Dublin (1 Viewer)

[EWilson]

Just back from your fair capital. I feel kinda weird about it. Don't get me wrong: I liked it a lot. Liked the people (honestly, this is not the usual bullshit) with the possible exception of the barmen who all seemed particularly surly. I just think I missed something.

It seemed like there was absolutely no sub-culture whatsoever. We have Irish-theme pubs all over the shop in Glasgow, I thought they were some sort of candy floss romantic version not the norm. (I do realise that there is a heavy lean towards the tourists). Went to Whelan's a couple of nights just to get away from the bloody 'traditional' music everywhere(ok, exageration). Unfortunately, didn't get in until about midnight on the Wednesday so didn't get along to the Catharsis gig. Did see some awful bands on the Friday though (their awfulness having nothing to do with the city).

What about record shops? Do all Dubliners really only listen to U2? I couldn't believe everytime I came across what I thought was a smart wee independent store it was just chocka with U2 bootlegs. Blimey!

I'm sure I missed everything I was looking for. Must try harder next time.

One final point: The guiness being 'different' stuff myth is nothing but that - a myth. It's just more consistent.

Anyway, looking forward to going back. (However, think I might check out Belfast soon.)

 

[Monkey]

Road Records, 16b Fade Street

www.roadrecs.com

 

[EWilson]

Monkey (04 Sep, 2001 10:58 p.m.):
Road Records, 16b Fade Street

www.roadrecs.com

Shit, shit, fuck and damn! I knew about them. Totally forgot. Next time.

 

[damien]

sounds like you got a fairly spot-on impression of the city.

pity you missed catharsis, though, that was the kind of thing that doesn't happen very often around here.

 

[billygannon]

I kinda agree....all these new pubs that are opening up all have the same "European-feel" format...and playing nonsense background music followed by crap funk....now...follow the thread I set up called nightclub and we might solve this heinous problem......

 

[Dan]

Its not really Dublin, its the whole country. Theres a very lemming - ish sort of quality to everything. I read someone on another website saying about how we're too trend influenced. Think they've got our number alright. Plus most things alternative or sub-culture - ish always seems to follow a certain "approved" format.

 

[pee pee]

in laymans terms, we are all cunts, basically.

 

[Dan]

The short and sweet of it yeah.

 

[Pantone247]

I'm not.

I'm bleedin' sound o.k.

 

[Lolo]

Dan (05 Sep, 2001 02:06 p.m.):
Its not really Dublin, its the whole country. Theres a very lemming - ish sort of quality to everything. I read someone on another website saying about how we're too trend influenced. Think they've got our number alright.

Totally - and I'm not looking at my youth with rose-coloured glasses, but it wasn't always like this. Dublin has become very conservative with a very narrow definition of what's 'cool'in recent years, particuarly when it comes to fashion, less so with music. It's one of the reasons I'm fucking off to London next month. London has a lot of faults, but at least it has some kind of diversity and I won't get turned away from pubs for having pink hair.

 

[pee pee]

thankfully, i'm shit cool, therefore never have to worry about any of the above.

cough.

 

[old]

The big money floating around Dublin has led almost every pub owner to cash in. Become a superpub or sell pub to someone who will turn it into a superpub.

Guinness is bland and doesn't even taste like beer.
Marketing has made people think drinking it taps into their heritage.
Instead they're filling Italian pockets via a product which attempts continuously to monopolise the booze market.

Dublin is dull.
Bring on the decline.
We'll be skint but have somewhere to go that doesn't sell us overpriced Monacobrau and latte.

 

[Anne OMalley]

A major city is a place where the people who live there don't think they live in a major city. They think they live in the ONLY city.

Dublin is too close to London for people who live in Dublin to successfully suppress the suspicion that they do not live in a major city.

People should just enjoy Dublin for what it is - a small, provincial city with pockets of diversity and huge swathes of homogeneity -or else fuck off to London.

Anyone who tries to argue that Dublin is a major city is in denial. Anyone who doesn't has a chance of being happy here.

 

[Unclealo]

I fuckin' hate Dublin:

1/Super bars: "Dress to impress, man!" said the door man at Dakota to me (Even the Door monkeys are pretentious). Serves me right for trying to go to a wankers bar.

2/ Trendy Coffee shops: ..where some fucker always tries to short-change me.

3/ Trendy Clothes shops: I recently observed two snotty nosed cunts looking distainfully at shirts on sale and going "Gawd! How cheap!"

4/ Scenesters: In Music, Film, Theatre etc. who talk endless shite in the above places.

 

[Pantone247]

Just to offer a different point of veiw I actaully LIKE Dublin. Likes it lots.

Maybe its cause I spent a few years away from it and returned but I've had enjoyed Dublins lots since moving back.

There are pleanty of fine record shops all within walking disctance of each other (a big plus for Dublin, you can walk around it no problem). Next Week alone there are at least 9 (9 count em) local bands doing there thing, ranging from Punky Nerdlinger to odd whatever it is Thinker.org do, thats pretty fab. And people, in my experience are dead nice.

Ok so the clothes shops are a bit dodgy and boozers are quite expensive BUT if you don't wanna to go to a "Super Pub" don't!!! its not that hard a choice and they're are plaenty of fab non-super pubs around.

I get really sick of people rubbishing Dublin, its a NICE place for christ sake, its not perfect by any means, but jesus I'd rather live in a place with a bit of charecter then some whacked out concrete jungle.

 

[Dan]

joss (05 Sep, 2001 03:05 p.m.):


Dublin is dull.
Bring on the decline.
We'll be skint but have somewhere to go that doesn't sell us overpriced Monacobrau and latte.

Fuckin right on.

An economic crash in Dublin would do it the world of good, only problem being it would fuck the rest of the country sideways.

It would bring an end to the Q-bar/ Sowsueme/ Dakota short memoried, things have always been this good and always will be, tell me how I can be even cooler please Lorraine Keane crap that is so prevalent these days.

As long as theres enough money left for royal dutch and blow I'm a happy camper.

 

[pee pee]

pubs are super

 

[Lolo]

Anne O'Malley (05 Sep, 2001 03:10 p.m.):
People should just enjoy Dublin for what it is - a small, provincial city with pockets of diversity and huge swathes of homogeneity -or else fuck off to London.

Anyone who tries to argue that Dublin is a major city is in denial. Anyone who doesn't has a chance of being happy here.

Who was arguing that Dublin is a major city?!

Joss is right, it's all the Celtic Toiger's fault. Dublin has become obsessed with newness, even if it means tearing out a '60s interior to build a watered down 21st centruy version of the same thing. Witness the cull of kitsch greasy spoon caffs in recent years (the Alpha is the last of its breed).

I think Dublin was at its most diverse and vibrant in the early to mid 90s when we were just beginning to have a bit more dosh, but full-on sheep mentality hadn't set in.

Pantone is right too, though, going away for a few years is a very good idea. I've been here far too bleedin' long.

 

[Pantone247]

speaking of Caffs who turned the Wed Wose Cafe into a pounce house?? its awful!! I had a really nice savoury ommlette in Alpha a while back, you've reminded me how nice that place is.... it hasn't be ponceafied yet has it???

Anyway even the nice posh caffs are kinda o.k. (except for the Wed Wose....unforgivable) esspecially when you copare it to tother cities who have just row after row of Starbucks and Costa Cafe rather then anything remotly greasy or spoonshaped.

 

[old]

Glasgow isn't dissimilar to Dublin but has been recently Starbuckised.
Pain in the hole.