Today is St. Patricks day, and even here, yes Taiwan, there is hype about it. Some of my local friends here have tried to get me to explain what it is all about cos they are confused, and after saying "well, that's easy......" I decided I wasn't too sure myself. Green Beer, Irish Band and Irish Stew or something like that. Oh yeah, Guinness. (you know that stuff that is liquid and black on the way in, and solid or semi solid and black on the way out.)
So, with March 17 falling on a friday, I am sure all the oirish pubs around the world will make a killing. Enjoy it, the next Friday St. Pats is in 2017. (I just guessed that, but I was right when I checked.)
I got to thinking about Ireland, and it is one place I'd really like to go to. I'd heard that the countryside is nice or something. But wait a minute, while looking for so
me pics of Ireland right now I don't think I'd go there for the scenery....cos it looks just like NZ, cept with old shit everywhere.So what is it about the place? Well, the music for one thing. There is not much I don't like about Irish music, whether it's old reels or modern rock...it's all great. Something about those melancholic riffs that stirs something, I am not sure why. Maybe I am Oirish? There could be a good chance as on both sides a couple of generations ago my ancestors came from Newport in Wales, and Mellor, outside Blackburn in England - both places very close to the west coast of the UK, which is a splash away from the land of Bailey's Oirish Cream. Yum.
Going back to the music, spare a thought for Irishman Dave Evans, whose 7 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with Lukemia. Dave's band has decided to cancel the remainder of a world tour for a while, which is pretty nice of them really. It's a pretty big deal when your stage name is "The Edge" and your band is U2. All the best for Dave and his family.
I see in NZ they are offering full ticket face value refunds for all the cancelled shows. Too bad for all the people that bought scalped tickets on Trademe for several times their face value, of course.
I have been a U2 fan for years. The Joshua Tree is one of my all time classic albums that I have happened to buy 4 or 5 times so far...huh? well, the first one was a tape....and i played it so much it wore out so I bought it again, on tape. About 1984 or 85 I reckon. Then with
my first airforce pay in 1989 I bought CeeDee Playa. Sony rack mounted thing, about the size of a VCR (remember those?) Anyway, the first CD I bought was "The Joshua Tree". When you have got a really cool CD player and 1 CD, you tend to play that 1 CD a bit. Ha. Then a few years later it got stolen in a house burglary, and then the next one I bought got stolen in a Car break-in. The CD I have now is a burnt copy of a friends original CD, but hey I'm on #5 so I figured I've paid the licenses enough to own a burnt copy. Now it's on my iPod anyway.There is one other irish connection I was getting to. Another Irish guitarist by the name of Stu. His stage name is Stu too, which is handy. Stu likes to tell stories about things, I think it is an oirish trait, and I have heard him mention his travels to far away lands like Spee-In. (That's how he say's it, I think he means Spain, pronouced "Sp-ayne") One of his other stories is about how he
bought a bargain American Fender Stratocaster off a paraplegic In Taipei. It is the classic Strat I've always wanted too, bastard. Stu's a really nice guy, and he's probably quite dashing 
too if you are that way inclined. Some people say he looks like Kevin Bacon, but I reckon he's got the Ryan Seacrest thing going on(y'know American Idol- get with it). It's all about when he was born, which was just a few days after me when Apollo 13 was transmitting "Houston, we have a problem". It was a good month.Stu is actually from Belfast in Northern Ireland (where they have nice murals everywhere I hear) and I haven't asked him yet if he says "Derry" or "Londonderry". Some people are picky about that.
Anyway, Stu did a podcast interview in Taipei in honor of St. Pats day, so now he's also practically a celebrity. And I know him. Honest.
I think that covers some irish stuff, happy Saint Patrick's day.
Ireland Pics and Music
U2
Stu's Interview
Stu's Website
