#david boyle

THEATRE REVIEW: The Mousetrap @ Theatre Royal Glasgow ⭐⭐⭐ @MousetrapLondon @GlasgowKings #AgathaChristie

Set in Monksville Manor Hotel during a blizzard, a group of guests arrive and are trapped there together, when a murder takes place. The set is a wood-panelled livingroom with tall windows and sofas, and works nicely as the backdrop to the action.

Agatha is cosy murder and comforting recognisable types of British character from a bygone age. In this regard the play lets no-one down, there’s even…

Η Michele Bertomen και ο David Boyle αγόρασαν ένα μικρό κομμάτι γης στο Brooklyn (Νέα Υόρκη) ώστε να κτίσουν το σπίτι τους.

Το κόστος όμως ήταν πολύ ψηλό οπότε σκέφτηκαν να κάνουν κάτι πρωτότυπο.

Έτσι έχτισαν το σπίτι τους, χρησιμοποιώντας κοντέινερ.

Το σπίτι που κατασκευάστηκε από 5 κοντέινερ

Πιστεύετε ότι κάτι τέτοιο δεν μπορεί να γίνει στην Ελλάδα ή την Κρήτη;

Νέα τάση: Κατασκευές από κοντέινερ!

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“Bilgisayarlar da insanlar gibiydi ancak yine de onlardan farklılardı, başka bir sınıfa mensuptular. Tıpkı Turing'in kendisi gibi onlar da mantığa dayalı bir problemi çözebilirlerdi ama insan ilişkilerinde kabul görmüş olan kodların üstesinden gelemezlerdi. Yoksa gelebilirler miydi?”

I have this love hate relationship with Spotify.  I love it because it is a great way to find music and I hate it because there is too much choice.  Each year I set up a new folder foe bands and songs that I think are worthy of more attention later.  Trouble is you never go back because there is always something new just around the corner. More on this later.

Earlier in the week a mate of mine Pete sent a message asking if I was going to see the DMAs?  I said no hadn’t heard of them and I had no idea who they were, or what they sounded like.

What caught my attention was he called them “the Aussie answer to Oasis”. A big call I thought and really why would an Aussie band that consisted of 3 members being, Matt Mason, Tommy O’Dell and Johnny Took, base their sound on the Britpop era of Oasis, Pulp and Blur?

The Tuning Fork wasn’t totally full but the buzz was high and when lights came down the three members gainfully took their positions on stage and kicked off the gig with So We Know.  

Straight away they sounded tight and the vibe of the venue lifted up another notch and for me it was like slipping on a comfy pair of slippers. By that I mean they sounded like bands of my past and even dressed a little like their influences of the 90’s right down to the parka jacket and cap. The rest of the band members then joined them on stage and created an intriguing wall of sound by the end of the first song.

I felt for the drummer who seemed to be dropped into a cavity around butt height of the rest of the band, but he provided a great rhythm that led to a reasonably frantic setlist with little chatter from lead singer Tommy O’Dell, and more focus on the music. I really loved that!

The jangling guitars, snaring yet soft at times lead vocals, and catchy choruses had the audience connecting straight away with neat little rifts weaved into the lyrics of the day which many of the punters happily contributed to during the course of the night.

The sound overall was very good however there were times that it sounded a little muddy with regular signals from some of the band members to notch up the acoustic guitar and cleaning up the vocals from time to time.

That said the DMAs have something.

For a young band, the experience was something like me seeing the Arctic Monkeys for the first time at the St James,  they were tight, polished with just enough angst that took be back to my own teenage years.

They mixed their relatively short set with both old and new tracks with a confidence and maturity ahead of their years.  And that was the attraction for me.  Not really knowing their songs well I found myself smiling and being taken back to a less complicated time.  Standout tracks for me were Melbourne, Dawning (their new single), Step Up The Morphine and Laced, with my pick of the night being Delete.  Just a magical song that really reflects what this band is about.

The set closed with a wall of fuzz which filled the venue until they all came back and finished off the encore in style with Play It Loud, Emily Whyte and Lay Down which brings me back to Spotify because it was by chance this song was already in my 2017 playlist which just goes to show even for an old fella I picked something that caught my attention with that song. It was a great night, and great track to finish off the night, and the crowd in my opinion walked away getting their money’s worth and then some.

I expect to see more of these boys in the future and I can now say I am a true fan which is no mean feat.

David Boyle

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Chris Zwaagdyk:

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There’s always a risk that when a band launches into their gig and plays one of their best known albums end-to-end, the impact and flow might get lost in our age of digital streaming, especially in the “pick and mix” music world we live in today. And I have seen a few in my day, from the Pixies playing Doolittle, to Gary Numan and The Pleasure Principal, jeez I even saw the Boss do it with Born In The USA.

Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.  Luckily those who were at the Adam Ant concert were from the LP era, where albums like Kings Of The Wild Frontier were the staple of most parties and almost always played from start to finish. For me, growing up in Ashburton, Adam and the Ants had a different sound to others, and a swagger that was filled with confidence and a bucket-load of arrogance that many teenagers could connect to and, more importantly, sing along to.

The not-quite-so-full house of punters, who came along to capture their youth and memories of the past, weren’t disappointed with the opening song. Dog Eat Dog kicked off the setlist from a youthful, slightly “Pirates of the Caribbean” looking Adam Ant and his more fresh-faced five-piece band. The two drummers were the initial standout and really made the most impact, filling our ears with the double beats that were his signature sound and taking everyone back to the first time they bought the album and dropped the needle on it.

From there it was true to the album track list with Ant Music raising a roar from the crowd, signaling that this was one of the key songs they had come to hear. There was a tinge of sadness from my perspective that one of the most well-known tracks came out so early but, that aside, a very good rendition was played and really got the crowd singing along.

Yes, there were moments in the first setlist that did lose their way a little, especially for those who didn’t buy the LP at the time. But it reminded me why I love albums so much and hearing the tracks played in order brought back some old memories of mine, especially songs like Feed Me To The Lions, Ants Invasion, Jolly Roger, and of course the title track, Kings of the Wild Frontier. 

Surprisingly there was no interaction with the crowd and Adam ranged around the stage like a caged cat with sporadic body flinches and the odd sneering glare out to the back of beyond. That all changed as we came to the end of the album and an apology was offered for his self-indulgence at playing all the songs in one long, uninterrupted blast, with a delightful lady yelling back “we know and I love you”.  I don’t think she was on her own either.  This was his first visit to New Zealand and I suspect that most who turned up were pleased that they had.

The band then launched into the second part of the show and became a lot chattier. They kicked off with what was the highlight for me Beat My Guest; not on any album, this track can be found as the B side on the Stand And Deliver 45. It’s a favourite of mine as it has a punk edge, played at pace, with a rawness that suggests it was one of his very first songs, written from influences of his time being Television, X-Ray Spex, and New York Dolls in particular. More songs followed that were a mixture from his other albums with Vive Le Rock, Apollo 9, Prince Charming, and of course Stand And Deliver to close the set; sadly the latter didn’t deliver and was notable as my low point of the evening, given how much I loved that song.

With the traditional farewell and thanks the lights fell. A short break, some chanting and they returned for the encore with three tracks: Goody Two Shoes, Red Scab, and Physical before waving goodbye, unlikely to return to our shores again.

I hadn’t quite known what to expect before the night – my fear was, like many bands of that era, they were best left in the past, remembered with fondness and protected by their original recordings.  So, I was expecting the worst to be honest, and hoping for something better. Happily, overall, they didn’t disappoint.  Adam sang an octave or two lower, missed some words, and let the crowd and backing band sing the bits he couldn’t. But there was enough there for most fans and those who turned up would probably agree they got what they expected and that’s not always a bad thing.

Adam A(i)nt what he used to be, but that’s ok and I was glad to have seen him.

David Boyle

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Ivan Karczewski:

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[Last Film I Watched] A New Leaf (1971)

Title: A New Leaf Year: 1971 Country: USA Language: English Genre: Comedy, Romance Director/Writer: Elaine May based on Jack Ritchie’s short story THE GREEN HEART Cinematography: Gayne Rescher Cast: Walter Matthau Elaine May Jack Weston George Rose James Coco William Redfield Doris Roberts Graham Jarvis Renée Taylor William Hickey David Boyle Conrad Bain Rating: 6.9/10

A NEW LEAF is Elaine May’s…