Blog Contact Fixed

Well, I guess I’d never have noticed it as I don’t try to contact myself all that but I’ve repaired the link to my contact form. Daniel (Glowday) had been trying to get in touch, which means I can update the DemoBar preview post, and eventually found me via Skype. Turns out the slug on the contact page had changed, for some reason unknown to myself, but all is well once again and my phone / email / address details and contact form are back in public view.

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At Last, Some Blog Archives

I’ve finally gotten around to mending up the archives and actually displaying a decent list of archived posts. If you take a look at the kenmc.com archives you’ll now get a month-by-month list of all the blog posts going back to October 2005. By appearance it looks like the winter months last year (November to February say) were my busiest. At least I’ve got it done now anyway, makes it quite easy to find posts methinks.

Of course, I should add that they’re done with the KG Archives plugin by Kates Gasis, <10kb, nice and tidy.

To The Theatrical Entrepreneurs, My Thanks For Last Week

As I mentioned before the weekend, I’ve been intermittent with the blog posts, thanks very largely in part to a hectic schedule for the past week.
Saturday night saw the curtain fall on Heart Shaped Vinyl after four consecutive sold-out nights. More amazing was the amount of people we had to turn away from the show.

While I’ve posted on DeviousTheatre.com some thanks on behalf of the cast and crew I’d like to step aside and thank the cast and the core off Devious Theatre, the committee. A pure bunch of professionals are John Morton, Kevin Mooney, David Thompson, Niamh Moroney and new additions Paddy Dunne and Amy Dunne, not only pure professionals but every single one a delight to work with, eat with, drink with.

I enjoyed the show last year, doing something quite new and very different for the Kilkenny scene. A year onwards and we’ve learned an awful lot. Although not having been to any of the Opencoffee mornings around the country, I would liken our Sunday morning coffees and meetings to them in the sense of being a great opportunity to chat, discuss new ideas, develop plans, forge new beginnings and most importantly to learn from one another. We each work different jobs, different times, some shift work, some study so Sunday is a great opportunity for us to meet together.

For me it has been a real learning experience. I’ve been in and out of theatre over the years, college placing some restrictions on me which I’m trying to make up for but since the formation of the group it has been non-stop work on the theatre. There’s no pay involved but yes, we were privileged to receive some arts funding this year to help with the mammoth cost (looking at a potential five figure sum for our summer programme). 4,000 Euro is a drop in the ocean to larger companies but its a pot of gold to us and we’ll be using it to part finance the development of Cannibal! The Musical, rehearsals of which commence tomorrow (Tuesday).

I see us as theatrical entrepreneurs. Developing new ideas, committing our time, resources, energy - no fear of taking the risk to pull off daring shows. We’ve got the budgeting down too, using the best of our connections, knowledge from studies and jobs and every free resources thats going. Everyone has a role and the jobs all get done. This last week it certainly paid off.

With all that said, I want to reiterate my thanks to the bunch that meet on Sunday mornings, without who The Devious Theatre Company would not be standing. May we continue to be as daring and long may we continue to stuff ourselves stupid in The Coffee Club on Sunday mornings. The long hours, sleepless nights and my now completely shot voice and horrendous lack of energy were soooo worth it.

Now Liverpool Access Gets A Makeover

Another of my blogs, LiverpoolAccess.com, has received the same makeover kenmc.com picked up leading into the weekend. Same theme (as this), modified stylesheet and new logo. I had been using my own variation on the 3 column K2 theme for the site but figure that after a year it was time to freshen it up a little.

Actually quite happy with the way both kenmc.com and liverpoolaccess.com now look.

On The Radio - Sunday May 13th

I’ll be appearing on Rob O’Connor’s show ‘Irish Beats’ on Beat 102-103 this evening. Due into the station for the 6pm start, show going out live so no idea whats going to happen. I know it will involve some kind of element of KilkennyMusic.com, the One Take Sessions and monthly gigs. Just have to wait and see what happens!

You’ll be able to pick it up on the radio pretty much anywhere in the South East of the country or stop by the website to listen live. Rob’s show is usually a great one, nice focus on Irish acts, local music etc., something I’m wishing will start in Kilkenny (if I get the finger out).

Mind Farts On A Friday Evening

Today is certainly “one of those days”. Its been a mental week in trying to catch up with blogging, between work and gigs, podcasting and more gigs and the fact that it turned out to be a short week. I actually lost a day somewhere during the week, started work on Tuesday and by the end of the evening thought it was Monday, threw me off completely.

Mind farts seem to be the course of the day though, I’ve 11 drafts waiting on kenmc.com, four of which were started today but by the time I get to the end of the post and hover over the submit button, I’ve lost my train of thought completely and think “ah yeah, I’ll come back to that one later”.

Have had some interesting blogging ideas because of it though and with the weather the way it is for the night there’s no time like the present to put pen to paper.

Summer Clothes For kenmc.com

Been a while since I changed the theme on the blog and having effectively broken my last one (as well as IE throwing a small fit), I’ve gone and given kenmc.com a change of clothes for the summer. Slimmed out, added some stripes to the header, brought in a few images from flickr, tidied up some of the load, deriving the theme from Non Zero.

Header background generated online by the Web 2.0 Stripe Generator, fun to play around with for background images. (result here).

Booyaka Johnson

Silly title for a blog post, I know, but then again some people in Amsterdam themselves are quite silly, in particular one chap we were approached by last night.

I’ve made it back from Amsterdam, still alive and in one piece and with the batteries mildly recharged. Such a fantastic city, everything “just works” (so my brother says after the few days away), tons of photos, way too much food and drink (all good of course), and so much to see.

Days were spent strolling the streets (did manage to hit a museum or two along with Madame Tussauds), drinking too many cappuccinos (those Dutch know how to brew a good coffee), and ducking in and out of places for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a croissant here, a donut there. Found loads of amazing little shops, am amazed at the amount of English in the city (by language and nature) and would certainly go back again.

The hotel we booked wasn’t exactly as advertised but for the amount of time we actually spent there it was totally reasonable, and given it’s proximity to everything I wouldn’t have a problem booking there again for a short stay - comfy beds, well lit rooms, friendly staff. Didn’t see that breakfast room they’re supposed to have (and a big sign in the lobby suggested that you have to go up the street for breakfast) but with a wealth of options within a minutes walk you’re not going to have any trouble eating.

Did take a river cruise and managed to squeeze in a few photos but it was great to just shut off for the few days (bar a quick check to the office on Monday morning) and just take everything nice and easy.

While the Red Light District is something I’d suggest to absolutely anyone for the sheer experience of walking around, you’ve got to be weary of the drug dealers. Jesus Christ - they’re everywhere. You can’t walk five minutes up the road without someone whispering “smack, charlie, cocaine” in your ear but if you keep on walking you’re grand rather than even dignify them with a response - not that it matters to them or anything.

Go back again? Most certainly, might even play the tourist next time and actually get to see some of the better known sights and sounds….

For now it is high time to get to bed, get set for the morning, get back to some regular blogging….

Been A Busy Few Days

Jesus its been a busy few days. Started another podcast, first one a little rough but it’ll get there, just have to put the pennies aside to open a radio station at some stage. Auditions underway for the big show in August - I can see it being something of a musical bootcamp, though the musical numbers aren’t massive by any standard. Between script meetings, directors meetings, gigs, a dodgy foot, sleepless nights, lack of energy I’ve got seven posts sitting in draft status. Bah humbug.

Must… press…. publish…..

And someone wants to kill someone through their blog? Sure is one way of telling you’re getting popular…

Blog News Travels Fast

The blog awards has some nice attention down in Kilkenny anyway, the Voice and KCLR 96FM quickly on to me today so there’s “possibly a piece” in the Kilkenny Voice this week, with an actual piece on the Blog Awards likely to run the following week. Made a brief appearance for myself on the KCLR news to plug the awards and KilkennyMusic.com. I’ll be on the radio again next week for an hour show on Tuesday night from 8 to 9pm, you can listen live on KCLR96FM.com, this time the show looking more at KilkennyMusic.com outside of the web again, playlisting tracks from the One Take Sessions and Presents series of gigs.

Could be a career in this radio thing yet I tell ya!

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