For the uninitiated Movember is an event that is held yearly in November where men try and cultivate facial hair in return for donations. The money then goes toward Testicular and Prostate cancer research. This is a very personal cause for myself and Laura (we write pastiebap.com) as we lost our Granada to this disease a few years ago. My wife also lost her father to this cancer a few years ago. So it’s kind of a big deal to us. I’m sure everyone has been effected or knows some-one that been effected by this horrible disease. So you can relate to what I’m talking about.
I am doing Movember for the fourth time this year. I wrote a piece about it last year and it pretty much sums up what it's all about and why I means something to myself and Laura. So this is basically just a wee message to encourage people to donate to this worthy cause, you can do that on the link here or if you know some-one who is doing Movember then just donate to them. In the end it all goes to the same place so it's all good. I have been growing my face rug for a good month now and you can see the results in the pic below, yes it is itchy and yes I am ready to shave it off!
0 Comments
This is an easy one this week. 3 of Belfast's finest bands, 1 Scottish Band, Beat Boxing and DJs. throw in the fact that is Bomb City 7's last ever gig and it'll be a night to remember. More info here When: Sat 30th November Wanna donate to Movember?vi·ral /ˈvīrəl/ As Movember draws to a close what better way to celebrate than with this giant Moustache that was created in a field in Derry. If you'd like to donate you can right here, as all month I have been cultivating some bizarre facial hair for this great cause. 120m Grass ‘Mo’ Cultivated for Movember! Seed specialist Joseph Morton Ltd has one message for local farmers this autumn - size does in fact matter - when it comes to moustaches at least! Would you like to donate to Movember?Embrace the mo'. As Movember draws to a close, it's nearly time for all the men out there to stand back, stand up straight and look at their hairy faces in the mirror, before shaving them off and getting back to normal. Cold upper lips all over the world will shiver their way through another 12 months of moustache-less depression, before being allowed free reign all over mens faces once more. As a final salute to all of those growing their way to awareness this November, here's the top 5 Irish and Northern Irish moustaches for your visual enjoyment: 1. Dick Strawbridge You might recognise him from that tv show Scrapheap Challenge ( or you might not recognise him at all), but this moustachioed gentleman was raised in Ballyclare and definitely wins the prize for bushiest face furniture. 2. George Best One of the best footballers of our time, a true legend of Northern Ireland, and a bit of a womaniser too. It's all in the power of the moustache (and in this case, the beard too). 3. James Nesbitt Check out this curly wurly moustache that our Jimmy donned for his role in the Hobbit, pretty impressive, huh? Probably wouldn't have gone down as well in Bloody Sunday though... 4. Phil Lynott When he's not strutting about on stage with Thin Lizzy, Phil Lynott is growing this badass moustache. Some may call it creepy, we call it cool. 5. Liam Neeson This Ballymena boy has sported a few moustaches over the years, including a few full face ensembles in The Grey and Clash of the Titans, yet it is the classic trimmed number as Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars that truly captured our collective heart. Who's a Mo' Sista'?Laura Caldwell
I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as currently writing for BBC Across the Line. I am representing our team Iron Dragon as a Mo-Sista! You can donate for Movember here! To round off our month of music photography we have one of the best. There's not much left be said about one of NI's best kept secrets of the last few years. These photos capture beautifully what goes on at an And So I Watch You From Afar gig. It truly is a sonic experience like no other. About the photographerI’m Neil Carey, a photographer and artist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. I have a deep love of nature and through my work I try to capture how it encroaches on our lives both in the countryside and in the city. I love the surreal and unusual and this other side of me can be seen through my digital art work and manipulations.
To see more of Neil’s work click here It has been 2 years since I last attempted a review of the Beer and Cider Festival, so I thought it high time I tried it again! This year saw the 14th Annual Belfast Beer and Cider Festival take place in the Ulster hall. The annual CAMRA event is Spread over 3 days from Thurs 21st to Sat 23rd and as usual is a chance to catch the latest and greatest from brewers all over Ireland and further afield. In contrast to other years, I threw the map out the window and picked Beers and Ciders based solely on name, with Smoke screen and Ginger nut being amongst the favourites. The Beers and Ales are served at room temperature and aren't the usual carbonated affair that we're used to getting in the pub. We entered a bit after 1pm and paid the £3 entry fee, aslo picking up a money sheet which has tickets diveded by monetary amounts that can be exchanged for booze. I'm not sure why they have to do it this way (possibly NI's archaic drinking laws?) but it is quite fun and we ended up giving our left over tokens to some good cause or another, which can't be bad. A half comes in between £1.70 and £1.90. After trying a few half pints we went upstairs for the beer tasting class. At £10 this is very well priced and gives you the chance to sample 8 beers with excellent and very knowledgeable tutelage throughout. We meandered through the UK trying beers from all over, from wheat beers to very dark porters, a Scottish Foxy Blonde to a Southern English Mary Maiden, some strong and some not so strong. But alas we came out very satisfied and more than a bit squiffy. Like I said we got what we paid for and it was a bloody good laugh as well. After I left I had a few cheeky ciders to round things off as the band got into full swing, it wasn't long before I was ready to swing off myself and head out into the night for a few cold ones, it's a great day out and I enjoy dabbling with the Ales etc, but I think at the end of the day I just enjoy cold carbonated beer too much! Drunk much?Before we start getting all festive on you, what with Christmas markets, presents and pantos, we thought we'd give you something to ease the post Christmas stress (and the hump day blues) in the form of the November instalment of Comedy at Lavery's in Belfast this Wednesday. Featuring Dublin's Robbie Bonham with some help from Gary Lynch, Darren Matthews and Colin Geddis (of I Am Fighter fame). This is sure to be a very very funny night, especially for the hecklers amongst you, so be prepared for some back chat. Where: Lavery's Bar, Belfast When: Wednesday 27th November, 8.30pm The Damage: £6 Who wrote this...Laura Caldwell
I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as currently writing for BBC Across the Line. vi·ral /ˈvīrəl/ Sadly I haven't spotted anything going viral from Ireland this week, however there was posted possibly the greatest video ever. Jean Claude Van Damme does the splits on 2 moving trucks and I think this speaks to us all on a universal level, no boundaries of geography, just sheer awesomeness! As if that wasn't good enough then C-Tates (or Channing Tatum) posted this parody video from the set of the 21 Jump Street sequel! Ah, the internet, what's it like eh? Who failed this week?Sir Christopher J Caldwell. I enjoy wrestling, films and nautical adventure. I've just finished making a short film which you can see here. I also DJ sometimes - next one is the Black Sabbath afterparty in Voodoo - check it out here. You'll see me out and about eating or drinking. Sometimes even both whilst walking. I have written for The Big List. I currently also write for BBC Across The Line.
BBC ATL Review: The Magic Numbers BBC ATL Review: Rams' Pocket Radio, A Northern Light, Serotonin We’re stood in the street at 5 minutes to 1pm on a cold and wet Sunday. The Mourne Seafood restaurant doesn’t take bookings on a Sunday and once we’re in it’s easy to see why. 5 minutes after the doors open the place is full. We have a party of 10 (including a baby) and the staff seat us quickly, the service is prompt and courteous. Mourne seafood has a name around Belfast as being the premier eatery for all things seafood, something that I don’t eat that often or pretend to know too much about. With that in mind our server is fielding a myriad of questions about pretty much everything on the menu, all of which he answers with knowledge and enthusiasm. The interior looks as they’ve made use of original walls and flooring with dark woods, bare walls and floors, there’s also occasional modern touches here and there without over whelming the place. I get a cup of seafood chowder to start and a pint of the Mourne Seafood’s own Oyster stout. The chowder is thick and creamy with large chunks of salmon throughout. It has a taste of the sea without being overly fishy, the stout too is a great compliment, more of a traditional stout than Guinness but with a great head and deep peaty taste. For mains I have the spicy fried cod with guacamole and fajita fries. The idea of this dish is to conjure thoughts of a fajita I would guess. The fish comes in chunks (like really large fish fingers) and is battered in a light spicy coating, this comes with a bowl of skins on skinny fries doused in garlic and chilli. These look well cooked and have a great colour and snappy crunch. There’s a sides salad, a slice of lemon and guacamole. The presentation is simple but effective, however every time I have some guacamole I’m half expecting it to be mushy peas! This was a twist on a classic and I have to say I enjoyed the upgrades, the spice in the fish helped add something extra without taking away the flavour and texture we’re used to with cod. For dessert I had a soft centre chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and a coffee. The cake came out warm and with a gooey soft melted centre and the ice cream proved a great compliment. I've always enjoyed the sensation of something hot and something cool together, for me it just works. The soft centre brings a moistness and flavour that mixes in with cake and ice cream alike. Delicious. The coffee had a great tang to it without a lot of after taste, served in a large wide cup (which is the kind of cup I like, in case you care). The bill came in about £30 a head which seems very reasonable, especially for seafood. Before I went I’d heard a lot of hype about Mourne seafood and I have to say it does live up to the hype, I was so impressed I think next time I’ll try something a little more adventurous than cod too! Who ate all the fish?Sir Christopher J Caldwell. I enjoy wrestling, films and nautical adventure. I've just finished making a short film which you can see here. I also DJ sometimes - next one is the Black Sabbath afterparty in Voodoo - check it out here. You'll see me out and about eating or drinking. Sometimes even both whilst walking. I have written for The Big List. I currently also write for BBC Across The Line.
BBC ATL Review: The Magic Numbers BBC ATL Review: Rams' Pocket Radio, A Northern Light, Serotonin We've been feeling quite cultural lately, so this week's photos are of Derry band Wyldling rocking the main stage at Glasgowbury (RIP). There's no doubt about it, you can always rely on front woman Jilly St John to give you a good show, and she didn't disappoint at the last ever Glasgowbury last summer. Now that Belfast Music Week has come to a close, maybe it's time to check out what Derry has to offer... here's BandsNI's guide to the Derry music scene. About the PhotographerLaura Caldwell
I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as currently writing for BBC Across the Line. BBC ATL Review: Everything Everything, Thumpers, Outfit BBC ATL Review: Ghostpoet, Girls Names, Songs For Walter BBC ATL Review: Bee Mick See |