The Wedding Present are to return to Belfast on Sunday November 28th to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Bizarro, which will be played in its entirety.

In 1985 singer David Lewis Gedge filled two suitcases with 500 copies of the band’s debut single Go Out and Get Em Boy and took a National Express coach to London to deliver them to their distribution company. Since then the band have had released six studio albums and 18 UK Top 40 singles.

Tickets for the show are available through Ticketmaster and cost £15 sterling.

Simon Fagan’s upcoming gig in Bewley’s Café will be streamed live in his official website. The gig is taking place on Friday November 19th but can be viewed for free at http://www.simonfagan.net/live

Streaming will start at 9.30pm with around 40 minutes of the set. This will be Simon’s last headline show of the year and along with his band he will be performing acoustic versions of songs from his debut album Outside Looking In.

Even with my limited sewing experience this still turns out really well for me. The t shirt I used was just awful quality, this made it a nightmare to stitch but also it doesn’t sit as well as a better one would have, so this pattern is even more effective if you’re using a better t-shirt (I paid €1 for this one).

Enjoy

What you need:

A t-shirt (stating the obvious I know)

Sharp scissors

Sewing machine or a needle and thread

Pins – straight pins and at least 1 safety pin

Thread for pulling the draw string through (optional)

Step 1.

Iron the t-shirt then lay it flat and match up the seams front and back. This means after you cut it it will be an even length all around.

Step 1

Step 2

Cut away the sleeves and the bottom hem. Keep the bottom hem in one piece as this can be used later on as the drawstring.

Step 2

Step 3

Cut away the top bit of the t-shirt from below the neckline. Be sure to preserve as much of the design as possible.

Step 3

Step 4

Flip the t-shirt over and cut away the top part of the back of the t-shirt only from the bottom of where the sleeves used to be.

Step 4

Step 5

Fold the top part of the front of the t-shirt inward leaving enough space for the seam and drawstring.

Step 5

Step 6

Trim away any bits of fabric that may be jutting out at the side. Pin along the top then sew along the line. After this the drawstring can be fed through the seam at the top. To do this I used a long hair stick (like a pointy chopstick). I put it through the point through the middle of the drawstring and pushed it through. Alternatively you can feed some thread or a piece of string through, tie the end to a safety pin and pin it to the drawstring and pull it through.

Step 6

Step 7

Enjoy your new halter neck. In this case our dress mannequin Agnes is enjoying it for me.

Step 7

Chris O’ Sullivan, musical director of the Cabinteely Gospel Group talks about how the choir are preparing in the run up to Friday’s performance: “nerves are plentiful and we are all very excited to get the chance to perform on the vicar street stage and are thrilled to have the opportunity to sing with one of Americas finest John Angotti.”

The choir will be performing a 40-minute set and will be joining Angotti for the final song of the show I’ll Send You Out. The choir have made a name for themselves as one of Dublin’s finest gospel choirs, performing concerts to raise money for charity. They are known for their gospel versions of classic pop songs covering everything from Andy Williams to Coldplay and Michael Jackson.

Their set remains a surprise “some old favourites mixed in with some newer, more ambitious ventures” according to Chris “We are rehearsing three times a week…The rehearsals are going well and there is some great fine-tuning being done.”

Tickets for Sunday are available on Ticketmaster. The Cabinteely Gospel Group also perform regularly throughout Dublin, most recently at Dundrum Town Centre’s Cinema in the Open screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s where they performed the film’s intro song Moon River.

The Minutes are on to a winner with the sound they have created, a mix of rumbling grungy guitars and catchy hooks, which along with their energetic live shows has helped them to make a name for themselves as a great live band.

After gigging, tirelessly throughout Ireland and the UK touring with Albert Hammond Jnr (The Strokes) and The Pigeon Detectives, and playing support to Fountains Of Wayne and Supergrass to name a few, it came time for the band to knuckle down and record their album. So in October 2009 they headed to Marcata Recordings in upstate New York with producer Kevin McMahon to craft their ten track album that captures the energy of their live sets.

With a successful trip to the SXSW festival this March, Hop Farm and Oxegen Festival and the upcoming release of their album this promises to be an exciting year for the Dublin three-piece

Fletwood is available now on iTunes. Learn more about the band at www.theminutesmusic.com and  www.myspace.com/theminutesireland

Would you ever consider a trip to the local charity shop as a way to save money? Despite a recent drop in donations charity shops continue to raise funds for valuable organisations and while plenty of people happily donate their old clothes many still wouldn’t dream of spending an afternoon browsing the rails for bargains.

In the UK Oxfam have been trying to change people’s perception of charity shops by launching the Sustain Me! campaign. Fashion photographer Rankin teamed up with Leading stylist Katie Shillingford to restyle clothes handpicked from Oxfam’s recycling plant to put together a fashion shoot featuring celebrities like Heidi Klum, Jaime Winstone, Cat Deeley and Natalie Imbruglia to prove that the clothes people threw away still had some life in them. According to Oxfam the shoot was about “persuading us that charity shopping is cool, not merely for fashion students, stylists and creative types, who have long used them for inspiration, but for everybody.”

Last August Arctic Monkeys released their single ‘Crying Lightning’ in 700 of Oxfam shops across Ireland and the UK with all proceeds going to the charity’s lifesaving work throughout Africa.

Tips for charity shop beginners

1. Shop early in the week as most people donate on the weekends.

2. Learn to rummage. There’s no shame in getting stuck in.

3. Check out book sections. Books in pristine condition can always be sold on Amazon or ebay after you’ve read them.

4. Try not to look for anything specific. Murphy’s law dictates if you go in to a charity shop looking for something specific you won’t find it.

5. Some shops have specialist branches. Oxfam Home on Francis Street specialises in furniture. Most of it is in perfect condition, but if you’re a bit handy you can also fix up pieces to create something unique.

6. Ladies, don’t forget to check the men’s section for oversized knitwear or jackets.

7. Buy good quality stuff. Vests and plain tees are cheap enough in Penneys or Dunnes, the real bargains are the things you wouldn’t usually be able to afford.

8. Don’t be afraid to customise. If you find something you really love but it’s in the wrong colour you can always dye it.  New buttons or belts can also give cardigans a new lease of life.

9. Don’t try and haggle in charity shops. At the end of the day it’s all for a good cause.

What €20 will get you in a charity shop

Monsoon Tunic, 100% silk bought for €8 in Barnardos Dun Laoghaire

Black Fringing handbag bought for €5 in Barnardos Dun Laoghaire

River Island Sandals bought for €5 in the Irish Cancer Society shop on Camden Street. Brand new with an original price tag of €33

Havainas flip flops bought for €2 in Oxfam in Dun Laoghaire

The band have built up a reputation as an energetic live act, supporting high-profile acts such as Fight Like Apes, Ham Sandwich and Giveamanakick.  In 2008 their debut EP The Toys Have Gone Berserk was widely well-received by the public and reviewers.

The songs are an interesting contrast. Rosé Cheeks is the livelier of the two tracks, with its offbeat intro and almost Pixie-esque guitars. Cocktail is somewhat darker with lingering bass and hushed vocals leading up to a more melodic chorus with a fantastic catch.

The single will be available on the 28th August. Blind Pilots also have a number of upcoming tour dates around Ireland:

27 Aug ’10: The Brewery, Monaghan

28 Aug ’10: Spirit Store, Dundalk, Louth

17 Sep ’10: The Stables: Mullingar, Westmeath

27 Sep ’10: w/Fighting with Wire Bakers, Limerick

The ceremony will take place in the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday 29th August. Downes’ fellow nominees include Percussionist Sheila E who earned the nomination for her work as the music director of PBS’s In Performance At The White House: Fiesta Latina, Marc Shaiman for ABC’s 82nd Annual Academy Awards, David Foster and Rob Matthes and Rob Berman.

Speaking about the nomination Blue Note/Manhatten Records President Ian Ralfini said it is perhaps the most prestigious award David Downes & Celtic Woman have received to date and it is well-deserved. After its release in January 2010 the companion DVD debuted at number 1 on the Billboard DVD Music Video Chart.

Dublin born Downes studied Music and Composition at Trinity College and has previously performed at venues including the Boston Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall and the Wembley Arena. He was the Broadway Music Director for Riverdance and also for the American and European touring companies before founding Celtic Woman with Sharon Browne.

With a career that has already spanned more than two decades, The Charlatans are preparing to release their new album Who We Touch, on September 10th 2010. Who We Touch is the band’s 11th studio album and one of their more distinctive. Talking about the album, singer Tim Burgess said the album is “a soulful voyage” inspired by some of their musical heroes.

There’s a really good mix of songs on the album from the very soulful My Foolish Pride, the melodic Your Pure Soul. The album is touching base with The Charlatans earlier music.

The video for the single Love is Ending was directed by Douglas Hart, former bassist of The Jesus & Mary Chain. The concept was to create something simple but striking to compliment the energy of the track. The video featured choreographer and ballet dancer  Aisling Cook dancing to the backlit silhouettes of The Charlatans.

The band recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of their debut album Some Friendly. Speaking about their early tours, frontman Tim Burgess admits: “I was 21 at the time…It was wild.” The band shot to fame after the albums release which went straight to number one in the charts. “20 years is a long time” Burgess continues “For the first five years we lived with each other 24/7 and it gradually gets less and less. I respect every member of the band. We’ve been through a lot as a band and as individuals. I respect them as human beings.”

The album is incredibly ambitious with covers from bands like The Cure, Blur, Duran Duran and The Eurythmics. The first single from the album is a cover of Erasure’s A Little Respect. The original is an incredibly catchy and instantly recognisable song, which is unfortunately drained of its best qualities in this cover.

The stand out track for me is Kate’s cover of EMF’s Unbelievable. Over the years Unbelievable has been covered by artists like Tom Jones and Weird Al Yankovic and in 2005 was used to sell Kraft Crumbles under the title “They’re Crumbelievable”. So in the 20 years since its release has been used, reused and frankly over used. I didn’t think there would be room for another version of it but Kate’s cover works really well. It’s completely unrecognisable from the original, only the lyrics are the same really so rather than a cover it’s a complete reimagining.

There’s no way any artist could possibly improve on Robert Smith’s vulnerable, minimalist vocals. Peppermint Radio’s understated version of Lullaby is very sweet if a little bland. I liked the way the song incorporated a clockwork toy to create a background effect for the song but there wasn’t much else to distinguish it.

The one thing I felt the album needed is variety in the arrangements. The songs all follow a very similar formula of piano intro followed by soft vocals leading to a crescendo with some incorporation of other instruments. This meant though that the intros were all very slow and didn’t draw me in enough. It felt very safe. In Feeling Oblivion there’s a lot more variety in instruments with a more violin heavy intro and it feels a lot more uplifting. Walsh’s earlier albums were very heartfelt and she’s clearly a good songwriter but I just don’t think enough was done to pay tribute to such well known songs.

Favourite tracks: Unbelievable (EMF), Save a Prayer (Duran Duran),

Least Favourite track: Beetlebum (Blur)

Track Listing

1. Subterranean Homesick Alien (Radiohead)
2. When Love Breaks Down (Prefab Sprout)
3. Unbelievable (EMF)
4. Lullaby (The Cure)
5. Beetlebum (Blur)
6. A Little Respect (Erasure)
7. Move Any Mountain (The Shamen)
8. Who’s That Girl (The Eurythmics)
9. Save A Prayer (Duran Duran)
10. Feeling Oblivion (Turin Brakes)
11. Monochrome (The Sundays)