Film Devour 8 at the Black Box

Two short film festivals in two days, what a great time to be a film fan in Belfast! Having to decide between this and Joe Lindsay's "Shower of Cults" film night across town at the Hudson Bar showing Grind House Star Wars was a tough choice. So, having promised myself I'd go to the last Few "Film Devour Short Film Festival" and not quite making it I finally made it to number 8. As I arrived at the Black Box I noticed a huge crowd gathered before the doors, this is always a good sign. Soon we filed in paid our £4 and were ready to see some of Northern Irelands finest shirt films.

With 20 films in all covering many Genres - Horror, Drama, Thriller, Comedy, Sci-Fi...I could go on-it's safe to say there was something for every one. We started off with a film I'd heard a lot about but never seen "Looking for Al" essentially a documentary about 4 lads from Northern Ireland travelling down to Dublin trying to meet Al Pacino at the premiere of his latest film. An absolute geg with much banter included it's a great way to kick off the fast and a welcome opening 15 mins it's worth saying at this point that these films area lot longer short films than the ones shown last night. Where the longest film shown there was 3 mins 30secs these films range from 5 mins to 15.

"The Beach" is a wonderfully shot black white horror film about a man finding himself on a lonely island where he encounters a not so friendly apparition. The Portrush backdrop makes this a beautiful film to watch and the black and white adds a touch of gravitas. We have a few technical difficulties as Intermission is called after 7 films but after we're all refuelled were back for the long haul an date last 13
McKeever and Jones have 2 films shown here tonight. Both filled with classic Belfast humour and the 2 extremely likeable characters. The shorter of then2 was my favourite "McKeever and Jones Dreams Come True" filmed outside Victoria Square in the Cornmarket it features a chucklesome almost dance sequence about a man whose every wish comes true as he walks by the world, from nicking a chicken burger to swooping in for a snog with his dream girl and with a fun ending that everyone creasing with laughter.

Other mentions would be "Nuts and Robbers" by Aiden Gault and Marty Stalker. A very black comedy about bungling robbers that's worth a watch. Special effects mention of the night goes to Chris Thompsons "Skyhawk". With SFX that would look at home in any Hollywood Bloackbuster it's really surprising what the guys working in their bedrooms can come up with. "Spiderland" ended off the night with an usual ode to the muppets via the festive imagination of Paul Currie. A tale of spices in Belfast and their camp Rottweiler this was a dark slice of twisted comedy that finished off the night perfectly.

The main thing if notice tonight was the quality of all the films shown and the sell out crowd that came to pay in, while the Olympics are on, on a sunny day, to come and support these films. As I left the black box having been in there for over 4 hours I did quip that it was the longest Short film festival I'd ever been too, but long may it continue. Vive la Film Devour!

By Chris Caldwell

Hansel of Film at The Black Box

Last night as part of the Olympic Festival and the Belfast Film Festival, 'Hansel of Film' came to the Black Box. Basically a bunch of short films are going on a relay, being carried by real people from Shetland to Southampton and back again, making 24 stops along the way. One of those stops was Belfast. Being curated by film critic Mark Kermode and film historian Prof. Linda Ruth Williams, who were both present last night, you knew you were in good hands (however large and flappy they may be).

We started with seven short films made by people living in the Shetland Islands and they had some brilliant (and bonkers) films! There was a four minute documentary about the UK's northern most bus shelter "Unst Bus Shelter" (which never showed a bus), one about a female polish murderer "Vycky" and a great one from a bunch of kids that featured a physical battle between two opposing armies that represented the decision process that goes on when one has to decide between juice and cola "Battle of the Juices". The films were all great quality and thoroughly entertaining, showing that creativity can come from anywhere and isn't restricted to the big thinkers in capital cities.

Next up we had seven films from Wotton-Under-Edge. These were screened in Belfast because their own local screening encountered difficulties and couldn't proceed, so we got to see them instead. Featuring a lot of films made by youngsters and with Olympic and other funding, these also were a joy to watch. My highlight being the laugh out loud history of the stick figure we see in warning signs, "Remembering Formby" was beautifully animated by Susan Elliot and her team. It was a great twist on something we see on a daily basis but never really think about. Also thrilling, was a film made by 13-17 year olds about how the Olympics is represented in their small village: "Olympic Village" was well shot, edited and wonderfully executed.

The last segment was devoted to short films from Belfast. They cited a lack of response to their call for submissions for the comp, so they had to pad it out with other quality shorts to make up the allotted half an hour. However, some great animation from students at the University of Ulster represented Belfast fully and showed what great things are being taught in our own city. The best of these being "Labyrinth of Language" a rich, funny and meticulously animated short about a boy lost in a maze. The highlight of this section was from London and the This is it collective. "Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared" was the perfect way to finish off the evening.

Original, hilarious and a little bit  twisted, it had the whole audience laughing and gob-smacked in equal measure. As we all sat there with our jaws a little bit open at the end and trying to get the song used out of our heads (green is not a creative colour) Mark and Linda thanked us for coming. They then welcomed some of the local film makers on stage for a round of applause before handing over the film canister to the next runner to be taken to Bo'Ness just outside of Edinburgh. The runner was actually going to cycle and having been born in Belfast and now living in Bo'Ness seemed the perfect choice to do it, until he revealed that he hadn't cycled more than 1 mile in the last 5 years! Good luck Bo'Nes and enjoy the Hansel of Film.

Belfast Roller Derby - Block and Roll All Nite

As a massive fan of Drew Barrymore's directorial debut: Whip It, I  already knew more than most about the sport of Roller Derby. From what I'd seen on-screen it was rough, tough and didn't take itself too seriously, and on Saturday 28th July at the Valley Leisure Centre the Belfast Roller Derby did not disappoint.


This was BRD's Block and Roll All Nite and as we walked through the doors, it was clear that this was a professional operation, with a raffle, purple wrist-bands (our team colours were purple and green), a merch stall, a tuck shop (selling popcorn, candy floss and other treats) and an announcer to get the crowd going.


Tickets were £5 in advance or £7 at the door and under 10s got in for free.


The stalls were packed; the crowd was suitably rowdy as a result of a few beers being sneaked into the hall and spirits were high as they chanted and sang loud enough to compete with any football hooligans. 


Then, shortly before 8pm the rules of the game were explained and any other questions were quickly answered by looking in the programme provided (which by the way, was extremely informative and professionally done - with player profiles, pictures of every player and diagrams to explain the rules).


For those who don't know, the basics look a little bit like this:

So it was the Belfast Banshees against the Parma Violents of Scotland, and right from when the first whistle was blown, the game was on. This is not a game for the feint hearted and these girls can really throw their weight around, with one of the opposing team having to leave in a stretcher (whilst the crowd applauded her effort). The jammers to watch from the Belfast Banshees were mcslay and Puscifer who literally skated rings around the Parma Violents while the crowd cheered on. 


To be perfectly honest, it was obvious that the Banshees were miles ahead of the Parma Violents in both points and preparation, and at half time the score was 162 to us and 22 to them.


At half time we went and picked up some merch at the merch stand which was extremely well stocked with various colours and styles of t-shirts, bottle openers, headbands and laces and then there was a raffle drawn, with the top prize of a bottle of buckfast going to a rather appreciative member of the audience. 


As the jams continued throughout the night it was clear that despite the show and bravado of the game, there is a lot to be said for team spirit and at the end, the other team was applauded, not boo'd. The game ended with the Belfast Banshees winning 251 points to 86, much to the crowd's delight. 


The names where genius: Hannahbolic Steroids, Sigourney Cleaver and Finn McCruel being some of our favourites. And the referees get a special mention for their hilarious names such as: Jean Quad Grand Slam, Reff Goldblum and Quad's Law. The theme of the night was Kiss and the girls had dressed up for the occasion, with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley-esque face paints to help them look the part. Overall, a night at the roller derby was a good one, tons of fun, loads of bruises and a fun-filled night of family entertainment. Also, for those who didn't want the party to end here, the afterparty was held in The Hudson Bar from 10pm with the Sabrejets playing (and entry was free with a BRD wristband).

By Laura Caldwell (reporting for Pastie Slap)

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Glasgowbury 2012 - Massive but Massive

“Small But Massive” has been the tag line of Glasgowbury for many years now, but if it expands any further they are going to have to change it to just plain massive.  By 12 pm on Saturday 21^st July 2012 we had tents pitched, beers opened and were merrily dancing along to a carnival style multi-coloured drum circle.  As the drummers marched away, the crowd followed them as if they were the Pied Pipers of Hamelin only instead of leading rats out of town they led the people from the campsite to the Glasgowbury arena.

With a tweeked layout this year allowing them to accommodate six different stages the festival really did look bigger than ever.  As ever the main stage was flanked in the background by the scenic Sperrins.  The addition this year of the Red Bull Generator Stage - helmed by DJs throughout the day - gave relief to anyone seeking escape from live music.  Judging by the size of the crowds that danced around the DJ booth/bar it was a massive success.  The weather stayed dry throughout with the sun even making a few regular appearances. 

This year the G Session stage was moved to a giant circus style tent.  This allowed for much improved acoustics and an end to the sound bleeding which the winds on the site had contributed to the year before.  It was on this stage that we saw The Wonder Villains play for the second year running.  Ripping through their catalogue of sing-a-long favourites and trying out some new material. The year has been kind to The Wonder Villains and much improvement could be seen from this time last year.  The extensive touring and gig paying has certainly helped them hone their craft. 

It's recently been announced that Triggerman are supporting Sepultura later this year, and rightly so. They roared through their unique brand of heavy rock with the ease of a bulldozer thorugh a mountain of butter.  the were the bulldozer we were the butter. A sizable crowd had gathered and so the moshing and head banging was inevitable.  A great band to see live and definately a high light for me.

Silhouette was up next and as Shauna Tohill’s haunting voice filled our ears the crowd was captivated.  A genuine rising star whose unique sound is catchy and memorable - definitely one to watch.

As the afternoon well and truly set in,  Pocket Billiards hit the stage in order to wake us up, and as usual the crowd was on their feet. The nine-piece ska kings did what they do best and tore through their set of punchy classics, even being joined by Eimear Coyle from The Wonder Villains at one point.

We took a wander round the site and eventually found ourselves in the middle of another drum circle.  Just one of the many sideshows that could be found in and around the festival arena.  As we left the drum circle and headed towards the main stage we were accosted by seven-foot high silver faced devils.  Luckily we made it out in time to see the tail end of Axis Of. The sound was good, the pace frantic and we're sure we saw  Pocket Billiards join in the final track so this is definatley a band we'd like to catch a whole set of in the coming months.

 I’m not usually a huge fan of dance music but I defy anyone not to be swept along by the amazing stage show and the bombastic tunes that The Japanese Popstars produce.  As we looked around there wasn’t a single person standing still and Northern Ireland’s answer to the Chemical Brothers were a welcome support act for the headliners.

At about 11.05pm Paddy Glasgow, the legend himself appeared before us. The crowd roared as Paddy introduced the headlining act, Therapy?

Therapy? are without a doubt one of the most  anticipated Glasgowbury headliners ever and despite this year being one of the quietest - crowd-wise - the amount of people left standing for the final act was impressive.  Therapy? looked the part in well-fitted suits and they certainly quashed all rumours that they’re too old for this game as they played for well over an hour, rocking the Sperrins to its very core.

Andy Cairns was on fire, he kept the crowds’ spirits up as the rain set in and was constantly talking to the audience (a trait I love to see in a band, it males you feel a part of something and not just a spectator). Unfortunately drummer Neil Cooper couldn’t be at Glasgowbury this year as his wife had just given birth to a baby, but seeing as Andy recorded a message for him on his phone, he would still get a glimpse of the ‘Small But Massive’ madness. Luckily the drummer from LaFaro was on hand to cover and he didn’t miss a beat. As a massive fan of Troublegum, Knives and Screamager were personal highlights and the entire crowd, both young and old, was singing every word – proving once and for all that Northern Ireland was definitely in need of some Therapy?

I've been saying it for a few years now, but as Glasgowbury grows and grows the next step is definately to split this into a 2 day festival. With many more going on the first night, even without entertainment, we need that final push to put this up there amongst the Latitude festivals and the Download festivals of the world.  A niche festival but on a massive scale, it just so happens that the niche of this festival is local music.

Until next year Paddy Glasgow, Keep her lit and Keep her "Small but massive"

Glasgowbury 2012 - The Cartoon

So our good buddies over at Theskeletonblog gave us this exclusive cartoon of Glasgowbury 2012! Check out their facebook and website for new funnies going up every monday.

A Fabulous Day at the Dalriada Festival

It was with suspicious eyes that I opened the curtains on Fri 13^th July; it looked like the sun was shining, but with this being Northern Ireland, one can never be too sure.  Sure enough though, there it was!  But would it stay? That was the main concern. We were headed to the Dalriada festival in Glenarm later that day, and with the festival being 90% outdoors, the weather was pretty crucial to its success.  We had my mother in law and my niece over staying with us from Scotland and were trying to show them the best of what NI had to offer, so after a morning at Titanic Belfast we headed out towards Larne, the North Coast and eventually Glenarm. We arrived at the grounds to Glenarm Castle with the sun still shining and as we quickly discovered a lot of other people had the same idea.

We navigated to the carpark easily as the grounds were well signposted and a short walk later we were paying in. With under 12s free and discount for seniors it was priced very competitively. My wife and I paid £10 each. The next few hours were spent having an amazing time, but first we scurried over to the Fine Food zone for some hog roast and coffee while the Broken Strings bluegrass band played in the background, which later made way to a display of Irish dancing.

We then moved round to see the cooking display from Channel 4s Fabulous Baker Brothers.  The guys were on great form as they took us through cooking a salmon en croute using all local produce, which we managed to grab a piece of to taste once they had finished. It was delicious (even though I don’t really like salmon)!  The guys were super nice and stayed behind for a good 20mins taking pictures and chatting with everyone.  They were handing out stickers for their website and as they stuck one on me I thought it only fair to stick some of the new pastiebap.com stickers on them. 

After the cookery we saw Willie Drennan’s Ulster Scots Band playing in the beautiful walled gardens. We had some ice cream while we attempted to watch the world’s first sheep fashion show. This was absolutely mobbed but we managed to glimpse Lady Baba and Super Lamb walking the catwalk with ease.

We caught the tail end of the massive muscle men taking part in the 'Clash of the Celtic Giants', tossing the massive caber in the air. We had a quick go on the Segways on the way round and to finish the day off, there was the amazing dancing acrobatic display that is the AFRIKAN WARRIORS.

The Dalriada festival has some solid sponsors in the shape of P&O ferries, UTV, Calor and Audi and it’s great to see these companies getting behind what is a different kind of festival that is truly for the whole family.  In an over saturated market of music festivals, Dalriada truly is something different and long may it continue!