We don’t often get good news in Dublin’s clubbing world with respect to venues, seems like they’re all either closing down or changing music policy for the worse. (The Wax/Spy combo bar/cozy nightclub has recently been sold by John Reynolds to “the guy that owns the Hairy Lemon”, a change of manager and music policy is only a few weeks away) It was with a mixed feeling of nostalgia and excitement that I arrived in Bodkins last Friday night for the return of Ice9 (the original outdoor barbeque party dudes, although I never once noticed any barbeque food) hosted as ever by Shaun Mac and the Echelon DJs. Joining them was Seamus “The Ladies Man” Heart (with his usual entourage of fifty or so hot Spanish chicks) and Philip Ryan who runs top electronic music website http://www.cypher-music.net/ which has even more mixes available to download than I do! In keeping with the spirit of Bodkins it was free in and they also had an alternative set from Francois in the front of the bar, although there was a bit of sound leakage due to the rooms not really being that separate. It was great to be back there and also great to be hearing proper music again on a Friday night!
Speaking of mixed feelings, it was with a mixed feeling of fear and regret that I wandered into Spirit on Saturday night, fortunately I was there for a good reason as Simon F (sorry ladies, he’s now officially taken) was playing in the basement as part of Hospital’s “infiltration of Spirit’s Basement” club, uh, I just made that name up, I’m not sure what the proper name is. Anyway the deal is if you get onto the Hospital guys and they’ll stick your name on the guestlist so you get in for free, and free is pretty cheap in my book so I thought I’d pop down. Maybe it was because of the terrible music being played in Spirit’s other rooms but Mr F’s set seemed slightly more old school than usual (Biochip C, Tipper, NWA, and a fairly hefty amount of Miami bass), good to see that the evil clutches of cheesy breaks hasn’t totally turned him towards the (le) fromage-side.
The party season is warming up (at long last, how cold was March!?), this Thursday Electric City have the minimal legend himself over to play a three hour set down at Traffic:
- Electric City presents:
- Ricardo Villalobos [Perlon/Playhouse] (three hour set!)
- Dan Power [ECFM]
- Thursday 27/4/06, Traffic, Middle Abbey Street
- Doors open at 10:30pm, tickets are 12 Euro each, bargain basement prices!
I’ve seen Rikky (as we call him) play in Berlin twice and was suitably impressed both times, he was playing back to back with Magda and Hawtin though, it’ll be interesting to see what direction his set takes when playing on his own.
Fr-fr-fr-Friday, the freshest day of the week sees the Ice9 guys back in Bodkins for another slice of that techno/electro hybrid cake we all love to eat. Wonder why I’m bigging them up so much?
- Ice9 at Bodkins this Friday 28/4/06
- skkatter [currently on the run from IRMA, playing an electro/techno/whatever I find in my bag set in the “club” room]
- Alan O’Boyle [Decal, playing an alternative set in the front room]
- Support from Shaun Smac and the Echelon DJs
- Free in! You’d be mad not to go! 10:30pm - 2:30am and they do take-out! Handy for the afterparties
And if that wasn’t enough (it’s never enough for you lot!) the Mixed Salad mentalists are back this bank holiday Sunday and they’re opening up both the garden and the upstairs of McGruders for an action packed ketam—, err, booze fuelled party:
- Mixed Salad presents a Ketam–goddamnit, I mean a Booze Fulled Party
- Al Keegan, Will Kinsella, Eddie Brennan, Jamie Clarke, Arveene, Philth (live), Corrugated Tunnel (live), skkatter and loads of others
- Oh yeah, I’m on upstairs from 6pm -7pm
- 1pm - 11pm, 10 Eurobucks in, seeya there!