Eoin Butler: writer, journalist and Mayoman of the Year
Tripping Along The Ledge
kerry katona
The Vengaboys: a critical reappraisal
Attention wedding DJs, office party organisers and hack journalists. A Nineties revival as wearily predictable as day following night, or Mayo bricking it in Croke Park, is soon to be unleashed. The other day some radio station called to ask if I’d like to come in and reminisce about what a wild and crazy decade the Nineties were. Dear God, wouldn’t it be easier if we just slit our wrists now and were done with it?
This is The Nostalgia Treadmill. That is the phenomenon whereby popular culture constantly venerates the decade-before-last as some sort of lost golden age. Think about it. The sitcom Happy Days – which sentimentalised socially oppressive and conformity-obsessed 1950s – was made in the 1970s. That ‘70s Show debuted in the 1990s. Read the rest of this entry »
That experimental, all-sarcasm McFadden smackdown again
This article dates from my time as music columnist for Village magazine. My brief there was basically to write a column about alternative music that would appeal to people who didn’t care about alternative music. That proved somewhat of a challenge.
Someone (possibly Larry Ryan) challenged me to write a column that was completely sarcastic from start to finish and have it published. I succeeded, although my enthusiasm for the project clearly waned midway through. The last two paragraphs are copied almost verbatum from Westlife fansites. Read the rest of this article here.
THE VENGABOYS: A CRITICAL REAPPRAISAL
Attention wedding DJs, office party organisers and hack journalists… A Nineties revival, as wearily predictable as day following night, or Mayo crashing out in Croke Park, is soon to be unleashed. I got a phone call today from a radio station (not one I regularly appear on, I should point out) asking if I’d come in and reminisce about what a wild and crazy decade the Nineties were. Read the rest of this entry »
“BEING IRISH, BEING A SON… HOW DO YOU RECONCILE THE TWO?”
Ever noticed when there’s a (usually American) guest on the Late, Late Show who insists on talking about the deep affinity they feel for Ireland and all things Irish? One tends to be a bit sceptical about these people. Are they sincere, you wonder? Or is this just the standard patter they churn out wherever their publicity duties take them? Read the rest of this entry »
“Being Irish, being a son… How do you reconcile the two?”
Ever noticed when there’s a (usually American) guest on the Late, Late Show who insists on talking about the deep affinity they feel for Ireland and all things Irish? One tends to be a bit sceptical about these people. Are they sincere, you wonder? Or is this just the standard patter they churn out wherever their publicity duties take them? Read the rest of this entry »