MICF: Des Bishop

Des Bishop ‘My Dad Was Nearly James Bond’.

Irish- American comedian Des Bishop wants everyone to know his dad was nearly James Bond back in the day. He also wants us all to know that while cancer is no joking matter, the crazy family antics that the diagnosis of cancer are a welcome side-effect and worth joking about. They say laughter is the shortest distance between two people, Des Bishop’s brave and heart-warming comedy show confirms this notion.
By sharing relatable and hilarious stories of his childhood growing up in Queens (including the story of finding his father watching porn) Bishop shares with the audience a major aspect of his life; his relationship with his father. While Bishop is not very well known in Australia, he assures the audience he is famous in Ireland. He also assures the ladies in the crowd that despite his loss of one ball to testicular cancer it’s all still working down there!
Bishop is open, clever, genuine, honest and most importantly for a comedian; extremely funny.
If you have a free night this week definitely head to Trades Hall on Lygon Street and laugh along to a show with heart!

Des Bishop plays the Trades Hall New Ballroom as part of The Melbourne International Comedy Festival until Sunday the 18th of April.
See www.ticketmaster.com.au for tickets.

This week

I am kicking back with some cruising pop and folk, including the likes of

She and Him
Zooey is so very cute, and talented too!


and Crayon Fields
They are playing Northcote Social Club on the 24th of this month.

Bad news for Powderfinger fans

Aussie rockers Powderfinger have announced that they will be doing one last National tour this year and then calling it quits.
After 20 years, and many hits they have quite a following here so many Aussie music-lovers will see this as a huge loss. I was never the hugest fan so am not too devastated, however many will be no doubt. Some are saying that this is a good thing, that the band were only headed downhill in the last couple of years, but fans will need to block their ears to this kind of talk. Lucky for the fans out there they can check their beloved Powderfinger out one last time, and have several albums to remember them by.

Larger than life: Ron Mueck at the NGV

Amazing Melbourne-born artist, Ron Mueck is currently filling the NGV in Melbourne with giant and tiny (detailed down to the smallest of wrinkles) life-like sculptures bound to interest and amaze everyone who sees them! This is one for all ages (there is nudity involved, but is non-sexual and quite harmless)! The collection will be in Melbourne until April 18th.
From The NGV the exhibition will be heading to Queensland Art Gallery then on to Christchurch Art Gallery. Must not be missed! If you're in one of these lucky cities; trust me, go!
This work is truly astounding. You cannot help but stare and stare, and stare at the beings Mueck has created!
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ronmueck/

The UV Race

The UV Race remind me of my seventeen year-old self; listening to old punk tunes from Iggy Pop or The Ramones full blast and shaving my head, much to everyone’s disgust. I was over high school, the capitalism that surrounded me and was in the search for something real, something raw and something full of angst.

The seventeen year old inside me still is, I guess that’s why I have listened to this L.P so much. The Melbourne band’s debut release is raw and energetic. Personal favourites include opening track ‘Society made me Selfish’, ‘I Go Blank’ and ‘Gore Orphanage’ which are each great fun to jump around and sing/shout along to. ‘Society made me Selfish’ is brilliant, musically and lyrically. With the lyrics “Society made me Selfish, made me forget about the needy”. Love it. It is reminding people they have forgotten about the needy, which the everyday person does at times no matter how hard we try, we all get caught up in our own little lives to some degree.
Admittedly I am loving all the folk that Australia is producing at the moment as much as the next person, but this I can jump around my house to on a Friday night before I head out. The six-piece band hailing from Warragul in country Victoria combine vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, saxophone and harmonica and site their influences as The Ramones, Bad Religion, and The New York Dolls. You can hear this is completely true, so if you’re not into either three of those bands this L.P is definitely not for you. If however like me you lived off these bands in your youth, or still do you will fall head over heels for the sounds of these proto-punkers, The UV Race.

I give it an 8, it woke me up…

the odd couple

I love Florence and the Machine, I have blasted the album Lungs many a time and don't mind the occasional Dizzee Rascal track at parties... but the thought of combining these two very different people and very different sounds would not have occurred to me. However, it occurred to someone and they came up with 'You've Got the(Dirtee) Love'....not sure about this one.
Here they are performing at the Brits, what are your thoughts??

This week...

I'm digging:

The three Irish lads Two Door Cinema Club, and their single 'Undercover Martyn'... very cool track taken from the album Tourist History.


Keep an eye on them I think they may be BIG: www.myspace.com/twodoorcinemaclub

Also still digging New York's The Drums. I know everybody liked 'Let's Go Surfing', but dismissed them after that. This is cool too....'Don't Be A Jerk Jonny' (also good advice!)


check out: http://www.myspace.com/thedrumsforever