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June 05, 2005

While Sorting Through The Fan Mail . . .

Thought I’d take a break from Iarnród Éireann this week. They obviously had other ideas as around 2.30am on one dark, dark, night I was awoken by some very odd noise like a chainsaw in a blender. I stuck my sleepy head out the window and low and behold, if it wasn’t some maintenance train from Irish Rail making all the racket. Sigh. The next morning I was eating breakfast and going through the fan mail when I got a text from Newbridge man Leigh O’Gorman who says, “The announcement marking the start of the smoking ban is still being played in Hueston station…GGRRRR! I find it very annoying.” Keen listening. That announcement is indeed now out of date and agitating commuters daily. Especially commuters who smoke. After sorting through the Nurney fan mail bundle, I got a text from Anthony, my Dublin amigo. He’s texting with reference to the “LIAM: Live in Brooklyn” CD I gave him. He says, “I haven’t listened to it yet. The cover however is so cheesy that mozzarella blushed.” Dubs’, eh? Typical. After the cornflakes and the Naas fan mail bag, word reached me of epic consequences.

This column’s very own in-house band - $chmackey and the Salads are rumoured to be splitting not even months after their initial birth into the Newbridge band scene! I literally dropped my mug of tea, soaking the Kilcullen fan mail. The Salads are an iconic band, so as you can imagine their demise will cause major controversy. The five members of the eccentric group are $chmackey (Shane Mackey), Hank Tree (Craig O’Connor), Hash Brown (Brian Farrell), Dr. Frank E. Stein (Stuart Sheehy) and Rich Clifford (Niall Farrell). Some sources say that $chmackey has decided to go solo while others suggest the band may split as a result of Rich Clifford being deported to Mexico, but I won’t speculate. I’m not a gossip columnist . . . Ahem. The Salads will play (what potentially could be) their final ever gig in the Riverbank Arts Centre on Friday October 1st at 8pm in the Battle of the Bands.

And speaking of the Riverbank Arts Centre, later that day as I got a taxi down town, the taxi driver began to share his views on the Centre’s current situation. He told me that when the Riverbank was first opened he had gone to see quite a lot of different events in it. Plays, musicals, concerts and stand-up comedians. He was now concerned though that the program wasn’t as diverse as it used to be and he wondered why. This got me thinking. If my taxi driver didn’t know what was going on down in the Arts Centre then perhaps the greater public of Kildare don’t either. Some time ago, the Board who oversee things in the Riverbank decided to “refocus” the Arts Centre in a more “community driven” direction. This means that most of the stand-up comedians, outstanding touring play productions and semi-famous singers would effectively be given the boot. So what are we left with? Well that’s a good question. What we’re left with is a section of the Arts that likes to think it’s aiming to everybody but in reality is only serving a small number of the public. This is blatantly wrong.

The Riverbank Arts Centre was paid for by public money and is there for the public. Not just to serve a specific segment of the people but all the people. Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with a community-based remit but only as long as it’s healthily balanced with shows, etc from a wider diversity. Personally, I’m outraged at what’s been happening. This is a crucial time in the Riverbanks development. It is at a make or break stage. If you, like me, are a member of the public who enjoys the Arts I would urge you to contact the Board who oversee things in the Riverbank with your thoughts, comments and ideas. It is also worth mentioning that the current Arts Centre manager, Denis Clifford, is not a member of the Board and therefore is obliged to do his best with the remit he is given. I have always found Denis Clifford to be extremely helpful and encouraging with any projects I have been a part of. From the making of a short-film to the forthcoming Riverbank Reading Series, Denis has always been there with his advice and time. The Riverbank Arts Centre needs the public who paid for it now more than ever. Let your voice be heard.

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

Posted by LiamG at June 5, 2005 09:47 PM