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June 05, 2005

Super-Party-Action Liam Geraghty : The KILL BILL 2 Premiere

Monday 20th April

First day back in the Big City after a luxurious two week Easter break. My return is marked by extra baggage that I have to carry all the way with me on the train and buses. This baggage I speak off comes in the form of a rather sharp-looking suit. Quite snazzy, if I do say so myself. But why is Liam, commuter-extraordinaire, bringing a snazzy looking suit to Dublin, I here you ask. Well, my enlightened readers, the suit shall be my attire for tonight’s bash. Yours truly is heading to the KILL BILL 2 Irish premiere in the Savoy Cinema and then onward to SoSuMe on George’s St. for the exclusive after show party. Ladies and Gentleman, may I present, Liam’s Big Night Out. Jen Coyle – eat your heart out! It all started as quite an ordinary day out in Dublin. As I walked briskly to Nassau St. I soon realised it was going to be anything but. My bus stop had disappeared. Just like that. In a time when I really needed it – it was gone. In fact the whole footpath on Nassau St. was gone. Or dug up to be more precise. I sighed and wandered forth, searching for the next bus stop, my snazzy suit in tow.

Forward on several hours, past my Chicken Baguette lunch and hectic day in college, to the moment of truth. The moment where I would don the snazzy looking suit. Once on, I turned from mild-mannered journalist Liam Geraghty to Super-Party-Action Liam Geraghty who comes with a retractable snazzy suit and says three witty catchphrases. And then for the pier de résistance – the Clark Kent style glasses. Newbridge optician, Ger Canty, sorted me out with them last week. My good screenwriter amigo Leo Corrigan joined me and we set off, brushes in hand, to paint the town red. But, in some sort of Cosmic Misfortune, the very second we set foot outside the door it started to rain. Nothing was going to stop us getting to the premiere though. Nothing. We spent a few angry minutes cursing the weather while trying to hail a taxi. We eventually got one. “Driver! The Savoy Cinema! And don’t spare on the Gas!” Speeding through the City we pulled up elegantly right outside the Savoy where a star-struck crowd had assembled. The front door beckoned. We flashed our tickets and were ushered down the red carpet where the press photographers were waiting. I strutted down, trying to look Sinatra-Cool. No camera flashes flashed. They must have not known who I was. The cream of Ireland’s pretentious glitterati had assembled in the foyer. I bought the biggest tub of popcorn that money could buy, which slightly diminished the effect of ‘refined media type in snazzy suit.’

Once seated in the mammoth theatre, we waited until people like HOTPRESS editor, Niall Stokes, and the fine looking one from The Big Bow Wow took their seats. Then to the film itself. KILL BILL Volume 2 was eminently enjoyable with lots of references to the old spaghetti westerns and kung fu movies of yore. After the immensely long end credits rolled, a very special guest was called down to say a few words. It was none other than David Carradine who plays ‘Bill’ in the film. We gave him a standing ovation that moved him to tears. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m not dead yet,” he said. After more rapturous applause, it was time to race over to SOSUME where the exclusive after show party was being held. When we got there, Mr. Carradine was just arriving in a very expensive looking car. The press photographers were waiting eagerly outside and Carradine kindly obliged them by posing for a few photos. We followed him inside, again flashing the tickets, and looked for a table upstairs. Very luckily theatre mogul Paddy Melia had saved us a few seats. For doing this I got him a few vodkas and orange juice. Admittedly, it was a free bar, but it’s the thought that counts.

Michael Roycroft, owner of the Oscar Cinema Newbridge, later joined us at our cosy little table. Rested in front of my good self, were several empty glasses of Jack Daniels. “Would you like another?” quipped Leo. “Don’t mind if I do. Another JD & Coke, my good sir.” All around us were familiar faces. Those two ladies who present ‘Off The Rails’ and singer David Kitt were there. In a pleasant surprise I bumped into Ireland’s greatest singer, Jack L, up at the bar! He told me about the craic he had at his gig in TIME in Naas a few nights previous and introduced me to one of his outstanding band members, Marc Aubele. Later on that night when Paddy and Michael had long since left, and me and Leo painfully discovered that the free bar wasn’t free anymore we decided it was best to move on. So we briefly liased in Flannery’s before eventually ending up in Copper Face Jacks. And to those of you who are aware of the dubious reputation of the infamous Copper Face Jacks, I say this: Don’t knock it until you’ve been there. And then knock it. Goodnight everybody.

Trains, Buses & Automobiles by Liam Geraghty appears every week in the Kildare Nationalist (page 6)

Posted by LiamG at June 5, 2005 09:02 PM