Well, it doesn't rain, but it pours. I'll be playing in the Joinery in Dublin on Friday. Tenner in, bring your own booze, the usual stuff. I'll be joining (hweh!) Sun Araw, Whirling Hall of Knives, and Reptile Brain.
Nov 24, 2010
Gig this Friday
Well, it doesn't rain, but it pours. I'll be playing in the Joinery in Dublin on Friday. Tenner in, bring your own booze, the usual stuff. I'll be joining (hweh!) Sun Araw, Whirling Hall of Knives, and Reptile Brain.
Nov 21, 2010
More house gigs please!!!
Great time altogether down in Kinsale on Friday. What a nice place, and what nice people. Playing in a house is great; as Aoife said (afterwards, as we were eating roasty potatoes and homegrown parsnips and onions, AND an omelette, AND soup), it's like being a travelling musician. Of old, I mean.
I don't have a harp, and I'm not sure if my array of cables and various USB interfaces would have quite the same hold on the imagination as Turlough O' Carolan, but still, people were wiggin out and throwing shapes around the wood stove. As a long-standing shape-thrower, that was pretty heartening to see.
Big ups to Colin for asking me down, and to Lindsey, Bríde, Amandine, Eva and Innes as well for opening their doors!
I don't have a harp, and I'm not sure if my array of cables and various USB interfaces would have quite the same hold on the imagination as Turlough O' Carolan, but still, people were wiggin out and throwing shapes around the wood stove. As a long-standing shape-thrower, that was pretty heartening to see.
Big ups to Colin for asking me down, and to Lindsey, Bríde, Amandine, Eva and Innes as well for opening their doors!
Nov 18, 2010
Gig in Kinsale
Off down to my ancestral county on Friday for a house gig! Should be fun alright. No vintners' coffers will be lined on said occasion either; bonus! As it's just a session in a sitting room, there's no advertising, as such. Don't even know where it is myself, but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless. The guy putting it on is a Rathlin attendee, so it's bound to be simply maaahvellous.
Nov 17, 2010
Radio Interview
I was interviewed by Aoife Nic Canna on Near FM there on Tuesday. They're a community radio station based in Coolock, and they can be found on 90.3 FM or http://www.near.ie/.
Aoife interviewed me first in English, for her music programme, "Club Cheol", which focuses on Irish electronic music, and then in Irish for her weekly slot, "Ar mhuin na muice".
Aoife interviewed me first in English, for her music programme, "Club Cheol", which focuses on Irish electronic music, and then in Irish for her weekly slot, "Ar mhuin na muice".
Nov 5, 2010
Nov 3, 2010
Mildly Peeved
It's all about to kick off... Finally, the people who got the country in the mess it's in are going to be brought to book. For too long, the financial health of Ireland has been threatened by those sick and/or in hospital, by students, by school-children (especially those with special needs), not to mention people with families earning princely wages that have kept them in Sunday supplements and budget airfare for far too long. Apologies for the clunky rhetorical mallet...
Tomorrow (3rd of November) at 12.30 p.m., The National Student March takes place. I'd make an educated guess (hweh!) that the words on everyone's lips are, "Don't cut education, you bloody idiots, how the hell will anything ever change if you do???" It begins at the Ambassador Theatre at the top of O'Connell St in Dublin. The following day (4th of November), all day, outside the Department of Health and Children (Hawkins St, Dublin, behind the Screen Cinema), there's a protest against health spending cuts. Obviously the daddy of them all will take place on the 7th of December (B-B-B-Budget Day!!!); starts from the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, Dublin at 7 p.m.
Now, I'm no firebrand, and I'm no disgruntled Greek citizen, but now the time has come that I feel obliged to be present at these events. Sorry, by the way, for a Dublin-centric slant to this post, but eeehhh, that's where I live and that's where most of the limos do be driving and most of the vol-au-vents do be hurtling down ministerial gullets.
Tomorrow (3rd of November) at 12.30 p.m., The National Student March takes place. I'd make an educated guess (hweh!) that the words on everyone's lips are, "Don't cut education, you bloody idiots, how the hell will anything ever change if you do???" It begins at the Ambassador Theatre at the top of O'Connell St in Dublin. The following day (4th of November), all day, outside the Department of Health and Children (Hawkins St, Dublin, behind the Screen Cinema), there's a protest against health spending cuts. Obviously the daddy of them all will take place on the 7th of December (B-B-B-Budget Day!!!); starts from the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, Dublin at 7 p.m.
Now, I'm no firebrand, and I'm no disgruntled Greek citizen, but now the time has come that I feel obliged to be present at these events. Sorry, by the way, for a Dublin-centric slant to this post, but eeehhh, that's where I live and that's where most of the limos do be driving and most of the vol-au-vents do be hurtling down ministerial gullets.
Oct 27, 2010
Machinedrum-dum-dum
And still, she will not shut up about it...! The Elektron Machinedrum is just savage. Savage savage savage. So intuitive, so fast to work with, so diverse-sounding. There are limitations, of course (a two bar loop length, for one, on the model that I have), but limitations make you work imaginatively. I'm just delighted that I have a means of making (proper) beats without having to fiddle with a mouse.
I'd attempted other ways before, using the mad bass of the cello and sharp filter cuts to get a nice sub sound, but definition was always a problem and a lot of the time the vague rumble produced was more in the way than an element in its own right. Likewise, heavily treating a vocal channel, and (very not properly) beatboxing produced interesting effects but it just wasn't enough.
I listen to a lot of dance music (the good stuff, obviously. Obviously, as well, what I say is good is good. Obviously!), but that wasn't represented really before. "Oh look, it's a winsome gerl singing nice songs, we'd better sit down the better to gaze up at her."
I'd attempted other ways before, using the mad bass of the cello and sharp filter cuts to get a nice sub sound, but definition was always a problem and a lot of the time the vague rumble produced was more in the way than an element in its own right. Likewise, heavily treating a vocal channel, and (very not properly) beatboxing produced interesting effects but it just wasn't enough.
I listen to a lot of dance music (the good stuff, obviously. Obviously, as well, what I say is good is good. Obviously!), but that wasn't represented really before. "Oh look, it's a winsome gerl singing nice songs, we'd better sit down the better to gaze up at her."
Oct 19, 2010
Out with the old
On Friday, I had my first taste of what Ed called "the curse of playing last". Sitting around denying myself pints that I can't afford isn't that much of a hardship, but, having my set lopped off three songs before the end, is. We were only allowed play until 1 a.m., so there was nothing to be done about it, but I didn't get a chance to play the new songs (avec Machinedrum), or "Dwell" my current favourite.
Of course, this was also caused by having some dead wood in the form of older songs. I read a lovely article yesterday in a Sunday supplement (it just fell open! After all my bitching about Sunday supplements too!) about felling trees, clearing and managing woodland. It seemed quite apt given what I'd spent most of Saturday thinking about. Much as I love the songs off the EP, enough already! They came about last summer from having to write stuff under time pressure for upcoming gigs, whereas recently I was a bit easier on myself in that regard. Surfing on old waves. So, for the gig in Block T on the 30th (Melodica Deathship's album launch), I'll try for a (mostly) new(-ish) set. I can't churn it out that quickly.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/17/tobias-jones-a-life-less-ordinary
Of course, this was also caused by having some dead wood in the form of older songs. I read a lovely article yesterday in a Sunday supplement (it just fell open! After all my bitching about Sunday supplements too!) about felling trees, clearing and managing woodland. It seemed quite apt given what I'd spent most of Saturday thinking about. Much as I love the songs off the EP, enough already! They came about last summer from having to write stuff under time pressure for upcoming gigs, whereas recently I was a bit easier on myself in that regard. Surfing on old waves. So, for the gig in Block T on the 30th (Melodica Deathship's album launch), I'll try for a (mostly) new(-ish) set. I can't churn it out that quickly.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/17/tobias-jones-a-life-less-ordinary
Oct 15, 2010
Gig Tonight in the Stables
I've been a bit lax with the posting of late. Spent the last few month farting around with My New MACHINEDRUM which is frightfully exciting altogether. Not massively interesting to talk about though. Weeeellll, talking about "I'm doing this" and "I'm doing this" (as she talks about that she's doing) maybe isn't massively interesting. But hey, whatcha gonna do??
So, playing tonight in the Stables in Mullingar with FYED, Fuzzy Hell!! and Aidan O'Brien. Last night I decided to give myself a hangover today, the logic being that I'd be less nervous and jumpy. I questioned the wisdom of that this morning, but what's done is done.
My driving test looms as well, watch yer grannies! Following last night's rationale, I'll probably drink a bottle of poteen on Monday to prepare for the test on Tuesday. Yeow!
Aug 17, 2010
Digital Release on www.bandcamp.com
The "Cusp" EP is available now on www.niamhdebarra.bandcamp.com. Pay what you want, or nothing at all. There are a few different formats available too; mp3, FLAC (for better quality without taking up as much room as a wav), and a loada more esoteric freeware formats like the delightfully named Ogg Vorbis, for instance.
Aug 12, 2010
Lying in Bed (choir)
This is a recording from Sunday evening of the choir. Thanks to Amy, Amanda, Regan, Mel, Eileen, Emma, Sharon, Sue and Holly!!
Photo: Aoife Giles
Lying in Bed (choir version) by Niamh de Barra
Aug 10, 2010
Big Thanks
On the four corners of the internet, and in pretty much any conversation I've had in the last two days, I'm saying "Thanks, thanks and thanks again".
The gig yesterday went great;
thanks to Laura and Steph for playing;
Aoife and Aoife who made the visuals and devised the decoration;
everyone who helped set up and make the place look great (Ed, Conor, Aoife (de Búrca), Aoife (Giles), Kiilan, Ronan, Éadaoin;
the choir (Amanda, Amy, Regan, Eileen, Mel, Emma, Sue, Holly and Sharon);
Nob and Tom for filming the show;
everyone who came and listened and clapped, some who had a pretty long journey to get to the Joinery.
And now, no internet for a week. Huzzah!!
The gig yesterday went great;
thanks to Laura and Steph for playing;
Aoife and Aoife who made the visuals and devised the decoration;
everyone who helped set up and make the place look great (Ed, Conor, Aoife (de Búrca), Aoife (Giles), Kiilan, Ronan, Éadaoin;
the choir (Amanda, Amy, Regan, Eileen, Mel, Emma, Sue, Holly and Sharon);
Nob and Tom for filming the show;
everyone who came and listened and clapped, some who had a pretty long journey to get to the Joinery.
And now, no internet for a week. Huzzah!!
Aug 7, 2010
Nearly there now
Well,
The mastered CDs arrived yesterday.
The covers have been printed and all we have to do is stick the designs on the cases. The lyric are upside down in the booklet, but it don't matter!
There are two more choir rehearsals before tomorrow's gig. It's starting to take shape; we practiced yesterday with parts 3 and 4 being sung by computer ladies, and it still went well. My own set eeehh is what it is, but it'll do.
I know you shouldn't wish you life away or crave a break that will never come, but I AM looking forward to being able to spend the next few months just writing music. In my room, by myself, writing music. Heaven!! With the odd gig to break it up (she hopes).
There's some amount of work in a organising a gig. I sort of knew before, but I didn't really. Now I do. My hat goes off to those who do it, tis they who give people a lovely/intense/mental/powerful/all of the above experience, give work to musicians and artists, and help in the dissemination of music as much as journalists and bloggers.
The internet is great, but there can be the danger of information overload too. I read so many glowing reviews of bands and artists, but when I seek out their music it can be a bit "hhmmm hohum". Listening off the internet while checking the emails or answering a "blunk" off gmail chat. It's rare enough for something to stand out.
You can have your 3D cinema and your new Nissan Micra, the live experience is what it's all about. And as for festivals....
The mastered CDs arrived yesterday.
The covers have been printed and all we have to do is stick the designs on the cases. The lyric are upside down in the booklet, but it don't matter!
There are two more choir rehearsals before tomorrow's gig. It's starting to take shape; we practiced yesterday with parts 3 and 4 being sung by computer ladies, and it still went well. My own set eeehh is what it is, but it'll do.
I know you shouldn't wish you life away or crave a break that will never come, but I AM looking forward to being able to spend the next few months just writing music. In my room, by myself, writing music. Heaven!! With the odd gig to break it up (she hopes).
There's some amount of work in a organising a gig. I sort of knew before, but I didn't really. Now I do. My hat goes off to those who do it, tis they who give people a lovely/intense/mental/powerful/all of the above experience, give work to musicians and artists, and help in the dissemination of music as much as journalists and bloggers.
The internet is great, but there can be the danger of information overload too. I read so many glowing reviews of bands and artists, but when I seek out their music it can be a bit "hhmmm hohum". Listening off the internet while checking the emails or answering a "blunk" off gmail chat. It's rare enough for something to stand out.
You can have your 3D cinema and your new Nissan Micra, the live experience is what it's all about. And as for festivals....
Jul 29, 2010
Rathlin Jigs & Rigs Gig
Goin up to Rathlin tomorrow morning. Yay! I love that place (the small portion thereof that I saw last year). Hoping to explore the island a bit more this time round. Holly and Regan from next Sunday's choir will be up there too, so we're planning (approach that word with caution) to have a bit of a practice while we're up there.
Playing on Sunday; Sunday appears to be my most frequent gig evening. Six of them so far have been on a Sunday, must be that lazy lullaby girl's voice thing. Hangover music. I suppose a lot of it has been written with a hangover, and the sort of clarity that comes with one.
Playing on Sunday; Sunday appears to be my most frequent gig evening. Six of them so far have been on a Sunday, must be that lazy lullaby girl's voice thing. Hangover music. I suppose a lot of it has been written with a hangover, and the sort of clarity that comes with one.
Jul 27, 2010
Choir Practice
Tonight I had a practice with seven of the singers for "Lying in Bed" off the EP. We'll be performing it a capella at the launch (all going to plan...). I'd been fairly stressed about it for the last few weeks; not constantly, but every so often a wave of it would wash over me. What if, what if not, etc etc, the usual torture we put ourselves through. Tonight's practice reassured me though. Twelve different voices, eh, it'll be quite something, I think.
In other news, today, I have been mostly laughing at this;
http://clamnuts.com/the-joe-duffy-soundboard/397
In other news, today, I have been mostly laughing at this;
http://clamnuts.com/the-joe-duffy-soundboard/397
Feb 4, 2010
A rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet
Scurvy Lass is no more. Unless I find an eye-patch and a parrot, and decorate my bike with a pirate theme. Which I'm not ruling out.
But, for music anyway, Niamh de Barra I am and will be from now on. What I make isn't jokey, so the jokey name was a bit incongruous. I'd found it easier to make stuff if I was behind a semi-pisstake name, giving the impression I wasn't taking myself too seriously. Enough of that!
But, for music anyway, Niamh de Barra I am and will be from now on. What I make isn't jokey, so the jokey name was a bit incongruous. I'd found it easier to make stuff if I was behind a semi-pisstake name, giving the impression I wasn't taking myself too seriously. Enough of that!
Feb 3, 2010
The tyranny of choice
Well,
January was a bit of a damp squib. Quel surprise. Wrote feck all music, due in part to my desire to "change direction", and also the fact that I got loads of new toys. The desire to change direction and the acquisition of new toys is a chicken and egg scenario, but stems from an innate dissatisfaction with what you're doing (I find). "I wish I was more edgy/dancey/experimental/abstract/fun/etc etc etc."
Found a lovely quote by a chap called Rabbi Zusya that both summed up and eradicated my fretting. "In the world to come, I shall not be asked, 'Why were you not Moses?' I shall be asked, 'Why were you not Zusya?'" Tis a very simple realisation (once you've realised it!), but very hard to see when you're in the middle of it.
It's fierce distracting as well to get a field recorder, new keyboard, and a rake of plug-ins and soft synths. And Reaktor. As well as trying to learn more about Ableton Live, my primary tool, which I've thus far only used on the most simple level.
Well, small steps. I'm glad the collywobbles are gone for the meantime though.
January was a bit of a damp squib. Quel surprise. Wrote feck all music, due in part to my desire to "change direction", and also the fact that I got loads of new toys. The desire to change direction and the acquisition of new toys is a chicken and egg scenario, but stems from an innate dissatisfaction with what you're doing (I find). "I wish I was more edgy/dancey/experimental/abstract/fun/etc etc etc."
Found a lovely quote by a chap called Rabbi Zusya that both summed up and eradicated my fretting. "In the world to come, I shall not be asked, 'Why were you not Moses?' I shall be asked, 'Why were you not Zusya?'" Tis a very simple realisation (once you've realised it!), but very hard to see when you're in the middle of it.
It's fierce distracting as well to get a field recorder, new keyboard, and a rake of plug-ins and soft synths. And Reaktor. As well as trying to learn more about Ableton Live, my primary tool, which I've thus far only used on the most simple level.
Well, small steps. I'm glad the collywobbles are gone for the meantime though.
Jan 4, 2010
A few words about words
Words in music - yea or nay? Well, that's a stupid question, especially if you take into account the spectrum between Stravinsky and wee djs to Elliott Smith and any Anticon nerdy wordy hiphop. In general (yoiks!, a gross generalisation!), I could do without it in most dance music. Another horror movie sample/filthy durrrty girl talking about cunnilingus/70s cartoon sample/posh English guy talking about drugs. SNORE.
Although a lot of the music I listen to is free of The Word, I'm big into the words myself. I cut my musical teeth singing in a kiddies' choir, and later writing lyrics and supplying vocals for Ed. And there's all those "My best friend is Rog, He is a black dog" poems from eeehhh last year. The songs on the EP are just that; songs. I take a lot of care with my lyrics, and thus far at least, they're hugely important, so I decided to include them in the sleeve. Writing them out was kinda cool, laying them out Just So on the page. None of this old hat "left to right" nonsense.
I put them on MySpace, but it moved everything all over the shop. Aye aye, so many problems! They'll look pretty nice in that sexy sleeve though.
Although a lot of the music I listen to is free of The Word, I'm big into the words myself. I cut my musical teeth singing in a kiddies' choir, and later writing lyrics and supplying vocals for Ed. And there's all those "My best friend is Rog, He is a black dog" poems from eeehhh last year. The songs on the EP are just that; songs. I take a lot of care with my lyrics, and thus far at least, they're hugely important, so I decided to include them in the sleeve. Writing them out was kinda cool, laying them out Just So on the page. None of this old hat "left to right" nonsense.
I put them on MySpace, but it moved everything all over the shop. Aye aye, so many problems! They'll look pretty nice in that sexy sleeve though.
Jan 1, 2010
Bye bye Christmas!
The bad workman blames his tools, they say. They (all-seeing, all-knowing, talk like your ma) don't realise that the bad workman can find ANYTHING to blame. My favourite these last few weeks has been Christmas.
"There's no point! I'll only get started and then I'll have to stop for a few weeks. The parties, the socialising, the inevitable, obligatory hangovers!!" Et-bleedin-cetera.
Well, no more!
"There's no point! I'll only get started and then I'll have to stop for a few weeks. The parties, the socialising, the inevitable, obligatory hangovers!!" Et-bleedin-cetera.
Well, no more!
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