.

So from the fabulous Achtung Baby, here’s Mysterious Ways. Happy Birthday Jen & fair play Johnny

…for the one I love.

So for the next week I’m going to post some of my favourite U2 songs and give a little insight into why I chose each one. Apologies to non-fans or Bono-bashers, might want to tune out for a little while

The Fly: Live in Boston

This recording was part of the Elevation tour DVD shot in Boston in 2001. I remember seeing it on TV. I don’t know what I was doing at the time that I didn’t have time to sit down and watch it but I distinctly remember stopping in my tracks at hearing the beautiful opening bars of this song, set in a lower pitch than the original recording. Magic.

All the talk on Twitter about The Waterboys earlier brought this tune stomping back into my head & it refuses to leave. I had forgotten how much I love their music. Not sure if there’s some connection or something we don’t know about but down home these guys always seemed to feature frequently on local radio growing up, namely Galway Bay FM (Clare FM is out of range in parts of The Burren – random factoid!).

They’re one of those bands that there was consensus on when travelling in the car with mum or dad – the radio always got turned up Good memories, great tunes, should be a really great gig at the Galway Arts Festival at the end of the month.

Mike and Steve are both on Twitter, their rather nifty website is here and @darraghdoyle is meeting Mike later for an interview for culch.ie so keep an eye on that over the next few days for the results. Vive les Waterboys