Out to Lunch Arts Festival is on for the next week and there's till plenty of things to see and do. Check it all out here
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BBC ATL Review: The Magic Numbers
BBC ATL Review: Rams' Pocket Radio, A Northern Light, Serotonin
Terry Christian walks to the stage dressed in a papal gown, flicking holy water at people and as he steps on the stage, begins speaking in a half decent Irish accent and telling off colour, irreverent jokes about the catholic church. He looks a tad nervous and as he finishes his opening bit and introduces himself proper, he admits that he was and still is nervous about doing this show in Belfast. I can see why, any show that involves an Englishman coming to our wee island to speak about their issues with the catholic church is a brave man, and in this case a very funny man. Whilst Julian cope cancels his date in the Black box due to 'security concerns' Terry Christian -a TV presenter -is up there in living colour baring his soul in a funny, thought provoking and at times awkwardly honest fashion, whilst unabashedly taking aim at the catholic church that he holds accountable for, at least part of, the way he is. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, Terry himself admits he's not a comedian, in fact during one anecdote he misses his punchline altogether, but the story itself is so interesting that he's forgiven for doing so. He's a complex man, entrenched in catholic guilt and explaining the issues that this brings, the sense of split national identity that being brought up by an Irish family in England can harvest. He tells how his Granny called his brother "that English Bastard" because he was the only sibling not born in Ireland.There's parts of his stories that we can all relate to and there's very much the black humour that we in this country thrive on. I've seen funnier comedians and I've seen more polished public speakers, but it's rare to see some-one be so honest in this kind of a setting. It's like sitting in the bar with a mate you haven't seen in years and he's filling you in on what he's been doing for the last 4 decades or so. You laugh and you cry along with wherever the story goes, but all the times there's a sense of empathy for the stories being told. The Black Box was really full for this show and I think that , like myself, a lot of people came along not knowing what kind of show Terry would put on. He has no book to sell, or CD to promote, so I think in the end it was just a chance for us to find out a little bit more about Terry Christian and sure what's wrong with that. Out to Lunch Arts Festival is on for the next week and there's till plenty of things to see and do. Check it all out here Who wrote this?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. 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
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Here, to make your Monday a little brighter, is the full trailer for the upcoming season of Game of thrones that starts in April. It looks pretty frickin' sweet. SWORDS, BATTLES, FIRE, IF YOU WANT JUSTICE YOU'VE COME TO THE WRONG PLACE, AHHHHHHHHHH!!!! vi·ral /ˈvīrəl/ With all the crazy weather we're having there have been numerous TV reports interviewing fol affected. One of these reports was recorded and stuck up online with the name "the Worst Accent Ever" it was pretty funny and garnered a decent 37,000 hits. But the story didn't end there... NI comedy Legend Colin Geddis saw it and stuck up his own version, this one had hit ove rhalf a million hits so far! Who's already steaming?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. 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 Mark Grist is an interesting character - a teacher, a poet laureate, a rap battler, an education advisor and much more. He's was visiting Belfast as part of the Out To Lunch Arts Festival and I decided last minute to get a ticket and pop along at lunch time and see what it's all about. For £6 including lunch I didn't have much to lose. I've never been to see a poet before, so this was a first. His bio that caught my eye was this: This year, millions watched an ex-English teacher defeat a teenage grime artist in a rap battle. But it's a lot more complicated than that. Mark Grist (Dead Poets) has been walking the fine line between stupidity and bravery. The show started with Mark taking the stage and telling us that he wasn't sure how many fo us had been to a spoken word event before and so for the uninitiated he'd talk us through it. Telling us that the reactions to poems range from "that was terrible" silence to "that changed my life" gasp. With whoops and and furious clapping ranking just below and being his preferred method of appreciation. Mark himself has a great presence on stage, he seemed completely at ease and there was an instant bond between him and the audience. He was telling us how he had the best night of drinking around Belfast last night and how everyone had been really nice to him since he arrived, unlike some performers this didn't seem forced or an attempt to endear himself to the audience, he just seemed to want to share with us, and share he did. He took us through his journey from teacher to poet, to poet laureate of Peterborough, at points the story gave way to poems, poems that rhyme (my favourite kind), that were witty, intelligent and funny. He had the crowd in stitches. "Come to Peterborough" was an ode to a city that perhaps didn't want an ode in the first place. "You are the hottest of all of the gingers" was a poem he wrote after being told that he had to write Poems that didn't rhyme to get his Masters. He ended up rhyming uncontrollably and wrote a kind of love letter to gingers, with some of (by his own proclamation) the worst rhyming ever. My favourite was the rhyming of Findus with Gingers. The show was about an hour long and finished with his explaining how the rap battle that made him famous came and the repercussions. He finished with a poem he wrote called "Girls who read" (you can see below) and as he took a bow we started to file out to the strains of Pink Floyd "teacher leave those kids alone" as we gave him the whoops and and furious clapping that he so richly deserved! Out to Lunch Arts Festival is on for the next 2 weeks and there's till plenty of things to see and do. Check it all out here Who wrote this?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. 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 The latest film from the stable of local public opinion divider George Clarke come to us by way of Norway and round through East Belfast to land quite uncomfortably on our screens. I say uncomfortably because the film deals with some dark and genuinely unnerving subject matter. This is a serious film, but that doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining, infact the first half roars along at a thunderous pace and is a master class in tense dynamic storytelling. There’s more twists and turns than the road to El Paso. Robert Render and Anthony Boyle have more chemistry than Walter White on a school night and the relationship keeps building and as the story unfolds, you’re constantly sitting wondering where it’s going to go next. This is the kind of movie where the less you know about it going in the better, but the basic premise is that 2 guys wake up chained to each other and with a gun elephant taped to their hands. Neither can remember what they’re doing there or why. Intriguing from the off, as often the simple premises are the best. The film employs a cold yellowy pallet and technically George and Co have come a long way. The use of well placed edits, lens flare and subtle after effects produce a picture that looks well beyond it’s £100 budget. The filming in Norway gives the film a different look from George's previous films and their Urban setting. As much of it takes place in a forest we feel that our characters are acting more animalistic and base than usual, stripped back of technology and the confines of city living. Chapter 2 is darker in tone, colour pallet and subject matter. It's an altogether slower and more methodical psychological thriller. There's an almost ethereal feel to some scenes, with the exploration of loss, grief and the lengths it will take us to. The pace shifts completely between the first and second chapter, catching us off guard as it shifts down a gear and explores repercussions in thought provoking real time. Although ultimately as the film reaches it's ending we once again find our selves on a rapid fire roller coaster of twists and turns that ultimately brings blood shed and carnage. Robert Render is a menacing presence, unnerving and unpredictable. I preferred Chapter 1 to Chapter 2, but realise the merit of both and enjoyed the chance to explore this story from 2 different sides, perhaps Chapter 3 and beyond will give us greater insight in the future! Keep upto date with all the ONUS goings on at their facebook here Who wrote this?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. 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 In July we shed a tear at the last ever Glasgowbury *sniff* - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/07/glasgowbury-2013.html August was the month that we got to meat and eat Mereille - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/08/meat-miereille-the-review.html Sptemeber saw PWU kick off freshers with an excellent wrestling show - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/09/pwu-mandela-hall.html We got terrified at Halloween at the Gaol of terror at Crumlin - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/10/crumlin-road-gaol-jail-of-horror.html Beer and Cider were the orders of the day at the Belfast Beer an Cider festival in Movember - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/11/reviewbelfast-beer-cider-festival-2013.html The Panto at the Grand Opera House was our last review of the year - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/12/sleeping-beauty-grand-opera-house-belfast.html Normal service resumes on Mon 6th Jan 2014 here at Pastiebap.com, we'll see you then!
January we visited the Beer club at the Hudson - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/01/beer-club-at-the-hudson-bar.html February we went to the Rising Sun and learnt how to make sushi - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/02/going-japanese-sushi-making-classes-rising-sun.html March we got all cultured and sampled the ballet with Matthew Bournes Sleeping Beauty at the Grand Opera House - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/03/sleeping-beauty-the-grand-opera-house.html April we were transported to Southern California at the Baja Taqueria and their amazing Cali-Mex food - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/04/baja-taqueria.html May saw us bopping along to the WONDER VILLIANS at Limelight2 - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/05/wonder-villains-limelight-2.html In June the Game of Thrones Exhibition was on at the Titanic Building - http://www.pastiebap.com/1/post/2013/06/game-of-thrones-exhibition-at-titanic-belfast.html Who is suffering horribly today then?Chris is! STOP ALL THE LOUD NOISES!
HAPPY 2014 ALL YOU SONS OF MA GUNS! So the bells have gone, it's past midnight and around UK and Ireland it's officially 2014! This year myself (Chris) and Laura have been complete cop outs and ended up away from NI for New Years, so if you're still reading this I'll presumed you're interested in what we're getting up to. Here's Laura away (with her girlfriend) enjoying London city for New Year. Here's me and my good Pal enjoying Scotland's finest Danny DeVito themed night club in Arbroath where I'll be enjoying a Ceildh with my wife and the in laws. Not in this nightclub though, sadly. So here's to 2013 past and to 2014 still to come! It's to be a big year for us here at the site and we thank you for joining us so far...Sláinte
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