mikemonaghan:blogs

Fame at Last...

2010-09-01T21:36:01Z

Champs - featuring yours truly - made the Q Magazine Glastonbury special!

Autumn Tint of Gold...

2010-09-01T21:25:21Z

Speaking of autumn, here's a song I wrote whilst studying at University. It's quite long, and comes in two sections, so you'll to be patient for the more song-like second half.

Autumn Tint of Gold was based on a poem by Edgar Allen Poe called Alone, and features Dane Campbell on voice, Nadia Waithe on vocals and myself on instruments.

Migratory Patterns in Witney...

2010-09-01T19:55:48Z

Look what Dan spotted while we were playing tennis an evening back. Autumn must be on the verge and I've scarcely updated the blogosphere since early summer... an enumerate entry featuring all the gory festival details will follow shortly...

The problem...

2010-06-08T19:09:58Z

...with life is that you only get one. There are so many other careers I would love to dedicate myself to.

Urban planning, for example.

An update...

2010-05-19T09:27:37Z

Was undecided about this jacket from Aquascutum...

...went to Cardiff...

...had Geoffrey cut my hair...

...meanwhile Dan got stuck in a cage...

...so I claimed ownership of his bike...

...I attempted some American style cookies, they were nice, I got tsp confused with tbsp, so they were a little salty, but otherwise quite edible...

...and then Champs and Fionn played some gigs in Brighton and London.

More from the Regan roadshow...

2010-05-05T19:54:43Z

Tommy Hilfiger Carson jacket...

2010-05-05T17:38:11Z

Check out this amazing Tommy Hilfiger Carson denim fleece-lined jacket I picked up at SOV for £38!

Bargain.

Despite advice to the contrary, I'm feeling very positive about the Hilfiger vibe this summer. Here I am basking in the sun outside the furniture shop a week back (note the Carson abandoned beside me).

Maida Vale calling...

2010-05-05T16:15:41Z

Man Without Country did a session at Maida Vale for Lauren Laverne on 6Music (visit their BBC profile, featuring the session tracks, here). Ever the willing roadie, I popped along.

The labrynth of a building is full of history - the BBC Symphony Orchestra were rehearsing in Studio 1 as I arrived!

Afterward we went to see Fyfe Dangerfied at the Bloomsbury Theatre. Apparently Paul McCartney was present, though unfortunately he didn't meet me.

What a fun day.

The boy on the left...

2010-04-19T14:04:42Z

... is now a man.

Happy Birthday ol' chum!

International Tourist...

2010-04-14T21:05:26Z

Headed to Cardiff for a couple o' days on Monday avec Dan S to see Man Without Country supporting Chapel Club at the Barfly.

It was great! We got drunken, hung out, saw friends, ate in Harry R's, went on a boat, basked in the illusive Welsh sun, ate ice cream - and bumped into a couple of baseball fans in Wetherspoons watching live on their laptop! Nice work.

Talking of which, the new season has started!! Cards are looking good so far...

SoCal dream...

2010-04-11T14:10:09Z

Bin Sellin' Drobes...

2010-04-09T23:24:13Z

Some very stylish pieces in at the shop right now.

I love these chairs - and £65 for the set!

Also these nests of tables are vibing.

I really like this leather buttoned stool in dark racing green.

How could I forget...

2010-04-06T21:00:46Z

...Champs did another sold-out tour with Fionn Regan, this time for five weeks.

In order, we played: Glasgow, York, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, Exeter, Bath, Portsmouth, Brighton, London, Norwich, Oxford, Canterbury, Nottingham, Birmingham, and then... Waterford, Limerick, Cork, Derry, Belfast, Galway, Dublin, and finally Newbridge.

Not forgetting the odd TV and radio session sewn in. Phew. It was a riotous and defining experience.

The touring lifestyle was a pleasant one... playing drums every night, drinking Guinness from the rider, awakening in a different hotel room every morning and heading on to another town to do it all again... what more would a 22 year old want from life? And at least the reviews didn't mention my moustache:

"His band are dressed in various shades of thrift-shop Western, a motley parade of cowboy shirts and unorthodox neckwear, and they lend the bite required to push Regan's songs towards the edge. The drummer is particularly ear-catching: he may resemble Buddy Holly wearing a silver waistcoat, but he has an unusually thoughtful way of animating the material that recalls the great Jay Bellerose, with plenty of mallet work, and subtle touches underscoring the quieter passages of songs such as "Violent Demeanour"."

Jay Bellerose...? Nope, me neither.

I was fortunate to be spending my time in the company of some very fine chaps (and chappette), and met all kinds of quirky folk along the way (ref. Derek Acora...). It's always great to be back in Ireland... and I finally made it to Co. Monaghan! (proof to follow shortly)

Anyhow, in other news, I'm currently spending my days on court, in the furniture shop, and at the drums, and my nights at Bar Billiards, and at rediscovering my passion for long-john sleeping.

Various festival appearances to follow shortly.

Kiss my ace...

2010-03-30T10:54:09Z

Wahoo, the tennis season has begun!

Day-trip to Dubai...

2010-03-24T17:33:37Z

Ah yes I nearly forgot to mention. On my return from India I arranged a 9 hour stopover in Dubai.

What an amazing city. It's very modern, quite westernized, with a flock of mismatched skyscrapers, but with a strong eastern undercurrent.

As I was visiting on a Friday, the Dubai Metro was closed. Instead I took a (rather circuitous) bus journey, eventually finding myself at the bottom of the tallest building in the world: the recently opened Burj Khalifa.

Little did I realise that in the bottom of the tower is the largest shopping mall in the world! I ate a little lunch in the enoooooormous food hall (160 eateries!), had a little browse around (the 1200 stores...), then headed on out to the Irish bar in the airport!

See you again some day Dubai.