Woo woo! I’m back from Mayo, the land of the fresh air and green fields. And what better way to get over the culture shock of Dublin (land of litter and people shooting each other in my local pub, The Fairview Inn) than by moseying on down to Electric City’s now infamous Christmas Resident’s Night in Wax this Thursday for a health mix of cosmic tearjerkers, techno, electro and Rian Ryan’s bare ass cheeks. This night (though usually the Thursday before Christmas, this year a pre-Christmas appearance by Chris Liebing forced them to move it on by a week) holds a special place in my heart as it’s one of the few where I get to hand out mince pies to people without them giving me funny looks. Actually, they give me funny looks anyway but most of the pies usually get eaten (by me and Eddie Brennan) so that keeps me happy. The line-up this Thursday is a full compliment of residents: Dan Power, Eddie Brennan, Barry Donovan, Rian Ryan, and of course the head honchos themselves, Giles Armstrong and DJ (as he likes to be known nowadays, I still think it’s silly!) Simon Conway. I’ve missed the last few Electric City nights due to Christmas stuff/Rotterdam stuff/DJing somewhere else stuff so I’m looking forward to seeing all you down there on Thursday, no exceptions!

And now onto that most overrated of overrated nights, New Year’s Eve. I’ve successfully managed to avoid Dublin almost every New Year’s Eve since time began except for last year when I played in the back room of the TBMC 12 Hands thing (the room smelled of wee and was empty for approximately three quarters of my set, fond memories….) so this year I’m excited and happy about ditching Dublin once again and spending New Year’s Eve in Belfast where I’ll be DJing for the Diston guys at The Front Page! Here’s the full line-up:

• NYE DISTON 2006
• skkatter (N53′21W6′14)
• Iso9 (is he an audio standard? Is he a radioactive material?)
• Deadman (alive!)
• Nez (who seems to own all the same records I own, what great taste in music he has!)
• Bew (boo!)
• Sunday the 31st of December at The Front Page, Belfast
• 8 English Pound notes in, 9pm - late, 10k music amplifying apparatus!

I’ve played in Belfast twice for the Diston guys before (my first gig for them was way back in 2004 when they used to be called Electrotoxic!) and I’m really looking forward to going up and changing my cash into that dodgy Norn Iron sterling that isn’t accepted anywhere else in the UK thus forcing me to spend it *all* on beer before I get the train home the next day. (what an excuse!) If you’re up in Belfast I expect to see you there, if not then you should come up with me on the train, it’ll be fun, we can bring cans on the train! (You know it makes sense, Dublin’s rubbish!)

Alright I’m outta here. After all this annoying holiday stuff is finished with I’ll be doing a new DJ mix for your pleasure and also reviewing a few more of those “Records What I Bought In 2006″ (I’m not even half way through the list yet, this is going to take me years).