Summer rolls on and Bandwidth continues to bring you the best of the festivals from around Northern Ireland. A fortnight ago we brought you our view of the Glasgowbury Festival in the Sperrin Mountains – today, the van rolls up in picturesque South Down.

Once upon a time, it was the Innishfree festival, it was run by a small group of enthusiastic music fans – and it was like nothing else. Then in 2009, the feat was repeated, and this time it had moved to a walled garden in Delamont Country park. Willowstone Festival was born, and it was a good thing.

20 or so musicians, art installations, decent food, families running around unembarrassed – not a Diageo banner in sight – Willowstone is an original independent boutique festival run by those who care about festivals – set in the most beautiful place in Ireland. Its a sight to behold. And here’s the highlights.

Colenso Parade kick off the proceedings – lowering the tone as always. Last time we met up was on top of Belfast’s iconic big wheel structure – this time we went for a something a little more sedate.

[download for ipod]

Scorpion Jack are self styled Pirate Folk musicians. They’re currently making waves, splicing manbraces and raping our venues and pillaging our ears. Hoist the flag.

[download for ipod]

John Shelly & The Creatures are old favourites to the Bandwidth stable – they never disappoint. In our search for venues in and around the park, we found a disparate group of fans, put outside for bad behaviour. We thought it was only right to stage a benefit gig, and promptly attempted to sneak them back in. Only fair.

[download for ipod]

Here representing the Republic of Ireland, Wicklow’s own Bocs Social finally brought a bit of class to the proceedings. Coming hotly recommended as they do, even when a particularly angsty security guard insisted on barging past us to boil a kettle for his tea, we just knew they couldn’t stop the bop.

[download for ipod]

Bored? Nothing on TV? Thank Stoke Newington International Airport for inspiration on this one. Willowstone 2010 was somewhat of a Bandwidth-extended-family affair all of a sudden when Katie & The Carnival turned up – but this incarnation of the group is nearly totally different from previous versions (apart from 2 core members) – expect new tunes, news instruments, 250% more puppets and an album in the cming months. Bandwidth is very pleased.

[download for ipod]

Oh yes and you might of heard of this lot, they’re called Cashier No.9 and everyone thinks they’re just great. Thanks then go to Pony Dance Theatre Company for enlightening us in the end, and thanks also to everyone involved in the Willowstone Festival. Long may you reign.

[download for ipod]

Filmed at Delamont Country Park, Killyleagh, July 2010
Camera/Edit: Will McConnell
Camera/Sound: Sean Duncan

We caught up with them all together and filmed two wholly separate sessions. They share duties on some tracks in their set, but they’re also two distinct identities. Paul Pilot’s session will be ready in a few weeks, bu first up, two tracks from Rue Royale.

[Download "Rue Royale - Halfway Blind" for iPod (167.6 MB)]

Listen to “Rue Royale – Halfway Blind”

[Download (Mp3, 5.4 MB)]

[Download "Rue Royale - Walls" for iPod (221.1 MB)]

Listen to “Rue Royale – Walls”

[Download (Mp3, 6.2 MB)]

Filmed in Belfast, July 2010
Camera/Edit: Will McConnell
Thanks to Matthew Rodger

Each year, on a quiet hill, in the middle of a quiet valley, near a not so quiet town, a man named Paddy Glasgow invites some friends over for the biggest celebration of Northern Irish musical talent of the year. This event is called Glasgowbury.

We filmed up there last year, and this year we’re back with our pick of our favourite bands from the festival, all from the back of the Bandwidth Van.

Watch out for more from Bandwidth at Northern Ireland’s festivals this summer.

The Q

[download for ipod]

Listen to “The Q – Magpie”
[download audio]

Team Fresh

[download for ipod]

Listen to “Team Fresh – Rhythm Tradition”
[download audio]

Furlo

[download for ipod]

Listen to “Furlo – Your Entire Glows”
[download audio]

Here Comes The Landed Gentry

[download for ipod]

Listen to “Here Comes The Landed Gentry – Evil Woman/Leadbelly”
[download audio]

Camera/Edit: Will McConnell
Sound: Sean Duncan
Filmed at Eagles Rock in Draperstown, July 2010

State Intervention is a collaboration between Bandwidth and State webzine in Dublin. Flash gigs in Dublin’s shops, bars, parks and street corners, promoted purely online through State’s Twitter and Facebook profiles. Details are announced on the day, so keep up to date and find your way down.

This is the 5th State Intervention gig, a walk in the park with Mountain Man. We brought strawberries and umbrellas, and the rain was warm – a typical Irish summer. Watch out for more Interventions in the great outdoors, and consider bringing your wellies if you fancy coming along to the next one?

Subscribe to the State Twitter feed and watch out for the next gig!

Tracklist
1. Mouthwings
2. Arabella
3. Whale Song
4. Animal Tracks

Read all about it on State.ie

Camera/Edit: Will McConnell
Sound/Mix: Ian Maleny

State Intervention is a collaboration between Bandwidth and State webzine in Dublin. Flash gigs in Dublin’s shops, bars, parks and street corners, promoted purely online through State’s Twitter and Facebook profiles. Details are announced on the day, so keep up to date and find your way down.

This is the 4th ever State Intervention gig. This time around it’s Waterford’s very own O Emperor, competing with the crowd at the Twisted Pepper against the Brazil-Holland match. It ended 2-1 Holland people, eyes front.

Subscribe to the State Twitter feed and watch out for the next gig!

Tracklist
1. Po
2. Into The Sea
3. Don’t Mind Me

Read all about it on State.ie

Camera/Edit: Will McConnell
Sound/Mix: Ian Maleny

So where else is better to take the band than the roof of Belfast’s most famous building – the totemic Europa Hotel – still standing after all that nasty violence. And here Polar Beyond came alive. Standing on that rooftop overlooking the wee city turn to twilight, I all of a sudden came over all emotional.

The mood was hardly even ruined by the small point that we had to all sign death wavers before being allowed up there.

Download “Polar Beyond – Suns” for iPod (62.6 MB)

Listen to “Polar Beyond – Suns”

Download (Mp3, 4.1 MB)

Download “Polar Beyond – Chapter Two” for iPod (88.2 MB)

Listen to “Polar Beyond – Chapter Two”

Download (Mp3, 6.9 MB)

Camera: Will McConnell
Filmed in Belfast, April 2010

Subscribe to the State Twitter feed and watch out for the next gig!

Tracklist
1. Mirror
2. Feeling Oblivion
3. Painkiller
4. Underdog (Save Me)

Read all about it on State.ie

Camera/Edit: Will McConnell
Camera: James Goulden
Sound: Ian Maleny

Photo by Kieran Frost.

When the series first started we had a list of bands in mind who would suit the style of the series perfectly. Pretty much top of that list was The Lowly Knights, and its a great privilege to finally present this session – and it was worth the wait.

So, better late than never, here’s 4 tracks recorded in Belfast’s Common Grounds Café. Two tracks, Even Keel and This Other Boy will feature on the new EP coming this September, so this is an exclusive first listen.

The Lowly Knights play Belfast Empire Music Hall on Thursday 1 July with Queer Giraffes, Rams’ Pocket Radio and Farriers. Babysweet Session’s Gregg Houston will MC the proceedings.

Download “The Lowly Knights – Even Keel” for iPod (57.7 MB)

Listen to The Lowly Knights – “Even Keel”

Download “The Lowly Knights – Hollow” for iPod (49.5 MB)

Listen to The Lowly Knights – “Hollow”

Download “The Lowly Knights – This Other Boy” for iPod (58.7 MB)

Listen to The Lowly Knights – “This Other Boy”

Download “The Lowly Knights – You Can’t Help Who You Love” for iPod (58.8 MB)

Listen to The Lowly Knights – “You Can’t Help Who You Love”

Filmed by Will McConnell in Belfast, May 2010

12 Months ago today, Bandwidth launched a little series called IN STORES NOW, and we started as we meant to go on with two superb sessions from Escape Act and Clown Parlour. Originally the series was meant to run once a week for 12 weeks, all based around the Cathedral Quarter. 41 episodes later and we’re still going strong..

The Cathedral Quarter golden rule went out the window by about episode 9, and by the time we broke episode 13 we were already developing a reputation for uncovering major new talent.

During 2009 we made movies, got arty, had festive fun, things got a bit freaky at points – there are also fan favourites and personal favourites.

So after a year, the plan for IN STORES NOW is to continue documenting new Irish music North & South – and we’ll be taking it on the road to other towns outside Belfast over the summer. There’s an infinite amount of great talent on this wee island. But seeing as there’s only so many of these things in the world, I just can’t promise they’ll always take place in stores per se….

Aaron Shanley – Cotton Fields
(B-Side of In Stores now#25: AARON SHANLEY)

Download “Aaron Shanley – Cotton Fields” for iPod (53.7 MB)

Furlo – Logic Too Late (Take 1)
(B-Side of IN STORES NOW#22: FURLO)

Download “Furlo – Logic Too Late (Take 1)” for iPod (88 MB)

Maguire & I – On Time
(B-Side of IN STORES NOW#10: MAGUIRE & I)

Download “Maguire & I – On Time” for iPod (74.1 MB)

Colenso Parade – Find Your Mother
(B-Side of IN STORES NOW#35: COLENSO PARADE)

Download for “Colenso Parade – Find Your Mother” iPod (83.1 MB)

Filmed in Belfast 2009-2010 by Will McConnell
Sound recorded by Will McConnell & Sean Duncan

Download the isolated audio tracks from these sessions for your listening pleasure – as individual tracks or download the entire EP as a zip file

→ Download Audio Zip file here (4x Mp3s 22.1 MB)

—————————————————————————–

1. Aaron Shanley – Cotton Fields

→ Download “Cotton Fields” Mp3 (3.9 MB)

2. Colenso Parade – Find Your Mother

→ Download “Find Your Mother” Mp3 (6.2 MB)

3. Furlo – Logic Too Late

→ Download “Logic Too Late” Mp3 (6.4 MB)

4. Maguire & I – On Time

→ Download “On Time” Mp3 (6 MB)

All Content:

“An artist with true character, captivating creativty and enough imagnation to run for years and years. This is just the beginning.”

One year on and its just getting better and better. Cara has a full band behind her now and is developing a unique and magical voice of her very own. So it’s with great pleasure we present this In Stores gig with Cara and her new band.

It took place on April saturday, a busy shopping day in Belfast. Wehre else to start but in cococouture, a luxury chocolate shop in Donegal Square?

Download ‘Surprise Surprise’ for iPod (46.7 MB)

Full credit to Joe Laverty for spotting this one. We were on our way to the next location when he pointed out this place. Sliiiiiiide as it’s so affectionately known in Belfast is.. well, its not the kind of place I’d be caught dead in, unless its from an ecstasy overdose or something. But damn it if they don’t have a pretty bar and a great looking 30s-speakeasy-type-dancefloor. Cue Cara.

Download ‘Names’ for iPod (45.3 MB)

And finally thanks to all the staff at Best Vintage for providing this video with some well deserved classy nudes, and Cat Power laying in the background on vinyl (vinyl!!). A very classy conclusion to the most enjoyable session Bandwidth has done in months!

Download ‘Go Quietly’ for iPod (45 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell in Belfast, April 2010
Sound recorded/ Mixed by Joe Laverty

Each night a different support act were invited – and there were some great acts like Fighting With Wire and Jetplane Landing. Bandwidth was there the third night, where the admittedly unexpected announcement was made that Farriers would fill the final support slot.

Bandwidth is totally gay for La Faro and our friends will be no strangers to Farriers, so it goes without saying how excited we were to be there. Let the videos commence.

Download for iPod (89.3 MB)

Download for iPod (71.8 MB)

Download for iPod (72 MB)

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

No we couldn’t resist this opportunity. A little kept secret of this century is that La Faro frontman Johnny Black is partial to a little bluegrass and folk – and that he and Farriers’ male singer Stephen McCartney share a fancy for a little Old Crow Medecine Show.

So this film was in the half an hour between soundcheck and doors open. Prizes to the person who names every folk and blues reference in this acoustic jam. Not really.

Download for iPod (163.1 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell & Sean Duncan in Belfast, April 2010

Say No More is taken from the 2006 album Not Fade Away. Listen to how the song comes alive with the reverb of David’s voice in the pedestrian tunnel on High Street. Belfast residents are quite used to hearing buskers in this spot because of the great acoustics there – maybe we should start a clubnight there.

The Nightsaver is out now and David Kitt plays with Tindersticks who will be touring Europe in August.

Download for iPod (77.6 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, April 2010

When I met Paul we spent the afternoon in Belfast searching for pianos – first Marcus Music obliged, then the Black Box, only to find their piano is pretty badly out of key. No matter, they didn’t kick us out. Then the Oh Yeah centre came to the rescue (for the 2nd time in a month), and before we got kicked out of there (only joking), we recorded another little number..

Download for iPod (48.5 MB) / Watch on Youtube

Download for iPod (38.2 MB) / Watch on Youtube

Paul plays Laverys bunker tonight and again on the 4th, 5th and 6th June at Queens University as part of the Keynote mini-fest.

In the meantime, you can stream the video right here:

Camera/Edit: Will McConnell

This is In Stores Now, after all – so we were luck on a busy Saturday in Belfast to find 3 accommodating stores – firstly the record fair at Bandwidth’s alama mater, the Oh Yeah Music Centre. Then to two distinctly… nautically themed locales. Let’s see if you can spot the irony of it all.

Since then things have moved apace. The band got in touch to arrange a session – I love everything about them – and before you could say 10 Downing Street a partnership was made.

Download for iPod (29.4 MB)

Download for iPod (42.4 MB)

Download for iPod (76.3 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell in Belfast, March 2010

State Intervention is a series of flash gigs organised around Ireland. Again, all the gigs are free, and you’ll be able to come along to any one of them by keeping up to date with State’s twitter and facebook feeds, where the gig will be anounced on the day.

Without further ado, here’s Scroobius Pip.

Read all about it here on State.ie.

So I was lucky enough to blag 20 minutes with the band during their soundcheck at the Black Box, and record two tracks – including the hauntingly beautiful To The Ghosts Who Write History Books.

Thanks to the band and Kate Landau for this.
Enjoy!

Download for iPod (33.6 MB)

Download for iPod (41.7 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, January 2010.

We’d promised each other we’d record a session together for months, and thought about ways of doing it. Playing in a bin, or a music shop, or anywhere near a plug so that we could keep just a little of the signature Disconnect 4 electronic/guitar sound. In the end, we settled on 20 minutes together, worryingly close to their stage time at Belfast’s free-music Radar night at the Students’ Union. And in the end, once again, an apple iphone came to the rescue, and a little £1.19 app called iSynth.

Cheapest video ever made? Perhaps. Most dangerous thing the band have ever done (letting me near them with a camera that is)? Just maybe.

Disconnect 4 play Whelan’s in Dublin 30 April with Funeral Suits.

Download for iPod (47.8 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, February 2010

So it is with great pleasure that Bandwidth can finally arrange a session performance for you, loyal readers. And it was well worth the wait.

The band had a spare 20 minutes before soundcheck at their Belfast gig in March, at the over elegantly blithe settings of the grand old Empire Music Hall – an auld church building that was an even audler Victorian Vaudeville Hall.

They cleared the tables from the floor and set up in a circle under the giant glimmer ball, brought out the electric organ, and launched into this sublime rendition of “Violent Demeanour”.

Without further ado, pour vous…

Download for iPod (53.8 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, March 2010

Photograph by Gerard O’Mahony

They’re all free, and you’ll be able to come along to any one of them by keeping up to date with State’s twitter and facebook feeds, where the gig will be anounced on the day.

So first up, here’s Bandwidth’s favourite son, And So I Watch You From Afar playing the Music Maker store in Dublin to a select group of 30 or so.

Read all about it here on State.ie.

The rest of the guys arrived in dribs and drabs – and we ran an hour late, two hours late – and well, maybe I lied when I told the band the location was only 20 minutes away. Yet by happy accident, when we arrived in the heart of lagan valley park, the sun was setting between the trees, and all was good.

Farriers – San Remo / A Final Harvest

Download for iPod (137 MB)

Sometimes a location just speaks to you, telling you to hang around, explore, play around. This otherworldly woodland area, about a half hour from Belfast city centre, the city’s best known secret in fact, has a magical draw.

We spent another hour, chasing the sun, in a meadow that seemed to roll on forever, hiding under trees, trying that walking/playing/chewing gum thing. This was a beautiful day, even though we couldn’t feel our fingers in the end.

It was February, after all.

Farriers – Mission Hall / The Last Long Evening

Download for iPod (89.1 MB)

Photography by Liz Wade:

Camera: Will McConnell
Sound: Sean Duncan
Filmed in Belfast, February 2010

Here’s two tracks from their 16th March set in Auntie Annies.

Download for iPod (64.8 MB)

Ablespacer’s new single ‘Draw A Line’ is available free from bandcamp, so find it here.

Ablespacer play Skinny Love at Auntie Annies on 7th April, and support Blood Red Shoes, again at Auntie Annies, 24th April.

Download for iPod (58 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell, Sean Duncan
in Belfast, March 2010

Best perhaps to sum the man up in his own words:
I write songs that I believe in. I hope that the lyrics reflect some sort of honesty from my own experience in life. I’m not trying to fool anyone. Except myself maybe.

Incidentally, on his travels, Junior picked up a song from an English singer called Andy Barnes, “The Last Of The Great Whales” (not just a song about whales, apparently) It’s a real treat – watch through to the end to catch it.

Junior Johnson – Born In The Wrong Time / City Girl / The Last Of The Great Whales (Andy Barnes)

Download for iPod (121.5 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, February 2010

I first filmed with Colenso Parade at a very damn and very raucous Glasgowbury Festival. Crammed into the back of my van (long story) and chock full of brown wine, the lads took the whole thing surprisingly well. Have a look at the car-nage (err sorry), which features 3 other bands, right here.

So how could we top that?
Well, there’s a very special location in Belfast that I was saving for just such an occasion.

Oh and by the way – watch the video through to the end for a little surprise. Sometimes these little magic moments happen – and this really is magic. The band were on a high, they’d been strumming this little Everly Brothers ditty all day – and then they found their audience, two unsuspecting citizens just trying to walk through the grounds of the city hall.

And so it was, a case of hello darlin’, goodbye loneliness..

Colenso Parade – Fall At Your Feet / Bye Bye Love (Everly Brothers)

Download for iPod (93.9 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, February 2009

And since then the lads have secured a promotional deal, and have been touring the country up and down. Oh and then there’s the small matter of this little seen TV advert.

In february, The Creatures were invited down to play RTE’s Late Late Show. A watershed moment. And here’s the story of that, and, in a glimpse, of their career thus far.

John Shelly & The Creatures – Long May You Reign

Download for iPod (39.1 MB)

Filmed & edited by Will McConnell
Bandwidth Films 2010

Just as they were preparing for a trip over to Austin, Texas and the SXSW showcase, the band rocked into the upstairs of a tattoo parlour in Belfast city centre.

Dave had warned me the previous day that he had the lurgee and his voice was about to give any moment. So what we get in return is something like a blues version of ‘Where The Wolf Roam’ – stripped down, bare bones, just like Bandwidth likes it – and when you do it like Strait Laces do it, who needs a second take?

Strait Laces – Where The Wolf Roam

Download for iPod (32.6 MB)

Strait Laces play the Belfast Rocks Showcase at Latitude 30 in Austin, Texas tonight. They’ll hang around SXSW for the remainder of the week, and return to Northern Ireland with a show at The Limelight on 25 March.

Photography by Liz Wade:

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, February 2010

Since then, Peggy Sue have been back twice, including last week with Local Natives. This is a reminder of he first time, when I was allowed the rare luxury of spending a whole afternoon with them on a quiet Saturday morning in the Cathedral Quarter area of Belfast.

I was their host in the city for 2 hours. So where else to start than straight to the pub – the grand old ‘Duke of York’ to be exact:

Peggy Sue – Hatstand Blues

Download for iPod (74 MB)

The Cathedral Quarter in Belfast is a mixed up kind of place, caught up between council-funded gentrification and a genuine desire for artistic diversification, in a place populated by artisans and craft workshops, right beside hotels and travel agents. In short, amongst the cloy wine bars there’s still a few wee gems in the area, like the Safehouse Gallery – the entire ground floor of which has been a dedicated artist’s studio for the past few years. Play spot the icons.

Either way, this space really made an impression on the band, and we even got an audience for a while staring in through the windows..

Peggy Sue – Milk and Blood

Download for iPod (31.6 MB)

The reverb in this space was incredible – a long nondescript alleyway behind – you guessed it – a hotel, than really could be good to good use one day. A week later it was transformed into a ‘nightmare alley’, with montage clips from horror movies projected onto its white spaces But that’s another story. For now it would have to make do as a makeshift concert space for the unsuspecting office workers.
Not that they didn’t appreciate the distraction.

“Thank you. Now shut up.”

Peggy Sue is currently touring with Local Natives before heading to Europe in April with Archie Bronson.

Peggy Sue – Watchman

Download for iPod (50.9 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, September 2009

I first worked with her last winter when we the people of Bandwidth put on a show called Thank You For Watching, a free concert for subscribers to the Bandwidth world that featured Isobel and Albrecht’s Pencil.

This is an altogether different environment – a new song, so new in fact its not even yet named. Just raw, straight out of the box emotion. And an auto harp. In a kitchen.

Isobel Anderson – Untitled #1

Download for iPod (39.3 MB)

Belfast is full of wee surprises. That was kind of the spirit in which this In Stores Now series was born So sometimes a secret allotment beside a car park behind a row of houses in south Belfast comes along – and its just a the kind of place you want to film a video.

It was something about this space – the time of day with the sun setting, the freezing cold air – Isobel’s music seemed to fit – or vice versa. Her latest songs share this theme of travel, water, nature. It was all too perfect. Anyway, here’s two tracks together: one – View Out Of Sight – I’d heard on her myspace page and had specifically and humbly requested, the other a second new song, again so new it didn’t even have a name. Bliss.

Isobel Anderson – View Out Of Sight / Untitled #2

Download for iPod (119.1 MB)

Isobel Anderson’s next scheduled show is 20th March at the Black Box in Belfast – and keep an eye for her in cafés and music nights all over the city.

The brilliantly talented Gerard O’Mahony accompanied us that day, have a look at some of his photos from that day, as well as the rest of his portfolio, right here:

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, January 2010

Lo-fi, lo-down and dirty rock. Blues so thick you could stir it with a stick.
Where else to showcase their charms?

Why a tasty kebab shop of course..

Download for iPod (71.6 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, January 2010

I love the 1930s. I love ‘Break My Heart’. It’s a clumping, stomping, clapping, singing along song. One that needs a crowd of people. A crowd of people just like there was on Malone Avenue last Friday afternoon, where lensmesiter extraordinaire Matthew Alexander Patton was shooting a music video for a little band called A Plastic Rose.

So I hope he didn’t mind us borrowing a few of his extras. Who am I kidding, he was delighted.
Eagle eyes, watch for as many Northern Ireland band cameos as you can, here…

The 1930s – Break My Heart

Download for iPod (84 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, February 2010

Also in attendance that bright winter day was the really wonderful Gregg Houston from Babysweet Sessions. Check out his session with Tony here.

Great Lake Swimmers – Pulling On A Line

Download for iPod (44.6 MB)

There was a certain football match on that day, so there was an eery calm to Belfast. I know someone who works in the student union office in the Mandela Hall – he opened his office window and let us climb out on the balcony, as the sun was setting over the city, and Tony had just the right song to play for that moment.

And suddenly all was right in the world for 4 minutes. And then I went home.

Great Lake Swimmers – Everything Is Moving So Fast

Download for iPod (28 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, November 2009

Sometimes this happens. After the camera comes out, and you do a few warm up tunes, you get some bands who just can’t shut up – they’ll keep playing, because that’s what they would have been doing before you turned up with a camera anyway.

So it is with Jackson Cage. They just fucking love music so much, and good for us, because they’re so fucking good – one song became two, or three and four. The moment you’re about to see with the ukelele in the kitchen (playing appropriately enough, “A Hard Night In The Kitchen”, mmm…) was as spontaneous and unrehearsed as it looks.

Part 1 – Jackson Cage – A Hard Night (In The Kitchen) / Help Me Mama

Download for iPod (100.6 MB)

Then it was back into the warm, for more tea and some heart-warming tunes.
Needless to say, this is only a highlight – when I left later that afternoon, they were still playing Fairport covers..

Jackson Cage’s new single “Help Me Mama” is out on 16th February 2010.

Part 2 – Jackson Cage – Rescue Me / Love Has No Feelings

Download for iPod (117.3 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, December 2009

I went down to capture some of that atmosphere in the autumn of last year – and this is the result. Of course, if you want to see more, including a stunning acoustic version of this song, check out our acoustic session with the lads recorded at the same time.

The Rupture Dogs – Today & Tonight

Download for iPod (58.3 MB)

Directed by Will McConnell
in Co. Down, N.Ireland, 2009

© Bandwidth 2010

These Omagh lads are known for their metal riffs, and for screaming a lot. They used to be called The Soviets if that gives you any indication. It sounds at first like they don’t give a fuck about you. But then they do cite Bob Dylan as an influence on their myspace. And they do have that.. yeah that cover, which finally has more balls now than Gwyneth and Apple and co ever envisioned. So I urge you to look again naysayers.

Of course punk/metal bands have done the acoustic for Bandwidth before. So we know the score. Find a couple of guitars – check – find a very reverby space – check – let it rip – check mate fuckheads.

Once Before Take Off – Effective Directive / God Put A Smile Upon Your Face

Download for iPod (59.8 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, January 2010

It was in that spirit I was delighted to discover Lee Mitchell. He’s an old friend of the lads from Six Star Hotel, and a stage manager at the Forfey festival. I was pleased to be able to prove too, that he’s also an amazing singer-songwriter.

Belfast’s Ormeau Baths Gallery was the setting, shortly after Christmas, and here’s how it went down:

Lee Mitchell – Part 1 – Heart Over Head

Download for iPod (43.2 MB)

Lee Mitchell – Part 2 – Regrets / Please Don’t Leave

Download for iPod (61 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, December 2009

This is a great one to start off 2010 – Bill Coleman from Cork. Actually, he only came up from Drogheda. It’s a long story. Bill Coleman ladies and gentlemen, in the rather cool Belfast Guitar Emporium:

Bill Coleman – I Want You To Know

Download For iPod (85.7 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast December 2009

This time round we wanted to turn the camera back on the fans – and ask them to make the video. So, on a cold and wet November morning, 20 or so brave souls trench footed their way to the secret allotment behind number 4 Malone Avenue. Some of them even brought things – a joke, a photograph, a message for someone dear, a.. bar of soap..

Thanks to all who came – and this is for you.

The Good Fight – Kick Start

Download For iPod (50.1 MB)

Directed by Will McConnell
©Bandwidth Films 2009

Truth be told – this all started a year or so back. Skruff played the Limelight’s oh so influential Thursday night showcase, Two Step. Maybe it was the manic stage persona, the jumping about and pointing, the sweating, but something clicked in Bandwidth’s robotic head.

“I must ask them some day to come down to Belfast city centre, ride a carrousel and meet Santa Claus”.

So it was done.

Skruff – Fabulous Weapon

Download For iPod (69.5 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, November 2009

And they toured – they worked with Bloc Party’s producer – and all this off their own back. They weren’t ever signed as far as I knew – they released everything off their own label ‘We Collect Records’. They even run their own festival. It all seemed so effortless – and what’s more, isn’t the oldest cliché true – they are also the hardest working band out there – along with all the other ones.

And then two of them got married, and two of them moved to London. Which didn’t stop them. Their new album “Tides And Tides” is another heartstopping work of insane genius. It was mixed in LA by Brad Wood who’s worked with Pete Yorn and Smashing Pumpkins. And here are two of the best songs on it:

Six Star Hotel – Gloria! Gloria! / I Fell Awake

Download For iPod (92.7 MB) / Download Mp3 (7.7 MB)

Six Star Hotel started here, in Neil’s attic. He and David sat around as kids and recorded demos there onto tape, listening back to them and discovering the joy of being in a band. I can understand why, the acoustics are incredible.

So, to mark their latest album, the most mature work to date, it makes sense to bring it all back home – back onto acoustic guitars and suitcase percussion – back amongst the paraphernalia of childhood – back where it all started. Sit back and enjoy this.

“Tides and Tides” is out now and you can buy it here.

Six Star Hotel – Left Alone

Download For iPod (77.9 MB) / Download Mp3 (5 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Lisburn, November 2009

To celebrate out first (and a half) birthday Bandwidth is launching a new series – and here is the very first episode!

It’s called ‘Thank You For Watching’, and its a series of gigs put on featuring Bandwidth’s favourite artists in living rooms, kitchens, coffee shops and other non-conventional locations all around Belfast city.

The idea, as ever, is to take music and performances out of the clutches of large venues and greedy promoters – and bring the music back to we the people. And as a thank you to all those who have watched so many bandwidth videos over the year – we want to bring the music to you online, uncut and entirely free.

For the inaugural gig, we launched a competition to find a suitable house to stage the soirée. So, coming live to you (well, recorded live) from the living room of 12 Ashley Avenue Belfast – the truly wonderful Brighton-born singer songstress Isobel Anderson.

Thank You For Watching: Isobel Anderson

Download “The River” for iPod (77.3MB)

Paint pots had been handed out, the revellers were fishing through the complimentary Bandwidth party bags (including cassette tapes and – yes! – Albrecht’s Pencil Pencils!), and the living room carpet was filling up. Time to bring out the main act – the stunning celtic/fusion/electro/folk/post-rock/self-confessed-music-nerds – and Bandwidth veterans – may we present to you:Albrecht’s Pencil.

Thank You For Watching: Albrecht’s Pencil

Download “Philosopher” for iPod (57.4MB)

*************************************************************************************************************

Watch out for more from Bandwidth’s Thank You For Watching series – to keep in touch with when the gigs are happening, be sure to join Bandwidth’s Facebook Group.

*************************************************************************************************************

It was Aaron Shanley, from little old Lisburn – which is vast becoming the music mecca of Northern Ireland (I’m serious!). Just then, an email dropped into my inbox – “its Aaron here, I’d love to shoot a session with you some time”. Feeling’s mutual.

And a few weeks later more serendipity. Waiting at Botanic station to catch a train back to Lisburn – we’ve just filmed a session in a dark leaf-strewn alleyway – we decide to chance one more, fully expecting to be moved on by the helpful employees of Transtink corporation. Aaron starts playing. On cue, the train arrives, he keeps playing – he doesn’t break stride – one of life’s mutual little moments.

Aaron Shanley – Ripley Court Blues

Download for iPod (55.3 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, November 2009

NEXT WEEK: SKRUFF

BANDWIDTH PROUDLY PRESENTS:
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING#2

ROBYN G. SHIELS
RACHEL AUSTIN

Start Together Studios
(2nd floor, Oh Yeah Building)

FRIDAY 4TH DECEMBER 7-9pm
FREE IN
BYOB
FREE PRESENTS!

RSVP ON FACEBOOK

It was a song called ‘Please’ which I’d hear reviewed on the radio – the most stirring and beautiful thing I’d heard for ages. “You would hear this on the OC,” some-reviewer-or-other said. Luckily for us, they were spared that lucrative embarrassment long enough to not retire just yet and keep writing tunes.

I requested ‘Please’ – lead eskimo Peter McVeigh politely declined – because they have a newer even better song. And its true.

I suggested an ice cream parlour, a giant kitchen freezer (the health & safety executive? who?) and the frozen pizza isle at Iceland. I was shouted down.

Late one Sunday night, walking home, the streets totally silent – I discovered the quietest, most unearthly traffic island ever manufactured. It all made sense.

Eskimos Fall – Judas

Download for iPod (70.9MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, September 2009

NEXT WEEK: Aaron Shanley

The idea to film Albrecht’s first came about after watching their intimate set at the Willowstone Festival in the summer. Joel, Fionn and Laura share a passion with Bandwidth about breaking down that barrier that exists between audiences and performers – at Willowstone they played in the middle of the festival field, under a giant willow-structure, sitting on bales of hay.

We’ve also been meaning to film something at the QFT for a while now too – so this seemed a natural match. After much deliberation, we even settled on allowing input from a certain Igmar Bergman (my original vote had been for John Carpenter – how glad I am I was shouted down).

After the gig, the band expressed their desire to tour living rooms, kitchens and patios around the country. Enter Bandwidth.

Albrecht’s Pencil will be playing the inaugural Bandwidth gig on Friday 20th November, at 7pm in the living room of 12 Ashley Avenue, Belfast. Come along! It’s free in and BYObooze. With support from Isobel Anderson.

Albrecht’s Pencil – Thought Police

Download for iPod (60.4MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in October 2009

NEXT WEEK: Eskimos Fall – really, this time..

So.. the winner of the free Albrecht’s Pencil gig has been announced. The gig shall take place on Friday 20th November at 7pm SHARP (arrive about 6.45 then) at 12 ASHLEY AVENUE, BELFAST

Thank you so much to all those who put themselves forward – you are not forgotten! And please come to the gig if you can.

Secondly – the support act has also been announced – the really really wonderful Isobel Anderson

Check out her fantastic music at:

http://www.myspace.com/isobelanderson

And Albrecht’s Pencil are found here:

http://www.myspace.com/albrechtspencil

So.
Here’s the full details..
BANDWIDTH PRESENTS:
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING #1

ALBRECHT’S PENCIL
+ ISOBEL ANDERSON

FRIDAY 20TH NOVEMBER
12 ASHLEY AVENUE
7PM
FREE IN
BYOB

Oh yes and bring a friend too.
There will be free presents.

See you there.
Will

And yet, it’s all so fitting. Perhaps its the nautical theme of ‘Seafarer’ – the gentle rain sound effects that open her 2009 album ‘Light & Dark’ – replicated here for real on ‘As He Pleases’ – but something draws her to an excited revelation: “We should all go busking in Brighton”.

Watch out for it – after her extensive European tour – a stripped down, busking set on the streets of Brighton with a saxophone, coming soon. Remember, you heard it here first..

Kate Walsh – As He Pleases

Download for iPod (79.9 MB)

Kate Walsh is currently touring Europe – where she’ll be supporting Paolo Nutini in Italy – but not before returning to Ireland on 20 November where she’ll play the Set Theatre, Kilkenny – and in March 2010, a headline show at Whelan’s in Dublin.

Kate Walsh – Seafarer

Download for iPod (80.3 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, October 2009

Dear People of Bandwidth

Bandwidth wants something from you.

Friday 20th November 2009 at 7pm is the premier of Bandwidth’s CONCERT SERIES, entitled “Thank You For Watching”.

It’s a Thank You to all you kind people who support Bandwidth and it’s a quarterly series of intimate concerts from local acts – and its all FREE

First up will be the almighty ALBRECHT’S PENCIL plus special guests

There is one problem though – due to the mal-alignment of planets, there isn’t exactly a venue any more.

So we’re throwing that bit over to you..

We’re running a COMPETITION TO HOST THE GIG AT YOUR PLACE INSTEAD.
Apartments, living rooms, offices, kitchens and gardens are all appropriate places.

To enter: just email us at mail@bandwidthfilms.com – and if selected by Bandwidth judges we’ll come round to your gaff and host a free concert.

The rules:
1. It’s got to be your house/workplace/garden shed. If it isn’t, please make sure you have permission, we don’t want the owner coming home to find 30 people standing in the sink.
2. That’s the other thing, your place has to be big enough to accommodate 30-40 people including a band
3. The gig will be recorded for sound and filmed. You have to be OK with this, as will all the people who hopefully turn up.

So that’s it really
Email mail@bandwidthfilms.com with your name and request the gig to come to you. The most feasible/entertaining request will win!

And better get your skates on – because the competition will close on Saturday 14th November at 11pm – and the winner will be informed. And the gig is next Friday.

An EP is coming soon, so watch out for it. And here’s hoping they come back to Belfast soon.

This week on IN STORES, we provided a lovely echoey neo-gothic chamber in the shape of Queen’s University black & White Hall (yes you student bums, it actually has a name).

Enjoy it!

Furlo – Logic Too Late

Download for iPod (82.2MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, October 2009

NEXT WEEK: Eskimos Fall

- “And what song will you be doing for us today Orla?”
- “Goddess”

Was nearly disappointed. Until we learned that its no just any Goddess, but the Goddess of Desire, that beautiful whisky coloured homewrecker. And Louisiana Joyride really mean it; this is hard and fast blues in a broooooaaad Belfast accent. It is love it or loathe it. And we do love it.

Louisiana Joyride will be doing their duty at McHughs in Belfast on 11th November, and if you miss that they’ll be back there 13th and 22nd November before heading down to Whelan’s in Dublin on 24th. They’re a gigging machine!

Louisiana Joyride – Goddess

Download for iPod (48.2MB)

Filmed by Matt Bohill
in Belfast, October 2009

NEXT WEEK: FURLO

5 days of chilli and banjos nearly took its toll, but not before the kind people Bandwidth could muster the mustard to crawl backstage and down Jameson with Calgary’s finest The Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir where we also found, skulking away in a corner, a true dixie Mississippian William Elliott Whitmore.

The rest of it is all a little bit hazy. Fortunately I’d hit the record button at some point. I believe someone suggested the acoustics would sound best inside a tiny plastic shower cubicle. Maybe its the effect of having been on tour for 3 months. Either way, it was later concluded to be “second best thing that’s ever been done in a bathroom”, and that way it shall stay forever.

Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir (w. William Elliott Whitmore) – Nehemia’s Misfortune

Download for iPod (80.3 MB)

God damn it. After reaching the conclusion that stomping bluegrass is a state of mind, best appreciated by the enlightened, it was inevitable that the music would spill out onto the street. Where the punters were still drinking. Getting into taxis. Walking past on their way home. They were all innocent victims. Because music just cannot be stopped.

We the kind and civilised people of Bandwidth sneaked away some time after 1am, with the solemn promise to the Open House Festival that we would assure their act get a taxi back home that night to the hotel. Its not yet known what the bar bill was at the end of the night. Or if the band ever made it to Newcastle the next day. But there were about 20 people there who got the second best Agnostic Gospel Choir gig of their lives, and that way it shall stay forever.

At least until next time they’re here..

Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir – Oh Sorrow

Download for iPod (92.1 MB)

If you like what you see here, remember that William Elliott Whitmore will be back in town supporting The Pogues at St. George’s Market in Belfast on 2nd December. Redemption!!

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, September 2009

with thanks to the OPEN HOUSE FESTIVAL

And now, for the first time, we are bringing to you, the full story of what happened on that fateful day. We are bringing you all the evidence, based only on the secret testimony, of the miserable souls, who survived this terrifying ordeal. The incidents, the places. My friend, we cannot keep this a secret any longer.

Let us punish the guilty. Let us reward the innocent. Let us rock.

Mojo Fury – Mexico

Download for iPod (89.4MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
at Mojo Towers, October 2009

NEXT WEEK: Louisiana Joyride

But you just can’t guarantee that the shop manager isn’t going to be out on his lunch break, and the guy who’s temping for him doesn’t know a thing about it. Ah. No amps. No shelter from the impending storm cloud. No matter.

Just so happens Push Borders are just as proficient on a giant dustbin as they are on keys. I once had a drunken conversation outside the pub with JP from the band that concluded with the nugget “don’t let people confuse your songs for your versions”. Professor Will was in effect. He has been justified. This song will sound great on record, and it will also sound good in a piss stained alley, in the middle of the afternoon outside an art gallery, played on a giant bin. They already knew that.

Expect and enjoy new Push Borders tunage very soon indeed, and in the meantime, there’s the small matter of a support slot with Lisa Hannigan at the Nerve Centre in Derry on 12 December. Whoop whoop!!

Push Borders – Dover

Download for iPod (68.4 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, October 2009

NEXT WEEK: A spooky Hallowe’en Special from MOJO FURY

Katie Richardson’s lovely carnival of crazies is theatrical, dramatic, and a shitload of fun. Just a reminder that music is also supposed to be enjoyable – and also, if you’ll allow me this self-indulgence – an affirmation of faith in what Bandwidth is all about; capturing the essence of ‘performance’, and what that means to different people. Right. Essay over. This is also damn catchy music.

Oh and eventually this would have happened. The sharp-eyed and initiated will recognise 2/3s of the Seven Summits session released a few weeks back. Katie and bassist Fra McRory are also part of that band, while members of Bandwidth veterans John Shelly & The Creatures also make up part of the Carnival. Confused? Bemused? That’s the Belfast music scene.

Also, thanks are in order to Matt Patton who made it down to take some snaps (see them here). You can just spot him hiding by the door in the opening sequence, sporting a rather fetching clown afro.

Katie & The Carnival are playing The Pavillion in Belfast on 14th October and again on the 18th October. You can expect a tip-top show!

Katie & The Carnival – I Can’t Get No Sleep

Download for iPod (80.8MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, September 2009

NEXT WEEK: Push Borders

Its moments like this when the whole series seems to work – music in its purest form, embryonic, newly written material, reduced to a single acoustic guitar with only a shaker, a guitar case and a pair of keys for percussion – performed probably just as it was written (without the pair of keys, I’d imagine. Who knows?). The sound of three musicians with the entire town to themselves. Pure brilliance.

If you like what you hear – or even if you don’t and you want to turn up and throw broken bottles – Window Seats play Lavery’s Bunker in Belfast on 25 October – and again in the same spot on 11th November, where they’ll be trying out some more new material.

Window Seats – Juliette’s Letter

Download for iPod (65 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, September 2009

I’m politely waiting for soundcheck to finish up so that we can film our acoustic session, and Robert, flanked by his backing band – Paul Tasker and Iona McDonald of Doghouse Roses- gets out the booming voice again. He could manage heavy metal, opera or yodelling with equal ease. But he sings songs of religious doubt, wandering, wondering and pain. He sings like he lost his lover to Johnny Cash and John Cale in the whiskey-fueled poker match from hell.

Then outside to record the session. More surprises. “There’s a kid right there”, Robert booms. “Oh shit,” I offer. Looking round, I begin to feel a bit uneasy on my feet, ready to make a break for it. “Want to come over and have a listen?” he offers. Eh? They shuffle over. “But you gotta be quiet”. They shut up. Robert keeps playing, not even breaking stride. After the song, one of the kids looks up, wide-eyed: “I wanna be as good as you one day.” Well I never. The gentle giant politely shakes each one of the kids’ hands, “Goodbye, see you later, I’m Robert”. They know.

Willard Grant Conspiracy – Vespers

Download for iPod (79.3MB)

And I guess the most surprising thing yet about Robert Fisher is his insistence that Willard Grant Conspiracy is, somehow not just his band, but a full collective. He never refers to “my band”, only to Paul and Iona, “the rest of the band”. Right enough – look through Willard Grant’s extensive back catalogue and see a wide range of musical influences at every turn. Paul elaborates. Robert and Doghouse Roses met during a recording session in Glasgow, when they were sharing recording space. Robert was hooked, and invited them on tour with Willard Grant. Its a collective, but each artist retains his or her individual identity. Hence the odd occurrence of Doghouse Roses supporting that night for Willard Grant Conspiracy (featuring Doghouse Roses). Confusion reigns. A band opens for itself. Alt country perfection fills the void. Enjoy it.

Doghouse Roses – Gone There

Download for iPod (57.2MB)

Robert, Paul and Iona are currently on a 2-month tour of Europe as Willard Grant Conspiracy. The stunningly beautiful new album Paper Covers Stone is available here on itunes.

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, September 2009

Once, and perhaps some time again, known as Hornby from Continuous Battle Of Order, with friends Marty and Alice and a little help from a guy called Tom McShane – this ragtime troupe of gents (and lady) have been seen lighting up events around Belfast lately – including a turn at the Oh Yeah centre last week at the first ever, everCulture Night.

What else do you need to know about from; They’re the best party band I’ve ever seen; they’re all top blokes (and ladies); some of them have tattoos; more music should just be like this, all the damn time..

The Swell Time Western Swing & Cowboy Jazz Band are playing The Black Box in Belfast on 16 October and will, in all sincerity, play a wedding, birthday, wake, bar-mitzvah or makar sankranti near you by request.

Swell Time Western Swing & Cowboy Jazz Band – The Girl I Left Behind Me

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, September 2009

NEXT WEEK: Window Seats

Bitter, perhaps, because two-thirds of the band are now migrated to the sunny beaches of Brighton – so we may not see a Belfast gig from them for a while. Not that Heliopause are strangers to travel – Rich has recorded material, like the band’s first EP in Berlin, and – in his other incarnation as a filmmaker – worked in Iceland and.. er.. Cushendall (courtesy of Bill Drummond).

But come to think of it, there’s sweetness again here – because just before leaving, the band were in the Belfast’s Start Together studio recording their first full-length album – which promises to be out later this year.

Until then, we’ll alway have this performance to remember them by – the time we all spent together in a freaky and ever so slightly gaudy floral shop in the city centre.

Heliopause – The Moon & Sixpence

Download for iPod (75.1MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, August 2009

NEXT WEEK: Swell Time Western Swing & Cowboy Jazz Band

Peter invited me up to his house at the beginning of the summer to hear some of his stuff. Simple, pure.. er.. long.. it certainly was – not least because of the wide range of pop rock and dance covers Peter can expertly recreate in a concerto style on his upright piano. I must admit I actually was just enjoying the show. But we had a film to make, so we settled on one, along with this composition of his own.

Rams’ Pocket Radio – Dieter Rams Has Got The Pocket Radios/Yeah Yeah (Bodyrox)

Download for iPod (88.5MB)

Oh yes, there was an accordion too. Peter held up what appeared to be an old family photograph, “You’re going to hear a song about this in a minute.. now how on earth do you play this thing?”. After flexing out a few chords, he had mastered yet another instrument and we went for a dander.

Peter is wrapping up a mini tour of Northern Ireland with a gig at Hague’s bar in Lisburn on 24th September.

Rams’ Pocket Radio – Souvenir

Download for iPod (31.5 MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Lisburn, June 2009

Believe it or not, we were going to feature Katie’s band for this week’s episode of IN STORES NOW. But after watching the very wonderful Seven Summits at the Menagerie in Belfast last night, opinions changed. It was the mood of the place, not hindered in any way by a stunning song called ‘Make Lemonade’, and the general positive vibes the lads (and lady) made. Katie cant complain, she’s in this video too.

So we filmed this gig a few or so ago and thought we would bring it forward a few weeks for you. It’s lemonade for the soul, people.

Seven Summits have an album out on 29th September, and will be playing The Black Box in Belfast on that day to mark the occasion

Seven Summits – Make Lemonade

Filmed by Will McConnell in September 2009

NEXT WEEK: Heliopause

Off to Bookfinders we went – for tea and buns with some Amercian tourists who gladly played chess while we sang about morose things. But I think you’ll agree this one is something special.

More Than Conquerors are playing 24th and 25th September in Lisburn, and back to Belfast on 11th October in Lavery’s. Do not miss them.

More Than Conquerors – Blood Thirsty Men

Download for iPod (66.3MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in August 2009

NEXT WEEK: KATIE & THE CARNIVAL

Bandwidth has been a huge fan of Nakatomi Towers ever since its conception. We knew its mummy and daddy – Dave Frecknall from the prodigiously brilliant The Jane Bradfords and Julianne Shaw from the equally brilliant but sadly defunct Coda.

And plus we frickin dig Die Hard and anything to do with it.

But there’s always a challenge with Bandwidth. But how were we going to replicate the delicate electro beats of Nakatomi Tower’s live sound into the intricate surrou-oh-my-fricking-lord-there’s-a-sweet-comic-shop-on-North-street WITH A 1980S GHETTO BLASTER IN IT.

Problem solved.

After reaching an agreement with Chris the totally-cool-comic shop guy not to sell it for a few days, we made up a mix-tape and got rolling.

Nakatomi Towers – You Cut Me Out

Download for iPod (53.9MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, August 2009

NEXT WEEK: MORE THAN CONQUERERS

It’s that simple sometimes. No one expected Lisa Hannigan would make the impression she has – probably least of all herself – where’s the floppy hat? The blue-rimmed sunglasses? The post-rock? The new wave? The gimmick? It is still (sometimes) just about humming a catchy tune and that’s all.

The fact that she used to sing with Damien Rice and all that stuff has been well documented. All you need to worry about is that Lisa’s first solo album is nominated for the ever so prestigious mercury-prize – and its an absolute gem.

Lisa was playing with The Swell Season for their Ireland warm-up dates – and we caught up with her in Derry – in a weird pixie world that we later found out is actually called “Derry Craft Village”.

Lisa Hannigan – Lille

Download for iPod (71.3MB)

And so on a slightly damp Derry afternoon, a handful of German and Canadian tourists were privy to smallest Lisa Hannigan gig on the current tour – with a “Thank you Derry!” on cue.

Electric Picnic is on this weekend, and Lady Hannigan is playing on the Friday. Then there is a USA tour, so if you’re lucky enough to live there watch out for her humming in the main street of a city near you.

Lisa Hannigan – Ocean & A Rock

Download for iPod (67.5MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell in Derry, August 2009
Sound recorded by Matt Bohill

So its long been an ambition to work with her. And here is the result.

Rachel, by the way, didn’t want to repeat the same old same old, of an acoustic unplugged set in a shop. This session depended on finding somewhere in town with awesome acoustics and then attempting something totally a cappella.

‘They Said’ is a beautiful, lush song on record. You can download it here.

Maybe its the setting. Maybe its the addition of Marty ‘Dr. Lilt’ Byrne on vocals.
But if you ask me there’s something brilliantly scary about this version.

And we like it.

Rachel Austin – They Said

Download for iPod (64.5MB)

Filmed by Will McConnell
in Belfast, June 2009

NEXT WEEK: Nakatomi Towers

A candle burns brightly for Pocket Promise in Bandwidth’s black heart – truly the handsomest band in Northern Ireland at the moment. And in our subtle schizophrenic mind, the heirs-apparents to Deathcab For Cutie.

It all started with a little video for their poptatsic single ‘I Burnt The Roller Disco’ – followed by a stunningly lovely acoustic session for the Bandwidth Sessions strand. And now here is their latest single – the subtle, multi-layered and damn catchy ‘Talkovertalking’ (all one word apparently).

London nearly stole Pocket Promise away from us – then they went to the south of France (as you do) to record their first album with Gemma Hayes’ producer (AS you do) – but they still came back to us like a prodigal pet dog. And now they’re going to go far again – watch them run.

Pocket Promise’s new album “I’ve Been Here For Ages..” is available now on iTunes. They’re playing in Omagh for the Top Of The Town event on 28th August with Bandwidth groupies Colenso Parade.

To see them in Belfast you might have to wait till 24th September, but on the plus side, its will mark the return of the Student Unions’ free Radar night – and you can’t get better than that.

Director/Camera; Will McConnell
© Bandwidth Films 2009

And hello Andy Good – and a little band called Maguire & I. They like violins. They like glockenspiels. They remember the olden days (how’s that possible?). They seem to long for a kind of nostalgic other world.

All of which I like.

And all of a sudden, on the day we arranged an In Stores Gig with the band – as if from above – the sun split open the clouds and Belfast got all of its summer at once. It was time to take the In Stores out of the store and into the.. uh, park.

Maguire & I are just back from a storming set among the ducks and pigs at the Forfey farm festival. You might have to wait until a chilly autumnal 20th October night to catch them live again, at Belfast’s Auntie Annie’s – but here’s hoping they bring the sunshine.

Maguire & I – As The Arrows Fall

Download for iPod (58.9MB)
Filmed by: Will McConnell
©2009 Bandwidth Films

NEXT WEEK: Rachel Austin

Could have fooled me.

We know, like you do, that no matter how loud the band – most of their songs are at some point worked out, in that quiet dark space, on an acoustic guitar. Bob Dylan once said “People confuse my songs for my versions”. A good song is a good song and it works acoustically, to an audience of one, if it works fully plugged to a crowded noisy bar.

So in that spirit, we present you The Rupture Dogs in their full glory. 3 songs; semi-acoustic (of sorts), acoustic, and loud..

The Rupture Dogs – Today & Tonight (acoustic)

Download for iPod (55.6MB)

Photographer and long-time Bandwidth-friend Graham Smith joined me down to the band’s home in Newcastle, Co. Down, and on to their gig at The Square Peg, Warrenpoint, that evening. Check out some great photos from the day on his site.

About 20 minutes before going on stage, while the rest of the guys were playing pool, Allan got out his guitar and started strumming a song. After a moment he managed to silence a room containing perhaps the two loudest bands in the country (and Bandwidth alumni), Here Comes The Landed Gentry and Fighting With Wire

The Rupture Dogs – Twilight

Download for iPod (54.3MB)

There was also the small matter of a gig to be played that night, supporting the above-mentioned lot. “Closing Doors” is a new track – and its just another example of the band’s truly great, raw live sound. Exciting things are still to come. Just don’t tell Allan he looks like Dave Grohl, he doesn’t like that.

The Rupture Dogs have an album called ‘What You Live For’. Initial pressings have sold out – but you can hear most of it for free on their myspace page. They’ll be back at The Square Peg in Warrenpoint on 15th August and they’re playing Up At The Attic in Auntie Annies, Belfast on 6th October.

Don’t ask questions. Just go.

The Rupture Dogs – Closing Doors

Download for iPod (66.9MB)

Filmed by: Will McConnell
©2009 Bandwidth Films

Nowadays people literally have to sing for their supper. It’s a little known fact that in some cultures a jaunty tune is still accepted as a viable fare on city-wide public transportation. Enter this young upstart, John D’Arcy, and his band of men.

Please check out his site and his brand new EP “More Like Me”. And if only we all could be – we would be less likely to be thrown off public transport for creating a nuisance that’s for sure- no matter how hard we tried. And there’s a lesson.

John D’Arcy – Poptart

Download for iPod (55.6MB)

Filmed/Recorded by: Will McConnell
©2009 Bandwidth Films

It was always set to be the homecoming gig to top all homecoming gigs. The prom kings were well and truly crowned. Ladies and gentlemen, Bandwidth presents to you the very mighty And So I Watch You From Afar.

Azzy Wiva (as everyone in Belfast seems to now call them) has had a long association with the Bandwidth site. You may remember Tony Wright’s public singing debut at the Beatles 40th Anniversary gig back in January – there’s also a weirdly apt cover version of McLusky’s ‘To Hell With Good Intentions’ knocking about somewhere -filmed during the video shoot for The Panama Kings’ video ‘Golden Recruit’. Maybe that’ll appear on youtube somewhere someday.

But this is the first time we’ve ever managed to feature the full band, playing it properly, on the site. Somehow they never belonged to be all squeezed into a van, served fish & chips or serenaded with wine and candles. They are a live act, after all..

ASIWYFA – Set Guitars To Kill

Download for iPod (93.3MB)

This is ASIWYFA as they belong – sweaty, full volume, in front of a huge crowd. To think this was only a week before Glasgowbury. Even 2 years ago when I first saw them play in Katy Daly’s in Belfast to 35 people, you knew they had a sound that could never be contained in any space they could ever play. Wembley, Camp Nou, the Sahara desert, you name it, ASIWYFA is bigger.

Anyway, I’m getting carried away. This next song isn’t on the record, so watch out for it in the future:

ASIWYFA – S Is For Salamander

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Bandwidth regulars will remember ASIWYFA’s break through event late in 2008, when they spearheaded a Belfast-based festival called ‘A Little Solidarity’. You may remember Bandwidth was there and captured some great performances from, amongst others, General Fiasco and Here Comes The Landed Gentry. The anthem from the event is the truly Galactic sounding “A Little Solidarity Goes A Long” way. It marked them out as a band who, despite being entirely instrumental, had a whole lot of things to say.

Tony but it just right, “This song is for all the families who were put out of their homes by a bunch of cunts.” Couldn’t have put it better myself.

And So I Watch You From Afar are playing the Forfey Festival in Co. Fermanagh on 8 August, before completing their UK tour and returning to the Ulster Hall on 18th December.

ASIWYFA – A Little Solidarity Goes A Long Way

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Director: Will McConnell
Camera: Will McConnell, Matt Bohill
©2009 Bandwidth Films

Note to self – next time don’t film an In Stores gig next to Sega Rally championship arcades. The temptation inevitably became too much.

And no explanation from the group as to the identity of Alice Kona, not even from a fruitless drunken google search (the 21st century ‘research’ tool) that succeeded only in, unhappily, unrooting an ex-girlfriend’s myspace page.

Take it away, waiter..

The Alice Kona Band – Death Record

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Director/Camera: Will McConnell
© 2009 Bandwidth Films

Every July for the past few years, a small but massive event has taken place on Eagle’s Rock, near Draperstown Northern Ireland. Set at the foot of the Sperrin mountain range, as tranquil and remote a setting as you can imagine, a quiet but determined man called Paddy Glasgow has held a music festival the way he wants it. The result… Glasgowbury.. safely the best annual showcase for Northern Irish music that exists today.

Bandwidth was proudly positioned in the most picturesque carpark in the known world, ready to take in the best of the fest. First up Joe Echo and Building Pictures, also known as, brothers Ciaran and John Gribbin (versus The Jane Bradfords if you listen carefully at the end)

No.1 Joe Echo

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It’s Ireland after all, so it wasn’t long before the rain came down. All of a sudden, hiding in a warm van for a few minutes didn’t seem all that arduous a prospect. Imagine our delight too when we discovered we could fit an entire double bass and three people into the van, which isn’t (at least I don’t think) in the Citröen manual.

No. 2 Silhouette

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We at Bandwidth have been meaning to film this lot for quite a while now, ever since this little drunken escapade somehow leaked through Bandwidth quality control. No let up here to be honest, the Buckfast was flowing. Here is the buckfastic Colenso Parade, with a bit of Lennon & McCartney thrown in.

No.3 Colenso Parade

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As the day came to a close, it started to dry up (weather wise I mean), and things.. got.. a little hazy. Before Bandwidth packed up and headed down to the main stage to watch the mighty And So I Watch You From Afar, there was still time to host the really rather fucking awesome Ed Zealous in the by-now-notorious van. This is a rare occasion that Ed Zealous perform acoustically, and rarer still that they do so in a van parked 300m from the main stage at Glasgowbury.

Aw well, best enjoy it then. I know we did.

No.4 Ed Zealous

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With thanks to Niall Kerr and the rest of the Glasgowbury festival. May you live long and prosper. And see you next year!

Director/Camera: Will McConnell
Sound: Matt Bohill
©2009 Bandwidth Films

Needless to say, it used to be in town, then it closed, reopened somewhere else, ‘mysteriously’ burned down, and now is reopened again.

You just can’t put the man down.

And to honour the temple of punk-rock music since the 1970s – a true punk poet – Belfast’s Dolboro Dan Mulligan – singing an ode to Hunter S Thompson. So you see, this ones quite special.

Dolboro Dan – Bat Country

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Director/Camera: Will McConnell
©2009 Bandwidth Films

NEXT WEEK: THE ALICE KONA BAND

So they seemed a natural choice to invite to play IN STORES NOW, and play a great new song “Hats On Sticks.”

The original venue was.. well, there were problems.. so we ended up in, well, um… then we found a cool space in the back, and you see..

You know what, just watch the video.

The Good Fight – Hats On Sticks

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Director/camera: Will McConnell
© Bandwidth Films 2009

NEXT WEEK: DOLBORO DAN

What better space than for Belfast troupe Kitty & The Can Openers to premiere a brand new song “Henry’s Like A Little Dragon”.

What with all the talk of this little event, 40 years ago this month – we thought this track was weirdly appropriate. No UFOs in sight.

Kitty & The Can Openers – Henry’s Like A Little Dragon

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Director/Camera: Will McConnell
©2009 Bandwidth Films

NEXT WEEK: THE GOOD FIGHT

Rhys Chatham‘s composition “Guitar Trio” is a performance piece in the art-noise rock mould. I’ll let Kiran Acharya from Culture Northern Ireland explain a bit better than I can: “The piece is established as a sort of academic/sonic precursor to what later became noise rock – lots of volume and overtones clanging together to create a large sound that exposes the ear to sounds it wouldn’t normally hear. While the song may at first appear to be a simple repetition, if you listen to it through a couple of times and relax into it, it’s an incredibly rewarding piece. You hear all types of mad sonic warfare; textures, dancing trebly tones. Maybe I’m mad but I’ve had an almost transcendent experience listening to it”.

Well said, I think.

The Guitar Dectet – Rhys Chatham Guitar Trio Part 1

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Belfast collective The Guitar Dectet is, first off, a misnomer. For this performance at least, it consists of twelve guitarists, a bassist and a drummer – made up from members of The Continuous Battle Of Order, Panda Kopanda, Three Tales, Tracer AMC and Heliopause. To name a few!

The Guitar Dectet – Rhys Chatham Guitar Trio Part 2

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Filmed by Will McConnell
2009 Bandwidth Films

Watch for the camera shy die hard fans at 2:08. They specifically asked that we mention them.

Under Stars & Gutters – Just Like A Movie

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Camera: Will McConnell
Sound: David Donnelly

©2009 Bandwidth Films

NEXT WEEK: KITTY & THE CAN OPENERS

What with the 4th July holiday fast approaching – wouldn’t it be appropriate to kick back with a bit of old time roots & blues, done proper. After all we taught them Yanks everything they know.

Ten Gallon Hat & The Big Salute – It’s All Wrong

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The Ten Gallons are usually 5 members strong – but today’s session was a reduced set up, with only Kris Telfords and Eamon Lynch from the band still functioning after a storming stage set. They’re also gigging extensively around Northern Ireland at the moment – you’ll catch at this year’s Glasgowbury Festival on 25 July too. Happy trials..!

Ten Gallon Hat & The Big Salute – Just Enough

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Filmed by: Will McConnell
Sound: Matt Bohill

2009 Bandwidth Films

Fresh from their success having this song ‘Long May You Reign’ featured in an ad for, of all things, Northern Ireland – we decided to join in the spirit of things and advertise one of the true pleasures Belfast has to offer. A mighty fine fish supper from a damn good chippie. Only one thing missing..

Next episode will be broadcast live from the Great Northern brewery I swear.

John Shelly & The Creatures – Long May You Reign

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Director/Camera: Will McConnell
©2009 Bandwidth Films

NEXT WEEK: UNDER STARS & GUTTERS

We were wary at first. We’ve seen this guy live. We’ve heard “Hello Death”, “I’d Go To Funerals”, “The Dead Sea” and other cheery titles. Does he live in a graveyard? Would he, Lost Boys-style offer us a glass of wine and we’d have to live there forever?

Fortunately, Robyn was in a more chipper mood. His dark side actually revealed itself to be the more creative-variety of duende – and we left unharmed. There’s a stunning beauty in Robyn’s music that’s all the more raw and available when stripped down to its core elements as it is here.

Robyn G Shiels – Our Hope Lay Dying

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Backed these days in his live shows by Ellen and Clare on backing vocals and piano respectively – Robyn’s taking his latest material in a lighter direction – sonically that is, the subject matter is still death, darkness, the usual. But the light feminine touch appears to take some of the edges off – which may soften the entry but hardens the blow, as a, uh, man once said.

Robyn G Shiels – Underneath The Night Of Stars

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By the way, this is Ellen Turley’s second collaboration with Bandwidth. Look back a few months and you may notice her in the video for Panda Kopanda’s single Spirals. Robyn G. Shiels has a fantastic history of collaboration with other Northern legends, from back in the day, a Therapy? related side project SONS OF MASSEY, with future recordings promised with Duke Special and a new album ‘Blood Of The Innocents’, released next month on No Dancing records which was recorded with Fyfe Ewing. We cannee wait.

Robyn G Shiels – Mysterious Scowls

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Director/Camera: Will McConnell
2009 Bandwidth Films

If ever there was a band who epitomized their music in terms of image, The Good Fight would surely be worth backing. Led by Ben Robinson’s ethereal vocals (which match up perfectly with the band’s clean cut appearance it has to be declared) the band have managed to grow their audience gradually over the last six months, winning fans not through force but by much softer means. Normally you could imagine that such statements would be used to deride rather than embrace said subject matter – but the almost quiet, affecting depth with which The Good Fight take to stage is easily warmed to.

The Good Fight – Kick Start

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Depending on your tastes, their music could be taken as too innocent or trite – a hefty departure from the heavier, denser music that the majority of local bands play; their energy directed in a more delicate manner than most. It is however a departure that I find welcoming, a change of pace once in a while is hardly a bad thing after all. There is I suppose genuine heart in their music that many other acts would perhaps find themselves unable to pull off, particularly when playing as a full band – preferring instead to hold off more intimate material for acoustic sessions. It is a strength which transcends the audience’s first impressions of such a fresh faced group.

The Good Fight – Hats On Sticks

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Mixed with their youthful appearance, many could well be put off with what is certainly lighter music on the ears, but the accessible sound they deliver hide the band’s maturity. As they grow, future tracks may very well strike a better balance between showing off their musical strengths and giving audiences a sensitive slice of rock – for now, once your ear has been tuned to their output it would be hard to ignore what audible delights they offer up.

The Good Fight – Landslide

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Director/Camera: Will McConnell
Camera: David Neill
Bandwidth 2009

The sharp-eyed amongst you might recognise the hero of the piece. Mike Mormeecha is also front man of the brilliantly loopy Mojo Fury. You might have seen him in other such films as the Bandwidth Beatles Tribute – where he reclaimed ‘Come Together’ for Timothy Leary with a storming, psychedelic cover.

Mojo Fury is the day job – but Clown Parlour is the sexy secretary. They were once described as “the musical equivalent of The Beatles having mid morning coffee with Nine Inch Nails and Ludwig Van Beethoven providing the biscuits” (Read it all here).”

If only the whole world could be so silly.

Clown Parlour – Vicious Delicious

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Director/Camera: Will McConnell
Sound: David Neill
©2009 Bandwidth

NEXT WEEK: John Shelly & The Creatures

There’s going to be 12 episodes to start off with, all based around the Cathedral Quarter. It’s an experiment – an attempt (perhaps futile) to mix things up. Let’s see where it goes. There’ll be a new episode EVERY WEDNESDAY until the summer ends, or we run out of shops.

Here’s ESCAPE ACT playing the crazy old Spaniard Bar in the Cathedral Quarter.
Tomorrow, to break the habit of 5 minutes Clown Parlour. Then one episode every Wednesday. Promise.

Escape Act – Salt In Your Eye

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Director/Camera: Will McConnell
©2009 Bandwidth Films

Here – to celebrate its latest screening at the Oh Yeah Music Centre 15th-19th June – we bring you highlights from the classic concert. Starting with Ken Haddock..

Ken Haddock – The Air That I Breathe (The Hollies)

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The genius of Urban Hymns was to bring together an eclectic style of musicians from around Ireland and beyond to celebrate the common roots of so much contemporary music – gospel and soul. The idea was this – each artist was invited to sing one of their own songs, then a cover version that they thought ‘appropriate’ to the setting. Gabriel Makamanzi, from the band The Afresh, had just become a proud father to his second son that morning. He played a traditional Zimbabwean prayer, to call for protection from his ancestors. He admitted that he doesn’t usually do covers – but Oh Yeah head honcho Stuart Bailie kindly suggested this gem..

Gabriel Makamanzi – Redemption Song (Bob Marley)

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Paul Archer and Ian Archer make up Burning Codes. If their music sounds familiar, it might make sense to reveal they’ve written and performed with Snow Patrol. Paul spoke passionately about The Velvet Underground, performing a stripped down rendition of ‘I’m Set Free’, before setting the place alight with this wonderful track:

Burning Codes – Go

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Réa Curran was brought to the attention of the event organisers by Duke Special (who appeared as a non very secret guest at the end of the night – see below). Réa is an actor, a musician and a backing singer with the Special-one and his musical persona is the brilliantly named Delightful Mess. If you thought Nick Cave could do with a bit of sprucing up but were afraid to say so, check out this stunning rendition of ‘Into My Arms’ which starts out as a whisper and ascends to the gospel..

Réa Curran – Into My Arms (Nick Cave)

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Followers of Bandwidth will have seen this heart stopping performance before – and there’s no harm in showing again here in its entirety. Ciaran Gribben (aka Joe Echo)’s performance was highlighted here for our Christmas special podcast – it seemed so fitting to the season – fortunately it has lost none of its impact into the summer months. In fact it just gets better over time – the test of a truly classic event.

Joe Echo – Amazing Grace

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That, in case you didn’t notice, was sung to the tune of ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ by The Animals. Each artist, as you remember, was asked to sing one of their own songs and a cover version. Ciaran contributed this one – a beautiful ballad to nostalgia and cheeky wee scamps (that’s children in nirish) everywhere.

Joe Echo – Tilly’s Cowboy

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The worst kept secret of the night was a guest performance from this man, Duke Special, for no other reason than “when there’s a good party, you want to be at it”. Especially when it’s the party of the year. Actually, another good reason is that Mr. Special first introduced The Inishowen Gospel Choir to Oh Yeah in May Street. He had met them in Donegal, played a few gigs with them, then brought the whole bunch to Belfast to play his album launch party. So it turned to the Duke to set up the pins..

Duke Special – Digging An Early Grave

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..and them knock them down with this simply stunning song, ‘Why Does Anybody Love?’. Watch the camera close-ups on the choirs eyes, and the tears welling up in some of them. As Bronagh Gallagher later pointed out – “They don’t call that boy Duke Special for nothing”.

Duke Special – Why Does Anybody Love?

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Everyone who was at this concert night remembers one performance over all the others. Not that it wasn’t an unforgettable night from everyone – but sometimes you need to have the roof raised, stack up the chairs, roll up the carpet – and just dance. This one literally got people up on their feet, hollering, clapping, you name it. You may remember Bronagh Gallagher as one of the Commitment-ettes. You may remember her classic soul album with Liaisons Dangereuses,Precious Soul – but you will definitely remember this.

Bronagh Gallagher – Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson)

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To conclude the night came Foy Vance. The man needs no introduction. The shear range of his voice – from the falsetto of the introduction tot he this track, to the booming baritone of its conclusion that seemed, almost impossibly to fill every atom of that building. Asked later he admitted “This song spoke to me before I even knew what the words were.” Melding the sanctity of Jeff Buckley’s cover version, with the profanity of the original – this is in Bandwidth’s humble opinion the definitive cover version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.

Foy Vance – Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

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And to conclude the night..
After so many wonderful moments of soul, rhythm and blues, gospel and rock, why not hand things over to the real stars of the night, The Inishowen Gospel Choir, and mix it all up in one big pot. Some of the lead acts from the night came down from the stalls, Ken Haddock, Réa Curran, Bronagh Gallagher and, fresh off the pulpit, Foy Vance – for this vibrant, improvised (and a little tongue in cheek) gospel jam.

The Inishowen Gospel Choir – This Little Light Of Mine (Concert Finale)

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You can see URBAN HYMNS: THE MOVIE in full at the OH YEAH MUSIC CENTRE on 15 Gordon Street, Belfast from 15th-26th June 2009 at 1.30pm. ADMISSION IS FREE

Director: Will McConnell
Camera: Will McConnell, Martin Bolton
Additional Sound: Steven Rainey, Amy McGarrigle

Recorded live at May Street Church, Belfast, 25th October 2008
2008 Bandwidth Films

Time for a reminder, if a reminder were needed, of a band who did it first, better and with cooler. We’ve had The National on this site from New York and Seu Jorge from Rio de Janeiro, but this is the first time Bandwidth has ventured as far as Dublin – and we’re proud to present you their finest sons (and daughter) – Fight Like Apes

Fight Like Apes – Tie Me Up In Jackets

Download from iTunes (42.6 MB)

Well.. except that it was actually Fight Like Apes who ventured here. Here to be precise, for a session with BBC Radio 1 in Northern Ireland. Bandwidth followers who may remember this session from rock Gods Therapy? may know about the awesome overwhelming size of the Blackstaff studios in Belfast. Whereas Therapy?’s set filled the whole size of the space, ringing the rafters out of the roof – this was a whole different, intimate kind of experience. I nearly forgot where I was for a second – and hopefully that impression comes across on video, in a good way..

Fight Like Apes – Lumpy Dough

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Currently on a never-ever ending tour of the UK and Ireland – and fresh from a lot more radio coverage playing Camden Crawl 2009 – the remarkably non-belligerent simian band will be back in Belfast on 22 June supporting Kasabian in St George’s Market (!?). Go them. And pick me up a bag of apples.

Fight Like Apes – Something Global

Download from iTunes (53.2 MB)

Director/Camera: Will McConnell
2009 Bandwidth/BBC

Mark Gordon and Tanya Mellotte have unusual day jobs. They like to travel around the world, remixing records and playing to packed out clubs in their alter ego Skibunny. You may know the clubnight in Belfast years back. Well. Bandwidth was curious to discover that Mark and Tanya also moonlight as a live band. With the addition of Christine on real life drums, the synths get shoved to the back wall and the guitars come on.

This video – the rather suggestively titled ‘Up Down’ is, to my knowledge, the first appearance of Skibunny as a live act on screen. Put your nose right up to the screen and blink rapidly (Bandwidth does not claim responsibility for etc.) – and you might just capture some of their new live visuals – which Bandwidth might just also have had a hand in. Yeah ok we did some of those too.

Director/Camera; Will McConnell
© Bandwidth Films 2009

It must have been the worst kept secret of the night, but Panama Kings planned a secret party in the basement of AU Magazine in Belfast. Secrets don’t keep to themselves well in Belfast. I think there were easily 350 people there, more including those who’ll say they were there years later. An awesome band, getting better every day, on the crest of a major breakthrough with a UK tour planned – a few bottles of Buckfast – and a night to remember.

What other way to capture what we deem to be the song of the year (and its only May) – from the live act of the decade (that’s safely within the numbers) – than with a live video?

Fresh from playing a sold out marquee venue at Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, Belfast titans And So I Watch You From Afar were also in the crowd – and Tony Wright from the band graced the stage to do perform a scary cover of Mclusky’s “To Hell With Good Intentions”. Expect that to appear on Youtube sometime soon (hey.. don’t look at ME).

And for the see-also column, check out some outtakes from the video shoot of Panama Kings at the Oh Yeah Music centre…. here…

Director/Camera: Will McConnell
Bandwidth 2009

Some great Strummerville bands were there for the launch, like crazy London warbler Dan Smith and good old fashioned rawk n roll band Wild Wolves. Top of the bill, Belfast’s very own, very brilliant Panama Kings, and they brought this song in tribute to the event…

Panama Kings – London Calling (The Clash)

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Then back to one of their own classics. Bandwidth has always been a huge fan of the band, but we never fully appreciated the awesome power of their live act until we sat up on stage with them, camera in hand. They truly are an awesome live act – and if you live in mainland Britain, head to see the Kings wherever you can next week on their mini tour, which kind of culminates in London gig with Ash at the Bloomsbury Ballroom (not before heading home to the Limelight on 27 May to officially launch Golden Recruit).
Enjoy!

Panama Kings – Children

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After the event at Oh Yeah, the worst kept secret of the night – a secret gig in the basement of the AU Magazine offices. Bandwidth followed dutifully, and evidence of the resulting carnage can be found here..

Director/Camera: Will McConnell
Bandwidth 2009

Pocket Promise – Something Unreal

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The band set up in the living room of their shared house on Stranmillis St. in Belfast. Lead guitarist Dominic Coyle provided tea and buns while drummer Joe Laverty set the mics in place. With the fire roaring, we nearly forgot we had a session to film, even as guest musicians Joanne Holland (Violin), Laura Henderson (Harp) and Alana Henderson (Cello) arrived. There was a magical feeling hanging in the air as the band played through one of their best known tracks ‘Something Unreal’, from the ‘Waving At Strangers’ EP, now complete with harp and miniature-string section. Perhaps it was the spirit of Jason, Robbie, Gary and Howard staring down from their mantlepiece vigil. Lead singer/Pianio maestro Cormac Fee plays a miniature harpsichord (there must be a ‘proper’ name for this instrument, and if there is, I’ve misplaced it) – which the band seem to be collecting from charity shops – this one had one cardboard key and there was another broken mini-piano behind the sofa.

Pocket Promise – If Not The Tide Will Change

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If Not The Tide.. is a track from the new (at the time of writing still unnamed) new album – but you won’t hear a version like this anywhere else. The lead single ‘I Burnt The Roller Disco’ is a taster of the sound you can expect, and guitars come heavy and fast throughout. But with tea, buns, a roaring fire and a string section, it found its own voice. Alana, Joanne and Laura packed up and the session was finished. But the band weren’t done yet. Be careful what you say around Bandwidth when the camera’s switched on – bass player Ciarán McKenna had previously let slip that ‘The You & Me Song’ was a favourite among the band. The backline had gone home, but we were in no mood to call it a night. We gathered up as many lamps, candles and torches as we could find and got to work..

Pocket Promise – The You & Me Song (The Wannadies)

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Pocket Promise had one more trick up their sleeves. Apparently it was a favourite whenever Cormac and Dominic played open mic nights out in smokey bars in Boston, USA. It makes sense, a few more packets of camels and Cormac could be Joe Cocker here. This is a personal highlight for the Bandwidth team – those who regularly read the site might have noticed we have a sort of a thing for the Beatles here.

Here’s to many more nights in with tea, cake and Pocket Promise!

Pocket Promise – With A Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles)

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Director/Camera: Will McConnell
2009 Bandwidth Films

This one was always going to work out strangely. Larne-outfit Dutch Schultz approached Bandwidth last year, with a view to relaunching their single It Bends In The Middle, a fantastic but largely unnoticed track that was now to be re-polished, re-recorded and re-packaged by their new parent label Di Di Mau Records. The pitch was quite simple – make us something that will grab attention, and while you’re at it, try and make us look sexy, and funny, but not sexist, and most of all make it ROCK. Ok, so clearly not that simple.

The result caused quite a stir needless to say. Or rather the band’s reaction to the video did – they took it rather too well, inviting Jo Robinson and other dancers from Polercise to attend their launch tour, inadvertently causing quite a ruckus amongst more conservative commentators.

So it came time for single number two. We at Bandwidth were looking for something equally as visually striking as the first video, but something which redressed (no pun intended) the balance a little towards the Schultz’s eclectic grunge/indie roots. So reluctantly the band packed away their high heels and lippy and, much less reluctantly, hit the road with A Plastic Rose to play some of their most blistering live dates of their career around Ireland and Scotland. Back home, we called in a few favours and took a trip (pun intended) around the park, and up and down the Stranmillis Rd in Belfast.

To us, ‘On The Shelf’ is the sound of a band on the cusp of something big. Featuring globe trotting dance/rock act Skibunny‘s lead vocalist Tanya, there’s a confidence in this song (and dare I say it, an optimism, if that’s not a dirty word) that will take Dutch Schultz as far as they want to go. We thought about a wee band from a provincial coastal town, with the hutzpah to do anything they damn well felt like, before the big record labels started calling the shots, and even then they’d just damn well do what they felt like. Maybe that’s why some of the kinder ones are already comparing the video to a mutant cross between Wind In The Willows and this little band.

As so far as the band goes, we certainly see the comparisons.

Director: Will McConnell
Bandwidth Films 2009

These Lords of Rock were in town for a little gig you may have heard of that took place in the Ulster Hall in March. I’ve heard, from those who were lucky enough to get tickets (don’t – I just know you did) – that there was much swearing. The radio wasn’t happy. “I think we’re ready to join Therapy,” Rigsy proposed, fingers crossed, fist in mouth – Andy was off on one apparently – “whoops, maybe not just yet..”. “I texted him later to say sorry mate, I just got carried away,” Andy offered later. “My mum certainly hasn’t come to one of our gigs since 1996..”. Maybe I shouldn’t be reporting this..

As it so happens, Andy Cairns, singer and lead guitarist, is simply the nicest Alternative Post-Industrial Metallist (not my words) I’ve ever met. The whole band are such true gentlemen, I began to understand why the BBC invited them back. Incidentally, BBC Radio 1 in Northern Ireland seem to think its more dramatic to record all their radio sessions inside a giant diving bell. We were expecting something a bit more like this. But before the sound engineers even had time to set up, Therapy? launch into a rehearsal take of a track which makes this aircraft hanger all of a sudden seem about the size of a sardine tin..

Therapy? – I Told You I Was Ill

Watch on iTunes

The appropriateness of the venue was really hitting through. As was the tightness of the trio – Therapy? followers will know that during the late 90s early 00s period there were all kids of line up changes with the band – I personally loved the electronic cello sound – but the 3 piece set-up has always seemed to suit them best – and their last 3 albums have been like a rebirth – from the shockingly rocking ‘Never Apologise Never Explain’, through the big bad ‘One Cure Fits All’ to ‘Crooked Timber’ – you can nearly forgive the frilly silk shirts from Infernal Love – here’s a band who’ve come the long way round to come back home again, and what’s more have a story to tell. Just watch Neil Cooper’s intro to ‘Don’t Try’, and the eye contact between him and Michael McKeegan – this is a band who could show most others a thing or six about who to rock out.

By the way, this track is the first of 2 exclusives Therapy? played for Radio 1 in Northern Ireland, and now Bandwidth. It’s not on the album. And every line is an epitaph from a tombstone. Apparently.

Therapy? – Don’t Try

Watch on iTunes

Watching this band work is a true pleasure. They had wanted to provide something extra special sound wise for session listeners in Northern Ireland, and had come up with this the previous night. There are still many possible incarnations and the band try them out. Michael and Neil conference: “What about Fugazi bit, Fugazi bit, then Metallica bit, then I’ll just do some sonic madness”. To me it only sounds like vintage Therapy?

Another exclusive for BBC Radio 1 and Bandwidth:

Therapy? – Treacle Feet

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At this point, for danger of forgetting where we are here – a phonecall comes through as if only to remind us all of Therapy’s holy place in Northern Irish rocklore. It’s Stuart Bailie on the line, former NME editor and head honcho at Bandwidth’s alama mater, the Oh Yeah Music Centre. Andy Cairns had promised him an article for the music memorabilia exhibition due to open the next month – “Yeah that reminds me” – he reaches over to a flight case and produces a battered cream coloured fender with the neck snapped off. Apparently the last time Therapy? played the Ulster Hall they got a little over excited and this was the casualty. “That was back in the day, you know” Andy modestly reminisces.

I somehow have the feeling there will be many more to come yet.

Director: Will McConnell
2009 Bandwidth/BBC

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Every once in a while, a little song comes along and sits in your head. You don’t notice it’s there, and while you’re busy getting on with your life, it’s making a nest, hanging pictures, rearranging chairs and measuring for curtains. Apparently its this way for images too. And so it was with Pocket Promise.

The band contacted Bandwidth late in 2008 with a mind to film an acoustic band session in their lovely practice room up somewhere outside Dungannon. They had new material coming up, which lead singer/guitarist/piano maestro Cormac Fee told me was “very different” from their (incidentally, wonderfully dreamy, complex and highly recommended) 2008 EP Waving At Strangers. Needless to say, the session date went in the diary and no one thought much else about it.

Then it happened. An unassuming email from guitarist Dominic Coyle, the band had a new track that they were ‘pleasantly surprised’ with. The love affair began. A song so unremittingly catchy, so unashamedly poppy, at 2mins35 seconds so very different from what I expected.. Did someone say pop?

And so sometimes it happens like this. Just as I couldn’t get the song out of my head – so it turns out the band couldn’t get the image of the video out of their mind either. The aforementioned practice room near Dungannon was to feature, this time filled with hundreds and hundreds (six hundred to be precise) of colourful balloons for some reason – the rest was up to me. I agreed on the condition that I was allowed to exercise my pathological fear of balloons by putting in references to The Shining (1min9), Lord of The Flies and (1min42) The Birds (1min49)… OK maybe you have to look particularly hard..

As for that acoustic band session? It happened too. Stay tuned.

Director: Will McConnell
Bandwidth 2009

Article originally appeared on www.pavelware.com.

Having spent practically every weekend in February with Sligo born (though Belfast bred) band A Plastic Rose, I’m quite sure that anything I have to say will be tinted by fond memories of having my gig worn ears soothed by comfortable sofas, friendly conversation and the intermittent smell of Buckfast on the air.

And perhaps that’s the best place to start. Comprised of Gerry Norman, Troy Heaton, Ian McHugh and David Reid, A Plastic Rose contain a very insufferable quality in today’s world - behind their music, they are genuinely nice people; interested in fitting into the puzzle that is the music community in Northern Ireland.
In a generation that has been trying to outgrow talk of cliques, scenes and in-crowds, they are a band who over the last six months have simply put their heads down and worked hard at making their own material the best that they can. They can count many of the other local bands as not only fans, but friends – and can be seen taking musical life on the chin, concentrating on presenting the wider world with a show of effort rather than spend time focusing on the negatives.



A role at A Little Solidarity and consistantly rising stock (opening for LaFaro and ASIWYFA at the Christmas Two Step) has seen them quickly grow from opening act to cult favourite amongst other bands, and at the present time they are just starting to poke into the realm of headlining – landing top bill at Dutch Shultz’s album launch night. So far it appears the future will see further advancements into this, with the band scheduled to make a proud return to The Limelight in April to headline the Two Step.

Constantly striving to make every song sound different without losing the essence of their particular brand of shoe-gaze, you could say that whilst you may not enjoy what they play; you can’t fault their attitude towards their craft. Or at least, you could, but I’d have to tell you that you’re wrong. It is this drive to perfect their sound has seen them move from slow building work like Suns A Shadow to the anthemic Kids Don’t Behave Like This, a song which is instantly recognisable and generates energy in crowds normally reserved for Fighting With Wire – culminating with it, Superspeed and Skin (their latest batch of direct yet poignant songs – recently released via a self titled E.P at the Spring & Airbrake) going down an absolute storm with audiences.



And that comment is not without comparison – there is something, dare I say, Cahir-esque about Gerry Norman’s stage presence; but let’s not get carried away.

A Plastic Rose is maturing as an act. With a focus on the fresh turnover of new ideas and a growing affinity for engaging with their audiences, I personally will be following them, hopefully, for many years to come as they continue to draft what is shaping up to be a very distinct soundscape. Providing Gerry’s sofa doesn’t eat me alive some night.

Director: Will McConnell
Bandwidth 2009

To read Steven Rainey’s review of the night, have a look here.

A Plastic Rose – Silence You

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Silence You was the first track that made us fall so deeply in love with A Plastic Rose – away back in October of 2008 at the Oh Yeah Centre was the time and place – Gerry Norman and Ian McHugh with a bottle of whiskey and an amp, jamming backstage with members of Here Comes The Landed Gentry. You may remember this video from back then.

It’s lost none of its impact – the spirit and soul of the band comes from the fact that so many of their songs are written acoustically, and have the kind of sing-a-long quality that a backstage space and whiskey allows – but this is where ‘Silence You’ truly belongs, in front of eight hundred (and equally eight hundred thousand) screaming fans.
 
A Plastic Rose – Superspeed

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A new track – ‘Superspeed’ is by the band’s own confession the most commercial pop they’ve ever written. We disagree at Bandwidth. Somehow it seems impossible to imagine Lily Allen screaming “it’s staring you in the faaaaaaaace” at her adoring fans with such vitriol, such clarity and such confidence. Behind the heart of this band poets lie scientist’s brains. They’re concerned, they’re clued in – but thank fuck, they’re passionate too. And this song makes every hair in the room stand to attention.

A Plastic Rose – The Colour Blue

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And what a finale. Someone should tell Gerry, Troy, Ian and Dave that stage dives are supposed to be performed.. well.. off the … actually, forget it, it’s punk rock. “Let’s get pissed…”

To read Steven Rainey’s suberb review of the night, pop over here right now and don’t stop.

Director: Will McConnell
Camera: Will McConnell, Stuart Sloan
Sound: David Donnelly

2009 Bandwidth Films

The Jane Bradfords suit Valentines Day I think. I like to think of myself as hapless and hopelessly romantic.  I’d like to claim that this video was our idea – some sort of brooding moment of inspiration -  but it wasn’t…. it was Will McConnells vision to see the Jane Bradfords stripped of all our synths and electric guitars and embrace our quieter acoustic side.

Choosing the songs for the videocast was easier than i expected… we had something old, something new, something borrowed but, er, nothing blue (apart from the outtakes when I fucked up the words for the 10th time and went into a tirade of expletives).

For the old track we chose ‘ninety-nine’ which is normally upbeat, short and loud. The theme to the song is the start of relationships when you feel that afforementioned ‘magic.’  Stripped back to acoustic its a completely different song. Dave’s soft piano work is a stark contrast to the synths in the original. Stu Bell’s pedal steel and Ruairi Dempsey’s violin give it a kind of an alt-country edge which was unexpected.

The Jane Bradfords – Ninety-Nine

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The new track is an exclusive I guess. Its called ‘about our love’ and will hopefully feature on the new JBs album. Its about the monotony of relationships once they get stuck in routine; its about all those people who get married not because they’re in love, but because its the ‘thing to do at our age.’  Johnny and Daves guitar playing make the song seem so pleasant and sweet but the lyrics come and bitterly fuck it all up! The session version isn’t much different to the album version which is a bit of a departure for the JBs.

The Jane Bradfords – About Our Love

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Finally, what song can you borrow for a Valentines Podcast.  I had considered REM’s ‘the one i love’ but instead went for the Cyndi Lauper track ‘Time after Time.’  I was actually expecting people to think it was a cheesy choice but I haven’t met one person who doesn’t love the original track and the more we as a band played it together, the more we released how good a song it is.  I sincerely hope we did it justice.

The Jane Bradfords – Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper)

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It was great performing with the band like this.  We couldn’t have done it without borrowing a Panama King, Stu Bell and the meanest fiddler in all of Cushendal, Ruairi Dempsey.  We’re also very thankful to Richard, Will, Shauna and Brideen who helped this all come together and really hope it becomes the soundtrack to your valentines, be it all snuggly in front of the fire or in a cold bath as the blood seeps slowly out of your body…

Director: Will McConnell
Sound: Richard Lower, Declan Gallen
Bandwidth 2009

We spent a nice afternoon down at the U105 studios in Belfast with George Jones and Shauna Tohill (aka Silhouette). Shauna performed ‘Put The Silence On Hold’ which has been nominated for a People’s Choice Award. Go here and get your voting fingers out!

Director: Will McConnell
Bandwidth 2009

But, like most things, the proof is, indeed, in the pudding. The Beatles last hurrah as a band ultimately proved to be an epic send off, an iconic farewell that has echoed down the ages. The 30th of January, 1969 has passed into legend as a moment to remember, and a touchstone of cool. Well, Harrison’s and Lennon’s woolly coats might not have been cool, and Ringo was sporting a rather unfortunate little ‘Red Riding Hood’ style number, but history tends to overlook these things.

The Snoodles – Don’t Let Me Down

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In the years that have since passed, bands have attempted to tap into this piece of history by aping their heroes, succumbing to the now clichéd ‘rooftop performance’. U2 in their atrociously bad 1989 film, Rattle and Hum (U2 go to America and get the blues, whilst the audience puke their eyeballs out at the cheap crassness of the whole endeavour) clamour for their place in the pantheon of greats by playing on the roof an office building and stopping the traffic. Echo and the Bunnymen did it to ‘promote’ their 1987 self titled album. In the Simpsons, the B- Sharpes reunited on the roof of Moe’s Tavern, only for a disdainful George Harrison so drive past, exclaiming, “It’s been done…”
 
Interestingly, of all the bands mentioned so far, only U2 managed to stay together after their rooftop performance, perhaps because they have made an evil pact and cannot be killed by conventional weaponry.

 It is with this in mind, that we trudge to the roof of the Oh Yeah building in Belfast, where members of A Plastic Rose, And So I Watch You From Afar, and MojoFURY have thrown caution to the wind – both metaphorical and literal – and decided to recreate the Beatles performance, 40 years later to the day.

 The wind and rain are howling in the bones of our faces (as Bob Dylan didn’t quite sing), and the conditions can only really be described as “Truly Horrible”. Equipment is strapped down to the ground, as the wind threatens to hurl the PA off the roof of the building, right on top of a curious policeman, who is greedily eyeing up all the illegally parked vehicles outside. However, the spirit of Lennon and Harrison must have been looking down upon us, as the rain eased off slightly, allowing some level of calm to descend upon the scene.

The Snoodles – Come Together

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The Bandwidth films team scurrying around between us, intently wanting to capture this glorious spectacle, your correspondent found himself surrounded by musicians united by their love of the Beatles, and a general predisposition towards mischief. Talk breaks out as to who will be the first to be arrested, as guitars are tuned, drums are hit, and Gerry Norman’s hat defies the laws of physics by remaining rooted to his head, despite what seem like gale-force winds.

After a short wait, in which water began seeping through my tired and old shoes, the band begin to play. Bizarrely, amid the wind, and the drizzle, and the fact that I feel like I’ve developed a bad case of trench foot, the band really begin to play, their enthusiasm becoming completely infectious. Office workers in the surrounding area throw open their windows to hear the music, and a bunch of construction workers on some nearby scaffolding begin shouting their appreciation.

The Snoodles – Get Back

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Three songs later, and it’s all over. History has, indeed been made. And, in keeping with the curse of the rooftop gig, this conglomeration of bands, loosely called either And So I Watch Your Plastic Mojo, or The Snoodles, spilt up, having just preserved for all eternity their one and only performance.

If this is history, let it be known that I WAS THERE! If not, my feet will someday recover, and it beats sitting in the office any day.

And perhaps that’s the true legacy of The Beatles?

Director: Will McConnell

Camera: Will McConnell, David Neill, Genevieve Ewing

Sound: David Donnelly, Andrew Melville
Bandwidth 2009