Author: Ken McGuire

  • Peel When Cup Is Empty

    Peel When Cup Is Empty

    Trying a couple of things here including a test with the Canon Powershot G15, a review of which is going online in the next fortnight over on Any Given Food (tool of the trade, don’t you know).

    I’ve also rediscovered a set of Photoshop filter actions that I picked up in the last year via MightyDeals.com, so expect to see some heavily filtered shots in the pipeline.

  • It’s Not All About The Looks

    It’s Not All About The Looks

    It's not all about the looks...

    It’s not all about the looks, you know.

    Pictured outside one of my favourite Galway eateries, Ard Bia. Do yourself a favour the next time you’re in Galway and make your way there for a lunch, you won’t be disappointed.

  • The Princess Bride

    The Princess Bride

    The Princess Bride

    Still the bargain of the summer. Picked up at a fair day at Duckett’s Grove, Carlow, earlier this summer. 50c, can’t go wrong.

  • Battle Lines Drawn At #dubfringe

    Battle Lines Drawn At #dubfringe

    War Of Attrition

    It’s been a good week for those of us at Devious Theatre. The Dublin Fringe Festival run of War Of Attrition is in the bag, our week invading Players Theatre at Trinity College. Hat tip to the crew on the ground of Adrian, Caoimhe and Dara for their assistance on the run.

    The reviews from The Irish Times and Irish Theatre Magazine were quite favourable for our first full Dublin run, one hopefully not our last.

    Producing for the tour has been great, we’ve got a great crew (cast included) pulling everything together and in eleven days time, the War will rage on as the show opens for a limited three night run at the Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny (26-28 September) before moving on to the Galway Theatre Festival (our first perfomance in Galway) for October 2-3.

    For now, it’s a few days off before dress and tech in Kilkenny in under ten days time. It’ll be a well earned break, that’s for sure.

    Tickets for both the Kilkenny and Galway dates are already on sale but to those of you who turned out in your numbers in Dublin, from one theatremaker to a theatre-going audience, thanks a hell of a lot for coming out and for your feedback. We’ve collated some of that feedback over on DeviousTheatre.com.

    For the moment, however, it’s rest.

  • Psycho Chugger Attacks

    I just over a week’s time I’ll be bound for Dublin with Devious Theatre‘s War Of Attrition, written by John Morton. Here’s the first teaser video for what’s going to be happening…

    War Of Attrition plays Dublin Fringe Festival and Player’s Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin from 9-14 September. Check FringeFest.com for tickets.

  • RSAG (Rarely Seen Above Ground) at Set Theatre

    RSAG (Rarely Seen Above Ground) at Set Theatre

    RSAG at Set Theatre, Kilkenny. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    RSAG (Rarely Seen Above Ground) played an absolute stormer on the final night of this year’s Kilkenny Arts Festival. He performed at the festival back in 2009 as the first live act in the venue but the performance last Sunday night was the best I’ve seen him in a few years.

    Before the video comes out, here’s some select snaps…

    RSAG at Set Theatre, Kilkenny. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    RSAG at Set Theatre, Kilkenny. Photo (c) Ken McGuireRSAG at Set Theatre, Kilkenny. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    RSAG at Set Theatre, Kilkenny. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    Check rarelyseenaboveground.com for more on Jeremy Hickey (RSAG). Take a listen below for a sample.

  • War Of Attrition: Let The Battle Games Commence

    War Of Attrition: Let The Battle Games Commence

    War Of Attrition

    On Thursday evening I shot the photos for the above of (l-r) John Morton, Roseanna Purcell and John Doran, with Paddy Dunne turning around the artwork for Devious Theatre’s latest assault on the stage – War Of Attrition. I’m wearing my producer/designer hat for this one, the second production of the year for Devious Theatre.

    The show runs 9-14 September (previews 9 September) at Player’s Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin as part of the 2013 Dublin Fringe Festival. Tickets are available online via fringefest.com or by phoning 1850 374643.

    I’ll see you there…

  • Mr. H at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    Mr. H at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    Mr. H at Kilkenny Arts Festival. Photo (C) Ken McGuire

    With a few performances across the Kilkenny Arts Festival, Mr. H was one of the highlight acts on the street entertainment side of the festival for 2013.

    Mr. H at Kilkenny Arts Festival. Photo (C) Ken McGuire

    Pictured here at The Canal Square, I’ll have to hand it to him, he’s some man to balance on a variety of tubes, chairs and tables.

    Mr. H at Kilkenny Arts Festival. Photo (C) Ken McGuire

    All said and done though, spare a thought for the couple in the rear of the shot, all eyes on them for 30 minutes as they took a seat for a Saturday afternoon meal.

  • This Is Amy Winehouse

    This Is Amy Winehouse

    This Is My Amy Winehouse. Photo (C) Ken McGuire

    On display at Butler Gallery, Kilkenny during the 2013 Kilkenny Arts Festival. One of the many works of Bob And Roberta Smith in Kilkenny for the festival stretch. Video to follow of the piece in rotation…

  • Tujacques, The Fall at Set Theatre

    Tujacques, The Fall at Set Theatre

    The Fall at Set Theatre, Kilkenny (C) Ken McGuire

    Mark E Smith’s The Fall took to the Set stage as part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival last night with Dublin-based Toujacques opening the proceedings around 10.15pm or so. (more…)

  • BITCHES, Fight Like Apes at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    BITCHES, Fight Like Apes at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    BITCHES at Kilkenny Arts Festival. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    BITCHES (@peaceandbitches) kicked off the musical proceedings at Billy Byrne’s on night seven of the 2013 Kilkenny Arts Festival, the band making their festival debut.

    BITCHES at Kilkenny Arts Festival. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    (more…)

  • Seti The First, Biggles Flys Again at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    Seti The First, Biggles Flys Again at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    Seti The First at Kilkenny Arts Festival. Photo (C) Ken McGuire

    New Music Night has turned up some great acts over the years as part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival and this year the hand dealt contained The Cold Draw (formerly The Thomas Donoghue Band), Seti The First and Biggles Flys Again. (more…)

  • David Kitt, Seamus Fogarty at Set Theatre

    Seamus Fogarty at Set Theatre, Kilkenny. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    Closing out the third day of the 2013 Kilkenny Arts Festival was David Kitt, with Seamus Fogarty, above, opening the proceedings. Both have been involved in the festival on different occasions over the last few years. Of course, we were the late arrivals, missing all but the last two tunes from Seamus Fogarty before David Kitt, below, took to the stage.

    David Kitt at Set Theatre, Kilkenny. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    Kitt later introduced Margie Lewis to the proceedings, here’s what happened…

  • Kilkenny Arts Festival 2013 Day 3: Camerata Ireland (with video)

    Kilkenny Arts Festival 2013 Day 3: Camerata Ireland (with video)

    Camerata Ireland with Barry Douglas and Alison Balsom at St. Canice's Cathedral. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    When I first started covering the Arts Festival back in 2008/09, I was a complete newcomer to classical music. Flash forward to 2012 and into 2013 and presenting The Arts Show for KCLR96FM and I’ve got a totally different appreciation of all things classical.

    Camerata Ireland with Barry Douglas and Alison Balsom at St. Canice's Cathedral. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    So much so, that last night, even from the back of the cathedral filming, I was absolutely in my element, music-wise.

    Camerata Ireland with Barry Douglas and Alison Balsom at St. Canice's Cathedral. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    Granted, I had to get as close as I could to the action when the Shostokavich piece was being performed, featuring trumpet player Alison Balsom (pictured below).

    Camerata Ireland with Barry Douglas and Alison Balsom at St. Canice's Cathedral. Photo (c) Ken McGuire

    Even from the opening few minutes, the entire first act felt like you were in the most epic of movies but it has to be said, that first half performance alone was one of the best things to happen to the programming of the classical strand in years (and I’ve been to almost all the classical gigs in the past five festivals). More of the same for next year, please.

    The result of the filming? Check it out below…

  • Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band

    Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band absolutely lifted the roof of Set Theatre last night. It’s been a while since I’ve shot photo and video in front of an absolutely belting speaker stack, but the results will make for great additions to the festival highlights coverage.

    Here’s two select stills from last night’s stomping gig, with video on the way over on YouTube.

    Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band

    The semi-seated affair seemed to last all of a few minutes before the dancefloor at Set filled for a relentless, funky, 90 minutes-or-so-ish bout of dancing and all kinds of body-shape-moving and throwing.

    A cracking way to wind out day 2 of this year’s Kilkenny Arts Festival.

  • Laura Gramzow’s Go Big Or Go Home Opens

    Laura Gramzow - Go Big Or Go Home

    Laura Gramzow’s first solo show, appearing at the Upstairs Gallery in the Watergate Theatre, officially opened yesterday afternoon, running alongside Kilkenny Arts Festival and continuing in the gallery space until 3 September.

    Laura Gramzow - Go Big Or Go Home

    Originally from the US and now resident in Ireland courtesy of meeting an Irishman, I had Laura on the show earlier in the week ahead of the opening. I didn’t get to catch her in person yesterday, but did get to catch some of her work, which takes a different approach to the usual appearance of the Upstairs Gallery.

    Laura Gramzow - Go Big Or Go Home

    Read on for the full blurb on the exhibition…

    (more…)

  • Kilkenny Arts Festival Day 2: Bob And Roberta Smith Opens

    Kilkenny Arts Festival Day 2: Bob And Roberta Smith Opens

    Bob And Roberta Smith Walking Tour

    Bob And Roberta Smith’s show officially opened this afternoon, beginning for us with a trip to the Heritage Council to take in the ‘Bob Walk And Talk’ around some of the sites of Bob And Roberta Smith’s work, pictured (right, above) with the lady posing as Hannah Arendt (I should have gotten her name, will ask her tomorrow).

    Bob Walk And Talk at The Heritage Council

    You can dress as and experience Hannah Arendt in The Bishop’s Robing Room at the rear of The Heritage Council.

    Bob Walk And Talk at The Heritage Council

    The lady in question herself. Take part in the whole experience by donning some 1940’s costumes, reading some of Hannah Arendt’s published books and chat about the background of the show.

    Bob Walk And Talk at The Heritage Council

    If you make tracks to Rothe House this festival, you’ll find these Talking Sticks outside the main area for Bob’s work on Parliament Street, where you’ve also got the chance to hop on the soap box and have your say with the possibility of your answers to the show’s many questions appearing on the wall of the Butler Gallery during the festival.

    Bob And Roberta Smith at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    Bob And Roberta Smith at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    Bob And Roberta Smith at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    Bob And Roberta Smith at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    Bob And Roberta Smith at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    Bob And Roberta Smith at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    The remainder of the above form part of Bob And Roberta Smith’s show at Butler Gallery in Kilkenny Castle. It’s also the first show in the history of the festival (as well as being Bob’s first Irish show) to feature the Discover Pen, allowing those who are visually impaired to fully participate in the exhibition.

    If you don’t make the festival, the show continues into the next month, but drop down before next weekend to have a chance to meet the man in question himself.

  • Kilkenny Arts Festival 2013: Day 1

    Kilkenny Arts Festival 2013: Day 1

    Margie Lewis at Kilkenny Arts Festival

    Day one hitting the 2013 Kilkenny Arts Festival trail as part of the Event Media / Mycrofilms / Ross Costigan powerhouse of coverage. Here’s some select shots from the B cam for the day. (more…)

  • The Midnight Union Band: If You’d Stay

    The Midnight Union Band: If You’d Stay

    Appearing online yesterday, here’s the latest music video from Kilkenny’s The Midnight Union Band for their track, If You’d Stay.

    Shot by Darragh Byrne in Set Theatre, Kilkenny. The track is taken from the band’s forthcoming debut EP Behind The Truth which lands on 13 September.

  • Bob And Roberta Smith: Bonfire

    Bob And Roberta Smith 5

    Today was Day 0 for our documentary crew for the 40th Kilkenny Arts Festival and it kicked off with some on-camera chats with Bob and Roberta Smith.

    Bob And Roberta Smith 4

    Bob’s work is the core of the Visual Arts strand for this year’s festival and this work, Bonfire, can be seen in the reception area of County Hall and is open to all at the very least on weekdays.

    Bob And Roberta Smith 2

    Keep an eye on KilkennyArts.ie tomorrow and throughout the week for clips from Bob, discussings his work, and those reacting to it throughout the festival.

    Bob And Roberta Smith 9

    Bob And Roberta Smith 8

    Bob And Roberta Smith 7

    Bob And Roberta Smith 6

    Bob And Roberta Smith 3

    Bob And Roberta Smith 1